Last Wednesday’s musicality class was so much fun we thought we’d post a photo of it here!  Tim and Narelle taught a great class using balloons and kazoos as musical instruments to teach the structure of swing music!  If you want to see a short video of the class “doing their thing”, then check out the Facebook post here.

Plus, Tim and Elysia will be teaching part two of musicality this coming Wednesday, the 8th of May!

Ever wanted to know what some of the terms used in dance mean? Some students at an after school club recently put together this list, and asked if we could put it up on our website for a week. Enjoy!

http://www.datehookup.com/content-dance-terminology-glossary.htm

Here’s an announcement we always like to make!  TasSwing has a new teacher!  After Simon Chadwick moved onto other things at the end of last year, it’s taken us a little while to come up with a suitable replacement, but we can finally announce that Michael Laczko has agreed to join our team.

You may already know Michael as he’s a member of Lindy Mob, but also because he’s been an outstanding teacher for FootNotes.  You can catch Michael this week in the Hobart Hoppers class, and then next month in the Beginner Swingers class.

Here’s a short bio…

Michael has been interested in music from his youth, having played lower brass instruments in high school, but did not discover the wonderful world of swing dancing until he left his sheltered home of Perth for Melbourne in 2004. There his new friends introduced him to partner dancing which Michael took up with enthusiasm, whether it was ballroom, salsa, or swing. It wasn’t until 2008 when Michael put his other dance interests aside to concentrate on swing dancing that he started to make his presence noticed around the Melbourne swing scene. Developing a particular interest in 1920’s Charleston and classic jazz routines such as the Big Apple and the Shim Sham he started to get a reputation for being “that solo Charleston guy”, “Captain Charleston”, or just “the crazy one”.

Michael’s enthusiasm and excitability about swing dancing are contagious and he is rarely seen out dancing without a smile on his face. He enjoys preforming in front of people and spreading the joy and fun he feels when swing dancing. He has had experience performing in swing dance troupes in Melbourne since 2008. After moving to Hobart late 2011 Michael has been a teacher for FootNotes dance school and has also performed with the Lindy Mob performance troupe.

Michael is keen to share and to learn swing dance knowledge with anyone who is interested. When he is not dancing he can be found staring at the clouds, or drinking coffee and reading a book.

In the mood for some dancing to a big band orchestra this weekend?  Then perhaps you had best check out Live! At the Riviera.  Plus, you may have seen this nifty article in today’s Mercury, or on their website… (photo courtesy (and copyright) of The Mercury).

So, what’s coming up in April?  Well, I’m glad you asked…

6:30-7:30 – Beginner Swingers – 8-count swing-outs for two weeks/Charleston for two weeks

7:30-8:00 – Half Hour of Power – Switches for two weeks, swing-outs for two weeks (for Beginner Swingers students!)

8:00-9:00 – Hobart Hoppers – Lindy permutations and transmogrifications!

Right, so this month, here’s what to expect from classes!

6:30-7:30pm – Beginner Swingers with Tim and Julianne – 8-count/6-count (essential steps to have in your swing bag of tricks!)

7:30-8:00pm – Half Hour of Power with Shan – Body movement/Jazz steps (how to move your body better in your dancing, and practise all the different jazz steps you need!)

8:00-9:00pm – Hobart Hoppers with Dave and Elysia – Charleston (some crazy, challenging, charleston moves for you to play around with!)

Well, it will soon be time to start dancing for the year again (Feb 6!), so we thought it was time to let you know about our NEW class structure for 2013! Here’s how your swing evening will pan out:

6:30-7:30 – The Beginner Swingers – for all you new, or near new dancers out there. This will be a drop-in class each week, no need to bring a partner. Start anytime!

7:30-8:00 – The Half Hour of Power! This is a specialty class, which will be constantly changing. The level of the class may change, but the content will always be top notch. This will be a drop-in class each week, no need to bring a partner.

8:00-9:00 – The Hobart Hoppers – for the experienced dancers! This will be a drop-in class each week, no need to bring a partner.

9:00-late – social dancing!

Costs will be similar to last year – $10 for one class, $15 for the whole night, $5 for just the Half Hour of Power. Social dancing will set you back $2, or is free if you attend any of the classes on the night.

One of the things I most often get asked about by new dancers is, “what’s some good music to practise to?”

Well, we thought we’d make it easier for you all to have a listen to some swing music!  Click on the image below to access a free, music streaming website, and instantly listen to a list of great swing tunes we’ve put together!