Every Tuesday night, there’s a coffee house in Orcutt that transforms into a popping dance hub for a couple of hours.
Local instructor Gina Sigman’s intro to swing dancing class, held once a week at Cubanissimo Cafe, is open to walk-ins and is free to join. The class is followed by an intermediate course, with a $10 entry fee, which Sigman suggests her beginners stay to observe with the hope of joining in someday.
“I encourage my intro students to stay and watch that because I tell them this is where they’re going to be,” said Sigman, a dancer since youth and a near decade-long Orcutt resident. “I tell students, the more classes you do, the more you practice, the better you’re going to get.
“I try to encourage my students to take some private lessons too, because that’s how you get really good,” Sigman added. “You go from zero to 60 with private lessons. There’s a reward when you keep doing something consistently. That’s how you get better.”
Sigman moved to Orcutt about nine years ago and grew up in Houston, Texas—a city where it’s hard to find someone who doesn’t dance regularly, indoors at least, she explained.
“It’s too hot to do anything outside, so everybody dances. People either go to the gym or they dance,” Sigman said. “It’s either raining, hot, or freezing cold in Houston.”
Cubanissimo Cafe in Orcutt was the ideal choice for Sigman to hold her indoor dance classes because of its spacious setting and community-minded staff, the local dance teacher said.
“It’s a great little place; they’ve got a nice cafe, delicious coffee,” Sigman said. “The classes are good for their business too, because my students get thirsty, right? They’ve got to get their coffees and teas.”
Sigman said she has several regulars who consistently attend her dance classes at the cafe, in both the intro and intermediate tiers. But the teacher sees at least a few brand new people almost every week.
“Sometimes someone at a table will sit and watch and wonder what’s going on, and the next thing you know, I’ve got another student,” said Sigman, whose Tuesday sessions start at 6:30 p.m. with the intro class, followed by the intermediate class at 7 p.m.
The first swing dance pattern Sigman goes over is the sugar push, a beginner-level pattern, she said. Sigman also serves as DJ during her classes, with a selection of dozens of songs at her disposal.
“I’ve got like 74 songs on my DJ list,” Sigman said. “For my beginning students, I can’t throw anything fast at them. So I have a little section of songs that are slow enough for them to practice so they won’t get frustrated.”
The songs Sigman picks for the intro segment are about 80 beats per minute, while her intermediate selections are about 120 beats per minute. Attendees of the classes can expect to hear an eclectic range of songs from several groups—including Tom Waits, Christina Aguilera, Michael Jackson, and other artists.
But not all music genres, including one of Sigman’s personal favorites, blend well with swing dancing, the instructor said.
“There’s some classic rock songs from the ’70s that I think, ‘Oh I’d like to dance to that,’” Sigman said. “But then I’ll listen to it again and go, ‘Nope, doesn’t swing.’”
Throughout her swing sessions, Sigman is available to answer questions, and she closely observes those on the dance floor, ready to jump in if anyone’s having trouble or seems bummed out.
“I always want to see how they’re doing, if they’re enjoying themselves. Because to me, if they’re not enjoying themselves, then what am I doing here? You know?” Sigman said. “This is supposed to be fun.”
Sigman revealed one of the telltale signs she looks for if she suspects someone isn’t having a good time.
“I can always look at eyebrows, and when I see eyebrows coming together, I kind of go over there to see what’s happening,” Sigman said. “I want it to be a good experience for them.”
Arts Editor Caleb Wiseblood is eyeing his inbox. Send comments to cwiseblood@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Jan 5-12, 2023.