Swinging in the streets in Vail

One 30-second Gap commercial for khaki pants may have singlehandedly revived swing dancing in the late '90s.

“It inspired a whole generation of swing dancers,” said Todd Yannacone, a Lindy hop instructor in town this week for the

Vail International Dance Festival. “I have a lot of friends who were inspired, that's for sure.”

In the ad, dozens of khaki-clad dancers swing to the jazz tune “Jump, Jive An' Wail,” by Louis Prima.

Yannacone, a newbie to this year's festival, took his first swing class soon after that television ad came out, he said. He wasn't happy about it, though.

“I first learned about it when I was 14 or 15 when my mom forced me to go take some swing classes, very much against my will. It was a while before I realized it was something I should be thanking her for and not be grumpy about,” said Yannacone, who by age 16 was teaching classes regularly and by age 18 was being flown around the world to perform and teach. Now, at age 24, Yannacone has won a handful of championship titles from prestigious competitions such as The Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown and The U.S. Open Swing Dance Championships.

‘What's hot and what's not'

Yannacone and dancer Naomi Uyama, 27, will be teaching swing dancing in the streets at 5 p.m. today at Arrabelle at Vail Square in Lionshead. Vail International Dance Festival director Damian Woetzel said bringing Yannacone and Uyama to dance and teach at this year's festival was an easy decision.

“I love their energy and the sheer expertise of Todd and Naomi,” Woetzel said. “It's so exciting, and yet it's very subtle.

Many of the other dancers have been commenting on how brilliant their dancing is.”

Tonight's class and demonstration are part of a series of free community dance events happening this week, thanks to the Vail International Dance Festival. Last year, the festival hosted a similar dancing-in-the-street event but with ballroom dancing.

“I love the idea of mixing it up from year to year, and I think that swing dancing is particularly suited to a big, public event where everyone can learn a little and dance and have a great time,” Woetzel said. “There will be live piano to accompany the dancing, and it's going to be a lot of fun.”

So why did swing dancing fizzle out following the late-'90s rage?

“I really couldn't tell you,” Yannacone said. “I think it's the popular media what determines what's hot and not. And its not that it disappeared entirely, but to most people not in the swing dance world, yeah, it kind of was around then left.”

TV to the rescue?

Television seems to have once again come to the rescue, helping to bring social dancing back into the limelight.

“I think the dance shows like ‘Dancing with the Stars,' and ‘So You Think You Can Dance' have helped boost the importance of social dancing and partner dancing in our society, something that hasn't been popular in a long time,” Yannacone said. “Not just going to a club and dancing but going out dancing with a partner — be it tango or salsa or swing. Having those shows on TV has done a lot to boost that, not particularly swing dancing, but I'm sure swing has gotten help because of it.”

It's the rule-free, spontaneous nature of swing dancing, and particularly Lindy hop swing dancing, that keeps Yannacone's passion ignited, he said.

“It's spontaneous,” he said. “You can do any combination. There's that freedom of doing what you want, so long as you can lead and follow it. That and I love the swing and jazz music. It speaks to you — it has this rhythm and pulse to it that makes you want to move.”

High Life Editor Caramie Schnell can be reached at 970-748-2984 or cschnell@vaildaily.com.