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).

SSQQ Sock Hop, June 20th, 2009

SSQQ's annual Sock Hop Swing Party is coming up June 20th! (and this will probably be the last one at SSQQ's current location, so make it count!)

Don't miss your chance to dress up in your favorite 50's or 60's outfit and shake it! While you can squeak by with the basics (bluejeans, white tee shirt, white socks, tennis shoes/penny loafers), why not go for something a bit more ambitious? Popular choices include cheerleaders, athletes, prom queens/kings, greasers, and squares!

A variety of music from 50s, 60s, & 70s Swing/Jitterbug to a few oldies cha cha, waltz, and c&w songs, to 60s and 70s Whip will all be played.

Dance is 9pm-12, cover is $7. Short "crash courses" are offered beforehand at 7pm; see SSQQ's website for full details.

Second Cup Swing @ Taft Coffee, Saturday June 20th

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.

The next Second Cup Swing dance will be Saturday, June 20th -- come out and enjoy the coffee, the great music... and the dancing!

Swing Has Returned To Prince's Hamburgers! Tuesday, June 9th

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!

[Edit: Next dance on Tuesday June 9th. The music will be best-suited for 6-count/East Coast Swing.]

Nick Moss & the Flip Tops @ Continental Club, Wed 5/20 9:00pm

Nick Moss & the Flip Tops will be at the Continental Club this Wednesday, May 20th, for a special show. C'mon out and get a taste of some of the best Chicago Blues music in the country!

The Houston Blues Society has some more details at their site as well. (Note: There will probably be a $7-10 cover for this show).

Also, dancers will be there!

Vineyard Youth Swing Fundraiser Dance, May 9th

A fun dance for a good local cause and the ticket includes a lesson before the dance so tell your newbie friends too! This is the Vineyard Youth Department's Annual Fundraiser for their summer conference. Besides a great time of dancing, an ice cream and coffee bar, and a performance by the Houston Hepcats, attending this event will encourage and enable our teenage youth to give back to their community. It doesn't get much better than that!

7-8:00pm - beg. lesson
8-10:30pm - dancing (DJ by Kate!)
9:00pm - HSDS Hepcats Performance
The Vineyard Church of Houston Storehouse, 1111 E 11th St. Houston TX 77009 (map)
Cost: $10.00 a ticket
Refreshments: There will be an ice cream and coffee bar!! Lesson: Hour long introductory lesson to swing, provided by Andrew Strickland and Rachel Hanley.

[Thanks, Hank, for the details!]

Austin Blues Party, July 3-5, 2009

Austin Blues Party 3… the Best Little Blues Party in Texas!

ABP3 is back to bring you the nation’s best Blues instructors and the hottest Blues spinmeisters around, hosted by an awesome scene of dancers. Stay tuned for updates on teachers, DJs and other cool happenings for one of the most anticipated Blues weekends on the calendar. July 3rd to 5th, 2009 - Austin, Texas. www.austinbluesparty.com.

Roll call time! Are you registered yet? Let us know on the Forum!