Summer in Washington, and the minglin' is easy. She's just met a seersuckered Hugh Grant lookalike and his former housemate, Jim. Even those sitting still are having a good time. Every chair is filled inside Think Tank, where biologist Rob Shumaker is explaining how he's taught the orangutan Indah to communicate via computer screen. Shumaker wonders why she's getting it wrong.
Women whisper to one another how nice the guys are here.
If you smile and sway to the music, you'll probably be asked to dance. A little past 9, dozens of happy but tired boomers and Xers amble out to Connecticut Avenue, some heading for the Metro, others for Pizzeria Uno's. With Swing Speak still going in my head, I fall into a Metro seat next to Allison, a pretty grad student from Rockville. I was surprised at how good a time we all had. Ticket price includes snacks, soft drinks, a dance lesson, and an animal demonstration.