I was sitting in my favorite off-season Chicago music venue a few months ago listening to some live Big Band music when a beautifully dressed couple started dancing. Then another couple and another. Turns out it is also the favorite venue of the (surprisingly large) community of Chicago swing dancers! And here I didn't even know swing dancing was still a thing. But the dancing was so engaging, so contagious that I googled "Chicago swing dancing classes" right when I got home. I ended up taking a class with Jenna at Big City Swing and had more fun than I could have expected. Swing is fun to dance, it's fun to watch, and the music we danced to was a phenomenal way to liven up my after-work hours.
And guess what? Several weeks after completing my beginner class I found out that Ravinia would be hosting Big City Swing at the Big Band Tribute to Benny Goodman on Friday, June 14. Dancers from Big City Swing will be filling in as judges at the Eighth Annual Women's Board Dance Contest and performing to Benny Goodman's "Sing, Sing, Sing." The happy coincidences have me reeling. Or maybe swinging.