Month: September 2011

Peter Lamb and the Wolves at Carrboro Arts Center

Peter Lamb and the Wolves will play a concert at the Carrboro Arts Center this Sunday, October 2, 2011. I will be joining the Wolves onstage for a few songs and so will Lucian Cobb, the Atomic Rhythm All-Stars‘ trombone player extraordinaire.

From the Arts Center website:

“The dance floor will be open for Peter Lamb and The Wolves’ Arts Center debut! Named best Jazz group in the Triangle, this young quintet lives up to their fairy-tale namesakes. The Wolves peddle languid sophistication that is always a little bit dangerous–their repertoire reaches back to New Orleans’ earliest syncopaters but also forward to hipster bards like Bob Dylan and Tom Waits. http://www.peterlambandthewolves.com. Recommended for fans of: James Hunter, Sam Cooke.”

Single Admission: $11
Members Single Admission: $9
Day-of-show non-members: $13

Get your tickets in advance through the Carrboro Arts Center’s website: http://artscenterlive.org/event/performance/527

Pink Renaissance: A Jazz Affair

This Friday, September 23, 2011, I will be performing with the Al Strong Quartet +1 as a dancer at Pink Renaissance: A Jazz Affair. This concert is a fundraiser sponsored by the Kappa Alpha Alpha Sorority and the money raised will go to scholarships. The concert will feature some early jazz tunes, to fit the Harlem Renaissance theme, and will feature the dancing of local swing dancers, including myself, performing Lindy Hop, Balboa, Charleston, and Blues dancing to the music performed by the band.

The event runs from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and will also feature heavy hors d’oeuvres and an amazing cake created by Gregory Bingham of The Art of Cake.

UNC- Chapel Hill, Sonja Haynes Stone Center Theater
150 South Road
Chapel Hill, NC

For more information visit the Kappa Alpha Alpha web site.

DJ at Hot Club of Durham, September 15, 2011

I’m excited to be DJ’ing for the Hot Club of Durham swing dance again this week! Come swing out at Durham’s weekly Lindy Hop, East Coast Swing, Charleston, and Balboa night and enjoy the new swing and early jazz tunes I have ready to play for you. 🙂

Beginner lesson at 8:00 p.m., dance from 9:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. Come early and grab dinner at one of the food trucks parked across the street at Fullsteam Brewery or Motorco.

Hot Club of Durham
Trotter Building
410 W. Geer Street
Durham, NC

Big Apple Workshop with The Carolina Fascinators and Atomic Rhythm All-Stars at TSDS, September 10, 2011

This Saturday, September 10, 2011, The Carolina Fascinators will be holding a workshop to teach the second half of the Big Apple – the second half of that famous jazz routine that just doesn’t seem to stick. The workshop will be held from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Triangle Dance Studio, 2603 S. Miami Blvd. in Durham, NC. Cost is $20. For more details, visit The Carolina Fascinators’ website.

If you missed the first half, Hot Club of Durham will be teaching a workshop on the first half of the Big Apple on Thursday, September 8 at 7:00 p.m. Details at http://www.hotclubofdurham.com.

Also on September 10, the Atomic Rhythm All-Stars will be performing at the Triangle Swing Dance Society dance at the Carrboro Century Center in Carrboro, NC. The band plays from 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Details at http://www.triangleswingdance.org.

Balboa Jack and Jill Finals at ILHC 2011

This past weekend I attended the International Lindy Hop Championships, held just outside of Washington, D.C. in Alexandria, Virginia. Top swing dancers from all over the globe descended on the Westin Alexandria to compete in couples competitions, Jack and Jills, showcase, teams, and solo Charleston. I signed up for the Balboa Jack and Jill, where you are paired randomly with another leader, and, with the help of some amazing leads in the prelims, managed to secure a spot in the finals! Leaders drew their followers names from a hat for the finals and my name was drawn by Mikey Pedroza from Mission Viejo, California. Having never danced with Mikey before, this was what we call a “true Jack and Jill.” You can see our spotlight and the final all-skate in the videos below. We didn’t win, but it certainly felt like winning to have made the finals!

Jazz Age Lawn Party 2011

Two weekends ago flew to New York City to attend the Jazz Age Lawn Party, bandleader Michael Arenella‘s 1920’s themed event held on August 20 and 21, which is a rare opportunity for dancers to spend the day dancing entirely to 1920’s music, while picnicing on the picturesque Governor’s Island. The dance floor was crowded, but I managed to get some dancing in, per the video below and this Flickr video. I also had the pleasure of being photographed by DNAInfo.com and by Bill Cunningham of the New York Times!