Uptown Swing is excited to welcome back Shawn Hershey, Josh Fialkoff & The Fried Bananas to our May dance! The Fried Bananas was first assembled in 2006 under the guidance of co-leaders Shawn Hershey and Josh Fialkoff, who are both dancers themselves. Together they carefully crafted the Bananas’ sound, drawing inspiration from Jazz greats like Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet, and Dr. Michael White. Since then, this versatile band has evolved to incorporate other swing influences from New Orleans to New York City, from the ’20s to the ’40s. So whether you’re looking to swing out or boogie back, The Fried Bananas has your back, and your dancing shoes. We had a lot of fun last year at Uptown Swing and are looking forward to having them in Boston once again!
The guest DJ for May is Dang Mai.
This month Uptown Swing is on an adjusted time schedule in order to fulfill the requirements of using the space at KI. We must follow the rules of not starting prior to sundown. The lesson will come first, followed by a short band soundcheck and then dancing. Due to the later start time, the dance will run until 12:30am! It will be worth the adjustments to dance at this beautiful venue!
- Swing lesson: 8:30pm, included with the dance
- Dancing: 9:30pm-12:30am
- Performance: Hop to the Beat
- Shim Sham, Frankie Style!
- Big Apple, the Frankie version of course!
- Proceeds go to the Beantown Scholarship Program
Uptown Swing Celebrates Frankie Manning!
May is Frankie Month and Lindy Hoppers worldwide will be celebrating this very special man. There isn’t a better example than Frankie Manning to remind us of the joy and fun we have dancing! If you don’t know much about him, be sure to check out his bio. Of course the night would not be complete without a Shim Sham, Frankie style!
Proceeds from this dance will be contributed to the Beantown Scholarship Program.
The Frankie Manning Foundation was established with Frankie’s passing to carry on his legacy. We’ve been honored to have Beantown Camp as part of the Ambassador Program, which provides scholarships to support the growth and development of new ambassadors of Lindy Hop. Recipients are primarily selected from African-American communities throughout the USA as well as areas around the world where Lindy Hop is in a very early stage of development.
The experience is often life-changing, and it is wonderful to watch them grow as individuals and dancers and begin to help teach future generations. Starting in 2014, Beantown began collecting funds to help bring past ambassadors back to camp as many do not have the means to do so on their own. There is no charge to attend camp, however funds are needed to cover housing, meals and travel.
Admission: $18 ($14 with Student ID)