This past Saturday, I drove to Gainesville, Florida for a night of dancing under the stars. The people in the Gainesville swing dance scene put on this magical event once a year and this was my first time going, but I can tell you now it won’t be my last.
I got to Depot Park just before 7 pm, right about when the lesson was ending and just in time for the main dance. I met up and danced with several of my friends from Jacksonville; more of them arrived later on after getting some food. One of my Jacksonville friends was the DJ that night and he did a great job. Hours of terrific, fun music right in the “sweet spot” for swing dancing: just the right speed for triple steps and all the wonderful things they offer, and fast enough to be fun but not so fast that it wears you out.
This was my second time swing dancing in Gainesville and my first time dancing there for just one evening. My first time dancing in Gainesville was in March of this year for the Sweet Swingouts weekend workshop. Just as I did back in March, I enjoyed dancing with the people from the local dance scene as well as my friends from the Jacksonville scene. Since the two cities are reasonably close, I can see myself driving out there every so often for more fun dance adventures.
Even though it was chilly outside, we danced enough that the weather kept us comfortably cool instead of shivering through our swingouts. After the last song, we took a few pictures and hung out for a bit while helping pack up and making sure we left the park in good shape before heading home. The weather, music, dancing, and great company all made for a wonderful night out in the park. I’m glad I went this year and I’m looking forward to going back next year.