We now have our second Balboa mini workshop with Jill Grant and Russell Fulgencio!
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In the 1920s on the crowded dancefloors of the Balboa peninsula in California, dancers developed the dance style now known as Balboa: a close embrace swing dance form suited to very fast music. The lessons will focus on connections, footwork, and fun as we work through elements of the pure-Bal and Bal-swing styles.
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Class: 6:30 – 8:30 pm
Social: 8:30 and on
Price: $15 (paid in class)
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Winter Lindy Hop Lessons
From your gracious Head Instructor comes the syllabus for this Winter's Lindy Hop Lessons!
Thanks Chris Radcliffe!
Beginner
- Basic Closed Position
- 6 and 8 count Footwork
- Tuck Turn
- Side Pass (with turn / into closed)
- "The Spare Tire"
- Charleston Basic Step, Entrances and Exits
- Charleston Variations
- Lindy Cirlces, Send Outs, and Bring Ins
- Sit Dip
- Cross Hand Position and Moves
- Swing Outs
- Musicality Exercises
- Floorcraft Exercises
- Steals and Jam Circle Exercises
Beginner Plus
- Basic 6 and 8 count
- Free Spin from Open
- He-Goes-She-Goes Side Pass
- Swing Outs...lots of swing outs
- Swing Out Variations
- Swivels and other step variations
- Charleston
- Corridor Kicks
- Opposite Corridor Kicks
- 20's Style Charleston
- Sugar Pushes
- Promenades
- Cross Hand Position + Moves
- Musicality Principles and Exercises
- Stealing and Jam Circle Exercises
July Announcements
Doin' the Jive: Lesson Tonight!
As the lessons page says, you can finally learn that crazy routine that's got everybody tapping their feet if they didn't already know the routine!
Those who've paid for beginner lessons get in for free, drop-ins are $10
Come on out and learn it tonight! 9PM at 1300 Oxford Street, First Baptist Church
TD Halifax Jazz Festival
This week, we've got one of the coolest live music events to hit Halifax this summer!
What's cooler is that we've been picked to champion these events!
Be sure to attend every day you can!
If there is one event you can't miss, we highly suggest you go to the Gordon Webster concert happening on Sunday!
Hey what's this random button? It's got nothing to do with us but hey this looks pretty cool.
The full event schedule can be found here: http://www.halifaxjazzfestival.ca/schedule
West Coast Swing Lessons
By popular demand, James brings to Halifax a style of swing that is fresh to the Halifax Swing Dance teaching curriculum.
Tuesdays, 7:00PM-9:00PM
1313 Hollis Street
$5 per drop-in
$25 for whole term
Registration - 6:30 pm
Lesson - 7:00-8:30 pm
Social - 8:30-9:00 pm
Instructors: Bonita Squires & James Pierre
More details on the lessons page.
Billets for Fall
We are still looking for billeters for the Fall Workship and The Halifax Lindy Explosion this weekend!
If you wish to billet, you can do so through this page.
Swing Factory
Ever wanted to enjoy/learn Swing Dancing with all your favourite people so much? All the time?
Seems like you've got a case of the Swing Factory jitters.
Grab your groove (and interested friends, and let's all do the thing!
The Swing Factories have been growing in size steadily, this one's gotta be the most fun yet!
July 17, 2015
At 1313 Hollis Street
Introductory Lesson at 8:00 PM
Social Dancing at 9:00 PM
Late Night Blues at 11:00 PM
Cover is $5, but free if you volunteer!
Volunteer here: http://www.dalswing.ca/volunteer/
Donations
As you know, we currently looked into renting out flooring so that we had nice floors for waterfront dancing. This of course, requires a lot of effort on many fronts. We can only ask that you help us help you have comfier dance spaces.
You can donate in person at waterfront dancing or find any of the executives and give it to them.
As well, we have a donate button on the homepage now.
Event: Canada Day Waterfront Dancing
Start your Canada Day right and come represent Dalswing to show Dartmouth what Swing Dancing is all about! Free Pancake Breakfast!
Alderney Landing (Right outside the Dartmouth Ferry Terminal)
July 1st, 8:45AM - 9:45AM
Wear your red and white!
Save the Date: Gordon Webster at the TD Halifax Jazz Festival!
We are proud to announce that DalSwing will champion the Gordon Webster Sextet with Brianna Thomas and Alex Pangman at the TD Halifax Jazz Festival!
So save the date, come on down, and represent your society!
Time: July 12, 8:30PM
Venue: Main stage, on Lower Water Street at Salter Street.
http://halifaxjazzfestival.ca/gordon-webster-sextet-brianna-thomas-alex-pangman
Save the Date: Swing with the Fishes 2015
Heads up, folks, the 7th Annual Swing with the Fishes 2015 is on November 21!
We need volunteers!
We need people to help with billeting!
That is all for now, but can you feel the hype?
There's no such thing as too excited for an event like this!
Event: Swing Dance with the Mahone Bay Legion Swing Band
"Swing into Summer with the Mahone Bay Legion Swing Band
Location: Mahone Bay Legion Hall 21 Pond Street
Date: June 13 2015, 8:00-10:30
Come out and listen to some great music, get your groove on, and enjoy an evening out! We feature classic swing music like In The Mood, Little Brown Jug, Rock Around the Clock, and favourites like Eye of the Tiger and Mustang Sally.
$10.00 Cover Charge at the door and a cash bar available.
This is our annual Fundraiser, and our biggest source of income for the year. It supports the band to keep our rehearsal space, music and conductor all up to date. During the summer we regularly play free concerts from the bandshell every Thursday. Please come support us (and wave at me as you dance by).
M.B.L.S.B. Website - http://mahonebayswingband.weebly.com/"
Event: ECBS Benefit for Eileen Joyce
"Just to give you a little more info - The Blues Society is hosting this fundraiser for one of our co-founders, Eileen Joyce, who has been a force in the music industry within NS - East Coast Blues Society, Blues East, NS Mass Choir, Ladies in Blues, and many other charitable contributions. We are hosting his event as she now has a medical condition which requires her to relocate to Toronto in the near future in order to be placed on a "lung transplant list". She has supported and spearheaded fundraising events in our community while also promoting our Atlantic Blues musicians wherever she has gone. She has given readily and freely of herself and we would like to give back in appreciation of her hard work and efforts."
Event: Shirley Jackson & Jef Wirchenko @ the Rhubarb Restaurant
Shirley Jackson and Jef Wirchenko are performing an intimate evening of original songs along with some favourite requests at the Rhubarb Restaurant.
Friday, 5th June in Indian Harbour. 8650 Peggy's Cove Road.
Hope you all join us for some fine dining and friendly service at the Rhubarb Restaurant!
What's Happening in June!
You wanted lots of dancing this June? We give you just that!
Swing Factory
Friday. June 19th. Be there. What more can we say? This is the event to go to if you want to see the whole community in one place, all having a great time!
Psst, there's a way you can get in for FREE!
Beginner Lessons & Socials
Registrations are now closed. Tuesday Socials are discontinued. :(
Alright, enough with the bad news (we won't miss the Argyle's sketchy basement flooring anyway), here's the good:
Beginner lessons are full steam ahead and here's the deal, the community social dancing will now be taking place after the beginner lessons.
[The Wednesday night socials are rapidly gaining popularity so make sure you join in on this if you need to get a weekly fix!]
Waterfront Dancing
Aching for more social dance opportunities? Are your legs a glutton for punishment? We appreciate your audacity and raise you this: Thursday evening waterfront socials! And who knows, if the stars align, we might all just go out for dinner.
Blues at The Nook
The Nook's a great place to get together and mellow down for the coming Monday. Short lesson, and then a social until 11PM! Support the Nook and buy a nice toasty mocha, or a cold brew, too!
Blues Lessons
Here at Dalswing, Monday blues has a different meaning! Starting June 15th, at 1313 Hollis, there'll be weekly blues lessons. Online registrations are now open, so don't delay!
Jazz Routines
You know the feeling: a song comes on, there's commotion, everyone's on their feet but no one's pairing up. Suddenly everyone's dancing in synchronicity. Oh poop, a jazz routine you wish you knew. Stop wishing, start learning! Our first lesson is going to be the shim sham on June 10th! Look at the Lessons page for more details.
Here's a bird's-eye view of your week in June.
Sunday blues at the Nook
Monday blues at 1313 Hollis
Wednesday beginner lesson and social at First Baptist Church
Thursday waterfront dancing
Friday Monthly Swing Factory at 1313
Dancing five days a week? It's too good to be true!
But wait, there's more?!?!
Community Events
(From our interim secretary, the one and only Liz Pienkos)
- Kitty and the Katz - June 5 (that's this Friday!), 8:30 pm at the Company House. Great swing band at a great venue! Tell them you're from Dal Swing and get $5 off the ticket price.
- Swing Dance with the Mahone Bay Swing Band - June 13, 8:00-10:30 pm. Mahone Bay Legion Hall, 21 Pond Street. $10 cover. "Come out and listen to some great music, get your groove on, and enjoy an evening out!"
- Halifax Jazz Festival - July 8-12. Keep your eyes open for announcements about bands we love to dance to!
This is only the beginning of a swingtastic summer, we promise it only gets better from here!
DalSwing out!
Registration for Beginner Lessons Closed
If you missed us, don't worry, you don't have to wait until the fall to join in on the Dalswing experience. We have Swing Factories going on at the third Friday of every month. Join the Facebook group for more details on upcoming opportunities and events.
Pssst. Don't forget about Blues Lessons, too. June 15, save the date.
Event: Blues @ The Nook
Beginner Blues lesson on Sunday, May 31 at 8:00-8:30PM taught by James and Laura.
The rest of the night is a social dance, come on out!
Event: Kitty and The Katz at The Company House
Dance to some live music at the Company House, courtesy of Kitty and The Katz!
June 5th, 8:30PM-12:00MN
Dalswing Members get in for $10 at the door!
Tuesday Night Socials at the Argyle Discontinued
As the title suggests, socials will no longer be going on at the Argyle on Tuesday nights. The bulk of social dancing going on this summer will now be on Wednesday nights after the beginner lesson, at First Baptist Church on Oxford, and Thursday evenings at the Waterfront.
See you real soon!