Mere hours after Back to the Future Day, SMU Meadows went back in time. It was the Meadows Jazz Orchestra and SMU Meadows’ first-ever swing dance concert. We went back to the 1930s and ʼ40s for an evening dancing to the music of the great swing era big bands, including Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Count Basie and more.
Meadows Jazz Orchestra Director Dylan Smith has been interested in hosting a live dance event at the Meadows School of the Arts for several years. “I have always loved the combination of live music and dancing, and have discovered that in every town there is a cult community of expert swing dancers who jump at the chance to dance to a live jazz band,” he says. “When I was in high school and college, our jazz ensembles held swing dances and they were a blast. I am looking forward to bringing together musicians, dancers, students, staff, faculty and community members for an incredibly fun evening at Meadows!”
The Meadows Jazz Orchestra will return: This year’s concerts will be Sunday, November 22 at 2:30 p.m. in the Bob Hope Theatre at SMU and Tuesday, April 12 at 7:30 p.m. in Dallas City Performance Hall, as part of the Meadows Community Series.
Photographer Kim Leeson was on hand to capture the Swing Dance Concert. We jumped. We jived.
