Swing dance jazz event draws over 100

A Swing Dance at the Starfire Event Center the evening of Saturday, Feb. 21, featured dance lessons by Lynette Dawley, live music by the Waseca Junior Senior jazz bands, and refreshments for those burning calories out on the dance floor. The event drew about 100 participants.

 

Paul Davis, instructor at Waseca high school was the first of two band directors; he introduced the band and said, “Welcome everyone to our swing dance.

 

“We’re really glad you’ve found us even with the change of venue.” The 2025 swing dance took place at Farmamerica. Davis continued, “And since it’s so quiet, let's start and turn this from a funeral vibe into a dance vibe.” There was laughter from the crowd.

 

Thomas Howe and his wife Mary were there, after “cutting a rug” out on the dance floor for the class, they took a seat as the music began. The jazz bands started out with the seventh-grade group. Said Mary, “My daughter Dalisaya is in the ninth-grade band so we’re here to watch her play. We signed up for the dance class, I don’t usually dance like that, but I wanted to try it, be goofy for a night.” Thomas said, “That class started out with swing dancing but it ended with line. Dalisaya has been playing the trombone for three to four years, I’m so proud.”

 

Mark Griffith, director of South-Central Emergency Medical Services, was there watching his daughter Charlotte Griffith, “My Pumpkin is in the eighth-grade Jazz Band, she’s been playing the saxophone for a year and a half now. She has two saxophones, a Barry Sax, a tenor sax, she also plays bass guitar, electric guitar and trumpet, but tonight she’s only playing her tenor.”

 

Before the show, a fancily dressed Charlotte, her equally fancy-dressed friends Skyler Gilmore, Olive Scheffert, Elliott Galle, and Amber Hagen were hanging out, having some juice and cookies at a round table near the door. They were kind enough to pose for a photo and more talkative than it is possible to describe. They also took part in the dance class and stayed until the very end after 10 p.m. It was a very busy night!