Cut a rug at Hawaii Jitterbugs’ weekly swing dance classes

Broaden your fitness options in 2016 with upbeat, fast-paced swing dancing. Lessons are offered through Hawaii Jitterbugs, a nonprofit organization that preserves and promotes swing dancing and the Lindy hop on Thursday nights at Ong King Art Center in Chinatown.

The high-energy dance styles originated in the African-American community in Harlem in the 1920s and became more widely popular in the 1930s and ’40s.

During our lesson, instructor Gail Vincent offered clear instruction as she guided participants through the basic steps. We switched partners throughout the lesson to encourage interaction.

“This is a social dance,” said Vincent, 51. “Lots of people come by themselves. If you come with someone, you don’t just want to dance with your partner.”

Vincent, a Jazzercise instructor for 13 years, has been swing dancing for more than a decade and doesn’t plan to stop anytime soon. “In swing dance we don’t take things too seriously. It’s meant to be goofy and fun,” she said.

All of the dance instructors are volunteers, according to Evan Yashiki, Hawaii Jitterbugs dance instruction manager. “We love to dance.”

Yashiki, 32, has been dancing since he was a freshman in high school. “I had this thing for a girl, so I took lessons to impress her,” he said. When she dropped out of the group about three months later, Yashiki realized there were lots of other pretty girls and continued with the lessons. But what really evolved was a love for the dance.

Setting

The class is held at Ong King Art Center in Chinatown, on the corner of River and King streets. If street parking is scarce, check the municipal lot on Maunakea Street. After climbing a flight of stairs, you’ll find yourself in a spacious gallery that transforms into a dance hall on Thursday nights. Pre-class minilessons are conducted in a small room in the back to prepare you to join the others on the main dance floor.

Benefits

Dancing is fun, but you’ll get a full-body cardio workout in the process. According to calorielab.com, an hour of swing dancing can burn 238 calories. With its spins and other moves, it also helps with balance and posture. If you continue to advance in the dance form, lifts and aerials can serve as a form of weight training, Yashiki said.

The workout

We lined up and were paired off as we began to learn the basic steps of swing dance. We started with a shuffle, which had us moving from one foot to the other. Then came a combination of steps — one a bouncy shuffle with three quick steps, and another with the lead dancer stepping back with the left foot and the follower stepping back with the right, shifting their weight behind the body and causing partners to stretch away from each other. Once we caught on, we were introduced to a couple of simple turns.

After learning the basic steps, we moved down the line to a new partner and tried the steps all over again.

I’d suggest wearing comfortable shoes and casual dress, something that you don’t mind getting sweaty.

User review

Danny Smith, a 25-year-old from Washington state, was happy that he found an online listing for the lesson. “I took lessons on the East Coast, but this is one of the better classes that I’ve attended,” he said. “They taught the basic fundamentals, and the instructor was easy to follow. The music that they play is good, too.”

Aolani Zidek, a 17-year-old Kaneohe resident, attended with her boyfriend after hearing about it from a friend. “I like that it was casual. I danced with all different people, not just my date,” she said. “I had dragged my boyfriend along, but it’s like a place where people go to meet friends. There’s no age limit, and even though I’m younger, I felt included.”

Try it out?

It’s a fun alternative to traditional exercise with an engaging social component. I’d give it another try.

“Tryouts” features exercise and wellness classes and other fitness activities. Reach Nancy Arcayna at narcayna@staradvertiser.com or call 529-4808.