No Partner Required! The SwingColumbus Blog

Friday, July 8 Cocktails at The Commons with The Randys

noreply@blogger.com (jazzypants) — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 20:33:47 PDT

Join us downtown at Columbus' newest park, Columbus Commons! We've got beer, hot dogs, a free swing dance lesson, and one of our favorite bands on the planet. Not bad for a Friday night.

This is a very family friendly event - lots of space for the kiddies to play, the carousel will be running, and Burgers, Dogs, and Fries will be open and selling...well, burgers, dogs, and fries. And milkshakes!

This week we'll be enjoying Goose Island's 312 Urban Wheat Ale for the free tasting, and other drinks will also be for sale.

The festivities take place in the cafe/carousel area at the south end of the park along Rich Street.

5:00pm ~ DJ & Beer Tasting
5:30pm - 6:00pm ~ Free Beginner Swing Lesson
6:00pm - 9:00pm ~ The Randys

Columbus Commons
160 South High StreetColumbus, OH 43215 (map)

"The Randys play songs you didn't even know you liked with such conviction that you have no choice but to smile along."
-- Columbus Dispatch

Surface is fine gravel, so closed toe flat shoes are recommended!
Parking available across the street at 55 E Rich or at meters in the area. Ample bike racks available and lots of COTA bus routes pass the park too!

SwingColumbus Event Page

Facebook Event

Columbus Commons Website:
http://www.columbuscommons.org/

The Randys Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Randys-Fandys/32961287021

The Randys Website:
http://therandys.com/

July is Month of the Newbie!

noreply@blogger.com (jazzypants) — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 19:05:40 PDT

To help entice everyone to try swing dancing, we have an annual tradition of making July Month of the Newbie with lots of affordable opportunities to take a lesson and practice your skills. Whether you're a complete newbie, or you've got some experience and want to expand into Charleston or Lindy Hop, this is a great month to go dancing!

Here's the schedule of upcoming awesome:

June 30 - Crash Course in Lindy Hop at Flex Fitness
July 4 - Walk/dance with us in the Doo Dah Parade
July 6 - Swingin' Wednesdays at Nyoh's Buckeye Bar
July 7 - Crash Course in 6-Count Swing (aka East Coast Swing) at Flex Fitness
July 8 - FREE beer tasting, swing dance lesson, and live band at Columbus Commons
July 13 - Swingin' Wednesdays at Nyoh's Buckeye Bar
July 14 - Crash Course in Partner Charleston at Flex Fitness
July 16 - FREE SwingColumbus monthly dance at the YWCA Downtown Columbus
July 20 - Swingin' Wednesdays at Nyoh's Buckeye Bar
July 21 - Crash Course in Lindy Hop at Flex Fitness
July 27 - Swingin' Wednesdays at Nyoh's Buckeye Bar
July 28 - Crash Course in The Shim Sham line dance at Flex Fitness

(and save the date for August 13, when we have Baby Soda from NYC playing LIVE for your dancing enjoyment!!)

Check the links for more info, but just to break it down:

Crash Course Thursdays
These are all completely from scratch, no prior experience needed, no partner needed, just strap on some comfortable shoes and we'll boogie! Thursdays 7:30-9:30pm at Flex Fitness, $15 each ($5 off for members)
Lindy Hop, 6-count Swing, Partner Charleston, and The Shim Sham will all be taught.

Hot tip - Become a member and save! It's only $25 per year to become a member of SwingColumbus, and you get discounts on workshops, classes, and the monthly dance. You also get to vote on our board and are eligible for occasional special offers. Say you wanted to take all 5 crash courses - you'll save $25 and the membership is already paid for. Do it.....

Swingin' Wednesdays
Every week at Nyoh's Buckeye Bar. A 30 minute lesson is taught at 7:30pm and then we dance to DJs 8pm-11pm. They have AWESOME happy hour specials for us and the food is great. Only $3 cover!

Cocktails at the Commons - July 8th
We've got a free beer tasting, we've got a free 30 min beginner swing dance lesson, and we've got one of our favorite bands in the universe playing in Columbus' brand new lovely downtown park. It's all free. And if you chicken out and just sit and eat a hot dog and watch the rest of us dance, no one will be the wiser.

The SwingColumbus monthly dance is FREE in July!
In celebration of Month of the Newbie we invite you to join us for a 1 hour lesson and 3 hours of DJs for FREE. Our monthly dance has been going for about 8 years now and is a welcoming, low pressure environment to practice your moves and play around inventing new ones!

JAM with JAG in April

noreply@blogger.com (jazzypants) — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 06:13:00 PDT

In honor of April being Jazz Appreciation Month, here are some upcoming events from Columbus' Jazz Arts Group!

SwingColumbus is proud to be a Jazz Academy Community Partner, which means if you're a member of SwingColumbus, you can enjoy discounts to these fantastic workshops and classes. Check the links for pricing and ticket or registration information.

The Jazz Academy's COOL SCHOOL: "Cool Jazz on the West Coast" led by Vaughn Wiester
March 27, 2011, 2 PM
Jazz Academy at the Lincoln Theatre (Columbus, OH)

Vaughn Wiester

Cool jazz caught fire on the West Coast, particularly in Los Angeles during 1952 and 1953. Characterized by tight arrangements, restrained sounds and thoughtful solos, the cool jazz era (1948 – 1960) produced great artists and recordings and influenced many styles of music to come. Join Vaughn Wiester to listen to and learn about great musicians such as Gerry Mulligan and Chet Baker; groups like the Modern Jazz and the Dave Brubeck Quartet; and, explore the historical context of this influential musical movement.

Jazz Academy's COOL SCHOOL: Birth of the Cool Tour
April 1-30, 2011
Columbus Museum of Art (Columbus, OH)

In honor of Jazz Appreciation Month and in partnership with the Jazz Arts Group, the Columbus Museum of Art invites you to take a special Guide-By-Cell tour inspired by the Birth of the Cool. Discover the works of artist Man Ray, Rosemare Bearden, Stephen Longstreet and more. Come be moved by music and art.

The Columbus Museum of Art is open Tuesday-Sunday 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM and Thursdays from 10:00 AM to 8:30 PM. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, $5 for students ages 6 to 17 and free for children. For more information visit columbusmuseum.org.

Jazz Academy's COOL SCHOOL: "Jazz and Poetry" workshop led by William Evans
April 2 & 16, 2011, 4 PM
Thurber House & Columbus Museum of Art (Columbus, OH)

William Evans

Explore the relationship of jazz and poetry, its rhythmic and lyrical styles and its historical context, particularly in relationship to the cool jazz period of post-war United States. On Saturday, April 2, join William Evans at the Thurber House and begin writing your own poetry/spoken word. Learn poetry mechanics and basics; create, improvise and explore poetry and music in this unique workshop opportunity. The class will join together again on Saturday, April 16, in the galleries of the Columbus Museum of Art to perform their new written works with a live jazz trio amongst period artwork. Don’t miss this opportunity to express your creativity and spend time with others in this unique workshop format.

Jazz Arts Group's Inside Track series - Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue
April 3, 2011, 7:30 PM
Capitol Theatre - Riffe Center (Columbus, OH)

Jazz Arts Group's Inside Track series makes a surprise stop at the Capitol Theatre - Riffe Center on Sunday, April 3 to welcome back 24-year-old New Orleans singer / songwriter / multi-instrumentalist and all-around musical powerhouse Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews & Orleans Avenue, with special guest Stretch Lefty. Rare indeed is the artist with the virtuosity to draw the unqualified respect of some of the most iconic legends in jazz and the ability to deliver a high-energy funk rock show capable of mesmerizing international rock stars. Surrounding Andrews is his band, Orleans Avenue - Mike Ballard on bass, Pete Murano on guitar, Joey Peebles on drums, Dwayne Williams on percussion and Dan Oestreicher on baritone sax – delivering an explosive, homegrown combination of funk, rock, R&B, jazz and hip-hop they call "Supafunkrock."

Jazz Arts Group's PBJ & Jazz series - Joe Hunter
April 9, 11:00 AM
Lincoln Theatre ballroom (Columbus, OH)

In celebration of Jazz Appreciation Month, the Jazz Arts Group of Columbus (JAG) welcomes the piano stylings of Joe Hunter to the Lincoln Theatre ballroom on April 9 for the season finale of PBJ & Jazz presented by Bob Evans Farms. PBJ & Jazz concerts are 1-hour long interactive concerts designed to introduce jazz and American music to young children and their families. Featuring some of Columbus’ finest musicians and ensembles, PBJ & Jazz concerts are hosted by former Columbus Music Hall owner and retired music educator Rebecca Ogden and are a great introduction to live music for the youngest audience member.

Columbus Jazz Orchestra's "A Night at the Apollo" featuring Marva Hicks
April 13-17, 2011
Southern Theatre (Columbus, OH)

Beg, scream and shout as the CJO pays tribute to the soul of American culture, the Apollo Theater!

The world famous Apollo Theater is so much more than a historic landmark – it is a source of pride and a symbol of brilliance of American artistic accomplishment. With its rich history and continued significance, the Apollo Theater, considered the bastion of African-American culture and achievement, is one of the most fascinating chronicles in American history. We’ll celebrate music greats like Dinah Washington, Gladys Knight, James Brown, Otis Redding, Same Cooke and many others whose careers were launched by this legendary finishing school!

Jazz Academy's COOL SCHOOL: "Birth of the Cool" workshop led by Mark Flugge
April 16, 2011, 2 PM
Jazz Academy at the Lincoln Theatre (Columbus, OH)

Birth of the Cool is the name of a compilation album by American jazz musician Miles Davis, but has come to signify a movement in American music. Cool jazz, which became prominent during the Second World War, stands an important reaction to bebop, (characterized by fast tempos and instrumental virtuosity) in that the music was intricately arranged with a composed sound along with improvised sections. Join Mark Flugge to learn about this important era in American music history – from the arrangements and instrumentation to the historical context and the artists associated with the movement.

Jazz Arts Group's Inside Track series - "Birth of the Cool"
April 29-30, 2011, 8 PM
Lincoln Theatre (Columbus, OH)

As jazz's bebop movement flourished during the late 1940s with its fast-paced rhythms from virtuosos like trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie and saxophonist Charlie Parker, trumpeter Miles Davis headed off in a new direction. Taking cues from the innovations learned in Parker's group, Davis, along with his nonet, recorded 12 songs in a two-year span that, when released together on one album, became known as Birth of the Cool.

JAG's interpretation of Birth of the Cool will be a recreation of the iconic 1949-50 Miles Davis recording sessions and a retrospective of mid-century art, design, and music. This is a multimedia event in collaboration with and narration by Denny Griffith, president of the Columbus College of Art & Design (CCAD), and will feature visual elements, including period furniture, on stage. The performance will include local musician Mark Flugge as musical director and will feature the great Jim Powell on trumpet.

New Lesson Series Format!

noreply@blogger.com (jazzypants) — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 10:01:25 PDT

Last October we brought in two awesome Lindy Hop instructors who are part of a dance studio called Studio 88 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Patrick Szmidt and Natasha Ouimet are really passionate about their teaching methods and after some great long conversations with them about lesson planning and curriculum development we were inspired to take a long look at our own lessons.

Photo by David Heasley

Our goals are:

To make the intermediate classes begin from a higher level
To clearly differentiate one series from another
To create better swing dancers through strategic skill building

New Swingology Lessons Structure
We now have a beginner level with 3 courses that can be taken in any order, followed by an intermediate level of 4 courses that can also be taken in any order. Balboa was taken out of our core offerings and basic Charleston was integrated into some of the Lindy Hop classes.

Beginner Level - Swing 1
No experience required. All classes begin from scratch and include the basics of frame and connection, a few moves, and some social dance ettiquette. The two Lindy Hop classes will include different moves to develop your skills for level 2. If you have never taken dance lessons before, we recommend starting with 6-Count Swing before trying Lindy.

Swing 1a	Swing 1b	Swing 1c
Beginner 6-Count	Beginner Lindy Hop	Beginner Lindy Hop

Note: Beginner 6-Count Swing (aka East Coast Swing or Jitterbug) is also taught before each of our Swingin' Tuesdays, as well as before the monthly Saturday dance at the YWCA, so there are lots of chances to learn and practice!

Photo by David Heasley

Moving up to level 2 isn't just about completing all the level 1 classes - you should feel comfortable with the basics before you move up to level 2, so that we don't need to re-teach the basic steps. If you're not sure if you're ready to move up, just ask one of our instructors to dance and they can give you feedback.

Intermediate Level - Swing 2
These classes will begin assuming you are comfortable doing the basics of Lindy Hop: swingout, sendout (swingout from closed position), and Lindy circle. Rather than starting from scratch, we'll review the basics at a higher level, adding more frame, connection, and momentum concepts to what you already know. These 4 classes are NOT sequential - take them in any order and feel free to repeat as many times as you want!

All classes will include frame/connection exercises, plenty of moves, mixing of 6 and 8 count patterns, and you'll learn more about Lindy Hop culture and history. Shown here are just a few examples of moves you'll study in these classes:

Swing 2a	Swing 2b	Swing 2c	Swing 2d
Play it Cool	I Will Survive!	Let's Get Tricky	Connection is Everything
- Slower Tempos - Switches - Texas Tommy - Musicality	- Faster Tempos - Side by Side Charleston - Transitions	- Swingout Variations - Swivels! - Musicality	- Tandem Charleston - Moves that challenge your connection - Sugar Push

In addition to stepping up our lesson series, we are committing to offer more frequent crash courses and mini-workshops so that we can bring you more opportunities to learn 6-Count and Lindy Hop. We'll also offer workshops covering Balboa, Blues, and Charleston to expand your swing vocabulary.

Team Results (and Video!) from Dayton Smackdown 2011

noreply@blogger.com (jazzypants) — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 21:43:07 PST

The 4th annual Dayton Swing Smackdown took place over the weekend in the adorable historic town of Miamisburg, Ohio. The team competition included 64 dancers in 8 teams who have been working in their spare time, between classes and jobs, to put together fantastic and entertaining routines! This is an enormous feat and congratulations to everyone for putting on a great show!

The team competition had 2 parts, one was the choreographed full team piece, the other (with lesser weight on final scores) was the Strictly, where each team elected one or two couples to improvise to fast and medium tempo music.

Results were:

1st Place: Team SwingColumbus

2nd Place (and also taking home the Collegiate Cup!): University of Dayton Swing Club

3rd Place: Ann Arbor

The videos:

SwingColumbus

1st Place

University of Dayton Swing Club
2nd Place

Ann Arbor

3rd Place

The Ohio State University Jitterbucks

The Ohio University 'Everyone Wants to be a Bobcat'
(music was yoinked by YouTube - thanks Warner Music Group!)

Miami University - Miami Swingers

Miami University - Red Hawks

Lexington, Kentucky - Rhythm Cats

March 5, 2011 History of Blues Lecture and Performance from Chris Thomas King

noreply@blogger.com (jazzypants) — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 08:47:47 PST

The Jazz Academy is hosting a free lecture that sounds perfect for you Lindy Hoppers who are into blues dancing! Chris Thomas King is a talented blues guitarist and singer who grew up in Louisiana and is very much a blues historian (see Smithsonian video below). He appeared in the move 'Oh Brother Where Art Thou' in the role of real life blues singer Tommy Johnson, depicted as a hitchhiker who claims to have sold his soul to the devil. He has continued to act in and score music for film, including the Ray Charles biopic 'Ray'. Mr. King will be giving a lecture/workshop in the afternoon and performing in the evening on Saturday, March 5.

Blues Roots workshop with Chris Thomas King
Registration Fee: Free
Saturday, March 5, 2011, 2:00 pm

Workshop Description:

Chris Thomas King will introduce the roots of blues and jazz, including New Orleans jazz and delta slide guitar. King will discuss and perform some early forms on acoustic guitar and harmonica, then connect those forms and rhythms with contemporary musical styles, including pop and hip-hop. There will be lots of time at the end of the workshop for questions and discussion.

Join Chris Thomas King that evening at 8:00 pm in the Lincoln Theatre as part of the Inside Track concert series. For tickets and information click here or call 614.469.0939. Tickets are $25 and $30. Columbus band (soon to be national!) The Floorwalkers will also perform.

COLUMBUS ALIVE/INSIDE TRACK HAPPY HOUR EVENT: Columbus Alive will also host a post-concert happy hour event at Black Creek Bistro (51 Parsons Avenue in Olde Towne East) immediately following the concert featuring dinner and drink specials including a signature concoction created especially for the Chris Thomas King concert.

SwingColumbus to Perform in ‘Jukebox Review’ fundraiser for Honor Flight

noreply@blogger.com (jazzypants) — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 10:20:24 PST

Dancers from Team SwingColumbus are excited be doing the Lindy Hop on stage with a big band as part of a musical celebration fundraiser for WWII vets. Honor Flight is a national organization with regional chapters whose mission is to fly veterans to Washington D.C. to see the WWII memorial. The Columbus chapter of Honor Flight holds an annual variety show fundraiser. This year will be SwingColumbus' second time performing in the show.

It is pretty expensive to make these flights happen. To support Honor Flight, you can donate, host a fundraiser, or become a volunteer. A variety of people volunteer for everything from administrative tasks, to piloting a flight, to accompanying veterans on the trips.

Or, of course, you can attend the variety show on February 13th!

SwingColumbus is thrilled to be supporting this worthy cause!

Event Info:

Jukebox Revue

featuring local and regional talent performing music from the Big Band era.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 13 at 2 p.m.
Westerville Central High School, 7118 Mount Royal Ave., Westerville

Music from the Big Band era, featuring the swingin’ sounds of The Continentals Band, 7 year-old piano prodigy Gavin George, and Award-winning accordionist Joe Natoli. Lots of fun and surprises!

Expect the return of the Big Band sounds, great performances from local and regional artists and a few surprises. “Bob Hope had the right idea with the USO tours,” said David Colley, a Westerville resident who volunteers on the Honor Flight committee. “We’ve adopted that vision of bringing that era back and being entertained by that classic variety-show format. This event is going to be a lot of fun for a great cause, and help the vets of WWII in our area who so deserve to take the Honor Flight for their day of honor.”

Tickets are $20 general admission and $10 senior, child or veteran. World War II veterans are admitted free of charge but will need to obtain a ticket in advance. Tickets can be puchased in advance in a number of ways:

in person at Westerville City Hall
by phone: (614) 839-0189
by mail: Westerville Honor Flight Committee, 1260 Autumn Park Ct, Westerville, OH 43081
web: via PayPal from the Westerville Honor Flight Website

In 2007, WOSU Columbus followed an Honor Flight group to DC and created this fantastic video:

Upcoming Swingin' Tuesdays thru March 2011

noreply@blogger.com (jazzypants) — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 11:10:47 PST

We've got lots of bands booked for the next 2 months at the Shrunken Head! We've been having loads of fun dancing every week and seeing people's mad skills getting ... madder... every week! The bands keep telling us how much fun it is to play a gig where they are truly appreciated and not just background music! Thanks to everyone who's been swinging out every Tuesday!

Here's the lineup for the next 2 months of DJs and Bands. The DJ listed is also the dance instructor for that week.

2/1/2011 John Vermeullen (jazz and big band standards) plus DJ Aleks
2/8/2011 The X Rockers (rockabilly swing) plus DJ Mandy
2/15/2011 Makeshifts (rockabilly, and ELVIS!!! oh ELVIS!!!) plus DJ Erwin
2/22/2011 Silky Ray 4 tet (jump blues) plus DJ Mark
3/1/2011 Jon Coleman (jazz standards, Rat Pack) - plus DJ Aleks
3/8/2011 MARDI GRAS PARTY with Chief Johnny Lonesome (New Orleans piano blues a la Dr. John) plus DJ Mandy
3/15/2011 Don Norman Band (swingy blues) plus DJ Erwin
3/22/2011 School Night Jump with Jacob Reed (jazz standards) plus DJ Mark

Be sure to mark March 8th on your calendar - we're having a Mardi Gras party! Chief Johnny is bringing his umpteenth Mardi Gras celebration to US! It will be a special New Orleans themed evening, with special menu items and some audience participation surprises!

Go to our website for more info about Swingin' Tuesdays at The Shrunken Head!

Jazz Academy Spring Semester 2011

noreply@blogger.com (jazzypants) — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 12:51:12 PST

SwingColumbus is a community partner for the Jazz Arts Group's Jazz Academy. They offer all kinds of awesome jazz classes, workshops, and seminars for people of all ages and experience levels. We think they're a fantastic organization that's helping keep jazz alive and relevant!

The Jazz Academy is taking registrations now for Spring Semester and if you are a member of SwingColumbus you can get discounted tuition! Contact the Jazz Academy for more information. This week is the last week to register before the deadline for minimum enrollment to be met. Classes that don't get enough students will be canceled.

Here's the Spring lineup:

The Jazz Arts Group of Columbus offers a stellar line-up of music making opportunities at the Jazz Academy to engage all ages and interests including clinics and workshops with Grammy-nominated jazz trumpeter-composer Dave Douglas, blues guitarist Chris Thomas King, the Columbus Music Co-op and more.

Nationally acclaimed music educator Bradley Sowash offers piano basics in Creative Chords II and group piano lessons in Creative Chords IV. If guitar is more your style,Tim Cummiskey gives you the opportunity to advance your guitar skills with Intermediate to Advanced Guitar Concepts and Chords & Scales to Progressions. Led by Rachel Sepulveda, Vocal Ensemble explores the rewarding journey of singing in harmony with friends in a joyful and supportive environment. Central City Recording's Live Recording Session teaches you the basics – from running Pro Tools™ to setting up a live recording session – then applies what you've learned by setting up a live recording session for the Vocal Ensemble class at the Jazz Academy. And Jumpin' JaKs (Jazz & Kids) will give preschoolers, ages 3-5, the opportunity to explore American music in all of its forms.

Other course offerings include Rock Ensemble with Dennis Hodges, All Ears – Using Your Ears in Drum Set Performance with Cedric Easton and Ryan Jewell, Digital Composition & Recording with James Allison and Practical Music Theory with Stan Smith. Spring session will also include workshops as part of our "Cool School" workshop series.

SwingColumbus 2010, the Year in Review

noreply@blogger.com (jazzypants) — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 08:52:04 PST

2010 has been a big year for SwingColumbus! We've helped grow our scene locally and regionally, our performance team reached new heights, and we made our major events bigger and better! Below are just some of the milestones we reached this year:

The Local Scene

Completed our first full year of our weekly lesson series Swingology
Started the weekly Swingin' Tuesdays at the Shrunken Head (now 6 months strong!)
Helped students at Otterbein University start a swing dance club
Hosted a swing summit of organizers from scenes in Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan
Expanded the SwingColumbus Executive Board from 5 to 7 members to encompass the added roles that come with expanding our event and lesson offerings
Raised money and collected 42 pounds of food for the Mid Ohio Food Bank at our annual holiday party

Major Events

CBUS Lindy and Blues Exchange - we delivered another solid exchange (our 5th!), slightly bigger than past years, with a fabulous Saturday afternoon cookout
Rocktober - expanded to about 250 registrants, added new competitions, added a third lessons track, and moved to a hotel setting!

Team SwingColumbus

Added aerials to our repertoire for the first time!
2nd Place at Dayton Swing Smackdown (darn you Hoosier Hot Shots!)
Competed against teams from the US, Sweden, France, and Canada at the International Lindy Hop Championships in Washington, DC Watch Video
1st Place at Swing, IN in Indianapolis
Performed for Ohio Dance at the Ohio Statehouse, Honor Flight Columbus, OSU Arts Initiative, Central Ohio Hot Jazz Society, Comfest, and the Ohio Arts Council

Thanks to everyone who made 2010 so great! We're scheming to make 2011 even better!

Christina's Pittstop Report!

noreply@blogger.com (jazzypants) — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 14:35:57 PST

Lots of dancers from Columbus and other nearby scenes headed out last weekend to the 10th annual Pittstop Lindy Exchange in Pittsburgh, PA, November 19-21, 2010. One of our Columbus regulars was kind enough to offer up her experience at the event so you can hear what you missed and get excited for next year!

Christina's Pittstop Trip Report

This past weekend, I went to my first but the tenth annual Pittstop Lindy Hop. And it blew my mind.

www.pittstoplindyhop.com

Pittstop is a lindy exchange, which is a type of event that’s basically just dancing all weekend. There are no classes, but there are dances Friday evening and late night; Saturday afternoon, evening, and late night; and Sunday afternoon. Exchanges are held specifically for out of town dancers to come and partake of the dancing in the host city, and to make friends with people from other scenes. I’ve been dancing socially for a few years, but I just started attending this type of event within the last year. And I hadn’t been to anything as big as Pittstop, so I was really looking forward to it.

Immediately upon reaching the Friday evening dance venue, our group was swarmed with hugs and greetings. The lovely registration table ladies wanted to know if a bus had just arrived, because our arrival coincided with several other groups from Ohio and the lobby was a bit of a tornado. The actual Friday evening dance was a bit of a blur, but I do know that I spent more time dancing than standing around. (A note on dancing at exchanges: there are usually more follows than leads, so I did do a lot of asking people to dance, but never all weekend was I flat out turned down for a dance. Sometimes you’ll get deferred, but the leads are overwhelmingly gracious and mindful of who they’ve promised dances to.)

Friday late night was when we really started throwing down. And so did everybody else. The band played lots of lindy and some blues, and in a smaller room the DJ was a spinning slower stuff and some blues. I had my first dances with the incredible Baltimore crew. Our group closed out the late night, with the music getting killed around 4:30am, before heading out to our host’s house to crash, all 11 people that were staying there (Thanks, Jay and parents!).

Saturday we went to all three dances, the afternoon, evening, and late night. The music just kept getting more awesome, with the Saturday evening dance music provided by the Blue Vipers of Brooklyn. These guys, and the Boilermaker Jazz Band on Sunday afternoon, were my favorite music of the weekend. Saturday evening was also “dress to impress” night, and everybody came all fancied up, which was super fun and, with the beautiful ballroom we were dancing in, evocative of a more genteel time. I usually dress to the minimum level of formality, and am often guilty of prioritizing comfort over swishy for dance clothes, but I decided to go all the way to ‘black tie’ for this, and the result was delightful. I don’t know if I’ve ever gotten asked to dance that much. I haven’t taken a census, but I feel like all the ladies in their dresses inspired the leads to step up on the asking for a dance front.

I think my favorite part of exchanges is dancing with people I’ve never met before. This weekend I had some absolutely magical first dances. (Hey there, Baltimore, NYC, Pittsburgh!) Some of those magical first dances turned into repeated dances over the course of Saturday and Sunday, which is particularly delightful because then you know it’s not just you: the lead had a good time as well.

I was neck deep in a groove by Saturday late night, deeply relaxed and happy and having a wonderful time. This makes for some of the best dances, with new people and familiar people. I had some of my best dances ever with leads from Columbus at Pittstop, just because dancing for days straight will get you in the zone like nothing else. Another wonderful thing about exchanges is that you get to dance with people with no preconceived “status” attached to them. I know that I sometimes get self-conscious and dance worse with excellent leads, due to nerves, but when no one has told you this is one of the most sought-after leads in City X or so-and-so is an instructor from such and such an east coast city with a huge dance scene, there are no expectations to meet, only awesome-pie to eat as the dance unfolds. Blisteringly fast lindy to tempos usually reserved for Balboa and extra-sultry blues are both good ingredients for awesome-pie, in case anyone was wondering. I could easily gush about the wonderfulness of Saturday’s late night for three more paragraphs.

Sunday afternoon I don’t remember any of the particular songs played but I do remember that I floated in a pool of good feeling about the music all afternoon. The Boilermakers played a killer-diller, smoked-cat, pickled-hellyeah version of Minor Swing for the jam circle, but, to be honest, I didn’t watch most of the jam circle. [editor note- this is what a jam circle looks like!] After having hastily scrambled up on the corner of the stage to get a view, I ended up paying the most attention to the clarinet solos, which induced spontaneous tap-dancing. I don’t tap dance. But I did. And then after the circle broke up, to just adulate the band while they took another round of solos, the whole crowd was stomping on the floor in time and if you stood still you could feel it undulate. I spent almost the whole afternoon dancing, with very little sitting, trying to wring the most out of every last minute, and when the music ended I almost cried.

Saying goodbyes turned somewhat lengthy, between promises to see each other soon and spelling of last names and pictures and video-taking. Leaving was sad. I wished I was staying longer, but we rolled out of Pittsburgh around 6pm… and lindy bombed a Subway on our way home. We made it back to Columbus in pretty good time, my carpool buddies dropped me off at home. I was too high off my weekend to compose anything meaningful for Facebook, though I wanted to say something, so I threw “omg pittstop” up on my wall. It seemed to sum up my feelings at the time pretty well. Exchanges are fun but this one was especially fun! It is fun to carpool to them! And I made new friends!

And I can’t wait for next year!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to Christina for writing that to share with us!

Editor's note:
Another review: http://taintwhatyoudo.wordpress.com/2010/11/26/pittstop-lindy-hop-x/
Pictures: http://ralf.zenfolio.com/dance/pittstop_lindy_hop_10

History of The Cupcake Aerial

noreply@blogger.com (jazzypants) — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 20:19:47 PST

Those who attended Rocktober 2010 here in Columbus, Ohio may have had the chance to learn a crazy aerial from Kevin St. Laurent and Jo Hoffberg, called The Cupcake. The girl is launched onto the guy's shoulders and he twists to the side to prep before spinning her around his head to the front where he holds her hips against his torso while tipping so her hands smack the floor, then flinging her back up with a slight flip to then drop catch her, pop her to a squatted position, twirl her under one arm and then slam her into a cross-body lunge.

If your head is spinning at this point, allow me to simply demonstrate with a video:

It's kind of amazing. Perfect this one and you'll have everyone impressed, including Grandma!

Kevin and Jo explained a little of the history of The Cupcake during the classes, but Jo just posted on her blog about it with video so you can see the complete line from So You Think You Can Dance, to Jeremy and Laura at Camp Hollywood, to Kevin and Jo at Lindy Focus and the origin of the 'cupcake' name. Go read about it on Jazz it up with Jo

Nov 14 Hot Jazz Concert and Food Drive

noreply@blogger.com (jazzypants) — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 11:08:18 PST

The Central Ohio Hot Jazz Society announced in their November newsletter that it's fall harvest time! SwingColumbus dancers have been supporting these concerts for several years and the bands are so talented and a delight whether you're dancing or sitting. They're so kind to give us ample dance floor space in front of the stage so we can enjoy the music with every muscle in our bodies!

Team SwingColumbus and The Lindyroos will be performing during two of the band breaks! (most likely at 5pm and 6pm)

From the November COHJS newsletter:

FALL HARVEST TIME!
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1:00 - 7:00 PM
The Makoy Center (in the Burgundy Room) 5462 CENTER ST., HILLIARD, OH
Drinks and snacks will be for sale.

Join us and mix with good friends, relatives, fellow jazz fans, swing dancers and great musicians at Makoy Center for the 2010 edition of COHJS's annual FALL HARVEST OF BANDS AND HOLIDAY CHARITY EVENT as we toast the onset of year-end festivities and simultaneously offer the opportunity to spread good cheer among the less fortunate via charitable food donations. Rejoining us in this worthy endeavor, as they have with such distinction in previous Harvests, will be these ever-popular Traditional Jazz bands :

Dave Greer's CLASSIC JAZZ STOMPERS, Dayton
Ray Heitger's CAKEWALKIN' JASS BAND, Toledo
The NORTH SIDE JAZZ BAND, from right here in Columbus

BAND SET SCHEDULE:
North Side Jazz Band - 1:00 & 4:00 pm
Classic Jazz Stompers - 2:00 & 5:00 pm
Cakewalkin' Jass Band - 3:00 & 6:00 pm

COHJS MEMBERS - $15; NON-MEMBERS - $20; DANCE CLUB MEMBERS - $10

The dual purposes of your COHJS Fall Harvest of Bands AND Holiday Charity Event are to present an entertaining program packed with Our Kind of Music to our membership and the Central Ohio community, while at the same time recognizing a desire to help the less fortunate in our area, particularly at the holiday season. This year we urgently request that our attendees bring the at least 2 non-perishable food items which we then contribute to a charity soup kitchen in the spirit of the holiday and to help us all discharge our charitable responsibilities as in years past.

Lindy Hop in Toy Story

noreply@blogger.com (jazzypants) — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 10:42:27 PDT

Thanks to our friends on Facebook for tipping us off to this Pixar animation short that contains some classic Lindy Hop moves between the Toy Story characters Jessie and Woody:

According to the blog "Bleeding Cool" this short "was made to play in the intermission of the Toy Story and Toy Story 2 3D double feature that played a year or so ago" in theaters. I do love how fitting the rag dolls are for the shape of Lindy Hop with it's yo-yo like patterns bringing partners away and toward each other.

The source for this sequence seems to be Todd Yannacone and (my hero) Frida Segerdahl dancing during the 2006 Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown back when it was in Minneapolis (now held in New Orleans). Watch the very first couple in this video and look for the 'baby carry' position at about 50 seconds in.

Now I don't know the back story on this, but I doubt Todd and Frida ever even knew about this. Contrast that with another Toy Story dance sequence and surely these dancers and choreographers and musicians were paid and recognized for this...

Hey Pixar - hire our Lindy Hoppers!

Tribute Dances by Lindy Hoppers

noreply@blogger.com (jazzypants) — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 21:00:29 PDT

The Lindy Hop world tends to favor dancers creating their own choreography, but sometimes it's appropriate to honor our forebears with a tribute dance. A few of these have caught my eye lately so I thought I'd do some original/modern video pairings for you to appreciate.

First, Sharon Davis recently did a tribute to Gene Kelly during the Southern Belle Swing Bash in Atlanta, Georgia. First, the original:

and Sharon's lovely, feminine take on the routine:

She did an awesome job, didn't she?

Next up, Jo Hoffberg put together a hula routine for The Jump Session held in Seattle before Camp Jitterbug in May 2010. The Atomic Cherry Bombs were her backup dancers.

The original:

The tribute:

Again, a fantastic recreation! Jo wrote about the experience on her blog in case you'd like to learn about teaching choreography to people halfway around the world!

Lastly, a Lindy Hop routine that's a tribute to another Lindy Hop routine, but with a twist. The original was created by Kevin St. Laurent and Carla Heine 'back in the day', and was recreated in hip hop style by Max Pitruzzella and Tommy Blacharez from Montpellier, France (who later formed the Ninjammerz).

The original from 2003 (?) that's pre-YouTube! Forever ago...

The parody from 2006, which made Tommy and Max suddenly much more well known in the Lindy world!

Rocktober 2010 Jack and Jill Results

noreply@blogger.com (jazzypants) — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 20:01:18 PDT

Here are the results from the Rocktober 2010 Jack and Jill Finals!

I'll use the ladies' outfits to point them out in the video:
1st place - Jon Tigert and Ellen Huffman (blue skirt)
2nd - Chris Schoenfelder and Caitlin Baird (red dress)
3rd - Mark Calkins and Mandy Spencer (red skirt)
4th - Erwin Amurao and Dani Dowler (black and white dress)
5th - Adam Sheltz and Kathryn King (yellow dress)

Congrats to all of you for making the finals! It was a blast to watch you dance!

Rocktober 2010 Instructors and Jam Video

noreply@blogger.com (jazzypants) — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 21:54:21 PDT

More highlights video from the weekend - Kevin and Jo performed their award-winning routine to the song 'Communication' and Patrick and Natasha debuted a brand new routine! World premiere, people.

Someone also caught some video of the jam that broke out right after the band finished playing for Jack and Jill finals. I think the band was impressed.... :)

Patrick and Natasha

Kevin and Jo

Jam Circle

Posts about Rocktober are on Patrick and Natasha's blog, and on Jo Hoffberg's blog. We had blast with you guys! Thanks for working your butts off for us!

Rocktober 2010 Showcase Competition Results

noreply@blogger.com (jazzypants) — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 11:36:23 PDT

The 'Any Swing Goes' Showcase competition was so much fun to watch! We were so proud of all the dancers who worked so hard and put together some really fantastic routines, many for the first time. You rocked our world!

The results:
1st - Mark & Ellen
2nd - Jon & Mandy
3rd - Mark & Shannon
4th - John & Kathryn
5th - Travis & Ali
6th - Chris & Liz
7th - Brian & Dani

And now the videos!

Mark and Ellen

update- Mark and Ellen's routine was blogged about recently on the topic of creating your own routine and the blogger notes places they'd changed/upgraded between ILHC in August and Rocktober in October. It's an interesting read!

Jon and Mandy

Mark and Shannon

John and Kathryn

Travis and Ali,

Chris and Liz

Brian and Dani

Thanks to all the competitors! We're already looking forward to next year at ROCKTOBER!

Go 'like' our Facebook page so you can keep up on all the happenings with SwingColumbus!

Rocktober 2010 Evening Dances

noreply@blogger.com (jazzypants) — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 08:38:42 PDT

The complete Rocktober experience includes up to 10 hours of workshops, 12 hours of social dancing, and maybe even a hotel room. If that's a bit much for you, we hope you can still join us at the evening dances on Friday, October 15 and Saturday, October 16. We even have a spectator pass for Saturday so you can see your favorite competitors and listen to a live band!

There are a variety of ticket types available so that you can come experience Rocktober with us!

Pass Type	Advance	At the Door	Member Discount	Student Discount
Friday Evening Dance	$12	$15	$3	$3
Saturday Evening Dance	$15	$20	$5	$5
Saturday Evening Spectator Pass	N/A	$5	N/A	N/A

To purchase, go to the Registration Page and click on REGISTER NOW! Choose Rocktober in the dropdown. Any applicable discounts will be applied as you fill out the registration form. After submitting the form, you will then be directed to Google Checkout to pay for your registration.

Hyatt Regency Columbus

Location: Both evenings will take place in the ballrooms at the
Hyatt Regency Columbus
350 N. High Street
Columbus, OH 43215

Friday Evening Dance - October 15
8:00PM - 2:00AM
Music provided by 4 DJs battling for GREATEST DJ EVER.
Audience vote will determine the winner of each round. Champion announced at 1:30AM

Saturday Evening Dance - October 16
8:00PM-2:00AM
Music by Todd Stoll's Jazz 2 Go Septet from 9PM to 12:30AM
10:30-11PM - Showcase Competition (1 couple, 1 song, choreographed)
11:45PM - Instructor and class performances
12:00AM - Jack and Jill Competition (couples randomly paired, improvised)
12:30AM - Band finishes, Competition results announced
12:30AM-2:00AM - DJ'ed music

Saturday Spectator Pass
Want to check out 200 people dancing, live music, and all those competitions, but you can't dance? (yet!) For just $5 you can still join in the festivities! Available (at the door only) for Saturday night

Questions or Feedback
Give us a call at 614-467-0102 or use the contact form to send us a note. We will get back to you right away!

Workshops - it's not too late!
There is still room to join any of the workshop tracks, including Beginner Lindy Hop, where you'll learn Lindy from SCRATCH - you don't need experience or a partner to join us! The beginner track includes admission to the evening dance on Saturday. See past posts for more info on the Beginner Track, and int/adv instructors Patrick and Natasha and Kevin and Jo!

Our Resident Rockstar Instructors - Kevin and Jo

noreply@blogger.com (jazzypants) — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 09:10:57 PDT

It goes without saying that Kevin St. Laurent and Jo Hoffberg are two of THE BEST dancers and instructors out there today. You rarely get a chance to catch them in the US, they're always shocking our pants off with amazing choreography and effortless aerials, and gosh darn it they're just great people. We had SO much fun with them last year and the survey comments we received afterward could not have been glowier. I think we re-booked them during dinner on Sunday night after the last workshop last year.

Trust us, you want to come to Rocktober in Columbus, Ohio this October 15-17. Just look at the photos from Rocktober 2009!

Just like last year, Kevin and Jo will be teaching Aerials 1 and 2 at Rocktober, and these are the only classes where you DO need a partner, because we won't rotate. Aerials 1 is included as an elective in the Intermediate or Advanced workshop pass, and Aerials 2 is an add-on class. They'll be doing different material than last year, and woah look at this!

They've got all kinds of great performances on YouTube, some of which is in my blog about them last year. They've had a bang up year with all kinds of accolades and here's just a sampling:

2nd Place in the Classic at ILHC in August

They both made it to the finals of the Solo Charleston at ILHC (Kevin won 1st place!) and Kevin did this adorable hat trick routine for the Cabaret

Here's an awesome video of them with 4 other dancers who make up the Killer Dillers performing in May in Italy

Killer Diller Show at Swing Brother Swing, Bologna Italy, May 2010 from Killer Dillers on Vimeo.

So go! Get registered for Rocktober 2010 if you haven't already! It's gonna be AWESOME!

Our fierce Rocktober Competitors!

noreply@blogger.com (jazzypants) — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 08:54:06 PDT

This year we've got three competitions at Rocktober and there are some big prizes on the line! Only the fiercest will remain on the big stage to reap the rewards....

Four DJs will compete for the title of GREATEST DJ EVER
Prizes: 1st Place ~ $150 & Headliner DJ gig for CBUS 6 in May 2011 (and more money!)

Erwin Amurao - Columbus, Ohio (returning Greatest DJ Ever)
Brian Tietz - Cleveland, Ohio
Jöhn Hölmström - Chicagö, Illinöis
Brooke Groberg - Toronto, Ontario, CANADA

Competitors for the Any Swing Goes Partner Showcase (choreographed routines)
Prizes (per couple): 1st Place ~ $500 / 2nd Place ~ $200 / 3rd Place ~ $100

Ellen Huffman & Mark Muthersbaugh - Cleveland
Travis Hartman & Ali Lodico - Dayton
Dani Dowler & Brian Teitz - Cleveland
John Holmstrom & Kathryn King - Chicago
Elizabeth Thatcher & Chris Schoenfelder - Louisville
Shannon Varner & Mark Calkins - Columbus
Jon Tigert & Mandy Spencer - umm... Indiana

**there's room for one more couple! You can still register!

Rocktober Jack and Jill Contest (dancers enter individually and randomly paired with fellow dancers)
Prizes (per couple): 1st Place ~ $400 / 2nd Place ~ $100 / 3rd Place ~ $50

It's only $15 to enter, so why not?

Let's keep it classy, now!

Go to the ROCKTOBER website!

Our Rocktober Instructors - Jon and Caitlin

noreply@blogger.com (jazzypants) — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 08:34:56 PDT

Jon Tigert and Caitlin Baird are teaching the Beginner Lindy Hop track at Rocktober. They are two boisterous, bouncy, joyful people. They are amazing dancers and lots of fun to be around. As instructors they have a passion for introducing Lindy Hop to new dancers and will be bringing all that Lindy love to the beginner track at Rocktober 2010, coming up October 15-17 in Columbus, Ohio.

Caitlin dances at Swing, IN 2010 (Photo credit Travis Hartman)

Here's the lowdown on what you get with the beginner track:

Three hours and 45 minutes of fun with Jon and Caitlin
Admission to the Saturday evening dance with a live band
Free muffins and coffee in the morning before the workshop

You're also getting the chance to dance with really fun, amazing dancers from all over the region! The beginner track is shorter because we don't want to overwhelm you, but it's definitely enough to get you out on the floor at the Saturday night dance. And with the awesome location of the Hyatt Regency, if you stick around on Sunday there is plenty to see within walking distance in some of the best parts of Columbus!

If this is your first time taking a Lindy Hop or swing dance workshop, you should also know:

You don't need one bit of experience - they'll start you from scratch
You don't need to bring a partner because you'll rotate every few minutes and meet lots of people
You don't need special clothes - just be comfortable and wear shoes that don't grip the floor and won't fall off easily.

(by the way, if you're completely new to swing dancing, you might like to read our FAQ page)

Jon Tigert leads group choreography at Swing, IN 2010 (Photo credit Doug Sutton)

So back to Jon and Caitlin....
They've been winning some competitions lately!

At the 2010 Hawkeye Swing Festival in Iowa City, in the Any Swing Goes competition, Jon won 1st with his partner Mandy, and Caitlin won 3rd with her partner John Holmstrom (who will be in our Rocktober DJ competition!)

And Jon and Caitlin are also on a team called the Hoosier Hot Shots, and they won 1st place in the TEAM competition at Hawkeye!

Registration prices go up after Thursday, September 23, so better sign up quickly!
The Hyatt Regency Hotel discount will also expire, so book your room!

More about Jon and Caitlin on our website

Got questions? Contact us!

Our busy Rocktober Instructors- Patrick and Natasha!

noreply@blogger.com (jazzypants) — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 21:19:45 PDT

Patrick Szmidt and Natasha Ouimet are two of our awesome instructors for Rocktober 2010 coming up October 15-17 in Columbus, Ohio! Have you got your ticket yet? Early registration is cutting off in a few days, so we wanted to highlight these amazing instructors for you.

It's been a busy summer for Patrick and Natasha. Though their home base is in Montreal, Canada they've been living like Rockstars all summer, traveling to teach and compete all over the world. They've really had great success on the international scene this year and we're excited to see what they'll teach us at Rocktober!

Camp Hollywood - California
Lindy On The Rocks - Denver, Colorado
International Lindy Hop Championships - Washington, D.C.
Boston Tea Party - Massachusetts
Canadian Swing Championships
Lindy Hop Workshop for Swing n' Go - Caen, France
Lindy in the Streets - Tel Aviv, Israel
Montpellier Swing Jammerz Festival - Montpellier, France

Here are some of their competition results with a few video links:
(competing together unless otherwise noted)

International Lindy Hop Championships 2010

Lindy On The Rocks 2010

3rd place - Pro Strictly Lindy Hop

Camp Hollywood 2010

Canadian Swing Championships 2010

2nd place - Canadian Showcase Lindy Hop
3rd place - Team Lindy Hop (with Montreal's Swinging Air Force Squad)

Boston Tea Party 2010

1st place - Advanced Jack and Jill Lindy Hop
2nd place - Open Strictly Balboa
4th place - Open Strictly West Coast Swing (Natasha with Max Pitruzzella)

And of course, one of the coolest dance videos we've seen this year, Natasha performed with Max, Annie, and Tommy with the band Caravan Palace in front of thousands of spectators at the Montreal Jazz Festival

Got questions about Rocktober? Contact us!

Highlights from the COHJS September 2010 Newsletter

noreply@blogger.com (jazzypants) — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 16:05:22 PDT

Byron Does Louis for COHJS!

ARMSTRONG TRIBUTE set for September 26 at Makoy Center

Once again your COHJS is pleased to present master trumpeter Byron Stripling, this time in a special tribute to Louis Armstrong, the legendary musician who transformed early American music and inspired the many other musicians of his time to participate in the formative beginnings and subsequent development of our country's original and unique musical artform, JAZZ.

Byron, an acknowledged authority on Louis, will give us one of his inimitable talks during intermission about the great influence Armstrong had on the music and musicians of his time, upon Byron himself in his formative years, and ultimately the future of jazz, based on his inpired presentation during Columbus Jazz Orchestra's Armstrong "Hot Five" and "Hot Seven" concerts last spring. Some of our members and readers were present at the Lincoln THeatre, or have since seen it rebroadcast over WOSU-TV, but we thought it was so well done that we've asked Byron to elaborate on it in a reprise edition tailored especially for us in his own intimate, easy-going style.

This band of top-drawer musicians will join Byron in presenting the music typical of the New Orleans jazz scene:

Jim Masters- Trombone
Hal Melia - reeds
Sid Townsend - bass
Jon Eschelman - piano
Bob Breithaupt - drums

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 26
2:00PM - 5:00PM
Makoy Center, 5462 Center Street, Hilliard, Ohio
COHJS Members $15, Non-Members $20, Dance Club Members $10
CASH BAR and FOOD AVAILABLE

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EARLYJAS 2010 Fall Jazz Festival in Strongsville, Ohio!
September 24 and 25, 2010
Featuring an all-star lineup of FIVE great jazz bands:

Yerba Buena Stompers
Climax Jazz Band
Buffalo Ridge Jazz Band
Dave Greer's Classic Jazz Stompers
Chefs of Dixieland

More info on the festival's website
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Upcoming concerts from the Central Ohio Hot Jazz Society:

September 26 - Byron Stripling's Louis Armstrong Tribute
October 17 - The COAST TO COAST JAZZ BAND
November 14 - FALL HARVEST OF BANDS with Dave Greer's Classic Jazz Stompers, Ray Heitger's Cakewalkin' Jass Band, and Columbus' own North Side Jazz Band
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
COHJS is on Facebook!

Find us at www.facebook.com/cohjs
Invite your friends to concerts, share your jazz photos with us, and stay up to date on the latest hot jazz happenings!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The complete newsletter can be read here: www.cohjs.org/nlemlsept10.htm

Early registration cutoff for Rocktober 2010 is THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 23

noreply@blogger.com (jazzypants) — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 15:17:48 PDT

We don't mean to shout, but ROCKTOBER EARLY REGISTRATION CLOSES ON THURSDAY!!! That's September 23rd. In 2 days! It's Kevin, Jo, Patrick, Natasha, Jon, and Caitlin. It's workshops. It's dancing. It's gonna ROCK.

But first...

Announcing the DJs for the Friday night DJ BATTLE OF THE CENTURY (what will we call it next year?)

Erwin Amurao - Columbus, Ohio (returning Greatest DJ Ever)
Brian Tietz - Cleveland, Ohio
Jöhn Hölmström - Chicagö, Illinöis
Brooke Groberg - Toronto, Ontario, CANADA

Winner gets shock, awe, 150 bucks and a headlining gig at CBUS 6 in 2011. Wicked.

First Early Registration AND Hotel Discount Reservation Cutoff is Thursday, September 23

Register now for the low low price of $80 for the Intermediate/Advanced tracks or $40 for the beginner track. After Thursday, these prices go up by $10, so tell all your friends! Don't delay!

Why would you have early registration cut off on a THURSDAY, you might ask? That's because the lovely Hyatt Regency Columbus is only guaranteeing our block of rooms until THURSDAY, so we put everything together so you don't have to remember anything but SEPTEMBER 23, which is also THURSDAY.

Two important things about the hotel:

It's pimped out. Just read what the Hyatt's over-eager copywriter has to say about their Standard Double/Double rooms: "City or campus views welcome you to a spacious 338-sq.-ft. room featuring elegant interiors including two double Grand Beds offering ultra-plush pillows, the softest sheeting, and thick down blankets, all piled atop irresistible pillow-top mattresses. Deluxe amenities include spacious bath with exclusive bath amenities, generous work area with wireless Internet access and easy video checkout." (They also have a pool, people. If you're going to be a Rockstar, surely you'll need a pool.)
IT'S GUARANTEED TO SELL OUT, so book now, think later! They have a rather generous cancellation policy. "Cancel by 3PM 24 hours prior to arrival to avoid 1 night room and tax penalty."

It's only 26 days to go before Rocktober 2010 is upon us! October 15-17 in Columbus, Ohio. Pack your best leather pants! (though you may be more comfortable in a more humane cotton blend)

Sincerely,
SwingColumbus

got questions? CONTACT US