FEW people can boast of swinging through Shanghai and grab bing a McDonalds while wearing a monkey suit. Not many can boast of dancing with actress Natasha Richardson. And it is unusual to meet a Silicone Valley IT expert who has given up a successful seven-year career as a leading specialist and computer consultant to sell up in the US and ship out to Shanghai, with the simple intention of setting a city swinging. Yet this is James Szyszko (Jimbo to friends), Shanghai¡¯s leading swing dance virtuoso and co-founder of Shanghai¡¯s very own lindy hopping, jitterbug community, Shanghai Swings.

Like swing dance itself, Jimbo is an import from the US and in less than two years, he and business partner Kellian G Adams, have reawakened the swing dance phenomena of the 1930s in Shanghai. Beginning in Harlem, in New York, as a black art form encompassing the Charleston, lindy hop and later the east coast swing, swing dance was guaranteed a place in American culture and beyond during the ?0s and ?0s through the dance talent of Frankie Manning and Norma Miller. An entire swing dance culture emerged, with its own zoot suit clothing and music that twirled out toe-tapping Big Band tunes like Count Basie¡¯s ¡°One O¡¯Clock Jump?and Benny Goodman¡¯s ¡°Sing, Sing, Sing?

During the 1990s, America rediscovered its lively, laid back swing dance heritage, and a second wave of dance fever gripped the nation, as new clubs and bands like Big Bad Voodoo Daddy shoe shuffled into town. This is when Jimbo discovered his dancing feet, whilst working as an Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) consultant in California¡¯s Silicon Valley.

Since arriving in Shanghai in 2003, he has moved a long way from his life as one of San Francisco¡¯s leading IT consultants. Having permanently swapped his white collar and tie for a zoot suit, the past few months alone have seen him crossing town made up as a monkey and taken him from stage to screen in a matter of weeks while movie director James Ivory repeatedly called for his expertise and assistance.

Fresh off the set of ¡°The White Countess? the Merchant Ivory production recently shot in Shanghai, Jimbo speaks of his past with a disbelieving smile, as if the stories he¡¯s telling must surely belong to somebody else. ¡°Wow,?he laughs, ¡°how did I get here??A brief glimpse of his story and it is easy to understand his incredulity.

Addictive dancing

Jimbo grew up in Chicago, where he completed his studies in business and finance and dabbled as a temp in the little known IT specialization called EDI, before packing up and starting a cross-country road trip to California. ¡°I had my car, US$2,000 and a plan to head for the sunshine. I was living on US$5 a day. I tell you, I had a lot of 99 cent Burger King Whoppers.?

Following two years in Los Angeles, the Silicon Valley Internet boom arrived and Jimbo found his EDI consultant skills in high demand.

¡°I spent two years steeped in debt in LA. Within two months of accepting a position in San Francisco I had paid it all off. But five years on, when Silicon Valley crashed, I realized I had lost my love for the business, I needed to make a break,?he said.

Once again he sold everything but his car and returned to the nomadic life, ¡°searching for my place in the world.?

Having discovered a flair for swing dancing five years previously, he was intrigued by a note he found on the Internet, posted by a Ms Kellian Adams, expressing a wish to bring the swing movement to China. Jimbo enrolled in a crash course in Mandarin and headed to Shanghai, alone and unsure of exactly how things would work out.

He has no regrets. The partnership with Adams, also from the US, has been fruitful, as Shanghai Swings grows into a popular movement. It meets every Sunday night at The Silver Moon Bar, every first and third Thursday at Zapatas, and is linked with a similar organization in Beijing.

Then came the movie. On the set of ¡°The White Countess? the New York City Ballet-trained international choreographer Karole Armitage soon came to depend on Jimbo¡¯s dance talent and advice. On his first day he was introduced to James Ivory, gave instruction to Ralph Fiennes and danced on camera with Natasha Richardson. ¡°I thought I¡¯d be squished like a bug, but as we got into it I thought, ¡®Wow, this is kind of cool. I can do this.?When Natasha came out, she trusted me. I dance with beginners all the time, I know how to make a girl feel like she¡¯s really dancing.?

After four days of filming the directors and choreographer had begun to depend on him. When Armitage was delayed in LA, it was Jimbo who was called upon to create and teach the choreography, watch it on the screen and advise the dancers for the retakes. A week later, when the soloists cast in the Taxi Hall scene pulled out, Armitage again called upon Jimbo to play a leading roll, this time in front of the camera, dueting as a Peking opera monkey.

¡°I was sitting in makeup with Natasha and Ralph, thinking ¡®Don¡¯t say anything stupid, Jim.?When I finally walked out in the monkey suit I felt so excited. Dressed in monkey ears and a tail, it doesn¡¯t get any more ridiculous! But we¡¯re all big fools and a bunch of monkeys when it boils down to it right? I was free to do whatever I wanted.?

His enthusiasm is infectious. ¡°He has a great amount of passion and energy for his dancing and the promotion of swing,?says Michael Borchert, a sales manager in Shanghai and one of Jimbo¡¯s most accomplished dancers. ¡°I started swing at college in the States. When I got to Shanghai I met Jimbo and thought I¡¯d really like to learn more. I respect him a lot for his ability and for starting the movement that he has. He¡¯s kept it going with his energy and draws other people into it through his passion.?

When asked why swing dancing is so addictive, both Jimbo and Borchert emphasize the great social atmosphere and balance between dancing and getting to know people. Free of pressure and strict structure, full of fun and creativity, Shanghai Swings has become a relaxed feel-good social community in which novices can learn comfortably and veterans can excel.

Essentially, for Jimbo, swing dancing is about freedom and happiness. ¡°People say that I look like a different person when I¡¯m dancing and they¡¯re right.

¡°There¡¯s huge potential in China and all I want is for swing to be popular. It¡¯s hard work, but it¡¯s so exciting. I get a lot of personal satisfaction from it. It¡¯s the best job in the world.?