We'll continue the merriment with St. Louis' best swing DJ's and a special night of live swing one Tuesday every month (for May we are featuring The Sidemen on Tuesday the 22nd!). If you've been a regular we can't wait to see you more and more as Tuesday nights continue. If you have yet to come, but sure to check out our Lessons Page and visit us at Tuesday night Swing Night, where getting on the dance floor is as easy as "5, 6, 7, 8!"

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Lindy Lab practices are structured to maximize participation, personal discovery, and collaboration. Each session will have a facilitator who will introduce a topic  and provide some material for the group to consider, and all dancers will subsequently workshop the given topic together. Rather than a strictly traditional student-teacher setup, these sessions will encourage all attendees to give and get feedback and work together to improve as dancers.

These sessions are intended for dancers with a basic background to those with advanced skills. These sessions will not be very informative for complete beginners--we will resume beginner series in the early spring. Until then, keep an eye on our Events Calendar for a listing of dance events and beginner lessons!

While each session has a focus, the overarching goal is for everyone to learn, so these labs will be what you make of them. Come with an open mind, ready to learn and work! Here's the line-up:

January 3, 7-9pm: Open Studio (just a chance to get moving! Or, shall we say, back into the swing of things)

January 10, 7-9pm: Charleston Extravaganza w/ Christian and Jenny (basic Charleston experience helpful for this lab...brush up the week before!)

January 17, 7-9pm: Swing Out Critique with Clayton

January 23, 7-9pm: Lindy Rueda w/ Christian and Jenny (deliberateness and creativity in your lindy hop...plus a lot of fun!)

*January 30, 7-8:30pm: Sharing your Favorite Moves w/ Clayton--work together to inspire creativity and build on each other's favorite moves.

February 7, 7-9pm: Dancing Fast and Relaxed w/ Jenny and Christian

February 14, 7-9pm: Breaking Bad Habits w/ Clayton--workshop those tricky little things and help each other break bad habits

February 21, 7-9pm: Critique Class--How to Be Your Own Teacher w/ Jenny and Christian

*February 28, 7-8:30pm: Fun Footwork Variations w/ Clayton

 Pricing will be $7 non-members, $5 members to cover studio costs.

*Please note: due to a studio scheduling conflict, the sessions on 1/30 and 2/28 will be from 7-8:30 instead of 7-9pm.

We are looking forward to trying out this new structure for Tuesday nights and increasing the focus and deliberateness with which we all practice. We encourage everyone to join us for the labs, but if you are looking for just social dance and practice space, the second half of each practice will be a little less structured. Come give it a try and kick your new year off right!

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Come celebrate in style at the Speakeasy Ball! Have an old school get down good time at St. Louis' very own Deco Fortress, a restored 1940's drugstore and haven of all things vintage. With Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes AND Miss Jubilee's Hot Five on stage and friends all around, you'll be transported back to swingin-er times.

Tickets are $75, but there are a limited number of "for dancers only" tickets available for just $25! Email Miss Jubilee (thehumdingers@gmail.com) to get this special deal.

Good things to know: party starts at 8pm. Two Bands. Open Bar. Hors D'Oeuvres. Cabaret Shows. Dress to impress!

And just for kicks, this event will also feature a dance contest with a cash prize, so come strut your stuff!

The Deco Fortress | 3624 S. Broadway | St. Louis, MO 63118

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Nevermore Jazz Ball and St. Louis Swing Dance Festival

"A celebration of dance at the confluence of jazz and blues."

REGISTER HERE!

Our first annual weekend-long event, The Nevermore Jazz Ball & St. Louis Swing Dance Festival is only a few weeks away! During November 3-6, 2011 this history-making festival will feature live music by local St. Louis bands, Tommy Halloran's Guerrilla Swing, Miss Jubilee's Hot Swing Combo, and the St. Louis Sidemen, as well as New Orleans-based jazz band Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns. Internationally renowned jazz dancers Peter Loggins and Mia Goldsmith of New Orleans will be the featured instructors for the weekend. Our very own John Bedrosian will be teaching classes in St. Louis Shag, our local territory swing dance. Local and regional instructors will be teaching dance classes in topics from lindy hop to blues and tap dancing. Dancers with no prior experience can join in with a special beginner swing dance track on Saturday morning. The event will kick off on Thursday, November 3rd at the Atomic Cowboy in the Grove and will continue with events during the day on Friday and throughout the weekend at the historic Casa Loma Ballroom and Lotus Arts Studio on Cherokee Street.

Attendees from the region and as far as Chicago, New York City, and New Orleans have been confirmed. Don't miss this unique opportunity to celebrate our rich history of jazz, blues, and social dancing with friends from St. Louis and around the country. To find out more info or to get discounts by registering in advance please click here: Nevermore Jazz Ball & St. Louis Swing Dance Festival. And to tickle your senses, here's a great clip of Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns jazz band playing on the streets of their hometown:

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"America's Most Authentic Vintage Swing Band!"

Glenn Crytzer and his Syncopators of Seattle, WA, featuring Solomon Douglas on piano, will be playing at the fabulous Casa Loma Ballroom this Friday, September 30th. Glenn Crytzer and Solomon Douglas are two of the most active and authentic swing musicians on the scene today and have quickly become the musicians of choice for dancers across the nation. Pair their swinging grooves with the Casa Loma's enormous maple floor, and you've got yourself a ball! Be sure not to miss this spectacular night!

Casa Loma Ballroom, 3354 Iowa Avenue, Saint Louis
Friday, September 30th, 2011. Lesson at 8:00, music at 8:30
Admission is $10

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FREE with Lindy Hop St. Louis membership, $3 for anyone else

Come and dance on the nice studio floors while supporting your favorite dancing non-profit. NOTE: If you haven't been to Flavor, it is difficult to find, so make sure you have a friend's number to call.

This has been and will continue to be the best local opportunity for actually improving ones dancing skills. It is much easier to practice these things with a raised floor, mirror and a higher average dancer quality/commitment than any other weekly event.

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Saturday, 18 June 2011, 11 am to 2 pm

Breakfast and Lunch Specials TBA

Live Music TBA

Urban Eats, 3301 Meramec Street

St. Louis, Missouri

http://www.urbaneatscafe.com/

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We cannot make mention of any of the evening's festivities without first recognizing the two fabulous live, local bands who kept us moving all night long! Miss Jubilee's Hot Five and the Tommy Halloran Combination furnished non-stop hot rhythms and the dancers just couldn't help themselves. Check out some footage of the bands and dancers here!

Some other highlights:

• The University of Illinois Swing Dings performed their championship-winning routine (watch it!).  St. Louis' own Evan Groopman and Liz Schwarzkopf pleased the crowd with a killer blues performance, and Jon Tigert debuted his new solo routine, The Stanky Doo. Over 20 dancers from all over the Midwest jumped up for a performance of the historic Big Apple routine.

  

  Tommy Russo with young dancers at Casa Loma Ballroom!

• Just like in the old jitterbug days, dancers strutted their stuff in front of judges in a social dance Jack and Jill contest. Over 25 contestants took the floor in the preliminary round, and you can check out the footage of our 10 contest finalists here. Congratulations to all of our finalists andour top 3 couples:  Bradley Smith and Andrea Udey (Champaign, IL), Christopher Cohen and Liz Schwarzkopf (St. Louis, MO) and Jeannette Bailey (Champaign, IL) and Nick Apperson (St. Louis, MO). A huge thank you to our judges John Bedrosian, Joan Di Pretore, Jon Tigert, and Tommy Russo.
• Everyone in attendance had the unique privilege of meeting 94-year old St. Louis dance legend Tommy Russo. Tommy inspired us with his love for the dance, his personability, and the impromptu floor show that he put on for everyone--he sang, tap danced, and danced with the ladies in a performance that we will surely never forget.

A huge thank you to Casa Loma Ballroom, Miss Jubilee's Hot Five, Tommy Halloran's combo, and ALL THE DANCERS who came out and made Miss Jubilee's Jitterbug Jamboree a night to remember! And remember, this event was just a taste of the amazing dancing, music, and energy that the Nevermore Jazz Ball and St. Louis Swing Dance Festival will be celebrating in November!

St. Louis dancers move to the music!

Dancers and the Casa Loma Ballroom go together!

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Nevermore Jazz Ball and St. Louis Swing Dance Festival

Mark your calendars for The Nevermore Jazz Ball and St. Louis Swing Dance Festival! Join us in St. Louis November 3-6, 2011 for a celebration of dance at the confluence of jazz and blues!

Here's a preliminary look at what to expect:

• Awesome classes for all levels of experience--lindy hop, St. Louis shag and St. Louis swing, blues, tap, and more! Instructors will include Peter Loggins and Mia Goldsmith and St. Louis shag legend John Bedrosian!
• Lots of social dancing to live music by Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns, Miss Jubilee's Hot Five, and other local St. Louis bands. Plus, experience some of St. Louis' best historic venues!
• A happenin' atmosphere and hometown hospitality

St. Louis is just a short trip away from wherever you are, so come learn, take classes, dance all night, meet new friends, and explore the city. Experience the unique history and culture of music and dance in St. Louis and be a part of the worldwide swing dance tradition!

Registration, pricing, and more details will come soon. Come one, come all!

www.nevermorejazzball.com

Get pumped!

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If you are interested in competing, performing, or have any general questions, contact lindyhopstlouis@gmail.com. To rsvp to this event, visit our facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=109707922439012

To learn more about the Casa Loma Ballroom, visit www.casalomaballroom.com

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