Swing dancing returns on the Plaza at Clayton Center for the Arts June 10, 2013

MARYVILLE, TN -- Clayton Center for the Arts will have free Swing Dancing on the Plaza Monday, June 10 and 24 from 6:30-9:30 PM. Live dance music will be provided by Ensemble Swing Time.

Ensemble Swing Time has been a favorite at the Clayton Center for the Arts, playing to enthusiastic and full crowds in the Summer Music and Cozy Winter Nights Music Series. Former Executive Director Robert Hutchens and Jim Colegrove of Ensemble Swing Time decided last season Swing Dances were such a hit, they would add another opportunity for people to enjoy the band and the Outdoor Plaza at the Clayton Center.

In recent years there has been resurgence of interest in Swing Music and Swing Dance. Ensemble Swing Time allows fans to return to the musical joys and romance that filled the airwaves -- to those ballrooms, nightclubs, college gyms and theaters in which the great bands played. For those who weren't there, they hope to provide a real feeling of the era and its music.

Jim Colegrove, the Ensembles director, is a Nashville, Tennessee native. He formed and directed the Verdugo Swing Society. The Society evolved from a brass sextet and appeared at Seville Expo 92, Seville, Spain. The success of the Expo appearance was followed by invitations to appear in Britain, Australia, New Zealand, India and Germany.

The Clayton Center for the Arts, located on the Maryville College campus and constructed through a unique partnership between the College and the cities of Maryville and Alcoa, is East Tennessee’s newest venue for arts and entertainment.

The 1,200-seat Ronald and Lynda Nutt Theatre features dance, theatre, concerts, lectures and other events. The 250-seat Harold and Jean Lambert Recital Hall hosts a wide variety of musicians and performers. The 200-seat Haslam Family Flexible Theatre is capable of supporting theatrical performances from amateur and professional companies.

Three art galleries display collections and works of art from Appalachia and beyond.

Published June 9, 2013