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4/1/2004 12:17:00 AM A computer-security expert and a fleet-footed dancer, Dan Wallach is In the Swing of Things BY LINDSEY FIELDER When Dan Wallach
came to Rice more than five years ago, he saw a television
commercial that would turn his two left feet into twinkle
toes.
Wallach, assistant
professor of computer science and in electrical and computer
engineering, said he was inspired by the infamous Gap advertisements
that featured models in khakis doing the Lindy Hop across
the screen to “Jump, Jive an’ Wail.” “I wanted
to get some sort of hobby that didn’t involve sitting
in front of a computer,” said Wallach, whose studies
focus on computer security. “The Gap ad had just aired,
and somehow I got it into my head that I wanted to [learn
how to swing dance].” Wallach began
taking classes and never stopped. What appealed to him most
about swing dance was that it was social, athletic and artistic
— all rolled into one activity. “Swing allows
me to express more of who I am,” Wallach said. “All
the same kinds of expression that happen in music, happen
in dance. That’s not something I can do in my day job.” Wallach lately
has become known for his work with researchers from Johns
Hopkins University criticizing the software in electronic
voting machines. Although he’s regularly quoted in
the national media about the reliability of these machines,
his fancy footwork as a dancer remains relatively unknown. As a member of
the Houston Swing Dance Society, he met some students from
Rice who were members of the Rice Social Dance Society.
He began working with them, teaching beginning swing classes
at Rice and organizing workshops with visiting instructors. After investing
considerable time and sweat, Wallach is proud to say he
knows a lot of moves. However, “there are some things
I just don’t have the physicality to do,” he said.
“The things you see in old movies with dancers are
pretty wild. For instance, I can’t do the splits. I’ll
never be able to do the splits.” Wallach said
swing experience cannot be measured in months; a dancer’s
skills are honed over years of practice. No matter how much
he already knows about dancing, Wallach said he is constantly
learning from other dancers. “Swing is a social dance,”
he said. “I know all the local dancers, and they know
me. [Swing dancers] dance with everybody.” The spontaneity
that comes from dancing with a new person each time can
also lead to mistakes that become some of the best new dance
moves, Wallach said. However, mistakes can also lead to
injuries and apologies. “Swing is a full-contact sport,”
he said. “I’ve been elbowed, punched and kicked.
I try not to be on the delivering end.” His interest
in swing dance has led to other less dangerous hobbies.
Wallach has cultivated quite a jazz collection over time
that he uses to DJ at local swing dances. He’s even
been a guest DJ on the “Americana Show” on Rice’s
radio station, KTRU. “I’ve learned a lot about how jazz music works through my experiences on the dance floor,” he said. “It’s fun to be able to carry that over into other areas of my life.” |
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