Step into Swing at the Heartland Welcome Dance on March 31

Watch—or step—into swing dancing at the Welcome Dance to the Heartland Swing Festival, which will be held, 8 p.m. to 11 p.m., Thursday, March 31, at the Des Moines Ballroom, 2745 Douglas Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa.

Admission is $10.00 at the door. You can watch dancing or you can get into the swing and dance. No partner is necessary!

Music will be performed by the Bad Boys of the Blues, which is associated with the Blues Army of Des Moines. The Bad Boys of the Blues has performed at the Ingersoll Tap and the Des Moines Social Club; they are currently planning to start a new tradition by playing on Sunday nights at the Gas Lamp beginning on March 13.

The Des Moines Ballroom is on the north side of the Des Moines area near the Veterans Hospital. To get there from downtown, take the M L King Parkway up to Euclid Avenue and then go west. The ballroom is on the north side of Douglas, after the Plaza Lanes.

The Heartland Swing Festival is the largest swing event in Iowa which brings in some of the best instructors and dancers from all over the US and in some cases, the world. The weekend is filled with classes, dances and contests. Full weekend passes are sold out, but dance passes are available for a limited time and beginner crash course passes are still available. For more information, please visit www.heartlandswingfestival or www.stepintoswing.com.