Sunday, August 31, 2014

WSDS Weekly 8.31.14


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Wichita Swing Dance Weekly

Classes in August:

*Beginning Lindy Hop 6:30-7:30

*Intermediate Swing 6:30-7:30

Intro to Swing 7:30-8:00

*Students must register by 8/3 to take this class

Classes in September:

*Beginning 6:30-7:30

*Intermediate 6:30-7:30

Intro to Swing 7:30-8:00

*Students must register by 9/7 to take this class.

Swing Through the Month of August: 

8/2 - Dance Card Sunday

8/7 - Dance Night at Spangles

8/17 - Dance Night at the Wright Brothers

8/27 - Outdoor Dance in Warren Square

8/31 - Soul Night with Soul Train, and Memership Meeting

Travel Opportunities:

There are still plenty of events to travel to before the winter slump! Check out:

Cowtown Jamborama in Omaha, NE, September 11-14

Sundance Swingout in Ft. Worth, TX, October 17-19

The Funny Section:

"Flocking" to SOUL NIGHT:

heh heh heh

Register for September Classes TONIGHT

Good morning, dancers! The final Sunday of August is upon us, which can only mean one thing: It's time to register for September classes! Don't forget to sign up for Beginning Charleston with Bonny and Isaiah, or Intermediate Swing  with Evan, Chelsea, Nick, Amanda, Megan, and possibly more! Our instructors are extra excited to bring you September's material, so don't miss out!

Members can register for the whole month for $20, which covers classes and social dancing on every Sunday. Non-members can get the same coverage for $30.

Announcement
Interested in taking the Intermediate Swing class, but hesitant to commit for the whole month? We have a new policy regarding registration for this class! Students MAY "drop in" to the Intermediate class sporadically. Cost is $6 for members and $8 for non-members. It's a little bit more cost/class than registering for the whole month. But, if you're only available once or twice a month, this option is perfect for you. Please note that this policy does not apply to the Beginning class, and we do ask that you complete some Beginning lessons before registering or dropping in to intermediate.

SOUL NIGHT TONIGHT


soul train
Thats right folks, SOUL NIGHT HAS ARRIVED! If you've never been to this event before, you are in for a very pleasant surprise! Tonight's music will be a departure from our usual assortment of jazz, jump blues, and rock'n'roll. Tonight's music will be SOUL, baby! That means all your faves from Stax, Motown, and Atlantic Records. Think Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, the Temptations, and many more.

Swing dancing and Soul music make a delightful combination that you're sure to find irresistable! The dance starts at 8pm after a brief intro-to-Swing class at 7:30. Be there.

Reminder: No Series Classes Tonight


Remember, there are no 6:30 classes this evening. Instead, we'll be holding our Membership Meeting on the second floor of the studio.
This Month's Music Brought to you By:

8/3 - Chelsea

8/10 - Sonya

8/17 - Evan

8/24 - Chelsea

8/31 - Evan

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:

The delicious combination of Swing and Soul spawned an entire event of that theme, aptly titled Swing&Soul. Check out a performance from Swing&Soul 2007 with this routine

See you next week!


Sunday, August 24, 2014

WSDS Weekly 8.24.14


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Wichita Swing Dance Weekly

Classes in August:

*Beginning Lindy Hop 6:30-7:30

*Intermediate Swing 6:30-7:30

Intro to Swing 7:30-8:00

*Students must register by 8/3 to take this class

Classes in September:

*Beginning 6:30-7:30

*Intermediate 6:30-7:30

Intro to Swing 7:30-8:00

*Students must register by 9/7 to take this class.

Swing Through the Month of August: 

8/2 - Dance Card Sunday

8/7 - Dance Night at Spangles

8/17 - Dance Night at the Wright Brothers

8/27 - Outdoor Dance in Warren Square

8/31 - Soul Night with Soul Train, and Memership Meeting

Travel Opportunities:

There are still plenty of events to travel to before the winter slump! Check out:

Cowtown Jamborama in Omaha, NE, September 11-14

Sundance Swingout in Ft. Worth, TX, October 17-19

The Funny Section:

The first time I worked up the courage to ask an instructor to dance:

heh heh heh

Outdoor Dance this Wednesday

Good morning, dancers! Summer is winding down, and we've got to make the most of the last warm months. Join us downtown in the Warren Square this Wednesday for an outdoor dance from 8-10pm. This dance is FREE, open to all ages, and provides great exposure for the WSDS. Hope to see you there!

outdoor dance
Wouldn't you like to have as much fun as these two?

Ask a. . . not-Newbie to Dance Tonight

Attention new dancers! We know you're out there. We've noticed how you started coming a few weeks back, and we've seen you go from fumbling through your first rock-step to easily breezing through the 7:30 class.

It's time to up your game, new dancer. You have the skills, and tonight you'll have the opportunity. Break out of your comfort zone and ask someone new to dance. Not another new dancer, someone you've watched before and thought "Oh that person knows what they're doing." Don't be intimidated. They WANT to be asked to dance, just as much as you do.  Summon your courage and ask; by the end of the dance, you'll be a better lead/follow and have a new friend!
 
random dancers This is how dancers make friends.
 

SOUL NIGHT APPROACHES


soul train
You do NOT want to miss Swingin' Sunday next week! We're having a long-overdue SOUL NIGHT, complete with a Soul Train. If you love Soul music (think Aretha Frankin, Otis Redding, The Temptations, Same Cooke. . .) or if you like to get your Westie on, this is going to be the best dance of your summer.
This Month's Music Brought to you By:

8/3 - Chelsea

8/10 - Sonya

8/17 - Evan

8/24 - Chelsea

8/31 - Evan

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:

Apologies for the quality of this video; there's just something about a dark room that attracts the combination of Swing & Soul

See you next week!


Sunday, August 17, 2014

WSDS Weekly 8.17.14


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Wichita Swing Dance Weekly

Classes in August:

*Beginning Lindy Hop 6:30-7:30

*Intermediate Swing 6:30-7:30

Intro to Swing 7:30-8:00

*Students must register by 8/3 to take this class

Classes in September:

*Beginning 6:30-7:30

*Intermediate 6:30-7:30

Intro to Swing 7:30-8:00

*Students must register by 9/7 to take this class.

Swing Through the Month of August: 

8/2 - Dance Card Sunday

8/7 - Dance Night at Spangles

8/17 - Dance Night at the Wright Brothers

8/27 - Outdoor Dance in Warren Square

8/31 - Soul Night with Soul Train, and Memership Meeting

Travel Opportunities:

There are still plenty of events to travel to before the winter slump! Check out:

Cowtown Jamborama in Omaha, NE, September 11-14

Sundance Swingout in Ft. Worth, TX, October 17-19

The Funny Section:

My reaction every time someone new joins the WSDS:

heh heh heh

The Perks of Being a Member

Good afternoon, dancers! It's a bit of a slow news day; the perfect opportunity to review how membership works in the Wichita Swing Dance Society and why it's such a great idea.

membership
Just look how happy those silhouettes are! They're MEMBERS!

A WSDS membership costs $25 ($15 if you're a student, in the military, or senior citizen) and lasts for a whole year. Members get Swingin' Sunday admission for $4, instead of $6, and they can take monthly classes for $20, instead of $30. So, if you're a regular attendee of Swingin' Sunday, it doesn't take long for the membership to pay for itself! You also get an official membership card, enabling you to refer to yourself as a "card carrying Swing dancer,:" which is pretty cool. 

You can purchase a membership at the front desk on any Sunday night, and as an added bonus, you get in free the night you join! If you've been dropping in consistently for several months, or if you've recently caught the dance bug, you should definitely consider becoming a member!

Ask a Newbie to Dance Tonight

Attention WSDS Members! We have noticed an unusually large wave of new dancers hitting the floor in the past few weeks. They've been brave enough to step into our scene, now it's up to us to keep them coming! Take a look at this evening's East Coast students, make a mental note, and be sure to ask these nice people for a dance or two later on.
 
random dancers Not sure who these people are? Ask 'em to dance and find out!
 
Reaching out to "dance babies" is a crucial part of keeping the WSDS alive, and as a bonus, it's totally FUN.

August Announcements

NEW CLASS FORMAT ON SUNDAY NIGHTS! Remember, the new class format begins this month! If you missed the announcement in last month's newsletter, here's the bottom line: Our Beginning classes are going to include more variety. This month is Lindy Hop, but next month will be a different style, October will be yet another, and so on. Meanwhile, the Intermediate class will be more nuanced and blend the different styles together. If you're a new student, we hope to see you in Lindy Hop tonight! And if you're a pro, you should DEFINITELY check out the new Intermediate series this month. It will likely challenge you in new ways.

MEMBERSHIP MEETING AUGUST 31:
Because August is a 5-Sunday month, we're holding a membership meeting on the last Sunday. Everyone is welcome.

SOUL NIGHT AUGUST 31:
soul train
You do NOT want to miss Swingin' Sunday on the 31st! We're having a long-overdue SOUL NIGHT, complete with a Soul Train. If you love Soul music (think Aretha Frankin, Otis Redding, The Temptations, Same Cooke. . .) or if you like to get your Westie on, this is going to be the best dance of your summer.
This Month's Music Brought to you By:

8/3 - Chelsea

8/10 - Sonya

8/17 - Evan

8/24 - Chelsea

8/31 - Evan

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:

Countdown to SOUL NIGHT, two weeks left! Soul Train Medley

See you next week!


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