It’s that time of year again that you have all been waiting for, GSGA’s annual Swing Dance. Each year Greenville University’s Greenville Student Government Association, otherwise known to most as GSGA, puts on a night of fun with swing dancing for not only the campus, but for the community of Greenville as well.
Swing is a type of dance that became extremely popular in the 1920s. The main attribute of this was the popularization of jazz music. Swing has continued to be a popular dance type mainly due to swing dance clubs that can be found all around the world. Another big influence that continues to popularize the dance is the hit television series Dancing With The Stars. It is a show all about ballroom dancing, including a variety of swing dance such as the jive and the charleston.
One anonymous student who has a love for jazz music shared his opinion on the evening:
“I loved it. It was fun to take my love of jazz and be able to replicate old time dancing! 10/10 would do again.”
The night of swing dance at GU is spent eating food provided by the University’s own Fresh Ideas. Once bellies are full, a night of classic swing dance begins. Shawn Cox, a Greenville local who teaches music in Bond County elementary schools, instructs and leads the participants through the evening teaching the dance itself as well as some fun tricks. Another highlight of the evening is the silent auction. This year’s prizes included a Keurig and Apple Airpods. In addition to all of that, there is also a photobooth, which is perfect for capturing the memories of the evening.
One of the best parts about the event is that all proceeds made go to Eden’s Glory. Eden’s Glory is a great local organization that has focused on the problems of human trafficking since 2012. They provide a treatment program for women who have survived an act of human trafficking and have lost their way after the matter. Eden’s Glory’s treatment program focuses on healing the women physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually and relationally through the power of God. This year’s swing dance event raised $375. This is amazing and will greatly help Eden’s Glory in their future endeavors on helping those women get through a difficult time in their lives.
Another student who was able to attend the dance said:
“The dance was a lot of fun. The food was really good, it had a nice atmosphere, and the instructors were super nice. It was a lot of fun and I learned a lot.”
Hearing other student’s opinions really makes me want to check it out next year. For those of you who did not attend the dance should really check it out next year as well. Though it may be out of some of your comfort zones, including my own, it is a nice way of trying something new and experiencing that with friends. All of the proceeds go to a great cause as well, which makes it even better. Overall, it is a night of fun with friends, learning something new, and helping those in need. What more could you ask for?
Media by Reaghan Lesh
