Swing Dancing, Lobdell, lesson 7:30, Blues Saturday

[Ken T Takusagawa]

Megan Damon and Alex Abdoulaev will teach "Authentic Jazz 
and Solo Charleston".

* MIT Lindy Hop Society Wednesday night dance
* Wednesday, March 11, Lesson 7:30 Dancing 9-11:30 p.m.
* Lobdell Cafeteria (MIT Student Center 2nd floor)
* Free, Beginners welcome, No partner necessary
* DJs Alex Abdoulaev and Don Coverdale

At 7:30 before the dance, Megan Damon and Alex Abdoulaev 
will teach "Authentic Jazz and Solo Charleston". Here is the 
class description:

As an outgrowth of such vernacular dances as the soft shoe and the
cake walk, vernacular jazz rose to popularity during the early 1900s,
quickly developing into an intricate form of solo dance. The
charleston, a direct extension of solo jazz, continued the tradition
during the 1920s following the success of the broadway show "Runnin'
Wild." Despite their vernacular origins, elements of both of these
dance forms are prominently featured in contemporary dance and the
Lindy Hop.

This series of three workshops will focus primarily on the individual
jazz steps and charleston variations. We will begin each workshop by
breaking down a few steps, discussing the technique and theory behind
them, and examine certain unifying technical features of both
charleston and authentic jazz. The steps will ultimately be combined
into pre-choreographed routines in order to build on the technical
and improvisatory features of both of these dance forms.

Routines we will study:
"Bojangles" by Mike Faltesek
"Shim Sham" by Leonard Reed
"Tranky Doo" by Al Minns & Leon James (the "Spirit Moves" version)

For further reference, see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charleston_(dance)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaPmyta9y_I




Would anyone like to teach in the coming months?  



BLUES DANCE SATURDAY!
* MIT Lindy Hop Society Pi Day Blues Dance
* Saturday, March 14, Dancing 8:30-1AM
* MIT Student Center room 491
* DJs wanted!  (Let me know if you'd like to DJ)
* No lesson

--ken

P.S.:

Boston-area swing dance calendar
 http://www.havetodance.com/calendar.html