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Learn to dance with 3 arms - just like the lead on the BootyCall card! We have a rare opportunity to offer a blues workshop with Solomon from Seattle, Kelly from Detroit, Jerry from Dallas and Heidi from St. Louis! They will be teaching three classes on Saturday before the Doghouse: "Blues Movement and Connection", "Musicality and Micro-blues" and "Stretch Your Dance."


Limited spaces available, register now!


Blues Dancing Workshop with Nationally Renowned Instructors

Saturday, November 13th, 2004

Rhythm & Motion Dance Center — 1133 Mission Street (between 7th & 8th)

 

Solomon Douglas

Kelly Porter

Jerry Warwick

Heidi Fite

Seattle, WA

Detroit, MI

Dallas, TX

St. Louis, MO

Solomon is increasingly in demand worldwide as a teacher of Lindy Hop, Balboa, Charleston, and Vernacular Jazz, and is gaining quite a reputation as a Blues Dancing specialist; he has taught Blues workshops in Brisbane, Chicago, Connecticut, Hilo, Honolulu, Melbourne, Oakland, Osaka, Ottawa, Perth, Pittsburgh, Portland (Oregon), Quebec City, Rochester, Seattle, Seoul, Singapore, and Tokyo.  He is well known as a musician, playing piano and leading bands at swing dance events throughout North America and worldwide in such bands as Back Pocket, the Solomon Douglas Swingtet, and Corner Pocket.

Initially coming from a background in classical ballet, Kelly has been dancing, studying and teaching jazz, blues and other vernacular dances for about 5 years. Known for her passionate, musical and unique approach to social dance, she loves to challenge people to stretch their abilities and pre-conceptions. Borrowing from many aesthetic camps her style and taste are highly eclectic, both musically and on the dance floor. Her classes stress the joy of improvisation, thoughtful connection and the soulful humanity of a long dance tradition, which is constantly reinterpreted. Lately she has been focusing on African influences in jazz movement and exploring the historical roots of blues dance as part of a research group to that end. Kelly also DJ's in Detroit and around the country.

Jerry has been dancing and instructing Lindy Hop and Blues for six years.  He is well known for his passion for blues and sense of humor while teaching.  Along with his partner Kathy, he has taught blues all around Texas. They were the organizers of Red, White and Blues in Dallas. Jerry has DJ'ed for several years around the Dallas – Ft. Worth Lindy Hop Scene. Jerry has also DJ'ed the Austin Lindy Exchanges, Great Southwest Lindyfest, Tulsa Exchanges, and St.  Louis events as well as numerous Blues Parties. His use of Jazz and Blues Vocalists are the signature of his sets.

Admired for her especially clear explanation of fundamental principals, Heidi Fite brings to all her classes not only a focus on solid techniques, but more important, a love of dance and a dedication to the learning process. Heidi's expertise includes Lindy Hop and Blues dance, and she has most recently taught Blues Workshops in Toronto, Canada, at the Saint Louis Lindy Blues Exchange (STLBX), and the Dallas "I Choose Blues" week-end. She began teaching Lindy and Blues in St. Louis, Missouri in 1999, but she has recently moved to San Francisco, where she plans to continue dancing and teaching. You can learn more about Heidi at http://www.blues-dance.com

 

"Blues Movement and Connection" with Solomon and Kelly  (5:30-7pm)

This class will give the beginner, and dancers of all levels, a solid and insightful introduction to the subtleties of connection and movement in modern blues dance.  We will focus on weight-shifts, understanding movement from your center, and developing a mutually responsive connection with your partner. As a highly improvisatory dance with no basic step, blues dance will instill a unique awareness of balance, floor and partner connection which is directly applicable to more structured dances such as the Lindy Hop.  With this in mind, we encourage students of all interest and experience levels to attend.

"Musicality and Micro-Blues" with Jerry and Heidi  (7-8:30pm)

The blues can shout, it can talk or it can sometimes whisper.  This class is about listening to that gentle whisper of the music and reacting to it with a subtle movement grounded in emotional intensity.  You just shut the door to the world around you, close your eyes and lean your heads together.  Your biggest move is barely perceivable to the casual observer.  Welcome to micro-blues!  In this class, Jerry and Heidi will get you comfortable with minuscule movement in closed position. When you have completed this course, you will be connecting with your partner in a way that will leave you speechless at the end of a dance. Some swing dancing experience required, especially with connection and musicality.  Some blues dancing experience (or Solomon and Kelly's class) preferred.

"Stretch Your Dance" with Kelly  (8:30-10pm)

The creation of this class was predicated on the idea that dancers who are strong, confident and self-aware on their own will also be the better dancers when partnered. The course uses discussion and various solo and partnered exercises to make you think and work out of the normal comfortable realm of partnered social dance movement to increase awareness of weight placement and balance, stretch your repertoire of movement and build confidence and responsibility for your own movement and momentum. The format of the class is informal and material will be highly tailored to the skills of the individual class (oh, and mad fun . . . did I mention that?). This is a workshop intended as a colloquium for dancers with a solid grasp of Lindy Hop and social dance mechanics.

 

Classes cost $20 each, or $50 for all three

We may have the smaller room available between 7-10pm for more classes or private sessions.

Limited spaces available!  Call 415-812-0564 to make reservations or mail workshops -at- lindybooty dot com .


Note: The infamous LindyBooty-Dima is not running this event, and he has asked that we do not pester him with questions.