Spark-plug, RN

When she's not working as a Research Project Coordinator for a national HIV project in the Adolescent Medicine Department the University of California, San Francisco, Bethany Certa, RN, goes dancing – swing dancing, that is. And for Spark-plug (a name she got from her current group, the San Francisco Jitterbugs), dancing isn't just a fun pastime; it's a part of her life.

Originally a musical theater performer, Certa was unable to keep up with the rehearsals because of a rigorous nursing school schedule. Refusing to give up her art altogether, Certa decided to try competitive dance. Starting with ballroom, she switched to the more accessible swing dancing, and danced whenever she could find the time. "I would do 12-hour night shifts after a dance, or go dancing, and leave early to go to my 11-7 shift."

Until those Gap khaki ads from the late 1990s, set to such toe-tapping Brian Setzer songs as Jump, Jive, an' Wail, swing dancing was the underground pursuit of those who loved "cool old music … with lots of breaks." Then suddenly, social swing dancing exploded. Although very different from the swing dancing done on the competitive circuit, Certa credits the Gap ads for taking swing dancing mainstream.

In 2002, Certa's sense of adventure drew her to San Francisco for the National Jitterbug Championship. And after she and her partner won the competition's Amateur Lindy Division, Certa was ready to stay. On the same weekend as the competition, she "got an apartment, bought a car, and interviewed for a job."

Although finding a place to live and a job in San Francisco was easy, finding a new partner proved to be more of a challenge. With 15 years of ballet, five years of tap, and 10 years of jazz, the veteran Certa went through four partners in four months, because they were not as skilled or experienced as she was. Unfortunately, says Certa, "Ninety percent of people who go into swing dancing have no dance backgrounds whatsoever."

A few weeks after the National Jitterbug Championships, as Certa was settling into life in San Francisco, she was approached by someone who was interested in putting together a swing dancing team. The team never materialized, but through that contact she met Johnny Lee, who runs the San Francisco Jitterbugs. Lee was also looking for a new partner.

So when an opportunity to appear in the movie Swing came up, Certa called Lee. And although they had never danced together prior to the audition – and Certa fell on-camera trying one of Lee's moves – they got the part.

They've been partners ever since.

Today, when she's not working, Certa and the San Francisco Jitterbugs perform and teach swing dancing at corporate functions and private parties. But now, many venues, primarily bars, are no longer available for swing dancing, because dancers don't drink much – it affects balance and coordination – and, as a result, the bars make little profit from dancers. Today, swing dances are being held more and more in church basements and schools. For people looking to give it a try, Certa suggests going to a social dance where there is usually a beginner lesson at the start of every evening.

She and Lee, who are "the best of friends in the whole wide world," no longer compete. Instead, they choose to "dance for fun." So the question remains: Will Certa and Lee continue their relationship beyond dancing? After a long, considered pause, she laughs. "He will be reading this … ask me in a year …."

Swing Dancing: Swing is a group of partner-dances that evolved from Lindy Hop (which started in the 1920s). Variations of swing use different music, including jazz, music, such as blues, rock, and country. (See dancing.org.)

Jitterbug: "A jazz variation of the two-step in which couples swing, balance, and twirl in standardized patterns and often with vigorous acrobatics." (See the online Merriam-Webster Dictionary.) Jitterbugging is often considered a type of Swing dancing.

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Joseph E Murray, Paramedic

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