Slideshow

Slideshow: Dancing til Dusk 2012

July 30, 2012

Dancing til Dusk is an annual summer series that provides free one-hour classes followed by two-hours of free dance. It all culminates with an event at Seattle Art Museum's Olympic Sculpture Park on August 30.

Photography by Sabina Cao

Janetmarie Wolfe and Fred Kleindenst warm up before the lesson. Kleindenst has been dancing swing for 10 years, while Wolfe just started in April. "One of the biggest things to learn at a lesson is how to just follow and stop trying to lead," said Wolfe.

Photography by Sabina Cao

Instructor Solomon Douglas and his volunteer partner Jenna Applegarth demonstrate the fast-paced Lindy Hop (sometimes known as the jitterbug). The Lindy Hop is a New York-born style of swing that became popular in the ‘20s.

Photography by Ana Sofia Knauf

Douglas and Applegarth teach the crowd the basic Lindy Hop forward and backward triple steps.

Photography by Sabina Cao

In addition to teaching, Douglas (pictured here on the keys) also leads The Solomon Douglas Swingtet. Dancing til Dusk coordinator Lilli Ann Carey says of Douglas' dual role in swing: "It's great that we have him here - when you dance the dance, you really know how to play the dance."

Photography by Sabina Cao