A bunch of people from Austin just went and attended the HUGE event for Frankie's 95th birthday. I believe there were close to 2,000 people there... and it has to be one of the largest lindy hop events ever. As we talked about before, Frankie passed away a few weeks before his 95th birthday. So the event became a celebration of his life / memorial.
Mike Roberts attended the event and will be giving us a review and his experience there.
Also, there is a documentary about Frankie here... which... is... awesome: http://www.thirteen.org/sundayarts/frankie-manning-never-stop-swinging/291
Lastly, let's take a minute and watch one of Frankie's finest works: Hellzapoppin'. He is the dancer in the overalls... the fourth couple. You can see where he got the nickname "musclehead".
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
June classes at Tapestry and Uptown
The Lindy Project's June classes are starting up next week! Be sure to come out to continue your lindy hop education and enhance your dance moves with professional training.
June @ Tapestry on Wednesdays (6/3, 6/10, 6/17, /6/24)
Level I @ 7:30 - [A] Swing & Charleston w/ Mike & Maya
Level II @ 8:45 - [C] Lindy & Tandem w/ Thain & Karri
Level III @ 7:30 - [D] Charleston Expanded w/ Jonathan & Laura
Level IV @ 8:45 - Frankie Manning Moves* w/ Mike & Laura
* Learn the moves that inspired Lindy Hoppers for generations! Also adapted for follow styling.
June @ Uptown on Mondays (6/1, 6/8, 6/15, 6/22)
Level I @ 7:30 - [B] Lindy Hop w/ Scott & Vanessa
Level II @ 8:30 - [A] Lindy & Swing Charleston w/ Scott & Vanessa
Check out our classes page for the full schedule and class descriptions.
June @ Tapestry on Wednesdays (6/3, 6/10, 6/17, /6/24)
Level I @ 7:30 - [A] Swing & Charleston w/ Mike & Maya
Level II @ 8:45 - [C] Lindy & Tandem w/ Thain & Karri
Level III @ 7:30 - [D] Charleston Expanded w/ Jonathan & Laura
Level IV @ 8:45 - Frankie Manning Moves* w/ Mike & Laura
* Learn the moves that inspired Lindy Hoppers for generations! Also adapted for follow styling.
June @ Uptown on Mondays (6/1, 6/8, 6/15, 6/22)
Level I @ 7:30 - [B] Lindy Hop w/ Scott & Vanessa
Level II @ 8:30 - [A] Lindy & Swing Charleston w/ Scott & Vanessa
Check out our classes page for the full schedule and class descriptions.
TLP Outing: May 28th
Come join us at the Syndicate's weekly dance at the Fed at 8:30pm this Thursday, May 28th. The basic gist is for all of us to get together to dance, practice, and for us to be around to dance with you guys and answer any questions you might have. But beyond that, we want to get to know you guys outside of the classroom.
Here is some more info about the dance:
The Syndicate (Austin Swing Syndicate) is a non-profit group that throws weekly dances - in fact the Thursday night dance is one of the largest weekly events in the country. Especially impressive since Austin is much smaller than places like NY and LA. The Thursday night dance is at the Fed, on 24th and San Gabriel, and you can park across the street at the Freewheelin' parking lot. It just costs $5 to get into the dance, or if you become a member it's just $2.
Also, this is a great chance for your friends to come out and try swing dancing - there is a FREE beginner lesson from 8:15-9:15. You can drive together!
Next month's outing is going to be at the Engine Room, on June 20th!
Here is some more info about the dance:
The Syndicate (Austin Swing Syndicate) is a non-profit group that throws weekly dances - in fact the Thursday night dance is one of the largest weekly events in the country. Especially impressive since Austin is much smaller than places like NY and LA. The Thursday night dance is at the Fed, on 24th and San Gabriel, and you can park across the street at the Freewheelin' parking lot. It just costs $5 to get into the dance, or if you become a member it's just $2.
Also, this is a great chance for your friends to come out and try swing dancing - there is a FREE beginner lesson from 8:15-9:15. You can drive together!
Next month's outing is going to be at the Engine Room, on June 20th!
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Frankie's memorial and New Orleans-style processional
Read about Frankie's memorial in this NY Times Article.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
So you think you can dance!!!
Oh yes! My favorite show on TV... other than maybe LOST. :) So You Think You Can Dance is on in just a few days:
May 21st, 2009
8pm/7pm central
on Fox
May 21st, 2009
8pm/7pm central
on Fox
Friday, May 15, 2009
One Night at the Fed...
Reed Penny from Austin created this fun video of the main weekly dance in Austin. It's run by the Austin Swing Syndicate in one of the most awesome ballrooms around the country!
Every week somewhere between 250-350 people show up to dance. There are tons of new faces each week, and with a free beginner lesson at 8:15p, everyone is welcome.
If you want to learn to swing dance beyond the basics, check out www.thelindyproject.com
Every week somewhere between 250-350 people show up to dance. There are tons of new faces each week, and with a free beginner lesson at 8:15p, everyone is welcome.
If you want to learn to swing dance beyond the basics, check out www.thelindyproject.com
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Let's do the Time Warp again!
Lindy Hop's own Nick Williams and Carla Heiney were recently featured on the Discovery Channel Television show “Time Warp”. The show aired Wednesday, April 8th, 2009 at 8pm PST.
The show basically has a lot of cool stuff shot in super slow motion. And wow - seeing these lindy hoppers move in slow mo is really awe inspiring. You can see them doing what they are calling a "lindy spin" and a snatch here:
http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/time-warp-lindy-spin.html
The show basically has a lot of cool stuff shot in super slow motion. And wow - seeing these lindy hoppers move in slow mo is really awe inspiring. You can see them doing what they are calling a "lindy spin" and a snatch here:
http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/time-warp-lindy-spin.html
Bam! Dy-no-mite!
Check out this video of some of The Lindy Project's youngest dancers. This is their Bam Dynamite! routine... done to Madame Dynamite. They look AWESOME!
The 10 of them range in age from 14 to 21 and are mostly teenagers. Most of them had been dancing only one to two years... but a couple had only been dancing about six months! This is their performance at this year's Lone Star Championships:
The 10 of them range in age from 14 to 21 and are mostly teenagers. Most of them had been dancing only one to two years... but a couple had only been dancing about six months! This is their performance at this year's Lone Star Championships:
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Frankie95 Worldwide Choreography!
The ever amazing Peter Strom, Ramona Staffeld, Skye Humphries, and Frida Segerdahl created some wonderful choreography in honor of Frankie Manning. They've taken some of Frankie's best moves and set them to Lucky Millinder's "Savoy" off the Album "Apollo Jump".
The goal is to get Lindy Hoppers everywhere to learn the choreography and perform it at the Frankie95 Celebration in a few weeks. If you can't be there, they urge you to learn it and perform it with your friends and post it on YouTube with the tags: Frankie95, Worldwide, Choreography. That's exactly what we're gonna do here in Austin! Learn it and come perform it at the Fed with us on Thursday, May 14!
Here's a video of Peter and Ramona teaching the choreography:
Laura and Mike will be teaching the Choregraphy May 6th and 13th at 9:45pm after our Wednesday classes down at Tapestry. It'll be free, and anyone who's done Level 1B or can do a swing out and circle is welcome to come. If you can't make it Wednesday, keep an eye out for us at the Fed on Thursday, we'll probably be showing people then too!
In the interest of getting all of Austin in on this, We've talked with Four On The Floor and Smooth Lindy, and they should be teaching it as well. Check their websites for details.
In Summary:
Learn it: May 6th and 13th @ 9:45pm at Tapestry with TLP
Perform it: May 14th at the Syndicate Dance at the Fed
- The Lindy Project
Here's the Choreography written out:
Intro:
1) Big apple stomps
2) Big apple butt slap rock step back cross step
3) Big apple tossing baskets
4) Jump claps/boogie backish
5) Tranky doo legs - step step 8,1 hold 2,3 step step 4,5 clap 6,7
6) Boogie forward to cool breeze 5678
Repeat Intro.
Verse:
1) face each other and walk (halftime) around each other, right shoulder in left out. Make it half way around
2) continue walking, finish circle.
3) Pivot in, pivot out
4) walk forward (halftime) past partner, stay facing away
5) stay facing away and walk (halftime) around eachother to closed position
6) Swingout (45 to audience)
7) Swingout
8) Swingout Scissors 7&8
9) &1&2 finish scissors &3 stompoff, then &5&6&7&8
10) Circle to close
11) Skip up
12) swingout
13) circle
14) Tuck turn behind the back to open pos. side by side.
15) Swivels, left on 1 (same leg for both)
16) Shorty George (same leg still) on 8&1 of swivels, finish w/ step on 8
17) (back to mirror foot)Stompoff forward &1, stompoff back &3 Fall off the log 4-7 hold 8, inside leg kicks, turn away from partner back
18) Around the world
19) tango points
20) Around the world
21) tango points
Social Dance till the end!
Second time the big horns pickup:
1) Swingout
2) Swingout
3) Swingout
4) Swingout
5) Circle
6) Skip up
7) rock step kick step lock turn around to finish!
The goal is to get Lindy Hoppers everywhere to learn the choreography and perform it at the Frankie95 Celebration in a few weeks. If you can't be there, they urge you to learn it and perform it with your friends and post it on YouTube with the tags: Frankie95, Worldwide, Choreography. That's exactly what we're gonna do here in Austin! Learn it and come perform it at the Fed with us on Thursday, May 14!
Here's a video of Peter and Ramona teaching the choreography:
Laura and Mike will be teaching the Choregraphy May 6th and 13th at 9:45pm after our Wednesday classes down at Tapestry. It'll be free, and anyone who's done Level 1B or can do a swing out and circle is welcome to come. If you can't make it Wednesday, keep an eye out for us at the Fed on Thursday, we'll probably be showing people then too!
In the interest of getting all of Austin in on this, We've talked with Four On The Floor and Smooth Lindy, and they should be teaching it as well. Check their websites for details.
In Summary:
Learn it: May 6th and 13th @ 9:45pm at Tapestry with TLP
Perform it: May 14th at the Syndicate Dance at the Fed
- The Lindy Project
Here's the Choreography written out:
Intro:
1) Big apple stomps
2) Big apple butt slap rock step back cross step
3) Big apple tossing baskets
4) Jump claps/boogie backish
5) Tranky doo legs - step step 8,1 hold 2,3 step step 4,5 clap 6,7
6) Boogie forward to cool breeze 5678
Repeat Intro.
Verse:
1) face each other and walk (halftime) around each other, right shoulder in left out. Make it half way around
2) continue walking, finish circle.
3) Pivot in, pivot out
4) walk forward (halftime) past partner, stay facing away
5) stay facing away and walk (halftime) around eachother to closed position
6) Swingout (45 to audience)
7) Swingout
8) Swingout Scissors 7&8
9) &1&2 finish scissors &3 stompoff, then &5&6&7&8
10) Circle to close
11) Skip up
12) swingout
13) circle
14) Tuck turn behind the back to open pos. side by side.
15) Swivels, left on 1 (same leg for both)
16) Shorty George (same leg still) on 8&1 of swivels, finish w/ step on 8
17) (back to mirror foot)Stompoff forward &1, stompoff back &3 Fall off the log 4-7 hold 8, inside leg kicks, turn away from partner back
18) Around the world
19) tango points
20) Around the world
21) tango points
Social Dance till the end!
Second time the big horns pickup:
1) Swingout
2) Swingout
3) Swingout
4) Swingout
5) Circle
6) Skip up
7) rock step kick step lock turn around to finish!
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