********************************************************************** Swing News, Wednesday 3/15/00, Issue #55, (Next Issue, 3/28/00) XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX - Submissions to this newsletter XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX - Addition/deletion/address-change requests XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX - All other correspondence http://www.SwingNews.com - Swing News web site ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Everyone, I'm happy to report that the last issue of Swing News was received by over 1000 subscribers, a record number that grows each week, in tandem with Tampa Bay's increasingly active swing community! The Jiving Lindy Hoppers workshop was a great & unique experience for participants -- see reviews at the bottom of this issue. Dan Electro's concert at the Italian Club also went very well. Thanks to Dan Electro for donating all CD sales to the Bombed Out Cat benefit. That and a few donations helped raise over $100 for Mark & Ally. Several full- fledged benefits are planned for the immediate future, so please read below for details. The Suncoast Swing Gang and the Right Step Studio are sponsoring one of the benefits, Friday April 7th at the Centro Asturiano, so please mark your calendar for that -- it promises to be a great time for a worthwhile cause. St Patrick's Day this Friday offers a full range of swing events. And if you're into Lindy Hop, be sure to check out this Saturday's & Sunday's events. Sam ---------------------------------------------------------------------- THE UPCOMING TWO WEEKS This Friday (Mar 17), the Clearwater Main Library hosts a Spring Swing event to raise money for a young-adult room in the soon-to-be-built new Main Library. Admission is a bargain $1. This 7-11pm dance is DJed by Paul Mallett and starts off with a 7:00-7:30pm lesson. Parking is free and refreshments are available for purchase. The event takes place on the 2nd floor of the Library, located at 100 N Osceola in downtown Clearwater (between Coachman Park & Stein Mart). For more info, phone 727-462-6800 ext 242. David Duncan writes: "I'm a member of the Library's Youth Advisory Council, which tries to encourage teens to use the library. This is a smoke-free & alcohol-free event for St Patrick's Day. We'll be moving some bookshelves on the 2nd floor to make room for the dance. The dancing surface is wood. Please join us to help make our first dance event a success and insure that a young adult room is included in the new Library! Hope to see you there!" Directions: Take US 19 to Gulf-to-Bay (Hwy 60). Stay on 60 until you reach downtown, then turn right (North) onto N Osceola Ave. (It's just before the bridge to Clearwater Beach.) Library will be on left. Also this Friday (Mar 17), Strictly Swing Entertainment presents the "Elegance Returns to Swing Dance" at Mirror Lake Lyceum, 737 3rd Ave N in St Pete. The $15 admission includes an hors d'oeuvres buffet; wine, beer, & soft drinks; dance lesson with James & Arleene; and hours of swing dancing to DJ Jumpin' James (who'll be sporting a tux) in the Grand Hall Ballroom, one of Florida's most elegant rooms. The lesson starts at 7:30pm; the dance, at 8:00pm. Phone 727-821-9420 for info. James Norman writes: "A sneak preview of the fabulous new Mirror Lake Lyceum, soon to be on the National Register of Historic Places: Dance and Mingle with your well-dressed new friends and swing friends in Florida's most elegant room! Proper attire requested, vintage attire preferred, blue jeans & sneakers discouraged." This Friday (Mar 17), a huge St Patrick's Day benefit takes place for Mark & Ally of Bombed Out Cat at the Blues Ship, 1910 E 7th Ave in Ybor City, 8:30pm-2:00am. Bombed Out Cat writes: "It'll be jazz & swing all night, with a lot of great local artists lighting up the stage. Featured are Dan McMillion's Groovin' High Big Band, Kimberly Kaye & Swing Fever, Bombed Out Cat, great Trumpet Player Tom Parmeter with an all-star jazz lineup, and an open Jazz Jam session midnight until 2:00am." Smoking is permitted. Phone 813-248-6097. This Saturday (Mar 18), Lindy Hop Night returns to the Pinellas Park Auditorium. The Night features a selection of all-Lindy-Hop music DJed by Roy & Gabe, and instruction by Joel Domoe (from N Carolina) & Melanie Myers (from Baltimore). Details: - 6:30-7:30pm: Beginner's Lindy Hop Lesson (Swing Outs & Circle) - 7:45-9:45pm: Lindy Hop Workshop: Rhythm & Movements for beginning- to intermediate-level Lindy Hoppers. Prerequisite: Take Beginner's Lesson or know the basics it covers. - 10pm-1:00am: Open Dancing; All Lindy-Hop Music - Big Apple: Joel & Melanie will teach & lead this sometime after 10 - No Partner required - All Ages Welcome - 2500 square feet of Wooden Dance Floor - Smoke-Free & Alcohol-Free Event - Free & Ample Parking - Admission: $10 before 7:30 (Beginner's Lesson, Workshop, & Dance), $8 before 9:30 (Workshop & Dance), or $5 after 9:30 (Dance Only) - For more info, visit http://members.aol.com/swingsum99 Address & Directions: 7690 59th St N, Pinellas Park. From I-275, take Exit 15. Go west on Gandy/Park Blvd. Cross the railroad tracks. Turn right onto 59th St N. Cross the tracks again. Auditorium is on left. This Sunday afternoon (Mar 19), Joel & Melanie teach three sessions for intermediate-level Lindy Hoppers at the Italian Club, 1731 E 7th Ave in Ybor City. Anyone taking two or more sessions gets free admission to that night's swing dance at the Italian Club. Workshop participants must already be comfortable with the Lindy Basics, including Swing Out from Open & Closed positions and Lindy Circle. Partners are not required. Cost is $10 per 75-minute session or $25 for all three. The workshop and dance are sponsored by the Suncoast Swing Gang & the Italian Club. The three sessions are: * 1:00-2:15pm: Intermediate Lindy Movement: Includes Turn & Spin Technique, Rhythmic Diversity, & Creating New Moves * 2:30-3:45pm: Charleston Movement: Includes New Charleston Moves, Better Technique, Visual Partnering, & Exercises * 4:00-5:15pm: Lindy Hop Breaks, Footwork, & Syncopation: Includes Timing, Syncopated Footwork, Adding Spice & Creativity That night's swing dance runs 7pm-Midnight, with beginner's swing lesson (east-coast) 7-8pm and music & dancing 8pm-midnight. The dance is all-ages, smoke-free, and held in the Italian Club's spacious & elegant 2nd-Floor ballroom. Admission is $5 for those who don't get in free by taking two or more Lindy Hop sessions. Next Sunday (Mar 26), Dan McMillion & his Groovin' High Big Band play a Sunday-evening jazz concert underneath the trees at Skipper's Smokehouse. This 16-piece band -- composed of 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, 5 saxes, piano, bass, and drums -- has recorded five albums. Dan is an alumnus of Woody Herman. The 6pm concert costs $6. Skipper's is located at Skipper Rd & Nebraska in North Tampa. Phone 813-971-0666. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- AFTER THAT Fri Mar 31: Lounge Cat @ Gulfport Casino; 727-893-1070 Fri Mar 31: Cigar Store Indians & Midnight Bowlers League @ Orpheum; 813-248-9500 Sat Apr 1: Lindy Hop Night @ Pinellas Park Auditorium; 727-799-7096 Fri Apr 7: Duelin' DJs swing dance @ Centro Asturiano in Ybor City Sat Apr 15: USF Swing Dance @ Marshall Center Ballroom Fri Apr 28: Rocket 88 @ Gulfport Casino; 727-893-1070 Sat Apr 29: Lounge Cat @ Skipper's Smokehouse; 813-971-0666 Tue May 2: Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra w/ Wynton Marsalis @ Mahaffey Theater in St Pete; 727-892-5767 Fri May 5 - Sun May 7: Steven Mitchell in Tampa Bay Fri May 26: Frantic Flattops & Midnight Bowlers League @ Skipper's; 813-971-0666 Fri Oct 13 - Sun Oct 15: Frankie Manning in Tampa Bay Duelin' DJs Preview: On Friday, April 7th, the Suncoast Swing Gang and the Right Step Studio/Strictly Swing Entertainment are co-sponsoring a Duelin' DJs Dance, to benefit Ally & Mark of Bombed Out Cat, at the Centro Asturiano in Ybor City. The primary purpose of this event is to raise funds to help out Ally & Mark, the Bombed Out Cat musicians who were seriously injured in a recent house fire. All proceeds will go directly to their benefit fund. We're making every effort to keep expenses to a minimum. Our all-volunteer staff includes James & Arleene teaching the beginner's lesson, DJs Jumpin' James & Paul Mallett, Dan Parshall on DJ & Door, organizers, and others, possibly including yourself! (See call for volunteers at bottom.) A Musician's Jam Session is in the works, and we're looking for musicians who will volunteer to play that night. A second purpose of this dance, and the original reason it was scheduled (back before the tragic house fire), is to get swing people out to see this place! Already home to the best Latin-dance night in the Bay area (every Saturday night), the Centro is an impressive venue that is perfect for swing as well. If enough people show up and like it, you'll likely see more swing events here in the future. Robin Moore writes: "The Centro Austuriano, built in 1914, features a gorgeous & grandiose ballroom with a 4,000 sq ft suspended wood floor. The elegance and ambiance of the Big Band Era emanates from its wonderfully preserved interior. Located at the corner of Palm & Nebraska (1913 Nebraska Ave) in Ybor City, this venue is easy to find and is sure to be one that all dancers will enjoy." The Centro features its own fenced-in parking lot with security guard on duty, and parking is free to attendees! Find THAT anywhere else on a Friday night in Ybor City! The Preliminary Lineup for the evening is: (Check the next Swing News for final details.) - Free Dance Lesson at 8pm by James & Arleene of Right Step Studio - Music & Dancing at 9pm - Swing Music Sets by DJs Jumpin' James, Paul Mallett, & Others TBD - A Live Swing Jam Session is in the works. If you're a musician and can join in, please e-mail XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX . - Sliding Scale Admission. Pay $5 to $10, based on how much you can afford to donate to the benefit. Additional donations are welcome! - All Ages - Full Bar: Bottled Water, Juice, Beer, Mixed & Soft Drinks, Snacks - Nonsmoking 3rd Floor Ballroom; Downstairs Cantina for smokers - Take I-4 to Exit 1. Go south a few blocks, then right on Palm Ave. Proceed until street ends at Nebraska. The Centro Asturiano will be on your left (at the corner of Palm & Nebraska). Turn left onto Nebraska and take an immediate left into the wrought-iron fenced lot. Park for Free. Enter at the front sweeping staircase and take the elevator or stairs to the 3rd-floor Ballroom. CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS: Robin writes: "Calling All Swingers! A huge volunteer staff is needed to help with the Duelin' DJ's Dance on April 7th at the Centro Austuriano. We need to get a flyer designed and people to post them in all places imaginable! We need helpers to work the door, to arrive early for set-up, or to stay late for clean-up. The bigger this thing is, the better we'll be able to help one of our favorite local bands. If you're interested in any of the above or can help in any other way, please contact XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX . Thank you!" ---------------------------------------------------------------------- BOMBED OUT CAT UPDATE & BENEFITS Tom (Bombed Out Cat Drummer) writes on 3/10/00: "Ally is being released from the hospital today!!! Hurray from all the Bombed Out Cats for our girl. Mark is still critical and going back and forth from off the respirator to breathing on his own. However, Billy saw him yesterday and said there was no visible swelling, which is something that I did see on Tuesday when they finally let me in to see him again. He still needs lots of prayers. Thanks also to all of you for your help, donations, etc., and for being there for the rest of us. It's been a tough road for the band as a whole. Peace." Billy writes on 3/2/00: "Let me start by thanking all of you for your support & love. The collection taken up at the Casino and cards that Jamie brought to us were greatly appreciated. It is overwhelming to me how much love all of you have been showing. Anyone interested in helping out with any of the benefits, please let me know. Tom is the mediary for any bands or DJs wanting to perform. Reach him at 727-577-3130 or e-mail him at XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX ." Billy writes on 3/9/00: "A very special thank you from Bombed Out Cat to Gator's for the incredible benefit Saturday. They are incredible & the turnout was unbelievable. Thanks also to all of you that were in attendance. ... Thanks to everyone for all you've been doing. If you were out last night, you may have been among the first to purchase "B.O.C." t-shirts. They're $10 & all the proceeds are going to Mark & Ally. Benefits so far are as follows: * Fri March 17th: Blues Ship, Ybor City, 8:30pm-2:00am. Bombed Out Cat, Dan McMillion & his Big Band, Kimberly Kay & Swing Fever, Tom P's BeBop Express. * Sun March 19th: Cha Cha Coconuts, St Pete Pier, 2-9pm. Various Bands from the Cha Cha's roster. * Wed March 22nd: Ringside Cafe, St Pete. Bombed Out Cat, Etc, Sarasota Slim, Wendy & the Soulshakers. * Sun March 26th: Rare Olive II, St Pete, 1pm-whenever. Bands & details TBA at http://members.aol.com/bombedoutcat/ . Bombed Out Cat's Other Gigs: Wed Mar 15: Ringside Cafe, St Pete, 9:30pm-1:30am Thu Mar 16: Rare Olive II, St Pete, 9:00pm-1:30am Once again, Thanks to everyone who has been helping out with everything. We cannot express enough how much we appreciate your love & support. To all the cats that made the drive from Gainesville to the Gator's benefit, we will see you Monday the 27th at the Florida Theatre! We hope to see a lot of people at all of these gigs, and we as artists are really looking forward to some great music with great friends. We'll see you there!." ---------------------------------------------------------------------- LOCAL SWING NIGHTS & BANDS Weekly Swing Nights: Sun: Italian Club in Ybor City; 813-248-3316; 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: Orpheum in Ybor City; 813-248-9500; Smoking Thu: Storman's Palace in Clearwater; 727-571-2222; Smoking Fri: Swing City Dance Studio in Tampa; 813-935-7458; Nonsmoking Sat: Danceland in Pinellas Park; 727-821-9420; Nonsmoking Gulfport Casino Update: James & Arleen Norman write: The Gulfport Casino will close in July for Renovations, and will not re-open until October or later. We are going to move the Wednesday dance to a yet-to-be-disclosed location. Stay in touch for more info (http://rightstepdance.digitalchainsaw.com/casino.htm). Until then: - Swing Night every Wednesday at the Gulfport Casino, presented by Strictly Swing Entertainment and the City of Gulfport - Beginning East Coast Swing Dance Lesson 7-8pm by James & Arleene - Dance with DJ Jumpin' James 8pm to Midnight - All Ages: Bring the Kids! (Kids under 10 fly free, but must be accompanied by an adult -- please don't empty a minivan full of 8-year-olds into the Casino) - Full Bar: Bring Your Parents! - Smoke Free - Still only $5! - Free & Plentiful Street Parking - Biggest & Best Dance Floor of any weekly Swing Dance in Florida - 1999 "Best Place to Swing" Weekly Planet Reader's Choice Award Upcoming: Jive at Five (Lindy Hop): Roy Rydbeck writes: - Jive at Five: A space where everyone Lindy Hops - The first one will be Sunday April 2; The next one will be Sunday April 16; It'll continue every Sunday thereafter - At Swing City, 7532 N Armenia Ave (Between Waters & Sligh) Tampa; Phone 813-935-7458 - What is it? -- A three-hour session of all Lindy-friendly music; Everyone there will want to dance or work on Lindy Hop - Cost: $3 - Host: Roy Rydbeck. Contact XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX with questions Dan Electro & the Silvertones for the rest of March: Every Thu: Downunder Jazz Club, Sarasota, 9pm-12, 941-951-2467 Fri Mar 17: Classic Car Museum, Sarasota, 7-11pm, 941-355-6228 Sat Mar 18: King Creole, Sarasota, 941-362-0808 Fri-Sun Mar 24-26: Atlantic Dance, Orlando, 9pm-1am, 407-939-5100 Mon Mar 27: Pleasure Island Jazz Company, 8:15pm-1am, 407-934-7829 Fri Mar 31: Speakeasy Grille, Bradenton, 9:30pm-1:30am, 941-747-2729 Swingin' Mooks for the rest of March: Every Wed at Club More Every Thu at Storman's Palace Sat Mar 18 at Gators Sun City Center Big Band: Len Perry , the Band's General Manager writes: The Premier 20-piece Sun City Center Big Band will perform the following dates: 1] Fri Mar 17: St Patrick's Day Dance, 7-10pm At Community Hall, 1910 S Pebble Beach Blvd. Tickets $8/advance; $9/door. Call 813-633-3500 9am-2pm M-F. BYOB/MIX Jackets/Ties Required. Table for singles. 2] Sat Mar 18: Dinner & Dance, Tampa Scottish Rite Masonic Center, 5500 Memorial Hwy. Dinner 6pm; Dance 7:30pm; Proceeds benefit Childhood Language Disorder Clinics of Florida. Dinner & Dance, $25; Dance Only, $15. Phone 813-886-0578 or 813-633-2444. 3] Sun Mar 19: Tea Dance at Community Hall, 4-6pm, $7. (See [1]) 4] Thu Mar 23: Concert, Sun City Center Woman's Club, 7:30pm. Proceeds for scholarships. $8. 813-634-1418, 813-633-8613 or 813-633-2086. 5] Wed Apr 5: Concert, Kings Point Theater, 7:30pm, 1900 Clubhouse Drive, 813-634-9229. $6+tax. Phone 813-634-7659 or 813-634-7212. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- LINDY HOP LESSONS WITH ROY & LIZ Roy Rydbeck writes: Lindy Hop (30's style swing) continues. Roy, one of the area's first Lindy Hoppers (who learned his Lindy in San Francisco) and Liz continue their weekly dance instruction at Swing City, 7532 N Armenia (between Waters & Sligh) in Tampa. (Phone 813-935-7458.) - Every Monday - 6:30pm: Beginning Savoy-Style Lindy Hop - 7:30pm: Intermediate Savoy-Style Lindy Hop - $25 for a 4-Week Session or $7 to Drop In - Drop-In's Welcome; No Partner Needed. - Contact Roy at XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX for questions ---------------------------------------------------------------------- HOLLYWOOD-STYLE LINDY HOP WORKSHOP Regina Gudzinskas writes: "Saturday, March 25th: Hollywood-Style Workshop taught by Regina & Tim. Even though it's still Lindy Hop, the variations in style are amazingly different from Savoy. It’s a great chance to expand your repertoire. I can’t guarantee that this style will be for you, but I can guarantee you a good time for a value price! -- $17 in advance or $20 that day. Why take a class from me? I’ve been Lindy hopping longer than most in this scene, and learned in California from some of the best dancers in the world. I learned to teach directly from Peter Loggins, one of L.A.'s premier dance instructors, who showed me how to start from the very basics. I concentrate heavily on the basics -- techniques & footwork, and after all of that, I work on styling (including swivels for the ladies). For additional info, please e-mail me at XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX The workshop is at the Dancer's Rendezvous studio, 4445 East Bay Dr in Clearwater. It runs 3 hours, 1:30-4:30pm, and doesn't require a partner or prior experience. See members.aol.com/swingsum99 for full registration & workshop info. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- GOING TO BEANTOWN (LINDY HOP CAMP) Information is in on this summer's Beantown Lindy Hop Camp: - Two Separate Weeks (Mon-Sun), Jun 26 - Jul 2 or Jul 3-9 - Held at Wheaton College in Norton Massachusetts - Special Guest Frankie Manning - World-Class Instructors Ivan & Elisabet Berggren, David Dalmo & Asa Rickardsson (tentative), Eddie Jansson & Eva Lagerqvist, Mikael Johansson & Maria Weber, Steven Mitchell & Virginie, Kenneth & Helena Norbelie, & Tony & Aurelie Tye - Lindy Hop classes teach technique, partnering, styling, musicality, and presentation. Additional classes cover Authentic Jazz, Shim Sham, Charleston, Aerials, and Music Theory. - Evenings feature two live music dances, DJ dances, special events & surprises, plus late-night dancing. - Space Limited; Advance Registration Required - Full info: See www.HopToTheBeat.com or E-mail XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX ---------------------------------------------------------------------- JIVING LINDY HOPPERS REVIEWS Paul Jackson writes: Saturday, March 4th, the Highland Rec Center in Largo witnessed a British invasion of sorts. The Jiving Lindy Hoppers' tour came through Florida, and Beth Eldridge (an Events Coordinator for the Suncoast Swing Gang) was able to arrange for Russell Sargeant & Carolene Hinds to spend one of their travel days conducting an intermediate-level Lindy Hop workshop here. I was fortunate enough to not only attend the workshop, but also to spend time with Russell & Carolene, and to catch their troupe's evening show in Sarasota's Van Wezel Performance Tent. When I first read the JLH were coming to town, I wasn't exactly sure who they were. So I used the link in the Swing News ( www.jivinlindyhoppers.com ) to read a little about this group. When I saw the major role they played in reviving Lindy Hop, I was quite impressed! They were the London component that met with & learned from the dancers that created & crafted Lindy Hop! -- at the same time (mid-1980's) that others across the world were doing the same: Erin Stevens & Steven Mitchell and Jonathan Bixby & Sylvia Sykes in CA, the New York Swing Dance Society, and the Swedish Swing Society. As I read the extensive info on their website, there was no doubt they were not only a world-class performance group, but that they've continued, for over 15 years, to play a major role in research & education about the history of Lindy Hop & Authentic Jazz Dance. So I suspected that Russell & Carolene might be pretty good teachers, and that the 3-hour workshop would be worth my time. That suspicion was confirmed five minutes into the workshop, and that was just the warm-up! Compared to similar workshops I've taken, including Marcus & Bärbl's recent sessions in Orlando and Frankie Manning's last November (all good themselves), the JLH workshop had not only more moves, but also a stronger emphasis on styling, playing with the dance, and "thinking outside the box". They kept the class focused. A tremendous workshop and, in my opinion, executed quite well. The number of "moves" was high, but Russell & Carolene also did other things such as push us "off phase" for a few measures and then bring us back "in" by stringing on a 6-count and then a 4-count move. The point was to open us up to playing with phase. There were a number of occasions where they emphasized playing with the dance and not getting stuck into an ABCDEFG kind of sequencing. Doing some 8-count moves two counts "ahead" -- on purpose -- definitely challenged me! I really liked the JLH workshop. They taught me a lot, and not just moves -- they're really great people, and I appreciate all they're doing to educate, demonstrate, and share this thing we call Lindy Hop. I feel quite fortunate to have had the opportunity to get to know them a little better during the dinner after the workshop, and again after Sarasota's performance. They're performing with the New York City All-Star Big Band, and although I'd usually rather dance than watch, I was so glad I had the chance to see their performance. The music was great, and the six-member JLH troupe added Tap, Jazz, and Lindy Hop to create a tremendous show. In addition to their own choreography, their show included routines choreographed for them by Norma Miller, Pepsi Bethel, and Frankie Manning, among others. A great workshop, a fantastic performance, and really nice people -- it was a tremendous experience. The JLH may be coming back our way next year. If so, I highly recommend attending both the workshop and their performances -- or you'll once again be reading about something you wish you could have done! Beth Eldridge writes: Overall, March 4th’s Jiving Lindy Hoppers workshop was a "wicked lovely" success which was put together in an amazingly short period of time! Russell Sargeant & Carolene Hinds tailored their workshop to our enthusiastically growing Lindy scene. They included a comprehensive warmup which brought us into the “get down position.” Then they taught us a few moves or variations which aren't commonly done here, encouraged cross-phrasing and mixing 6-count & 4-count moves into Lindy, and then took time to play with improvisation and development of personal style. (See the Tampa Bay Lindy Hop list archives to review moves that were covered: http://www.geocities.com/savoy_lindy). I heard that Carolene’s butterfly move was especially impressive to the men who attended. Workshop attendees represented the Tampa area, Lakeland, Gainesville, and Orlando. I promised Russell & Carolene a "warm reception," and I must say, the Recreation Center certainly helped us deliver. (We had some trouble with air conditioning, although I was assured it was set at 65 degrees.) The instructors, both with the company for 13 years, were very encouraging, energetic, and enthusiastic, despite a lack of sleep (from an early morning flight after a late night performance on their Swing Time 2000 tour). They did a great job of establishing rapport with the dancers, and offering individual feedback when requested. The first time I heard everyone clapping during the warmup session, I took a deep breath, smiled, and knew it would go well. Hanging out with Russell & Carolene before & after the workshop was one of the best parts of their visit. Next time, I would definitely encourage more people to come to the dinner and dance afterwards. Russell & Carolene really impressed me as fabulously upbeat, yet down- to-earth people with a great love for the dance, its history, and the people who started it, as well as for everyone interested in it today. They had a great attitude, were extremely gracious, and seemed thankful just to be alive and dancing. The dinner conversation brought out some very interesting history from Carolene. For instance, they divide Lindy into two distinct categories: "Pre-War" -- the slower, smoother type of dancing, like Frankie Manning did (before being sent to war) -- and "Post-War" -- faster dancing, with fancy footwork in the tradition of "Mama Lu" Parks, who was one of the primary teachers early in the company's history. The Jiving Lindy Hoppers include both of these styles in their performances, and they encourage people to integrate a variety of dances in their repertoires. Carolene’s comments reflected their sincere commitment to keeping Lindy Hop alive, in all its forms, and to taking care of the older Savoy dancers who birthed it. At Danceland, Carolene & Russell had the first night of social dancing their busy schedule had allowed in a long while. Carolene mentioned afterward that she enjoyed dancing the shag with Tim, and talking with her new friend, little Alexander. In addition, the dancers were glad to participate in the impromptu "Intro to Shim Sham" that Carolene led. The Tuesday show in Sarasota was also an impressive & inspiring integration of live music & dance. Toward the end, the performers invited audience members onto the stage, including the local Spats Cats performance troupe, and Tampa Bay locals Paul Jackson, Arnold Kasemsarn, Janet Casper, and yours truly. After a little free dancing, we got into a semi-circle, and couples from the Spats Cats took turns stealing the show. Afterward, we met the rest of the company and chatted until we closed down a local Mexican bar. Next year, we hope to bring them back again, learning from & building on this year's experience. Thanks again to all who helped make this a fabulous time, setting a precedent for the Suncoast Swing Gang in hosting great workshops! Don't forget to keep taking advantage of the many upcoming high quality workshops around the state so we can continue to cultivate the best dance scene around! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Swing News Know any upcoming swing happenings or other news? Send them in to XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX . 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! Contact us at XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX . Send additions/deletions/address-changes to XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX . Check out our companion website at http://www.SwingNews.com . **********************************************************************