The past few weekends have been pretty hectic. Save Our Seminary has been trying to spend these last few nice weekends of the year finishing up the paint job on the pagoda. As a result, we've been too wiped out to do much dancing.....but we did manage to make it out on Saturday night.

Big Joe and the Dynaflows were at Glen Echo. With each successive band, more and more of the Washington Swing Dance Committee's "influence" has been felt. I'm sure I'm not the only one to notice this. First, was "jam" discouragement, which cannot always be enforced, but most of the time is. Second is the creeping in during the breaks of waltz and tango. The band even played a waltz during one of its sets.

This second one burns me the most. While it's mildly amusing for some of us to watch beginners try to do their six-count swing to waltz time, I'm sure it's not much fun for them. One of the "not swing" songs actually cleared the floor!

I know there have been endless discussions of whether or not bands should be swing purists, etc... but it is the Washington SWING Dance Committee, not the Washington BALLROOM Dance Committee. WSDC teaches a beginner SWING dance. We don't all travel in the same "gotta learn every dance on earth" circles and most dancers are lucky to do the one or two dances they know. If they go to a SWING dance, they expect to do swing, east coast or lindy.

I love Big Joe and I've heard him play good jump blues before, but it seems that every time I see him at Glen Echo, unless you come armed with some West Coast swing under your belt (and how many swing beginners have West Coast under their belts?) , as well as some cha-cha and waltz, you'll be sitting out quite a bit, which will be quite discouraging to beginners....but maybe that's the point.

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Sunday November 7, 1999

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Monday November 8, 1999

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Tuesday November 9, 1999

Old Timer's night at the Grille

I dropped in for the third of the "Old Timers'" reunions at Vienna Grille. This is a very nice event, made even better by a pre-dance gathering in the White Tiger restaurant that has taken over from the defunct Cajun-style restaurant upstairs. The food seems to be fairly good. I haven't seen Chris Bamberger in a long time and it was very nice chatting with her. Vienna Grille is always good, but these "Old Timer Tuesdays" are sort of a special nostalgic treat

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Wednesday November 10, 1999

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Thursday November 11, 1999

Chambersburg, Harrisburg

Karen and I took advantage of the Veteran's Day holiday to do a little vintage and thrift shopping. We headed for the wilds of central Pennsylvania and had a great day. After breakfast at the Molly Pitcher Waffle Shop in Chambersburg, we began to root through the local thrift stores in earnest. There were a number of small things but nothing really major, indicating that this area has been fairly well mined. A stop in Fayetteville, however, yielded a Henry Dreyfuss Big Ben alarm clock in good working order with the original finish. At $15, this was the star bargain of the day.

Karen found some addenda to her chicken collection and we had a very nice snack at the Central Market in Harrisburg. Central Pennsylvania makes a very nice day trip!

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Friday November 12, 1999

Rockin' Bones at Cowboy Cafe

It's no secret that the Rockin' Bones are one of my favorite bands. When you add this to the relatively authentic/seedy atmosphere of the Cowboy Cafe, you have a Rockabilly experience straight out of the 1950s. In addition to the band and the setting, the evening was made all the better because a whole bunch of the Rockabilly crowd, including Wiulliam, Katti (of SpareChange Magazine), Heidi, Jenn, etc, etc. also showed up in absolutely fantastic outfits.

A great plus for the event was that it was only a block from Karen's house, so we didn't have a whole lot of hassle getting there. There is really something to be said for Lindy Hop within walking distance.

The Bonz played four fantastic sets and the whole gang stayed for all of them. It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening. This is the way to do Rockabilly.

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Saturday November 13, 1999

WWII Veteran's Dance

Last year, the swing dance community discovered this event by accident (a burst water pipe cancelled a dance at Glen Echo...) Tonight, there was no accident --- it seemed like every part of the Swing community came out in droves. The evening was a whole lot of fun and the only problem was that the dance floor was way too small for the gang that showed up

The Difficult Run Jazz Band was in great form and the star of the show was Chris Santarlas, the DRJB vocalist. Chris also does hair and makeup styling in the swing community and it was great to see her perform.

It seemed that everyone took the opportunity to get dressed up in their finest. The crowd looked just swell! A whole group of about 30 people came from the GWU swing club. Most of this group was between 18 and 25 years old --- just about the same ages as the WWII veterans were at the time of the war. Several vets shared this observation and said that the combination of clothes and dancing really helped turn the clock back.

A really great time and lots of thanks to the Rverend Arnold Taylor for organizing the event.

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Sunday November 14, 1999

La Salle at Glen Echo

I couldn't say this any better!

From: Chuck Whittaker

I took your advice and came to the Sunday afternoon dance at Glen Echo. The music was simply fantastic! I found considerable opportunity to practice Collegiate Shag (as you said), but the best part was the authenticity --- this was exzactly the kind of experience that dancers in the 1920s and 1930s could have at hotels and restaurants all over the country. I really look forward to the January Sunday Tea Dance.

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Monday November 15, 1999

Mercedes' London Trip

Debra and I spent Monday at Marc and Ellen's aerials class -- - great stuff, but nothing compared to the report that we got from Mercedes:

From: Mercedes Clemens

Hi, Frank --
Just got back from a two-week vacation in the U.K., the majority of which was spent in London. It was a mostly non-dancing trip since I was with my non-dancing hubby Dave. But fellow hopper Sean Sanders managed to slip on down from his holiday in Cambridge for a night of dancing at the cozy 100 Club in London (100 Oxford Street) on Monday Nov. 1 (weekly dances with bands are held there, sponsored by the London Swing Dance Society). Of course, we'd been hoping to catch up with Simon Selmon, but where was he? In the U.S. of course, at the ALHC. Oh well! We had a blast anyway. And although we didn't see Simon, our buddies the Jive Aces were booked for that evening (how weird is that?!?). At first I was a bit worried -- my dogs & pins were tired after trekking around London and JA plays some fast stuff. I needn't have worried, though -- Sean & I warmed up to the great music the dj was playing before the band came on (Bernstein & this guy would get on very well) and I totally forgot how tired I was. Great stuff adrenalin & endorphins!

The floor was pretty darn good -- perfect for saddle shoes. And it wasn't too packed with people -- just enough to make it fun without constantly slamming into others. They had a good crowd for the lessons (an intermediate & beginner taught simultaneously at opposite ends of the room) and although some of the newbies stuck around for a while, it was mostly veterans for the evening. The Jive Aces are regulars there, so it was a much different environment than seeing them in D.C. So what were the dancers like? Well, I don't think I've ever danced that much in quite a while! :-) Part of it was that I didn't refuse a dance all evening, even when I (desperately ) needed a breather. I really felt like I was representing both the U.S. and the D.C. area and wanted to put my best foot forward, so to speak. Fortunately, the fellas I danced with were wonderful -- even when I was exhausted, I was able to make it through the songs due to their nice, solid leads and I had a great time doing it. Danced several songs with Nigel, who was substituting for Simon that evening -- during our first song he threw in some basic collegiate shag and then surprised me with some very nice balboa, much to my delight! And he surprised me later on by doing some stuff which seemed like it should have been choreographed, but his lead was so amazing I followed it without (hardly) missing a beat.

The other thing that was nice was that the fellas were such gentlemen -- they've got that fab Frankie Manning attitude and I felt like such a lady all evening. They were very welcoming -- I even got lots of friendly, polite pecks on the cheek as thanks for dances (this surprised me -- I've spent a lot of time in the U.K. and they are generally fairly reserved). It was just, well, NICE and all quite sweet.

Unfortunately, that one night was the only dancing I did -- there was a big swing dance the following Saturday which I missed due to a 24 hr. bug, and this past Monday Dave and I were at the theatre. I may just have to sneak over for a solid week of dancing next time, though, with a dancing buddy in tow!

As for other stuff, in brief, if you're in London get yourself to the Museum of London. Every time I'm over there I make sure that's one of my museum stops. They've always had a great exhibit on London during WWII (complete with an Anderson shelter), but this time they had an extensive (and I think permanent) exhibit chronicling life in London in the 30s, 40s, and 50s. Great artifacts, great tidbits of info if you're at all into the history of the period (they even have a cute vintage Ford!). The London Transport Museum (in Covent Garden) is also worth a trip -- you can climb into vintage buses and tube (subway) trains. It was a bit nostalgic for me since they were still using old tube trains from the 30s & 40s when I was living in London in '86 (and many of the escalators were the old wooden ones, now replaced with modern metal). The gift shop there is also excellent -- they've got beautiful art deco postcards and posters, as well as interesting books & such.

All in all, a great trip, but I'm looking forward to getting back out onto the dance floor here!
---Mercedes

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Tuesday November 16, 1999

On the Road with CATS

From: Stephen Hopper

I have been traveling with the musical CATS now for two and a half years. I have been swing dancing in every major city and most of the minor ones-including Canada! I owe so much to you and your web page for advice and places to go.

We move every week and sometimes more often than that and it is very lonely on the road. Your page has been one of my best friends and thanks to you I have met some wonderful people all across the country.

Keep up the good work.

This CATS company is closing in December so I am settling back in LA and have my own band that I formed on the road called: Stephen Hopper and the Swing Revival.

Again thanks for all the swinging times-it had meant more than you know.

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Wednesday November 17, 1999

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Thursday November 18, 1999

RKO Swing at Timpano

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Friday November 19, 1999

Daryl Davis at APTD

From: Elizabeth Engel

Friday night was the first time I was privileged to hear the amazing Daryl Davis. I love boogie woogie, and this man is the KING! I hardly sat out a single dance. He played everything from slow, bluesy tunes to Chuck Berry to Baby Elephant Walk (did you know you can shim-sham to that? I didn't) to, for the final number of the evening, I'm Your Boogie Man during which Daryl had us switch partners and freeze on cue. And he even ran the freeze-dance section in time with the meter of the music, unlike certain balding lawyers I know ;-) The crowd at ZOOTS was light enough that you had room to dance, but heavy enough that switching partners was not a problem. I can't wait to hear Daryl again at Deb's birthday bash at CCB!

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Saturday November 20, 1999

Air Mail Special at Nick's

Air Mail Special, the sensational new group, played to a packed house at Nick's. Seth, Bruce, Charlie and Lance really tore the place up with their spectacular interpretation of Goddman Quintet numbers --- of which, Flying Home was the centerpiece. The crowd truly enjoyed the performance. The jam was a whole lot of fun -- - yes, folks made mistakes, but there was a true spirit of enthusiasm. You should make it a point to get out to see Air mail Special wherever they are playing!

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Sunday November 21, 1999

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Monday November 22, 1999

Daryl Davis at CCB

From: Elizabeth Engel

Another evening of the master of Boogie Woogie! We haven't been to CCB in months because I've been taking an early morning yoga class on Tuesdays since June, but the studio is closed for Thanksgiving, and we were ready to rock, to hear an evening of great music, and to help the lovely Ms. Sternberg celebrate her birthday. It was great to be back to Chevy Chase Sauna - I mean Ballroom - after so many months away. The place was packed with old and new faces, and there were many well-wishers there to share Debra's birthday bash.

Daryl Davis kept everyone dancing and kept the room hopping all night long. I got to dance with a couple fellas I haven't seen in a while, and the tempos and tune selections were just grand. The high point of the evening was the world's longest birthday dance off, which Daryl ended with a two choruses at double-speed. I thought Debra would burst into flame for sure, but amazingly she was able to keep dancing. And of course, the final number was Boogie Man complete with freezes and switches, during which I was able to grab a few guys I'd missed earlier, do a little double bug with Sean and Lisa, and lead for a round.

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Tuesday November 23, 1999

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Wednesday November 24, 1999

94th Aero Squadron

I paid my first visit to the 94th Aero Squadron to check out the new Swing Wednesdays. It was the night before Thanksgiving and a very large crowd gathered, including a very nice mix of beginners and experienced dancers. Ray and Brian kept a fine mix of really good swing material pumping through the sound system. The floor was a tad sticky but nothing to get upset about. Of course, you can't beat the decor --- this is a very nice place to wear vintage! So, the new Swing Wednesday gets and "A" from me. You should really check it out

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Thursday November 25, 1999

Thanksgiving

Big thanks to the very lovely Cherri Harris for hosting this year's Lindy Thanksgiving. Cherri managed to feed about 20 people in grand style. The whole gang got to see her brand new townhouse, all laid out according to the very best in Feng Shui. The best part is her third floor, which she has fitted out as a dance floor. A surprising number of folks stayed until 2:00 am dancing away. Thanks to Cherri for being such a good sport!

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Friday November 26, 1999

Delegates at Nick's

Tom and Debra brought the Delegates down from New York for a much-needed post Thanksgiving Lindy party. The crowd seemed to be very pleased with the performance. Most of the time, the dance floor was quite crowded and there was a whole lot of socialization. In the midst of all this, we celebrated Randi's birthday. A very nice evening. The Delegates get a big Thumbs Up --- check them out whenever they play!

From: Mercedes Clemens

Despite torrential downpours and it being the day after Thanksgiving, there was a nice turnout at Zoots. We were a little surprised when the fire alarm sounded at precisely 8pm, sending everyone out front (mercifully, the gods had reduced the rain to a sprinkle by then). Fortunately, the delay was short and we were entertained during it by a nice big firetruck with lights flashing, and two very good looking firemen (hey, I may be married, but I'm not dead!), who alighted to resolve the problem. Within minutes we were able to start the lesson, and from then on things were back on schedule. We invited the firemen to stay, but alas, our heroes had to go off and save needier damsels than us.

The Moonlighters played -- they'd played before at APTD's previous location in Centreville and although the band configuration was a little different (a one time thing), they still sounded great. For me, it was a wonderful opportunity to combine two things I love -- lindy and the blues. And this is a great blues band, with a wide repertoire of slow to moderate (sweet version of one of my faves, "Kansas City"), and fast (dust off your balboa to a wickedly fun "I Got My Mojo Working") totally danceable tunes. They'd be great for a combined lindy/hand dance night! (Hint, hint to dance organizers!)

If you like blues at all, this is definitely a band you're gonna want to see. And a big thank you to Nancy & Donna for booking such a great variety of wonderful bands -- it makes Lindy so much more fun (next week is the fabulous Bill Eliot Trio). Check http://www.aplacetodance.com for more info or call Nancy at 703-968-7015 or Donna at 703-978-0375.

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Saturday November 27, 1999

TCO at Glen Echo

The Tom Cunningham Orchestra played their regular Fourth Friday gig at Glen Echo to a near-capacity house. The usual suspects showed up, but there was an infusion of travellers from all over the country, including a contingent from San Francisco. From the size of the crowd and the number of folks who stayed right up to the bitter end, it looked like the gig was a big success. The Jam was spectacular!

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Sunday November 28, 1999

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Monday November 29, 1999

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Tuesday November 30, 1999

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