From the time I joined UD Swing Club at the beginning of the year until now, I’ve learned the basics of Lindy Hop, have made many friends, and have had tons of fun! And while Swing Club is great for meeting new people and learning how to dance, I have also realized that many aspects of swing can also be applied to life in general. Here are a few life lessons you can learn from swing dancing!

React to changes in direction.

As a follow, I have learned to think of swing dancing not as a collection of moves, but as reacting to momentum and changes in direction from the lead. (For those unfamiliar with swing dancing, during an unchoreographed dance, a lead chooses what to do during a dance, and the follow responds to the lead’s cues, “following” what the lead is doing.) If a lead turns me to the right and lets go, I follow the direction of the turn until the lead catches me again, or if I feel momentum pushing me slightly backwards, then I do a rock step. In swing dancing, the follow never knows what to expect, but responds to the lead’s momentum and direction to create a cohesive dance. Similarly, in life, sometimes things don’t go as planned, but, as Epicetus said, “It’s not what happens to you but how you react to it that matters.” For example, maybe you discover your major is not for you and that you would be interested in a different field of study, so you react to that change in direction by switching majors and pursuing your passion. Or maybe you apply for a job or other position but are turned down, so you respond by seeking out a different opportunity. No matter the circumstances, life involves resilience and adjusting to changes, whichever direction life may lead you. Continue reading