Q&A with the founder of Prohibition Night, Jonathan Ng

Jonathan Ng, a senior at UNC, is both a founder of Prohibition Night and the current jazz band that performs there, the Blue House Quintet. Through the merging of both his interests, swing dancing and jazz, he was able to create a bi-monthly event that the Chapel Hill community can enjoy.

Staff writer Emilie Scheuerle spoke with Ng about the event.

The Daily Tar Heel: How did this event come to be?

Jonathan Ng: It came together pretty haphazardly and miraculously because (my friend) already had a connection to the Strowd and he already had a jazz jam there, so we said why don’t we just replace the jazz jam with Prohibition Night and see how it does. The first time we had a turnout of 70 or 80 people. And now today, I am still teaching the lessons with my girlfriend and (playing in the jazz band).

DTH: Why swing?

JN: The swing dance community already around the Triangle is pretty strong already, but there was really nothing available in Chapel Hill. For me personally, it was a thing my friend dragged me to freshman year and already being a musician kinda already made me interested in that music as a musician.

DTH: What are some highlights from teaching swing?

JN: It gives me the opportunity to promote swing dancing to people that might not have otherwise come in contact with it. People end up not really know what is happening, to end up really loving it.

DTH: What are some amusing stories or memories from the event?

JN: Last year we had a prohibition night right before Winter Break before everybody left, so we decided to do an ugly sweater prohibition night and everybody came in their ugly christmas sweaters. I didn’t tell anyone this, but the band and I wrote a setlist with a bunch of Christmas music that was rewritten as jazz tunes. It was really cool playing Christmas music that people could dance to.

DTH: What is it like teaching swing?

JN: About a few weeks into my freshman year one of my friends pulled me to the swing dancing club. My friends stopped going to it after a few weeks, but I still kept going. I started teaching at the swing dance club, and then I got really into it and watched a lot of videos.

DTH: How did the Blue House Quintet form?

JN: I have some really good friends in the jazz major at UNC, and I just kinda called them and asked them to play the swing dance night with me and eventually we played enough together that we became a regular band.

DTH: What's it like playing as a swing band?

JN: It’s a different experience (from other music) because when you’re playing almost any other type of music you’re playing music for people to listen to. (You play) what sounds the best to you and everybody else, but when you’re playing for dancers, you’re playing for them to have something to groove to and that becomes the most important thing.

@emiliescheuerl

arts@dailytarheel.com