You're reading: A swinging party

Kyiv Swing Dance Club celebrated its 10-year anniversary this week with a series of contests and four major parties around the city.

Celebrations kicked off on March 5 with a welcome party and culminated on March 7 with three competitions, including Lindy Hop, Balboa and West Coast Swing.

All these swing dance types originated in the United States before or during the Swing Era, which lasted from 1935–1946 and made swing the most hip type of music to listen and dance to.

The birthday bashes drew a crowd of visitors from Moscow, St. Petersburg and Minsk.

Two of three judges for competitions, Jeremy Otth and Laura Keat, arrived from the U.S. and taught a series of master classes to the thriving swinging community in Kyiv.

(Photos by Joseph Sywenkyj)