********************************************************************** Swing News, Tuesday 9/21/99, Issue #44, (Next Issue, 10/5/99) XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX - Submissions to this newsletter XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX - Addition/deletion/address-change requests XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX - All other correspondence http://www.SwingNews.com - Swing News web site ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear everyone, Five big swing events are slated for this weekend, including local appearances by Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys from L.A., and the Jive Aces from Britain. Saturday's concert at Skipper's is one not to be missed, as is next Wednesday's dance to the Jive Aces at the Gulfport Casino. As part of Skipper's 19th Anniversary Weekend, they've invited us all to a social hour on Friday; see below for details. The Suncoast Swing Gang will be having its quarterly business meeting on Wednesday, October 6th, 7-8pm, during the beginner's lesson at the Gulfport Casino swing night. All who want to get involved in making swing happen in Tampa Bay are invited to attend. The "Suncoast Swing Gang, Inc." is a nonprofit network made up of you, me, and all other local swingsters. We publish the Swing News and promote local swing. On the horizon, we (the Suncoast Swing Gang) are going to be holding our second-ever event! It's set for Friday Oct 22, at the historic Italian Club in Ybor City. So please mark your calendars and read later in this issue for details. Sam ---------------------------------------------------------------------- THE UPCOMING TWO WEEKS This Friday (Sep 24), the Right Step Studio presents their next Swing Dance & Lifestyle Expo at the Gulfport Casino. Paul Mallett DJs this event. James & Arleene give a free lesson 7-8pm. Dancing runs 8pm-1am. This all-ages event also features vendors selling swing items ranging from vintage clothes and dance shoes to CDs. The event is nonsmoking, a full bar is available, and door prizes will be given away. Admission is $6. The Gulfport Casino is one of the largest and finest dance halls in the area. Phone 727-893-1070 for more info. It's located at 5500 Shore Blvd in Gulfport. Directions: If you're coming from the north, take I-275 south to St Pete's 22nd Ave S exit. (From the south, take I-275 north to the 26th Ave S exit and find your way to 22nd Ave S.) Head west. Turn left onto Beach Blvd. (55th St will be on the right.) Head south until the street ends at the Gulfport Casino, located directly on the water. Also this Friday (Sep 24), Skipper's Smokehouse kicks off its 19th Anniversary Weekend with jump-swing band Rocket 88. Most of the band's members left the group a few months back, but now Rocket 88's reformed as a six-piece, and still features its original bass player, drummer, and we'll see who else. The show's at 8pm and costs $6. Vince from Skipper's has issued a special invitation to Suncoast Swing Gang members (that's you if you're reading this) to a social hour 7:00-9:30pm before and during the first part of the show. There will be free snacks, kegs of Moosehead beer, and cake too. All you have to tell them when you're paying at the door is that you're a member of the Suncoast Swing Gang, and they'll give you a special wristband admitting you to the party (assuming you're of age). Skipper's is located at Skipper Rd & Nebraska in North Tampa. Phone 813-971-0666. Shows are outdoors in the "Skipperdome" and open to ages 18 and up (under 18 admitted if accompanied by parent). In addition to the main dance floor and the sandy areas, you can dance wherever you can find room on the surrounding wooden decks. This Saturday (Sep 25), Skipper's Smokehouse hosts one of the biggest swing events of the year as part of its 19th Anniversary Weekend. Headlining are Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys, Rockabilly Hall-Of-Fame artists from Southern California. Skipper's writes: "The band brings major-league songwriting, stellar musicianship, and Big Sandy's smooth, blissful vocals to swing & rockabilly. The band includes three Brits and makes good use of boogie-woogie piano & pedal steel to keep the music jumping." Visit http://www.bigsandy.net for more band info. Warming up are the Vipers, a talented rockabilly quartet made up of Rocket 88 band members. In celebration of its 19th Anniversary, Skipper's is rolling back its food prices on everything from its Skipper Platter ($7.99; regular $12.99) to its Key Lime Pie ($1.99; regular $2.49). The show starts at 8pm and tickets are $7 in advance (must be purchased at Skipper's or via Ticketmaster) or $10 the day of show. Skipper's is located at Skipper Rd & Nebraska in North Tampa. Phone 813-971-0666. Also this Saturday (Sep 25), 8pm-midnight, is a big singles swing event at the Fantasy of Flight in Polk City (between Tampa & Orlando, just off I-4). The event is for single (un-married) folks only. John Jordan writes: "This is a fully catered BBQ with live swing music, dress up, door prizes, contests, dance instruction, and dancing. The atmosphere is an aircraft hanger with lots of vintage planes and cars. Sign up by Sep 23 for advance pricing of $15. Contact Julia at 813-977-0874 or visit http://www.icc-csa.org/tampa/snglevnt.html for pictures, directions, and details." Chris Gilbert of the USF Swing Club adds: "Sounds like a real fun idea. Spread the word to all your swing friends. For more info and how to get tickets, you can call me at 813-977-3394. See you there!" Anitra writes: "Directions: take I-4 to exit #21; go north on SR 559; turn left to the entrance of Fantasy of Flight -- look for the red & white water tower landmark. Tickets cost $17 at the door. The event is hosted by The Tampa Bay Church. The dresscode is nice casual or 1930's swing. Phone 813-621-3237 for more info." This Sunday (Sep 26), the Jive Aces, who many consider to be the top swing band in the UK, play this year's Swing Fest in downtown Clearwater's Coachman Park. Also featured is a tribute to Benny Goodman. This free outdoor dance and concert runs 6:00-8:30pm, and has two dance floors that promise three times as much dance space as last year. Vendors of food and other items will be on hand. The event is sponsored by the Church of Scientology to raise awareness for the environment. For more info, call 727-445-4366. Next Wednesday (Sep 29), the Gulfport Casino hosts the Jive Aces. James Norman writes: "Greetings to all Hepcats and Able Grables! Join us for one of the world's most important jump-jive bands! Get ready for the British invasion, hold on to your fedora, and let's SWING this town! Right Step Dance Studio presents the Jive Aces, direct from England. Doors open 6:45pm; Beginner's dance class 7-8pm; Dance 8pm to midnight. Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 the day of show. This may be the swing-dance event of the year! It's all about dancing, Baby! For band info, visit http://www.jiveaces.com . Get advance tickets at: - Gulfport Casino (5500 Shore Boulevard S, Gulfport): 727-839-1070 - Right Step Dance Studio (2319 9th St N, St Pete): 727-821-9420 - The Record Exchange (6712 Central Ave, St Pete): 727-343-5845 - DaddyCool.com Records (671 Central Ave, St Pete): 727-822-5665 - Squaresville (508 S Howard Ave, Tampa): 813-259-9944 - Painted Lady (596 N Indian Rocks Rd, Bellair Bluffs): 727-581-4466" Next Sunday (Oct 3), Dan Electro & the Silvertones play at the Pass-A- Grille Fairgrounds, 6-8pm, for the Taste of Passe-A-Grille event. Phone 727-367-8590 for more info. Beyond that, no special events are scheduled next weekend in Tampa Bay, so you might want to check out NYC band Jet Set Six at Atlantic Dance in Orlando. They're playing Fri-Mon, Oct 1-4. Call 407-939-2444. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- AFTER THAT Fri Oct 8: Swingerhead at Coliseum; 727-892-5202 Sat Oct 9: Vipers & Swingin' Mooks at Club More; 727-466-6673 Fri Oct 15: Lounge Cat at Gulfport Casino Dance & Expo; 727-893-1070 Sat Oct 16: Lindy Hop Night at Pinellas Park Auditorium; 727-799-7096 Sat Oct 16: Bellevue Cadillac at Clearwater Jazz Holiday; 727-461-5200 Fri Oct 22: Swing Night at Italian Club in Ybor City; DJ Paul Mallett; Suncoast Swing Gang's 2nd Event! E-mail XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Fri Oct 29: Swingin' Mooks at Skipper's Freaker's Ball; 813-971-0666 Fri Nov 5: Frankie Manning Workshop & Dance at Casino; 727-893-1070 Sat Nov 6: Southeast Savoy Swing Dance Competition in Sarasota, featuring Frankie Manning & the Visual Impact swing band; 941-954-8696 or XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Sat Nov 6: Candye Kane at Skipper's; WMNF benefit; 813-971-0666 Sat Nov 13: Coliseum's 75th Anniversary Gala w/ 4 Bands; 727-892-5202 Sat Nov 20: Dan Electro & the Silvertones at Largo Cultural Center; 727-587-6793 Sat Nov 20: Millenium Ball at Suncoast Dixieland Jazz Classic, with 3 Swing Bands; Sheraton Sand Key; 727-536-0064 Fri Dec 3: Kimberly Kaye & Swing Fever at Casino; 727-893-1070 Fri Dec 17: Hepcats' Christmas Dance at Casino, with Bombed Out Cat & Lounge Cat; Benefits All Children's Hospital; 727-893-1070 Mark Friday, October 22 on your calendars, at the Italian Club, located on the main drag in Ybor City (1731 E 7th Ave). The Suncoast Swing Gang will be sponsoring our second-ever event, in conjunction with the Italian Club. (Our first event was June 25th's hugely fun & successful Dance & Expo at the Casino.) DJ Paul Mallett will be making a return engagement to spin a fine assortment of tunes. Free dance lessons, great music, a beautiful and spacious ballroom, plus all your favorite swing dancers will make this a night to remember. Admission is only $5. Like before, we ask your help to spread the word. Thanks! Traci Wheeler writes: Having Frankie Manning in our own backyard at Gulfport Casino on Nov 5 is an honor and an opportunity not to be missed! If you've never tried Lindy Hop, if you think you don't like Lindy Hop, even if you know you don't like Lindy Hop, or if you've seen Frankie before, mark Nov 5 on your calendar and experience the fun of this dance from the master himself. (Frankie was one of the professional Savoy Ballroom Lindy Hoppers in the 1930's and the very first dancer to create aerials or air steps.) I guarantee Frankie will make you laugh, smile, and feel the groove. At the very least, he will inspire you to keep dancing, no matter what your dance of choice or style may be. The Suncoast Dixieland Jazz Classic will be held Fri-Sun, Nov 19-21, at the Sheraton Sand Key Resort. Among the 12 "nationally prominent" bands are three swing bands that will play Saturday night's Millennium Ball, to be held in the Main Ballroom. Two of the bands are "Johnny Varro's Swing Seven" from Sarasota and "Al Winters & Swing Street" from Detroit. It's not clear from the band names who's the third band. The Ball is "A New Year's Eve Style Party (black tie optional)". Weekend badges are $50 through Oct 1; $60, after. Saturday-only admission is $30, or a bargain $3 for students, but it's not clear whether these rates get you into the Ball. Phone 727-536-0064 for a printed brochure and registration form. For hotel reservations, phone 727-595-1611 and ask for "Ninth in 99" reservations at $105/night. Thanks to Victor Berthelsdorf and Jim Wheaton for providing much of the above information. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- USF SWING CLUB NEWS Dan Parshall writes: The USF Swing Club will be holding its second dance of the semester on Friday, October 8th, 8:00pm to 12:30am. The dance will be in the Marshall Center Ballroom, on the second floor. DJ Abdel will spin the tunes for us once again. Non-alcoholic refreshments will be available. We are asking for a $2 donation at the door. By all accounts, the last event was a smashing success, and we expect this one will be, too. The USF Swing Club's first dance went extremely well. It started at about 8pm, and before 9 we had plenty of folks there. Lots of students showed up to learn how to dance, and all of them seemed to have a great time. Abdel did a fantastic job as the DJ, spinning a wide variety of tunes that people enjoyed dancing to. There were a lot of familiar faces that turned up, both to help teach the newcomers moves as they started to get comfortable, and also to have fun themselves. About 25 people who had not previously been members signed up for the Club, and another 30 nonstudents were added to our mailing list, all of them enthusiastic about having more dances in the future. As one student was leaving, he handed some money to the door attendant. "I had so much fun, I wanted to pay again," he explained. I wanted to say thanks to all the folks who made our event possible: Abdel, as the DJ; Ethan, for help with setup and flyering; and all of the folks who came to show their support. Nonstudents who love the music and the dancing came from Tampa, Clearwater, and even Eckerd College. Thanks to all of you! Dan Parshall, President, USF Swing Club ---------------------------------------------------------------------- SHIM SHAM LESSON Andy Pollock writes: I will be teaching Shim Sham at Kate Jackson Rec Center in Hyde Park, at our regular folk dance starting around 8pm on Friday Oct 1: - Admission $2 - Directions & Maps at http://www.atlantic.net/~andypo/tffd.htm Afterwards, stay and join us for folk dancing or there will still be time to head out to a swing dance! This version of Shim Sham is a solo dance originating out of the tap dance tradition. When Lindy dancers would get done with their performances, they and the musicians would get together and do the Shim Sham. They needed a dance that was interesting to the dancers, but still easy enough for the musicians to join in. (Save the angry letters -- I play trumpet myself.) Shim Sham is what they came up with. This is the same version done at the Boardwalk at Disney, at the Natural Ball in Atlanta, and that some of you may have learned from Sherrie a year or two ago. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- TEMPLE TERRACE SWING LESSONS Fran Johns writes: Hi, I do a lot with various swing groups and teach all over for different teachers -- at Storman's on and off & several other places. I have the BorderLine Boogie Swingers. We just performed in Disney for the third time Sep 4 at the Wild Horse. I would like to let the folks in the Temple Terrace & Busch Gardens area know that Sep 17 through Oct 22 there will be lessons at Temple Terrace Recreation, 7-9pm. I'll be teaching Basic, Intermediate, and some Advanced with a few aerials. For information, contact Fran at 813-985-8216 or Temple Terrace Rec at 813-989-7180. Thank you, Fran. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- LOCAL SWING NIGHTS & BANDS Dan Electro & the Silvertones Locally in September: Sep 24 Fri: Five O'Clock Club, Sarasota, 9:30-1:30, 941-366-5555 Sep 29 Wed: Cadillac Jack's, Treasure Island, 9-1:30, 727-360-2099 Weekly Swing Nights: Tue: Dancelovers in Clearwater; 727-582-9499; Nonsmoking; All Ages Wed: Gulfport Casino; 727-893-1070; Nonsmoking; All Ages Wed: Club More in downtown Clearwater; 727-466-6673; Smoking Thu: Storman's Palace in Clearwater; 727-571-2222; Smoking Fri: Swing City Dance Studio in Tampa; 813-935-7458; Nonsmoking Sat: Fortunate One in Ybor City; 813-241-CLUB; Smoking Sat: South Beach Grille on St Pete Beach; 727-363-7623; Smoking ---------------------------------------------------------------------- CAROLINA SHAG QUESTION Beverly Littlejohn writes: I'd like to brush up on my Carolina Shag -- I grew up in South Carolina doing the "State Dance," but it's been a long time. Is there anyone locally who can help me? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- TOP TEN REASONS TO SWING Robin writes: Calling All Swing Kids... Your help is needed to compile an official "Top 10 List" of reasons to swing! Please brainstorm and submit your reasons to me at XXXXXXXXXXXXXX . My two personal favorites of the ideas sent in so far are: 1. The "pretzels" have zero calories and are fat free. 2. Sweaty palms turn me on. The top 10 selected will be posted in an upcoming Swing News issue; a complete list will be available to all who request it. Thank you, in advance, for your cooperation and sharing your zany reasons to swing! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ATLANTA SWING WEEKEND REVIEWS Kim Neel writes: Hey there, this is Kim and I have been learning this thing called swing for about six months now. I was able to make it to Atlanta for the "Natural Ball" and I wanted to share the highlights as I saw them! I think the thing I enjoyed the most was taking a beginner Lindy Hop class with the Rhythm Hot Shots. They were soooo graceful and soooo easy to learn from. I swear to look at them you would think they were floating on clouds! I felt like I was floating on a cloud when I got the opportunity to dance with one of them in the class! That was VERY exciting to say the least! I had a blast taking workshops with Frankie Manning. His humor kept us all laughing and we really enjoyed ourselves. I can only hope that when I'm 85 years old, I can move like he does. He has not lost his charm or moves! I REALLY look forward to his coming to our area! Don't miss him. I guarantee you'll have a blast! It was REALLY impressive to see how many swing dances were represented. I took a Balboa class which was really fun. I enjoyed the shuffle that it involves. I hope there will be some more classes in this area on Balboa so I can relearn it. I didn't quite get it the first time, but since it can be incorporated into the east-coast swing, it would be a great asset to know it! The last thing that really stood out in my mind was the great representation we had from this area! It was nice to see everybody in the various workshops. My hope is that we can all practice -- share and learn from each other, and make all of our dancing better! It was really nice to meet some of you who I had never really talked to before. It was great to look across the dance floor and see y'all's smiling faces! Well, that's it for now. See ya on the dance floor! :) Merideth writes: Sam did a nice job of summarizing the nuts and bolts of the Natural Ball in Atlanta, and his assessment of the highs and lows (great variety in styles and performances; poor administrative management of transportation and sound systems) was right on the money. Whenever such a big and diverse group of dancers gets together in one space, a whole assortment of chemical reactions get set in motion, and your experience will differ depending on where you are, both literally, in terms of your location on the dance floor, and metaphorically, in terms of your dance outlook. For me, as a follower, the greatest education came not in the workshops, most of which were excellent, but through dancing with the mix of training backgrounds during the evening social dances. As I asked a guy to dance, I would have no idea what style I was about to do, or even if I had seen it before, much less studied it. This meant I had to be VERY on the ball in order to ensure that both of us had the greatest possible enjoyment of the dance. Sometimes I hear followers (including myself) complain that this guy or that guy is a poor leader. Sometimes it's true. They may not use predictable steps, they may ignore the rhythm, they may switch up styles in the middle without telling you. But what I learned in Atlanta is that in such cases, the follower can make a bad situation worse by rigidly trying to impose whatever steps/rhythm/style SHE'S used to over the admittedly shaky groundwork the leader has laid. If you just relax and let yourself find an almost spiritual level of detachment, good arm tension and looking at your partner can get you through almost anything! Remember, unless you are specifically ASKED to critique, it's not your job to keep the leader on the beat, or tell him where the backstep goes, or wrestle him into the appropriate transitions. If he decides on a Latin-style thing, go with it! Same if he decides to go vaudeville on you. Not only will this make you a better follower and with fewer enemies, but it will prepare you for situations like the wonderful mix in Atlanta, where I didn't even know what dance I was doing half the time, much less where the backstep was supposed to go. Andy writes: Sam asked me to write my thoughts on the Natural Ball in Atlanta. He already covered a lot but here goes. First I had a wonderful time, and thought it was good value for the money. It was wonderful to hear Frankie (Manning) describe the whole story of his triumphant first aerial. I felt as, if by magic, I had been given the opportunity to witness a historic event that happened before I was born. In some circumstances, the organizational shortcomings could have messed up a good time. If I had been dependent on the shuttle service, or set on taking an exact set of classes (you couldn't really take a whole "track" at one level in a specific dance as they had advertised), or there mainly to dance to the Basie Orchestra on Saturday night (only one set due to the length of the show), I might have been upset. I don't believe they are going to have the event again, but I would certainly go again if they did. However, if I had very limited time and an unlimited budget, I would instead opt for an event where the organizers had more of a track record. I hope every one took note of the problems, because some day at least one of you will probably find yourself trying to put on an event like this. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Swing News Know any upcoming swing happenings or other news? Send them in to XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX . The deadline for each issue, which generally comes out on a Tuesday, is the prior Sunday at 5pm. Editors reserve the right to edit submissions or to select based on relevance. Be sure to call and confirm events before going! The Suncoast Swing Gang, Inc., publisher of Swing News, is a nonprofit network of swing dancers and other enthusiasts, committed to promoting events in places with large, smoke-free or open-air dance areas; to encouraging great music & instruction; and to building a united swing community! Send additions/deletions/address-changes to XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX . Check out our companion website at http://www.SwingNews.com . **********************************************************************