The trouble with fads is that they don’t have any shelf life. As soon as a hip trend spreads across the county, it’s considered "out" by the people who originated it. Our popular culture is a particularly fickle business. Hip today, gone tomorrow.

One such fad was swing dancing, which enjoyed a brief mid-90's resurrection and was exploited to good effect in the 1999 Broadway revue, "Swing!"

A touring production of the show just played a two-performance engagement at the Sangamon Auditorium on Saturday, and judging by the enthusiastic response from the audience, swing dancing may be one trend that "has legs," so to speak.

And why not? Is there any other music that makes you want to get up and dance more than the jazz and swing music of the 30's and 40's?

Broadway director and choreographer Lynne Taylor-Corbett created an eclectic show, featuring a hot orchestra playing classic big-band tunes and several modern jazz compositions, several first-rate vocalists, and the jumping-est, jiving-est, bunch of dancers this side of Harlem in the 30's.

She was smart to vary the content of the show. As good as it is, two hours of constant jitterbugging would probably grow tiresome. No such problem here. The show is well paced, and features several ballads, up-tempo tunes and orchestral numbers that help add variety to the performance.

The touring production has been reproduced by director Lori Steinberg and choreographer Kim Craven. They made sure that this production crackled with energy and style.

When watching the young performers on stage having a blast dancing to classic big-band era songs like "Sing, Sing, Sing," it’s easy to see why swing dancing came back into vogue. It is an absolutely exuberant form of movement that must be as thrilling to perform as it is to watch.

The cast and orchestra were all super. Michael Patrick Gough, Chase Steele Greye, Ashley Hunt and Clarolyn Maier made up the main quartet of singers, and they all had unique talents that made them stand out.

Gough started the show off by leading the company in "It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)." He possesses a silky voice that reminds you of many of the classic jazz crooners of yesteryear.

Hunt handled much of the comedy, and was especially effective in "Cry Me a River," her duet with trombonist Mark Miller. Their musical conversation during this song (Hunt singing, Miller playing) was one of the highlights of Act Two. I’ve never heard a trombone played with such personality!

Greye and Maier shared a fun scat-singing duet, "Bli-Blip," early in the show. Both vocalists had smooth, liquid voices that could easily navigate the complicated harmonies and rhythms. Scat, in the wrong hands, can be painful and occasionally embarrassing. But these two were very accomplished vocalists, and scatting appeared to be as easy for them as breathing.

The band could have easily headlined their own show. Led by music director/pianist Doug Oberhamer, this fine group smoked their way through several great numbers, including "Caravan" by Duke Ellington and Juan Tizol and "Bill’s Bounce" by Bill Elliott.

Special recognition was earned by Miller on trombone, Greg Fiellin on bass and Jason Aspinwall on trumpet. The whole band was dynamite.

That leaves the dancers, and what an outstanding group they were. They were all in incredible shape and moved in ways that human beings were never meant to move!

The guys were seemingly able to throw the woman around like rag dolls, with no acknowledgment of gravity whatsoever. The woman flew through the air as if they were supported by unseen wires, spinning and wrapping around the men with impressive flexibility.

Carrie Helms, Timothy Bish, Allison Bibicoff and Roosevelt Flenoury were all particularly good in a competition between "West Coast swing" and "Latin swing."

And Lori Barber made me want to run out and immediately start taking bass lessons! Slithering around in a velour cat suit that would have made Catwoman proud, she raised the heat as she and Greg Fiellin showed us some new uses for the bass fiddle.

Barber was also outstanding in her Act Two pairing with Sean Kelly, dancing to the tune of "Blues in the Night." Clarolyn Maier provided the vocals, and accompanied herself on piano, helping to create a sensual atmosphere for this very sexy song.

"Swing!" also represented one of the last shows to be presented at Sangamon Auditorium under the leadership of John Dale Kennedy. John has been bringing quality productions to central Illinois for over 20 years, and he will be greatly missed by the community.

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Gus Gordon is a free lance arts reviewer and can be reached at gusgordon00@lycos.com