Jazz washes away the dust of everyday life.” ~Art Blakey
I see this picture of Frankie Manning and I can literally hear his laughter. You know, whenever you dance with Frankie (I did lots of special occasions) he ALWAYS laughed, out loud and full intentioned…. that laugh was not at you or himself but rather, he was laughing with our JOY at the dance, the music, the partnership… I look at this and every other picture of him and I can literally hear! What a gift he left us all… Chrissy x
CLASSES:
This weeks classes at Gold Coast and Mullumbimby will be based around blending your 6 & 8 beat rhythms to give your dance more variety. Don’t worry.. for now we will give you little mini patterns to work with then you can branch out and mix them up and add your own little variations, the key is to transition between the two rhythms and feel comfortable bien in time with the music but out of phrase for a short time.
At its heart, there’s nothing like a good Swing Out, and the Swing Out is the perfect 8-count move. The Frankie Phrase (Swing Out from Closed, Swing Out, Swing Out, Circle) perfectly fits a phrase of most swing music.
However, 6-counts mixed in with your regular 8-counts make the dance more interesting. In fact, with some 6-counts mixed in for variety, those great 8-counts feel even more juicy than if you just danced 8-counts all night.
GOLD COAST: 7pm – Tuesday Nights – Mermaid Beach Bowls Club – $20pp
MULLUMBIMBY: 6.30pm Sharp – Mullumbimby Ex Servicemans Club – $20pp
WORKSHOPS:
Sunday 7th November – THIS SUNDAY – 10am – Shim Sham and Mama Stew:
SMS: 0409727888
Wear Comfy clothes, flat non grip shoes
Originating from a style of dance termed the ‘Goodus’ in the late 1920s, the Shim Sham Shimmy was first performed on stage in Harlem in the early 1930s as a closing routine that would get all of the singers, dancers and performers on stage together with the audience joining in. It wasn’t until some lindy hoppers at the Savoy Ballroom did the Shim Sham as a group line dance (without the taps) that the dance style really took to fame.
In the mid-1980s, the Shim Sham was introduced at New York’s Swing Dance Society dances by Frankie Manning, who went on to create a special version of the Shim Sham dance just for swing dancers. It is the tap dance routine that we know and love today, involving a shuffled rhythm of the ‘Time Step’.
For more on the history of the Shim Sham check out: https://authenticjazzdance.wordpress.com/…/the-short…/
Whats The Stew?: The Stew is a vintage warm-up choreography used by Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers to warm up before practicing their routines. This routine is often called the Mama’s Stew routine as Mama Lu & The Parkets very famously performed it together.
Break
11.30 – 1pm – New Choreographed Routine
$80 pp
Must come with a partner
Bring, dance shoes, comfy clothes, water bottle, towel and a snack for the break.
Today, modern blues dancing encompasses a big family of dances danced to blues music and jazz, and sometimes drawing on diverse influences such as tango and waltz, while embracing the long, rich history of blues music from it’s African-American roots to the vibrant contemporary culture.
With supreme focus on partnership connection, learning blues enhances skills that translate to all partner dancing.
It also provides ample opportunity to work on your solo movement, and add personality to all of your dancing.
* Styling to create your look
* Posing Techniques
* Refreshments and fun
* Your photo session with Amanda from Peppermint Photography who I have worked with many times and is so fabulous. We can tailor your experience to the look you want (if you have something specific in mind) or you can give your trust over to us and we can explore. We have a couple of sets ups that have worked in the past:
2. Pinup/old Hollywood Glamour
3. Vintage Boudoir
Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we’re here we should dance.