During the summer of 2022, swing lessons became a weekly occurrence at the Cubanissimo Cuban Coffee House and Cafe in Orcutt.
“It flew by. It really did,” said dance instructor Gina Sigman, reflecting on the past year and the various students she’s enjoyed becoming acquainted with.
This July marks the first anniversary of Sigman’s drop-in Tuesday evening dance program—and to mark the occasion, on July 25 the regularly scheduled dance lessons will be immediately followed by a party.
Anniversary festivities will include dance games and a special drawing for a chance to win a 60-minute private lesson with Gina, who described the upcoming party as a celebration to honor both students of the classes and the program’s venue as well.
“I’m grateful for this spot because so many groups end up having to pay huge amounts for space to dance, so in turn they have to pass that expense onto the students,” said Gina, whose intro lessons for beginners are free to attend, while intermediate lessons are $10.
Each night in the series kicks off at 6:30 p.m. with a beginners lesson for those unfamiliar with West Coast Swing—a partner dance that originated in Los Angeles during the 1930s—and also includes an intermediate lesson, nicknamed Beyond the Basics, and a social dance segment. No pre-registration is required to attend the classes, and new members are always welcome to pop in to check out the program.
The Orcutt resident said she feels thankful for the opportunity to offer both free and low-cost dance lessons at Cubanissimo and added that guests enjoy the convenience of being able to order a drink just steps away from the program’s dance floor.
“To have a cafe where we’re able to dance every week like this, the value of that to me is just immeasurable,” Gina said.
During the one-year anniversary celebration, the coffee house will give out wristbands to guests of the event that can be used to get food or drinks with a 25 percent discount.
Barry Sigman, Gina’s husband who assists her in teaching the classes, said that the cafe setting suits the casual, “stress-free” mood of the drop-in dance lessons.
“It’s fun because you’re getting exercise without realizing it,” Barry said. “And it feels like a family here. People love the camaraderie.”
At the beginning of each lesson, Barry helps Gina cover basic steps with beginners without prior experience with West Coast Swing. Less than two years ago, Barry was a beginner himself, he said. That changed after some private lessons with his wife.
“They were really short lessons though. It’s not like I was able to study five hours a day with her,” Barry said with a laugh. “I actually have ADD; it’s hard for me to concentrate on something for an hour.”
A half hour of swing dancing every once in a while paid off for Barry, who now knows more than 30 dance patterns and described himself as the product of Gina’s private lessons—which she always recommends to attendees of the Tuesday group lessons if they want to get better at West Coast Swing in a shorter period of time.
Barry, who’s in his 60s, also described himself as a good example of the “you’re never too old to learn” adage. During the Cubanissimo lessons, the flip side of the adage rings true for young participants as well, as all ages are welcome to attend the weekly lessons.
“We have one girl who’s probably 9, and a guy who’s probably in his late 80s,” said Barry, who added that he’s enjoyed watching the program evolve over the past year.
“For the music that plays, we have professional DJ equipment, but that wasn’t always the case,” Barry said. “When we started, Gina used this tiny speaker that was smaller than a loaf of bread.”
Arts Editor Caleb Wiseblood is grabbing some iced coffee before hitting the dance floor. Send comments to cwiseblood@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Jul 13-23, 2023.