Upcoming Events

Here is our calendar of events. If you know of something in the area that is not on our list, please sent us an email at info@swingcville.org!



Past Events

January 22nd
Caroline Seipp and Matt Pait

Workshops

Intermediate/Advanced Lindy Hop with Caroline and Matt (5pm - 7pm) We know how to swing-out, but now we’re going to find out how to utilize and style it! Every Lindy Hopper of every level is in constant need to renew and rejuvenate their swing-outs, so we’re going to spend some time refining them. Next we are going to make sure our sick dancing skills have some pizzazz. We will focus on letting our body play with the music all the while dressing up our swing-outs. Get excited!

Instructors

Matt began his passion for dancing at the early age of 2. He could be found at any given moment in a pair of bright red footy pajamas gettin' down to Earth, Wind and Fire in the kitchen. At grade 7, Matt was introduced to Jazz music for the first time when his music teacher put a trumpet in his hands and tossed him into the band. Little did he know that he had found his first and only love to date (that's right ladies, he's single!). He immediately began taking social dance classes in high school and getting involved with the local scene. That was seven years ago and boy has he come a long way! Matt has an energetic and passionate style that displays his love of the music. If Matt has one piece of advice to any dancer, no matter their experience, it's "relax, and lose yourself in the music!"

Caroline Seipp caught the Lindy Hoppin’ bug at the Jam Cellar in Washington D.C. her senior year of high school in 2007 because her big sister told her she had to. Four years later she has had the honor of teaching, DJing, promoting for dance events, and competing at various events on the East Coast. She has been seen teaching at James Madison University, The Dance Space in Richmond, Muse club and lounge in DC, the Jam Cellar in DC, in VA Beach, and Glen Echo Park in MD. She has also entered in various Jack and Jill and Strictly Lindy competitions and has won the first place title in the Jack and Jill competition at College of Swingology in Charlottesville (2009), and the first ever Jick and Jall competition at Jammin’ on the James in Richmond (2010). Her passion for Lindy Hop is ceaseless...just like her student loans.

DJs

Valerie Hargis has been dancing blistering paced Charleston and slow grooving blues since 2005. She's earned a reputation as one of the most consistently hard swinging "go to" DJ's in Virginia. Her sets are grounded in solid vintage gems that range in tempo from the white heat speed to the slow drag blues. Keeping dancers on the floor all night is Valerie's priority. Whether hopping or bluesing, Valerie plays the classic tunes that will keep you dancing until your feet bleed.

December 22nd
Cat's Corner:
Holiday Edition

Special Thanks!

Thank you for helping us support the Shelter For Help in Emergency. Thanks to your generosity we donated $125!

November 17th
Cat's Corner:
Turkey Day Edition

Special Thanks!

Thank you to everyone who came out to support the Emergency Food Bank ! We were thrilled to have so many folks come out and dance. Special thanks to DJs Mike Herring & Meghan Hunter for keeping the food-themed tunes going all night. Also - a special shou-out to Larissa for making her SUPERB turkey-themed mini-cheesecakes! Excellent work!

October 23rd
Michelle Tillery
and Sam DuVal

October is our last C'ville Savoy of 2010! (We're canceling Nov. & Dec. due to the holidays!). So we went out with a BANG with a two-and-a-half hour workshop with Sam & Michelle!

Workshops

Every Lindy hopper dreams of that day when their dancing flows together so smoothly that the transitions between Charleston and Lindy Hop and everything in between just disappear completely. But before one can approach that fabled state, one must first learn all those transitions! From '30s to Tandem to Lindy to '20s and back, we'll tangle up your basic steps every which way, and maybe even give you some fancy footwork to confuse you further! So come on out, and we'll kick it up a notch!

Familiarity with Lindy Hop and '20s and '30s Charleston basic steps required, working knowledge of Tandem Charleston and Balboa may be helpful.

Instructors

The Lead

It was a dark and stormy night some four years ago when Sam DuVal graced the world of swing with his mad dancing skillz, or at least made a fool of himself trying. However, with his background in music and three years of swing dance instructing under his four stam four strength level 18 leather belt, he's taken a level in Hepcat since then, and he's sure to turn every pair of double left boogie boots into shufflin', scufflin', and swingin' feet! Can you handle the awesomeness?

The Follow

Some people believe in fate. Others believe in divine intervention. Whatever the source, the combination of Michelle Tillery and swing dancing is the stuff for which fairy tales and songs are written. Her four years of experience and degree in Kinesiology can turn your "I feel awkward" into "I feel pretty!" as she educates on posture, core strength, and how to feel the lead rather than watch him. Prepare for the intensity.

The Lindustrial Revolution


September 3rd - 5th

Two UVA students were stumbling drunkenly down 14th St on Friday. One glanced over at a poster and said "What the hell is the Lindustrial Revolution?" His friend said "I dunno. But it's gonna ROCK!" And oh how right he was!

After three intense days of workshops and dancing, food and friends, it's time to say farewell. So wipe away your tears, take a deep breath, and then take a 12 hour nap. (A foot massage wouldn't be a bad idea either.)

SURVEY:

Please fill out our short survey so we can make future events even better! CLICK HERE

LOST AND FOUND:

We have a number of items looking for their owners. Claim them in a week, otherwise they're getting added to Mike's personal collection.

  • Plain white t-shirt
  • Blue plastic cup with an orange "V" on it
  • Light-weight "Say What?" sweater (black)
  • Heavy Virginia sweatshirt (dark blue) Owner Found!
  • A beautiful assortment of small towels
  • And the grand prize of our collection: A sky blue t-shirt with a smiling, running refrigerator on it. Owner Found!

JACK AND JILL RESULTS:

In case you missed it Saturday night, here are your Lindustrial Revolution J&J winners:

1st Place: Josephine Stewart & Andrew Selzer
2nd Place: Annabell Truesdell & Daniel Klock
3rd Place: Kate Feldman & Daniel Repsch

VOLUNTEERS:

If you have not yet received volunteer compensation, please contact Melissa at melissa@swingcville.org ASAP.

I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE ACADEMY...

A big Thank You to all our friends, new and old, who came from near and far to party with us in Charlottesville this past weekend! It was an unforgettable experience.

First and foremost, thank you Andrew Thigpen and Karen Turman for an incredible series of workshops and for adding an energy to the evening dances that only you two can bring. (Oh, and thanks to Andrew for the s'mores on Sunday!)

Thank you ACME Swing Mfg. Co (www.swingco.net) and The Blue Light Specials. You may have noticed most of the same faces in both bands. These musicians performed for a marathon SIX HOURS and we are so grateful!

Thanks to our tireless DJs. Because of them there was never a dull moment on the dance floor: Bill Speidel (head DJ), Valerie Hargis, Dan Repsch, Mike Guzzo, and Chris Crawford. Also thanks to special guest DJs Courtney Widger & Daniel Son for plugging in on Sunday evening!

A big thanks to our Jack & Jill sponsors:

And thank you to... deep breath... Elizabeth Essex (beginner track), Ron Berich (t-shirts and swag - www.allsortscompanies.com), Tim Hnat (photography - photos.timothyhnat.com), Keith Woodard (venue - www.woodardproperties.com), John & Leslie Lillard (sound equipment), Jen Wingard (vintage fashions), the Hunter family (food), all of our volunteers (especially Maryam Sodeifi and Gena Gorlin who barely had a moment's rest), and our wonderful housing hosts. We couldn't have done it alone!

See you on the dance floor!

With Lindy Love,
The Swing C'ville Team
Meghan, Melissa, Mike, Rob, Erica, Chris, & Kristin

p.s. If you've got photos or videos from this weekend, get 'em off your camera and post them online! We want to see!

August 28th - Balboa with Victor Celania & Kate Feldman!


Get comfortable with your basics and learn to start playing with the music and throwing in your own style! Compliment your basic balboa dancing with paddles, shuffles, turns, and crossover variations.

About Victor
Victor began his love for swing dancing in 2003. After just five minutes he declared "I'm doing this 'til I drop dead!" and hasn't stopped dancing since. If you've seen him on the dance floor, you know he loves to play with the music and be as silly as possible! He ahas been dedicating his time to DJing and teaching since 2005 and has been at many national events. DJing is one of his passions and he has DJed at the Eastern Balboa Championship for the last three years, Sugarfoot Stomp in Asheville, and many local dances in the Hampton Roads and Richmond. Along with swing, he is dedicated to learning and preserving jazz and dance history, vintage clothing, playing drums, traveling, learning languages, and sharing cultures, as well as teaching the art of dressing as a professional clothier for Brooks Brothers. He hopes his passion for dancing and music will rub off on you!

July 24th - Blues, Blues, & More Blues with Amber & Z!!


"We stood in a dance studio lined with mirrors and lit only with white Christmas tree lights, and Z was teaching me some isolations. As the soulful voice of B.B. King rose, we rushed around the room, spinning and jumping, and then we would stop and echo the simple pulse of the music in our shoulders, chests, and hips. We embraced, and my back followed the slight movements of his arm." --Amber

Who the heck wouldn’t want to teach blues after that?!

After Z and Amber started dating (sorry ladies!), they organized their passion for blues into Virginia Tech’s first series of blues dance lessons. The lessons focused on musicality, isolations, and other badass blues basics that started the Blacksburg blues craze—at least that’s what they tell themselves. They taught and refined these lessons for the next three years, while also DJ-ing late nights and organizing professional workshops. After regretfully graduating, they sought their blues instructing fix in Fredericksburg, Richmond, Charlottesville, and the DC area, where they currently live. Amber and Z regularly teach for Capital Blues, and they aspire to someday honor their New Year’s resolution to choreograph or compete in something.

June 26th - Lindy Hop Styling with Courtney Widger and John Ennis!


Learn some cool styling and musicality to make your dancing dynamic, fun, and fit your own unique personality! Afterwards we'll have DJ Mike Guzzo (and perhaps a few others!) spinning your favorite tunes! As always there will be plenty of drinks and snacks to enjoy!

About Our Teachers!

Courtney Widger
Courtney's groovy style, crazy hips and high flying aerials made her one of the best amateur follows in LA and now she lives in Charlottesville!
Courtney has been competing since 2006 and placing in many local and national competitions. She was an honorary member of Ben and Sheri's championship team the One 2 Swing Jitterbugs and a member Carol Fraser and Debbie Gitt's highly acclaimed team, SuperCaliLindyLicious, winning 2nd place at the National Jitterbug Championships, 1st place at the American Lindy Hop Championships, and 1st place at the U.S. Open.
As a teacher, Courtney enjoys making her classes fun and inspiring for everyone.


John Ennis
John Ennis, the winner of the Amateur Grand Slam award at the 2007 National Jitterbug Championships, has won and placed in a wide variety of contests (including winning the 2009 College of Swingology Jack and Jill!) since he began dancing in 2002. Known for his creative musicality and enthusiastic teaching, John loves to share his unique perspectives on leading, following, technique and styling.


About Our DJs!

Mike Guzzo
Mike started dancing in 1999, and has been DJing and teaching since 2001, and he co-founded the ECU Swing Dance Club in 2002. His music is a reflection of the history of Jazz, Blues, and Swing Music, mixing together old standards and new grooves to keep the dance floor fun.


Cat's Corner with Tamar Rachel

Wednesday, June 16th

Tamar Rachel Picks Your Dancing Apart!

This is an AMAZING opportunity! Your Choice: Blues or Lindy. Dance 1 song and Tamar will help you 1 on 1 with what she sees!

Tamar Rachel, born in Ohio and raised in South Florida, is currently beginning her next great adventure as she leaves her most recent residence in DC to travel. She started teaching dance in 1999 at Florida Atlantic University and in local nightclubs. Almost as soon as she started offering private lessons, she had been invited to teach abroad. Traveling to exchanges and workshops allowed Tamar to continue her own education, dotting her dance resume with lessons from some of the world’s top instructors. Although her specialties include lindy hop and blues, Tamar also enjoys teaching social ballroom and Latin dancing when she can. As her music collection grew over the years (due to a clear love of the era), her natural next venture as a DJ came to fruition and, eventually, the secret was out that Tamar is a singer. She has been fortunate enough to sing with Gordon Webster, Solomon Douglas, Joshua Fialkoff and several great musicians across the country, most recently making appearances at Philly Lindy Love 2010 and the Boston Independence Exchange 2010. With invites to DJ at regional and national events over the last few years, Tamar has never been short of a challenge to express her love of the music and the dance to the crowd she adores most, dancers.

Balboa Workshops with Chris & Holly Owens

C'ville Savoy - May 22

Jam Session Workshop

May 1st - Special Event

The Jam Session Workshop with Courtney and Jason was a blast! I felt like a kid in a candy store. Courtney and Jason really brought some of their best moves. When I saw them do the kip aerial all I could think was "no freakin' way"" but we're getting there! They kept it so light and fun, but worked us too. AWESOME!! Check out my practice video below the recaps... it is only part of the whole aerial, but I'm getting my legs around… I figure that's half the battle. I'm sore and bruised, but I had so much fun! Here are the links to Courtney and Jason doing a recap at the end of that awesome but exhausting workshop:

Courtney & Jason Frog Jump Recap
Courtney & Jason Lamp Post (aka Lindy Flip) Recap
Courtney & Jason Pancake Recap
Courtney & Jason Kip Recap

Melissa’s Kip from the Jam Session Workshop Video

Lee and Crista Workshops

C'ville Savoy - April 24

Lee Tucker and Crista Seipp came for April's C'ville Savoy. They taught us a short routine that required some fundamental Lindy Hop techniques. The first video is the routine and the second one is the review video. Please forgive the quality of the video - I forgot my camera and had to use my phone!

I liked the stretch used in this routine. At first I thought it was a memorized routine, but it really has to be led and followed or it doesn't work! I love following. Hope you enjoyed it if you were there, but regardless I hope to see you at the next one!