Happy Birthday Austin Swing Syndicate!

I’m so excited that this year is our 14th year of growing, supporting and nurturing the swing dancing scene in Austin and I’m glad that I’ve had the opportunity to be part of it.

The Austin Swing Syndicate is such a special swing dance community and I hope you will all help us continue growing the love of swing dancing in Austin for years to come!

In honor of our 14th year, here are 14 things that make the Austin Swing Syndicate the best place to dance in the world!

1. The people. We have such a wonderful scene. We’ve got people who are artists, musicians, engineers, developers, business owners, and everything in between! Plus, it doesn’t hurt that every single Thursday you’ve got around 300+ people to hang out with and dance with. Talk about a party!
2. The Fed. The Austin Swing Syndicate wouldn’t be what it is today without the Texas Federation of Women’s Clubs. The building is a beautiful mansion built in 1935. It’s one of the best-preserved examples of Georgian Architecture in Texas. And then there’s the 4,000 sq. foot ballroom with oak floors.
3. Location. Anyone in realty will tell you this is paramount. We’re fortunate to be in the Central Austin area where we’re not considered “too far to drive” from nearly any area of Austin. Being in West Campus also makes it easy for the UT students in the area to walk on over and join in on the fun!
4. You can’t beat our price! We did raise prices this year for the first time in over 10 years, but throughout the years, the Austin Swing Syndicate Boards have always aimed at keeping swing dancing accessible financially for people in Austin and I think we’ve succeeded thus far. I challenge you to find a cheaper place to swing dance!
5. Our Scene Leaders. Where would we be without these guys? You know who you are, all those running around with special gold cards. We owe you!
6. The Local Studios. The Austin swing scene is unique. We’re lucky enough to have two swing dancing oriented studios in town to help teach everyone who’s interested how to swing dance beyond the 6-count step. Also, our studios play nice and respect each other. This has also helped keep the Austin Swing Syndicate’s pricing lower and allowed for us to be the hub for swing dancing in Austin.
7. Austin Lindy Exchange! This is one of our favorite weekends of the year. The Austin Lindy Exchange is a sub-committee of the Austin Swing Syndicate that basically throws a giant weekend-long dance party every November before Thanksgiving. It’s fun! If you haven’t been, please join us this year! Oh, did we mention that the Austin Lindy Exchange is the longest running lindy exchange? Yes, that’s how awesome it is.
8. Our Coordinators. We’ve got a whole group of people over the years who have handled everything from DJs, staff, teachers, marketing, equipment, social events and more. It takes a host of dedicated and caring volunteers to run a scene like the Austin Swing Syndicate successfully. To all our coordinators current and past, a round of applause for sharing your time and efforts with the Austin Swing Syndicate.
9. Our Staff. These guys are awesome. Every week they arrive early and stay late to make sure our Thursday night dances run smoothly. We truly and honestly could not hold our Thursday night dances without our awesome staff! By the way… if you’re ever interested in joining our staff, just email [email protected] and let our staffing coordinator know!
10. Our Teachers. Do you all remember the first time you went swing dancing and you were so nervous? But then you went to class and the teachers were patient and explained everything and you thought to yourself “ok, ok, this isn’t so bad, in fact, it’s pretty fun!” Well, not everyone gets that experience, but at the Austin Swing Syndicate, we have such a friendly set of teachers that make the learning experience fun and not scary at all!
11. Our DJs. Let’s be honest, we’re fortunate. Our DJs are great at bringing the dance floor alive. Many of them travel frequently and keep up with the music trends of the national swing dance scene as well and help keep Austin current. Most of them love to geek out on swing music and hold regular summits to talk about how they can all improve their DJing skills. That’s dedication!
12. We’re a non-profit. This holds our board members and other leadership accountable and makes sure that we do what’s best for our swing dance scene in Austin. People who help at the Austin Swing Syndicate do it for love!
13. Local Musicians. Our culture and love of live music at the Austin Swing Syndicate can definitely be attributed to the amazing jazz .musicians in Austin that are so dedicated to their craft.
14. The Dance. Seriously. What would we all be doing without swing dancing in our lives? Probably something lame. Swing Dancing is a living tradition that everyone who attends the Austin Swing Syndicate has the opportunity to shape. Without swing dancing, the Austin Swing Syndicate would never have happened, and we wouldn’t have been able to meet all these amazing people!

What are your favorite things about the Austin Swing Syndicate? Post them in the comment section below!