Fun, Friendships & Freedom to Move - Michelle Chan, SwingOut Richmond
Michelle Chan
Founder of SwingOut Richmond shares her story of creating a welcoming community for people who like to swing dance and play jazz music.
Images provided by SwingOut Richmond
Hello, I’m Michelle Chan.
I moved to Vancouver from Hong Kong five years ago and recently got my Canadian citizenship. Living here has been a happy experience so far because of the people I’ve met who have guided me to where I am now.
I work in the pastry department at a downtown hotel and study full-time at Langara College, but in my spare time I run a community group or club called SwingOut Richmond. Headquartered inside the Steveston Hub community space in Steveston Village, we organize dance classes, jazz jams and performances around the city.
At SwingOut, we value inclusion, kindness and care. Whether you’re brand new to dance or a seasoned musician, we welcome you. We also celebrate connections across generations. For example, two of our students have an age gap of around sixty years —a grandmother and grandson!
Our goal is to build a safe, vibrant space where everyone feels welcomed, supported, and inspired to be themselves and connect with others.
Today I’d like to share my reflections on SwingOut and the things that drive me to keep it going:
Why I love swing dancing and jazz music
How SwingOut Richmond started
Our connection with the Steveston Hub
Genuine friendships that grew from a shared interest
Why I love swing dancing and jazz music
The freedom to move and to be myself…
Let’s begin with how and why I fell in love with swing dancing and the music in the first place.
I first started learning the dance in Hong Kong with Hong Kong Swings after being exposed to it on a trip to Vietnam with my sister. The sister of our Airbnb host was visiting her brother during our stay, and after our morning yoga session in front of the rice fields of Sapa, she turned on some jazz music and started practising solo Charleston. Immediately I asked her about the dance, and she told me there would likely be swing in Hong Kong too. So the night after I landed back in Hong Kong, I went out to a swing dance event hosted by the community in HK and I’ve been dancing since!
I love jazz music because it makes my body want to move, and when I’m dancing, I feel free to be silly, and just be myself. In swing, dance and music is a language where people care more about what you have to say rather than how you say it. Swing doesn’t strive for perfection, it celebrates individuality, connection, sharing ideas and having fun. Those are the things I value.
What I also love about the art form is the community itself—how inclusive, intergenerational, and non-gendered it is. That kind of openness is rare especially for an art form that originated in the 1920s–40s.
How SwingOut Richmond started
Because I wanted to dance in community…
I really wanted to dance, so I created a way to do this in community—that’s how SwingOut came to be.
During the pandemic, all swing dancing had to come to a halt. Towards the end of the pandemic, government regulations loosened. But despite the semi-lifted restrictions, there still wasn’t any dancing through the Vancouver groups for a long time.
I really wanted to practice and better understand the art, but with few options available, I decided to start my own club in hopes of growing as a dancer and spreading the joy of this African American art form.
In 2021 I started teaching classes at a rented studio near Lansdowne Station while hosting Live Band Nights at the Ukrainian Hall around the same time. Facebook, Instagram, Reddit—I posted everywhere! I didn't know many people in Vancouver, so I was surprised when I got eight people joining my first round of classes.
Our connection with the Steveston Hub
Alignment turns ideas to reality…
In 2022 I got connected with the Steveston Hub after reaching out to them to play music at the Hub’s Christmas market. When I met the members of this community space, they told me that back when they made their vision board for the hub, swing dancing was on it!
Our alignment in wanting to build community and vision for swing dancing led SwingOut Richmond to begin teaching classes and hosting events at the Steveston Hub.
The experience of running SwingOut at this location has been very positive so far. This village feels rich with history, and the kindness from the people is heart-warming. Our member Barbara has offered and cooked many dinners for our Friday evening classes, while Elizabeth and Natasha also often bring snacks and cakes to class.
Aside from the food being a nice motivator, the feedback from attendees has also been very encouraging for me to continue with this project. One memorable comment was from a couple who came from North Vancouver. They told me that everyone is always lovely here, and that the welcoming and wholesome atmosphere is what brings them back.
Genuine friendships that started from a shared interest
Thank you to the people who have helped me grow…
What started off as a personal project has became so much more. The people that take part are what keep the wheels turning and this community flourishing.
There is a student that joined my very first class named Joseph. He is still with the group today, helping with classes and DJing at our band nights. There are many others—Maggie, Amy, Natasha and Julian who have stuck with me through location changes and long days, offering their time and support.
Sometimes I question why people stick around. I guess that is a question I have yet to ask them!
A special shoutout to Dave, my mentor and facilitator for growing this swing dance and jazz music community group. I met Dave through one of the first few events I organized at the Ukrainian Hall.
Thank you to all the volunteers and community members at our band nights, and to all the students who show up to our evening classes for supporting us!
Before embarking on this small dream of mine, I never expected to meet the people who have helped me grow, and accepted my weirdness. They’ve become a part of my life and I am really grateful.
