Swing Time! School Program | Bios/Contact Info | DJ Services | Multimedia

Swing Time! at Adler Park Elementary:

Riley speaks to the students:

High-flyin' fun:


Midwest swing champions Margot McGraw Toppen and Riley Wimes Jr. present an interactive program on American jazz dance and music history.

High-flying, athletic performances get students hooked, and then fascinating stories and learning experiences unfold. We hit a home run with students by showing the relationship between current pop culture trends and America’s rich music, dance and cultural history. This popular program has toured in more than 100 Chicagoland schools since 1999.

Our presentations are customizable for any age group and can vary in length from a 5-minute dance demo to a full day workshop. Our most popular formats are as follows:

    Assemblies: Geared toward any age group, this is a lively 40- to 50-minute presentation that includes a history lesson, dance demonstrations and dance instruction.
    Workshops: We work with physical education and fine arts teachers to create energizing age-appropirate dance workshops that get kids moving and learning.
In both programs, we discuss the development of American jazz music as it relates to historical events and we share our personal love of the dances that grew out of that music through performance and instruction. This program can be tied to curriculum and other programming that relates to:
  • American History: Early 20th Century
  • History of Jazz music
  • Arts appreciation: American dance forms
  • Physical Education: dance as exercise
For more information, contact us at 312-371-4753 or email: bigtimeswing@comcast.net