A Marine and Iraq war veteran in dire need of a renewed outlook on life found one through an unlikely platform. After returning from Iraq, swing fever grabbed hold of Augie Freeman and likely saved his life. 

"Dancing was a huge outlet for me," Freeman said in the swing dance documentary, "Alive and Kicking," which will open in select theaters April 7 and will be available through On Demand, iTunes and Amazon Video services.

"To see people doing all the crazy footwork, and the aerials, doing the splits. They were dancing to this old-time music and dressed up in vintage clothes. That just blew me away. And I thought to myself, ‘If it takes me the rest of my life, I am going to learn how to do that.’ And it gave me a reason to live."

After his first tour in Iraq, Freeman said he would often think about all the others that didn’t make it back, and that left him, like so many other veterans, with suicidal thoughts. 

"I felt like I couldn't relate to people in my own country anymore, and I felt alienated and isolated," says Freeman in the film. 

Freeman joined the Marines in 2001 and picked up swing after returning from his first deployment to Iraq. 

In 2008, Freeman, along with his girlfriend, placed 2nd in a National Jitterbug Championship, said Under the Radar.

A clip highlighting Augie's story was provided by Under the Radar. The full trailer for the film is available here. 

Share:
In Other News
Load More