The Abilene Swing Dance Society will sponsor a dance event at the Windsor Hotel on Friday. ACU’s Swing Cats and jazz ensemble are scheduled to perform throughout the night.

The Swing Dance Society has filled the Windsor’s ballroom before as part of Art Walk celebrations, but the addition of the jazz ensemble will create a unique atmosphere for the evening. Sandy Beal, property manager of the Windsor Hotel, has watched the Swing Cats give lessons and dance performances for Art Walk in the past.

“That’s kind of how they got started here,” Beal said. “We let them use the ballroom after Art Walk. It’s an expanding and progressing thing, and they seem to be doing well and having fun.”

Derek Brown, director of jazz studies, said the jazz band is excited to perform with the Abilene Swing Dance Society.

“I like to view this event as our ACU Jazz Ensemble doing a concert featuring all classic swing era tunes,” Brown said. “We’ve done a couple of these in the past, and we always enjoy it because the atmosphere is more relaxed than one of our more typical concerts, and the energy is always really high.”

Ryan Komorowski, a Swing Cats alumnus sponsor, said that the Swing Cats and the Abilene Swing Dance Society are working to promote swing dance as something everyone can learn and improve on.

“If you’ve never swing danced before, then I definitely recommend going to the lessons before,” Komorowski said. “That way once the dance starts, you know what to work on, and you can still pull someone aside for more help.”

While the Swing Cats typically perform in traditional swing dance clothing, Friday’s participants are invited to wear whatever they want.

“If people want to dress 50s or dress of the period, I’m all for it,” Komorowski said. “But usually it’s not anything formal. Definitely come casual and comfortable.”

Komorowski also offered advice to anyone who wants to participate in swing dancing for the first time.

“The most important thing is to wear non-marking shoes – shoes with lots of grips on the bottom could hurt the dancer’s ankles if they try to do spins,” Komorowski said.

“We’re just doing this event because they’re dancing as much as they can, and we try and get as much live music as we can, for the Swing Cats and for the lessons,” he added.

Dance lessons are from 7 p.m. – 8 p.m. and cost $5. The open dance will run until 11 p.m., with the jazz ensemble performing live until 10 p.m.