As the sounds of the ’30s poured out of the speakers in the basement of the Reid Campus Center, junior Kali Stoehr gripped senior Justin Daigneault’s arms as he led her around the floor.   Stoehr shifted her feet in quick succession, one lifting up just as the other touches the ground, as Daigneault mirrored her elaborate movements with his own fancy footwork.

“Just like this: quick-quick-slow-slow,” Stoehr instructed to her Swing/Tango students as she danced with Daigneault, never missing a step.
Afterwards, the pair asked the group if they needed any extra instruction before practicing with their partners.

“We’re here to help,” Stoehr said.   “Review is always good so we can: .”

“: tell us when we screw up?” A male Swing/Tango student asked as nervous laughter erupted around the circle of would-be swing kings and tango queens.

Group interaction is not unusual during Swing/Tango since the class emphasizes learning: rather than competition: among dancers.
“We do social dancing, rather than competitive dancing, so that students get to know people,” Daigneault said.   “It facilities getting in shape and moving your body, but it’s also about having fun with other people.”

Stoehr and Daigneault, the leaders of Swing/Tango, have different backgrounds in dance.

“I’m a little bit better at swing and he’s a little bit better at tango,” said Stoehr.

The duo was requested by former Swing/Tango instructor and alumni Vanessa Cox to lead the class following her graduation from Whitman College.   Both Daigneault and Stoehr were active students of the class when Cox taught it: four years for Daigneault, two years for Stoehr.

“Coming here I never really danced before,” Daigneault said, “and I thought I’d join in and learn some swing and some salsa.”

Daigneault was introduced to tango when he took a class in Portland.   When he came back to school, Cox asked him to help teach the style because, at that time, the class was only focused around swing dancing.

“Sometimes in Swing you learn all the moves and go, ‘Oh wait, I want to learn more,'” he said.

Thus, Swing/Tango was born.

The group meets every Sunday at 3 p.m. to dance for two hours in the Reid Campus Center Ballroom.   There, students pair off with other students and twist their heads (and their bodies) around complicated procedures like the dip-step in swing or ochos (figure-eights) in tango.   Sometimes, Daigneault and Stoehr will teach students other forms like the waltz or the foxtrot.

Constant movement is at the core of Swing/Tango.   Like the never-ending soundtrack playing over them, ranging from the Armstrongs and Ellingtons of the swing golden age to the contemporary tango dub sounds of the Gotan Project, Swing/Tango students dance and switch partners continuously, stopping only when Stoehr or Daigneault want to teach them new steps.

“[Swing is] probably the most energetic of ballroom dancing, and we like to say that there are no mistakes in swing: only variation.   It’s a really forgiving dance and it’s fun to learn and fun to do,” Stoehr said.   “Tango, on the other hand, is a lot of body control; but it’s also really fun.”

Even with the focus on older dance styles, the interest in Swing/Tango remains high, with participation topping off at about 30 students for each Sunday class.

“All the introductory styles that we teach usually have a good turnout because, for people that feel that they can’t dance, this is a structured way to learn,” Stoehr said.   “You get more comfortable moving your body to music if you have some structure to it.”

First-year Emily Hanscam, a participant in Sunday’s class, thought the class was an excellent outlet for stress

“It’s really relaxing,” she said. “I’m on the ski team right now so I’m always working really hard, and this class is a nice way to relax.”  

Hanscam took up dance during high school and admitted that Swing/Tango was helping her “relearn” those moves.

Later, Hanscam slipped both her feet in long, black high-heels and executed near-flawless ochos with Daigneault.

First-years Kayla Hegadus and Nina Estep waited on the side lines of the dance floor, confessing that they didn’t know how to lead during a lesson.   They both agreed with Hanscam’s sentiment.

“It’s a nice ending to your weekend,” Hegadus said.   “You can de-stress and not worry about studying.”

“It gives you more personal space,” added Estep.

Part of the reason for the increase in the number of Swing/Tango members may be due to the fact that Daigneault and Stoehr are advertising to Walla Walla University in an effort to get more of the community involved in the club.   “We’ve been doing some community stuff so I’ve allowed Walla Walla University to post our event at their University, so we have some University-ites who come and dance with us,” said Daigneault.

Stoehr and Daigneault are also offering their expertise to the rest of the student body near the end of the semester.   According to Daigneault, the Campus Activities Board (CAB) will be hosting a dance focused around the waltz and other formal styles.   Stoehr and Daigneault will adjust their dancing shoes and teach the basics of waltzing.

“Do I think I’m really good?” Daigneault said, laughing at the question.   “I think I’m okay.   I don’t necessarily know all the, like, cool moves but I can teach the basics.   I have a plethora of dance moves, and Kali and I definitely dance well together.   We teach it very well.”