In this issue
Lindyfest is coming March 13-16th, 2008
Lindyfest is an amazing lindy hop weekend workshop jammed packed with classes for all dance levels, soul sessions with living legends, hot performances and four endless nights of dancing. Lindyfest brings in hundreds of dancers from all across the globe to learn lindy hop from the masters and experience the excitement of Lindy Hop, all here in Houston. So don't forget to save the date, March 13-16th! Check back next month for our official instructor announcement and website release.
Upcoming Dances
Music Corner
This month we bring you our top ten female singers that swing. Swing it sisters!
A portion of sales through these Amazon links will be donated to HSDS.
Look for HSDS and other great Houston arts organizations and events on artshound.com.
Join PotatoChips to post and receive periodic email announcements about swing dance events.
Go to Houston Swing Out to join discussions regarding dances, etiquette, overcoming shyness, or getting a group of friends together for movie night. It's all there.
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Contact HSDS
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New lessons begin Sunday, August 5th!
All HSDS classes are Sundays at The Melody Club, unless otherwise posted. Click here to view our weekly class schedule. We offer lessons for beginner to advanced dancers. No partner necessary! Our weekly Sunday dance is 8:30-10:30pm following the lessons.
Trankey Doo is the August Elective!
Shorty George, Boogie Back, Fall off the Log, the Mess Around and Suzie Q’s are all great jazz steps from the 40’s. When put together with the right music and just a few more jazzy steps, they make up a dance named the Tranky Doo.
There are two main theories about the origin of the Tranky Doo. The first is that it was a popular line dance in Harlem back in the 40s, choreographed by Pepsi Bethel. The dance would appear in the Savoy Ballroom and was danced to a timeless song we all know and love, Tuxedo Junction.
The second theory is that a Vaudeville actress named Trankey Doo use to end her shows with a special crazy dance move and then much later some swing dancers collected these moves from movie snippets and put them together to create this line dance.
You can find this popular dance performed by hundreds of dancers at the same time at a Lindy Hop event. Electives are offered Sundays 5:30-6:30pm in the back room. The video below is the Trankey Doo performed by Al Minns in the movie, Spirit Moves.
The September elective is the Dean Collins Shim Sham, a variation on another popular Jazz line dance. Sundays 5:30-6:30pm in the back room. Watch out for next month's video featuring two HSDS alums.
 HSDS will be hosting another fantastic pair of Lindy Hoppers in our Workshop Series. When it comes to high energy performance, acclaimed Denver dancers Dan Newsome and Tiffiny Wine have repeatedly taken lindy hop to a higher level.
They are the coaches, choreographers, founders, and dancers in 23 Skidoo!, champions in this years NJC team division. Dancing for 8 years, they’ve placed in and won numerous national competitions including a 1st place at the prestigious 2005 Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown, and 1st place at Midwest Lindy Fest. Over the last nine years, they have attended over one hundred camps, workshop weekends and events both in Denver and across the country, in swing dance, as as well as other forms of dance.
Dan and Tiff have become synonymous with exciting airsteps, lightning fast dancing, and a flair for pleasing the crowd. They have been a major force in developing the Denver lindy hop scene into a nationally recognized group of competitors, performance teams, and social dancers, providing regular instruction as well as inspiration to local dancers. They pride themselves on keeping a personal relationship with their students, providing clear communication, offering one-on-one help, and constantly improving their teaching methods and ideas.
JCC Auditorium 1:30-5:30pm
Registration is now open!
$30 members/$35 non-members
Dance at Second Cup Swing (included with workshop ticket)
This workshop is recommended for all level of dancers who have taken at least one month of Lindy 1a.
Board Meeting and Elections
HSDS Board meetings are open to all HSDS members. These meetings are where we plan future HSDS events, review our classes and music selection and more. Our next meeting will be August 6th, 7-9pm. Please contact HSDS for the location of the meeting.
Do you ever wish you could create a new dance venue for Lindy Hop? Are you interested in giving back to your community? Would you like to have a voice in which instructors come to Lindyfest? HSDS is looking for our next generation of board members. We meet monthly to discuss music, membership, dancing, and workshops. We are a supportive environment who will help you develop your fresh ideas for the club. Our elections will take place this Fall. Contact HSDS for more information.
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