Upcoming Events

All this rain lately has been a drag, but luckily we have 2 very special events coming up this week and next to help us dance those rainy day blues away...

First, this Friday (3.13), Taipei's very own Chicago-style jump blues band, BoPoMoFo, will be playing live again at Capone's (www.capones.com.tw).  For this evening, we will also be graced with the presence of visiting dancer and friend from Hong Kong, Brian.  So come out for some good tunes, good booze, good eats and good feets!

Second, David Trinh will be coming to visit us March 18-20.  Mark your calendars now and keep these dates free!  David is a lindy/blues dancer and instructor from Canada who has spent the last several months traveling around Asia and working with all of our local swing scenes.  We are his last stop before he returns to Canada.

David will guest teach our regular Thursday class on 3.19, as well as hold extra, special classes on Wed. 3/18 and Fri. 3/20.  Full details to come.  

If you've taken a little break from swing lately, this is the perfect time to dust off your dancing shoes and come back to join us.  This is also a great time to invite your friends and for anyone who is curious about swing dancing to come out and see what it's all about.

See you on the dance floor!

Maria

8 minutes workshop

You can really learn something here. Have Fun!

Double-header of dance - tonight, 5.23

TONIGHT - Friday 5.23 - "Double-header"

First, practice at NTUST, 7-10pm
Student Center, 3rd floor

Second, dance to LIVE music!
New Orleans Traditional Jazz, 9-11pm (maybe later if we insist on an encore)
at Capone's, 312 ZhongXiao East Rd., Sec. 4
www.capones.com.tw

New Thursday Venue!

Thanks to JC for setting up a new night of swing dancing on Thursdays, starting this Thursday, May 15th.

Where: Barbados
No.101, Songren Rd., Xinyi District, Taipei City
(in the back of the building, behind the Outback Steak House and Brown Sugar Jazz Club)
台北市信義區松仁路101號1F
Tel: (02) 87805265
http://kitchens.lifestyle.msn.com.tw/restaurant/restaurant-2656.htm
Time: 7:30pm - beginner lesson (as in introductory beginner); 8pm open dancing
Entrance Fee: $0

We hope to see you all there Thursday!
Maria

Last night at Plan B

Turns out that this past Sunday (4.20) was the last of our regular Sunday nights at Plan B. But, luckily we had a good turnout so our swing community had a chance to give our original venue a proper dance-filled farewell.

On a personal note, it was also fortuitous that Raphael happened to be in town this past weekend, so he was also able to have a final dance at Plan B - which is only fitting considering that that's where we met (awwwww).

Meanwhile, Jon is hard at work arranging another venue for us on Sunday evenings, so stay tuned this week for news regarding where we'll be meeting next week.

A Rather Swanky Swinging Affair

We had the immense pleasure of attending the wedding banquet of two of our most loyal swing scene regulars - Wayne and Peiyi. They pulled out all the stops with a beautiful evening at the Spot - decadently catered and decked out with a live swing/blues band, BoPoMoFo.



Jon gave an introductory lesson and the rest of us kicked up our heels dancing.



And of course Wayne and Peiyi had a chance to show off some of their newly acquired skills for all their guests.



Congratulations to Wayne and Peiyi, and thanks so much for letting us share in your joyous occasion!

Weekly Friday Venue - New!

Thanks to Wade for organizing a new weekly Swing/Salsa Potluck Practice Party through the Swing/Salsa Club at NTUST. Now we have even more opportunities to dance every week!

When: Fridays, 7-10pm
Where: NTUST, 43 Keelung Rd., Sec. 4 (MRT Gongguan, exit 2)
Student Center, 3rd Floor (above the Post Office on campus)

This is event is FREE but please keep in mind it is a potluck party, so be sure to bring along some snacks or something to eat.

See you out on the dance floor!


感謝Wade的支持，台科大的Swing/Salsa Club 決定舉辦每星期五的Club Party，
時間：每週五 晚上七點到十點
地方：台科大 學生中心 （校區郵局上面三樓）
基隆路四段 43號
免費入場，請自備飲料或零食

星期五見！

Balboa/Bal-Swing

在30及40年代Balboa/Bal-Swing是非常受歡迎的交際舞,這幾年又再受到注目,世界個地都漸漸有起了Balboa瘋o
這個舞蹈起源於(大概)1934年,在美國洛杉磯附近的Orange County,它的名字來自位於洛杉磯南部的一個地區,叫做Halbinsel Balboa,在這樣的Balboa島上曾有過最有名的專門舞會(Rendezvous Ballroom),可惜已被燒毀o
當年的Balboa是以close position為主,當然男士們穿著西裝而女士們穿著長洋裝,兩人靠得很近(有的老師稱之為T-shirt connection),幾乎只專注於腳上功夫o因為跳舞的人太多,為維持安全,向來八拍的Balboa當然在某些舞廳是被嚴格規定舞者不可脫離close position/T-shirt connection的o(也就是不可以Break-Aways)
由國標Foxtrotts和Boxstep延伸出的Balboa,隨者爵士樂的盛行,被傑出的年輕舞者(Maxie Dorf, Lolly Wise)拿來搭配當時流行的SWING Music,於是這樣定了型的Balboa在Orange County就此被肯定,又為了不被其他混淆脫離搖擺舞的主幹,這種舞也被稱為Bal-Swing!
Balboa可以配合個種速度的曲子(120-300bpm),適合各種年齡的舞者,所以Balboa再次受到大家的熱愛,出現在個大swing camp及festival 上o
下次有人問你"Do you wanna Bal?"可千萬不要錯過機會!
ps:大師們都說:要學balboa不難,可是要學得好卻不怎麼容易!

七分多鐘的大師合集讓你們一次看得夠,2005在法國尼斯的Balboa Festival)

About Swing, 每週一句

林蒂舞的核心與靈魂是什麼？是有玩耍的心態、有發覺自己身體能做什麼的欲望、能把玩耍的態度和身体的動作與舞伴分享的能力。

What is the heart and soul of the Lindy? It’s having a great sense of play, a desire to explore what your body can do, and the ability to share that with a partner.

這兩位就玩得很盡興!

About Swing, 每週一句

“摇擺舞就像視覺的爵士樂。你可以有上千種變化。没有止境的變化
“(Swing dancing) is like visual jazz. There are a thousand things you can do. There’s no end to it. The Lindy Hop just as a very loose base to it and people make up new moves all the time.”
…Paul Overton, American Lindy Hop Champion

Let's have a look at a part of American Lindy Hop Champion!
讓我們來看看美國林蒂舞比賽的畫面!

About Swing, 每週一句

“摇摆是個動詞，而不是形容詞。。。所有爵士樂都摇擺。它不得不。爵士樂不摇擺就一文不值了。”… Artie Shaw
“Swing is a verb, not an adjective…. All jazz music swings. It has to. If it doesn’t swing, it’s nothing.” … Artie Shaw

如果我沒記錯
片裡吹單簧管的就是Artie Shaw
原來他那年代大家是這樣瘋swing的!

Bluuuues

這個週末我認識了另一個屬於爵士舞蹈的Blues。音樂用詞是為“藍調“。
配合Blues的音樂也就是爵士裡的藍調，聽起來慵懶，有時搧情的的節奏及演奏方式，幾乎只是在舞台上左右搖擺，其中可是慍釀著豐富的感情喔，藍調可以說得上是爵士裡的探戈。有趣的是，你以為舞者只是左右來去的搖擺，有時轉個圈似乎很簡單，事實上，只要有想像力，的確不難，應用時間和節奏的變換、腳步的配合，加上對音樂和舞伴的信任，藍調比“搖擺舞“容易學。
因為我自己也是才剛認識這個藍調爵士舞，手邊也沒有週末Workshop的照片或影片，只能提供一個倫敦Blues的網站，"Blues Revolution">。這裡的連結（Link）裡可以找到很多相關訊息，只是多半有關英國，就當參考吧！請見諒。