Swingtime Dance Troupe

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Swingtime is a student-run swing performance troupe based at Stanford University in California. It was founded the fall of 2002 by four students - Megan Kale, Darick Tong, Maria Reese, and Andy Huang - in the wake of the dissolution of the Vintage Dance Ensemble. Swingtime specializes in technically precise savoy-style lindy hop, classic and modern jazz moves, high-flying aerials, and beautiful costumes. Their repertoire include both professional pieces and creative in-house choreographies, ranging from vintage 1940s swing to a modern, unique fusion of hip hop, jazz, and lindy. Swingtime has worked with legends such as dance historian Richard Powers, instructors Rob and Diane van Haaren, and dancer Catrine Ljunggren of the Rhythm Hot Shots. They perform at a variety of venues both on and off Stanford campus, focusing on Stanford's quarterly dance events: Ragtime Ball (fall), the Stanford Viennese Ball (winter), and Big Dance (spring). They hold an annual spring show in late May or early June. Several of their alumni have gone on to dance with the Swing Cats Rhythm Revue, the Academy of Danse Libre, and Decadance.