WSDS Weekly 1.12.14

Web Version | Unsubscribe Like Us on Facebook Wichita Swing Dance Weekly This Month's Classes: *Beginning Lindy Hop 6:30-7:30 *Intermediate Lindy Hop  6:30-7:30 Intro to Swing 7:30-8:00 *Students must register by 1/5 to take this class. Next Month's Classes: *Beginning Lindy Hop 6:30-7:30 *Collegiate Shag 6:30-7:30 Intro to Swing 7:30-8:00 *Students must register by 1/5 to take this class. This Month at Swingin' Sunday:  1/5 - Dance Card Sunday, SOUL NIGHT 1/19 - Solo Competition Travel Opportunities: The busiest season for dancing in the Midwest is at its end! Things will pick up again in Spring of 2014, and until then, you might be interested in  Hot Rhythm Holiday in Austin, TX, Jan 23-26, 2014 The Funny Section: When You Disagree with the Judges After Watching a Competition WSDS Dances at the Wright Brothers Third Wednesday of Every Month Good morning dancers! It's a beautiful Sunday in Wichita, and I hope to see LOTS of you at dance tonight. It won't be your last chance to dance this week, because on Wednesday night we'll be dancing at the Wright Brothers bar on west Kellogg! We've enjoyed our dances there so much in the past that we've engaged the venue for the third Wednesday of EVERY month, so mark your calendars! As usual, WSDS DJ Extraordinaire Evan Borst will be playing all your favorite music from 6-9pm, the bar and restaurant will be open for your enjoyment, and the dance floor will be ready for you! Remember, this event is for dancers aged 21 or older. Solo Dance Contest Jan. 19 Remember last month's Solo Jazz Potpourri series class? Well, not for nothing did we give you the chance to brush up on your solo skills! This month on the 19th, we will hold a solo dance competition for all who are bold enough to enter! Partner dancing isn't the ONLY way to Swing, and we hope to see lots of you strut your stuff at the contest! Never seen a solo contest before? Here's one I really like: Click for Video Sunflower Swing Update The early bird price has been snapped up by 14 lucky buyers, and passes to Sunflower Swing are now $80. Head on over to the registration page on sunflowerswing.com and get yours while you can; the price will continue to go up!  You can also register at the front desk on any Sunday between now and the event. Sunflower Swing will be happening RIGHT HERE IN WICHITA from Friday, April 25 - Sunday, April 27, 2014. We will bring in instructors Laura Glaess and Mike Roberts from Texas, and Shauna Marble and Mark Godwin from Colorado. They'll be here for THREE dances and TWO FULL DAYS of workshops. You don't want to miss it!       Editor's Note: On Being a Good Audience Member Earlier this week, a friend emailed me to vent about something she saw in a YouTube video. It was a video of a great dance performance, and my friend was irritated because the audience made practically NO noise during the whole thing. That's what inspired this week's Editor's Note. One of the wonderful things about Swing dance culture is how excited all dancers are for all other dancers. If you go to see a ballet, you might notice the audience clapping after especially magnificent sequences in the performance. But, during a Swing show, they clap THE WHOLE TIME. There are whoops, hollers, whistles, and cheers galore. At least, that's how it works in theory. And that dynamic creates a feedback loop of awesome. The performers inspire the audience, the audience goes crazy, which energizes the performers to be MORE inspiring, and so on. I take pride in the fact that in Wichita, we actually have a great audience for most performances. Take a listen to some of the YouTube videos from Sunday nights and Sunflower Swing. You'll hear unintelligible cheers, shouts of encouragement to performers by name, and even the occasional "WORK THAT SKIRT!" (or 'dem jeans. Whatever.) I encourage those of you who are too shy to get loud to give it a try - it may enhance the experience of watching a show in ways you don't expect. And I encourage those of you who are already loudmouths to infect the rest of the Swing dance audience population. A good crowd is just as important as the performers in a show! Got thoughts? Email me.  - Chelsea Rothschild Good to know: Planning to register for Sunflower Swing? You can register for a reduced price is you volunteer during the event.  Email us for details! 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: Sunflower Swing Instructors Mark Godwin and Shauna Marble See you next week!

WSDS Weekly 1/5/2014

Web Version | Unsubscribe Like Us on Facebook Wichita Swing Dance Weekly This Month's Classes: *Beginning Lindy Hop 6:30-7:30 *Intermediate Lindy Hop  6:30-7:30 Intro to Swing 7:30-8:00 *Students must register by 1/5 to take this class. Next Month's Classes: *Beginning Lindy Hop 6:30-7:30 *Collegiate Shag 6:30-7:30 Intro to Swing 7:30-8:00 *Students must register by 1/5 to take this class. This Month at Swingin' Sunday:  1/5 - Dance Card Sunday, SOUL NIGHT 1/19 - Solo Competition Travel Opportunities: The busiest season for dancing in the midwest is at it's end! Things will pick up again in Spring of 2014, and until then, you might be interested in  Hot Rhythm Holiday in Austin, TX, Jan 23-26, 2014 The Funny Section: How to Get Your Solo On SOUL NIGHT TONIGHT! Good day, dancers! Beat the cold by coming out to SOUL NIGHT at Swingin' Sunday tonight. DJ Evan Borst will be spinning all your favorite tunes from Stax, Motown Records and more. If you haven't tried it before, I assure you that soul music and lindy hop is a most majestic combination. Also, remember THIS? Click for Video I bet if we ask nicely, we can do that again. And what better way to kick of another year of dancing than with a SWINGIN SOUL TRAIN?? Solo Dance Contest Jan. 19 Remember last month's Solo Jazz Potpourri series class? Well, not for nothing did we give you the chance to brush up on your solo skills! This month on the 19th, we will hold a solo dance competition for all who are bold enough to enter! Partner dancing isn't the ONLY way to Swing, and we hope to see lots of you strut your stuff at the contest! Never seen a solo contest before? Here's one I really like: Click for Video Sunflower Swing Update There are THREE more passes to Sunflower Swing available for the early bird price of $70. Head on over to the registration page on sunflowerswing.com and get yours while you can; they'll likely be gone by this evening!  You can also register at the front desk on any Sunday between now and the event. Sunflower Swing will be happening RIGHT HERE IN WICHITA from Friday, April 25 - Sunday, April 27, 2014. We will bring in instructors Laura Glaess and Mike Roberts from Texas, and Shauna Marble and Mark Godwin from Colorado. They'll be here for THREE dances and TWO FULL DAYS of workshops.You don't want to miss it!       Good to know: Planning for Sunflower Swing is well under way, and registration opens January 1st! Early bird weekend passes are $70, but you can save your hard-earned dollars by volunteering during the event.  Email us for details! 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: Sunflower Swing Instructors Mike Roberts and Laura Glaess See you next week!

WSDS Weekly 12.29.13

Web Version | Unsubscribe Like Us on Facebook Wichita Swing Dance Weekly This Month's Classes: *Beginning Lindy Hop 6:30-7:30 *Solo Jazz Potpourri  6:30-7:30 Intro to Swing 7:30-8:00 *Students must register by 12/1 to take this class. Next Month's Classes: *Beginning Lindy Hop 6:30-7:30 *Intermediate Lindy Hop 6:30-7:30 Intro to Swing 7:30-8:00 *Students must register by 1/5 to take this class. This Month at Swingin' Sunday:  12/1 - Dance Card Sunday with special prizes 12/8 - All Star J&J 12/15 - Christmas Party, Live Bands, Performances 12/22 - DJ Battle 12/29 - Live performance Travel Opportunities: The busiest season for dancing in the midwest is at it's end! Things will pick up again in Spring of 2014, and until then, you might be interested in  Hot Rhythm Holiday in Austin, TX, Jan 23-26, 2014 The Funny Section: Mark and Shauna Land an Aerial and We're All Like Finish 2013 with the Last Swingin' Sunday of the Year! Hello dancers! I hope you will all join us one LAST time in 2013 for Swingin' Sunday tonight! We have a special WILD performance lined up for you, complete with animal print costumes! Your board members are all restless from having to skip last Sunday, so it's bound to be a hoppin' night tonight! Come join the fun! Sunflower Swing Update IT IS TIME! That's right folks, Sunflower Swing preparation is now in full, um, swing, with a special task force of organizers tackling all the details from buying plane tickets for our instructors to lining up contests and special performances. It is going to be a RED LETTER YEAR, and you DON'T want to miss it! So, here's what you need to know: Sunflower Swing will be happening RIGHT HERE IN WICHITA from Friday, April 25 - Sunday, April 27, 2014. We will bring in instructors Laura Glaess and Mike Roberts from Texas, and Shauna Marble and Mark Godwin from Colorado. Registration opens New Year's Day, at sunflowerswing.com. As usual, the early birds will catch all the best worms: The first 14 registrants will get the whole weekend for just $70! That includes THREE dances and TWO FULL DAYS of workshops. It is a steal!      Editor's Note: Instructors I Love In my five years as a Swing dancer, I've had the privilege of studying with some of the most renowned dancers in the world. I've also studied with amazingly gifted instructors that most people, even dancers, haven't heard about. There have been times I've walked into a class with a couple I've adored to watch, only to find myself feeling unsettled and unhappy during the lesson. And then, other times, I walk in to a class with relative strangers that ends up rocking my world.  It's no surprise to find out that the most gifted performers don't necessarily make the best instructors. But then, who does? In my not so humble opinion, it's the ones who infect their students with joy for dancing. These teachers embody a combination of patience, enthusiasm, and optimism that gives students the feeling they CAN become the dancers they want to be. Their classes host a relaxed, comfy sort of vibe that makes students feel safe taking risks. And, yes, these instructors have a level of sheer skill that inspires students to reach beyond their comfort zone. But that sheer skill alone simply isn't enough to get the job done.   I'm thrilled that I can honestly say all four instructors in this years Sunflower lineup are among my favorites. I can't wait to bring them in, and I'm certain you all will love them as much as I do. Got thoughts? Email me.     Chelsea Rothschild Good to know: Planning for Sunflower Swing is well under way, and registration opens January 1st! Early bird weekend passes are $70, but you can save your hard-earned dollars by volunteering during the event.  Email us for details! 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: SUNFLOWER SWING! See you next week!