Swing Dancing, Square Dancing, and Other Non-Dancing Boston Events This Week

Whenever a recipe calls for two cloves of garlic, it’s probably a typo and they meant to say six. At least that’s what I tell myself because garlic is amazing and it repels vampires and people who might want to kiss you (so worth it). “Garlic, An Edible Biography: The History, Politics, and Mythology Behind the World’s Most Pungent Food ” author Robin Cherry stops by Trident Booksellers & Cafe to talk about the book and give out some free samples. Did you know garlic is sometimes known as “Bronx Vanilla”? Dibs on that for my rapper name. (7 p.m., FREE, all ages)

If dance trends are cyclical like fashion, we’re about due for a swing dancing renaissance. It’s been almost 20 years since Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and “Swingers” and “You’re money, baby” and the singular moment in our cultural history when it was acceptable for white males to call each other “baby.” Let’s bring it all back, baby! Dance studio New School Swing is teaching a free one-hour swing lesson, followed by dancing with live music, in the historic and romantic South Station train terminal. Just kidding, South Station smells like grilled cheese and sadness. (8 p.m., FREE, all ages)

The A.R.T. of Human Rights, a collaboration between American Repertory Theater and Harvard’s Carr Center for Human Rights Policy, welcomes playwright Eve Ensler for a talk titled “Politically Incorrect: Feminism and the Future of the Planet.” Ensler wrote “The Vagina Monologues” and the upcoming A.R.T. production “O.P.C.” and if you didn’t just hear “You down with O.P.C.?” in your brain right now then I don’t know if we can be friends. But actually we are down with it because it’s about freegans and stars Melissa Leo, who’s in the small club of actors who pulled off a credible Boston accent (in “The Fighter”). (7 p.m., FREE, all ages)

One of six Wednesday-evening sessions with BSO Director of Program Publications Marc Mandel and members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, BSO 101: Are You Listening? is designed to enhance your listening abilities and appreciation of music by focusing on upcoming BSO repertoire. The free class (a post-session reception is $15) features oboist Mark McEwan. I got a question for these orchestra people: If you guys are such great musicians, why do you need to use sheet music? The Ramones didn’t need sheet music and they remembered their songs just fine. (5:30 p.m., FREE, all ages)

T.T the Bear’s Place hosts the second Dare to Be Square Camberville BAR-n Dance featuring a beginners’ square dancing lesson, dancing to live string band music by Nils Fredland Calling, and a featured set by Damn Tall Buildings, during which the only dancing allowed is foot-tapping and maybe some subtle head-nodding if you’re really into it. An actual Camberville alliance between Cambridge and Somerville would be a pretty amazing town, but unfortunately the two have a longstanding India-Pakistan type rivalry with Inman Square standing in for the resource-rich border region of Kashmir. (7:30 p.m., $7, 18+)

PigPen Theatre Company comes to ArtsEmerson with the luminously lo-fi spectacle “The Old Man and the Old Moon.” The fantastical, song-filled tale takes us to the end of the world when an old man abandons his duty of filling the moon with liquid light to search for his missing wife. That’s…that’s not how the moon works. If you’re one of those people who saw “Interstellar” and felt the need to rush home and write a blog about how the science behind it is all wrong, this play probably isn’t for you. (7:30 p.m., $25 and up, all ages)

The School of the Museum of Fine Arts annual art sale returns to showcase works from students, alumni, faculty, and affiliated artists, kicking off Thursday with an opening celebration featuring live music and a cash bar. This is your chance to “buy low” on some artists who haven’t made it big yet, with the caveat that deep down a small part of you is going to be rooting for them to die so their art is worth more. That’s not cool. My mom always told me never to wish ill on another person, unless that person is Guy Fieri. (10 a.m., FREE, all ages)

Photo credit: Eric Esquivel/Creative Commons

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