We hope you’ve all had a good festival. But if you’re anything like us you’ll have missed your weekly swing dancing fix. But we’re nearly there now – everything starts up again this Wednesday, 1st September. Same format as ever – classes from 7-9, and then more than 2 hours of social dancing from 9, with DJ Lenny Love. And we have the ever-popular Lee and Seema teaching the lindy hop classes in September.

For balboa, we’ll be starting a new beginner’s block starting in a couple of weeks, on September 15th. It’ll run for five weeks, and cover all the basic material you need to enjoy this very addictive dance. It’ll be taught by Thom and Ana. In the meantime, we’re going to run a couple of open practice sessions in the normal balboa slot. Thom and Ana will be on hand to answer any questions, or cover any material you want to ask about. Or if you want to just practice in a safe environment, that’s cool too. Best of all, these sessions will be free!

Blues will also be back in its usual slot - teachers to be confirmed. But stay turned for some exciting news about blues dance in Edinburgh, which we hope to confirm soon.

So:

Shoeswing – every Wednesday at the Counting House

Main Room
7-8 Beginners Lindy Hop
8-9 Improvers Lindy Hop
9-11ish Social dancing

Second Room
7-8 Balboa – practice session on 1/9 & 8/9, then five weeks of beginners from 15/9
8-9 Blues – all levels

Prices
One dance class – £4.50 / £3.50 concessions
Two dance classes – £8 / £6 concessions
Social dancing – £2

Thom and Ana will be heading down to Newcastle on the weekend of 18th/19th September to teach balboa. The Saturday will be aimed at beginners, and the Sunday at improvers. For those of you that have been waiting for a chance to try balboa out, this is an excellent opportunity. Hosting is available, so there’ll be no expensive accommodation costs.

Full details on the facebook group.

More performances this time – but this time from teams.

In all domains, good teams are more than the sum of their parts. One way that’s true in dance is when a team performance creates shapes, visuals and musicality that’s more than multiple couples doing the same thing as one another, at the same time (as impressive as that is). The best team performances create new shapes, visuals and musicality specifically as an ensemble. A lead throwing his follow up in the air is, on its own, unremarkable, but when that means she pops out of nowhere from behind the rest of the group (see 1:43 in the second of the videos below), it creates a fantastic effect that’s only possible in team routines. The circular movement in the Big Apple is another case in point.

As well as being extremely well-executed, both routines below have these qualities in abundance. The first is Team Stockholm at Barswingona, 2009. I loved this when I first saw it, and still do – especially the opening, which is wonderfully creative. But the second routine, which was unveiled just a couple of weeks ago at Camp Hollywood in LA, by The Fly Rights, is even better – the huge standing ovation they get at the end is fully deserved. These guys set the bar very high indeed.

Team Stockholm at Barswingona, 2009

The Fly Rights at Camp Hollywood, 2010

If you’re planning to go to ELX, book soon! Places are filling up very fast.

Bobby White is an international lindy hop and balboa teacher.  He’s also a fantastic writer, with a real creative streak.  Swungover (def: the physical and mental results of binge dancing) is his collection of swing dance writings, and is highly recommended.  His various essays are particularly good – lots of great insights about swing dancing and swing dance culture.

Warning: if you click the link, be prepared to lose a few hours of life.  It’s good stuff.

Classes in June and July

Yas and Jack have been doing a great job with the lindy classes in June.  News on who’ll teach the July classes will follow soon.

Sadly, Marcia will shortly leave us and return to Switzerland.  But the intermediate balboa classes will be continuing, with Ana and Thom.  And for those of you that want to try out this lovely dance, we plan to run some beginner’s balboa in September and October, after the festival (sorry, I know we said July before, but we’ve been a bit slow on that; apologies. But watch this space).

Thanks also to Kim and Sebastian for doing the blues classes lately.  Shell and Thom take over next week, and will run them until the festival in August.

For those of you not going to the Highland Swing, Lee & Seema’s Jump Time is back this Sunday:

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Swaying palm trees, Hawaiian shirts, leis and tropical threads with a jumpin’ backbeat of the coolest sounds in the hottest wahi!?! That’s right swingeroos it’s time for Lee and Seema’s annual JUMP TIME HULA HOP!!!

Arrive between 7 & 8 for free entry in the Hoke Manu Raffle that’ll be drawn at 8.

And remember, if it’s hopped-up, solid-sent and swinging like a grass skirt it must be the JUMP TIME HULA HOP!!!!

WHEN? 7 ‘til 11pm, Sunday 20 June

WHERE? The Merlin, 168/172 Morningside Road, Edinburgh, EH10 4PU

HOW MUCH? Only £4 on the door

That’s right – we’re gonna start a performance troupe. Here’s the details from Christi:

We’re starting a performance group, to showcase swing dancing and also push those involved to new heights.  The routines we will learn will be a combination of standards and choreographies from Christi and other members.  Rehearsals will be on Sunday evenings at the RAF club in Edinburgh.

We are looking for advanced dancers who would like to work towards performances.  Although airsteps and tricks may be included in some routines, it is not an essential part of the group.  Instead, we are looking for people with a good level of lindy hop, who would like to work hard on their own dancing and have the ability to perform.

If you are interested in being part of this group, we’ll be having an ‘open rehearsal’ on Sunday 16 May, 5-7pm at the RAF club, Hillside Crescent, Edinburgh.  Anyone is welcome to attend this rehearsal, either as a couple or a single leader / follower.  This is a chance for both you and us to see whether the group will be appropriate for you at this time.  It will run like a typical rehearsal, but if you have something in particular that you want to show then we will also allow time for this.  Formal invitations to join the group will follow the rehearsal.  Please note that there are limited places, so we may not be able to accept all those who would like to be involved.

Please contact Christi if you would like to attend this rehearsal or would like more information. If you need her contact details just drop Edinbop a line, or ask one of the committee members when you next see them.

Here’s the latest missive from Lee & Seema:

Listen up Jump Timers, as I’m only going to say this once!!

JUMP TIME proudly presents SWING FOR VICTORY!

Your mission is to get behind enemy lines and make your way to The Merlin where you will rendezvous with the rest of your platoon and set about shaking your stuff to the hottest sounds in the coolest place. We’ll be playing hits from the blitz and wax for the WACS from 1930 – 1945 with some knocked-out public information films on the big screen to get you in the mood. Dress in 1940’s style, uniforms (allied only!) or just come as you are, but make sure you don’t miss it! Join us between 7 and 8 and we’ll enter you in our free early spitfire raffle that’ll be drawn at 8.

Swing Tanzen is definitely not Verboten – so if it’s hopped-up, solid-sent and swingin’ like a gate it must be Lee & Seema’s JUMP TIME Swing For Victory!!

WHEN? 7 ‘til 11pm, Sunday 16 May

WHERE? The Merlin, 168/172 Morningside Road, Edinburgh, EH10 4PU

HOW MUCH? Only £4 on the door

New month, new teachers.

We’re delighted to have Seema and Lee teaching the lindy hop classes for May. And then in June Yas and Jack will take over.

Shell and Tim will run blues classes for one more week, and then Kim and Sebastian will take over.

Ana and Thom will run the balboa class this Wednesday coming. We’re delighted to say that after that we’ll have a special guest on our scene, Marcia Bodenmann, who’s based in Switzerland, but will be visiting Edinburgh for a month or so. She’s an outstanding balboa dancer (she came 2nd in the amateur Euro-bal cup at Frenchie Balboa Festival last year) and will be teaching the balboa classes with Thom while she’s here. The classes will be at an intermediate level; they’ll be ideal for all you bal dancers who want some new ideas and insights.

For those of you that want to learn balboa for the first time, we plan to run a beginners course in July. Keep those Wednesdays free.