*************************************************************************** Swing News, Monday 5/4/98, Issue #3 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi everyone, This is Sam, your editor for the week. From what I heard or experienced for myself, last week's events were outstanding! This week is the start of something new in the world of dance instruction. I know that most of us are interested in becoming better dancers and learning new moves and swing styles. In conjunction with the Friday swing nights at the Sugar Palm, we're arranging for some of the best dance instructors in the Bay area to give one-time workshops geared toward intermediate and advanced dancers. The idea is to bring in different instructors each time, and to allow people to sample lots of styles and topics. Most of the instructors give outside lessons, so you'll be able to try before you buy. Workshops run 8-10pm and the workshop fee of $8 also gets you in to the rest of the swing night. This Friday, May 8, it's Abdul Mohammed from the Rhapsody Ballroom (he also taught at the Masquerade in its swing night's early days) giving an intermediate workshop on Fancy Moves. Next Friday, May 15th, it's Arleene and Jamie Norman of the Right Step Dance Studio teaching lots of variations in the 6-count swing; paying for the workshop also gets you in to see the 42nd St Band on the 15th! If you know other good instructors you'd like to recruit, e-mail XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX . Enjoy! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- THIS FRIDAY AT THE SUGAR PALM 8-10pm: Dance instructor Abdul Mohammed will teach an intermediate workshop on Fancy Moves. This workshop will go beyond the basics, covering lots of moves, leading and following skills, and rhythm. The only prerequisite is to be comfortable with the basic swing footwork. Cost is $8, which also gets you in to the rest of the swing night afterward to dance all you want. 9pm: Doors open for those not taking the workshop * $4 admission * Swing DJ Matt Mikas spins until 2 or 3 am * Free beginner's dance lesson around 9:30pm in the side room * Dancers Open Mic: Bring your favorite song and partner; dance for the audience; up to four couples can sign up at the DJ booth * Dance Contest: dance for 3 songs; winners go to May 29 finals; $50 bar tab and name on glitterball trophy to finals winners Details: * This Friday (May 8) * Large (2000 sq ft) floating-wood dance floor * Nonsmoking ballroom; adjacent rooms provided for smokers * Located at the corner of Palm Ave & 15th St in Ybor City * Call 248-5549 for more info * Directions: Take I-4 to Exit 1, go south about 2 blocks, turn right on Palm Ave and go to 15th St; the Sugar Palm's on the left; turn left and pay to park or turn right and park on street --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ALSO THIS WEEK Friday, May 8 Dan Electro and the Silvertones Lowry Park Bandshell Free admission Large dance floor (concrete) Call Lynn at 276-8250 for information --------------------------------------------------------------------------- NEXT WEEK AND BEYOND Fri May 15: 42nd St Band at Sugar Palm; 248-5549; Intermediate Workshop on 6-Count Swing Variations by Arleene & Jamie Norman Fri May 22: DJ Night at Sugar Palm; 248-5549 Fri-Sun May 22-24: Florida Folk Festival at White Springs, FL; (850) 488-1673; http://www.dos.state.fl.us/dhr/folklife/fff.html Fri May 29: Dan Electro and the Silvertones at Sugar Palm; 248-5549 Dance contest finals Fri Jun 5: Swingerhead at Sugar Palm; 248-5549 Sat Aug 29: Love Dogs at Skippers; 971-0666 Those interested in dance and music of all kinds might consider taking a road trip Memorial Day weekend to the Florida Folk Festival, held at Stephen Foster State Park in White Springs. It features about eight hours of outdoor dancing each night, under the bigtop tent, including swing, Cajun, Latin, blues, contra, square, Irish, and Carribean. Last year even had belly dancing (thankfully a spectator sport only!). The band and style of music/dance change each hour. In addition, over 150 performances happen each day. Music, Dance, Arts & Crafts, Food, and More. Call the above number or visit the website for details. --Sam --------------------------------------------------------------------------- LAST WEEK IN REVIEW The Warhol Party at the Dali: Dan Electro played to a capacity crowd and people danced all night to the backdrop of Andy Warhol movies. --Michelle Dan and the band really belted out some swingin blues. Frank and Michelle really tore up the dance floor at the Dali. There was a great crowd. --Bob Denise Moore and Then Some at the Sugar Palm: Great evening; 200 or so dancers; the band gets better every time I see them. --Sam --------------------------------------------------------------------------- BAND REVIEW The Blue Flames are a three piece group comprised of Rockett 88 band members -- the base player, guitar player and drummer. They play a mix of rockabilly-rock-swingy stuff. T-shirts and a little Brill Creame. Last Friday night the group played to a near empty house at the Club More. There were only three dancers making use of the hot live tunes. They do not have email or a web site although it is rumored that a "fan" has a web site that contains the schedule from their mailing list. The Club More is an nice venue, somewhat resilient chip board floor, decent acoustics, and relatively smoke free. Interesting benches, an alternate gig always going in the room next door, usually acoustic. Although they encourage smoking outside, it is now apparently allowed inside. Oh well .. it's still nowhere near as smokey as the Ritz.. Keep an eye out for The Blue Flames and put out an alert if they're in the area. --Don --------------------------------------------------------------------------- VOTE What should we call ourselves? Many fine submissions were received. Vote for your favorite, via e-mail to XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX, by next Saturday. If the vote is close, we'll have a run-off. Remember that we'll actually start using this name, once chosen, so make it one that you'd be proud (or at least not too embarrassed) to say over and over. Any Swing Goes Bay Area Swing Society Bay Swing Central Florida Swing Society Cigar City Swinger Done Swung Friends of Florida Swing International Swing Association Ole'school Swank Phil School House Swank Sigar Sity Swingers Sink or Swing Southern Swing Southside Swing Still Swinging Sun Coast Swing Club Suncoast Swing Society Swang, Inc. Swank, Inc. S. W. Inc. Swing-a-line Swing As You Are Swing Ass Swingin' Swingin' it Swingin' on a Star Swing Inc. Swing, Inc. Swing Along SwingBay Swing Dancers of Tampa Bay Swing Fling Swing For Your Life! Swing Gang SwingGang Swing Low Sweet Chariot Swing Me Baby Club SwingNet Swing 'n Sway in Tampa Bay Swing's And Things Swing Shift Swing Shifters Swing Soiree Swingtime Tampa Bay Swing Society The Playground Swingers The Swing The Swing Set The Swing Thing --------------------------------------------------------------------------- VOLUNTEER This newsletter has quickly outgrown Bob's account at AOL. So we're looking for a volunteer or two who has a heavier-duty internet account either at home or at work. All you'd have to do is send the newsletter out to a list of a few hundred e-mail addresses, preferably on Sunday night. The newsletter and e-mail list would be sent to you beforehand via e-mail. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- LESSONS Thu at 8:00pm: Connie Gee & Brian England, Beginning/Intermediate, Ybor City, $8, 248-5549. Lesson 8-9pm; Practice 9pm-12am. Sun at ?:??pm: Frank Ingo, Beginning & Intermediate/Advanced, South Tampa, $8, 835-5804. Held every other week. 2 hours. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- SARASOTA It turns out that last week's rumor of swing dancing in Sarasota is no longer happening. New information is that Dan Electro and the Silvertones (w/ horns) will play at the Downunder Jazz Club (Sarasota Quay, Fruitville and US 41) from 9pm-12am on some undisclosed night. Also on Saturday, May 9 at Sharkey's on the Pier, 1600 Howard Dr. S., Venice, (941) 988-1456. No information on dance floors, air quality, and the other sorts of things we like to include was provided, but hey, if you're from Sarasota, you can't be too picky. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Swing News Submissions are not only welcome, but required to keep this newsletter going. Send them to XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX . The deadline for each Monday's issue is the Saturday before. Editors reserve right to edit submissions or to select submissions based on relevance. Your yet-to-be-named swing network is committed to promoting swing events in places with large, smoke-free or open-air dance areas; to encouraging great music & instruction; and to building a united swing community! To be safe, call to confirm events before going. Send addition/deletion/address-change requests to XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX . ***************************************************************************