Moonlight Serenade Orchestra @ Champion Ballroom

This is a monthly (first Friday) live music event at the Champion Ballroom (the same place used by the Firehouse Swing). Although not a strictly swing event, the party presents a chance for a swing dancer who cannot make either the Firehouse (every Thursday at the same location) or First Saturday Swing (next day at Infinity Dance Sport). In brief: you can dance to the tunes of an excellent big band on a magnificent floor for just $15. The only drawback for a swing dancer is that about half of the songs are not swing (although few of these are still swing-able), so brush up on your ballroom and polka (minimum skills in waltz and cha-cha will go a long way). Dance goes on for three hours (the last half hour is DJ music, finding a partner to dance after 9PM can be hard). The crowd: The number of dancers varies a lot, but recently had never been large. Expect 20-30 people. Compared to most San Diego dances, the crowd is skewed towards more maturity, most people are skilled in the ballroom dances. As with any little-attended event, bringing one's own dance partner is important and sometimes might be essential. Regulars are friendly in a good way. There are no lessons, so the event will most likely not work for a beginner. The location: This is not your regular neighborhood dance studio, but one of the best dance floors in the city, with the quality of the dance surface the best I have seen so far in San Diego. Large area, no obstacles, and just the right condition of being smooth but not slippery. This floor deserves your best dance shoes. The ceiling is high, ventilation superb, air conditioning works well, mirrors and lighting (including disco lights) create the necessary mood. The seating is arranged at the tables along the two side walls and is sufficient for about 70-80 dancers. Large parking right in front of the building lot provides ample free parking in the evening. The band: Moonlight Serenade Orchestra is one of the (very few) superb big bands San Diego had been blessed with. The band is quite flexible and plays a wide variety of dance music, The sound is pretty good, the volume just right. More Info below.