SDA's Website, Goals & Contact Information

Swing Dance Alaska was officially started July of 2001 to both provide a more useful website for swing dancing information in Alaska (taking over the older Swing Bar website which began in February 2000) as well as help promote and help organize swing dancing events in Alaska.

SDA's owes its name to Christine's suggestion of "Alaskan Swing Dancing." To avoid confusion with the abbreviation for the name "Anchorage School District", Christine's suggestion was reworded as "Swing Dance Alaska" in the assumption that fewer people in the Anchorage/Alaska dance community would confuse SDA for Seventh-Day Adventist (or any other another group).

Swing Dance Alaska's website is a one stop information site for those interested in the swing scene in Alaska. Anyone in the community can contribute to its content through our Feedback page or Add an Event on the Calendar page. There is also a mailing list that people can send out event information on, ask questions or clarification on, or just receive updates on upcoming events in town. When you sign up with the website, you will automatically be added to the mailing list, but you can turn off this feature in your account setting.

This website began as an expansion onto the older Swing Bar website, which promoted the one place in Anchorage that use to be a consistent and dedicated location for the Swing dance scene. The Swing Bar website was started February 7th of 2000. On July 4th of 2001, Swing Dance Alaska took over the older website, absorbing the older Swing Bar site into its pages.

On February 1st, 2004, all general information webpages on swing dancing and swing music were removed from the SDA website and that content was placed in its own website located at Just The Swing (much of that content originated from the the older Swing Bar website). Further, the SDA website was given a major overhaul adding online membership accounts and member areas to the website.

The SDA website continues to be actively added to and expanded, and suggestions are welcome.

Swing bands can use this site to promote their performances. If you are a swing band and want to promote a performance, let us know, and we'll help get the word out! Since many West Coast Swing dancers like dancing to the blues, this applies to blues bands as well. Send us a link to your local band's website and we'll put it on our site.

In addition to providing information and news, we hope to bring together swing dancers in Alaska for the betterment of the swing scene. We intend to do this through the use of this website, through email listservs, and any other form of communication that can easily connect Alaskan dancers.

Swing Dance Alaska also strives to promote the expansion of swing dancing in Alaska. Lindy Hop, East Coast Swing, West Coast Swing, Smooth Lindy (Hollywood), Shag and Hustle are all welcome and promoted. Charleston and Tap, while they are not swing dances, are also given mention due to their early influences on Lindy Hop.

Swing Dance Alaska will also sponsor lessons, dances, and other swing dance related events. Swing Dance Alaska, at times, may help organize or act as representative to promote the betterment of the swing dance environment at venues when a single individual is less effective.

Reduced prices for pay-to-participate events and lessons, and other benefits will be offered to those who opt to subscribe for SDA services. If you are interested in subscribing for these SDA services, please send an email to SDA.