ExploreDance

The Hawaii Jitterbugs put on an event every Saturday night in Honolulu called Aloha Swing. When I was there, it was their second week in a new venue: the Aloha Activity Center. This is a one room space with a mirror along one wall. The wood floor was in excellent condition. They played a variety of Swing music, with most of it being Lindy Hop. The tempos ranged enough, though, that on the slow end of the music selection, one could do fast West Coast to it too. Doors opened at about 8 pm and the party went to 11 pm. Cover charge is $5 per person, and they sell bottles of water for $1 each. There is a free half hour beginner lesson included with admission. Note that depending on which side of the building you are at, you may need to go through the garage to get to the entrance.

About 25 people were in attendance. I was told that the previous week, which was the opening of the new venue, attracted 40 people. I think the drop off in attendance is nothing to worry about since this almost always happens after the first night at a new venue. Also, the lower attendance might have been due to competing events on Labor Day weekend. Even with 25 people, there were plenty of people to dance with.

The party had a healthy demographic, in the sense that there were people there who were experienced dancers and beginners as well. The Hawaii Jitterbugs are doing their part to develop new dancers to keep the dance community growing. The experienced dancers were a joy to watch. The crowd may have been small, but Aloha Swing still proved that Hawaii has serious dance talent.

As a suggestion for improvement, the organizers might want to sell local Hawaiian juices. This might be a way to enhance the event without increasing the costs or the nature of the event, so long as the juices have a reasonable shelf life. Having provided food at some events, I know as well as anyone the difficulty of judging how much is enough, while also trying to make sure nothing goes to waste. Organizing an event is a delicate balancing act.

I found the people at the party very welcoming. Even as a jaded New Yorker who isn't a Lindy Hop specialist, I had a very good time here. Whether you are a local or a tourist, if you need to dance, be sure to put Aloha Swing on your intinerary.