Dance, dance evolution

Still stepping' lively

Easy Talk: Life after retirement

Lindy's hop, of course, was just before Shanghai blew up to become the decadent center of the Orient in the 1930s.

It was a time when showgirls, buccaneers, triads and foreign bankers would all let loose on art décor-patterned dance floors in a mishmash of cultural and sartorial styles – feather boas, qipao, high heels, zoot suits, two-toned shoes, maybe a hidden pair of six-shooters.

"One of the things that attracted me was the vintage fashion, but you can wear whatever makes you comfortable," says McWilliams.

Now swing dancing is making a comeback globally. It already did so in the US in the 1980s, led by Manning and a bunch of die-hard Scandinavian enthusiasts.

Anyone remember Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers?

Last month, enthusiasts flocked to New York to spend five days celebrating what would have been Manning's 100th birthday.

Now the Depression-era dance craze is bubbling back up through the cracks in Shanghai as the city takes its cue from Beijing. The capital has professional dancers and teachers – unlike Shanghai – and recently held an event that saw hundreds of people dance on the Great Wall in partner-swapping revelry.

Kay Chan, 27, often flies from Shanghai to Seoul for workshops. She says Korea is the leading country in Asia for swing dancing and recommends a four-day camp there each April called CSI (Camp Swing It).

"My Korean friends told me it's the best way for shy guys to find a girlfriend," she says.

As the session at JZ wrapped up, the two local wallflowers were discussing their plans.

"I'll come back next week,” says Jasuko. "But next time I'll wear a miniskirt and high heels."

"I don't know why she didn't dance today," says her friend Miranda. "She's too reserved."