It’s Mostly Down Time --Until the Swing Shift

Tucked into an ugly mini-mall near Pic ‘N’ Save, the Press Box is forgettable though clean. It’s cramped and usually brimming with bowlers from the busy lanes next door; polyester is worn in abundance, and the dance floor is too small.

But never mind appearances. Come Friday nights, the place turns into one of Southern California’s greatest pop culture assets, because that’s when a group of the country’s finest West Coast swing dancers goes through moves that leave neophytes thinking they should hang it up.

West Coast swing is the sophisticated sister of the Lindy hop. But don’t picture that raggedy dance, where arms and legs are flung akimbo and whole bodies are tossed over shoulders.

Picture a smoother, more controlled dance.

There’s lots of fancy footwork, but feet more often flick or syncopate in line with hips. There are plenty of spins and a lunge now and then, but torsos are generally kept erect.

Unlike a waltz, the dance doesn’t travel across the floor either. It’s performed in a “slot,” a narrow space within which partners trade places. Suitable music, although mostly blues, ranges from works by Stevie Ray Vaughan to Shelby Lynne to Sheryl Crow. A deejay spins the mix.

Press Box regular Mary Ann Nunez defines swing’s musicality and responsiveness. That sudden sax blast? Nunez makes it visible with a lightning-quick lower-leg kick. That rat-a-tat-tat-a-rat-tat? Her feet beat out the staccato rhythm like drumsticks.

Responsiveness means that a woman follows every direction given by the man through the twist of a wrist or a hand pressed to the back. Nunez follows steps and patterns but also picks up her partner’s idiosyncratic style.

Within lead-follow confines, of course, a female dancer may improvise. Updating the once conservative dance, one woman sensually undulates her mid-section and hips or flings her head around and back at the end of a quintuple spin, red hair awhirl. Indeed, the regulars joke that nobody ever watches the woman’s partner.

Everybody also likes to watch Jack Carey and Annie Hirsch, considered the dean and doyenne of the local swing scene. They’ve been at it since the ‘40s and embody the suave, subtle style of bygone years before disco, hustle and country each left their mark. Smooth as silk.

Don’t get the wrong idea. The Press Box is open to everyone, and you’ll find all skill levels there. OK, so some of them do more watching than dancing.

* 6471 Westminster Ave., Westminster.

* (714) 898-2058.

* Friday nights feature swing from 8 to midnight.

* Cover: $5.