Nearly everyone walking through the 600 block of State Street on a sunny Wednesday last week stopped to watch the “westies” — an endearing term for West Coast swing dancers — in action; a few even joined in on the dance lesson.
The commotion was all part of Downtown Santa Barbara Improvement Association’s (DSBIA) summer dance series, taking place every Wednesday night this month from 6-8 p.m. The first Wednesday didn’t have an ounce of June gloom when my family and I came out to stomp our feet on State Street in front of Night Lizard Brewing Company. When I brought my tagalongs — 7-year-old Avery and 4-year-old Palmer — a few regulars were surprised we’d all be taking the free swing dance lessons. “You’re all going to dance?” one young patron asked. Indeed, we’d all be learning West Coast Swing that evening.
For the next 60 minutes (much less for my children, I must admit), a group that swelled in size to nearly three dozen followed along as Serenity Swing’s Bryan Gin and Kristen Rhodes taught the style of dance they fell in love with many years ago. Several participants had come with a partner and stood off to the side as every few minutes, the teachers recommended we shift slowly to the left and switch up partners. A few singles even found their match during the shuffle and opted to linger a bit longer with their newfound mate.