WSDS Weekly 10/31/13

Web Version | Unsubscribe Like Us on Facebook Wichita Swing Dance Weekly This Month's Classes: *Beginning Lindy Hop 6:30-7:30 *Partner Charleston  6:30-7:30 Intro to Swing 7:30-8:00 *Students must register by 10/6 to take this class. Next Month's Classes: *Beginning Lindy Hop 6:30-7:30 *Blues 6:30-7:30 Intro to Swing 7:30-8:00 *Students must register by 11/3 to take this class. This Month at Swingin' Sunday:  10/27 - HALLOWEEN PARTY Travel Opportunities: If you're looking to meet more dancers and skyrocket your skills, there's no better way to do it than by traveling to some regional events! The busy season for travel is winding down, but there is still time to check out these opportunities: All Follow's Eve in Fort Worth, TX November 1-3 Nevermore Jazz Ball in St. Louis, Missouri November 7-10 The Funny Section: Me, Watching TV-Swing Dancing: HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Thank you very much to everyone who joined us on WEDNESDAY for Dancing at the Wright Brothers, on FRIDAY for Dancing in Old Town, and on SUNDAY for our WSDS Halloween Party! It's been a great week for dancing in Wichita, and now as Friday approaches, many of us are making preparations to travel to Dallas for All Follow's Eve. But if you're planning to stay right here in the 'Ta, never fear! With November comes two new classes for you to chose from: Beginning Lindy Hop, and Blues! Which brings me to. . . Blues Dancing So what is Blues dancing, anyway? You've heard of Blues music. . . is that what it's all about? Nope! Blues dancing, like Charleston, Balboa, and Shag, is another style of dance that falls under the "Swing" umbrella. UNLIKE those other examples, however, Blues dancing is specially suited for those slooooooow sultry tunes that just can't support our usual rhythms. Etta James, Nina Simone, and Dinah Washington are a few musicians whose musical style is great for Blues dancing, and modern artists like Norah Jones and Alicia Keys can work very well also. Since we're offering a month-long class in Blues during November, I wanted to introduce you to the style. I encourage you to sign up and give it a try! Strictly Blues Competition  - click for video Coming Next Month: Thanksgiving Potluck Mark your calendars now! On Sunday, December 24th, the WSDS will host a Thanksgiving Potluck dinner! Stay tuned for more details in the weeks to follow. Editor's Note: Dancing on TV Ahhhhh, TV dancing. It's kind of like everything else on TV. . . nothing like real life. I have to credit movies like Grease and American Graffiti with piquing my interest in Swing dancing. After all, with the pretty costumes and the lively energy, who wouldn't want to try something like they see in the movies? But, when I see the dancing in those movies now, they make me cringe! The actors might be able to fool the average non-dancer, but to anyone with a slight exposure to technique and musicality? They just look ridiculous. In spite of that, people love to watch TV dancing. There seems to be a trendy obsession right now with speed-learning dance, a la Dancing with the Stars, and So You Think You Can Dance.* TV audiences enjoy the suspense - will the dancers be able to learn the routine in time? Will they pull it off? Who will win? To those of us who LIVE dancing, it seems kind of silly. But, I actually thank TV dancing for bringing dancers who don't know any better (just like me) to the dance floor. With luck, they develop an attitude for the real thing, and they stay to become dancers. If you know any avid TV-dance friends, please bring them to a Sunday night! Think of it like this: WSDS: Come for the fancy costumes and lively energy, stay for the awesome. Got thoughts? Email me. *I do not put those two shows in the same category. I have immense respect for the SYTYCD dancers, not so much the Dancing with the Stars folks. But, both shows are examples of learn-it-in-a-week daning that America loves to watch. Chelsea Rothschild Good to know: Your board of directors is already planning for Sunflower Swing 2014. As we begin to define the details of the event, we want to hear from you! Do you know of a venue that we could use for classes or dances? We're open to any suggestions you might have!  Email us and let us know where you'd like to dance this year! We Need YOU: The WSDS is looking for volunteers to help us manage Sunday nights! If you've been dancing with us for a while, and would like a chance to give something back to the scene, please email us and let us know! We will really appreciate your help. There might even be a hug in it for you. More Swing Dancing in Wichita: If you want to take your swing dancing to the next level, check out the Lindy Bombers! This local dance club has been meeting every Monday evening for years, working on swing dance vocabulary, technique, and musicality. The Lindy Bombers can also put you in touch with the Shiny Stockings and Five Moes Named Guy, Wichita's solo-jazz troupes. And, if you're REALLY motivated, the Lindy Bombers are also your gateway to Hot Rhythm Revival, Wichita's competitive swing dancing team. There are lots of options out there, come check them out! Video of the Week: Max Pitruzzella and Annie Trudeau have been pushing the boundaries of Lindy Hop for years, brining a unique musicality and athleticism to the dance that keeps the audience cheering. Last weekend, they took first place at the European Swing Dance Champoinoships with this routine. See you next week!

Fwd: Dancing in Old Town TONIGHT

Web Version | Unsubscribe Like Us on Facebook EXTRA! EXTRA! This Month's Classes: *Beginning Lindy Hop 6:30-7:30 *Charleston  6:30-7:30 Intro to Swing 7:30-8:00 *Students must register by 10/6 to take this class Next Month's Classes: *Beginning Lindy Hop 6:30-7:30 *Blues 6:30-7:30 Intro to Swing 7:30-8:00 *Students must register by 11/3 to take this class Dancing in Old Town TONIGHT Did you miss Wednesday's Swing Night at the Wright Brothers bar? Get your weekday dancin' fix tonight instead! This evening from 5:00-7:00pm, come to the square in front of the downtown Warren theater for social dancing and showing off! We'd like to make this a regular event, to give dancers of all ages the chance to dance in a different venue, and also to show the patrons of Old Town how awesome Swing dancing is! Join us for an evening of DJed music, dancing, and laughs. Good to know: Tonight's dance is open to all ages, including kiddos!   See you TONIGHT!

WSDS Weekly 10/24/13

Web Version | Unsubscribe Like Us on Facebook Wichita Swing Dance Weekly This Month's Classes: *Beginning Lindy Hop 6:30-7:30 *Partner Charleston  6:30-7:30 Intro to Swing 7:30-8:00 *Students must register by 10/6 to take this class. Next Month's Classes: *Beginning Lindy Hop 6:30-7:30 *Blues 6:30-7:30 Intro to Swing 7:30-8:00 *Students must register by 11/3 to take this class. This Month at Swingin' Sunday:  10/27 - HALLOWEEN PARTY Travel Opportunities: If you're looking to meet more dancers and skyrocket your skills, there's no better way to do it than by traveling to some regional events! The busy season for travel is winding down, but there is still time to check out these opportunities: All Follow's Eve in Fort Worth, TX November 1-3 Nevermore Jazz Ball in St. Louis, Missouri November 7-10 The Funny Section: My Friends When They See Me Finally Dancing With That Lead I've Been Eye-Stalking All Night: From  whatwouldwecallswinfdance.tumblr.com TOMORROW: Dancing Downtown This Friday from 5:00-7:00pm, come to the square in front of the downtown Warren theater for social dancing and showing off! We'd like to make this a regular event, to give dancers of all ages the chance to dance in a different venue, and also to show the patrons of Old Town how awesome Swing dancing is! Join us for an evening of DJed music, dancing, and laughs. WSDS Halloween Party October 27th THIS SUNDAY will be our annual Halloween party! Come to dance in your favorite costume and compete for silly prizes and the admiration of your fellow dancers. We'll have a traditional costume contest (winners determined by audience applause) and a ZOMBIE DANCE CONTEST as well. You won't want to miss that! Dancers Line Up  for 2012's Costume Contest Editor's Note: Why Bother to get Better at Dancing? A year or so after I started Swing dancing, I had a conversation with one of my dance role models about how far we each wanted to take our dancing. Her attitude astounded me. "I'll probably give it up before too long," she said. "Why?" I asked. "Well, I've gotten pretty good.  I've won some competitions. I'm probably not going to get much better. So, why bother?" I think my face was pretty much like this: I mean, how could anyone possibly NOT want to keep getting better? But, at the time, I couldn't really explain why I felt that way. It would be several years before a different conversation with a different role model brought the reason to light. It was Sunflower Swing 2011, and I was up late talking to one of the instructors. I'd been Swing dancing for almost 3 years. I'd spent those years throwing myself into as many classes, driving to as many events, and taking as many private lessons as I possibly could. I was, by that time, a WSDS board member and instructor. I had developed a deep sense of commitment to our local community, but that wasn't what kept me going. As the instructor and I discussed this, he practically took the words right out of my mouth: "You can tell yourself 'I'm happy with where I am, I don't NEED to get better,' and I think we all go through those phases. But I dance for self-expression, to show the world who I am. And, regardless of competing and winning and getting famous, why WOULDN'T I want to be better at that? Why WOULDN'T I want to express myself MORE accurately?" And that, folks, is why I won't ever stop trying to become a better dancer. The process of pinpointing that reason has been very helpful to me as a dancer and as an individual, and I highly recommend that you ask yourself "Why am I doing this?" sometimes. The answer can help you sort out your priorities, and have the kind of dance life that makes you the happiest. Got thoughts? Email me. Chelsea Rothschild Good to know: Your board of directors is already planning for Sunflower Swing 2014. As we begin to define the details of the event, we want to hear from you! Do you know of a venue that we could use for classes or dances? We're open to any suggestions you might have!  Email us and let us know where you'd like to dance this year! We Need YOU: The WSDS is looking for volunteers to help us manage Sunday nights! If you've been dancing with us for a while, and would like a chance to give something back to the scene, please email us and let us know! We will really appreciate your help. There might even be a hug in it for you. More Swing Dancing in Wichita: If you want to take your swing dancing to the next level, check out the Lindy Bombers! This local dance club has been meeting every Monday evening for years, working on swing dance vocabulary, technique, and musicality. The Lindy Bombers can also put you in touch with the Shiny Stockings and Five Moes Named Guy, Wichita's solo-jazz troupes. And, if you're REALLY motivated, the Lindy Bombers are also your gateway to Hot Rhythm Revival, Wichita's competitive swing dancing team. There are lots of options out there, come check them out! Video of the Week: Emelie and Rebecka DecaVita are sisters from Stockholm who rock my world. They have a unique, playful style that I find delightful. Check them out in this video. See you next week!