Swing Dancing and Schindler Exhibit Come to World War II Museum

Kick up your heels and relive the glorious days of the Big Band Era at the National World War II Museum through July and August with “Sunday Swing.”

With live big band-style music from some of New Orleans’ most talented groups and professional swing dancers from NOLA Swing, summer at the nation’s only World War II museum promises to be a lively one. You can learn how to jitterbug and fox trot like your parents or grandparents did 60-70 years ago. Instructors will be on hand to provide coaching for dancers of all levels while local musicians play World War II era hits. This free event is part of “Stars and Stripes Summer,” a summer-long tribute to the American Spirit, featuring programs for adults and children and a special discount on admission for Louisiana residents.

Nearly every Sunday through August 31 a different band will be featured at the museum between 1:00 and 4:00 p.m. This special feature runs concurrently with the “Real to Reel: Hollywood and World War II exhibition, illustrating the role the film industry played in the war effort. That exhibition also ends on August 31.

The musician schedule for Sunday Swing is as follows:

June 29 — The New Orleans Jazz Vipers
July 6 — Linnzi Zaorski
July 13 — VaVaVoom
July 20 — The Palmetto Bug Stompers
July 27 — St. Louis Slim
August 3 — Rocky’s Hot Fox Trot Orchestra
August 10 — Lionel Ferbos and the Palm Court Jazz Band
August 17 — Joe Krown
August 24 — NO SUNDAY SWING
August 31 — The Pfister Sisters

All of these bands play in the early jazz motif of the early to mid 20th century, and the women singers are in the style of Billie Holliday, the Andrews and Boswell Sisters. Those old enough to remember the originals and those who aren’t are equally invited to come out and enjoy the fun.

Also running concurrently with the Hollywood exhibition and Sunday Swing is a traveling exhibit paying tribute to the World War II heroism of Oskar Schindler. Through August 31, “Schindler: A Traveling Exhibition from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum” is on loan and open to public viewing.

Schindler, subject of the highly acclaimed, Academy Award-winning Steven Spielberg film Schindler’s List, gave up his ill-gotten fortune to save the lives of over 1,000 Jews in WWII. His conversion from a materialistic Nazi to the savior of so many people who would have found themselves in concentration camps without his intervention, is profiled in the exhibition. For more information on the exhibit, visit www.ushmm.org.

The National WWII Museum is located at 945 Magazine Street, with its main entrance on Andrew Higgins Drive (formerly Howard Avenue). For more information, call 504-527-6012 ext. 359 or log on to www.nationalww2museum.org.

By Dean Shapiro