Yes folks, Edinbop’s first BATTLE OF THE BANDS is this Saturday (12th) and it is an event NOT TO BE MISSED!

The Maid of the Forth Stompers will be facing off against The New Pheonix Jazz Band at the beautiful Edinburgh Academy from 8pm-late. Don’t forget to BYOB!

Tickets are available in advance for £12 (at the Tuesday Night Spoonful @ the Newsroom or Wednesday’s Shoeswing @ The Counting House) or £15 on the door. If you want to bring along some friends & family… maybe introduce a few people to swing or just show them what you can do, you can buy ‘Friends & Family’ tickets on the door for just £6. To make the night even more welcoming, Shell and Tim will be doing a free taster class from 8pm!

If you’ve signed up to Glenn Crytzer’s Musicality Workshop, entry to the Battle is already included! Due to popular demand, we’ve added a few more spaces for the workshop with this internationally-renouned musician and band leader for just £20/£25 (student/non): you can get yours here: http://www.edinbop.co.uk/events/edinbops-big-music-day-sat-12-march/

Ali and Katja are coming to town!!

10th- 11th May, Stockbridge House.

Bookings are open - http://edinbop-aliandkatja.dancecamps.org/booking.php

This weekend is bringing three amazing opportunities:

Teach the Teachers  - Ali and Katja are running a 3 hour workshop for the teachers in our dance scene. Book in if you are an existing teacher,

If you are interested in becoming a Lindy-hop teacher please contact us on aliandkatweekend@gmail.com

The teach the teachers pass also includes the dance classes – whoop!!

Intermediate  Lindy class - On Saturday afternoon we have an intermediate dance class with Ali and Katja which is perfect if you have been dancing for a year or so and you want to learn more stuff.

Advanced Lindy Class  - On Sunday morning we have an advanced dance class with Ali and Katja which is perfect if you you’ve been dancing for ages. You could do triple steps to really fast songs if the mood took you, and you want to improve the finer points of your dancing

….and of course we have a Saturday Night Dance with an amazing live band – which will be announced after the Battle of the Bands!!

Edinburgh University Swing Dance Society will be starting a beginners’ Collegiate Shag course on Monday evenings from 28 April.
7:15 to 8:00pm in Potterrow Venue, Bristo Square.
All welcome  (just turn up) but please start in Week 1 or 2 of the course.
More info from http://swing.eusa.ed.ac.uk/ or from the EUSDS Facebook page.

To get you in the mood for the BIG MUSIC DAY coming Saturday 12th April, here are some excellent swing tunes for you to listen too.

Also, if you aren’t too familiar with what you are listening to on a Wednesday night this is a great wee intro.

SWING ERA TUNES

Benny Goodman – Christopher Columbus
Fats Waller – All That Meat and No Potatoes
Ella Fitzgerald, Chick Webb and His Orchestra – Lindy Hopper’s Delight
Ella Fitzgerald and Count Basie – Shiny Stockings – A Frankie Manning Favourite!

STROLLS AND ROUTINES

Ever seen everyone get on the floor and dance the shim sham or jitterbug stroll but not know the music?

Shim Sham – Jimmie Lunceford – T’ain’t What You Do
Tranky Doo – Tommy Dorsey – Dispy Doodle
Jitterbug Stroll – Woody Herman – At the Woodchopper’s Ball
The Big Apple – Solomon Douglas – The Big Apple Contest

Don’t forget to book your advance tickets for the Battle of the Bands in order to save £3 on a ticket!
8pm – late @ Edinburgh Academy (Dining Hall), 42 Henderson Row, EH3 5BL

Intermediate/Advanced Lindy Hop – February/March, 2014

Week 1-3: Swing out technique

• How to keep technique tight to do swing outs to fast music.
• Review of technique for inside turns, outside turns, texas tommy.
• Texas tommy with a stop on 7.
• Sugar push technique, leading to swing out with sugar push on the end.

Key points: small steps, straight lines, create and use stretch, relax arms and use core muscles and back/shoulder muscles to create stretch.


Week 4-6: Charleson variations

• Tuck turn into triple steps with lead catching over the top of follow’s arm, then full turn for follows into hand to hand Charleston
• Tuck turn into spin turn down the line to lead’s left side

Key points: Follows travel through every turn unless the lead stops you/changes your direction, travel in your turns all the way down the line if that’s the direction the lead asked you to go in.

• Review of hand to hand Charleston and technique
• Hand to hand Charleston variations: run on the log with drop, tap, turn exit + outside leg skip variation
• Charleston swing out with heels on 1+2
• Over the head turn into sailor kicks

Key points: For run on the log variation, turn your hips into the move.

This coming Saturday is the next monthly ‘not to be missed’ Advanced Lindy class with Paul and Christi.

2-5pm at the Calton Centre, Montgomery St (next to Easter Road).

Bargain price of £6 / £4 students!

For more info and to keep up to date with future classes, join the Facebook group here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/240515262772452/

‘Spring’ into action and book your place at our Easter Egg-stravaganza Lindy & Balboa workshop weekend now!

Bookings are open –  you’ll find the registration page here.

Its only £50 for an All Weekend ticket – a bargain! Beginners classes have been discounted too.

All tickets include social party passes for both the Saturday evening dance (8 pm – late) and Sunday afternoon’s Easter Egg Tea Dance (2.30-5.30pm). Party only tickets will be available on the door £5 for Saturday and £3 for Sunday.

There’s something for everyone – Beginners Lindy, Beginners/Improvers  Balboa, Improvers / Intermediate Lindy and  Intermediate Balboa.

Class info:
Lindy Hop for Beginners with Mirjam and Jack
Saturday 19 April, 10:30 – 17:30 (£25)
Total beginners very welcome; also people who have just started and want to build a solid technique.

Balboa Intermediates+ with Freddie and Christi
Saturday 19 April, 10:30 – 13:30 (£20 or £35 All day Balboa ticket)
This is for dancers who have been taking lessons for maybe a year and are looking for inspiration.

Balboa Fundamentals with Freddie and Christi
Saturday 19 April, 14:30 – 17:30 (£25 or £35 All day Balboa ticket)
For beginners/improvers who have done a few weeks of classes. Also provides a solid foundation for more experienced dancers too.

Lindy Hop Intermediates with Freddie and Mirjam
Sunday 20 April, 10:30 – 14:30 (£30)
This class is for Lindy Hoppers who have maybe been dancing for a year or so and are looking to make their Lindy Hop flow and open up more space for interpreting and playing with the music.

Class Venues:
Saturday Beginners Lindy Hop: Eric Liddell Centre, 15 Morningside Road, EH10 4DP
All other classes and socials: Columcile Centre, 2 Newbattle Terrace, EH10 4RT

In celebration and to help prepare, we’re offering free Beginners Balboa classes from now up until Easter Weekend so if you’ve never tried Balboa before or are a little rusty, come along to the wee room at the Counting House,  8-9pm on Wednesdays.

See you there!

Sebastian returns to the Tuesday Night Spoonful, and the onerous task of keeping him in line this month falls to Julie Rodor – it may be “dangerous”! We’ll be at the Newsroom (Leith St) at the regular times of 7pm (Beginners), 8pm (Improvers), and 9-11pm social dancing.

We also have 2 fantastic events on our doorstep in the next few months, with registrations open now!

Livin’ the Blues (May 1-5) – Scotland’s travelling not-for-profit Blues dancing festival is in the jewel of the Highlands in 2014! With spots still available and an incredible and unmissable line up of teachers and attendees, you’d be crazy not to go! Inverness – it’s closer than you think! http://www.livintheblues.co.uk/

Bluez Cruize (July 11-13) – This is one blues dance exchange not to be missed! Featuring a couple of boats, live music every night including Dan Nash, amazing parties and more. In it’s third year, organised by the founder Helen Cheney, Leigh Anderson and Erin Maguire, so triple the goodness! It’s a small and brilliant event so book early to avoid disappointment. http://www.bluezcruize.co.uk/

·

Edinbop are very excited to welcome Mirjam and Freddie from Sweden for an Easter weekend workshop.

Saturday 19 April
- 10:30 – 17:30 Balboa classes with Freddie and Edinburgh’s own Christi Rankin
- 10:30 – 17:30 Beginner’s Lindy Hop with Mirjam and Edinbop’s Jack Lavender
- Evening Dance – Easter Bunny Hop!

Sunday 20 April
10:30 – 14:30 Improvers / Intermediate Lindy with Freddie and Mirjam
14:30 – 17:30 Easter Tea Dance – with Polish Vodka and Easter Eggs aplenty (eating and painting!)

Venues: Columcile Centre, Newbattle Terrace, Morningside. Beginner’s Lindy on Saturday at Eric Liddell Centre, Holy Corner.

Tickets will be subsidised by Edinbop and prices will be announced shortly.  Bookings will open very soon – watch this space!

To keep up to date with the latest details, join the Facebook event page here

Check out Mirjam and Freddie in action: Mirjam and Freddie dancing at Snowball 2013

Where: The Merlin, 168/172 Morningside Road, EH10 4PU

What Time: 7 ‘til 11pm

How Much: Only £4 – pay on the door

See you there!