Lights (and Swing!) in the Heights 2009! Saturday, 12/12

Swing Dancing at Lights In The Heights? Now's your chance to both experience this uniquely Houston event, as well as show off your favorite moves with your fellow swing dancers! The Houston Swing Dance Society once again will be enjoying the festivities with music and dancing! The Hepcats will perform in the street about every 30 minutes from 6-9pm, with social dancing going on the rest of the time!

This event is huge, free publicity for our Houston swing dancing scene -- hundreds of people will walk by the dancing. Come on out and join in ... lets see the whole city dancing!

The entire neighborhood is filled with foot traffic on 4 streets, with Christmas decorations, live bands, kids riding red wagons, and holiday cheer.

For more information, drop in on our HSO Forum discussion, and ask someone who's attended in years past! (Also: There's a group getting together for dinner beforehand at King Biscuit. And some photos from 2007's Lights In The Heights).

Swing Has Returned To Prince's Hamburgers! Tuesday, December 8th

After a long absence, Swing has returned to Prince's Hamburgers! Take a trip back in time to when burgers were huge and juicy, onion rings counted as a full helping of vegetables and could make you stand up and shout, people drank creamy delicious milkshakes, not Aquafina-- and cholesterol did not exist!

Swing the evening away with tunes from Prince's fabulous jukebox, and get re-acquainted with your inner Jitterbug!

Pull out your dancing shoes from 7 to 9 pm on the second Tuesday (unless otherwise posted) of each month, and head out to Prince's Hamburgers on the Southwest Freeway at Wesleyan (map)! Be sure to thank the manager, and enjoy a 5% discount during the event by mentioning you're a Swing Dancer! The music will be best-suited for 6-count/East Coast Swing.]

Second Cup Swing @ Taft Coffee, Saturday December 18th

Feed your caffeine and dancing addictions simultaneously with the Second Cup Swing Dance Night at Taft Street Coffee (map). The dance is usually every 3rd Saturday of the month and runs from 8:30 pm until Midnight. The cover is just $4 and that includes an introductory/warm-up swing dance lesson from 7:15 - 8:30 pm.

Mark your calendar for the next Second Cup Swing dance -- come out and enjoy the coffee, the great music... and the dancing!

Harvest Moon Ball 2009 -- Saturday, September 26th

It's time again for Houston's Harvest Moon Ball, this Saturday, September 26th!

Houston's Harvest Moon Ball, held every Fall for the past thirteen years, is a co-sponsored Houston Swing Dance Society and Rice Social Dance Society event designed to celebrate Houston's social dance scene. It's an evening to wear one's finest clothing and dance the night away!

Your ticket includes ...

• Live Music by the Old School Swing Band
• Performances... by Houston's Hepcats, and more!
• Contests with prizes... Last year's contests included Lindy for Speed, Swivels for Girls, and Swivels for Guys!
• All skates... Solo Charleston, Jam Circles, and the Shim Sham... Join us!
• Professional photographer -- pose in your favorite aerial or dance position!
  

Tickets may be purchased in advance from HSDS for $15.50 via Paypal, or are $20 at the door. The evening starts with a free lesson at 7 PM, and then dancing from 8 PM to Midnight.

The Ball will be held at Rice University's Grand Ballroom (map) at the Rice Memorial Center. Parking is free.

Ben and Shari Yau Workshop, Saturday October 3rd

The Houston Swing Dance Society is hosting a workshop with the fun and charming Ben and Sheri Yau on Saturday, October 3rd, 2009.

• Saturday, October 3rd, 11-3pm
• Location: King's Dance School 5400 Bellaire Blvd
• Online Registration: $30 members $40 non-members
• Private lessons are also available

Visit HSDS's site for full event details, including the videos of their TWO National Jitterbug Championship award winning routines!

Special SwingDanceNow classes and dance night at SSQQ, July 18th

The members of the SwingDanceNow mailing list (a group dedicated to East Coast Swing/6-count dancing) are organizing a special night of classes and dancing, and have taken over the SSQQ studio for the night of July 18th!

Dancing runs from 9:00pm till midnight. Short "Crash Course" classes will be offered beforehand. There is a special $5 discount available to members of the SwingDanceNow mailing list -- if you want this discount, you must first join their mailing list, then e-mail Charley your name. Crash courses include Beginning East Coast Swing, West Coast Moves, Hustle Moves, Blues Dancing, and Swing Dips and Lunges. See the SSQQ site for prices and additional info.

Make a full day of it -- this event is a perfect follow-up to Hank's Essential Swing Workshop earlier in the day!

Essential Swing for Beginners: Workshop by Second Cup Swing! July 18th, 2009

Second Cup Swing will be hosting a special Essential Swing Dance Workshop for Beginners -- as well as for Experienced Dancers who want to reconnect with their fundamentals! This 5.5 hour intensive lead/follow workshop will focus on Frame, Energy, Balance/Counterbalance, and Connection to see how they are essential to making the dance work both in Jitterbug and Lindy-Hop. Beginners will get full instruction from scratch and experienced dancers, with a bit of patience, will get to rediscover the core dynamics of the dance.

Prerequisites: None! However-- if you want to be at your best and get the most out of this fast-paced workshop, practicing a few basics ahead of time will give you a tremendous boost!

• Basic Jitterbug/6-count footwork, and basic Lindy/8-count footwork
• Frame -- keeping a bend in the frame of your arms and not stretching too far or collapsing too close to your partner as you move

If you have questions or need a quick refresher on the basics, track down Hank or Maricarmen at any of the dances in the next few weeks (Sundays at Melody, Saturdays, etc).

Registration: Second Cup Swing will only offer this workshop twice each year, and enrollment is limited! Register now for the excellent price of just $35 ($24 for students/Ecclesia members). The workshop will be held at Taft Street Coffee (2115 Taft, Houston, TX 77006), on Saturday, July 18th from 1:00pm - 7:00pm, followed by the monthly dance ($4, included with workshop) afterwards from 8:00pm-midnight!

Mixers and Elixirs ... Friday's All Summer Long!

Mixers and Elixirs is kicking off this Friday, June 5th, and continuing all summer long! Hosted by the Houston Museum of Natural Science, the mixers are a great chance to experience one of Houston's most-unique dance venues (dancing with the dinosaurs!), dress up a bit, show your stuff, and enjoy some of Houston's most-entertaining live bands!

Grady Gaines and the Texas Upsetters are leading off the first mixer this Friday, June 5th -- from Big Band to Motown, from Pop to Disco and Funk, Grady Gaines plays it all! Be sure to check out the lineup for the rest of the summer -- lots of great acts to choose from!

Start the evening in the Grand Entry Hall at 6 p.m. with a live DJ. Doors open at 7 p.m. for the band and dancing under the dinosaurs, cash bar, and complimentary appetizers. Ticket price includes General Admission to the Museum. $13 members/$15 non-members.

Want the scoop? Hop on over to the HSO Forum to chat about Mixers and Elixirs (and here's a thread for Grady Gaines).