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The Lawn on D Kickoff this Friday

Lawn On DThe Lawn on D is an outdoor interactive space designed to bring together different communities, audiences and area residents for innovative programming and events. It is located on D Street in South Boston and is owned and operated by the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority.

The grand opening weekend kicks off this Friday, May 15, with activities including a dance party to live Swing bands, including the always entertaining Sax Gordon, lessons, including Hop to the Beat, food trucks, lawn games, plus Lincoln Tavern serving summer eats, beer and wine under The Tent. Also featured is the return of Höweler + Yoon’s Swing Time, with this year’s swings having a new eco-twist using solar energy to illuminate their magnificent lights.

We do not yet have details on all of the specifics, however, a very fun night is in store. Plus it’s free!

Check the website for more info.

Join the Facebook event.

Uptown Swing Celebrates Frankie Manning!

Frankie ManningMay is Frankie Month and Lindy Hoppers worldwide will be celebrating this very special man. We’ll be doing so at the next Uptown Swing on Saturday, May 16. There isn’t a better example than Frankie Manning to remind us of the joy and fun we have dancing!

Frankie was dancing back in the heyday of the Savoy Ballroom with bandleaders such as Chick Webb, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Jimmie Lunceford and Lionel Hampton. Can you imagine dancing to their bands in person? We can’t make that happen, however, we’ll be honoring Frankie by dancing to his favorites with tunes provided by Guest DJs Dang Mai, Andrew Selzer and Paul Loschak!

Of course the night would not be complete without a Shim Sham, Frankie style! If you’ve been wanting to learn the Shim Sham or need to brush up on the steps, we’ll be doing it at the lesson before the dance.

Participate in the Frankie Foundation’s #iamFrankieManning photo project. We’ll be recreating a classic Frankie pose with a group picture at the dance.

Proceeds from this dance will be contributed to the Beantown Scholarship Program to help bring previous Frankie Foundation ambassadors back to Beantown. The Ambassador Program was established to support the growth and development of new ambassadors of Lindy Hop and to carry on Frankie’s legacy. Camp registrations are free of charge, however, funds are needed to cover housing, meals and travel.

The atmosphere at the dance is relaxed and friendly and all experience levels are very welcome to attend! There will be a beginner lesson at the start of the evening. It will be a little shorter than usual so that we can also go over the Shim Sham.

Buy Tickets NowFull Uptown Swing details.

Join the Facebook dance event.

Revival Day this Weekend

Revival Day WeekendHead on down to Boston Swing Central for Revival Day Weekend, May 8-10. There are workshops on Saturday and Sunday with the fabulous Virginie Jensen & Alain Fragman as well as some of the Boston Lindy Hop instructors. Two nights of live music with the always fantastic Gordon Webster Band. Other activities include competitions in Strictly Lindy and Solo Charleston, and a storytelling hour. There are even free classes for your Mom!

There is still room to register for competitions and leaders are needed for the workshops. Be sure to check out the Revival Day website for information about all the activities as well as locations.

Full Revival Day Weekend details.

Last Chance for Early Bird Discount

Beantown CampThe Early Bird Discount for camp registration expires this Thursday, April 30. Join us for an amazing dance vacation! Beantown is known for an incredible learning experience, friendly dancers, beautiful environment, tons of fun, and a wonderful positive spirit!

Camp runs from June 25 to July 2 with multiple registration options. This will be a phenomenal year to come to Beantown. If you’ve never done the full week, do it now and you’ll be glad you did!

Register today for your dance vacation at Beantown Camp!

Register Now

View the website for more information!

Join the Beantown Camp 2015 Facebook event.

Uptown Swing Dance this Saturday with the Solomon Douglas Heptet

Solomon DouglasThe Solomon Douglas Heptet is a tight-swinging little band that plays music inspired by the great later Swing small groups and early modernists of the late 1940s. Although Solomon has been playing for Swing dancers for many years with his own band as well as with others, he formed this new NYC-based group just last September and we’re looking forward to having them here in Boston.

Guest DJ Stan Yen will be handling the band breaks to keep the great music flowing through the night.

Also happening this weekend and attending Uptown Swing will be dancers from the Second Rate Swing Exchange! However, there are some folks who will NOT be at the exchange and therefore NOT at Uptown Swing either.

Second Rate Swing Exchange

Never fear. Solomon Douglas Heptet, DJ Stan Yen, Second Rate Swing Exchangers, Providence Swings and many other friendly dancers will all be in the house. (You may even see 1 or 2 of those listed on the video:-) Sounds like a first rate evening of fun!

KI is a beautiful large space with a smooth wood floor and a convenient location on Harvard Street in Brookline (entrance on Williams Street). For those taking the T, it is close to both Coolidge Corner and Harvard Ave stops on the Green Line. If you want to come early for dinner or a drink, there are plenty of places nearby. Parking is free after 8:00pm (some areas after 6:00pm) and there is plenty of street parking and several town lots in the vicinity.

Buy Tickets NowBeginners welcome, no partner needed
Location: KI (Congregation Kehillath Israel), 384 Harvard Street, Brookline, MA 02446 (entrance on Williams Street)
Band: Solomon Douglas Heptet
Guest DJ: Stan Yen
Date: Saturday, April 18, 2015
Time: 8:15pm-12:00am 
Swing Lesson: 8:15-9:00pm
Admission: $18 ($14 with Student ID)

Full Uptown Swing details.

Join the Facebook dance event.

New Classes Start This Week!

Hop to the Beat ClassThe new session of classes starts this Monday, April 13 at Ruggles Baptist Church in Boston (on Beacon Street near Kenmore Square) and next Sunday, April 19 at the Lower Falls Community Center in Newton. We’ll be having another 5 week class session instead of the usual 6 (due to lingering effects of snow cancellations).

No partner required for Levels 1 and 2 as classes will rotate. The 2nd part of the routine class will be with a partner.

  • Beginner Swing/Intro to Lindy Hop Level 1
    Appropriate for anyone starting out as well as those with some experience who are working on building a solid foundation of dance skills. Includes six count basics, an intro to eight count basics, along with a variety of fun steps to build your repertoire and get you out on the dance floor! Meets in both locations.
  • Lindy Hop Level 2
    For more intermediate level Swing dancers, some prior Lindy Hop experience is helpful. Eight and six count basics will be mixed along with a variety of classic Lindy Hop, newer variations, and a focus on partnering, technique and style. Meets in Newton only this session.
  • Lindy Hop/Jazz Routine, Part 2
    Part 1 has been challenging, but a lot of fun! Part 2 will continue to work on movement, rhythm and musicality. In addition, focus will be on performance, teamwork, formation and practice. The class is for those who took the first part and will be continuing with a partner.

Singles and couples welcome. No partner necessary. Both locations are conveniently accessible by car or T with free parking available. Missed classes may be made up at the alternate location.

Register NowFull class details.

What's New at Beantown Camp for 2015

Beantown CampThere’s always something new at camp! Each year we take a good look at what we’ve done, listen to your feedback and keep an eye on what’s going on in the greater Lindy scene. There are always improvements that can be made as well as changes and additions to keep things fresh and use the strengths of our amazing staff. Plus as many previous campers know, Endicott College is always up to something and we think everyone is going to be very happy with the changes. The beautiful setting and wonderful facilities add to the awesome time we have at Beantown each year!

What’s new for 2015:

  • Two new mini-tracks have been added. Gaby Cook will be teaching choreography for performance with Gaby’s Chorusline Ladies. Nathan Bugh will be doing a routine for newer and experienced tappers with Nathan’s Awesome Tap Routine!
  • All Lindy Hop tracks will have some classes designated with a particular topic, including musicality, dance technique, partner connection and movement as well as the usual track routines.
  • New specialty classes are in the works and will be added to the schedule.
  • Competition preliminaries have been moved to an earlier evening time slot to allow for more prime time social dancing.
  • Auditions and track placements will be under the direction of Jenna Applegarth and new procedures are in the works to help improve the process as well as track balances.
  • The Callahan Center renovations are complete and the main room has been transformed. It is much bigger, more open and looks very different. New AC has been installed as well. The lobby is gone and the main entrance is in the center of the front side of the building.
  • The dining hall has also been completely transformed. It is bigger and configured differently than in the past. The serving area is now gone and food stations are located throughout the main part of the room. There is all new seating and the entire look is very modern. The entrance is now off the street side of the building on the 2nd floor and leads directly into the dining hall.
  • A brand new space has been created called Gully’s, located in the center of the campus in the same building as the large auditorium. The entrance is across from the lake and the Amphitheater. About half the room holds the newly located pub and the other half is an open dance space. We’ll be using it for a class space as well as for some of the evening activities.

Although the basic schedule is up, many of the class descriptions, specialty classes and presentations are in the process of being added. Other refinements are likely to be made as plans are finalized. We are very excited with how it is all coming together!

Beantown runs from June 25 to July 2. Do the week to get the full experience! There is so much that you won’t want to miss. Most campers stay on campus, which is highly recommended and adds to the fun of coming to camp!

Register Now

View the website for more information!

Join the Beantown Camp 2015 Facebook event.

Important Beantown Camp Registration News

Beantown CampRegistrations have continued to come in from all over the U.S. and beyond! Lots of returning campers and lots of first-timers!

That’s the good news. The not so good news is that we are going to have to start a wait list for weekend and extended weekend followers. Here’s the situation:

  • Followers wanting to register for the weekend or extended weekend will have to go on a waiting list unless also registering with a leader. The leader does NOT have to register for the same registration period.
  • Registration is open for followers registering for the week and whole shebang, however, registering with a leader will be helpful to avoid having to start a wait list.
  • The sooner we can accumulate leaders, the sooner we can accept those on the wait list.

There is a solution! Leaders, please register so that we can accept all follows who would like to attend. The last thing we want to do is have to close someone out. There is time, however, the sooner the better so everyone is able to make their plans for attending.

If you are already registered and know of leaders you can encourage to sign up, we would very much appreciate your help!

Register today for your dance vacation at Beantown Camp.

Early Bird prices are in effect until April 30. If you would like to get on the 3 month installment plan, the deadline is April 25.

Register Now

View the website for more information!

Join the Beantown Camp 2015 Facebook event.

Next HTTB Class Session

Hop to the Beat Class

We’ll be having another 5 week class session instead of the usual 6 (due to lingering effects of snow cancellations), starting on Monday, April 13 at Ruggles Baptist Church in Boston (on Beacon Street near Kenmore Square) and on Sunday, April 19 at the Lower Falls Community Center in Newton.

This will be our last session prior to Beantown Camp! No partner required for Levels 1 and 2 as classes will rotate. The 2nd part of the routine class will be with a partner.

  • Beginner Swing/Intro to Lindy Hop Level 1
    Appropriate for anyone starting out as well as those with experience who are working on building a solid foundation of dance skills. Includes six count basics, an intro to eight count basics, along with a variety of fun steps to build your repertoire and get you out on the dance floor! Meets in both locations.
  • Lindy Hop Level 2
    For more intermediate level Swing dancers, some prior Lindy Hop experience is helpful. Eight and six count basics will be mixed along with a variety of classic Lindy Hop (including Charleston), newer variations, and a focus on partnering, technique and style. Meets in Newton only this session.
  • Lindy Hop/Jazz Routine, Part 2
    Part 1 has been challenging, but a lot of fun! Part 2 will continue to work on movement, rhythm and musicality. In addition, focus will be on performance, teamwork, formation and practice. The class is for those who took the first part and will be continuing with a partner.

Singles and couples welcome. Both locations are conveniently accessible by car or T with free parking available. Missed classes may be made up at the alternate location.

Register NowFull class details.

Uptown Swing in April

Solomon DouglasThe next Uptown Swing dance will be on Saturday, April 18 with the Solomon Douglas Heptet.  Solomon keeps a busy schedule playing at dances and events around the country and it will be a special treat to have him here right in our own backyard!

Joining us this month are dancers attending the Second Rate Swing Exchange, although they promise to behave themselves and act first rate:-) Our friends from Providence Swings will also be in the house along with a bunch of their students. Yeah visitors!

KI is one of the best venues for dancing in New England with its spacious smooth wood floor, wonderful room and excellent location. It has it all! Top that off with the fabulous Solomon Douglas this month, fun and friendly dancers, and you’ve got all the ingredients for an awesome night of Swing!

Buy Tickets NowFull Uptown Swing details.

Join the Facebook dance event.

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