Award-winning swing dancers from Big City Swing in Chicago will showcase the high-flying moves of such dances as the jitterbug and lindy hop when Ravinia presents a big-band tribute to Benny Goodman on June 14. The concert featues singers Sylvia McNair and Cyrille Aimée and clarinetists Larry Combs, Eric Schneider and Anat Cohen with the Chicago Jazz Orchestra led by Jeff Lindberg. Swing dancers will be stationed on the Pavilion floor near the stage. Prior to the concert they will give brief demonstration on a 40x60 foot dance floor installed on the lawn, and they will judge the Women’s Board’s annual dance contest, which this year adds categories for Best Lindy, Best Jitterbug and Best Costume. The event celebrates the 75th anniversary of the 1938 Ravinia debut of the “king of swing,” who sent cultural shockwaves across the country because of his innovative rhythms and racially integrated band. His booking led to today’s mix of classical and non-classical music at Ravinia.
Swing Dancers Join the Fun at Benny Goodman Tribute
in Park News