********************************************************************** Swing News, Wednesday 12/15/99, Issue #50, (Next Issue, 1/4/00) XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX - Submissions to this newsletter XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX - Addition/deletion/address-change requests XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX - All other correspondence http://www.SwingNews.com - Swing News web site ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Welcome to this 50th issue of Swing News! -- covering the holidays of the upcoming three weeks, and taking us into the New Year. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, & Happy New Year/Decade/Century/Millennium to everyone. --Sam .... And now, a message from Dan Parshall ... The Swing Gang wants YOU! ... to help promote & support the swing scene in the Tampa Bay area. We are looking for a crew of volunteers to help pass out thousands of flyers this Saturday night (Dec 18) on 7th Ave in Ybor City. The first 10 volunteers to contact Dan Parshall (at XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX or at 813-899-9132) and who actually show up and work will receive free admission to swing at the Italian Club this Sunday, as well as a complimentary beverage. The whole thing should take about 90 minutes. Volunteers are encouraged to dress up in their best swing clothes, and should meet at the Orpheum at 10:30pm. (This is the old Fortunate One, at 8th Ave & 14th St/Republica de Cuba, which just happens to be having swing that night.) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- THE UPCOMING THREE WEEKS This Friday (Dec 17), the Gulfport Casino plays host to a charitable swing fundraiser, the Hepcat's Christmas Dance. James & Arleene Norman write: "Hey Cats! Once again, the St Pete Times AND the swing-hating Weekly Planet have ignored our requests for a listing in their entertainment sections. Neither of them listed the Camaros and, as far as we know, neither of them listed this next CHARITY event. Please do what you can to help fill the Gulfport Casino this Friday -- forward this to everyone you know: * Hepcat's Christmas for the Kids to benefit All Children's Hospital * Two Bands! Lounge Cat, featuring Eddy Rosicky (formerly of the Bohemian Swingers), and Billy A'Brunzo's Bombed Out Cat. This will be a great event for all swing dancers -- Lounge Cat is highly Lindyable, and Bombed Out Cat is perfect for those who prefer to East-Coast. Lounge Cat plays 8-10pm; Bombed Out Cat, to 1am. * Doors open at 6:45pm, and Right Step Dance Studio's Arleene Norman gives a beginning east-coast swing dance lesson 7=8pm. * A raffle (at 10pm) will be held for nifty, donated prizes! All profits go to benefit All Children's Hospital. * $15 at the door * James & Arleene Norman are eternally grateful for the presence of All Children's hospital in their community. They believe their son, Alexander, would not be alive today, were it not for All Children's. Come out and jam with your friends to two live bands, and help Arleene and James raise a few bucks for All Children's Hospital. * All Ages! Bring the Kids! Bring Your Parents! * DJ Jumpin' James spins the Intermission * Full Bar * Casino: 5550 Shore Boulevard South, Gulport, FL; 727-893-1070 * Phone 727-821-9420 (Right Step Studio) for more info" Also this Friday (Dec 17), the band Rocket 88 from Orlando plays Skipper's Smokehouse. The show's at 8pm & costs $6. Like all Skipper's concerts, this one's outdoors in the "Skipperdome". It's open to ages 18 and up (under 18 admitted if accompanied by parent). Dance on the plywood floor in front of the stage or wherever you find room on the surrounding wooden decks. Skipper's features a full bar & restaurant, and is located at Skipper Rd & Nebraska in North Tampa. For more info, phone 813-971-0666 or see http://mbus.com/clubs/Skippers.Smokehouse . Next Sunday (Dec 26), it's the Night After Christmas Party at the Italian Club. This special swing dance & party is put on by the Suncoast Swing Gang and the Italian Club. Free admission is offered to anyone bringing home-made baked goods or dishes to share (limit one free admission per dish); otherwise, it's only $5. Details: * 7-8pm: Free Swing Dance Lesson by Sam & London * 8pm-Midnight: Swing Music & Dancing; DJ Paul Mallett spins * Free Food! Baked Goods, Holiday Dishes, & More * Special Door Prizes! Swing Videos, Free Admissions, & More * Great Atmosphere! Holiday Lights & Decor; Beautiful Ballroom; This historic building was built in 1918 and has just been renovated * Huge, High-Quality, Wooden Dance Floor -- Over 2000 Square Feet! * Smoke-Free Dancing! (Cantina on another floor provided for smokers) * Drinks: Bottled Water, Juice, Soft Drinks, & Full Bar Available * All Ages Welcome -- bring the whole family! * Free Parking! You can park on 7th Avenue or on many side streets. Plenty of parking is available in close proximity to the Italian Club -- You don't have to plug most meters on Sundays. * Address & Directions: 1731 East 7th Avenue in Ybor City. Take I-4 to Exit 1, head south several blocks, then right on 7th Avenue. The Italian Club is between 17th & 18th Streets, the tallest building on the south side of 7th Avenue. * For More Info: E-mail XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX or phone 813-248-3316 If you haven't yet been to Ybor City on a Sunday, then you must check it out. Unlike Friday or Saturday nights, it's very calm and quiet; traffic and crowds are not an issue; and best of all, parking's free and available right next to the Italian Club. The following Friday (Dec 31), it's New Years Eve. Will this mean widespread chaos and the end of society as we know it? ... Who Cares! Downtown St Pete will be having its First Night celebration, with 28 different sites and about 100 activities. Check out the swing dancing under the Barnett Tower on Central Ave & 3rd St. James & Arleene will be there, spinning the music. There'll even be a real dance floor set up. Admission to all the festivities is $8. First Night is alcohol- free, but all the neighboring bars & restaurants will be open. It runs 7pm-Midnight. Phone 727-821-9420 for more info. And on Sunday (Jan 2), it's "The Day After Y2K Party" at the Italian Club in Ybor City, co-sponsored by the Suncoast Swing Gang. The new millennium may arrive uneventfully or it may bring chaos and social upheaval, but we'll be celebrating regardless. Dress as your favorite decade (or century) of the past or the future millennium. A contest will be held with prizes for the best costumes, including a special grand prize to be unveiled that night. Other details: * 7-8pm: Free Swing Dance Lesson by Connie Gee & partner TBA. Connie was the main instructor at the old Sugar Palm Club, and is making her debut teaching appearance at the Italian Club's Swing Sundays. * 8pm-Midnight: Swing Music & Dancing; DJ Paul Mallett spins * New Year's Theme Decor & Atmosphere * Door Prizes! * $5 Admission * All Ages Welcome * Location & Other Details: See above "Night After Christmas Party" ---------------------------------------------------------------------- AFTER THAT Fri Jan 28: Dan Electro & the Silvertones at Casino; 727-893-1070 Sat Mar 18: Lindy Hop Night at Pinellas Park Auditorium; 727-799-7096 Sat Apr 1: Lindy Hop Night at Pinellas Park Auditorium; 727-799-7096 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- LOCAL SWING NIGHTS & BANDS Weekly Swing Nights: Sun: Italian Club in Ybor City; 813-248-3316; Nonsmoking; All Ages Tue: Dancelovers in Clearwater; 727-582-9499; Nonsmoking; All Ages Tue: Cadillac Jack's on Treasure Island; Smoking; 727-360-2099 Wed: Gulfport Casino; 727-893-1070; Nonsmoking; All Ages Wed: Club More in downtown Clearwater; 727-466-6673; Smoking Wed: Ringside Cafe in St Pete; 727-894-8465; Smoking Thu: Storman's Palace in Clearwater; 727-571-2222; Smoking Fri: Swing City Dance Studio in Tampa; 813-935-7458; Nonsmoking New Nights: Saturdays at Danceland: Starting New Year's Day, James & Arleene of the Right Step Studio will host an every-Saturday swing dance at Danceland, 8451 49th St N in Pinellas Park (on the 2nd Floor). It runs 7:30pm-1:30am, begins with a free lesson, and costs $6. The place has a wood floor plus sodas & snacks for sale, and you may bring your own harder beverages. Saturdays at The Orpheum (formerly the Fortunate One): Andrew Webber writes, "Due to the overwhelming success of the swing night held on Saturday, Dec 4th, The Orpheum in Ybor City is pleased to do it again on Saturday, Dec 18 [and also on Sat, Jan 1, Abdel tells us]. The show will feature DJ Abdel spinning new and old swing tunes. Admission is $5 and doors are at 9pm. The club is located at 1902 Republica de Cuba (corner of 8th Ave & 14th St). Call 813-248-9500 for details or visit www.statemedia.com ." Abdel adds, "The Orpheum is under new management with a new sound system. I will be djing there 9:00pm-3:00am. Thanks to everyone who showed up the last time on such a short notice and I hope to see everyone of you there next time." Thursdays at the St Pete Rare Olive: Billy of Bombed Out Cat writes, "The new Rare Olive in St Pete will have its first Swing Night on Thursday, Dec 23. The place is really nice with quite a bit more dance space than the one in Ybor, a semi-enclosed separate seating area, and a semi-enclosed martini & cigar bar in the back. Also, they will be serving food all night. Come on by and help us "Swing-in" the Christmas holiday!" Phone 727-822-7273. Recent Updates: Sundays at the Italian Club are in full swing. One of the goals of these Swing Sundays is to help all dancers improve their skills. Each night starts out with a dance lesson that's tailored to the experience level of participants. Many of Tampa Bay's best dancers and instructors are taking turns giving these lessons, so that attendees can learn something new each week. While rank beginners are always welcome and are taught the basics, the last few weeks also brought a good selection of fairly advanced moves being taught. The lineup of instructors for the next several weeks is as follows: 12/19: Jim & Angel: This dynamic duo has impressed thousands and won awards for their creative dancing and high-flying aerials. This is a rare opportunity to take a lesson from them. 12/26: Sam & London: Have taught numerous dance workshops and swing lessons over the past year. You're guaranteed to take home a move you've never done before. 1/02: Connie Gee & partner: Connie taught thousands to dance, and to dance well, at the Sugar Palm Club for over a year. She currently specializes in private instruction. 1/09: Fran Johns & partner: Fran's a highly experienced instructor who teaches at BorderLine and other locales. She runs a very lively lesson, and her dance teams perform all over the state. Lessons run 7-8pm and are free with admission. Open dancing follows from 8pm to midnight. Admission is only $5, all ages are welcome, there's lots of room to dance, and it's at 1731 E 7th Ave, Ybor City. Wednesday, Dec 29, the Gulfport Casino will not be having its regular swing night due to Millennium festivities. Instead, the swing dance will take place at the Pinellas Park Auditorium, 7690 59th St N in Pinellas Park. This is a one-time-only substitution; the every- Wednesday swing night will resume at the Gulfport Casino on January 5. Phone 727-821-9420. Directions: From I-275, take Exit 15. Go west on Gandy Blvd and continue over US 19 onto Park Blvd. When you cross the railroad tracks, turn right onto 59th St N. Cross the tracks again. The Auditorium is on the left. Thursday, Dec 30 at Storman's Palace will be teen night instead of swing night, but otherwise swing is still on every Thursday night with the Swingin' Mooks. Swingin' Mooks Schedule: Dec 15, 22, 30: Club More Dec 16, 23: Storman's Palace Dec 17: Ringside Cafe Dec 31: Downtown Square, Ocala Dan Electro & the Silvertones Schedule: Tue Dec 28: Downunder Jazz Club, Sarasota Quay, 9pm-12am, 941-951-2467 Fri & Sat, Dec 17 & 18: Speakeasy Grille, 1012 Manatee Ave, Bradenton, 9pm-1am, 941-747-2729 Dec 19-26: City Jazz, Universal Studios, Orlando, 9pm-2am, 407-224-7940 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- THREE LINDY HOP WORKSHOPS BY ROY & ANGEL Roy Rydbeck writes: Come and learn Lindy Hop, the original swing dance from the early 30's, from Roy & Angel. We're giving three workshops in Savoy-Style Lindy in January, at the Dancer's Rendezvous (4445 East Bay Drive in Clearwater). Each workshop is 3 hours, 1:30-4:30pm, and costs $20 at the door or $17 in advance. You do not need to bring a partner; we will rotate frequently throughout the workshops. Sat Jan 8: Level 1: Lindy Hop Fundamentals, Swing Out, Charleston, Lindy Circle, Throw Out, Lead & Follow Concepts. Sat Jan 15: Level 2: Regular Lindy Hop Steps, Cross Over Charleston, Face to Face Charleston, Swing Out Variations, Savoy Styling for Leaders & Followers. Sat Jan 29: Level 3: Syncopations, Turn Combinations, Stealing the Lead, Dancing to the Music, Styling. Anyone can take the Level 1 workshop. Level 2 & 3 participants should know the basics covered at Level 1. For more info, e-mail Roy at XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX . ---------------------------------------------------------------------- FT MYERS SWING Nancy Chapman writes: Hi, James & Arlene Norman suggested I let you know about us, even though we're a little south of the Tampa Bay area. We're the people Pam Calendar referred to (in your last newsletter) that sponsored Frankie Manning, and we're the only swing thing happening in our area. My husband, John (pianist and leader of Tity Boom), and I started the SW Florida Swing Dance Society. We meet every Thursday at The Hall of Fifty States, an historic 1920's vintage dancehall along the river in old downtown Ft Myers. It has a huge wooden dance floor, is an all- ages event, is non-smoking/non-drinking/etc. We have beginner lessons at 7:30pm and advanced later in the evening. The band plays about every six weeks. Otherwise, it's DJ music. We wanted everyone to know that Tity Boom Swing Band & Dancers will be performing at Seaworld, Orlando (Regis Plaza) from Dec 26 through New Years Eve: 5:30-9:30pm Dec 26-30 & 6:30-10:30pm New Year's Eve. We've been playing primarily on the East Coast (Miami to West Palm) and on the southern part of the West Coast (Ft Myers, Naples, Sanibel, etc) the last couple of years. But this coming year, we're planning to play more in the Orlando, Tampa, St Pete area, so hopefully we'll get to know many of you & you, us. Please visit our website for news, music samples, and general lore ( www.tityboom.com ). ---------------------------------------------------------------------- LAST CALL FOR VIDEOS Only a few copies remain of the Tampa Bay Swing videos shot by Rachel Perry. You have until Wed, Dec 22 to reserve your copy. After that, any remaining videos will be raffled off. Two different videos are available: * Tampa Bay Swings Tape 1, which includes footage from the Gulfport Casino, Fortunate One, Italian Club, and Atlantic Dance. Highlights include Christian Perry of the Gap commercial dancing Hollywood Lindy with Angel during the Suncoast Swing Gang's 1st Event (June 25th at the Gulfport Casino); the pilot swing night at the Italian Club with Set 'Em Up Joe; and Swing Risque at the Fortunate One. * The Jive Aces Tape, filmed at their recent Wednesday concert at the Gulfport Casino. Highlights include the dancers, the band, and Liz dancing with the band's lead singer. Tapes are a bargain $7 -- pretty close to cost -- but any proceeds will go to the nonprofit Suncoast Swing Gang. Tapes will be available at the Gulfport Casino and Italian Club dances, through Wed Dec 22. To reserve your copy of either tape, e-mail Rachel at XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX . ---------------------------------------------------------------------- LINDY HOP DISCUSSION LIST Paul Jackson writes: This is a quick update to my previous posting (Swing News #48) about a possible discussion list for Lindy Hop in the Tampa Bay area. I indicated that "if enough people respond", I would create (and moderate if and as required) this discussion list. Well ... Good News! Enough folks expressed interest, the discussion list has been created, and it is now ready for others to join. Signing up is easy, as is removing yourself from the list should you later decide to unsubscribe. If you are unsure about sending in "posts" to this discussion, you are welcome to join up anyway and just listen. If you don't know anything about Lindy Hop, then that's all the more reason to subscribe! Reading other swing dancers' discussions about Lindy Hop is probably the best way to get an understanding of the dance and why it captures the hearts of so many swing dancers. Joining is EASY: From your web browser (Netscape Navigator, Microsoft Internet Explorer, or whatever), just go to: http://tampa_lindy.listbot.com/ . Fill out your e-mail address that you'll be using (to get the discussion messages sent to your e-mail "inbox" and the address you would use should you ever want to add to a discussion), and pick a password. The password is only used if you want to change any of your settings for your subscription, or to do such things as view the archive (currently only available to those that are subscribed to the discussion list). If you do not have access to a web browser, no problem! Although you can't access the archives or your profile information, you don't need a web browser to receive the list's discussions or to add to them, or even to sign up for the list. Simply send an e-mail to: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX . You should send this "from:" the e-mail address you want to use to receive (or send to) the discussion postings. This works just like the "Swing News" but, as Sam pointed out, anyone on the list can send things to the list, and everyone subscribed to the list gets those messages -- dancers sharing directly with other swing dancers. If you'd like more information on this discussion list, or Lindy Hop in the Tampa Bay area, visit the "Tampa Bay Lindy Hop" website, http://www.geocities.com/savoy_lindy/ or send me an e-mail, to XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX , and I'll be happy to answer your questions. We would love to have you join the list, even if you'd prefer to "lurk" in the shadows and just listen! Looking forward to your joining the Tampa Bay Lindy Hop Discussion List ... I am, Paul Jackson ---------------------------------------------------------------------- SWING DISCUSSION GROUP For those who haven't yet checked it out, there's a discussion group already out there for Tampa Bay swing. You can access it by going to www.swingnews.com and clicking on the "Discussion Group" link. (We'll also be adding, in the near future, a link to the Lindy discussion page Paul writes about above; that way, you'll be able to access all local swing-related sites from the Swing News one.) If you have late-breaking news, burning questions, or just want to chat on your topic of choice, the Tampa Bay Swing discussion group is the place for all of that. And your mailbox won't get cluttered with even one message -- all postings reside and stay on the web -- you can go and read through them whenever you have the time. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- VINTAGE CLOTHES FOR Y2K Sherry King writes: Hi, If you're needing the right outfit for the "After Y2K Party", check out Sherry's YesterDaze Vintage Clothing & Antiques, 1908 S Macdill Ave in Tampa. We have clothing dating from the turn of the century (the last one) through the 70's -- some great fringed flapper dress costumes for rent, if that's your favorite decade; 60's mini dresses and go-go boots; or 70's bell-bottoms and "Nik-Nik" shirts; and as always, great swing dresses, hats, gloves & accessories plus wonderful 40's neckties for the guys. Our special holiday hours are 10-6 Mon-Sat except 10-8 Thu, and 12-6 Sun. Phone 813-258-2388. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 . **********************************************************************