Blues & Swing Crossover workshop Saturday

[Ken T Takusagawa]

* Blues & Swing Crossover Workshop with Jan Marie
* Saturday, March 8, 2014, 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
* MIT Building 36, room 112 (50 Vassar St., Cambridge)
  http://whereis.mit.edu/?q=36
* http://web.mit.edu/swing/blues-crossover-2014/

Over the course of these three classes, you'll learn where blues and
swing music and dancing intersects, and to seamlessly switch between
the two styles, both within a given song, and over the course of a
night of dancing!

*NOTE: These will be all-level classes! Beginners and advanced dancers
alike are welcome and will be well-served.

2pm - Cue Music: What Am I Dancing To?

Ever wonder what dance you're "supposed" to do to a given song? This
class will dig right into the music, and help us to identify parts of
songs that give our bodies clues as to what movements will feel most
natural. We will also be debunking the myth that fast music is for
lindy and slow music is for blues. Come investigate these musical
mysteries with us!

3pm - Cue Footwork: Tacky Annie's Funky Butt

Now that we know how to hear what kinds of dancing will feel most
natural for our bodies, let's get them moving! We'll be looking at the
overlaps in footwork between solo jazz (Charleston, Lindy) and blues,
then using our newfound understandings to begin working on crossing
over from one style to another, and finally, minimizing the time it
takes us to switch between the two.

4pm - Cue Body & Soul: Shimmy Shimmy Ya-Ya!!

When know when to move, and our feet now have the memo of how-to, so
let's get the rest of our bodies all caught up! We'll spend this class
working on working blues aesthetic into our swing vocab, as well as
swing aethetic into our blues vocab. Get ready to do jukin' 6-count,
ballroomin' swingouts, struttin' Charleston, and more!

See event on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/events/416936448452500/

ABOUT JAN MARIE

Whether dancing, teaching, organizing, or singing a ditty or two, Jan
Marie has been active in the national blues & swing community since
2006. As a teacher, Jan Marie focuses on helping students develop
self-awareness, musical movement, and communicative connection-- rather
than just patterns and steps. She strives to empower students to define
and assert their own dance voices in partnered movement.

COST

General:
$20 for all 3 classes, or $10 per class

Students (non-MIT):
$15 for all 3 classes, or $8 per class

MIT Students/Staff:
FREE!!!!!!!!

*NOTE: No one will be turned away for lack of funds. Please contact Jan
Marie if you really want to attend but feel cost-prohibited.

--ken