Happening on the Hill Swing Dancing Remains Hugely Popular at Trinity
Mike Lenneville ’03 and Lani Steffens ’03 arrived at Trinity riding the wave of the “swing craze” of the late 1990s. Although Mike had been coming to dance lessons at Trinity prior to enrolling, Lani’s only experience came from an introductory ballroom class taken in high school in Tucson. Mike, Lani, and a few friends began dancing freshman year; by 2000, the students decided to make a formal club out of their dancing-inclined circle of friends. “We were a group of people who hung out and played a lot,” Mike says. Play and creativity (along with a strong streak of goofy) became the scene’s signature style. Though novice dancers themselves, as the impromptu leaders both Mike and Lani began teaching swing dance learned from movies and experimentation. Their contemporaries recalled that Mike’s gregarious personality drew multitudes of students to the Stieren Dance Studio on Friday nights. He and Lani found themselves heading weekly expeditions seeking danceable venues around San Antonio. It was the events of one such adventure, Lani recalls, which gave the group a name, as well as a mentor. Lani and Mike were dancing the Lindy Hop. “We were making classic beginner mistakes…taking huge steps.” As she relates, their self-generated style provoked from the dance floor a “scream of horror,” by another, older dancer. The man walked over and struck up a teaching session with Mike and Lani; naturally, both raptly absorbed what the man – Paul Labrador – had to say. Among the first of many comments, Mike recalls, was a statement about the informal clothes of the Trinity students – holey jeans and ratty T-shirts. “What a bunch of bums!” As a result, this group of dancers became known as the “TU Swing Bums.” Lani describes the mentorship of the jovial “Pauli” as “uniting” interested Trinity students “in our passion for swing dance.” The group of friends-turned-dancers hit the nascent San Antonio scene with vigor. Mike states, “Everywhere we went, they knew who we were.” Though enthusiastic, “We were defined by our flaws.” The Swing Bums initiated such well-known campus events as Swing Fling, held every semester, in addition to free Friday night lessons and the famed late-night road trips to Austin venues. Mike said “technique and individuality” were the core values of the Bums in his years at Trinity. The same is true of the club today. Many students often express doubt about their talent for dance. But the truth is that swing dancing is social, fun, and a workout. You don’t need dance shoes, you don’t even need a dance partner, just bring your enthusiasm. Fortunately for the Swing Bums, enthusiasm is a quality Trinity students have always had in abundance. Hack Heyward was director of the Swing Bums in the fall of 2007. From Bend, Ore., he is a double major in international economics and Chinese with a minor in international studies. He is in China this semester with the Study Abroad program. Mike Lenneville earned a bachelor’s degree in drama; Lani Steffens received a bachelor’s degree in psychology and drama. Meanwhile, the tradition continues. The Swing Bums are offering free dance lessons for student, staff, faculty, and even the San Antonio community every Friday, with beginner’s lessons at 6:30 p.m. and intermediate classes at 7:30 p.m. in the Stieren Dance Studio/ Bell Center Room 301. No partner is necessary. For information, contact msegal@trinity.edu.
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