Howard and Gayl's Lindy-Hop Stop

Recipe for Dance Badassery 2012

2012-01-01T18:03:00.000-08:00

Greetings 2012!

New Year resolutions you ask? Yes! Be more consistent with the blog? Check. Start a weekly venue? Check. Make weekly swing dance lessons available? Check. Choreograph more? Check.

So, more on that weekly venue. Warehouse Stomp is going weekly and moving to Friday nights! Be sure to join us every week for Tucson's FIRST weekly venue (not counting Swing Cats). I am hoping that our community will grow by having a stable place that is not university oriented. Not that I don't love the university, but at least the parking will be better. :)

So, as a courtesy to all dancers out there, let me give you a dance recipe that will help you improve your technique, moves, and get closer with the greater dance community.

Recipe for Badassery

Ingredients List:

Love to dance
Love for the music (one of the most important ingredients in my opinion)
Social dance
Positive perspective and fierceness
Lessons for technique
Travel
Youtube nerditude; know thy community!

Directions:

Sometimes the love for dance and the love for music is something that you develop. This comes with the investment of and experience. This is where social dance comes in. Just do it. Do it a lot. Dance. Dance. Dance. There is no such thing as too much social dancing! Take lessons, privates, whatever, those are important to develop technique and whatnot...but it means NOTHING unless you apply it. So, get your butt out there and DANCE!

Traveling is very important. Dance life can get very stale unless you travel. Don't have a ton of money? Our neighbors up in Phoenix are a good place to start. They have dancing seven days a week, so take a road trip up there on occasion and visit them. Also, relatively speaking, Albuquerque and L.A. are not super far either- both driving distance. You can bet your butt that dancing in another city is different but refreshing experience. Save money by carpooling, couch surf at host houses, split hotel rooms, do whatever you need to be frugal. The moral of the story is that if you can leave the state for traveling and get to some of the bigger events- DO IT!

So, maybe your are like, "What the fuck Gayl? I can't travel. I still don't have money for that crap! Not to mention lack of time to travel." Sure, I know. I have been there. I was a grad student, blah blah blah. Well, there are several options. Some events offer volunteer programs to help offset the cost. But let's face it, that doesn't always work out either, so.... here is where YouTube nerditude and know thy community comes in to play. First, any great lindy event worth their salt publishes their videos on YouTube. Such services allow those of us lacking in travel means to live vicariously through these videos. They inspire us to aspire to learn and there have been many videos that inspired me to attend such events. Learn about the greater community, learn the history, stay informed about current events in our culture! Tucson is a VERY small pond, so get out there and discover our rich culture.

Don't know what to search for? Well, check out lindy blogs and forums for ideas. My two main go to sites areYehoodi and Jerry's FB feed (Like Wander & Pondering -JSALMONTE). Jerry's blog is also linked on my page below. There is a whole world of lindy hop going on as your read this damn blog. That's the beauty of all this lindy mania... as a lindy hopper you share a love for dance and music with people from all over! Almost every city, no matter what country, if the town is a decent size there is a high probability that there is a lindy scene there.

Now for perspective and fierceness. Also long as your dancing is approached with the purpose of having fun, well you will be just fine. Check your ego at the door and just enjoy yourself. Nothing is more of a buzz kill then a snooty lindy hopper. That being said, be fierce about what you are learning. Ask respectful questions in class, get in touch with how you learn, you'll always have a better experience for it. Just remember, no matter what, there is always something to learn from any situation.

So, get out there and try this recipe for Badassery.

Swing out and prosper!

-G

PS feel free to add anything that I missed!

ILHC 2011 Alternative Judgement

2011-09-19T00:01:00.000-07:00

Wowser. The ILHC videos keep getting better every year. The event was sold out this year and the level of dancing was pretty damn amazing. Props and thanks to the organizers. Also a big thanks for wonderful Patrick Smitz for his high quality videos is in order. With out them, we Tucsonans would not have the opportunity to watch the outside world of lindy. Thanks Patrick!

So, since we didn't get to "live" the event...I have rounded up a small panel of Tucson dancers to do an alternate reality judge panel for the classic lindy showcases for this year's competitions. Why, you ask? Well, just because we are bored out here and wanted to have a little fun.

As a disclaimer to our little fantasy world I would like to point out the obvious of how as "after the fact" viewers, we have some disadvantages and advantages. I must point out that there is something about the aesthetics of watching live performance, which is a moot point for us since we were not actually at the event. However, the judges at ILHC obviously don't have the opportunity to re-watch and debate their choices like we do.

Also, ILHC has what I call "lindy giants", a.k.a. badass lindy hoppers as judges. Feel free to check out the list of judges on the ILHC website. Seriously, if you don't know who these people are, look them up! While we Tucsonans are not lindy giants (or even lindy specks), but, we are cheeky enough to say "tumble weed" instead of "snow ball". That has to count for something, right? Last, but not least, there is also the fact that like any other art form there is a degree of subjectivity, personal tastes, and "in the moment emotions" that are involved in judging. Plainly speaking, judging is not a science. Phew, now that we have covered our disadvantages and advantages, well, mostly disadvantages...

We chose to judge only the Lindy Hop Classic routines and pick our top 5. Here is the ILHC website description of the competition requirements:

Competitors will display their choreographed creativity without aerials, air-steps, acrobatics and lifts in this division. “On the ground” moves (such as drops, slides, and splits) are allowed. Competitors will select their own music. Routines must be a minimum of two-minutes and a maximum of four minutes in length.

Our judging rubric is as follows: Execution, choreography, showmanship

Tucson's ILHC 2011 Panel Information

Now, since we did not rank ALL participants, AND we only had 4 judges, it is impossible to use relative placement. So, in our case, we are just using an average to determine our ranking.

1st Place: Thomas & Alice
Comments from each Tucson judge were consistently pointing out the creativity, precision, and joy that was seen in their choreography. After all, choreography is the main focus in this competition according to the description. I'll be honest, my first reaction to the video was a giant silly smile plastered on my face. It was an aesthetic experience that left a lasting impression on me.

2nd Place: Kevin & Jo
What can we say? Kevin and Jo are always interesting and polished. They often explore a wide range of dynamics in their dancing, from slow to fast, from soft to hard, and the managed to tell a pretty damn cool story. Why 2nd place you ask with all of the positive feed back? Sometimes, they look TOO polished. Looking too polished can lose some of the energy and edge in a performance.

3rd Place: Skye & Frida
Now, this placement was tricky and a bit controversial for us because we basically worship Skye and Frida's lindy godliness. However, my first reaction to the video was "sheesh, I have already seen this before". Their routine looked like they were social dancing, instead of performing a choreographed routine. I also saw micro execution errors as well. Frankly, I was in want of something new and refreshing, and they just didn't deliver. Why did they still place third with all of my negative comments? Because they still danced like freaking bad asses!

Reading Jerry's blog on how they basically slapped the routine together further validates our initial feelings on why we felt our lack of enthusiasm for their choreography. I promise, we did these rankings weeks ago, BEFORE Jerry's blog post, and did not sway on our placements. Are they still the reigning king and queen of swing? Hell yeah.

Conclusion and Tid Bits
Tucson's placements for these couples are not that different than the official placement. Skye/Frida and Thomas/Alice are just swapped. One big difference, however, was that none of the judges placed Thomas/Alice first. Zip. Nada. Howard and I speculate the reason for that is the amount of stops and lack of swing outs in their routine. Hmmm, food for thought. Should a minimum amount of swing out content be established for a competition? Oh, wait ALHC...let's not go there. So, it goes with out saying that the ILHC judges have contrasting tastes. Like I said earlier, there is not a science to judging artist competition.

On another note, I must say something about Peter and Naomi. Their routine was sophisticated, graceful, and a damn fine example of dancing mastery. In some ways, equally on par with Skye and Frida as far as dance skill goes. Unfortunately, smooth grace seems to be out of style these days. But, Peter and Naomi, you guys are some smooth mother fuckers.

Also, I have to tip my hat to one of the Korean couples. Soo Chan Lee and Hyung Jung Choi made it to the sixth spot on my list. Their choreo was adorable and executed well. So, go KOREA!

If you are curious about the Tucson panel's rankings for the top five, here is the full disclosure.

Katy: 1st Thomas/Alice, 2nd Skye/Frida, 3rd Kevin/Jo, 4th Nicholas/Mikaela, 5th Juan/Sharon
Kat: 1st Thomas/Alice, 2nd Kevin/Jo, 3rd William/Maeva, 4th Skye/Frida, 5th Mike/Laura
Howard: 1st Thomas/Alice, 2nd Skye/Frida, 3rd Kevin/Jo, 4th Peter/Naomi, 5th Nicholas/Mikaela
Gayl: 1st Thomas/Alice, 2nd Peter/Naomi, 3rd Nicholas/Mikaela, 4th Kevin/Jo, 5th Skye/Frida

Anyways, I am looking forward to what ILHC will bring us next year. Are you? :)

Swing out and propser,

G

PS Soooo sorry for missing my usual beginning of the month deadline. I will endeavor to be more timely for October's post, which will most likely be on the Arizona Swing Jam.

Camp Hollywood 2011

2011-08-01T10:52:00.000-07:00

Ahhh Tucson, I am back from my dance shenanigans!

I think this was the 14th year that Camp Hollywood has run? It is driving distance! I am not sure why other Tucson people didn't come (except for you Rob). Anyways...

This is the second year in a row that Howard and I have gone. Good god, the music ROCKED this year. It was definitely better than last year. Of course this is largely due to Jonathan Stout, but the icing on the cake was the Careless Lovers, you know, the Black Coffee peeps. Yeah, late night live music rocked. Anyways, enough gushing about music. Really, there is nothing more joyful for me that swingin' music. It is definitely the reason why I dance.

Plus, the competitions were fun to watch! We made Bal finals. Good god I was terrified, but psyched at the same time. Great experience and now we are fired up to get better. I also made JnJ finals, which of course I blew big time. But still, it felt good to make finals. Bottom line, we had a blast. Plus, I love watching comps! Check out Morgan and Emily's awesome Mario NES homage. Super creative and it sparked nostalgia from everybody. I loved it!

&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Check&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;

Also, check out Alice and Peter! So creative and cute. Story telling in choreography at its best.

&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;ss&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;

Oh, this video is for Bill Morse! Haha, lindy hoppers are multiplying!!!

Anyways, there are a ton of other videos on Youtube if you are interested. Browse at your discretion.

Not only did I get to dance all weekend and hang out with super awesome friends (thanks to my roomies Debra and Booty!), but I made it up to SF to dance. Great times in CA. :)

Anyhow, I am super pumped to do another swing event. We might be going to ULHS, we shall see.

Swing out and prosper!

-G

PS Tucson, get ready, a Bal venue is the works :)

All in one report, tangent, and speculation!

2011-07-11T17:45:00.000-07:00

Greetings Tucsonans and guests,

Yes, I have been bad about posting. Shame on me!

First thing is first.

Pandas!

SwingDependance 2011 Report

I believe the only other Tucsonan up at this PHX event besides Howard and I, was Dean. Woot for Dean! Tucson totally missed out on this great event put on by Karen Vizzard and Dabney Hopkins and it was just a short drive away. The weekend was packed with dancing every night and there were two tracks of classes on both Saturday and Sunday. Oh, let's not forget the massage therapist giving away free 15 minute massages and $25 hour massages at the event. Yup, I ended up buying an hour.

Did I mention the dancing? Oh, and meeting cool new people? Yeah, I was in heaven. Augie Freemen, the head instructor/judge for the weekend, made my night on Friday. Great guy to dance with and to top it off he has a super chill attitude. I also have to acknowledge the awesomeness that the Las Vegas people brought. Thank you Barkley, Brandy, and Nick!

This weekend was also the premiere and birth of the Rhythm Junkiez, our new PHX/Tucson mish mash dance team. We have Karen and Dabs, Jonathan and Rachel, Howard and myself. We are super excited to be working with such great dancers. All of them are very inspiring! We performed our version of the Tranky Doo, which I thought should be called the Drunky Doo in reference to our Captain Morgan pose at the end. It was not the most clean performance, but I am not complaining as that we had very little time to put it together before the event. :)

I have to point out a coincidental phenomenon about our performance. The following weekend as I was perusing YouTube for other event videos of lindy hop, I noticed an onslaught of Tranky Doo performances at other events! All with different twists of course, which I personally liked seeing because I feel as a performer we are paying homage to the tradition but keeping it, well, vernacular. To me, that seems like the ultimate flattery- honoring the roots of the art, yet not blatantly copying. Performance art should not be confined to cloning. Cloning seems like it is borders on mockery and dangers on being insulting(though that is not always the case). Originality and personal nuance, circumstance, venue ambiance, these are all aspects that make great performance art. Discounting the performers personality is like baking a cake and leaving out the sugar. Is it a cake? Sure, it just isn't as sweet though. This is also a prevalent issue in all mediums of other performance art, such as the classical music world. That is actually one of my most severe critiques of modern classical music training (something I went through personally).

Anyways, there has been a decent amount of discussions/blog posts about how to tip your hat to historical performance with out being offensive. Here is an excellent article dealing with the issues of appropriations, and of coure, race issues.

Naughty finger bliss

Ah, I have strayed from my original point about the "phenomenon", which I call as such because I am pretty sure none of the communities had any idea what the others were planning, hence the coincidence. Do we, as lindy hoppers, feel an intangible and innate trend? Or was it just mere coincidence? Hah, maybe it is just that the LINDY FORCE is with us! Kind of like when you are at a dance and everybody is having a great time and the energy is thick in the room and everybody is pulsing to the music? That is the LINDY FORCE(or LINDY CHI!). Yes, I found it necessary to capitalize that. Hah. Just food for thought.

Anyway, this article is becoming much longer than I intended.

And on back to SwingDependance 2011...I recommend attending the event next year if Dabs and Karen put it on again.

Swing out and prosper!

-G

P.S. Here is the 920 Special with a motley trio of fine dancers doing their mash up of the tranky doo! I love it.
&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;xxrds&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;

May and Celebrating Frankie

2011-05-02T00:28:00.000-07:00

My dearest Tucsonans(yes, that is how we say it here in Tucson!) and Guests,

Just a few updates. As you can see, I moved all of the monthly dance info to the right side bar for your viewing pleasure.

In addition to our regular events, we have added another dance. Friday May 27th is the night we are celebrating the great and late Frankie Manning, the Ambassador of Lindy Hop. The 26th is his birthday, but we figure it might be easier for everyone if it was on a Friday night. It was his passion that helped make the lindy community what it is today. Please visit the Facebook event page for details.

Last month we had an AZ Dancer trek to Albuquerque, New Mexico for 505 Stomp. Tucson in the house! We had nine people from Tucson and three from Phoenix that joined us for trekking fun.

Okay, we got a stellar group deal. $75 for the entire weekend! Plus a posh hotel for $65/night. The top notch instructors included Peter andNaomi, Andy and Nina, and Mike and Laura. Classes were split into three tracks. The master track was nice and small, at only six couples in the class. (Woot for breaking down all of our shit and fixing it up). Though I have danced for many a year and never have had the pleasure of having class with these particular instructors. I learned lots of juicy material, of which I must practice now :)

I have to say...that I really enjoy going to smaller events like this one. Also, props to Howard, he made the Jack and Jill finals! The only negative for the weekend was that the band sucked. I could be nice and say that it wasn't my thing, but no, it did really suck. End of music snobbery. Try not to fight me on this, I am old and have two degrees in music(plus completed course work for a DMA). Therefore, I am entitled to my own opinion.

J and J finals

Inspiring performance by the local troupe!

UNM's performance team, Jive O'Five

Here's to great dancing, good times, and new friends. Albuquerque, you rock, thanks for a great time!

Swing out and prosper.

-G

April!

2011-03-30T09:34:00.000-07:00

'Ello Tucsonans and visitors,

Tucsonans are going to 505 Stomp! Check out the page, maybe you'll join us? :) Third weekend of the month.

If you are not going to join us for 505 Stomp please support your local professional modern dance company by attending the NewArticulation Dance Theater's WaterShed production April 15th or 16th, 8pm. Howard and I choreographed a piece for the show!

SavoyFit is doing a tap unit this month, Saturdays Noon-1:30, taught by Mija Sanders. Taught by lindy hopper for lindy hoppers!

April Dances

1) 1st Saturdays: WareHouse Stomp!
Dance Starts at 8pm
Lessons: Crash Course Lesson at 7:30pm
Additional info: Charleston Competition this month, $3 entry fee, bring food for potluck!
Where: The DanceLoft
620 E 19th St
Tucson AZ 85719

2) 2nd Friday of the Month: Tucson Stomps
7pm-10pm
Where: The United Methodist Church is the site for the second Friday of the month dance. It's on University and Park Avenues behind the Jimmy John's Sandwich Shop.

3) 3nd Saturdays: 520 Swing
Dance Starts at 8:00pm goes until 11 pm
Lessons: Beginner Lesson at 7:30pm.
Where: 2512 E. 6th Street. Across from Rincon Market
Price: $5 for all. FREE water.

4) 4th Saturdays: Armory Park
Dance starts at 8:00pm
Lessons: Beginner lessons from 7pm – 8pm with Alex and Theresa
Where: Armory Park Senior Center, 220 S. 5th Avenue
Price: Cost is $10 ($15 for Tucson Swings!) per person at the door
Contact: "Alex" asanchezsbd1@earthlink.net

Swing out and prosper!

-G

Mardi Gras and March Mayhem Madness 2011

2011-02-28T11:17:00.000-08:00

Hello Wonderful Tucson Lindy Hoppers and guest visitors!

This month has two awesome Mardi Gras parties and that always bodes well lindy hop fun. This upcoming Saturday (as stated below) is the WareHouse Stomp Mardi Gras party. The following Friday Al Moro's (up in Phoenix) is having their third annual Mardi Gras masquerade party.

Also, on the list of happening things...Howard and Mija are teaching the 8pm lesson at Swing Cats for the month of March. They have developed a really cool new approach to the beginning class. You won't want to miss it. Also, if you don't know, SwingCats is always on Tuesday nights. Please visit their website for more information. :)

Paired with some fine Phoenicians, we Tucsonans are gathering a posse to attend 505 Stomp in Albuquerque this year. If you are interested, send me a note and I can see about getting you in for the group rate.

Also, don't forget your cross training for lindy hop! Join us at the The DanceLoft for SavoyFit, every Saturday for a cross training class for lindy hoppers. Noon-1:30pm.

SwingCat Workshop
Check out the facebook page for more information: Neil & Fancy Workshop
Same weekend as Armory Park this month! :)

Dances
1) 1st Saturdays: WareHouse Stomp!
Dance Starts at 8pm
Lessons: Crash Course Lesson at 7:30pm
Additional info: Charleston Competition this month, $3 entry fee, bring food for potluck!
Where: The DanceLoft
620 E 19th St
Tucson AZ 85719

2) 2nd Friday of the Month: Tucson Stomps
7pm-10pm
Where: The United Methodist Church is the site for the second Friday of the month dance. It's on University and Park Avenues behind the Jimmy John's Sandwich Shop.

$5 entry fee for all.
(I'll link when Rob get's the FB event page up!)

3) 3nd Saturdays: 520 Swing
Dance Starts at 8:00pm goes until 11 pm
Lessons: Beginner Lesson at 7:30pm.
Where: 2512 E. 6th Street. Across from Rincon Market
Price: $5 for all. FREE water.

4) 4th Saturdays: Armory Park
Dance starts at 8:00pm
Lessons: Beginner lessons from 7pm – 8pm with Alex and Theresa
Where: Armory Park Senior Center, 220 S. 5th Avenue
Price: Cost is $10 ($15 for Tucson Swings!) per person at the door
Contact: "Alex" asanchezsbd1@earthlink.net

Phew, long winded post. Sorry about that. Swing out and prosper!!!

-G

Febby Febs McFebberson February!

2011-02-02T11:51:00.000-08:00

Hello Wonderful Tucson Lindy Hoppers and guest visitors!

Swing Cats has started up again this month, so don't forget to get your weekly lessons in on Tuesday nights.

We have all of our usual dances going on through the month. I am unsure about Tucson Stomps? If anyone knows if it is still going on, let me know and I'll toss it back up.

Lessons(outside of Swingcats)
1) Charleston Workshop with Mija Sandersen: Seriously, check this is out! Seriously, Mija is an awesome dancer and instructor, don't miss this opportunity. This class will help prep you for the Charleston Competition at the March(5th) WareHouse Stomp dance.

2) Want to have better balance, more spins, gain more general badassness? Join us at the The DanceLoft for SavoyFit, every Saturday for a cross training class for lindy hoppers. Noon-1:30pm!

3) Workshop with Carla Heiney! Carla is a national champion dancer and is coming up to Phoenix at the end of February. Don't miss this opportunity to train with her.
Sunday, February 27th
Class schedule:

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm: Fundamentals for all levels (Beginning to Advanced)
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm: Filling in the Space - Slow Lindy/Blues Movement
2:00 pm - 3:30 pm: Lunch Break
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm: Musicality and Improvisation
4:30 pm - 5:30 pm: Intro. to Aerials (not rotating - bring partner or partner up with someone)

Location: FatCat Ballroom - 3131 E. Thunderbird Rd., Phoenix, AZ
Price: $12 per class or $45 for whole workshop
ALL AGES WELCOME
Register Here

Dances
1) 1st Saturdays: WareHouse Stomp!
Dance Starts at 8pm
Lessons: Crash Course Lesson at 7:30pm
Where: The DanceLoft
620 E 19th St
Tucson AZ 85719

2) 3nd Saturdays: 520 Swing
Dance Starts at 8:00pm goes until 11 pm
Lessons: Beginner Lesson at 7:30pm.
Where: 2512 E. 6th Street. Across from Rincon Market
Price: $5 for all. FREE water.

3) 4th Saturdays: Armory Park
Dance starts at 8:00pm
Lessons: Beginner lessons from 7pm – 8pm with Alex and Theresa
Where: Armory Park Senior Center, 220 S. 5th Avenue
Price: Cost is $10 ($15 for Tucson Swings!) per person at the door
Contact: "Alex" asanchezsbd1@earthlink.net

Swing out and prosper!!!

-G

January Lindy Happenings

2011-01-07T18:36:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year All!

Upcoming non swing cat classes available:

If you are new to dancing, check out our Current Classes/Workshop Page for information about a ten week series of classes that is starting up on January 31, 2011!

Also, keep checking back, but Mija Sanders (in my opinion a dance rockstar), is doing a Charleston series February on the 6th, 13th,20th, 7pm, at the The DanceLoft. Stay tuned for class description!!! Fliers will be available by next week.

Okay, Tucsonans, here is the list for dances this month.

1. This Friday is Tucson Stomps:

When: Second Friday of the month; Dance starts at 8:00pm
Lessons: Beginner Lesson at 7:15 pm
Where: First United Methodist Church on 915 E 4th St, just next to Park and University
Price: $5 for students, $7 otherwise.

2. 520 Swing

When: 3rd Saturdays of the month; Dance starting 8:00pm goes until 11 pm
Lessons: Beginner Lesson at 7:30pm.
Where: 2512 E. 6th Street. Across from Rincon Market
Price: $5 for all. FREE water.

3. Armory Park Dance

When: Fourth Saturday of the month; Dance starting at 8:00pm
Lessons: Beginner lessons from 7pm – 8pm with Alex and Theresa
Where: Armory Park Senior Center, 220 S. 5th Avenue
Price: Cost is $10 ($15 for Tucson Swings!) per person at the door
Contact: "Alex" asanchezsbd1@earthlink.net

4. Arizona Swing Cats

Tuesday nights. SwingCats starts the second week of classes, January 18th. The details are the same, Ina Gittings basement at 7pm. No lessons in January and the dances are FREE!!! Lessons start in February, 7pm Intermediate lesson, 8pm Beginning lesson.

Also, Thursday January 13th, 7pm, Swing Cats is having a business meeting at Old Chicago (Glenn/Campbell). Join in if you want to help out, etc. AND SwingCat t-shirts are available for purchase on the 18th.

Anyhow, hope to see you all out and about! Stay tuned for more info coming your way.

Swing out and prosper!

-G

Benefits and Whatnot

2010-12-16T10:53:00.000-08:00

Dearest Tucsonan Lindy Hoppers,

Just wanted to shout out that I'll be organizing dancers for some up and coming benefits. Benefits are great for two reasons: 1) The benefit itself 2) Exposure of our dance community to the general community.

Okay, so here is what is coming up.

1. Ralph C Romero Jr. Scholarship Foundation Benefit Dance Concert
January 28th, 2011 @6pm
Tickets are $5

To enter a piece, we need to submit the information sheet by January 12, 2011. Haven't decided if there is time for this one yet.

2. Arizona Theater Company is putting on a Street fair(ish) benefit for the families of troops that are abroad. They are doing a 1940's theme. This is happening Saturday, March 19, 2011, during the early afternoon. I'll get the exact times later.

a) I'll need someone on hand to teach basics to the public.
b) Several pieces are needed for showcase. I am thinking the following for starters:

i. Big Apple
ii. Cali Routine
iii. Charleston Routine (Mija, Howard, and I)
iv. Potentially reviving the Diga Diga Doo routine OR a new routine entirely

So, if anyone else is interested in contributing/dancing/etc. for these benefits...I am all ears! Shoot me an email: gayl@thedanceloft.com

Anyways, think about it. It would be great to get the Tucson lindy community involved with the public.

Happy Holidays. Swing out and prosper!

-G
___________________________________________________________

Don't forget about WareHouse Stomp January 1, 2011!

$5/DanceLoft members or $8/ Nonmember
7:30pm-8pm Beginning Lesson
8pm-11pm Open Dancing
Location:

View Larger Map

Dec-swingber

2010-11-30T11:13:00.000-08:00

Greetings Swing Dancers!

I am making a list and checking it twice.

1. Join us for the 1st Saturday of the Month Swing Dance, at the DanceLoft!

$5/DanceLoft members or $8/ Nonmember
7:30pm-8pm Beginning Lesson
8pm-11pm Open Dancing
Location:

View Larger Map

2. Remember that post about a cross training class for lindy hoppers called SavoyFit? Well, it is a reality now! Saturdays, noon-1:30pm, at the DanceLoft.

3. Though not a lindy hopper, our favorite West Coast Swing dancer, Nick Moor, is starting a progressive WCS lesson Fridays, 8-9pm, at the DanceLoft. Lessons start up December 3, 2010.

4. SwingCats WILL have dancing through finals weeks (on Tuesdays of course). 12/14 is the last night of dancing before the winter break. Dancing will start up again when the semester starts, 1/18/11!

4. *Tear* Because of the holidays 520 Swing will NOT be hosting a dance on the 3rd Saturday of the Month, but will be back in January 2011.

5. *Tear again* Because of the holidays, there will be NO Armory Park Dance. The fourth Saturday of the month falls on Christmas day and Alex figured you would want to spent that time with your family. But have no fear, it will resume in January 2011.

6. The DanceLoft WILL have a dance on New Year's day! 1/1/2011, 7:30-11pm.

7. Videos are up for the US Open!

Swing out and prosper!

-G

Details

2010-11-03T03:17:00.000-07:00

Just in case you don't know...we bought the DanceLoft!. Ahhhh!!!

I have just been busy, busy, busy. Of course, there is worry all mixed up in the busy. Anyways... In no particular order, below is a list that needs to be put out there. If I missed something, let me know.

1. November 7th, 4pm, in front of Desert Vintage on 4th Ave/4th st- Swing cats and other swing dancers are gathering to do the skele shim sham. Come with your face painted and wearing black in general. Obviously, be ready to do the shim sham!

2. November 12th, Tucson Stomps, at the Methodist church near Park ave & University Blvd. (FB event is not up yet)

3. November 19th, 8pm-11pm, DanceLoft open house!!!

4. November 20th, The Big Apple workshop with Jonathan and Trisha!

5. November 20th, 520 Swing!!

6. Eat some turkey on the 25th, unless, of course, you are a vegetarian(just you never mind then, eat tofurkey or something!). Join Katy and I for a run at the Thanksgiving Cross Country Classic. Yeah, if you are first in your age division, you get a turkey!! That's right, a turkey.

7. Armory Park the following weekend! Saturday the 27th.

Don't forget to check out Swing Cats new website! http://www.arizonaswingcats.com

See you out dancing folks! Swing out and prosper!

-G

Oct'swingber

2010-10-06T12:52:00.000-07:00

Oh, October. How I love thee. You usher in cool weather, Halloween, swing events, and of course your icon. The pumpkin. I have already taken advantage of said pumpkins and baked pumpkin bread! Anyways...

I thought it would be nice to publish a list, the Oct'swingber list, of events that are near or in our lovely town of Tucson. (Except ULHS 2010, but come on... I gotta at least put it out there. I mean, it is NOLA!)

1. The month started off with the epic event of the New Orleans Swing Dance Festival & The Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown! Man, I wish I could have been there.

2. Swing Cats Swing Into Fall 2010 Workshop is going on Oct 16th & 17th! It's going to be a weekend full of fun classes, dances, late night, and mayhem.

3. The Albuquerque Exchange is the following weekend!

4. Last but not least, Carla Heiney returns Phoenix for Halloween weekend. Information can be found on Steve Conrad's website.

Okay, these are not on the Oct'swingber list but on the Nov'swingber list!

1. The first weekend in November is the Phoenix Lindy Exchange Happy Feet! Tucson peeps, we'll try to get a carpool for the Saturday night dance. Let me know if you are interested.

2.Tucson is finally going to learn the Big Apple! The Big Apple workshop is Nov 20th. Following the workshop be sure to join us for our favorite 3rd Saturday of the month dance 520 swing!

If there is anything else I should add to the blog, let me know. Swing out and prosper!

-G

PS Enjoy the ULHS 2010 Solo Charleston Battle

PSS

Check out the new Arizona Swing Cats website!

Shamu beware! A LAP report.

2010-09-15T18:58:00.000-07:00

Lindy And Party Dance Weekend! BAM!

Good times. Good dancing. Enough said. Hah. Jk.

Okay, there were tons of awesome dancers this year. Even more than the previous year. Which put me in social dancing heaven. I was also happy to see that Phoenix dancers came out, eventually. It was surprising how many did not do the entire weekend. Since there was a wedding in the scene, I guess we can forgive them ;)

Hopefully, they will show up next year!

If you like lindy and not party, do NOT come to this event! There is plenty of party at this event for those of us 21 and over. Yeah, the hardcore lindy goers might not appreciate the hospitality room clearing out the floor for the party goers. Also, if you are sensitive to cheap alcohol... BYO!

That last comment was totally directed at myself. Yeah. Me, lightweight. Bad.

Even if you do not like party, the hotel is awesome for this event. Affordable. Relaxing. Fun in the sun! The water park, which we did not make it to this year, is pretty awesome. *Tear* Or, if you prefer, there are multiple pools and spas on the hotel grounds for a more quiet setting. See? Even if you are anti party there is something at this event for you too. No excuses!

Anyways, if you complained about the cost...be sure to check out the early bird prices next year! Very reasonably priced. No whining and plan ahead!

Penultimate point:

Props to our friend Anna for placing second in the Intermediate division Jack&Jill. You rocked it girl. Cheer, cheer, cheer!

Ultimate point:

Well...all I can say to LAP goers...

BEWARE TO ALL WHALE DEFILERS! (You know who you are!!!)

Free Willy can and will take revenge. Muahaha!

Swing out and prosper.

-G

ILHC 2010

2010-08-23T11:25:00.001-07:00

If you haven't done so yet... GO check out the new ILHC 2010 videos on YouTube!!!

Max & Annie's showcase this year was spectacular. The theatrics bits with the suitcases, in my opinion, were unnecessary. Their choreography and execution of the dance were enough to get my vote! That was some BADASS dancing. Howard says,

"They are great at doing both hard and soft movements"

I agree with him. Their Yin and Yang of lindy is in balance.

Anyhow, I want to pay my respects to the wonderful videographers responsible for sharing many of these videos (you know, the ones that I love to gush over!). Not only are they wonderful dancers but they should be given thanks for all that they give back to the community by taking the time to post and edit these videos. Plus, they really put up videos in a timely manner for those of us without patience. ;)

So, check out Patrick and Natasha's website. Also, don't forget to take a gander at their Building The Community blog. This site links and organizes all the videos they have contributed to lindy hoppers.

Well, enough gushing for me. And remember, swing out and prosper.

Enjoy the Annie and Max showcase!

--G

Updates and Upcomings

2010-08-08T15:58:00.000-07:00

Hey Lindy Hoppers!

Item 1:
I just updated the class description for our lindy series which is starting in September, so take a moment and check it out. It is going to be a four week series we're calling it Lindy SPICE and everything nice.

Item 2:
Also, be sure to come out to 520 Swing this next Saturday (8/21). This month's dance is FREE, in celebration of the marriage of two of our favorite Tucson lindy hoppers, Todd and Jennifer. Congrats you two!!! :)

Item 3:
Arizona SwingCats starts on August 24th! No lessons that day, just a free open dance. Come check the club out at the Ina Gittings Building, down stairs in room 16.

Item 4:
Lindy and Party 2010 is coming up September 9-12, up in Phoenix. Last year we had a lot of fun, so we are going again this year! If you want to attend as well, check out the website. There is early registration pricing and hotel room deals available.

Item 5:
The Swing into Fall 2010 workshop, put on by the AZ SwingCats Club, is CONFIRMED for October 16th-17th! California instructors Kelli Wilkerson and Patrick Wall will be joining us for a crazy weekend of workshop fun. I will post a link to the facebook event when it goes lives. This event also has an early bird registration special! Keep watch for that, register early and save $$!

That's all for now folks.

Swing out and prosper!

-G

Camp Hollywood was OFF the HOOK!

2010-08-02T17:42:00.000-07:00

Hey Lindy Hoppers,

Like the title says...CH 2010 was off the hook this year. We had a TON of fun. Great dancing and really inspiring performances from the competitors. There was AWESOME social dancing that went on all night and into the wee hours of the morning. We were in heaven.

I know, I promised photos, but all I managed to take were pictures of the road trip to LA. Yeah, it's lame! We hit a mega monsoon on I-10 just north of Phoenix. Everyone on the road had their hazards on because there was so much rain, we could barely see 10 feet in front of us. So, the ones I posted here are pre-storm photos.

I want to share some of our favorite competitions that happened over the weekend. Results of the competitions are yet to be published on the Camp Hollywood 2010 website. Keep checking back, I am sure they'll be up in a timely manner.

Fav Team competitors. These guy had a rockin' choreography and energy that made the crowd go WILD. Loved it.

Pro Lindy Spotlight Final. Laura and Nick NAILED it!!!

Strictly Balboa Final Spotlight:

I could not find a video of the shag competition. Unbelievably cool shagging going on at CH! Keep your YouTube eyes peeled for it.

Enjoy! I know we did. We'll probably go again next year. Swing out and prosper!

Exciting News

2010-07-28T09:58:00.000-07:00

Hello Dancers!

Last night I had the wonderful opportunity to test out a new class that I have been developing on some local dancers. Props and many thanks to Terry, Erica, and Corinne!

The class is designed as cross training for lindy hoppers, but is for any dancer that is interested in vernacular jazz/charleston. The mix of the class is ballet barre, stretching/core work, and then vernacular jazz combos.

Reasons for the mix:
Some lindy hoppers might say, "What the hell is ballet doing there?". Especially considering that I spent years of getting my 'balletness' out of my lindy! Well, it is rather simple really. Ballet barre facilitates muscle training that would help any dancer with control and balance for spins. Not mention the flexibility you would achieve with a little barre work. Plus, if professional lindy hoppers such as Jo Hoffberg and Kevin St. Laurent suggest cross training, it cannot be all that bad. Movement is movement!

Core and stretching are equally important for lindy hoppers, as it is for other dancers. Lindy hop is a very athletic dance. Our strength comes from our core and if you are a dancer that aspires to do aerials in any shape or form, you better work on core muscles.

Vernacular jazz and charleston are at the heart of lindy hop. Most of us lindy hoppers have learned choreography such as the Tranky Doo, Shim Sham, and the Big Apple. We know that these vernacular jazz movement can be integrated into our social dancing. The more we practice, the better we get at it. We'll be doing combos bilaterally, to exercise our noggins!

The Naming
I am still trying to think of a name for the class! What do you think of SavoyFit? Suggestions in the comment area would be awesome.

Now that I have the class designed, I need a place to teach. I am checking out a new place on 4th Avenue called Breakout Studios when I get back from Camp Hollywood. It's in a good location and the price is right. Maybe we could consider having SwingCat workshops there too!!!

Anyhow, I'll try to post some pictures of Camp Hollywood when I get back. Until then, swing out and prosper!

520 Swing

2010-07-15T10:35:00.001-07:00

Hello everybody!

Don't forget about the 520 Swing Dance that is happening this Saturday! Howard is going to be a guest DJ and we will be doing a Tranky Doo demo. Check out the 520 Swing facebook event for more details.

Hope to see you cats out there!

Peace.

-G

Tranky Doo & Single Ladies Workshop

2010-06-26T19:54:00.001-07:00

Zhaos & Redshirt workshop!

Date: Saturday, July 24, 2010
Time: 1:30pm - 4:30pm
Location: Arizona Ballet Theater
Street: 2512 E 6th Street

View Larger Map

Schedule:
1:30-3:10 Tranky Doo (Howard & Gayl Zhao)
3:10-3:15 Break
3:15- Single Laides (Johnny "Redshirt" Mualim)

At the door: $15/per class

Prepay for both classes: $25 (paypal link below)

Don't know what the tranky doo is!?

Here is a link to one of our favorite performances:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPghQy1OViI

Single ladies!? Wha!? Oh, yes, it is true. Check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rmi5l7ENbaA

We'll see you there!

Private Lessons

2010-05-03T08:49:00.001-07:00

Hi Tucson,

We just wanted to let you know that we are always available for private lessons.

Our rates are $40/hr, up to 4 people can attend!

Best,

Howard & Gayl

New Charleston Classes!

2010-04-26T22:50:00.000-07:00

We are excited to announce new classes at the Arizona Ballet Theatre.

Come join us for some fun swing dancing classes. Over the course of four Sunday evenings, we will cover various forms of partner charleston, including side-by-side, 20’s, tandem, and hand-to-hand. We will also introduce aspects of solo charleston. No dance partner required!

Information
May 16th, 23rd, 30th, and June 6th
7-8pm
Arizona Ballet Theater
2512 E 6th Street, Tucson, AZ 85716

Costs
Pre-pay via Paypal (4 classes): $35
At the door, May 16th (4 classes): $40
Drop in price: $12
**It is $10/class if you can only attend a few classes out of the series, if paid for all at one time.

Feel free to join our Facebook event page here!