********************************************************************** Swing News, Tuesday 6/16/98, Issue #8 Send submissions to XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Send addition/deletion/address-change requests to XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Send all other e-mail to XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Swingsters, This weekend's lineup is impressive. Friday, the 42nd Street Band plays the Sugar Palm, with guest instructor Frank Ingo giving an advanced workshop as a warmup. Saturday, Zoots Swing Dance Revue performs at the Sugar Palm. And Thursday, to get the weekend started, the Swingin' Mooks appear at Club More in Clearwater. See you Friday, and maybe then some. By the way, thanks to those who volunteered to help edit and put out the newsletter. I will be contacting you shortly. At last Sunday's meeting of the SwinGang, we performed important tasks like looking at pictures and sketching the next business/signup card. We also decided to have even fewer meetings than we currently are. Have a great week! Sam ---------------------------------------------------------------------- THIS FRIDAY (June 19) AT THE SUGAR PALM * 42nd Street Little Big Band * Advanced Swing-Dance Workshop 8-10pm taught by Frank Ingo: "Hops, Jumps & Air ... Dancing with your whole package"; $8 gets you into the workshop and the rest of the night * Swing DJ during breaks * Dance Contest 11pm: dance for 3 songs; winners go to June 26 finals; Lots of prizes, including $500 and a cruise * Free Beginner's Dance Lessons 9:00-10:30pm * Admission: $7 ($8 if taking intermediate workshop) * Doors open: 8pm for taking the intermediate workshop; 9pm otherwise The Sugar Palm Ballroom has a large (2000 sq ft) floating-wood dance floor, is nonsmoking (with adjacent rooms provided for smokers), and is located at the corner of Palm Ave and 15th St in Ybor City. (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.) Phone 248-5549. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- OTHER EVENTS THIS WEEK This Thursday (6/18) at Club More: * The Swingin' Mooks * 9:30pm - 1:30am * 703 Franklin Street, Downtown Clearwater * Large floor-board dance floor * Semi-smoking, meaning that smokers are encouraged, but not required, to light up outside on the patio * More info: 466-6673, www.greenbenches.com This Saturday (6/20) at the Sugar Palm: * Zoots Swing Dance Revue performs at 11pm * Zoots teaches a free workshop at 9pm in the practice room * Swing DJ * See below for more details * More info: 248-5549 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- THIS SATURDAY (6/20) AT THE SUGAR PALM & LAST FRIDAY IN REVIEW Pam Callender writes: WOW! Again. Thank you, Sugar Palm, and all you hep katz, for being such great hosts of Swing Dance in the Tampa Bay area. You are all an inspiration. Tonight, Allison and Pete, from Sarasota, very unexpectedly won the weekly contest. They had no prior knowledge of the contest and arrived only minutes before. But what the hey, they jumped in for the shear fun of it. I can't speak for them, but I know they were happy and are already talking about rehearsals and costumes. The "dance off" on the last Friday of this month should be "the bomb". The three of us worked with Darren Fernandez, Choreographer of the Zoots Swing Dance Revue coming to the Sugar Palm this Saturday, June 20. Darren moved to Boca Raton last January to work at the Fred Astaire Dance Studio and you'll see on Saturday why we miss him greatly. Darren's talent, as I see him, is the Alvin Ailey of Ballroom Dance. The swing show he and his dance team performs will entertain you in a style only Darren can provide. He started dancing when he was 5 years old and his experience extends from Mexican Folklore, Square Dancing, Clogging, Tap, Jazz, Calypso, Flamenco and Ballroom. His energy will exhaust you, his talent is astounding and his personality will embrace you with every turn and spin. At 9pm this Saturday, the dance team from Boca will meet you in the Junior Ballroom for a Swing workshop. They will be happy to answer technical questions about your personal Swing habits, and offer some interesting patterns and basic instruction. Sage Video Productions will start filming at 10pm for promotional use and hopes to capture the crowd in all its glory. So wear the coolest costume and really Swing it. Zoots Swing Dance Revue performance begins at 11pm. Our Sugar Palm Express continues to bring Sarasota to Ybor City, thanks to Dick Worman and his excellent driving skills, but will switch to Saturdays from now on as we look forward to the opening of Spats Dance Club with its own swing night on Fridays. Thanks again for a great time tonight and we'll see you next Saturday. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- NEXT WEEK AND BEYOND Fri Jun 26: Denise Moore and Then Some at Sugar Palm; 248-5549 Sat Jun 27: Swing & Contra Dance at Pinellas Park Auditorium; 852-9150 http://innet.com/~bdudley/tampadance.html Sat Jun 27: Charly Raymond Orchestra at Coliseum; 892-5202 Part of Summer Swing Series Sat Jun 27: 42nd Street Little Big Band at Sugar Palm; 248-5549 Sat Jul 4: Swingerhead at Sugar Palm; 248-5549 Fri Jul 10: Johnny Cool & the Mobster Swing Band at Largo Cultural Center; 587-6793 Fri Jul 10: Swing Night at Sugar Palm; 248-5549 Lindy Hop Introductory Workshop 8-10pm, by Lee Holton: "The REAL Big Band Swing"; Info: 935-7458 or 933-0946 Sat Jul 25: Abe Guard with "Music of Your Life" Orchestra at Coliseum 892-5202; Part of Summer Swing Series Wed Jul 29: Dan Electro and the Silvertones at Old Hyde Park Village Fri Jul 31: Rocket 88 at Skipper's Smokehouse; 971-0666 Fri Aug 21: Rocket 88 at Largo Cultural Center; 587-6793 Sat Aug 29: Charly Raymond Orchestra at Coliseum; 892-5202 Part of Summer Swing Series Sat Sep 26: Abe Guard with "Music of Your Life" Orchestra at Coliseum 892-5202; Part of Summer Swing Series Doug Matthews writes: The Largo Cultural Center is hosting two swing shows this summer: Fri July 10, 8:30 p.m. - Johnny Cool & the Mobster Swing Band, a 12-piece jump-blues & swing band from Orlando. Fri August 21, 8:30 p.m. - Rocket88, probably one of the best jump-jive, R&B, rockabilly outfits in the state. The Cultural Center has a huge stage, cabaret seating and PLENTY of room to dance. Tickets are $10.50, and there will be a reception at 7pm with free food, cash bar and swing dance lessons. Call 587-6793 for tickets. The Cultural Center is located at 105 Central Park Drive in Largo, just Southeast of the intersection of Seminole and East Bay, in Largo Central Park. Seating is limited to 250. I've been lobbying HARD to get them to bring swing to the area, and if these succeed, you'll likely see a lot more -- Mighty Blue Kings, Swingerhead, Big Time Operator -- but we need to make these first two work! Seeya there, --Doug Editors Note: Thanks to James Norman and Vince Vega for also sending in info on the Largo concerts. James adds that he and Arleene are teaching the 1 hour beginner's lesson which starts at 7pm -- "a great review for those who wish to learn to swing their hips". ---------------------------------------------------------------------- SWINGMANSHIP: REALISTIC ETIQUETTE FOR TODAY'S SOCIAL DANCER ... with James Norman Excuse me while I rant (ahem): Recently, a student of mine returned from another teacher's swing class to angrily report that the other teacher was "doing it wrong." Not only wrong, but so wrong that it must be "another dance." Intrigued, I asked my student to try their best to demonstrate this alien art form. What my student showed me was not a dance from another planet. It *was* a swing dance, and not even a variation differing from the basic. The "wrong dance" was only a nuance, a little "English" on the pool cue of swing. This difference was so slight that I was astounded at my student for having any trouble with it. The problem was simple. After six months of weekly group classes, my student felt like an expert swing dancer; while talented and quick to learn, the only dance expertise my student possessed was at taking my classes. When I sent my student to another teacher, to broaden the base of their dance skill, my student was shocked that anyone should teach the dance differently than I. The point here is swing is a LIVING dance. It's not the Latin language, perfectly preserved in its antiquity. The bands, clubs, dancers, and dance teachers make the contemporary swing movement diverse and interesting. Whether you take classes from me at Right Step, Frank Ingo, Lee Holton at Swing City, Abdul Mohammed, Connie Gee, Brian England, Arthur Murray, Fred Astair, or any other studio, there is something for you to learn. Pay attention in their classes, and instead of comparing whose style is more valid than the others, learn them all. Thanks, I feel better now. Watch for more Swingmanship columns in weeks to come! Copyright James Norman, 1998 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- LOCAL SWING-RELATED WEB SITES From XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (Vincent Gudzinskas): Howdy guys, Vince here... I'm sure you guys know me.. ha ha ... I've built a web page for the Tampa scene. It's not much, but it includes concert dates for the area and pics of some swing events in the AO. Check it out at: http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Stadium/3409 See you on the dance floor... -- Vince Vega Other Sites: The Right Step Studio: http://rightstepdance.digitalchainsaw.com/ The Sarasota folks also have a site with some fine pictures from the Sugar Palm. If someone sends in the address, we'll put it in the next newsletter. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- LESSONS AND WORKSHOPS Tue at 6:45pm: Abdul Mohammed, Beginning/Intermediate, North Tampa, Rhapsody Ballroom, 12101 N 56th St (just N. of Fowler), $5, 985-6570. Beginners at 6:45; Intermediate at 7:30. Fri at 8:00pm: Connie Gee & Brian England, Beginning/Intermediate, Ybor City, Sugar Palm, Corner of Palm Ave & 15th St, $8, 248-5549. 1 hour. Sun, Jul 12th: Frank Ingo, Beginners 6:45-7:30pm, Intermediate/Advanced 7:30-9:30pm, South Tampa, 3601 S. Manhatten, $8 or $25 for 4 lessons, 835-5804. Beginners can practice or watch after their class; advanced dancers can practice at 6:45. Also Aug 9 & Sep 13. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- MOOK UPDATE The Swingin' Mooks tell us that besides playing at Club More this Thursday, they also play Gators on Treasure Island every Tuesday (8:30-12:30pm) and Saturday (5:00-9:00pm), as well as Bourbon Street in Clearwater every Saturday (10:30pm-1:30am). [Ed: No dance-floor or smoking info is available on the latter two clubs.] In addition, they'll be playing the VIP Party from 5-7pm and singing the National Anthem for the DEVIL RAYS Game at Tropicana Field on Wed, 6/17 . ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ORLANDO Most of the big-name swing bands seem to skip over Tampa but play Orlando. Here are some upcoming Orlando concerts at Pleasure Island, courtesy of Jason. July 5: Royal Crown Revue August 8 & 9: Big Bad Voodoo Daddy ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Swing News Submissions are not only welcome, but required to keep this newsletter going. Send them to XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX . The deadline for each Tuesday issue is Sunday at 2pm. Editors reserve the right to edit submissions or to select based on relevance. Be sure to call and confirm events before going! The SwinGang is a network of swing dancers and other swingsters, committed to promoting swing events in places with large, smoke-free or open-air dance areas; to encouraging great music & instruction; to building a united swing community; and to publishing this newsletter! E-mail XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX . Send addition/deletion/address-change requests to XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX . **********************************************************************