End Of Year Survey

Goodbye 2013! It's been a great year, but now it's time to look to the future. Please fill out our End Of Year Survey and help us make 2014 even better!

SwingCville End of Year Survey 2013

Season of Giving (and Dancing!)

Thank you to everyone who came out to our Thanksgiving Dance and Food Drive. We collected 86 pounds of food for the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank!

Next up is our annual Holiday Party on Wednesday, December 18th, 9:00-10:30pm (after lessons). Enjoy holiday swing music with DJ Stephen Soghoian and indulge in some tasty treats. And feel free to bring something to share! (Please no nuts.) As always, proceeds will go to SHE: The Shelter for Help in Emergency.

We will be closed December 25th and January 1st, and we will start up again on Wednesday, January 4th. If we don't see you before then, then have a wonderful holiday and we'll see you in 2014!

Thanksgiving Dance this Weekend

Our annual Thanksgiving Dance will be this weekend, Saturday, November 23rd at Oddfellow's Monticello Lodge (116 4th St NE). Here's the rundown of events:

Food Drive for the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank

We will be collecting non-perishable food items to donate to the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. If you bring a donation, you get $5 off admission! Or if you don't have food to donate, you can opt to put $5 of your admission in the BRAFB donation jar.

5:00-7:00pm - Learn the Shim Sham
Guest instructor John Ennis from Richmond will be teaching this classic swing line dance: The Shim Sham! $10 for just the workshop, or $15 for the workshop + the dance.

7:30-8:30pm - Beginner Lesson

Never danced before? Need a refresher? Come to our beginner 6-count swing lesson. Included with admission to the dance.

8:30-11:30pm - Thanksgiving Dance

DJs John Ennis and Stephen Soghoian will be spinning tunes to fill your belly's and feed your minds. $10.

THRILLER

Happy Halloween everyone! Here's the THRILLER video from our last dance. Thanks to everyone who came out to the workshop.

Classes are posted for November on the Cats Corner page. And don't forget, Nov. 6th is "Bring a Frieng Night". Bring someone new and they get into the 8:30pm beginner lesson for free!

Charlottesville Derby Dames

Come out this Sunday, October 6th at 4:00pm to the Charlottesville Derby Dames' "Blood Bath & Beyond" bout at the Augusta Expoland. The SwingCville Performance Team will be dancing during halftime, and we would love your support!

www.charlottesvillederbydames.com

Lindustrial Jack & Jill

Here's the competition video from  the Jack & Jill finals at Lindustrial Revolution 2013!

The Revolution is Almost Here!

Lindustrial Revolution

Aug 30 - Sep 1 • Charlottesville, VA

www.LindustrialRevolution.com

It's almost here! The fourth year of Lindustrial Revolution is just a few days away. Here are some important things you need to know RIGHT NOW:

• Registration is almost full. If you want to do the Int/Adv workshops, register now!
• Beginners: Registration is now open for a special Saturday-only Beginner Track. You get four lessons plus admission to the evening dance for only $30. It's a bargain!
• Workshop descriptions and schedules are now posted on the website.
• Dance Passes are still available. For only $35 you get Friday night with Sac Au Lait, Saturday night with the Solomon Douglas Sextet, and the Sunday evening cookout at Penn Park. 
• Get your costume ready for the Saturday night STEAMPUNK COSTUME COMPETITION! There will be prizes. Fabulous prizes.
• Speaking of competitions, registration is now open for the Jack & Jill competition. Sign up on the registration site.
• Be sure to check the website frequently for venue changes, hotline information, inclement weather notices, etc.
• Join the event on Facebook to find out who else is coming!

If you have any questions about Lindustrial Revolution, please contact us at info@swingcville.org, or call 434-260-0059

Viva La Revolution!

SwingCville Performs at Fridays After Five

Check out our new routine "Joshua", up on stage at Fridays After Five

Save Tuesday Bluesday!

Tuesday, June 9th will be the night that decides whether we continue Tuesday Bluesday or not! So far we have been running it on a trial basis to see if people were interested. This Tuesday is the end of our trial run. So please come out and show your support for local blues dancing and convince us to keep it going!

Schedule:
7:00pm - Blues lesson with Brian Richards
8:00-10:00pm - Dancing!

New location:
Divine Play studio (upstairs above the Tango Studio)
313 2nd St SE, Suite 208
Charlottesville, VA 22902

See you there!

Epic Swing Week!

This is a monster of a week for SwingCville:

MONDAY: On the Town
Dancing at Fellini's downtown, 7-9pm

TUESDAY: Tuesday Bluesday
Blues lesson and dancing at DanceFit studio, 7-10pm.

WEDNESDAY: Cats Corner
Swing lessons and dancing at the Glass Building, 7-10:30pm

THURSDAY: Beginner Crash Course
Two-hour introductory swing lesson at Oddfellow's, 7:30-9:30pm

FRIDAY: Fridays After Five
Featuring music by ACME Swing Mfg. Co and a beginner lesson and special performance by SwingCville! Come and show your support. Beginner lesson at 6:10pm, ACME starts at 6:30pm.

Dance and Workshops Saturday: Register now to save money!

Hey everyone, just a reminder that this Saturday is our monthly Cville Savoy dance. This month we are featuring workshops with David and Chelsea Lee from DC!

Register online for $20 for the whole day! Click here to Register

This month we are doing things a bit different. Here's the schedule:

• 11:00am-1:15pm - Intermediate Balboa Workshops ($10)
• 1:15-3:30pm - Lunch break
• 3:30-5:45pm - Intermediate Lindy Hop Workshops ($10)
• 5:45-7:30pm - Dinner break
• 7:30-8:30pm - Beginner lesson (Free)
• 8:30-11:30pm - Social dancing ($10)

Special deals: You can register for whole day for $20 online, or $25 at the door! Students also get a $3 discount at the door.

Also, we have prizes! One lucky winner will get a free pass to Rhythm Shuffle in Buffalo, NY!

See you Saturday!

 - Mike

Benefit Concert and Dance

This Friday the Shabby Sheiks are playing at First United Methodist Church! This is a free concert and dance, and all are welcome. Donations will be accepted for Walking Free, an organization which brings prosthetic equipment and training to under-served areas of the world like Haiti, Guatemala, and the Philippines, where many people are otherwise without access to care and rehabilitation for limb loss.

There will be a short beginner lesson at 7:00pm.

See you all there!

Upcoming Workshops: Lindy & Bal with David & Chelsea Lee!

David & Chelsea Lee are coming down from DC to teach a full set of workshops on Saturday, June 22nd before our Cville Savoy dance.

Register online and get all four hours of workshops plus the dance for only $20 online, or $25 at the door. Save money and register online!

Schedule:
11:00-1:15pm - Balboa workshop ($10 at the door)
1:15-3:30pm - Lunch break
3:30-5:45pm - Lindy Hop workshop ($10 at the door)
5:45-8:30pm - Dinner break
7:30-8:30pm - Beginner lesson
8:30-11:30pm - Cville Savoy dance ($10 at the door)
Midnight - Blues late-night!

Registration:
www.swingcville.org/cvillesavoy.php

Housing is available if you want to stay the night. Send an email to housing@swingcville.org.

Update for Saturday

From 7:00-7:30pm (between the Cville Savoy workshop and the beginner lesson at Oddfellows), we will be dancing on the downtown mall, as part of the Charlottesville Day of Dance. Come to the Free Speech wall on the pavilion end of the mall and show your support.

For more information on the event, visit http://cvillefest.wix.com/cvilledayofdance. There's performances going on all day!

Frankie's Birthday Celebration!

Frankie Manning, dancer, choreographer, teacher, and inspiration to us all, would have been 99 this weekend. Come out and help us celebrate his birthday with a special Cville Savoy dance!

  

5-7pm - Come learn the "Frankie 99" choreography. See http://frankiesbirthday.com/ for details. ($10)
7:30pm - Beginner lesson
8:30-11:30pm - Cville Savoy dance with local swing DJs! ($10)

Special deal: Get the 5pm workshop and the evening dance for $15!

Location:

Oddfellow's Monticello Lodge
above Market St. Market
116 4th St NE
Charlottesville, VA 22903

Tuesday Blues!

After the great turnout we had in March for our blues lessons, we thought we would give a full on blues night a go!

When: May 14th from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM

7:00 PM - 8:00 PM - Beginner Lesson

8:00 PM - 10:00 PM - Social Dancing!

Where: Dance Fit Studio, 609 East Market Street, Charlottesville, VA 22902

Cost: $5

Boilermaker Jazz Band this Saturday!

The Boilermaker Jazz Band

UVA Spring Swing Semiformal

Saturday, April 27th at Newcomb Ballroom

7pm beginner lesson, dancing from 8-11pm

General admission is $12, students are $10

Shine your shoes and iron best dress, Swing Cville and the Swing Club at UVA are joining forces to present the Boilermaker Jazz Band!

Join the Facebook Event to see who else is going.

The Band:
The Boilermaker Jazz Band is an ecstatically fun band performing authentic hot jazz and swing. The group has a wide repertoire that can make an audience swing to a classic jazz standard, get sentimental over an old-time ballad, boogie to a hot jump tune, or get low-down with a gritty blues. From concert halls to dances, festivals to family parties, listeners and dancers agree — with their infectious beat and enthusiasm this band can make any crowd move!

www.BoilermakerJazzBand.com

Directions:
Park in the UVA Parking Garage at 400 Emmet Street. Take the elevator to the top floor, then walk across the plaza to Newcomb Hall. The ballroom is on the 3rd floor, reachable by elevator or stairs.

Friday Lindy Bomb Downtown!
Kick off the weekend with swing dancing on the downtown mall, 6-7pm on Friday, April 22nd. We will meet on the mall at the 4th street crossing, near Five Guys. 

Register for Lindustrial Revolution!

Lindustrial Revolution

Aug 30 - Sep 1

Charlotesville, VA

Lindustrial Revolution is our biggest event of the year, featuring:

Mike Roberts - Laura Glaess - Michael Gamble - Jaya Dorf

Sac Au Lait - Solomon Douglas Sextet

Workshops - Dances - Late-Night Parties - Jack & Jill

Sunday BBQ - Steampunk Costume Competition

Register April 15th at 12:01AM!

www.LindustrialRevolution.com

LivingSocial Deal

We have a special LivingSocial deal running this week!

Option 1: $15 - Beginner Crash Course for two people ($30 value)
Option 2: $45 - Beginner Crash Course + 4 weeks of beginner lessons + entrance to 4th Saturday Cville Savoy dance party for two people ($90 value)

Check it out!
http://www.livingsocial.com/cities/533-charlottesville/deals/650092-beginner-swing-dancing-course

Spring into Swing!

April is here and Swing is back in season! April classes have been posted on our Cats Corner page. Other highlights this month include:

• "On the Town" - Every Monday night, live jazz and dancing at Fellini's downtown
• "Cats Corner" - Every Wednesday night, swing lessons and social dancing
• April 15th - Early-bird registration for Lindustrial Revolution 2013 opens!
• April 25th - Beginner Crash Course.
• April 27th - Semiformal Dance with the Boilermaker Jazz Band, held at UVA and co-hosted by SwingCville and the UVA Swing Club

And be sure to check out our new and improved lesson schedule for Wednesday nights that now includes Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced levels!

Announcing: Lindustrial Revolution 2013!

Join us Labor Day weekend in Charlottesville, VA for our fourth annual Lindustrial Revolution! The one and only Steampunk Swing Dance Workshop Weekend Event in the world! (We think.)

The event features:

• Instructors: Mike Roberts & Laura Glaess, Michael Gamble & Jaya Dorf
• Bands: Solomon Douglas Sextet, Sac Au Lait
• Competitions: Jack & Jill, Steampunk Costume Contest
• Sunday evening Labor Day BBQ!
• Three nights of dancing and late-nights

Registration opens April 15th at midnight, so stay up late on the 14th! More details will be posted in the coming weeks.

For more information visit our special event website:
www.LindustrialRevolution.com

Or join the event on Facebook: Lindustrial Revolution 2013

"On the Town" canceled tonight

We Brought on the Blues! Now can we please Bring on the Nap?

Since most of us are recovering from Bring on the Blues, and in anticipation of additional snow tonight, we will not be meeting up at Fellini's for the weekly "On The Town" hangout. See you all in classes on Wednesday!

Birthday Jam

Birthday Jam from 3/13/13 - Rob, Kyle, and Caitlin!

Also, lesson recap videos have been posted in the Lesson Archive. Be sure to check every week!

Welcome to Blues Month!

It's Blues Month at SwingCville!

Mondays: On The Town
As usual we will be meeting up at Fellini's #9 on the downtown mall every Monday from 9-11pm for live jazz, drinks, and dancing!

Wednesdays: Cats Corner
Every Wednesday from 7-10:30pm there will be lessons and social dancing at our studio at the Glass Building
7:00-7:45pm - Intermediate Blues (you should have taken a few blues lessons already, this class will move quickly!)

• 7:45-8:30pm - Beginner Blues (No experience necessary!)
• 8:30-9:00pm - Beginner 6-count Swing (No experience necessary!)
• 9:00-10:30pm - Social dance and practice time

March 22-24: Bring on the Blues!

Don't forget to register for our big blues-dance weekend extravaganza! There's only a few spots left.

Also, we are still looking for people to host out-of-town guests. If you have a spare futon, couch, or comfy carpet, please email housing@swingcville.org and let them know you'd like to volunteer!

www.bring-on-the-blues.com

Saturday, March 23rd: Eli Cook at the Cville Savoy!
As part of the Bring on the Blues weekend, local blues legend Eli Cook will be playing at Oxbridge Ballroom, 314 14th St NW.

• 7:00-8:00pm - Beginner Blues Lesson (no experience necessary!)
• 8:00-11:00pm - Eli Cook playing accoustic blues
• Midnight - Late-night dance party!

There will be a limited number of tickets available at the door for those who have not registered for the whole weekend. Make sure to be there on time to guarantee entrance!

Snow Day!

Cats Corner is canceled tonight!

Sorry folks, but we're being snowed under. No Cats Corner today. See you next week for Bring a Friend Night and the beginning of blues month!

Recaps and DJ Setlist from Cville Savoy

John Ennis posted a recap of last Saturday's Tandem Charleston workshop on his blog, "Dancing with My Soul":

http://dancingwithmysoul.com/february-2013-charlottesville-tandem-charleston-workshop/

He also posted his DJ set-list, so you can check the name of that one awesome song that you can't quite remember!

Blues Dance Crash Course Tonight!

Come out tonight, Feb 28, 7:30-9:30pm to our Beginner Crash Course where we will be learning Blues! Our special 2-hour lesson will get you started in this exciting, musical, soulful dance. And you'll have a good head start as we go into our blues lessons in March and for Bring on the Blues, March 22-24!

Venue:
Oddfellows Monticello Lodge
(Above Market St Market)
116 4th St NE
Charlottesville, VA 22903

Thanks for another great dance!

This month's Cville Savoy was one of our best yet! With record attendance at the Charleston workshop and lots of new dancers coming out to the evening dance. Check out the photos below, compliments of Renae.

And don't forget to come out to Fellini's tonight, 9-11pm for SwingCville "On The Town"!

Cville Savoy featuring John & Ruth!

This Saturday is the big day - The Cville Savoy! With special guest instructors John & Ruth from Richmond.

Join the Facebook Event and see who else is coming!

Schedule:

5:00-7:00pm - Tandem Charleston with John & Ruth ($10*)

7:30-8:30pm - Beginner Swing Dance Lesson (FREE!)

8:30-11:30pm - Cville Savoy dance with DJ John Ennis ($10*)

Midnight - The Afterparty! (Directions at the dance) (FREE!)

* Get the Workshop + Dance for only $15
* NOTE: Students get a $3 discount

The Workshop:

Foundations of Tandem Charleston by John Ennis and Ruth Brown

Tandem Charleston is a part of Lindy Hop, a dance that evolved from Partner Charleston in Harlem in the late 20s and early 30s. Tandem Charleston is well-suited to faster music and offers a simple, fun, and visually impressive way to dance.

In this 2 hour workshop, we’ll work on the technique of Tandem Charleston including body positioning, timing, efficiency, and lead/follow technique. From these foundations we’ll build several basic Tandem Charleston patterns and cover entrances and exits between Tandem and side by side Charleston. Styling and energetic variations will also be introduced.

Your instructors.

The Venue:

Oddfellow's Monticello Lodge
(Upstairs above Market St Market)
116 4th St NE
Charlottesville, VA 22902

SwingCville "On The Town" Tonight!

Just a quick reminder, don't forget to come to Fellini's #9 tonight, 9-11pm. Live jazz, dancing, drinks, and delectables!

Cats Corner News

Lesson Archive

Remember to check out the Lesson Archive each week before lessons to review what we learned last week! I just posted videos from Wednesday, February 13th, so go check 'em out!

Dance Playlists

New this month! Check out the Resources page were I will be posting the playlist from each event. If you've ever been wondering what music to practice to, or if you're trying to remember the name of a really great song from last night, here's where to look.

And here's some videos from Cats Corner in January:

Valentine's Dance Tonight

See you all at our annual Valentine's Dance tonight. It's only $5. There will be cookies, decorations, and special musical selections to help set the mood!

7:00-8:00pm - Intermediate Lesson
8:00-9:00pm - Beginner Lessons
9:00-10:30pm - Valentine's Dance!

Also, don't forget to check out the Lesson Archive before lessons and review the lesson recaps from last week.

SwingCville "On the Town"

Head down to Fellini's #9 restaurant and bar next Monday, February 11th for live jazz music, drink specials, and dancing. No lesson, just good food, good beer, good friends, and good music!

Join the Facebook event and invite your friends!

SwingCville "On the Town"

Bring a Friend Day!

It's bring a friend day at Cat's Corner! Bring someone brand new to the beginner lesson at 8pm on Wednesday, February 6th, and enjoy 2-for-1 admission!

Hey Buzz, spot me a fiver?

We don't care how you work out the details. Here are some options:

1. Your friend gets in free! You pay.
2. You "forget" to tell your friend about the deal, and YOU get in free! Your "friend" pays.
3. You and your friend go halvsies.
4. Rock-Paper-Scissors best out of three winner gets in free, loser pays.
5. Arm wrestle for who gets the honor of paying
6. You both pay, and SwingCville thanks you for your donation!

New DJs Announced for Bring on the Blues

We just added three more DJs to the lineup for Bring on the Blues! Will Dolive, Mary Kyle Manson, and Michael Siddall will be rounding out the cast of incredible blues DJs from around the East Coast.

Don't forget to sign up for Bring on the Blues. There's only a few tickets left at the $35 tier... after that the price goes up!

Sock Hop Photos

Thanks to everyone who came out and made our 2nd annual 50's Sock Hop a success!

Get Your Poodle Skirts Out...

This Saturday is our second annual 1950's Sock Hop!

Help us celebrate the return of our regular 4th Saturday dance. Featuring DJ Stephan Soghoian, a veteran dancer, musician, and DJ in Charlottesville who routinely appears on WTJU and is the bandleader for the SwingKats combo.

DJ and Musician Stephen Soghoian

Schedule:

5:30-7:30pm - Workshop
Learn "The Stroll" and "The Madison", two wildly popular line dances from the 1950's and 60's. If you are older and wiser than me, you may remember these dances from you high school Sock Hops. But for those of us unlucky enough to miss the original, you've probably at least seen The Madison danced in the movie "Hairspray". (See the video below)

7:30-8:30pm - Beginner Lesson
Learn the basics of East Coast Swing in this quick and fun one-hour lesson. Perfect for those who have never danced before. If you were here for the Crash Course this will be a good review for you too!

8:30-11:30pm - Sock Hop Dance
We'll be spinning tunes and swinging out --1950's attire is encouraged!

Midnight-?? - After-Party
There just might be a late-night dance after the main dance ends. You'll have to come to the dance to find out for sure!

It's Madison Time!

Crash Course Tonight!

Bolster your courage! Brave the cold! Battle the wind! Blast the snow!

Yes we are still having the Crash Course tonight. This two-hour lesson is a fun and sure-fire way to get started in Swing Dancing. Just come by the Oddfellow's Monticello Lodge tonight from 7:30-9:30pm.

Registration is open for Bring on the Blues!

www.bring-on-the-blues.com

Registration opened at 12:01 AM today! The first tier is selling for only $20!

We are bringing in local blues guitar guru Eli Cook for the big Saturday night dance. And we have a fantastic line-up of DJs including Dan Repsch, Brad Nathanson, Mike Marcotte, Kyle Martin, and there are even more to come.

Head over to bring-on-the-blues.com to sign up now!

If you're on the fence about signing up, here's a sampling of Eli's music to convince you:

Lesson recaps for Wednesday posted

The recaps for this past Wednesday's beginner and intermediate lessons are now posted in the Lesson Archive. We will keep this updated each week so you can practice and review before the next Cats Corner.

Road Trip on Saturday!

Pile into the car and join us for a Road Trip to Richmond, this Saturday, January 12th. We're headed down for the monthly "2nd Saturday Swing" dance. Beginner lesson at 7:30pm, dancing from 8:30pm to whenever they kick us out. The event will be held at The Dance Space, 6004 West Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23230.  If you need a ride (or if you can offer a ride!) email info@swingcville.org or call the hotline at 434-260-0059. See you out on the floor!

If you know you're going to be there, join the Facebook Event!

Saturday silliness at the Dance Space! 

Photo by Jordon Chan. From rvaswing.com.

Welcome!

Welcome to the SwingCville blog! I will post here weekly to keep everyone updated on our events, lessons, road trips, and other activities. Stay tuned!