Three Months: Swing Crash 2010, Como Italy

This year was the 5th year that the Swing Crash Festival has happened in the city of Como. Our hosts were two amazing swing dancers, and dance instructors, named Vince and Isa.

isa & vince

What a great experience it was! A day in the life was something like this: Up around 9-ish, breakfast, head down to Caffee' & Caffee' where Robby would get us all caffed up on cappuccino, then we would do a little site seeing. From around 1-5 in the afternoon, depending on the class schedule, we would head over to a local college where our classes were held. We were in the intermediate level, and there about 60 or so couples in our group. I danced with folks from Sweden, Norway, Germany, Spain, and Italy (of course). There were also a couple of Americans there as well, from Washington DC.

michelle (aka #5) and "germany" figuring stuff out

We were so fortunate to have some of the best swing dancers in the world (Yes! the world!!) teach us the coolest moves in Swing dancing.

pontus and jessica (sweden) showing us the swing out

sarah and anthony (austrailia) performing the charleston routine we learned in class

After class we would head back to the flat, shower, eat, and dress for the nights events on Piazza Cavour. The piazza was right on Lake Como, with the Italian hillsides as a back drop. There was a big stage where the bands would play until midnight.

lisa and michelle in front of the bandstand on Piazza Cavour pondering the start of the evening festivities

the carling family band

By about 9 pm the dance floor was full of folks from our classes, including the instructors, and others from the city of Como, dancing to some great tunes from live bands, and DJ's.

lots of folks came dressed in the fashion of the era

There was a performance each night given by our instructors and other local dance talent. I would be inserting some of that footage I took of the performances here, if the download from my camera to the computer hadn't screwed up... ugh! The Cinque met lot's of nice folks and I feel really fortunate to have experienced this with such a wonderful group of ladies. I hope we can make this an annual adventure.