Jump, jive and wail at NHS

They say that everything old is new again, and nowhere is that more apparent than at Navarre High School. Each Friday, up to 50 teenagers gather in the cafeteria after school to practice swing dancing.

Swing dancing dates back to the 1920s and was popular through the 1950s, but has enjoyed resurgence in the late 1990s. Today, swing dancing is popular in the panhandle once again, especially at Navarre High School.

Doug Mahone is the faculty advisor for the Swing Dance Club at NHS, a position he's held since 2006.

"A student named April Hamilton came to me about sponsoring (the club) after working with me on the Battle of the Bands event the year before," Mahone said. "I have to say, I have never met a student with as much creativity, motivation, and drive as April."

Hamilton approached Mahone about sponsoring the Battle of the Bands before asking him to sponsor Swing Dance. Mahone was impressed by Hamilton's dedication as well as her confidence and abilities.

"I had mistakenly assumed she was a senior because of her level of maturity," Mahone said. Hamilton was a sophomore at the time.

For more on this story, see the Nov. 3 issue of Navarre Press or subscribe online.