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November 2023 Workshop Resources

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In November 2023, we had our first post-COVID workshop weekend, featuring Kofi and Liz from Ottawa.

Kofi provided a fantastic list of resources, listed below.

Music

Significant Jazz musicians with birthdays the week of Nov. 25th

 

Hoagy Carmichael
Tommy Dorsey
Coleman Hawkins
Willie “The_Lion” Smith
Teddy Wilson
Scott Joplin

 

Playlists

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/09EwYUqHjQTH2eCCqbaNcU?si=1e587c7e193d4cc4

 

If you want to geek out on Jazz Music, check out:

https://www.jazzstandards.com/compositions/index.htm

 

Inspirational videos

A class in swing – Artie Shaw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCNlOfD56k8
The Spirit Moves – Shim Sham https://youtu.be/yHf4tBmAlpI?si=rnPUmAqFueSTG3xw&t=1174
Texas Tommy / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EljmkQSf7s
After Seben https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cyQHEqOp84
California Routine (spirit moves) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j43rpgGN-eE

Books and blogs

https://www.frankiemanning.com/book.php

“Swinging at the Savoy”  by Norma Miller
” Rooted Jazz Dance: Africanist Aesthetics and Equity in the Twenty-First Century”  by Lindsay Guarino (Editor), Carlos R. A. Jones (Editor), Wendy Oliver (Editor)

“America Dancing: From the Cakewalk to the Moonwalk”

by Pugh, Megan

“Blues People” by Amiri Baraka

“Lady Sings the Blues” Billie Holiday / William Dufty

Swungover – Bobby White – https://swungover.wordpress.com/

Takeaways

  • Feel the music, dance to the music
  • Repetition is good
  • “Commit to the bit” – Billie via Greg
  • Repetition is good
  • Keep your feet underneath you
  • Your moves are yours, do them like you own them
  • The Elders are a source of inspiration seek them out (their videos) and learn
  • Make it a daily habit to dance at least one song
  • Repetition is good!

Meet in the Middle 2019

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TICKET SALES NOW CLOSED

Eventbrite Page

Meet in the Middle is an annual Lindy Hop and Blues exchange hosted by the Queen’s Swing Dancing Club in Kingston, Ontario. Join us on January 25th and 26th for two nights of sizzling live bands and DJ’d blues, plus a full day of professional workshops taught by QSDC alumni.

This year we’re celebrating QSDC’s 20th Anniversary in proper birthday party fashion, so cake and pointy hats are guaranteed! You can find details on our workshops and musical guests below in the schedule!

Make sure to read the Event Guidelines

Full weekend, one-night and workshop-only passes will be available for purchase on Eventbrite as of November 1st. Register before December 1st for an early bird discount!

Limited housing is currently being organized on a first-come, first-serve basis through Eventbrite!

Schedule

All events will be in the John Deutsch University Centre at 99 University Ave, Kingston, ON, at Queen’s University
Find us at Wallace Hall!
Friday 8:00 PM Beginner Lindy Hop Lesson
9:00 PM Live Dance with Gordon Webster!
Midnight – 3:00 AM Late Night Blues
Saturday 10:00 AM Lindy Hop Lesson – The Music and Movement – All Levels
11:05 AM Lindy Hop Lesson – Connection: Going Steady – All Levels
12:10 AM Solo Blues Lesson – Grooving the Gauntlet – All Levels
1:10 PM – 2:25 PM Lunch
2:25 PM Lindy Hop – Connection: Direct and Redirect! – Intermediate Ballroomin’ Blues – Comfy, Close Embrace – All Levels
3:25 PM Wildcard Class! – ! – QSDC Mob Dance – Intermediate Jukin’ Blues – Move YOUR Body – All Levels
4:30 PM – 8:00 PM Break!
8:00 PM Beginner Lindy Hop Lesson
9:00 PM Live dance with Gordon Webster!
After Midnight Late night blues

Workshops

The Music and The Movement

All Levels Lindy Hop Lesson

Let’s start at the very core of why we dance: because the music tells us to! In this class we’ll explore swing from the music up, with much ado about rhythm and phrasing, and a focus on staying in the music and playing together with your partner.

Connection 1: Going Steady

All Levels Lindy Hop Lesson

Sure, you can stretch apart and come together.. but what happens in between? In this class we’ll explore keeping the connection steady even in “neutral” moments, and see what we can do when the lines are always open!

Grooving the Gauntlet

All Levels Blues Lesson

Build your vocabulary of solo blues moves while keeping the groove!

Connection 2: Direct and Redirect!

Intermediate Lindy Hop Lesson

Building from the concepts we explored in connection 1, we see what happens when you use a steady connection to put a new twist on classic ideas!

Comfy, Close Embrace

All Levels Blues Lesson

Join us as we dive deep into close embrace connection and make it as comfy as can be!

QSDC Mob Dance!

Intermediate Wildcard Class

Join us in creating something special for the QSDC! In this class we’ll teach you a brand new solo routine made just for the club, that you can use and pass along to new waves of students! This class is participatory… students will have a chance to brainstorm and add a QSDC twist to the routine, to really make it your own!

Move YOUR Body

All Levels Blues Lesson

Explore your own movement in within partnered dancing!