Kennesaw State students and Metro Atlanta locals can enjoy the music of the 1940s during the Museum of History and Holocaust Education’s 11th annual Swing Dance on Saturday, Nov. 3, at 7 p.m.
Organized by the staff of MMHE and led by Operations Manager Stefanie Green, the dance aims to bring education and entertainment together for the community in time for Veteran’s Day.
The event is expected to have a high turnout of dance enthusiasts. At the beginning of the event, the swing dance clubs at KSU and the University of Georgia teach attendees popular dances of the 1940s and host exhibitions hosted later on. The Peachtree Jazz Edition will play big band swing standards of the 1940s, such as the songs of Benny Goodman and Glenn Miller.
“Even though this is a dance, we still educate audiences about World War II and the Holocaust and its significance,” MHHE Director Catherine Lewis said. “The exhibitions are open, we host tours and during the dance, we have screens with information and trivia and facts about the war.”
Many attendees come to hear the music of the 18-piece swing band, but others might come to the event solely for the costume contest, exhibition tours, trivia and raffle.
“The costume contest was interesting because it just sort of happened organically,” Lewis said. “Our visitors just started coming in costume, so we made it a formal part of the program.”
Lewis said that the Swing Dance was an instant success. Over the past eleven years, the event has grown to reach roughly 400 to 600 attendees across the metro area.
“World War II and the Holocaust are challenging topics, as you might predict,” Lewis said. “Many of our programs focus on this very difficult period in history, so eleven years ago, we had a conversation about what kind of community event could we develop that would bring people together that would have a festive feel.”
The result was an annual Swing Dance modeled after the popular United Service Organizations’ 1940s dances.
“The dance attracts a lot of students, not just from KSU, but from North Georgia, Georgia Tech, Emory, Agnes Scott and other institutions around the region,” Lewis said.
Not only are attendees geographically diverse, but they also form a wide range of ages.
“We tend to get everything from small children to veterans that are in their 80s and 90s wearing the uniform that they wore during their service,” Lewis said.
Although the event is free, attendees are encouraged to bring non-perishable items for a food drive for Campus Awareness, Resource & Empowerment Services, a campus organization that aids students in need.
The MMHE is involved with several other events and is open year-round with the exception of some school holidays. It is open for visits and guided tours Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
To learn more about the Swing Dance Association visit https://owllife.kennesaw.edu/organization/ksusda.
