Swing Shift

ANAHEIM — For the first time in the 15 years of U.S. Open Swing Dance Championships, Lindy hoppers will vie for titles in the venerable competition, which is expected to draw up to 2,000 to the Disneyland Hotel this weekend.

Until now, spin-happy, syncopated West Coast swing has dominated the annual event, which begins tonight and includes hours of social dancing as well as costumed competitions among stellar contenders from the United States and abroad.

Lindy hop, the aerial art form that took flight during the ‘30s, has been regaining popularity across the country, so organizers decided to let its practitioners compete for a slice of the event’s $52,000 pie.

“We really want to encourage it,” said executive director Jack Bridges. Eleven Lindy couples from Singapore, England and the East and West coasts will go toe to toe Saturday afternoon, Bridges said.

Throughout the event’s intermittent social dance periods in the hotel’s grand ballroom, about every fifth song will be zoot-suitably up-tempo for Lindy. A smaller ballroom will be devoted to Lindy for after-hour parties from 1 to 4 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Lindy’s popularity has blossomed partly because swing era music has, followers say. Big bands, including some from San Francisco and New York, play regularly in such Orange County dance spots as Music City, Global Village, the Rhino Room, Birraporetti’s and Carnation Plaza at Disneyland.

The kicking rhythm helped turn Lee Moore into a Lindy hopper, his wife, Terri, said recently. The Ventura couple is known for such air-bound lifts as the Lindy flip and will compete on Saturday at 4 p.m. as a duo. Earlier in the day, and again Sunday, they’ll appear with their team, the Flying Lindy Hoppers, which is based at Nicholby’s, the Ventura nightclub Lee Moore manages.

“Lee wasn’t interested in becoming a dancer, per se,” Terri Moore said by phone from her home. But “we went to hear some big bands, and . . . he was like, ‘This is jumpin’; it’s happening.’ ”

For their couples routine, Moore said she and her husband will dance to “Zoot Suit Riot” by the Cherry Poppin’ Daddies. (All the music this weekend is from recordings.) She’ll wear a short white dress with red flowers; he’ll wear--what else--a red zoot suit. Two-tone shoes for both, of course. Among their competitors are Ryan Francois of England, an assistant choreographer on “Swing Kids,” the 1993 movie that featured lots of Lindy hopping.

No Orange County dancers have signed up for Lindy competitions--the deadline for competition registration has passed--but as usual, the county is well represented in other categories. Dancers from Laguna Hills to Anaheim will compete Friday, Saturday and Sunday in youth, hustle, strictly West Coast swing, superstar and team events.

Reserved seating has long been sold out, but most everybody manages to find a spot to observe the competitions when they’re not dancing themselves.

Tonight’s social dance, beginning at 8 and open to everyone, is $5; daily workshops are $15 each. Three-day admission, not including workshops, is $100; single-day tickets cost $40.

Some of the best dancers in the country will be competing and teaching throughout the event. The energy and shared delight can be phenomenal. And, with first-ever after-hours parties, nobody will go home without a chance to dance his or her turkey off.

BE THERE

U.S. Open Swing Dance Championships, Disneyland Hotel, 1150 W. Cerritos, Anaheim; (714) 778-6600. 10 a.m. Friday-11 p.m. Sunday. Admission: $100 for all three days, or $40 per day. Dance party 8 p.m. tonight, $5 cover. Workshops Friday-Sunday, $15 each. Evening social dance periods 6-7 p.m. and 11:15 p.m-4 a.m. Friday-Sunday; also 7:45-8:45 p.m. and 9:30-10:30 p.m. Friday, 7:30-8:30 p.m. and 9:15-10:30 p.m. Saturday, and 7:45-8:30 p.m. and 9:15-10 p.m. Sunday.