SSQQ
SWING DANCING !
for an article on
the History of Swing and Lindy, click here
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IT'S REET, POTEET,
GET OUTTA YOUR SEAT!
Houston is absolutely smoking
with
Swing Fever !
Never...we mean Never...
before have we seen so many people lining up to take
Swing classes. The summer of 1998 saw more people learning to Swing Dance
than all of 1997 combined.
The fall of 1998 had
Beginning Swing
classes at our studio of 100 people
3 nights a week !
January, 1999, had Beginning
Swing classes
of 100 people 4 nights a week.
The Swing Extravaganza on January 9 had over 200 people.
You don't suppose something is happening, do you ?
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As always, the music started it. Bands like
the Cherry Poppin Daddies, the Squirrel Nut Zippers, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Royal Crown
Revue, and Mr "Jump Jive and Wail" from the famous Gap commercial Brian Setzer
(one of the 3 original Stray Cats) started recording Swing music back in the mid
90's.
It sounded good then and it sounds great now. As a representative of the older 40
generation I didn't care for Rap, I didn't care for Grunge, but I really like this music !
It is so good to listen to and so much fun to dance to that it spans generations.
SSQQ was filled to the brim with high school and college students
this summer getting their dance skills ready for the school year and they learned to dance
right along with all the people in their 20s, 30s, 40s, and 50s ! Our Monday Night
Swing Dance after classes averaged over 100 people ! There were so many people
dancing it looked like a 1930's Dance Marathon around here !
The question is, has interest
crested or will it get bigger? The famous Big Band Swing Era lasted 10 years. If the
music stays this good, we could be in for a long and glorious ride !!!
Swing classes at SSQQ are on Sundays, Mondays, and
Saturdays.
For a closer look at times and dates, click here
We will keep an eye out for you !
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What a Blast !
We have a Swing Party every Monday night at 9:15 -11 pm.
We also have a Swing Party on the second Saturday
of each month.
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Swing Acrobatics !
Tresia Henderson and Paul Foltyn combine to
teach their amazing Swing Acrobatics class both at their regular classes every other month
on Sundays and at regular Crash Courses (maybe not the best name for this particular
class...)
If you have ever seen them perform, they
are totally awesome ! The Acrobatics taught are tricky, but not impossible.
Some of the moves have a bruise potential, but we do not teach dangerous
patterns.
Athletic ability helps, but these moves are based on
timing, leverage, and cooperation rather than brute strength and anorexic weightlessness.
You will need a partner since these are not moves you want to try with anyone. If your
regular partner has to miss you can invite a substitute. This great course will not be
offered again soon so take advantage of the opportunity !
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Lounge Dancing
!
As 90’s Swing Music
dominates, dancing calls
for the knowledge of more than just Swing when
different types and speeds of music are played.
Lounge Dancing is course covers
a different style
of Night Club dancing each week.
This course teaches Closed Position Swing (moves for when the floor is crowded), Cha-Cha
(for Latin music),
Night Club Threestep (a blend of Slow Dance and Latin), plus "BoxFox", a special
form of Foxtrot perfect for
slower Swing music and small floors.
Learn all four in this unique 4 week class !
Note : This course is tailored
specifically for music currently played in Houston’s Swing clubs. It assumes the
floors will be crowded.
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If you would like to read the story of
how Judy brought the Lindy Hop to Houston,
click here |
Can't Top the Lindy Hop !
Lindy Hop is currently taught every Sunday.
Beginning and Intermediate Lindy are taught on
Sundays from 4:30 - 6:30 pm. Then from 7-9 pm on Sundays, Advanced Lindy Hop is taught by
the Lindy Goddess Herself, Ms Catalina Island, Judy Archer.
For your information, Judy personally
brought Lindy to Houston. I happen to know because I watched her do it.
Back in the spring of 1995 a friend of ours
named
Lester Buck brought back some Lindy videotapes from
a trip to New York. Judy was absolutely mesmerized and studied the tapes carefully. Since
no else in Houston
knew a thing about Lindy, she attended the Lindy
camp on Catalina that summer.
She brought the dance back to Houston with
her and started teaching Lindy in the fall of 1995 before anyone here knew it
existed. Now that everyone has heard of the Lindy, Judy is still Houston's leading
authority on this clever, but complicated dance that became in the 1920's America's first
Swing dance !
Join her on Sundays and see what all the
fuss is about ! |
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