We are: Al Howland, Debbie Tarrant, Haidee Bishop, Linda Howland, Matt Nunn, Rob Tarrant, Wendy Wharton. Matt and Haidee started teaching Swing dance in Norwich in October 07. Matt is an enthusiast of the retro culture, and is also the creator of the Tiger Rag Club, 'an evocation of a 1930s night club' www.tiger-rag.co.uk. Haidee has danced many forms of jive and swing at dances around the World for the past ten years, and wants to bring the energy and fun of the Harlem street corners to Norwich! Rob and Debbie starting teaching Swing in the Norwich area in 1995, having taught previously in Oxford and Reading. Rob studied Swing in Sweden, Germany, America and London and Debbie competed in ballroom dancing for many years. Together they bring a strong technical background along with a keen sense of musicality, timing and style. Al and Linda of Rock the Block fame (www.rocktheblock.co.uk) have been leading the way in swing dancing in the Norwich area and East Anglia since 2000 and have organised many dances and workshops and promote the twice yearly "Any Swing Goes" dance camp. They teach swing dancing weekly at Bylaugh Hall and their aim is to foster all forms of traditional jive, including Lindy Hop, Balboa, Boogie-Woogie and Blues. Wendy has danced swing and jive just about everywhere for the past 10 years, and is usually one of the dancers keeping the DJ up and spinning tunes til dawn!
Influences
Have you ever heard of Jitterbug, Lindy Hop, Balboa or Shag? What about - the Cotton Clubbers, Hellzapoppin', The Savoy Ballroom, Shorty George and Suzi Q? These are the Swing dances and the people and places which made Swing the coolest, smoothest and most hip scene in the World in the 30s and 40s.
Sounds Like
It was the Hip Hop street dance of that time, their skateboard revolution, their free running. It was perfected on the street corners of Harlem and performed in the segregated ballrooms of New York and New Orleans to the explosive sounds of the Big Bands. There were no classes, the dance evolved as young guys and girls dared each other to greater feats of acrobatics and clever tricks. They stole each others moves, each going one better, competing to win a place in the Cat's Corner, the domain of only the coolest dancers in the ballroom.
We are a group of dancers, teachers, friends, enthusiasts! who want to make Norwich a swinging city. We will be resuming our popular swing dance classes on Mondays starting 23rd June 08 !!!Only £5!!! (and after the class at the Birdcage pub for drink, chat ....and relax!) So come and join us, we'd love to see you there.....7:45pm at Keir Hardie Hall, 9 St Gregorys Alley, Norwich NR2 1ER
Opening night: Tuesday 9th june 2009 - 9pm / 11.30pm
Forget about the gym workout: come dancing!!
(and save on the gym subscription and the dating site subscription too...)
Thank goodness we will be opened on the 9th for the first edition of Swing Mon Amour so you'll have something nice to do on a tuesday night. It's very cheap (in terms of money not quality obviously), and you'll get great acts every week that will make you sweat and get plenty of excercice. I'm talking resident Dj El Nino from Black Cotton Club & Lady Luck, and Gentleman Tim & the Contenders a great 1950's swing R&B Chicago blues band. You'll dance all night, guaranted!
Styles : Blues - Chicago Blues - West coast Blues - 20's 30's - Gypsy swing - Big Band - Swing - R&B - Jump Jive - Rockabilly - Rock&Roll - Western Hillbilly - and many more...
I hope to see you on sunday evening in Brick Lane, it's going to be vibrant (at the Vibe Live ;-) Ahaha ha.
Live Band: Big Mamma's Door (Super sexy 50's R&B) will get you off your feet, but also Superstar Djd - Dj El Nino(Black Cotton Club & Lady Luck) & - Dj Lady Kamikaze (Black Cotton Club & Lucky 7 club) playing their collection of rare 78s on gramophones, and later on dance, jump, jive swing until closure of the premises.
Hi, merci beaucoup for being my friend. I hope to see you on sunday evening in Brick Lane, it's going to be vibrant (at the Vibe Live ;-) Ahahaha a).
Tricity Vogue's Cheeky jazz (sexy 1920-30-40s 7 piece live band), but also: Lenka Padysakova's 1940s Fashion show (Beautiful dresses and pearls, high heels, stockings with seams, red lipstick and expensive perfumes), Superstar Dj CountSizzle (Antique sleaze & vintage voodoo) playing his collection of rare 78s on his gramophones.
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