DJ

Jammin’ on the James – October 18-20, 2013

I’m back in the DJ booth with my partner in crime DJ Bill Speidel for another wonderful weekend of workshops and dances in Richmond – Jammin’ on the James is the weekend of October 18-20, 2013, with international instructors Marie Nahnfeldt Mattsson, Skye Humphries, Mike Faltesek, and Casey Schneider rounding out the teaching roster. We’ll be enjoying live music from DC’s Blue Crescent Syncopators, Baltimore’s Bumper Jacksons, and Richmond’s own Doctors of Jazz. This is always such a fun, quality weekend of dancing, I hope you’ll join us!

All Balboa Weekend 2013

It’s that time of year – the time every year where I drive 8 1/2 hours to my Mecca-of-sorts, All Balboa Weekend in Cleveland, Ohio. There will definitely be a vintage shopping excursion (with a report), with some old favorites and perhaps a new shop for Lindy Shopper. And cupcakes.

I’m looking forward to working with the many of you who volunteered to participate in All Balboa Weekend’s 1940’s fashion show, as well as seeing all the wonderful clothing that you are bringing and that Val and the vendors are providing for the show!

I am also looking forward to performing with my band, the Mint Julep Jazz Band, at the Friday night dance and to singing with the Boilermaker Jazz Band on Saturday. This is really a dream come true, to be able to have my band perform at my favorite dance weekend of the year, and I’m just…over the moon right now. EXCITED!

Last, but certainly not least, I am one of the main DJs for the weekend, along with head DJ Kyle Smith and fellow blogger Christian Bossert of Swing DJ Resources.

Yes, I will be doing ALL THE THINGS. Including dancing. 😀

I hope to see some of you there, please come up and introduce yourself if we are not already acquainted.

Onward to Cleveland!

Queen City Lindy Exchange 2013

This Saturday, March 9, the Mint Julep Jazz Band hits the road to road to Charlotte, North Carolina for the Queen City Lindy Exchange. We are excited to appear as their Saturday night band for the second year in a row! As North Carolina’s only Lindy Exchange, we are looking forward to some stellar regional dancer attendance, including a large caravan of dancers coming from the Triangle.

Also, QCLX’s theme for this year is Dr. Who – Whovian Lindy Hoppers can participate in a costume contest on Friday night and in a Doctor/Companion Jack and Jill competition on Saturday night. 🙂

Chantilly Hall
2101 Shenandoah Ave.
Charlotte, NC

Band plays from 8:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.

Admission: Registration information for the weekend at http://www.qclx.org, $25 at the door on Saturday night

P.S. I’m also DJ’ing this weekend – woot!

Rocky Mountain Balboa Blowout 2013

This weekend I’ll head to Denver, Colorado to DJ some sweet Balboa tunes at the Rocky Mountain Balboa Blowout! I’ve missed this event for the past two years and it’s so wonderful to be able to go again – looking forward to Denver’s wonderful venues, food, dancing, and general shenanigans with my fellow DJs. 🙂

Lindy Focus 2012

I am excited to announce that I will be working at this year’s Lindy Focus Dance Camp in three capacities! First, I will be a part of the event’s DJ roster, spinning tunes in the Balboa room, now known as the Avalon Balboa Dance Party. It has been a dream of mine for years to be invited to DJ at Lindy Focus and I am excited to be invited to spin my favorite tunes (i.e. uptempo swing) for the event.

Second, I will be making an appearance as Lindy Shopper on a panel discussion during Lindy Focus’ Field Day – the discussion is titled “Scene Building in the Age of New Media” and I will be accompanied by four other esteemed panelists, including Dance World Takeover‘s Rebecca Brightly, Wandering and Pondering‘s Jerry Almonte, Mobtown Ballroom‘s Michael Seguin, and international dance instructor and swing jazz guitarist Mike Faltesek.

Finally, I’ll be singing a few tunes with the Solomon Douglas Swingtet on December 30!

Did I mention I was excited?! I mean, who isn’t excited about the opportunity to attend Lindy Focus? The cherry on my awesome LF sundae is that my husband, trombonist Lucian Cobb, will be working the event, as well, performing with Ben Polcer, Glenn Crytzer, and Solomon Douglas – huzzah!

All Balboa Weekend 2012

This weekend is my favorite swing dance event of the year, All Balboa Weekend in Independence, Ohio. I’ll be DJ’ing again this year and look forward to playing entire sets of uptempo classic swing music. Ahhhhh!

I am also looking forward to sharing the DJ booth with the esteemed head DJ Kyle Smith and a team of national and international swing DJs, including Sandrine Gressier (Toulouse, France), Christian Bossert (Zurich, Switzerland), Jo Ann Coker (Seattle, WA), and Kristy Milliken (Durham, NC). This is also the first time I have seen the female DJs outnumber the male DJs at a national swing dance event that is not geared towards followers – go ladies!

I’ll also be reporting on Cleveland’s numerous and fabulous vintage stores, as well as the event vendors , for the Lindy Shopper blog.

Queen City Lindy Exchange 2012

On March 10, 2012 the Mint Julep Jazz Band is playing the Saturday night dance at the Queen City Lindy Exchange! The Queen City Lindy Exchange is a weekend-long swing dance event held in Charlotte, NC with dances held throughout the weekend, featuring both DJs and live bands. Speaking of DJs, I will also be one of their featured DJs for the weekend. 🙂 QCLX is organized by Eric and Stephanie Simpson of Lovin’ Lindy, who are the dearest people and I’m looking forward to working with them at this event!

For more information on the event and the Saturday night dance, please visit http://www.qclx.org/.

Mint Julep Jazz Band Debut Performance – February 23, 2012

I’m looking forward to (i.e. crazy, insanely excited about) the Mint Julep Jazz Band‘s debut performance on Thursday, February 23, 2012 at Durham’s weekly Lindy Hop and Swing dance night at Hot Club of Durham, with the band hosted by RDU Rent Party! RDU Rent Party is a pay-what-you-can swing dance where all the donations taken at the door go to the band at the end of the night. Everyone is welcome at this event – this is a large venue and there will be plenty of seating at tables for people who are not dancing.

Also making her debut with the Mint Julep Jazz Band is DJ Sarah Ovenall, host of WXDU’s Divaville Lounge, which highlights “great songs and singers from Tin Pan Alley to the swing era,” every Sunday from 2-4 p.m. on 88.7 FM. If you’ve ever heard Sarah’s show, you know that she has an extensive music collection from the jazz age and swing era. She’s up for this new DJ challenge and I’m excited to hear her first set for dancers!

The Trotter Building back then is very similar to how it looks today.

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

8:00 p.m. – Beginner lesson

9:00 p.m.-12:00 a.m. – The Mint Julep Jazz Band and DJ Sarah Ovenall

RDU Rent Party is pay-what-you-can with a suggested $10 donation

The Facebook invite: http://www.facebook.com/events/234356989972442/

For more information, visit

http://www.rdurentparty.com/

http://www.hotclubofdurham.com/

http://divavillelounge.org/

TSDS Battle of the Genres DJ Swing Dance

On Saturday, January 7, 2012, I will be one of three DJs battling it out in the first ever Triangle Swing Dance Society Battle of the Genres. I will be representing pre-WWII swing, Jason Sager will be playing post-WWII swing, and Kristy Milliken will dish out a healthy portion of blues, soul, and anything else you can swing out to.

We’ll also be continuing our March Madness-style battle of classic swing songs, where you’ll vote with your feet and your applause to determine the best classic swing song!

Saturday’s showdown is from 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. at the Murphey School, 3717 Murphy School Road, Durham, NC. Admission is $7 for members and students, $10 for non-members.

And eat your Wheaties! It’s going to be an awesome night!

Swing For Scrap: A Scrap Exchange Fundraiser Dance, November 19, 2011

Can't find a good photo of the floor, but here is the lovely ceiling!

On Saturday, November 19, 2011, I will be DJ’ing at the Swing and Scrap Fundraising Dance, a DJ swing dance to benefit the Scrap Exchange. From their website: “The Scrap Exchange is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote creativity, environmental awareness, and community through reuse. We collect materials from hundreds of individuals, businesses, industries, and municipal sources and distribute those materials through our retail store in Durham, North Carolina as well as through workshops, parties, and outreach events across the Southeast.”

This dance will be held at Duke Gardens in the Doris Duke Center, which has the most beautiful inlaid wood floor in the Triangle – I’ve been dying to dance on it!

The details:

7:00 p.m. Beginner East Coast Swing lesson with Jason Sager

8:00 – 11:30 p.m. Swing dance to music provided by DJs Chris Owens and Laura Windley

Tickets are $12, or $10 for Scrap Exchange Friends Club members and also members of the Triangle Swing Dance Society, Carolina Dance Club, or the Piedmont Swing Dance Society. Tickets are available at The Scrap Exchange, 923 Franklin St., Bays 1 and 2, Durham (behind Golden Belt) or online (with a small processing surcharge) at http://swingforscrap.eventbrite.com/.

The Scrap Exchange will provide snacks and drinks, and have dance bags and other goodies for sale. Raleigh Rolfing will offer short bodywork sessions in exchange for donations.

For more information, call (919)688-6960 or email scrapdance@yahoo.com.