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  Ahmanson Theatre Warren Adams and Marielys Molina perform in the musical "Swing!," playing through Jan. 14 at the Ahmanson Theatre.

By Barbara McGuire

Daily Bruin Senior Staff

Past decades come back to both haunt and spice up modern pop culture, and though the latest fashion craze might be bringing back the outrageous threads of the ’80s, the rebellious dance of the ’30s and ’40s has returned to dominate the stage.

“Swing!,” the latest musical production at the Ahmanson Theatre, has swept, or rather swung, into town, celebrating the dance as well as the popular big band music of the swing era. Full of energy and non-stop action, the performance does more than just present the ideas of the swing movement – it actually transports the audience back in time.

Directed and choreographed by Lynne Taylor-Corben, “Swing!” is true to its historic roots. From the costumes to the music to the dancing, nothing seems out of place, and even there is though no story line that stays throughout the entire performance, the show progresses naturally from one scene to the next.

The show’s plot, if it has one, can be considered a progression of the swing movement. The performance opens with the familiar number “Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” that sets the mood for the energetic evening. “Swing!” then moves on to numbers which demonstrate the influence swing had on popular culture during World War II.

Each piece, however, does not simply consist of a jazz band pumping out tunes while couples dance on stage. Individual stories are told within each scene.

For instance, in “Bli-Blip,” a number which consists of more singing than dancing, a couple communicates beautifully, not with words, but with various musical noises, much like beat-boxing. Like much of the show, the mood of this scene soon turns humorous when the woman begins to make the noises of a wedding procession.

Throughout the evening, the audience is given a taste of more than just the stereotypical idea of swing dancing. Though that beloved traditional form is included in the performance, various sub-genres of swing – such as Latin, West Coast, Hip Hop and Country – are featured as well.

One of the most notable crowd pleasers is “Boogie Woogie Country,” featuring a character who just doesn’t have a clue how to dance, let alone how to swing. But the minute he puts on another dancer’s cowboy hat, he is an instant professional.

Grabbing a woman away from her partner, he proceeds to twist and turn her in ways that seem like they could only be possible on ice skates. The clueless dancer’s screaming fans in the audience can be heard from the back of the theater throughout the couple’s entire performance.

With such a young and infectious mood, well-known songs like “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” and “Sing, Sing, Sing” are sure to be enormous hits with the crowd, both because of the live band’s superb rendition and because of the astonishing dancing.

Every dancer deserves praise for truly getting into the swing of things and learning the traditional moves. There doesn’t seem to be a moment of pause, even when the female dancers are thrown high into the sky or through their partners’ legs.

Not every aspect of the performance remains true to swing’s roots, but that doesn’t matter to the audience. In the finale, two dancers connected to bungee cords swing down from the ceiling to perform with a grounded male partner.

Playfully tweaking swing dancing with the addition of newer technology proves successful, as the couples are able to take more risks and pull off humorous as well as difficult moves. Especially amazing is the way in which the two couples manage to remain synchronized throughout the entire number, which is not an easy task when two of the dancers are mostly controlled by their bungee cords.

Such coordination is an integral part of “Swing!” The dancers make it look easy as they all dish out the same moves at the same time, although it is no doubt difficult. At times, there are up to six couples on the stage at one time, performing in perfect harmony.

The opening words of the performance proclaim that music isn’t really music if it doesn’t have something “sweet,” and “Swing!” manages to prove such a claim. It might even inspire the audience to sign up for a dance class or two.

THEATER: “Swing!” is playing at the Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., in downtown Los Angeles, through Jan. 14. Performances are Tues. through Sat. at 8 p.m., with additional 2 p.m. shows on Sat. and Sun. Ticket prices range from $35 to $70 and can be purchased by calling (213) 628-2772 or online at www.taperahmanson.com.