For the past 20 years, summertime in Grand Rapids has been celebrated in full swing every Tuesday evening, with people of all ages meeting downtown to get outside and dance. This summer was no exception, with music circulating the streets near Rosa Parks Circle, the meeting location of the Grand Rapids Original Swing Society (GROSS).
GROSS was founded by Steve Zaagman in 2004, when he began teaching swing dance lessons while at Calvin College. These sessions soon amassed a crowd too large to host on campus. Since then, with an average of 400 people gathering with GROSS year-round, weekly sessions have been established to bring the Grand Rapids community together through the physical and social activity.
“This event is all about people teaching people,” Zaagman said. “I want other people to enjoy this too, so come dance with me. Come enjoy and experience this.”
To make sure everyone can enjoy the gatherings, Zaagman has made it his goal to make both beginners and experienced dancers feel welcomed and safe through instructional swing and line dances. Every session begins with a basic lesson on the East Coast swing style and a conversation on the consent that comes with dancing with strangers.
“We say ‘leads and follows’ now instead of ‘guys and girls’ because anyone can be a lead (and) anyone can be a follow,” Zaagman said. “Dance doesn’t have to be male or female.”
Holly Barker, a Grand Valley State University student attends the swing sessions regularly. She said she has met many of her closest friends, fellow GVSU students, at the Tuesday gatherings.
“I’ve made a ton of friends here,” Barker said. “They’re my go-to group now. We hang out probably four to five times a week, and I met them all here.”
Aside from the aspect of community building, it’s been the ease of learning and perfecting the East Coast swing style and line dances that’ve kept Barker coming back each week.
“It’s easy to learn and everyone here is so nice and helpful,” Barker said. “I’ve never done partner dancing. This has been my first time, and within a month I’m doing aerials.”
Barker added you don’t have to be a seasoned dancer or have any experience at all to check the group out.
“Even if you’re not into dancing, it’s just a great community and social aspect,” Barker said. “The community here is so cute. You dance and have fun, that’s literally it.”
Additionally, the outdoor summer swing sessions are free of charge to those who cannot otherwise afford to engage in dance activities.
“So many people just want to dance,” Zaagman said. “We sometimes have live bands and half-time shows, we do something called a toddler dance and we do a dance where everyone lies down and just listens. We have something for everyone, free, safe and fun.”
During the winter months, the sessions are held inside the Grand Rapids Public Museum with a cover charge, and weekend events such as the Bridgerton Ball and Fantasy Ball are held periodically to give the community a unique experience and help financially support GROSS.
Zaagman added that after hosting GROSS for so many years, it is watching others experience swing for the first time that keeps him excited about dance.
“(I) get to live that excitement through someone else again,” Zaagman said. “Someone who gets to dance for the first time or someone who gets spun for the first time, I get to see that, and I take so much joy in that.”
