Countywide : Fred, Ginger Would Be Proud of Them

They danced the night away Friday as contestants in the Southern California Swing Dance Championships vied for $5,000 and the right to go to the national championships in November.

The one-night showdown began at 8:30 p.m. and ended at midnight, with dancers competing in five different categories. Among them were the “Masters,” for those over 55 who danced at slow and medium tempos; the “Classic,” in which contestants perform a three-minute routine including an entrance and an exit, and the “Showcase,” in which dancers perform aerial displays, lifts and drops.

Swing dancing evolved in the 1930s and ‘40s with the rise of the big bands and is believed to be an offshoot of the Lindy Hop. Swing includes a lot of spinning, twirling, stomping and gliding, and can be done at slow or fast tempos.

The West Coast Swing, a slow dance, evolved in the 1960s, while a faster version, known as the Jitterbug, included such acrobatics as the woman sliding between the man’s legs, and then being pulled to her feet.

The winners of Friday night’s competition will be sent to the U.S. Open Swing Dance Championships at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim in November, according to a flyer announcing the dance contest. Entry fees for the various categories ranged from $15 to $30 per couple.

The dinner and dance contest was held in the Grand Ballroom of the Sequoia Club in Buena Park. The music was provided by disk jockey Bob Brewer.