Lindy Hop

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/

Double Rent Party Week! Jessy Carolina and the Hot Mess (1/26) and the Floyd Council Memorial Blues Dance (1/28)

It’s a busy week for RDU Rent Party as we play host two two music events – first, on Thursday, January 26, 2012, Jessy Carolina and the Hot Mess return to North Carolina for a dance at Hot Club of Durham’s weekly Lindy Hop and swing night. This 5 piece New York based hot jazz band is full of energy and Jessy belts it out like no other.

Trotter Building
410 W. Geer Street
Durham, NC

Beginner Lesson at 8:00 p.m. with Adam Speen and Abigail Browning (who will be teaching a Dean Collins and Jewel McGowan class series for Hot Club in February – check it out! http://hotclubofdurham.com/2011/12/intermediate-lesson-dance-like-dean-and-shine-like-jewel/)

Dancing from 9:00 p.m. to midnight

Admission is pay-what-you-can with a $10 suggested donation, with all donations going to the band.

Floyd Council

Second, RDU Rent Party welcomes back th’ Bullfrog Willard McGhee and Tad Walters for a very special edition of Rent Party, where all the proceeds of this dance will go to the Floyd Council Memorial Project. Floyd Council was a Piedmont Blues guitarist and singer who began playing in Chapel Hill in the 1920’s and rose to prominence in the 1930’s when he recorded with blues musician Bind Boy Fuller. His influence is widespread, including serving as inspiration and partial namesake of the band Pink Floyd. Floyd Council presently lies in an unmarked grave in the White Oak A.M.E. church cemetery in Sanford, North Carolina. The goal of the Floyd Council Memorial Project is to raise funding in order to:

1) Clear trees and brush at the cemetery
2) Place a marker to memorialize Floyd in recognition for his contribution to Blues
3) Establish long term care and maintenance of the memorial and its immediate surroundings
4) Possible creation and promotion of an annual Floyd Council Memorial Blues Festival

Come out and support th’ Bullfrog’s efforts to promote North Carolina’s blues music heritage and honor one of its most prominent musicians. It will be a night of blues that will make you sway and keep your toes tapping, at any tempo!

Triangle Dance Studio
2603 S. Miami Blvd.
Durham, NC

7:00 p.m. – Beginner lesson

8:00-11:00 p.m. – th’ Bullfrog and Tad play, with special guests John D. Holeman and Lightnin’ Wells

As always, Rent Party is pay what you can with a suggested $10 minimum donation to the band

Be My Jazz Baby, January 20-22, 2012

I am excited to be performing at the very first Be My Jazz Baby, a weekend of workshops and dances in Norfolk, Virginia, January 20-22, 2012. Bill Speidel and Victor Celania have put together a fantastic schedule, featuring instructors Michael Gamble, Jaya Dorf, Adam Speen, and Abigail Browning, with Drew Nugent and the Midnight Society of Philadelphia bringing their raucous jazz age tunes to both Friday and Saturday night dances. I’ll be singing a few tunes with Drew and the boys!

Bill and Victor have also made arrangements for a number of vendors to attend Be My Jazz Baby, so Lindy Shopper will be on hand to get the scoop. 😉 Looking forward to Be My Jazz Baby!

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!

Vote for Laura Windley in the Hawkeye Swing Festival’s Choreography Contest!

I’ve entered the Hawkeye Swing Festival’s Choreography Contest and I’d love to have your vote! If you’d like to vote for my routine or any of the other routines, please fill out this survey at Survey Monkey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/hsfchoreocomp

For more information on the competition, please visit the Hawkeye Swing Festival’s website. The winner will be decided by popular vote and you can only vote once. Voting ends December 31, 2011.

Here are the entry videos, going in the order in which they appeared on the Hawkeye Swing Festival’s Facebook page:

Laura Windley

Katibeth Lee

Jerry Foote and Robin Carlson

Serge Nika Berg and Sarah Relander

Gabriella Cook

Michael Brafford and Dee Daniels Locke

Stacia Martin and Jeremy Fischer

Looking Good But Feeling Bad: The Choreography Begins

On October 27, 2011, I will begin teaching a four part workshop series for Hot Club of Durham of a routine I choreographed to Fats Waller’s “Looking Good But Feeling Bad.” I created this routine as a submission for the 2012 Hawkeye Swing Festival’s choreography contest and hope to submit a video of the class doing the routine in time for the December 15 deadline to enter the contest. Please join me, this routine is going to be super fun!

Dates for the workshop series:

October 27
November 10
November 17
December 1

All classes will run from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Trotter Building, 410 W. Geer St., Durham, NC. The cost is $40 for all classes and $32 for students; otherwise, $12 per drop-in or $8 for students. The price includes admission to the Thursday night Hot Club dance.

RSVP to the Facebook invite at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=182285021853650

RDU Rent Party: Glenn Crytzer Takes the Cake Edition, October 13, 2011

Glenn Crytzer and his Syncopators played for the Gatsby Edition Rent Party last year and burned it down, so RDU Rent Party is honored to be hosting Glenn on his birthday and would like to cordially invite you to attend and help us celebrate in style.

We will be providing a cookie cake and beverages, you provide the energy. Feel free to bring other refreshments and let’s make sure and give Glenn an unforgettable birthday!

In preparation for the Eastern Balboa Championships, Chris & Holly Owens will be teaching Balboa for the Intermediate and Beginner lessons. Bring your slick shoes and canning wax.

This Rent Party will be held at the Trotter Building in lieu of/collaboration with the normal Thursday night Hot Club of Durham festivities.

The Trotter Building
410 W. Geer St.
Durham, NC

Admission is pay-what-you-can with a suggested $10 donation.

7:00 p.m. – Intermediate Balboa lesson
8:00 p.m. – Beginner Balboa lesson
9:00 p.m. – Birthday boy takes the stage and plays until midnight

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

RDU Rent Party: Some Like it Hot Edition featuring the Solomon Douglas Sextet

On September 1, 2011, RDU Rent Party is partnering with Hot Club of Durham to bring you a special Thursday edition swing dance at the Trotter Building in Durham, featuring Seattle bandleader Solomon Douglas and his sextet. A special 7:00 p.m. intermediate Role Reversal class will be offered as well as the usual 8:00 p.m. beginner class. The Solomon Douglas Sextet goes on at 9:00 p.m. and plays until midnight. We will also be hosting a J&J (that’s Joe & Jerry) role reversal dance contest!

The Trotter Building
410 W. Geer St.
Durham, NC

As always, Rent Party is pay what you can with a suggested $10 minimum donation to the band. For more information about the event, see http://www.rdurentparty.com.