It was a scene out of a 1940s movie.

Benny Goodman's "Time on My Hands" was playing, men and women were twirling around to swing tunes, and the chandeliers were hung in the fashion of many a fancy dance hall.

But this Wednesday night scenario was hardly a sophisticated nightclub, with neither low lights nor continuous music.

Nor were Ginger Rogers or Fred Astaire among the dancers in the brightly lit Lowell House dining hall. In fact, the dancers were far from the tap greats of the silver screen, but students swinging for the first time. The students had put on their dancing feet to prepare for the annual Swing Dance Lowell House will host tomorrow night.

The 30 students attending the course shared one thing in common: a genuine desire to learn how to swing dance. But there the similarity stopped. Motives varied, skill varied as did personal style.

Some students were future Lowell House residents seeking to mask foolish freshman ignorance at this weekend's soiree.

"I'm so glad I know how to do the swing now," said Louisa Oliver '90. "Otherwise I'd make such a fool out of myself on Saturday--I took dance lessons in seventh grade, but we never learned the swing."

"Thank God for the lessons," said Linda Rottenberg '90. "Otherwise we'd make fools out of ourselves at the dance, and they'd all point at us and say, 'Freshmen!'"

Current Lowell House residents attested, however, that knowing how to do the swing is not a prerequisite for entering the house. In fact, many also confessed to complete ignorance of the dance.

"I have no sense of rhythm," said Diane Ahmann '89, "I came because I know absolutely nothing about this and want to do it right on Saturday."

And, Dick Listeraud '87, a member of the Lowell House music committee, which is sponsoring the dance, said that many house residents come to the lessons each year to "learn the steps and to just have fun."

But some of those in attendance were not concerned with perfecting their swing ability so much as perfecting the moves of a swinger.

"I just came to meet girls," said Matt Brown '90. "I already know I have a budding natural ability to swing. It's genetic--my grandfather was good at it, so I should be too."

Other students at Wednesday's crash course agreed that they had come in part to pay homage to their grandparents' way of life.

"This kind of thing went out of style with our grandparents, so it's traditional and kind of fun to do," said Nina Castro '90. "And, the music, well, that's a blast from the past, which makes it kind of interesting."