The San Francisco Lindy Exchange came to Golden Gate Park two weeks ago bringing enthusiastic dancers and upbeat music for passersby to enjoy.

The exchange was a weekend-long event in which people from all over the world were invited to participate in the San Francisco local lindy scene. This particular type of swing dancing is high energy and features more kicking and bouncing than other types of swing.

For some international participants this was a chance to indulge an interest that is not very common in their own countries.

"I'm from New Zealand where there aren't a lot of swing dancers at all and it hasn't been going on for that long," Charlotte Winn said. "There are so many good people to dance with [here]."

Winn was planning a trip to the United States when she found out about the Lindy Exchange, which happens when a host city invites people to join the local swing community. She decided then that her destination would be San Francisco.

The exchange, which had an estimate of 500 participants, was a larger scale version of what happens in Golden Gate Park every week. Lindy in the Park is a 13-year institution in San Francisco.

The weekly swing dance community has different members each week, but most dancers can't stay away for long. Gina Miranda hasn't been to the park to dance in a year, but chose that Sunday to go without even knowing about the exchange.

"I've been thinking about it every weekend, and I don't live nearby so it's hard," Miranda said. "It's just something I always want to do every day."

There is a certain charm to dancing in one of San Francisco's most beautiful sites. Golden Gate Park is as much a part of the experience for the dancers as meeting new people with a common interest.

"One of the things that I like the most is that it's open air and that it's bright and it's sunny," Nathan Dias said. "The weather's almost always nice, there's a lot of space to dance and there's a lot of friendly dancers to dance with."

Dias started going to Lindy in the Park when he was walking by and saw the dancers. He decided to join them that day and now teaches what he learns in the park to others as a swing dance teacher.

For the participants, the event was about more than just an interest in dance. It was also about making connections.

"I feel like I've discovered this amazing secret that's swing dancing," Winn said. "I feel like a religious evangelist."