_Reviews of May 1999

Review of Dance Events During May, 1999

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Saturday, May 1, 1999
Sunday, May 2, 1999
Monday, May 3, 1999
Tuesday, May 4, 1999
Wednesday, May 5, 1999
Thursday May 6, 1999
Friday May 7, 1999
Saturday, May 8, 1999
Sunday, May 9, 1999
Monday, May 10, 1999
Tuesday, May 11, 1999
Wednesday, May 12, 1999
Thursday May 13, 1999
Friday May 14, 1999
Saturday, May 15, 1999
Sunday, May 16, 1999
Monday, May 17, 1999
Tuesday, May 18, 1999
Wednesday, May 19, 1999
Thursday May 20, 1999
Thursday May 20, 1999
Friday May 21, 1999
Saturday, May 22, 1999
Sunday, May 23, 1999
Monday, May 24, 1999
Tuesday, May 25, 1999
Wednesday, May 26, 1999
Thursday May 27, 1999
Friday May 28, 1999
Saturday, May 29, 1999
Sunday, May 30, 1999
Monday, May 31, 1999

DANCE REVIEWS

Saturday May 1, 1999

We attended the Big Riders Ball, a worthy event in support of the American Lung Association. We wound up teaching a beginner swing lesson and leading a Charleston Line. Congratulations to Mark Golden and the group for putting on a spectacular event. When the dance ended at midnight, we went back to Poli-Tiki to see the Flea Bops, a rockabilly band that has appeared all too infrequently of late. We were stunned to see Glynnis and Laurie there (along with William and Danielle). Glynnis had ridden her motorcycle to the event, so we took her outside and shot half a roll of film of her posing on the bike.. The roll of film was warm when I dropped it off for developing. Look for pix on the website next week.

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Sunday May 2, 1999

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Monday May 3, 1999

From: Elizabeth Engel ewengel@apsanet.org

Jim and I just started a 4 week series with Ken and Donna taking something they call "American Tango" (aka how to dance to Moonlight Serenade without looking like a doofus). Imagine how pleased we were to show up the first night and see Nancy and John Baird, Chris and Rob Bamberger, and Diane Carroad all in attendance as well! Considering the fact that all we know how to do in Lindy Hop, Hand Dance, and do a half-assed waltz, I think this is going to be VERY helpful for us. Since it's only a 4 week series, it's probably too late to jump in at this point, but I would keep my eyes open for the next time they run this series if, like me, you often find yourself trying to Lindy Hop at such slow speeds that you look, to quote Jan Brady, "positively goofy!"

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Tuesday April 27, 1999

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Wednesday May 5, 1999

From: Elizabeth Engel

WHEW! It's a good thing we know a decent amount of Balboa thanks to Iver's ministrations. Big Sandy and the Boys SMOKE! For those who haven't heard them, they're a fab rockabilly/western swing band, and we all about danced until we dropped. Jim and I joined Sean, Mercedes, "Big" Lisa, Meridith, Deb B, Alicyn and some of her friends, Ed, Cullen, Marie-Helene, Kelly, Tony, Doug, Chris B, and a bunch of other folks and kicked it up at the Birchmere.

I got to wear one of my lovely Deb B finds, a gorgeous brown taffeta "I Love Lucy" style number that had me running around going "RICKY!" all evening, much to everyone's amusement (it's the red hair - what can I say?). We ate, we drank, we talked, we laughed, and we danced to some of the fastest, finest rockabilly I've ever heard. Big Sandy is a don't miss band in my book!

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Thursday April 29, 1999

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Friday May 7, 1999

We made the trek to Pittsburgh for our weekend dance marathon. The festivities began in earnest on Friday evening with a dance at the Irish Center with our fave band, Dr. Zoot (Their MP3 single "Ghosts of Swing" has jumped to #1 on the independent rating service www.mpulse.com) The dance venue is something of a tribute to modern environmentalism (positive take) or the demise of Pittsburgh (negative take). The facility was built on a reclaimed slag dump east of the city. (Slag is everytghing that isn't steel that comes out of the blast furnace, sort of like 2400 degrees fahrenheit garbage) When I was a kid, they would haul this stuff in blazing railroad cars and then dump it --- it was poor man's fireworks. The place where we had the dance had been constantly on fire from say 1880 to 1972 --- today, it is filled with vegetation and we even saw a deer. Dr. Zoot generated enough heat to rekindle memories of the nightly fireworks.

From: Elizabeth Engel

Jim and I went to Poli-Tiki. By about 9:45, I could've sworn we were at Glen Echo. As Sean put it (add South African accent at your discretion), "When I came up the stairs, I could feel the wave of moisture." YUCK! Apparently, there was a problem with the A/C. They did eventually fix it - by about 10:45 - but we were all already drenched at that point.

Nevertheless, it was another great night of dancing at PoliTiki. Early on, and while it was still a bearable temperature, I was pretty much the only "known" follower there, so Jim and Bob K kept passing me back and forth. Now that's the way to spend an evening of dance, let me tell you! It filled up more later on, which only added to the heat and humidity of course, but Matt spun the great CDs under the watchful eye of Bernstein as always, and we had a grand time, just barely getting rained on a little in the last block on our way home. At that point, getting rained on felt like a blessing!

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Saturday May 8, 1999

Our workshop went very well --- we had 53 couples and we worked more or less solidly from 10:00am until 4:00 pm. Candidly, I had more fun than I've ever had. We had a great all ages group, even some people that I recognized from West View Park Danceland in the late 1950s The record goes to a couple who came all the way from Dayton Ohio, although honorable mention goes to a fellow who bought an entire El Pachuco Zoot Suit rig for the event. There is a whole writeup about the event on the website.

From: Sue Fedor

I wish I had a good review of the Jet Set Six dance at GMU last Saturday, but I can't give my full endorsement.

Before I go into detail, let me tell you that our frame of mind was not 100% positive going into this. It was Steve's turn to be terribly ill. And as I proved that over-the-counter medication only makes things worse, he was un-medicated, sneezing, sniffling, and miserable.

Also, it took us almost 2 hours to get there from Mont. County. It would have been shorter had the directions been more detailed. For instance, no mention of the Fairfax County Parkway, which would have cut our trip by 30 minutes!

Going home took 2 1/2 hours because we exited onto a different street. A MAP ON THE FLYER WOULD HAVE HELPED.

When we got there, the multi-purpose room was a stifling sauna. The floor was sticky and hard. The band was incredibly loud for the room. The crowd was full of beginners--always good to see-- but there were way too many hot shots out there trying to impress their friends with kicks and aerials. The excessive heat kept most couples from dancing more than two dances in a row--this kept things from getting too crowded. In fact, most beginners spilled out into the carpeted areas outside of the room to cool off and practice steps.

ABOUT THE BAND: The first set (which we missed) was lightning fast. The second set featured many of their original tunes, which are fast-medium and a few slow ones thrown in. They did their Led Zepplin/House of the Rising Sun number, which Tom Koerner drank in with much glee, but I'm afraid may have been lost on much of the college crowd. (Us Geezers are terribly disturbed by the medley, which, for many of us, harkens back to a time when swing dancing was definitely not on our agenda!)

I happen to like their original numbers, which are refreshingly not the cliched "Let's drink and then start a fight" themed songs so popular with today's alternative voodoo daddy swing bands. "Every Single Day of My Single Life", "Livin' it Up", and "My Desire" are full of clever puns and catchy hooks. I'd call them "Lounge Pop" for lack of a better definition.

The jam was respectable, in that the beat and tempo remained steady and consistant. Unfortunately, the band considered it a "break number" and the soloists sat out, leaving the bass and drummer to carry most of the song.

The band has a lot of energy and promise. If you like new, alternative swing, they're just a little different and more upbeat. Their strongest features are their outstanding horn section and their catchy tunes. However, they could use some polishing. They could do a better job mixing the tempo up a bit. The lead singer should try not to scream into the microphone so much. Many of their clever lyrics are lost in the screaming. Also, the guitarist is too heavy handed with the overmodulated riffs, almost turning every song into a rock number.

As for the venue, fans and better directions might improve things at GMU, but if you plan to go, dress lightly, bring your slipperiest, leather bottomed shoes and your thickest insoles.

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Sunday May 9, 1999

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Monday May 10, 1999

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Tuesday May 11, 1999

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Wednesday May 12, 1999

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Thursday May 13, 1999

We checked out Larry MacDonald's new gig at Bailey's (formerly Joe Theisman's) out in Bailey's Crossroads. We have good feelings about this venue. The dance space is quite nice -- the main floor is kind of smal, but very comfortable. There is a small "auxiliary" floor for practicing things like aerials. Best of all, the staff seems to be very nice and appears to be committed to the fact that swing dancers don't drink.

There were some opening night jitters. Ben Rathbone's CD system didn't quite "fit" with the house system, and Ben was compelled to run about 30 feet to adjust the volume for every song. Clearly, Ben got a real workout.

The crowd was very nice -- we haven't seen Dave Quidas and Marie Tomassi for a long time. Larry did a great job as host and we even managed to get in a Jam and a Shim Sham. A very nice place that fills a real need on Thursdays. It is definitely worth the trip!

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Friday May 14, 1999

On Thursday, we got a call from Mary Kay Ross of the Sulgrave Club to see if we could get some dancers together for a party. In short time, we were able to round up Cameron and Lisa, Erik and Erika, Sean and Mercedes, Steve and Sue, and Jim and Elizabeth to join us for the festivities. The club is absolutely beautiful and the ballroom has both a fantastic floor and great acoustics. It was certainly and elegant seetting in which to dance to the J Street Jumpers.

Many of the members brought their teenagers, so all the dancers were kept very busy helping people get the feel of swing dancing. Later in the evening, Margaret Tutwiler (who used to be the State Department spokesperson in the Reagan years) dropped by in time for the jam.

The food was great and we were especially taken with the home-made ice cream and real hot fudge available in mass quantities. Our sincere thanks to the Sulgrave Club for the invitation.

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Saturday May 15, 1999

We did a benefit for "My Sister's Place", a battered women's shelter. We got another evening of dancing to the J Street Jumpers and had a wonderful time. The dance floor in the Capital Hilton's Grand Ballroom was one of the best that we have been on in a long time. (combined with the Sulgrave Club the night before, our feet voted a resounding "thank You" for the weekend") Later in the evening Erik and Erica dropped by and showed off some fantastic Hollywood styling to the crowd.

From: Elizabeth Engel

Another year, another great USO dance. Saturday was SO MUCH FUN! A bunch of us gals repaired to Chris Santarlas' place in the afternoon to get glam '40's 'dos for the evening. After several hours of sets, hairspray, gossip, hairspray, pictures, hairspray, hair pins, hairspray, teasing, hairspray, silk flowers, and hairspray we were all probably substantially dumber (all that hairspray killing off the brain cells you know) and definitely exponentially more gorgeous. A couple of us actually made it to Meridith's for cocktails, hors d'oeurves, and getting dressed as planned, then a whole big group of us met at Glen Echo for MORE pictures and a very elegant picnic (thanks for the candles Alicyn!) that involved presenting flowers to the beautifully (and bravely - strapless dress!) attired Marie-Helene for her upcoming anniversaire. And what a perfect night for it!

The band was...well, the band was Walt Wagner. They're not bad, not great, they mixed in a few too many non-WWII era pieces for my taste, but overall they did a good job on what was a long night of music for them. And I do love the way they play the jam - just one tune right into the next, no crazy solos where you get out there, start dancing, and then end up looking at your partner in terror going, "WHAT HAPPENED TO THE BEAT!?!?!?!?" And the jam featured a little bit of everything: jam regulars with their smooth, practiced routines, jam newbies with their enthusiasm and improvisation, air steps, fancy footwork, Savoy, Hollywood, balboa, and the de rigeur Nina-Naomi dance. And Tricia directed traffic very well, getting everyone in and out and mixing it up so there was a variety of styles and steps from one couple to the next.

But the best part of the evening is always seeing everyone in their vintage finery: so many of the guys were in uniform (Olivier looked particularly nice and pulled off the vintage look even though we all know he was really there for the cars), Cullen in his tux, Tuan in his not-entirely-regulation zoot suit (but it was made from vintage fabric!). And the ladies! Most everyone was wearing new (to them) dresses, and I've never seen such beautiful stuff - Deb with her perfectly matched hat (as usual - does that gal know color or what?), Lisa and Sean winning the vintage contest at the first dance, Mercedes gorgeous black cocktail dress, Randi's summery purple flowers, Carolyn's incredible full circle skirt, Sue's perfect to a t uniform (including all the original buttons!), Meridith's slinky red satin number and perfect little chapeau, Alicyn treating us to two different dresses (one for each of the dances), and so many of us wearing finds from Deb's sale and swap. I can't wait to see everyone's pictures! What a magical evening!

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Sunday May 16, 1999

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Monday May 17, 1999

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Tuesday May 18, 1999

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Wednesday May 19, 1999

We went to Glen Echo to see the Rockin' Bones. About 120 other people made the same decision, so the Spanish Ballroom had plenty of life that evening. Here is Elizabeth Engel's review of the event:

From: Elizabeth Engel

I LOVE LOVE LOVE ROCKIN' BONZ! OK, that said, I also had a really great time at Glen Echo last night. It is SO fun to go to these Wednesday night dances - no line, $6 as opposed to $16, and all the room in the world. Thanks to Mark (soon to be Dr. Mark - congrats on the successful defense!) and Ellen for organizing these! And Mark, thanks for the fab waltz - if all waltzers led like you, my meager waltz skills would be sufficient to the task all the time.

It was the lovely Louise's birthday, and we missed the picnic due to a prior engagement, but we did arrive in time for what was just about the longest birthday dance in the history of the universe. Since Louise leads and follows, just about everybody in the place got in line and danced until Louise looked about ready to drop! And the Bonz sang happy birthday to her. We had a very fun, low-key jam without the usual dizzying amount of air steps - most of us kept it largely on the ground. And it was a balboa class reunion, with many of the folks from Iver's bal one class showing up to practice their steps to the Bonz' often fast tunes.

It was a great dance evening, with most of us switching around partners quite a bit, and as usual of late a shortage of leaders. That's OK, though, several of us gals are getting pretty good at leading. As Mercedes observed, it's just like in during the War....

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Thursday May 20, 1999

We made the trek down to BET for another taping. This evening, the band was Allan and the NYC Swing Hustlers, a new group that has only recently been formed. Allan Sherman, the leader is a great song stylist and a well-known guitarist in jazz circles. He has formed the Swing Hustlers largely along the lines of the Louis Jordan outfit with piano, bass, drums, trumpet, trombone and sax. All of the musicians were extremely competent professionals but the "newness" of the group was evident in the rehearsals between takes. This was very interesting to watch as the band played with various tempos and stylings.

The material was all covers. We particularly liked what Allan did with "Reet Petite and Gone" --- as we said, he is a spectacular song stylist. Other noteworthy numbers included "Chartreuse", "L-O-V-E", and "TB Special".

This evening, we were favored with the attendance of not one, but TWO of DC's best hand dance groups. Both Lawrence Bradford's "Snooth 'n EZ" group and Antonio and Mell's "Poetry in Motion" group were represented. This was a real treat for all fans of hand dance. The high point of the taping was when Lawrence Bradford danced with three ladies to the aptly chosen "Smooth and Easy".

With retakes and rehearsals, the session lasted until ten, so we had to call it a night even though we wanted to head out to Rockville to see the RKO Orchestra at Timpano's.

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Thursday May 20, 1999

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Friday May 21, 1999

We visited Poli-Tiki and had a great time dancing. When things got just a little crowded, Jim and Elizabeth invited us over to their house for conversation, water and a small but uncrowded dance floor. We'll let Elizabeth tell the story:

From: Elizabeth Engel

Friday night at PoliTiki was PACKED! We had the usual suspects who are there every week, a whole mess of beginners, and some Zones refugees. It was totally, totally crammed. I still love the place, but it was a bit of a love-hate thing on Friday night. Quite a few of the beginners seemed to be unfamiliar with the "small steps!" admonition (Thea and Brian - could you make sure to point that out in the coming weeks?) leading to quite a few smushed toes and kicked shins. But dancing with Charlie and Peter and Ron and getting to see Jim leading Steve Bailey in Balboa made it all worthwhile.

Kathy and I were discussing what makes PoliTiki so appealing. I like it because it's a little neighborhood place that's open every night and serves food, which makes it fun and homey and not a big pick up scene. Kathy says it reminds her of what the small neighborhood places would have been like during swing's early years. Of course, no cover charge and a 5 minute walk from our front door don't hurt either...

Anyway, after a bad encounter between my achilles tendon and a misplaced high heel, we decided to decamp, with several dancers in tow, for our living room, where we sat up late dancing, talking, and rehydrating (and no doubt driving our downstairs neighbor nuts!).

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Saturday May 22, 1999

We did a benefit for the American Humane Society. The event, called the "Bark Ball" featured the lovely Peaches O'Dell and her He-Man Orchestra. This was absolutely wonderful, because the AHS is one of our favorite charities and we are absolutely shameless fans of Peaches. Talk about having it both ways!

On the other hand, we have, over the years, cautioned dancers to avoid working with children; we now expand this warning: "Do NOT work with dogs." The Bark Ball is somewhat unusual in that attendees are encouraged to bring their dogs. And dogs there were. I was stunned to see one of the most well-behaved and civilized Scotties in the world, our own "Scottish Terrors" having been intentionally left at home. There were some gorgeous dogs there --- a pair of snow-white standard poodles, a marvelous Harlequin Great Dane, and quite a few dour Dachshunds. Peaches got to share the stage with a Dalmatian who had a way of stealing attention away from even her most outrageous sequins. We did several aerials which attracted the attention of the canine crowd. When we did a sit-spin, a pair of (rescued) racing Greyhounds seemed to think that Carole was the mechanical rabbit --- they followed us around in circles. When we did a fish flip, Channel 9 news anchor Gordon Peterson's Dandie Dinmont terrier decided that it was time to sing. When we were doing Tandem Charleston, a Neapolitan Mastiff though we were doing something else and decided to rear up on my back.... Don't work with dogs... We got to lead the Bunny Hop (I got to wear the pink ears)

From: Elizabeth Engel

Saturday, a whole bunch of us showed up early to Glen Echo to celebrate Ms. Schwartz's 29th birthday (again). The picnickers were not deterred by the rain - that's what the Cuddle Up pavilion is for! The food was delish, and Lisa brought her boombox so we could dance before the dance, since 3 hours of dancing is just not enough! The crowd got bigger and bigger as time passed and the rain let up, and Lisa got birthday danced to her heart's content.

TCO was just great as always. It was nice to see all the college kids home again and get to dance with them as well. The rain had cooled things off outside but, due to the lack of cross-ventilation, the only change to the ballroom climate was to ratchet up the humidity level. Tom and Debra went ahead with the dance competition anyway, with Steve and Cameron taking the prize. True to form, Cameron ended up flat on the floor twice, and everyone got a good laugh out of him trying to lead an underarm turn without clotheslining Steve. The jam was amazing - Tom and Brent were both blowin' sweet, and traded licks that sent shivers up and down my spine, despite the warm temps. By about mid-way through the jam, I lost track of the dancing as I grew increasingly enthralled watching those two play. We had a huge shim sham during the second band break. And after two encores, TCO and the Park Service had to throw people out. So a bunch of us went back to the Cuddle Up to talk, dance, and finish up the leftovers!

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Sunday May 23, 1999

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Monday May 24, 1999

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Tuesday May 25, 1999

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Wednesday May 26, 1999

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Thursday May 27, 1999

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Friday May 28, 1999

From: Sue Fedor

As you all know, Steve and I aren't getting out much these days. So it was a rare sight to see us out TOGETHER on Friday night. We went to a very empty Poli-Tiki. Where was everybody? Thea and Ray were holding court with the beginner lesson. Mike Henry was there, as was Jennifer, Jason (he's getting very good) and that cutie patootie, Seth, which I met and danced with for the first time. There were lots of beginners and we danced with them all. Those of you who frequent Poli-Tiki probably are aware of one guy in particular who is rather spastic on the dance floor, jumping around like a freak. Word is getting out about dancing with him and he only seems to dance with one partner, for the most part. I bet she needs Advil in heavy doses on Saturday morning.

Bernstein was there, keeping careful watch over the DJ and dancing with all the pretty single girls. I chatted with him a bit and he imparted his secrets for getting good deals on home repairs.

One nice thing...not having you other dancers there meant that there was more air conditioning for the rest of us!

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Saturday May 29, 1999

We went to Glen Echo to see Peaches O'Dell. This was another amazing evening. The Fidgety Feet dance team put on a wonderful exhibition --- athough Thomas Iveson's vintage pants self-destructed about halfway during the number. The hall was filled to capacity and it looked like everyone had a very good time. The big news was that Tina Connors was back and is getting into Lindy again. Alas, there was no jam. Also, regrettably, we did not get to hear Dr. Daniel Fierer sing.

From: Sue Fedor

Yes, Steve and I wimped out on Saturday---I worked all day on the Pagoda and was too pooped to dance. We spent Saturday evening on our neighbors' porch, drinking wine and relaxing. While we were appreciating the true spirit of the holiday, lots of other people were working their butts off in the name of patriotism down on the Mall. I'm sure those directly involved have their own stories to tell, but hearing things second hand, here's what I have to report:

It was hot.
Tom, Debra, Luke, Laura, Steve, Carla, Matt, Mara, Charlie, and Christie tried out and made the cut for the Lindy Chorus.
The choreographer was rather demanding.
People kept being switched around.
Nobody was sure of what they were doing at any given time.
Ellen Werther, who costumed the guys, had nothing danceable for most of the gals, due to a misunderstanding between herself, the director and the choregrapher.
Needless to say, nothing in her entire wardrobe would have satisfied Rita Moreno, who prefers to be entirely bedecked in sequins.
Only Tom, Debra and Charlie knew who Rita was.
Half of you reading this do not know who Rita Moreno is...SHAME ON YOU! Rent West Side Story, for God sake! (Folks my age remember Rita from The Electric Company!)
Even though she won a Tony, and an Emmy, Rita was not above sitting down and eating sandwiches with the rest of the dancers and crew.
Matt, Charlie and Steve got to dance with Rita.
Steve Bailey got to do aerials with Rita and did not drop her.
Rita had problems tucking on the aerials.
Some (nameless) folks had problems taking directions.
Debra finally achieved her life long dream of singing a Broadway tune on nationwide television.
Steve Bailey looks like "Cracker Jack" in a Navy Uniform. 17. Steve rushed the "up and over" with Carla and she ended up kissing his butt--leaving lipstick evidence on his posterior (such that it is...)

They all looked great on television and did us Washingtonians proud. I'll put my geezer hat on and tell you crazy kids that I hope you appreciate the opportunity you had to meet and dance with a real legend. Rita really looked like she was having fun and enjoying the dancers.

From: Elizabeth Engel

Jim and I spent Memorial Day weekend in West Chester with my folks. West Chester being just outside Philly and us needing a little break from the fam in the evenings, we decided to check out the Philly scene. After perusing Pennsylvania 6-5000 and getting our list of Philly hotspots together, we struck out for the Schuykill (you can tell I'm local 'cause I spelled that right!) Expressway dressed in our coolest vintage duds.

We decided to go back to Eden Rock Supper Club on Saturday (our first night). Some of you may recall that when we were up north over the holdiays, we checked out Eden Rock only to discover that the lead singer of the scheduled swing band was sick that night and the only replacements to be found the day after Christmas were a (very good but definitely not swingable) jazz trio. The last time we were there, we were the only dancers, and the owner (Dominick) was very nice to us and very glad to see some dancers show up to his brand new swing venue!

This time, we walked in just as the band was finishing setting up - Ronnie James and the Jez Hot Swing Club. The band consists of drums, bass, sax, and Ronnie on the guitar and vocals. Those boys sure can swing! We put on our dance shoes and sat to the side of the small dance floor, surreptitiously scoping the 3 vintage-dressed couples at the bar (one couple rockabilly in bowling shirts, one couple in 40's casual with the guy dressing a lot like Eric or Matt, and one couple totally evening vintaged up down to the groovy seamed stockings and the silk orchids in the lady's hair).

As the band was still sound-checking, we wandered upstairs to the rooftop deck to check out the gorgeous view of the Philly skyline, and then came back down in time to hear the band tear into their first number. The evening-vintage couple took off with some excellent six count, including some very swanky spins and turns. When the first number was over, everyone clapped, and the well-dressed couple left the floor. On the second tune, we kicked it up with DC-style lindy. This continued for the rest of the first set, with usually 2-3 couples on the floor at a time.

At the band break, we rushed over to the bar to procure some drinks and introduce ourselves to the local dancers, rockabilly couple Greg and Laurie, casual 40's couple Chris and Susan, and evening 40's couple and Eden Rock dance instructors Ashley and Michael. After I raved over Ashley's beautiful vintage 'do, the first question out of their mouths was, "Where are you from?" At our "DC" reply, they exchanged knowing looks and Michael commented, "Hard core lindy hoppers." We talked vintage clothes and hair, dance shoes, lindy, east coast, Frankie's birthday (Gretta and Carla - Ashley said to say hi and that she enjoyed meeting you), the differences between swing scenes, and swing scene reputations.

Philly of course has a reputation as a great east coast town, a great Philly Bop town, and a group of fabulous dressers (we could all take a lesson or two from these folks), but little or no lindy (which Ashley and Michael were lamenting). I in turn got some very interesting info which was repeated by several other dancers throughout the weekend: DC is getting a bad reputation, at least with some people.

First the good news: we do have a widespread reputation for having a very active swing scene and a lot of very skilled and talented dancers. Some people come down here or meet DC dancers at swing weekends and return home with only good things to say - everyone's so nice, everyone's so social, everyone dances with everyone, everyone's so welcoming and friendly. But increasing numbers of dancers are returning home with a bad taste in their mouths. Our good image is rapidly being overtaken by reports of snottiness, arrogance, massive egos, refusal to dance with anyone but each other, and unwillingness to dance in social situations for fear that people will try to steal moves. Basically, it all depends on which DC dancers people meet. But the next time you meet a new group of dancers and they ask where you're from and you say "DC," watch their faces to see whether that information produces a smile or a grimace.

Anyway, we danced and talked with the Philly folks all evening, and hung around late after the band finished up trading steps - shag and balboa for spins and turns. And if you ever get a chance to dance with Michael, be warned - he's a great dipper (even to the point of giving Sean a run for his money as Big Dipper!) There was also a very flamboyant ballroom dance couple there - his name was Dave, although I didn't catch her name. He was nice, but kind of condescending, and of course he assumed that he knew all about swing although he doesn't do it because "there's no money in it" (duh! double duh when compared with ballroom!).

Before we dragged our weary bodies home to the suburbs, we asked the local dancers where we should go on Sunday night. The 5 Spot is the only place to be, but they recommended we stay away from the small, hot, crowded and potentially dangerous upstairs (where the live bands play, the crowd encroaches, people are drinking, and the cool decor lives) and stick to Hellzapoppin' downstairs.

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Sunday May 30, 1999

From: Sue Fedor

Gay and Dave came over for dinner...it was Dave-O's birthday. You'll have to beat out of him how old he is. He'll probably enjoy that, come to think of it... We ended dinner in time to watch the tape of the Memorial Day concert on the Mall. We fast forwarded through the boring Charles Durning stuff...to get to the SWING DANCING!!!!! I recall that last year, the camera did not do a lot of focusing on the dance chorus. This year, there were a lot of wide shots of the dancing. The dancers were very prominent and everybody had their few seconds to ham on TV....especially you, Debra. They just don't have entertainment like this on commercial TV...and that's a damn shame.

Inspired, we headed out to Lewie's to see the Lost Continentals. Ellen Werther, Lisa and many of the geezers were there. There were more gals than guys, so Steve took turns making sure all the Goodtime Gals had a good time. That left me free to discover a new visitor from San Francisco, John Chan. He's studied with all sorts of folks out there and has a wonderful lead. We were joking about how they call moves by different names out there, which makes audible leads completely worthless.

The band was fantastic. I was almost sorry I missed them at Nick's on Saturday...but it made me all the more glad we went out on Sunday. They're up from Atlanta and plan to be up this way more often--so warm was there welcome. We yelled and screamed until they came out for an encore. The lead singer is such a cutie. The vocals were well balanced and the harmonies were tight. The song variety was outstanding. Some of their original stuff is a bit strange, however. Only downer: they all smoke.

What can I say about Lewie's? This was the first time we were ever there. I think management spent more money on the huge neon sign than they did on the interior. The charged both a cover and very high prices for drinks. The floor is crappy and the parquet wood over concrete abruptly ends for no reason in one section. You know it's time to leave when they turn on the sodium vapor street lights on the ceiling that make everyone look like Martians with purple lips.

From: Elizabeth Engel

So Sunday night, after a day of sun, picnic food, and relatives out the wazoo, we dressed rockabilly (love those LL Bean capris!) and headed down to Penn's Landing. Took us a while to find a parking lot that had a free space, and the sidewalks were mobbed from Center City east to the river. Urban renewal at work, and don't I love to see it! 10 years ago, the only people out in Center City after dark were addicts, hookers, and muggers. It's good to see our downtowns coming back.

When we arrived at The 5 Spot we discovered, much to our dismay, that Hellzapoppin' was closed for a private bar mitzvah. So we headed upstairs with much fear and trembling. We arrived about an hour before the band was due to start and at first, there was plenty of room to dance. The floor was fairly crowded, but when people saw what we were doing, they made room. We danced in the front up by the bandstand, we danced to the right of the bandstand, we danced to the left of the bandstand, we danced back by the bar...where we ran into a nice fella named Eric who studied some Balboa with Sylvia and Jonathan years ago. He showed us a new move, and we helped him remember some of the stuff he already knew.

The dancing was pretty good although the floor was lousy and the music was almost entirely nouveau swing. I sure was wishing to hear some Louis Jordan or Andrews Sisters after "swing" song after "swing" song about drinking and getting in fights. Bernstein, where were you when I needed you? But the clothes! Damn fine lookin' bunch of people! These kids may not know Lindy, but they can dress to beat the band! Speaking of the band (Swingadelic Baby - stupid name, good sound), by the time they were ready to start, it had gotten considerably more crowded. We worked our way back up to the front of the room, saw lots of flying feet and clunky hard-soled shoes, found ourselves a protected spot to the one side of the bandstand, and settled in and prepared to kick it. Which we did throughout the first set, to the amusement and delight of the onlookers and at least some of the dancers around us.

But where were our Saturday night friends? Towards the end of the first set, we left the floor to grab some water (wisely set out in pitchers with glasses on a side bar) and returned to the dance floor only to discover that someone had taken our spot! A pox on them! So we snaked over to the mirror spot on the opposite side of the bandstand and finished up the set there. As the set ended, who should tap me on the shoulder but the lovely Ashley, sporting a great vintage halter top that displayed her gorgeous shoulder tattoo to perfection.

Turns out our Saturday night friends are regulars who were able to score one of the huge corner booths. So Jim grabbed our stuff from the back lounge and we spent the rest of the evening dancing with each other and them, talking, listening to the band, and generally having a grand time. Several of the regulars asked both of us to dance off and on, and we got to meet the drummer and bass player for the band, who had some questions about lindy hop. We were planning a shim sham for the second band break (which took place after midnight - DC is probably the only major city in the world where the swing scene is winding down or ending by midnight) because Ashley has just gotten the hang of it and wants to teach a class later this summer, but the DJ couldn't find TJ or SatS in time, and we had to head out during the third set so we could get back to DC Monday in time to return our rental car.

We had a really great trip, everyone was tremendously nice and welcoming and interested in lindy (several people mentioned that DC lindy hop teachers could make big bucks trucking up there to do lessons or workshops - any of you teacher-types interested in a regular road trip?), and Ashley will be visiting at the end of the month, so I'll be sure to introduce her to all the fine folks we have here in DC to make sure that the next time a strange dancer answers her "Where are you from?" question with "DC," the response will be a smile!

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Monday May 31, 1999

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May, 1999 Reviews
	Hi Lindy Hoppers!!! Moving on with 1999
	Counter for the Entire Site (not just this page..) website counter Review of Dance Events During May, 1999 Click on the date that you wish to view Saturday, May 1, 1999 Sunday, May 2, 1999 Monday, May 3, 1999 Tuesday, May 4, 1999 Wednesday, May 5, 1999 Thursday May 6, 1999 Friday May 7, 1999 Saturday, May 8, 1999 Sunday, May 9, 1999 Monday, May 10, 1999 Tuesday, May 11, 1999 Wednesday, May 12, 1999 Thursday May 13, 1999 Friday May 14, 1999 Saturday, May 15, 1999 Sunday, May 16, 1999 Monday, May 17, 1999 Tuesday, May 18, 1999 Wednesday, May 19, 1999 Thursday May 20, 1999 Thursday May 20, 1999 Friday May 21, 1999 Saturday, May 22, 1999 Sunday, May 23, 1999 Monday, May 24, 1999 Tuesday, May 25, 1999 Wednesday, May 26, 1999 Thursday May 27, 1999 Friday May 28, 1999 Saturday, May 29, 1999 Sunday, May 30, 1999 Monday, May 31, 1999 DANCE REVIEWS Saturday May 1, 1999 We attended the Big Riders Ball, a worthy event in support of the American Lung Association. We wound up teaching a beginner swing lesson and leading a Charleston Line. Congratulations to Mark Golden and the group for putting on a spectacular event. When the dance ended at midnight, we went back to Poli-Tiki to see the Flea Bops, a rockabilly band that has appeared all too infrequently of late. We were stunned to see Glynnis and Laurie there (along with William and Danielle). Glynnis had ridden her motorcycle to the event, so we took her outside and shot half a roll of film of her posing on the bike.. The roll of film was warm when I dropped it off for developing. Look for pix on the website next week. Go back and check out another day Go back to the Home Page Or, like that "Old Man Scribber", just keep "scrolling along" Sunday May 2, 1999 We have no Reviews for this date Go back and check out another day Go back to the Home Page Or, like that "Old Man Scribber", just keep "scrolling along" Monday May 3, 1999 From: Elizabeth Engel ewengel@apsanet.org Jim and I just started a 4 week series with Ken and Donna taking something they call "American Tango" (aka how to dance to Moonlight Serenade without looking like a doofus). Imagine how pleased we were to show up the first night and see Nancy and John Baird, Chris and Rob Bamberger, and Diane Carroad all in attendance as well! Considering the fact that all we know how to do in Lindy Hop, Hand Dance, and do a half-assed waltz, I think this is going to be VERY helpful for us. Since it's only a 4 week series, it's probably too late to jump in at this point, but I would keep my eyes open for the next time they run this series if, like me, you often find yourself trying to Lindy Hop at such slow speeds that you look, to quote Jan Brady, "positively goofy!" Go back and check out another day Go back to the Home Page Or, like that "Old Man Scribber", just keep "scrolling along" Tuesday April 27, 1999 We have no Reviews for this date Go back and check out another day Go back to the Home Page Or, like that "Old Man Scribber", just keep "scrolling along" Wednesday May 5, 1999 From: Elizabeth Engel WHEW! It's a good thing we know a decent amount of Balboa thanks to Iver's ministrations. Big Sandy and the Boys SMOKE! For those who haven't heard them, they're a fab rockabilly/western swing band, and we all about danced until we dropped. Jim and I joined Sean, Mercedes, "Big" Lisa, Meridith, Deb B, Alicyn and some of her friends, Ed, Cullen, Marie-Helene, Kelly, Tony, Doug, Chris B, and a bunch of other folks and kicked it up at the Birchmere. I got to wear one of my lovely Deb B finds, a gorgeous brown taffeta "I Love Lucy" style number that had me running around going "RICKY!" all evening, much to everyone's amusement (it's the red hair - what can I say?). We ate, we drank, we talked, we laughed, and we danced to some of the fastest, finest rockabilly I've ever heard. Big Sandy is a don't miss band in my book! Go back and check out another day Go back to the Home Page Or, like that "Old Man Scribber", just keep "scrolling along" Thursday April 29, 1999 We have no Reviews for this date Go back and check out another day Go back to the Home Page Or, like that "Old Man Scribber", just keep "scrolling along" Friday May 7, 1999 We made the trek to Pittsburgh for our weekend dance marathon. The festivities began in earnest on Friday evening with a dance at the Irish Center with our fave band, Dr. Zoot (Their MP3 single "Ghosts of Swing" has jumped to #1 on the independent rating service www.mpulse.com) The dance venue is something of a tribute to modern environmentalism (positive take) or the demise of Pittsburgh (negative take). The facility was built on a reclaimed slag dump east of the city. (Slag is everytghing that isn't steel that comes out of the blast furnace, sort of like 2400 degrees fahrenheit garbage) When I was a kid, they would haul this stuff in blazing railroad cars and then dump it --- it was poor man's fireworks. The place where we had the dance had been constantly on fire from say 1880 to 1972 --- today, it is filled with vegetation and we even saw a deer. Dr. Zoot generated enough heat to rekindle memories of the nightly fireworks. From: Elizabeth Engel Jim and I went to Poli-Tiki. By about 9:45, I could've sworn we were at Glen Echo. As Sean put it (add South African accent at your discretion), "When I came up the stairs, I could feel the wave of moisture." YUCK! Apparently, there was a problem with the A/C. They did eventually fix it - by about 10:45 - but we were all already drenched at that point. Nevertheless, it was another great night of dancing at PoliTiki. Early on, and while it was still a bearable temperature, I was pretty much the only "known" follower there, so Jim and Bob K kept passing me back and forth. Now that's the way to spend an evening of dance, let me tell you! It filled up more later on, which only added to the heat and humidity of course, but Matt spun the great CDs under the watchful eye of Bernstein as always, and we had a grand time, just barely getting rained on a little in the last block on our way home. At that point, getting rained on felt like a blessing! Go back and check out another day Go back to the Home Page Or, like that "Old Man Scribber", just keep "scrolling along" Saturday May 8, 1999 Our workshop went very well --- we had 53 couples and we worked more or less solidly from 10:00am until 4:00 pm. Candidly, I had more fun than I've ever had. We had a great all ages group, even some people that I recognized from West View Park Danceland in the late 1950s The record goes to a couple who came all the way from Dayton Ohio, although honorable mention goes to a fellow who bought an entire El Pachuco Zoot Suit rig for the event. There is a whole writeup about the event on the website. From: Sue Fedor I wish I had a good review of the Jet Set Six dance at GMU last Saturday, but I can't give my full endorsement. Before I go into detail, let me tell you that our frame of mind was not 100% positive going into this. It was Steve's turn to be terribly ill. And as I proved that over-the-counter medication only makes things worse, he was un-medicated, sneezing, sniffling, and miserable. Also, it took us almost 2 hours to get there from Mont. County. It would have been shorter had the directions been more detailed. For instance, no mention of the Fairfax County Parkway, which would have cut our trip by 30 minutes! Going home took 2 1/2 hours because we exited onto a different street. A MAP ON THE FLYER WOULD HAVE HELPED. When we got there, the multi-purpose room was a stifling sauna. The floor was sticky and hard. The band was incredibly loud for the room. The crowd was full of beginners--always good to see-- but there were way too many hot shots out there trying to impress their friends with kicks and aerials. The excessive heat kept most couples from dancing more than two dances in a row--this kept things from getting too crowded. In fact, most beginners spilled out into the carpeted areas outside of the room to cool off and practice steps. ABOUT THE BAND: The first set (which we missed) was lightning fast. The second set featured many of their original tunes, which are fast-medium and a few slow ones thrown in. They did their Led Zepplin/House of the Rising Sun number, which Tom Koerner drank in with much glee, but I'm afraid may have been lost on much of the college crowd. (Us Geezers are terribly disturbed by the medley, which, for many of us, harkens back to a time when swing dancing was definitely not on our agenda!) I happen to like their original numbers, which are refreshingly not the cliched "Let's drink and then start a fight" themed songs so popular with today's alternative voodoo daddy swing bands. "Every Single Day of My Single Life", "Livin' it Up", and "My Desire" are full of clever puns and catchy hooks. I'd call them "Lounge Pop" for lack of a better definition. The jam was respectable, in that the beat and tempo remained steady and consistant. Unfortunately, the band considered it a "break number" and the soloists sat out, leaving the bass and drummer to carry most of the song. The band has a lot of energy and promise. If you like new, alternative swing, they're just a little different and more upbeat. Their strongest features are their outstanding horn section and their catchy tunes. However, they could use some polishing. They could do a better job mixing the tempo up a bit. The lead singer should try not to scream into the microphone so much. Many of their clever lyrics are lost in the screaming. Also, the guitarist is too heavy handed with the overmodulated riffs, almost turning every song into a rock number. As for the venue, fans and better directions might improve things at GMU, but if you plan to go, dress lightly, bring your slipperiest, leather bottomed shoes and your thickest insoles. Go back and check out another day Go back to the Home Page Or, like that "Old Man Scribber", just keep "scrolling along" Sunday May 9, 1999 We have no Reviews for this date Go back and check out another day Go back to the Home Page Or, like that "Old Man Scribber", just keep "scrolling along" Monday May 10, 1999 We have no Reviews for this date Go back and check out another day Go back to the Home Page Or, like that "Old Man Scribber", just keep "scrolling along" Tuesday May 11, 1999 We have no Reviews for this date Go back and check out another day Go back to the Home Page Or, like that "Old Man Scribber", just keep "scrolling along" Wednesday May 12, 1999 We have no Reviews for this date Go back and check out another day Go back to the Home Page Or, like that "Old Man Scribber", just keep "scrolling along" Thursday May 13, 1999 We checked out Larry MacDonald's new gig at Bailey's (formerly Joe Theisman's) out in Bailey's Crossroads. We have good feelings about this venue. The dance space is quite nice -- the main floor is kind of smal, but very comfortable. There is a small "auxiliary" floor for practicing things like aerials. Best of all, the staff seems to be very nice and appears to be committed to the fact that swing dancers don't drink. There were some opening night jitters. Ben Rathbone's CD system didn't quite "fit" with the house system, and Ben was compelled to run about 30 feet to adjust the volume for every song. Clearly, Ben got a real workout. The crowd was very nice -- we haven't seen Dave Quidas and Marie Tomassi for a long time. Larry did a great job as host and we even managed to get in a Jam and a Shim Sham. A very nice place that fills a real need on Thursdays. It is definitely worth the trip! Go back and check out another day Go back to the Home Page Or, like that "Old Man Scribber", just keep "scrolling along" Friday May 14, 1999 On Thursday, we got a call from Mary Kay Ross of the Sulgrave Club to see if we could get some dancers together for a party. In short time, we were able to round up Cameron and Lisa, Erik and Erika, Sean and Mercedes, Steve and Sue, and Jim and Elizabeth to join us for the festivities. The club is absolutely beautiful and the ballroom has both a fantastic floor and great acoustics. It was certainly and elegant seetting in which to dance to the J Street Jumpers. Many of the members brought their teenagers, so all the dancers were kept very busy helping people get the feel of swing dancing. Later in the evening, Margaret Tutwiler (who used to be the State Department spokesperson in the Reagan years) dropped by in time for the jam. The food was great and we were especially taken with the home-made ice cream and real hot fudge available in mass quantities. Our sincere thanks to the Sulgrave Club for the invitation. Go back and check out another day Go back to the Home Page Or, like that "Old Man Scribber", just keep "scrolling along" Saturday May 15, 1999 We did a benefit for "My Sister's Place", a battered women's shelter. We got another evening of dancing to the J Street Jumpers and had a wonderful time. The dance floor in the Capital Hilton's Grand Ballroom was one of the best that we have been on in a long time. (combined with the Sulgrave Club the night before, our feet voted a resounding "thank You" for the weekend") Later in the evening Erik and Erica dropped by and showed off some fantastic Hollywood styling to the crowd. From: Elizabeth Engel Another year, another great USO dance. Saturday was SO MUCH FUN! A bunch of us gals repaired to Chris Santarlas' place in the afternoon to get glam '40's 'dos for the evening. After several hours of sets, hairspray, gossip, hairspray, pictures, hairspray, hair pins, hairspray, teasing, hairspray, silk flowers, and hairspray we were all probably substantially dumber (all that hairspray killing off the brain cells you know) and definitely exponentially more gorgeous. A couple of us actually made it to Meridith's for cocktails, hors d'oeurves, and getting dressed as planned, then a whole big group of us met at Glen Echo for MORE pictures and a very elegant picnic (thanks for the candles Alicyn!) that involved presenting flowers to the beautifully (and bravely - strapless dress!) attired Marie-Helene for her upcoming anniversaire. And what a perfect night for it! The band was...well, the band was Walt Wagner. They're not bad, not great, they mixed in a few too many non-WWII era pieces for my taste, but overall they did a good job on what was a long night of music for them. And I do love the way they play the jam - just one tune right into the next, no crazy solos where you get out there, start dancing, and then end up looking at your partner in terror going, "WHAT HAPPENED TO THE BEAT!?!?!?!?" And the jam featured a little bit of everything: jam regulars with their smooth, practiced routines, jam newbies with their enthusiasm and improvisation, air steps, fancy footwork, Savoy, Hollywood, balboa, and the de rigeur Nina-Naomi dance. And Tricia directed traffic very well, getting everyone in and out and mixing it up so there was a variety of styles and steps from one couple to the next. But the best part of the evening is always seeing everyone in their vintage finery: so many of the guys were in uniform (Olivier looked particularly nice and pulled off the vintage look even though we all know he was really there for the cars), Cullen in his tux, Tuan in his not-entirely-regulation zoot suit (but it was made from vintage fabric!). And the ladies! Most everyone was wearing new (to them) dresses, and I've never seen such beautiful stuff - Deb with her perfectly matched hat (as usual - does that gal know color or what?), Lisa and Sean winning the vintage contest at the first dance, Mercedes gorgeous black cocktail dress, Randi's summery purple flowers, Carolyn's incredible full circle skirt, Sue's perfect to a t uniform (including all the original buttons!), Meridith's slinky red satin number and perfect little chapeau, Alicyn treating us to two different dresses (one for each of the dances), and so many of us wearing finds from Deb's sale and swap. I can't wait to see everyone's pictures! What a magical evening! Go back and check out another day Go back to the Home Page Or, like that "Old Man Scribber", just keep "scrolling along" Sunday May 16, 1999 We have no Reviews for this date Go back and check out another day Go back to the Home Page Or, like that "Old Man Scribber", just keep "scrolling along" Monday May 17, 1999 We have no Reviews for this date Go back and check out another day Go back to the Home Page Or, like that "Old Man Scribber", just keep "scrolling along" Tuesday May 18, 1999 We have no Reviews for this date Go back and check out another day Go back to the Home Page Or, like that "Old Man Scribber", just keep "scrolling along" Wednesday May 19, 1999 We went to Glen Echo to see the Rockin' Bones. About 120 other people made the same decision, so the Spanish Ballroom had plenty of life that evening. Here is Elizabeth Engel's review of the event: From: Elizabeth Engel I LOVE LOVE LOVE ROCKIN' BONZ! OK, that said, I also had a really great time at Glen Echo last night. It is SO fun to go to these Wednesday night dances - no line, $6 as opposed to $16, and all the room in the world. Thanks to Mark (soon to be Dr. Mark - congrats on the successful defense!) and Ellen for organizing these! And Mark, thanks for the fab waltz - if all waltzers led like you, my meager waltz skills would be sufficient to the task all the time. It was the lovely Louise's birthday, and we missed the picnic due to a prior engagement, but we did arrive in time for what was just about the longest birthday dance in the history of the universe. Since Louise leads and follows, just about everybody in the place got in line and danced until Louise looked about ready to drop! And the Bonz sang happy birthday to her. We had a very fun, low-key jam without the usual dizzying amount of air steps - most of us kept it largely on the ground. And it was a balboa class reunion, with many of the folks from Iver's bal one class showing up to practice their steps to the Bonz' often fast tunes. It was a great dance evening, with most of us switching around partners quite a bit, and as usual of late a shortage of leaders. That's OK, though, several of us gals are getting pretty good at leading. As Mercedes observed, it's just like in during the War.... Go back and check out another day Go back to the Home Page Or, like that "Old Man Scribber", just keep "scrolling along" Thursday May 20, 1999 We made the trek down to BET for another taping. This evening, the band was Allan and the NYC Swing Hustlers, a new group that has only recently been formed. Allan Sherman, the leader is a great song stylist and a well-known guitarist in jazz circles. He has formed the Swing Hustlers largely along the lines of the Louis Jordan outfit with piano, bass, drums, trumpet, trombone and sax. All of the musicians were extremely competent professionals but the "newness" of the group was evident in the rehearsals between takes. This was very interesting to watch as the band played with various tempos and stylings. The material was all covers. We particularly liked what Allan did with "Reet Petite and Gone" --- as we said, he is a spectacular song stylist. Other noteworthy numbers included "Chartreuse", "L-O-V-E", and "TB Special". This evening, we were favored with the attendance of not one, but TWO of DC's best hand dance groups. Both Lawrence Bradford's "Snooth 'n EZ" group and Antonio and Mell's "Poetry in Motion" group were represented. This was a real treat for all fans of hand dance. The high point of the taping was when Lawrence Bradford danced with three ladies to the aptly chosen "Smooth and Easy". With retakes and rehearsals, the session lasted until ten, so we had to call it a night even though we wanted to head out to Rockville to see the RKO Orchestra at Timpano's. Go back and check out another day Go back to the Home Page Or, like that "Old Man Scribber", just keep "scrolling along" Thursday May 20, 1999 We have no Reviews for this date Go back and check out another day Go back to the Home Page Or, like that "Old Man Scribber", just keep "scrolling along" Friday May 21, 1999 We visited Poli-Tiki and had a great time dancing. When things got just a little crowded, Jim and Elizabeth invited us over to their house for conversation, water and a small but uncrowded dance floor. We'll let Elizabeth tell the story: From: Elizabeth Engel Friday night at PoliTiki was PACKED! We had the usual suspects who are there every week, a whole mess of beginners, and some Zones refugees. It was totally, totally crammed. I still love the place, but it was a bit of a love-hate thing on Friday night. Quite a few of the beginners seemed to be unfamiliar with the "small steps!" admonition (Thea and Brian - could you make sure to point that out in the coming weeks?) leading to quite a few smushed toes and kicked shins. But dancing with Charlie and Peter and Ron and getting to see Jim leading Steve Bailey in Balboa made it all worthwhile. Kathy and I were discussing what makes PoliTiki so appealing. I like it because it's a little neighborhood place that's open every night and serves food, which makes it fun and homey and not a big pick up scene. Kathy says it reminds her of what the small neighborhood places would have been like during swing's early years. Of course, no cover charge and a 5 minute walk from our front door don't hurt either... Anyway, after a bad encounter between my achilles tendon and a misplaced high heel, we decided to decamp, with several dancers in tow, for our living room, where we sat up late dancing, talking, and rehydrating (and no doubt driving our downstairs neighbor nuts!). Go back and check out another day Go back to the Home Page Or, like that "Old Man Scribber", just keep "scrolling along" Saturday May 22, 1999 We did a benefit for the American Humane Society. The event, called the "Bark Ball" featured the lovely Peaches O'Dell and her He-Man Orchestra. This was absolutely wonderful, because the AHS is one of our favorite charities and we are absolutely shameless fans of Peaches. Talk about having it both ways! On the other hand, we have, over the years, cautioned dancers to avoid working with children; we now expand this warning: "Do NOT work with dogs." The Bark Ball is somewhat unusual in that attendees are encouraged to bring their dogs. And dogs there were. I was stunned to see one of the most well-behaved and civilized Scotties in the world, our own "Scottish Terrors" having been intentionally left at home. There were some gorgeous dogs there --- a pair of snow-white standard poodles, a marvelous Harlequin Great Dane, and quite a few dour Dachshunds. Peaches got to share the stage with a Dalmatian who had a way of stealing attention away from even her most outrageous sequins. We did several aerials which attracted the attention of the canine crowd. When we did a sit-spin, a pair of (rescued) racing Greyhounds seemed to think that Carole was the mechanical rabbit --- they followed us around in circles. When we did a fish flip, Channel 9 news anchor Gordon Peterson's Dandie Dinmont terrier decided that it was time to sing. When we were doing Tandem Charleston, a Neapolitan Mastiff though we were doing something else and decided to rear up on my back.... Don't work with dogs... We got to lead the Bunny Hop (I got to wear the pink ears) From: Elizabeth Engel Saturday, a whole bunch of us showed up early to Glen Echo to celebrate Ms. Schwartz's 29th birthday (again). The picnickers were not deterred by the rain - that's what the Cuddle Up pavilion is for! The food was delish, and Lisa brought her boombox so we could dance before the dance, since 3 hours of dancing is just not enough! The crowd got bigger and bigger as time passed and the rain let up, and Lisa got birthday danced to her heart's content. TCO was just great as always. It was nice to see all the college kids home again and get to dance with them as well. The rain had cooled things off outside but, due to the lack of cross-ventilation, the only change to the ballroom climate was to ratchet up the humidity level. Tom and Debra went ahead with the dance competition anyway, with Steve and Cameron taking the prize. True to form, Cameron ended up flat on the floor twice, and everyone got a good laugh out of him trying to lead an underarm turn without clotheslining Steve. The jam was amazing - Tom and Brent were both blowin' sweet, and traded licks that sent shivers up and down my spine, despite the warm temps. By about mid-way through the jam, I lost track of the dancing as I grew increasingly enthralled watching those two play. We had a huge shim sham during the second band break. And after two encores, TCO and the Park Service had to throw people out. So a bunch of us went back to the Cuddle Up to talk, dance, and finish up the leftovers! Go back and check out another day Go back to the Home Page Or, like that "Old Man Scribber", just keep "scrolling along" Sunday May 23, 1999 We have no Reviews for this date Go back and check out another day Go back to the Home Page Or, like that "Old Man Scribber", just keep "scrolling along" Monday May 24, 1999 We have no Reviews for this date Go back and check out another day Go back to the Home Page Or, like that "Old Man Scribber", just keep "scrolling along" Tuesday May 25, 1999 We have no Reviews for this date Go back and check out another day Go back to the Home Page Or, like that "Old Man Scribber", just keep "scrolling along" Wednesday May 26, 1999 We have no Reviews for this date Go back and check out another day Go back to the Home Page Or, like that "Old Man Scribber", just keep "scrolling along" Thursday May 27, 1999 We have no Reviews for this date Go back and check out another day Go back to the Home Page Or, like that "Old Man Scribber", just keep "scrolling along" Friday May 28, 1999 From: Sue Fedor As you all know, Steve and I aren't getting out much these days. So it was a rare sight to see us out TOGETHER on Friday night. We went to a very empty Poli-Tiki. Where was everybody? Thea and Ray were holding court with the beginner lesson. Mike Henry was there, as was Jennifer, Jason (he's getting very good) and that cutie patootie, Seth, which I met and danced with for the first time. There were lots of beginners and we danced with them all. Those of you who frequent Poli-Tiki probably are aware of one guy in particular who is rather spastic on the dance floor, jumping around like a freak. Word is getting out about dancing with him and he only seems to dance with one partner, for the most part. I bet she needs Advil in heavy doses on Saturday morning. Bernstein was there, keeping careful watch over the DJ and dancing with all the pretty single girls. I chatted with him a bit and he imparted his secrets for getting good deals on home repairs. One nice thing...not having you other dancers there meant that there was more air conditioning for the rest of us! Go back and check out another day Go back to the Home Page Or, like that "Old Man Scribber", just keep "scrolling along" Saturday May 29, 1999 We went to Glen Echo to see Peaches O'Dell. This was another amazing evening. The Fidgety Feet dance team put on a wonderful exhibition --- athough Thomas Iveson's vintage pants self-destructed about halfway during the number. The hall was filled to capacity and it looked like everyone had a very good time. The big news was that Tina Connors was back and is getting into Lindy again. Alas, there was no jam. Also, regrettably, we did not get to hear Dr. Daniel Fierer sing. From: Sue Fedor Yes, Steve and I wimped out on Saturday---I worked all day on the Pagoda and was too pooped to dance. We spent Saturday evening on our neighbors' porch, drinking wine and relaxing. While we were appreciating the true spirit of the holiday, lots of other people were working their butts off in the name of patriotism down on the Mall. I'm sure those directly involved have their own stories to tell, but hearing things second hand, here's what I have to report: It was hot. Tom, Debra, Luke, Laura, Steve, Carla, Matt, Mara, Charlie, and Christie tried out and made the cut for the Lindy Chorus. The choreographer was rather demanding. People kept being switched around. Nobody was sure of what they were doing at any given time. Ellen Werther, who costumed the guys, had nothing danceable for most of the gals, due to a misunderstanding between herself, the director and the choregrapher. Needless to say, nothing in her entire wardrobe would have satisfied Rita Moreno, who prefers to be entirely bedecked in sequins. Only Tom, Debra and Charlie knew who Rita was. Half of you reading this do not know who Rita Moreno is...SHAME ON YOU! Rent West Side Story, for God sake! (Folks my age remember Rita from The Electric Company!) Even though she won a Tony, and an Emmy, Rita was not above sitting down and eating sandwiches with the rest of the dancers and crew. Matt, Charlie and Steve got to dance with Rita. Steve Bailey got to do aerials with Rita and did not drop her. Rita had problems tucking on the aerials. Some (nameless) folks had problems taking directions. Debra finally achieved her life long dream of singing a Broadway tune on nationwide television. Steve Bailey looks like "Cracker Jack" in a Navy Uniform. 17. Steve rushed the "up and over" with Carla and she ended up kissing his butt--leaving lipstick evidence on his posterior (such that it is...) They all looked great on television and did us Washingtonians proud. I'll put my geezer hat on and tell you crazy kids that I hope you appreciate the opportunity you had to meet and dance with a real legend. Rita really looked like she was having fun and enjoying the dancers. From: Elizabeth Engel Jim and I spent Memorial Day weekend in West Chester with my folks. West Chester being just outside Philly and us needing a little break from the fam in the evenings, we decided to check out the Philly scene. After perusing Pennsylvania 6-5000 and getting our list of Philly hotspots together, we struck out for the Schuykill (you can tell I'm local 'cause I spelled that right!) Expressway dressed in our coolest vintage duds. We decided to go back to Eden Rock Supper Club on Saturday (our first night). Some of you may recall that when we were up north over the holdiays, we checked out Eden Rock only to discover that the lead singer of the scheduled swing band was sick that night and the only replacements to be found the day after Christmas were a (very good but definitely not swingable) jazz trio. The last time we were there, we were the only dancers, and the owner (Dominick) was very nice to us and very glad to see some dancers show up to his brand new swing venue! This time, we walked in just as the band was finishing setting up - Ronnie James and the Jez Hot Swing Club. The band consists of drums, bass, sax, and Ronnie on the guitar and vocals. Those boys sure can swing! We put on our dance shoes and sat to the side of the small dance floor, surreptitiously scoping the 3 vintage-dressed couples at the bar (one couple rockabilly in bowling shirts, one couple in 40's casual with the guy dressing a lot like Eric or Matt, and one couple totally evening vintaged up down to the groovy seamed stockings and the silk orchids in the lady's hair). As the band was still sound-checking, we wandered upstairs to the rooftop deck to check out the gorgeous view of the Philly skyline, and then came back down in time to hear the band tear into their first number. The evening-vintage couple took off with some excellent six count, including some very swanky spins and turns. When the first number was over, everyone clapped, and the well-dressed couple left the floor. On the second tune, we kicked it up with DC-style lindy. This continued for the rest of the first set, with usually 2-3 couples on the floor at a time. At the band break, we rushed over to the bar to procure some drinks and introduce ourselves to the local dancers, rockabilly couple Greg and Laurie, casual 40's couple Chris and Susan, and evening 40's couple and Eden Rock dance instructors Ashley and Michael. After I raved over Ashley's beautiful vintage 'do, the first question out of their mouths was, "Where are you from?" At our "DC" reply, they exchanged knowing looks and Michael commented, "Hard core lindy hoppers." We talked vintage clothes and hair, dance shoes, lindy, east coast, Frankie's birthday (Gretta and Carla - Ashley said to say hi and that she enjoyed meeting you), the differences between swing scenes, and swing scene reputations. Philly of course has a reputation as a great east coast town, a great Philly Bop town, and a group of fabulous dressers (we could all take a lesson or two from these folks), but little or no lindy (which Ashley and Michael were lamenting). I in turn got some very interesting info which was repeated by several other dancers throughout the weekend: DC is getting a bad reputation, at least with some people. First the good news: we do have a widespread reputation for having a very active swing scene and a lot of very skilled and talented dancers. Some people come down here or meet DC dancers at swing weekends and return home with only good things to say - everyone's so nice, everyone's so social, everyone dances with everyone, everyone's so welcoming and friendly. But increasing numbers of dancers are returning home with a bad taste in their mouths. Our good image is rapidly being overtaken by reports of snottiness, arrogance, massive egos, refusal to dance with anyone but each other, and unwillingness to dance in social situations for fear that people will try to steal moves. Basically, it all depends on which DC dancers people meet. But the next time you meet a new group of dancers and they ask where you're from and you say "DC," watch their faces to see whether that information produces a smile or a grimace. Anyway, we danced and talked with the Philly folks all evening, and hung around late after the band finished up trading steps - shag and balboa for spins and turns. And if you ever get a chance to dance with Michael, be warned - he's a great dipper (even to the point of giving Sean a run for his money as Big Dipper!) There was also a very flamboyant ballroom dance couple there - his name was Dave, although I didn't catch her name. He was nice, but kind of condescending, and of course he assumed that he knew all about swing although he doesn't do it because "there's no money in it" (duh! double duh when compared with ballroom!). Before we dragged our weary bodies home to the suburbs, we asked the local dancers where we should go on Sunday night. The 5 Spot is the only place to be, but they recommended we stay away from the small, hot, crowded and potentially dangerous upstairs (where the live bands play, the crowd encroaches, people are drinking, and the cool decor lives) and stick to Hellzapoppin' downstairs. Go back and check out another day Go back to the Home Page Or, like that "Old Man Scribber", just keep "scrolling along" Sunday May 30, 1999 From: Sue Fedor Gay and Dave came over for dinner...it was Dave-O's birthday. You'll have to beat out of him how old he is. He'll probably enjoy that, come to think of it... We ended dinner in time to watch the tape of the Memorial Day concert on the Mall. We fast forwarded through the boring Charles Durning stuff...to get to the SWING DANCING!!!!! I recall that last year, the camera did not do a lot of focusing on the dance chorus. This year, there were a lot of wide shots of the dancing. The dancers were very prominent and everybody had their few seconds to ham on TV....especially you, Debra. They just don't have entertainment like this on commercial TV...and that's a damn shame. Inspired, we headed out to Lewie's to see the Lost Continentals. Ellen Werther, Lisa and many of the geezers were there. There were more gals than guys, so Steve took turns making sure all the Goodtime Gals had a good time. That left me free to discover a new visitor from San Francisco, John Chan. He's studied with all sorts of folks out there and has a wonderful lead. We were joking about how they call moves by different names out there, which makes audible leads completely worthless. The band was fantastic. I was almost sorry I missed them at Nick's on Saturday...but it made me all the more glad we went out on Sunday. They're up from Atlanta and plan to be up this way more often--so warm was there welcome. We yelled and screamed until they came out for an encore. The lead singer is such a cutie. The vocals were well balanced and the harmonies were tight. The song variety was outstanding. Some of their original stuff is a bit strange, however. Only downer: they all smoke. What can I say about Lewie's? This was the first time we were ever there. I think management spent more money on the huge neon sign than they did on the interior. The charged both a cover and very high prices for drinks. The floor is crappy and the parquet wood over concrete abruptly ends for no reason in one section. You know it's time to leave when they turn on the sodium vapor street lights on the ceiling that make everyone look like Martians with purple lips. From: Elizabeth Engel So Sunday night, after a day of sun, picnic food, and relatives out the wazoo, we dressed rockabilly (love those LL Bean capris!) and headed down to Penn's Landing. Took us a while to find a parking lot that had a free space, and the sidewalks were mobbed from Center City east to the river. Urban renewal at work, and don't I love to see it! 10 years ago, the only people out in Center City after dark were addicts, hookers, and muggers. It's good to see our downtowns coming back. When we arrived at The 5 Spot we discovered, much to our dismay, that Hellzapoppin' was closed for a private bar mitzvah. So we headed upstairs with much fear and trembling. We arrived about an hour before the band was due to start and at first, there was plenty of room to dance. The floor was fairly crowded, but when people saw what we were doing, they made room. We danced in the front up by the bandstand, we danced to the right of the bandstand, we danced to the left of the bandstand, we danced back by the bar...where we ran into a nice fella named Eric who studied some Balboa with Sylvia and Jonathan years ago. He showed us a new move, and we helped him remember some of the stuff he already knew. The dancing was pretty good although the floor was lousy and the music was almost entirely nouveau swing. I sure was wishing to hear some Louis Jordan or Andrews Sisters after "swing" song after "swing" song about drinking and getting in fights. Bernstein, where were you when I needed you? But the clothes! Damn fine lookin' bunch of people! These kids may not know Lindy, but they can dress to beat the band! Speaking of the band (Swingadelic Baby - stupid name, good sound), by the time they were ready to start, it had gotten considerably more crowded. We worked our way back up to the front of the room, saw lots of flying feet and clunky hard-soled shoes, found ourselves a protected spot to the one side of the bandstand, and settled in and prepared to kick it. Which we did throughout the first set, to the amusement and delight of the onlookers and at least some of the dancers around us. But where were our Saturday night friends? Towards the end of the first set, we left the floor to grab some water (wisely set out in pitchers with glasses on a side bar) and returned to the dance floor only to discover that someone had taken our spot! A pox on them! So we snaked over to the mirror spot on the opposite side of the bandstand and finished up the set there. As the set ended, who should tap me on the shoulder but the lovely Ashley, sporting a great vintage halter top that displayed her gorgeous shoulder tattoo to perfection. Turns out our Saturday night friends are regulars who were able to score one of the huge corner booths. So Jim grabbed our stuff from the back lounge and we spent the rest of the evening dancing with each other and them, talking, listening to the band, and generally having a grand time. Several of the regulars asked both of us to dance off and on, and we got to meet the drummer and bass player for the band, who had some questions about lindy hop. We were planning a shim sham for the second band break (which took place after midnight - DC is probably the only major city in the world where the swing scene is winding down or ending by midnight) because Ashley has just gotten the hang of it and wants to teach a class later this summer, but the DJ couldn't find TJ or SatS in time, and we had to head out during the third set so we could get back to DC Monday in time to return our rental car. We had a really great trip, everyone was tremendously nice and welcoming and interested in lindy (several people mentioned that DC lindy hop teachers could make big bucks trucking up there to do lessons or workshops - any of you teacher-types interested in a regular road trip?), and Ashley will be visiting at the end of the month, so I'll be sure to introduce her to all the fine folks we have here in DC to make sure that the next time a strange dancer answers her "Where are you from?" question with "DC," the response will be a smile! Go back and check out another day Go back to the Home Page Or, like that "Old Man Scribber", just keep "scrolling along" Monday May 31, 1999 We have no Reviews for this date. Go back and check out another day Go back to the Home Page Or, like that "Old Man Scribber", just keep "scrolling along"

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