the global swing family

accepted in all countries

Travelling and meeting new people were probably my two greatest loves before I started swing dancing (with eating well not far behind!), and it's probably not hard to guess that swing has swung to the top of that list, but getting to blend the load together into a metaphorical smoothie of happiness makes for healthy refreshment.

I recently went to Calgary (for anyone with geographical constipation, that's in Canada), for a close friend's wedding but the way the trip started (and ended) sums up why I am continually amazed by the incredible generosity of the global swing family.

To begin with, I was very kindly met on my arrival by a guy who'd only breezed through Northern Ireland last July on a whistle-stop tour of Europe's cultural hotspots and swing scenes and with whom I'd just had a brief chat at a Dance Until You Drop event in Belfast but yet he still drove 30 minutes out of his way and back again to collect me from the airport in Calgary. Not only that but Mario also hosted me for a few days, gave me free rein to come and go, made time to hang out and even invited me to a big family get-together where I was very warmly welcomed - with the warmth definitely helping with my adjustment to the slightly nippy -22°C Calgary winter climate.

A great guy and a great family.

And a few weeks before I had arrived in Calgary, Mario had put me touch with the movers and shakers of Calgary's lindy hop, blues and west coast swing scenes who were incredibly friendly and helpful so that I was able to find out what events were happening during my stay and I could hit the ground swinging.

I resisted the urge to get carried away with socials (I was over for a wedding and some sightseeing after all!) so as well as one other relaxed night out with a few dances in a great local live blues venue I decided that I would restrict myself to ending 2014 and bringing in 2015 in the incredible museum setting of Fort Calgary.

Walking into a large new venue where almost everyone is impeccably dressed in vintage gear and no one is familiar has the potential to be intimidating but thankfully the lindy hoppers were easy enough to spot and very welcoming.

The dancing had yet to really start so I couldn't just look for swing-outs and rock-steps but by recognition (Keds and Aris Allens) and elimination (some skirts were too long/short/tight to be danced in without embarrassment and some guts too substantial to be rhythmically shifted to anything north of 60bpm) I soon found my people!

Possibly due to the combination of music (up-tempo gypsy swing) and expense (it was New Year's Eve after all!) the lindy hoppers made up only a fraction of those in attendance but what a class crew they were. I quickly discovered that I'd already been in touch with some thanks to Mario's connections so it was great to finally meet and of course dance but I also really enjoyed chatting and comparing swing scenes - and the more I travel the more I realise Belfast isn't actually that far off from matching some more established locations.

New Year's Eve at Fort Calgary, with (L-R): Paige, Arta, Arielle, Matt, myself, Julie, and Chuck.

And the folk I met further demonstrated the wonders of the lindyverse as Chuck very kindly gave me a ride home, saving me a 40 minute walk in subzero temperatures, and then Matt offered to meet up at the end of the week for a coffee and a chat.

Matt is a top bloke and it was a real privilege getting to chat with him and to pick his brains on what it takes to not only run a successful swing scene but establish one in the first place as he had done in 2009 when, much like Scott Cupit of London's Swing Patrol, he abandoned a career in the financial services to introduce swing dancing to a whole new market and set up the Toe Tappin' Swing collective in Calgary.

On top of that, Matt then offered to give me a ride to the airport the following day when I was to leave Calgary and, much like Mario had done, made an hour-long round-trip that really went above and beyond.

Continuing with what was a running theme for my travels with Air Canada, my flight out of Calgary was delayed (as were 5 of the 6 flights I was to take with them) so I arrived in Montreal to be told that, due to a missed connection, my original 2 hour layover had become FOUR DAYS!!

Four DAYS?? Eh...whatnow?!

To be honest, I quite genuinely would have been ecstatic about such an 'inconvenience' as I really wanted to see Montreal and had actually looked into layovers when originally booking my flights but such a delay would have meant missing a West Coast Swing event in Budapest that very weekend that I had booked months before and was incredibly excited to attend, so I joined a queue of many others who were less than enamoured with their new travel arrangements.

Whilst I was in the queue I thought I'd fire a text to the one friend I knew in the city who also happened to be a lindy hopper and even before I had been told that Air Canada would cover my room and board for the duration of my delay, I was offered a place to stay in the city and a means to get there!

It was late and even though Véronique may have been looking forward to a relaxing night in after work she still drove the 30 minutes there and back again to collect me from the airport, took me out for food and then set up the sofa bed. And then the following day I was given a tour of the city as she gave up her day off to entertain me and provide some absolutely fantastic company.

People like this just floor me.

I love the dancing, there is no question, but I love the people just as much, and the fact I can travel halfway across the world and still find the arms of the swing family open wide and ready to embrace me is something that will never cease to blow my mind.

I am a dual citizen, I hold passports for the UK and Ireland and I can get into most countries without a hitch but I have yet to discover anything that opens doors like being a part of the global swing family.