Dreaming of Swing and Carolina Shag in Our Community: Join the Vision!

Hey everyone,

Roger & Denise Underhill here, and we wanted to share something we've been dreaming about: bringing the joy of swing and Carolina Shag dancing back into the heart of our community. Like many of you, we miss the days when partner dancing filled our parks, bars, and community centers with laughter and rhythm.

Although there are dance studios, dedicated clubs, competitions, and dance event weekends that keep the dancing spirit alive, the spontaneous enjoyment of social partner dancing seems to have disappeared from the public eye. However, whenever we partner dance in public, we see that spark of interest and desire to learn and connect from people who approach us and ask, "Where can we learn to do that?" This is what has driven our vision of establishing the Underhill's Swing and Shag Dance Collective.

A Vision for the Future:

We envision a community where swing, Carolina Shag, and other partner dances are a regular part of our social scene, where we can gather and dance together in public spaces, creating moments of pure joy. To make this happen, we've been thinking about:

• Building a community of passionate instructors: A network of teachers who love to share their knowledge.

• Empowering Dance Ambassadors: People who can bring the dance to the people, wherever they are.

• Creating a resource hub: A website (swingandshagdancecollective.com) with information on instructors, events, and learning materials.

• Organizing public dance opportunities: Finding and creating venues for social dancing.

Please Note: These are currently plans and dreams. This collective is not yet fully formed, and these resources are not yet fully available. But we wanted to share this vision with you and see if others share the same passion.

Join the Dream!

If you're a dancer, instructor, or simply someone who loves the idea of bringing swing, Carolina Shag, and any other partnered dance back to our community, we'd love to hear from you. Let's connect and see if we can make this dream a reality.

Here's how you can get involved in the early stages:

• Share your thoughts: Let us know what you think of this vision.

• Connect with me: Reach out if you're interested in helping to build this collective.

• Spread the word: Tell your friends and family about this idea.

Let's Build This Together!

We truly believe that partner dancing has the power to bring people together and create something special. While these are just plans right now, with your help, we can turn them into a reality.

Visit swingandshagdancecollective.com to learn more about the idea, and feel free to reach out to me at w.roger.underhill@gmail.com.

Let's start building this community together!