Dancing the Evening away at Glen Echo

If you sick and tired of the same ol' grind (whether it be at work, or at the local bar/club :)), like swing music, and feel a bit adventurous, then I highly encourage you to step on out to Glen Echo Park on a Saturday night. Every Saturday, Glen Echo Park, run by the National Park Service in Glen Echo, MD, close to the Potomac and just north of DC border, holds a swing dance in their beautiful Spanish Ballroom. The easiest way to get there is from Clara Barton Parkway that follows the Potomac, and there is signage that leads you to McArthur Blvd., and then Oxford Road to park your car. Unfortunately, there is no close metro station, so driving is the only option. Glen Echo used to be an amusement park, and at night still has the neon lights on from its old park buildings. It is definitely a step into the past.

The Spanish Ballroom is an amazing venue with an awesome floor (not too slippery, but enough to get around), great acoustics for live bands, very good lighting, with sometimes even a working disco ball. Unfortunately, it doesn't have air conditioning or heating. But during the winter, as soon as you get warmed up from the band swingin' and a bit of dancing, you will definitely have to take off that jacket. Though there is no coat check, there are coat racks and I would say fairly safe.

I went with a friend this past Saturday to see Dr. Zoot, an amazing band from Pittsburgh, play at Glen Echo. Like most Saturday nights, there was an one hour lesson which is generally slow enough so a beginner can at least do something, but generally a special move or two for those that are familar with swing. Cost of admission is generally $13-15 (That day's cost was $15). Today's lesson was done by Tom and Debra from Gottaswing, and I was fairly impressed. They are known for their six-week long, one-hour a week lessons all over the DC area, whether it be at Nick's in Alexandria, the Clarendon Ballroom, Chevy Chase Ballroom, and the Dulles Hilton. Tom does like to talk... a lot..., almost to the point of doing too much. They also went extremely quickly, so if you are a guy just learning... it might have been too much. However, I stress the almost and the might, since I think they did a great job. There was a huge number of people there for the lesson. So, many that the circle we made around the ballroom had to a few lines thick around the corners, and there was little room to manuever while practicing. Tom and Debra did a great job showing off a basic step, and a number of other flashy moves like the Charleston. When it comes to teaching swing, they did very good for the hour that they had.

When Dr. Zoot got started, the lights dimmed and the disco ball started. The ambiance was a good swingin' time. The ballroom was filled with people and there were people along the sides so you can find someone to dance with. Tonight, I could sense that there were more women than men (at least interested in dancing), making it easier for guys to find someone to dance with. However, the other time I was there, you could sense the opposite, meaning that women just had to be standing alone for a second on the side and would be immediately asked to dance. Please don't feel that the asking to dance has to be one sided. While it is traditional for most swing dance venues for the guys to ask, women can and should ask guys (especially the shy ones) if they want to dance. I've always been impressed with the quality of people on the dance floor at Glen Echo Park. You will find the beginners struggling along, but there are a number of people that definitely cut a rug. Plus, most people are friendly there too; you will not be rejected that often if you ask someone to dance (those cases are usually when someone's waiting for their significant other to come back... I think that's just people no fun. :)).

As to the band, Dr. Zoot has a good swing beat and make great music. They do not have a separate vocalist, like some swing bands, but they do a pretty good job still. While catering mostly to the swing group with traditional sounding up beat swing, they also put in a few latin and even a waltz number, which shows the range and abilities of the group. (And also the flexibility of the dancers at Glen Echo to know the difference to change to the other dance.) As well, there was a pretty good mix of the slow and fast swing songs, to give yourself a break. I prefer having more fast ones, but that might be just because I have trouble dancing so slowly (especially if you are with a new person you just met).

Overall, I had a good time and the venue is amazing. If only they could put in some heating or air conditioning... You should definitely check out their calendar for the details on the next swing dance or other events they hold there.

And on a side note... this is absolutely ridiculous, and by this I mean the flurries. This area just got itself out of snow and ice, and I thought it was going to be clear. But this is just ridiculous, all of this new snow coming in random blasts! I guess it's time for a snow angel. Yes, I am not from the area, I'm from the Midwest.