Archived Content
This is archived content, and does not reflect our current classes and events. For current information, please start from the home page.
Workshops and Events
Mad About Swing proudly presents
4-6th November 2011 in Plymouth
Featuring:
- Jam Circles with Bic & Simone
- Jazz Steps with Jane Story
- Shag with Gary & Jackie
- Slick Lindy Hop with Ger & Izzy
- Solo Charleston with Simone Brown
- Swingtime with Duncan & Louise
Three Swingin' Socials each with a live Band:
- Company B
- The Carlton Big Band
Friday night
The plans for Friday night have now changed. We won't be running our monthly classes and Annabel's have replaced The Congo Faith Healers with a soul/blues band. Instead, we recommend that you book a table at The B-Bar for a delicious Thai-style meal and enjoy the swinging sounds of Hamer and Isaacs who will be performing with their own energetic brand of Gypsy Jazz. There's little space to dance but last time, after clearing a few tables to one side, we did manage to bust out a few moves. The B-Bar is a friendly chilled venue with lots of personality and tickets are only £3.00! To book a table give them a call on 01752 242021. www.b-bar.co.uk
Saturday
During the day we have workshops from a plethora of UK teachers. Our teaching line-up consists of: Jane Story, Gary Tewkesbury & Jackie Boulter, Bic Graham & Simone Brown and Gerry Dunford & Izzy Eyles. The day will draw to a triumphant climax on Saturday night with live music from 'Company B' who were a huge hit on Swing Sunday at this year's Barbican Jazz and Blues Festival.
Both the Saturday workshop and the Saturday evening social will take place at our regular venue: St Matthias Upper Hall on the corner of Bedford Park and Clifton Place, North Hill, Plymouth PL4 8HN. For parking arrangements please see advice at the bottom of the page.
Doors open at 9.15am. Lessons will start promptly at the times stated below.
| 9.30am – 10.30am | Jazz steps with Jane Story Solo dancing with attitude! If you love the Charleston Stroll, The Shim Sham, or Shake Your Tail Feather, then this class is for you. Jane has some very special choreography up her sleeve and a crackin' track to boot… what a great way to start the weekend off! This Jazz Steps class requires no prior dance knowledge, but you'd obviously benefit from having some dance experience. Jane resides in London and her routines are a regular hit at the annual La Santa Swing Camp in Lanzarote. |
|---|---|
| 10.40am – 11.40am | Shag with Gary and Jackie There are different varieties of Shag dancing and this class will take you through the basics of Collegiate Shag. Believed to have originated in New York during the 1930s, this style got its name as a result of its popularity amongst the college students at that time. A high energy partner dance perfect for faster tempos, this class is suitable for dancers with no prior shagging experience! Gary and Jackie live in Portsmouth where they are integral cogs of their highly popular local swing dance scene. Gary is an outstanding swing DJ and the man behind Lindy Hop Solent… now in its 12th year! |
| 11.50am – 12.50pm | Solo Charleston with Simone Brown As if hailing direct from the 1920s, Simone will guide you through the whacky and wonderful dance they call The Charleston. Considered immoral and rather provocative in its heyday, the dance is frequently associated with the flappers and Speakeasies of the prohibition age. To participate in this high energy solo dance you don't need to have any prior knowledge but it would be beneficial. Simone is a valued member of Jenny Thomas's Sophisticated Ladies Dance Troupe and a growing star on the national swing scene. |
| Lunch break | You're welcome to bring a packed lunch and eat at the hall. Alternatively, we're in easy walking distance from a range of cafes and shops. |
| 1.50pm – 2.50pm | Jam Circles (part 1) with Bic and Simone Jam Circles are an important component of Lindy Hop culture. When the music's swinging and the dance floor's buzzing, don't be surprised if a jam circle breaks out, drawing in dancers to crowd around the designated spot whilst couples and individuals jump in and show off their stuff! These classes, led by the awe inspiring Bic and Simone, will give you the skills and confidence you need to get in and out of a jam circle as well as some slick moves to pull off while you're in there! Participants at these classes will need to be proficient in their Lindy Hop basics in order to attend. Bic and Simone are regarded as two of the best up and coming Lindy Hop dancers in the country. They teach regular classes, are integral in the running of Ryan and Jenny's Camp Savoy and are the organisers of the popular Sugar Push monthly social in Hampshire where they live. |
| 3.00pm – 4.00pm | Cool Lindy with Ger and Izzy If you've ever attended a Lindy Hop social, you'll have undoubtedly been in awe of one couple or another busting out some remarkable moves that you'd love to be able to pull off yourselves. Ger and Izzy are just that kind of couple and what's more, they're more than happy to share with us their moves during this class! Participants will need to be proficient in their Lindy Hop basics in order to attend. Ger and Izzy teach regular weekly classes in the Wye Valley in Herefordshire and are regular faces out and about on the British swing scene. |
| 7.00pm – 8.00pm | Jam Circles (part 2) with Bic and Simone The fun and games continue in this concluding part which should get you in gear for a swinging time at the Sugar Foot Stomp that follows on afterwards! |
| 8.00pm – 11.00pm | Sugar Foot Stomp Special with two live sets from Company B An explosive social evening powered by 6-piece jump-jive swing outfit Company B. There's plenty of room to dance on our wonderful sprung dance floor. You can choose between a premiere ticket (an extra £4) which includes free alcoholic and soft drinks all evening from our teachers' area or get a standard ticket and bring your own drinks (we'll provide the glasses!) |
Prices
| Early bird (payment before 15th Oct) | Full price (payment after 15th Oct) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | Premiere† | Standard | Premiere† | |
| Everything* | £42 | £46 | £46 | £50 |
| Dance Only | £10 | £14 | £12 | £16 |
| Just Classes* | £35 | £40 | ||
| Individual Classes | £7 | £8 | ||
*Friday and Sunday events are sold separately and are not organised by Mad About Swing.
†Premium tickets include access to our teachers' area with free alcoholic and soft drinks all evening. Otherwise bring your own.
Parking
For the evening social, free on-street parking can be found on the roads directly outside of the venue and down the road on North Hill. In the unlikely event that you can't find a space, there is a pay and display car park a stone's throw away opposite Clifton Place on the other side of North Hill. During the day, the parking directly outside of the hall is restricted to 2 hours maximum stay. To avoid having to keep moving your vehicle, you can either park in the pay and display car park or make use of restriction-free parking on nearby Salcombe Road and Colebridge Road (a 5 - 10 minute walk away).
Sunday
Duncan and Louise will be teaching their weekly Balboa classes at La Tasca between 6pm and 8pm. In the evening, there's a further opportunity to strut your stuff at Plymouth Jazz Club where The Carlton Big Band will be doing their thing. There is a good size dance floor and tickets are only £5 with our special discount card. www.plymouth-jazz-club.org.uk
Booking
You can book your place at any of our weekly classes. Alternatively, please send a cheque made payable to 'Louise Anderson' to 3 Parks Drive, Plymouth, Devon PL9 9FG. Please include your contact details (preferably an email) so that we can confirm that we have received your payment. For obvious reasons, single follows should check availability before booking any of the partner classes.
Any questions? Don't hesitate to get in touch.
