Back in the mood Chattanooga’s swinging again, led by the Millennials by Janis Hashe photos by William Stoll We innocently strolled through an entrance into Eastgate Town Center, on our way to see a show at Ensemble Theatre of Chattanooga—but no sooner had we set foot inside than we were plunged into a whirl of people in vintage costumes literally kicking up their heels. I knew this could not be part of the ETC show, which had nothing to do with dancing. So what was going on here? Well, as it turns out, Eastgate Town Center has now become a hotspot for the return of the swing dance scene to Chattanooga. And the people Lindy Hopping everywhere? Young, full
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of energy—and, apparently, born to dance. Cameron Gaul runs Chatterbugs, one of the two groups staging monthly events at Eastgate. The 20-something describes the events as “a laidback, creative environment. You don’t need to bring a partner,” he says, explaining that before each dance session begins, there is an hour of instruction for people just learning Chatterbugs’ favorite step, the East Coast Swing. “It’s a uniquely American style and an easy step to pick up,” he says. In Pennsylvania, where Gaul hails from originally, “There is a big ballroom and Lindy scene,” he says. “When I came to Chattanooga, I fig-
ured there would be one here, too.” Instead, he found interest, but not too much actual dancing going on. He threw a dance-themed house party, which was a huge success, and then, after attending ETC’s “Bizarre Bazaar” fundraiser, realized that Eastgate Town Center would likely be a perfect venue for bigger events. “The floors were good and the rent was affordable,” he says. Chatterbugs began to cut a rug. Erin Sizemore helps facilitate and hosts UTC’s Chattanooga Swing Society, the other group staging events at the mall. “I learned to dance at Shirley’s in East Brainerd when I was in high school,” she says. “Then a group of us