Between talking to the younger dancers about his World War II days in the 82nd Airborne, Salvador Ayala traded swing dance partners several times Sunday afternoon at the Simi Valley Senior Center.

As commander of the Simi Valley Chapter 55 of the Disabled American Veterans, Ayala said he enjoyed dancing and sharing his experiences with students from Sandy Patterson's ballroom and swing dance classes at Moorpark College.

"I danced with three or four ladies, and it took me back to when I was 18," Ayala said. "It's beautiful. I think it's the best thing to happen to our veterans."

Called the Stars and Stripes Social, the dance was hosted by the DAV and Patterson to honor the seniors for the Fourth of July and to expose the students to those who learned swing dancing when it was new. It was open to all seniors, the DAV and Moorpark College students.

Patterson also teaches dance at the Senior Center, and when she needed another location to teach summer ballroom dance, she was able to arrange to use the Senior Center for her classes.

"The concept was to thank the seniors for letting us use their space and to show them we like their music," said Patterson, who has been a dance teacher since 1975.

A throng of excited seniors waited at the door when Patterson arrived at the Senior Center 90 minutes early to set up for the dance.

Overall, about 130 people attended the event; about 25 were students. Patterson said she is considering hosting another dance around Veterans Day.

The social was the first time that Patterson's students got to cut a rug with dancers who were around when it all started.

Kate Sweitzer, 16, and Jeremy Detgen, 17, both of Moorpark, said they came to the dance because there aren't a lot of opportunities to dance. They danced together and with some of the seniors.

"We learn only the tip of the iceberg," Detgen said.

"It's fun to go out dancing, but when you're in a class, you learn better," Sweitzer said.

Sweitzer, Detgen's girlfriend, said that while she has taken dance most of her life, this is different.

"I've been a dancer since I was little, but it's always fun to dance with him. Not a lot of guys dance," she said.

Participants danced to swing music from the 1940s. In keeping with the war-era mood, American flags, toilet paper and cans of Spam were awarded as door prizes, reminding participants briefly of what war rations were like.

Sondra Wilds came to the dance to celebrate Independence Day without suffering from the summer heat.

"We generally stay home because it's too hot," she said.

Wilds danced with several partners, young and old. As she took a break, she watched the dozen couples spanning several generations swiveling, kicking and spinning to the jazz music.

"It's been a long time, but my legs are feeling great," the 70-year-old said. "I'm glad to see the kids are enjoying it."

— Jake Finch's e-mail address is alljake@hotmail.com.