A Seed is Planted (2001-2004)
In 2001, the UI Swing Dance Club was officially formed, but little is known about this period of the club. As we understand it, the club was formed by a few Swing dance fans that were inspired by the “Swing craze” of the late 1990s. Members would meet every week at the University Field House to dance at Monday Night Swing. A club officer would be assigned to bring music and they would play CDs on a small boom box. The group would gather to socialize, practice and learn from one another. In the fall of 2004, the group was all but non-existent. Most of the first organizers had already left and the few members that were still around did not meet on a regular basis. Julianne Grant, Shelley May, Michael Hartley and Bridgette Henry were the few members of the UI Swing Dance Club that were still making an attempt to dance, but grad school and heavy workloads prevented them from organizing weekly meetings. Nevertheless, in the spring of 2005, two freshmen, who had a great passion for Swing dance and Swing music, would motivate a new surge in the Iowa City Swing dance scene.

A New Beginning (Spring 2005)
The spring semester of 2005 brought a new chapter to the UI Swing Dance Club and it soon became better than ever. The club was officially reinstated with new leadership, a new look and new goals for the future. Michael Brafford, a theatre major with an eight year Swing dance history, wanted to see more from the Swing Club and took on the responsibility of resurrecting the club with great ambition and high hopes. He took on the role of President, Head Instructor and Events Coordinator, organizing weekly lesson plans, marketing club activities and planning the club’s first of many Swing dances with live and DJ’d music. At his right side was Fiamma Taylor, a freshman with nine years of ballroom dance experience. Fiamma took on the role of Treasurer and Instructor. These two worked tirelessly to breathe life into the club and sought out ways to bring new and bigger crowds to club activities.

That spring, over 100 members signed up and Monday Night Swing was back in full force. The club threw their very first Swing dance, held at Old Brick, and soon started having weekly dances at The Siren in downtown Iowa City. A core group of UI Swing dancers started to form and this core would be vital to the longevity of the club. One of those members was Erin Taylor, a dance and music major. She soon found a love for this dance style and became a key member in laying the foundation for many of the club’s activities. Other dedicated members that helped to promote the success of the club included Shelly May, Michael Hartley, Adam Diesburg, Julianne Grant, Chris Dunlay, Zach Guack, Virginia Wix and several other devoted hepcats. This diverse group of people, with various majors, personalities and interests, continued to support the UI Swing Dance Club and helped mold it into what it is today, an organization where all are welcome and Swing is alive.

A Dark Cloud (Fall 2005)
The club was off to a great start, but the summer of 2005 brought unexpected challenges. The Siren had closed down and left the Swing Club without a weekly Swing venue. Even more devastating was the fact that one of the new organizers, Fiamma Taylor, was diagnosed with Cancer. Fiamma fortunately made a strong recovery after undergoing chemotherapy, but was unable to return to the University of Iowa and the club she helped create. She continued to support the club from a distance and attended UI Swing Club activities when she could, but the club was not the same without her inspirational dancing and leadership.

The UI Swing Dance Club was now without one of its founding members and a weekly dance venue, but leaders continued to push the club forward. Michael Brafford continued to lead as President and Erin Taylor took over the position of Instructor in Fiamma’s absence. The Swing Club implemented the first Welcome Swing Dance and organizers were happily surprised with an overwhelming turnout. Hundreds of new and returning students packed into Old Brick church to listen and dance to the tunes of the New Venue Big Band. The dance was a great success and the Swing Club was truly making a name for itself.

That fall, over a hundred students turned out for the first Monday Night Swing lessons and membership grew. Without a weekly venue, these members sought out new opportunities around the State and would often travel to Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, and Ames to fulfill their Swing fix. Some members became so obsessed that they even organized a road trip to Minnesota to attend the Minnesota Colleges Swing Festival sponsored by St. Olaf and Carlton colleges. Club leaders were convinced that they were on the right track and were excited to see that these new members were so passionate. Moreover, it was soon discovered that several of the new members already had some years of Lindy Hop experience under their belts. Matthew Fuld, a Biomedical Engineering graduate student, and Jessica Schmidt, a graduate student in the Vocology program, moved to Iowa from two popular Swing dance scenes. These two immersed themselves in the UI Swing Dance scene and became prominent advocates for the club. Fuld also brought several assets to the table that would help the club run more efficiently and effectively. With his technological expertise, passion for Swing dance and his enthusiastic ambition to lead and instruct, Fuld would become the club’s “go to” guy and played a major roll in propelling the club forward.

Club leaders soon recognized the great potential for something more. With the several dedicated new members coupled with the few experienced dancers, Brafford and club leaders decided to organize the University of Iowa’s first competitive Swing dance performance troupe and in November of 2005 the UI Flying LindyHawks were born. The first members included Michael Brafford (Choreographer), Erin Taylor (Choreographer), Adam Diesburg, Chris Dunlay, Laura Fredrickson, Matthew Fuld, Eve Johnson, Cheryl Ozog, Jessica Schmidt, and Whitney Wright. They made it their goal to promote Swing dance around the State through instruction, performance and competition. Their first big test would be in the spring of 2006 at the inaugural year of the Hawkeye Swing Festival, an event that was the manifestation of Brafford’s longtime goal to bring a major Swing dance weekend to the State of Iowa. Up until then, there had been no event in the State that was dedicated to Swing dance and Swing music that featured professional instructors, live music, regional dancers and Swing dance competitions. With the club’s growing member list and the success of past events, Brafford and the other members felt the scene was ready for an event of this magnitude.

Big Winners (Spring 2006)
Over winter break, many of the plans for the first Hawkeye Swing Festival were hashed out between Michael Brafford and Matthew Fuld while the LindyHawks’ choreography was finalized by Brafford and Erin Taylor. The next few months were filled with planning, practices, road trips, dances and competitions. In March, members of the Flying LindyHawks competed at the Cyclone Ballroom Classic and placed in several divisions including first and second in Couples Lindy Hop and first in Same Gender Swing. They continued to practice and compete around the Midwest as the Hawkeye Swing Festival approached. They were excited to show off their routine and were anxious for the first big Iowa Swing dance event.

On April 6th, 2006, nearly one hundred dancers from all around the Midwest traveled to Iowa City to participate in the very first Hawkeye Swing Festival. Instructors from Sacramento, CA and Omaha, NE taught 10 hours of classes, The New Venue Big Band was the featured band, Kenny Nelson from Denver, CO DJ’d the event and competitors competed in 3 divisions. The event was a great success and it proved that Swing dancing could make it in the Iowa City community. As for the Flying LindyHawks, members placed 2nd in the Couples and Jack and Jill Divisions and they were overjoyed when they took home the Cutters Cup Trophy in the Team Division with their winning performance danced to “Rhythm” by Casey McGill. This event laid the foundation for all future events and organizers new that it would only get bigger and better from there.

Give ‘em More (Fall 2006)
The club continued to add lessons, practices, and events as membership and the club budget grew. The club was now well established, but it was clear that the Executive Board was too small to plan and implement all the new club activities. In late spring of 2006 an election took place and in the fall of 2006 the new board was put into service. These board members were: President, Michael Brafford; Vice President, Erin Taylor; Treasurer, Matthew Fuld; Marketing Director, Whitney Wright; Membership Chair, Chris Dunlay; and an Events team was formed with Whitney Galanits as the Events Coordinator. This group worked hard to follow the mission of introducing the Swing culture to Iowa City and the surrounding area. They would continue to book performances and demonstrations for the Flying LindyHawks, schedule lessons and workshops around the State and added two more annual dances to the UI Swing Dance Club line-up of events.

In October, the first Halloween Swingers Ball was implemented with The Tornadoes as the featured band. Dancers from around the State came dressed in their craziest and scariest costumes and danced the night away at Old Brick. A portable DVD player (provided by the International Students and Scholars) was awarded to the dancer with the best costume, and guests were able to treat themselves to punch and candy. The Events team outdid themselves that night by covering the venue from wall to wall with beautiful Halloween-themed decorations. Decorations and treats would become a tradition for all future Swing dances at Old Brick. Whitney Galanits and her events team performed above and beyond expectations and the Executive Board was excited to see this creativity at future events.

By late fall of 2006, the Flying LindyHawks had more than double and members were preparing a routine for the holiday season. On December 10th, the group traveled to Ames, Iowa, where they performed at the ISU Ballroom Dance Company’s Holiday Showcase. They danced to “Dig that Crazy Santa Claus” by Ralph Marterie and His Orchestra and performed the same routine later that winter at the Dance Sport of Iowa Winter Wonderland Showcase. The fourteen members that performed were: Michael Brafford (Choreographer), Erin Taylor (Choreographer), Adam Diesburg, Chris Dunlay, Matthew Fuld, Whitney Galanits, Zack Guack, Kate Jochum, Maggie John, Rachel Miller, Steve Ryan, Derek Schmeling, Jessica Schmidt, and Whitney Wright. This group of dancers was a perfect example of the diversity that the club represented. The team was made up of undergrad thru grad students, novice to advanced dancers and an age range of 18-27. They had a passion for swing and it was soon discovered that one freshman in particular would have the ambition and drive to take the team and the club to the next level. Kate Jochum, a first year English Major, made swing dance one of her top priorities and she would later become one of the most important leaders in the club’s history.

Too Much Swing? (Spring 2007)
By the spring of 2007, the strain of jam-packed schedules started to get to the members. Leaders were knee deep in plans for the Second Annual Hawkeye Swing Festival, LindyHawk practices were becoming more rigorous as they prepared for the upcoming competition season, and new events were being sorted out. The Executive Board continued to look for new ways to keep the stress level down while keeping production up. This proved to be a difficult task and the pressure became more than some could bear. Several members were dropped from the team and the Marketing Director resigned because of schedule conflicts. Steve Ryan took over the position as Marketing Director and Emily Weber was added as club Secretary. The Executive Board also looked for more volunteers to help alleviate some of the burden from the officers. Several members stepped up to help and the club showed its perseverance as it continued to move forward.

In February, the UI Valentine Swing Semi-formal was introduced to the Swing Club events line-up. The Soul Searchers Trio was the featured band and they played for dancers who came dressed to the nines. Some guests wore tuxedos and dresses; others donned vintage glad rags. It was an exciting night where dancers could dance with their friends, get a professional picture taken with their date, or sit and listen to the band while drinking some punch. It soon became a favorite among Iowa City Swing dancers.

With the Valentine dance behind them, the Flying LindyHawks could get back to work. They were already months behind in choreography because of the holiday routine and they had three major events in the near future. The first was “BLAST,” a local production organized by a University dance group that showcased several Ballroom and Swing dances. The group had dropped in size, but the members were no less determined. The team consisted of Michael Brafford (Choreographer), Rachel Miller (Choreographer), Matthew Fuld, Zack Guack, Kate Jochum, Maggie John, Steve Ryan, Erin Taylor, and Emily Weber. This proved to be a good warm-up performance for the LindyHawks who were preparing for their biggest competition yet, The Intercollegiate Battle in Colorado.

In early April, eight LindyHawks and one guest packed into a University passenger van and headed off to Fort Collins, Colorado. Fourteen hours later they hobbled out of the van and arrived on the Colorado State campus. The weekend was packed with performances, competitions and music. Hundreds of students traveled from all over the Rocky Mountain region to participate in the event. The Flying LindyHawks were excited to see so many great dancers while they took the opportunity to network and dance with some of the best amateur Swing dancers in the country. The team members competed in several divisions and achieved significant placements in all of the contests in which they participated. Eight teams from the Rocky Mountain and Midwest Regions participated in the Team Division and the Flying LindyHawks were overjoyed as they took Fourth place at their first Intercollegiate Battle. This was the first time that an Iowa Swing dance team competed outside their home state and they were looking forward to future Battles.

The Flying LindyHawks returned home with pride after a stellar appearance at the Intercollegiate Battle, but the Hawkeye Swing Festival was now only a week away. The members needed to recover from the long trip, but didn’t have much time to rest before the long weekend ahead. Some members started to become ill from sleep deprivation and fatigue. Members were uncertain of how they would perform under these conditions but pushed through with tremendous heart.

On April 9th, 2007, the 2nd Annual Hawkeye Swing Festival was underway with more dancing, more classes, more music and more contests. Joel and Alison Plys from San Diego, CA were the featured instructors and Billy and Lindsay Sobecyzk from Omaha, NE returned for the second year. Also, returning was DJ Kenny Nelson who MC’d the event. Iowa City’s very own Tornadoes Jump Blues Band played the Friday night welcome dance and The Prairie Cats from Omaha, NE was the featured band on Saturday night. The event was twice as big as the first and close to 130 students from all over the Midwest registered for weekend activities. Eve Johnson, one of the original Flying LindyHawks, returned to the second annual HSF with her newly formed team from the Twin Cities. Her Swingcopators placed in all dance divisions including first in Jack and Jill, Couples and Diversity while placing third in the Team division. Members of the UI Flying LindyHawks placed in the Jack and Jill and Diversity Divisions. The LindyHawks also managed to pull off a controversial First place win as they defended their title and retained the Cutters Cup in the Team Division.

The year was drawing to a close and club members felt relief and satisfaction for all that they had accomplished in the past year. The Flying LindyHawks continued to perform around Iowa City and Swing dance lessons kept going strong until finals week. Election time was drawing near and this time it would mean a big change for the board. Michael Brafford, the UI Swing Dance Club President and founder of the Flying LindyHawks and Hawkeye Swing Festival, would step down for his senior year in order to help club officers transition into a new era. But this meant that a leader would have to step up big and the leader that was chosen was none other the Kate Jochum, a first year student that caught the Swing bug and never let go. It would be an exciting time with the club as new ideas and activities took shape.

An Ideal Social Club (Fall 2007)
The fall of 2007 brought several new activities to the club. The new officers were ambitious and brought great ideas as well. Kate Jochum was now at the helm as President and several new officers were ready to give her their support. The other officers included Steve Ryan and Chris Dunlay as Co-Vice Presidents, Michael Brafford moved to Marketing Director, Matthew Fuld remained Treasurer, Emily Fenton and Stacey Burke took over as Events Coordinators, Cassy Lalan became Membership Chair, and Sam Sturch helped out as Secretary. This group wanted to see changes with the club and their ideas pushed the club forward with great strides. Officers felt that the club was giving too much attention to competitions and performances. They wanted to see more activities where club members could socialize, network and practice steps. Quite simply, they wanted to see the organization for what it was originally intended, a social club. Weekly Swing nights were reinstated and held at College Street Billiards Club. They were an instant hit with club members and several of them continued to show up week after week.

The new Events Coordinators also had the responsibility of finding other social activities for club members. They brought a new tradition to the table and that fall marked the first year for the Swing Club Football Grill-Out. The food was great and the competition was fierce. Team leaders included the new President, Kate Jochum against ex-Prez Michael Brafford. It was a hard fought match with Brafford’s crew taking an early lead, but they weren’t able to keep up with Jochum’s dominating offence and relentless defense. Fun was had by all though Brafford still awaits his rematch.

Other activities that semester included the 3rd Annual Welcome Week dance featuring Grey Wolf, the 2nd annual Halloween Swingers Ball with the Tornadoes and the inaugural year for the End of the Semester Swing Out. It was a great semester for the Swing Club as new members continued to join and new activities were being born. The officers and the club were on the right track.


A Perfect Ending and a Bright Future (Spring 2008)
The club was now well on its way to becoming the ideal social club, but leaders now wanted to see more activity from the Flying LindyHawks. They wanted to use the team as an educational tool while promoting Swing dance. With all the new members, leaders felt that it was time to expand the team program. The Flying LindyHawks were divided into two teams, Black and Gold. The Black Team was a smaller competitive team while the Gold Team consisted of a large group of dedicated members for performances and demonstrations. The LindyHawks would perform, demo and teach all over Iowa. The competitive team began to work hard as they prepared for the Hawkeye Swing Festival. Their routine would be faster, longer, and more difficult than ever.

While LindyHawks rehearsed tirelessly and semester activities were being implemented, the Hawkeye Swing Festival was getting its final touches. Other activities that spring included the 2nd annual Valentine Swing Semi-Formal and the Swing Break with special guests from Purdue University. The event was a collaboration between the UI Swing Dance Club and the Purdue Night Train. Purdue Swing club members had decided to travel to a new city every night of their spring break and Iowa City was on their list of “must stops.” In honor of the Purdue Night Train, UI Swing Club event organizers threw them a dance at Old Brick. This was a highlight of the semester as dancers from all around Iowa welcomed the Purdue Swing club members.

A month later, Iowa’s big Swing dance event would return to Iowa City. The 3rd Annual Hawkeye Swing Festival began on April 13th, 2008. HSF3 was bigger in everyway. There were now 14 instructors, 4 learning Tracks, 2 Bands and over 200 dancers and competitors. It was by far the biggest Swing dance event Iowa had ever seen. Featured bands were Robert Bell’s Hot Swing Combo from the Twin Cities and Grand Marquis from Kansas City, MO. Travis Whetman from Seattle, WA DJ’d the event and dance instructors hailed from Colorado, Georgia, Minnesota and Iowa. Competitors from Minnesota dominated most of the dance divisions, but the UI Flying LindyHawks nudged out the Twin Cities Swingcopaters in the team division winning the Cutters Cup for the third straight year. LindyHawks also placed in the Jack and Jill Division. 2008 Flying LindyHawks included Michael Brafford (Choreographer), Kate Jochum (Choreographer), Annett Schaedlich (Choreographer), Guy Davis, Matthew Fuld, Cassy Lalan, Emily Muff, Justin Sukup and Erin Taylor. HSF3 was a tremendous success and event organizers saw the possibility for great things in the future. As soon as the 2008 Hawkeye Swing Festival ended, plans began for the next year’s festival.

Because of the hard work of the Executive Board and the success of UI Swing Club events, the club was awarded best student organization in April of 2009. It was a great year all around for the UI Swing Dance Club. Additional activities were being planned while new members participated and helped organize social events. The Flying LindyHawks were getting more opportunities to perform and teach around the State. Club dancers continue to improve while their love and knowledge of Swing dance and Swing culture grew. The club was running smoothly and it seemed that it could only do more great things. That spring semester would be a perfect ending for the club's number one advocate. 2008 was the last year for Michael Brafford as a UI Swing Dance Club officer and member, but he left feeling confident in the new board and the future of the UI Swing Dance Club. This new board would continue the traditions that had been established the past four years while continuing to bring more Swing to the Iowa City community. The summer and fall would offer more performances, social activities and opportunities to spread the love of Swing dancing around the State of Iowa. The future was looking good.