At Studio X, a dance club above a
A Gap commercial that aired several years ago marked the apex of the swing-dancing craze of the 90s, when clubs swelled with enthusiasts in vintage clothing reliving Depression-era nightlife. In Chicago, 70 or so diehards can still be found out on the town on a nightly basis. Saturday evenings most end up at Studio X, operated by Evin Jacobson and Noel Galang, both 29.
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While taxi dancers are also on hand at Studio X on Saturday nights, it’s an altogether looser environment, starting with the apparel. “We used to swing dance in elegant, old-fashioned clothes,” says Jacobson, “but as time wore on the dry cleaning bills got the better of us. Now the dress is street clothes.” Dancers come prepared to sweat. Dave Ojeda brings five T-shirts that he changes throughout the evening. “We know what time it is if Dave is up to shirt number three,” says Tessa Auza, a secretary and another regular. Besides playing swing standards–Artie Shaw or Duke Ellington–the DJs also spin newer music from Chicago-based blues bands such as the Rhythm Rockets and Yoko Noge.
