October brings cooler weather, crisp leaves, and the return of the First Friday swing dances. Held at the Elk’s Lodge in Waukesha each month from October to May, this is Wisconsin’s largest dedicated-swing dance event. It was previously hosted by Maureen of the Jumpin’ Jive Club for nearly 20 years. Revived after the pandemic shutdown, this dance has a new home and a new organizer – Andy Stefancin of Andy’s Events, LLC.

As a teenager in the 1970s, Andy fell in love with dancing after being a “practice partner” for his older sister. He went to his first “First Friday Swing Dance” in 2000 and became a regular attendee in 2007. He is a familiar face around the Milwaukee dance scene. 

The First Friday Dance shuttered along with all other dancing during the 2020 pandemic lockdown. After a couple of years of hesitancy, all of us dancers were feeling the itch to get back on the dance floor. It was time to rebuild. Andy knew the scene and the city. He had the connections and the dance experience. Could he manage a dance event of this caliber?

First Friday was revived in January of 2023. Andy recounts that attendance was upwards of 200 and the traditional lesson before the dance resembled a cat rodeo. The rotation was a disaster. Maureen had done it for so long, she made it look easy. After a very steep learning curve, Andy and his partner adapted quickly and now teaching the lesson is the highlight of the evening.

Teaching a crowd of people with varying dance experience is challenging. It takes planning and a lot of preparation. Andy says, “Every dancer is always learning. There is always a new move, or a new twist on a move.

“One thing I especially enjoy is getting people out to dance.” To that end, Andy also puts out a weekly email. It lists multiple dance opportunities in the greater Milwaukee area and goes out to scores of people. To receive the emails, send him a message at: standy2026@gmail.com and use the subject: Weekly Dance Email

Andy believes it is important that dancers are exposed to a range of danceable music. His First Friday band line-ups reflect a variety of blues, swing, rockabilly and rock n’ roll. Included in the 2025/2026 season are regional bands such as The Jimmys and Swing Nouveau as well as homegrown favorites like The Hungry Williams and bluesman Big Al Dorn. The season opens October 3rd with The Incorruptibles.The charge for a terrific evening of entertainment is $20 (cash only).

Location: Elk’s Lodge #400 – 2301 Springdale Road, Waukesha

Time: First Friday of the month, 7:30 to 8:00 basic swing dance lesson – no partner needed. Band plays from 8:00-11:00.Find Andy on Facebook at the page Andy’s Events Swing Dancing, by email at standy2026@gmail, and at dancing events all over.