Big band and dancing has always been a great part of mine, of our life. It doesn’t matter where or when. It is about what the music and the dance doing with you. That special feeling of happiness and being a part of something great and being lost on the floor That happened to us during one of the best evenings of our life. It was at the Savoy in London years ago, when we were young.

First time we entered the famous entrance to the London Savoy was in the spring 1982. Two of our friends had their engagement in a London taxi. In the evening they went to the Savoy to have dinner at the Riverside Restaurant. They told us some of its history. So we had some knowledge about the service, the food, the big dancing floor and the dancing music. Also about the atmosphere and certain style which was the Savoy’s. So we had some ideas and some expectations.

From the very first beginning it took us by our hearts. Those days you were required to wear a dinner jacket with a bow tie. Girls should be dressed accordingly. The evening went so fast, as always when you are happy and have a great time. You don’t really know the greatness, you can only feel it. Afterwards, after months and years you know it. I can still remember some of the moments like pictures, not possible to translate into words

Which moments was the best? Was it when the maître chef de cuisine, the legendary Anton Edelmann, came to our table and asked us if we were comfortable and was satisfied? Or was it when the young man at the table next to us went to his knees and asked his fiancé for her hand, for life? And how we ordered two glasses of champagne to those two, who just had decide to marry. Or was it on the dancing floor, when we danced when the band was playing Edmundo Ross, “Taking to the trees”? Yes, it was the moments on the dancing floor, with Eva-Lena.

Lars Ekeman