Blog Archives
I Heart Bal – September 2, 2017
Excited to be returning to Richmond, VA this weekend for I Heart Bal, a wonderful Balboa workshop weekend with this year’s slogan of “Don’t Stop BALievin'” and world-class Balboa instruction from Kelly Arsenault and Mickey Fortanasce, Chelsea Lee and David Lee, and Annabel Quisao and Michael Quisao. If you love swing music, unicorns, and awesome people, this is probably the event for you. See you soon, lovelies!
All Balboa Weekend 2017
Photograph from ABW 2015, courtesy of @bobbykate on Instagram
On June 10, 2017 we’ll perform for our fourth year in a row at All Balboa Weekend! It is always an honor to be invited to perform at this long-running Balboa event that is home to what is essentially the world championships of Balboa. Our friends Michael Gamble and the Rhythm Serenaders are performing on Friday night and we’ll be the Saturday night band. We’ve also got a special surprise for you with guest vocalist Nick Williams, so don’t miss a moment of the live music at ABW!
Nashville Dance Congress – May 5-6, 2017
We don’t see a lot of arts grant money going to social dance events, so it’s rare and wonderful that organizers of the Nashville Dance Congress have been the beneficiaries of a grant allowing them to provide a weekend of FREE dance classes from renowned instructors and social dances to live and DJ’ed music! Featured dance genres are Salsa, Bachata, Ballroom Cabaret, West Coast Swing, Kizomba, Tango, Zouk, Lindy Hop, Balboa, and more! We’re excited to be invited to be a part of this inaugural event as the swing band – we’ll be performing three sets over the weekend, Friday and Saturday nights from 11:00 p.m. to 1:30 a.m., and a Saturday afternoon set from 2:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.
If you are staying at the Millennium Maxwell House Hotel, this event is free! For more information or if you are not staying at the hotel, visit the Nashville Dance Congress website.
Videos from DCLX’tra Dance at Glen Echo
On January 28, 2017 DCLX sponsored a swing dance at Glen Echo Park’s Spanish Ballroom and invited us to perform! Here are some videos from the dance, check out this beautiful ballroom, some sweet tunes, and the jam to Business in F:
I Heart Balboa – September 3, 2016
Graphics we can only assume were created by the event mastermind, Erica Vess
If you like your Balboa events peppered with cats with laser beam eyes, dinosaurs, world-class instruction, and lots of foodie restaurants, join us for a fun, nerdy weekend of Balboa dancing and instruction at I Heart Balboa in Richmond, Virginia. The event runs September 2-4, 2016 and we’ll be performing at the Saturday night dance on September 3, 2016 – we are excited to be back to perform for their second year!
Dogtown Dance Theater
109 West 15th St
Richmond, VA
Time: 8:30 p.m. to midnight
Admission: For more information, visit the I Heart Balboa website.
Photo by Kadie Pangburn.
Triangle Swing Dance Society Dance – March 19, 2016
It’s time to do what we were born to do – play for our home crowd of swing dancers at the Triangle Swing Dance Society dance on the Triangle’s best social dance floor, the ballroom at the Carrboro Century Center on March 19, 2016. If you don’t know how to dance, TSDS has you covered with a free beginner lesson at 7:00 p.m. before the dance. Come swing with us!
Carrboro Century Center
100 N. Greensboro St.
Carrboro, NC
Time: Band plays from 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Admission: Members/Students $8, Non-members $12
Photo from Mint Julep Jazz Band’s performance at the Carrboro Century Center on St. Patrick’s Day 2013, courtesy of Joel Carlin.
Hot Rhythm Holiday 2016 – Austin, Texas
On January 30, 2016, we return to the Lone Star State capital to perform at Hot Rhythm Holiday, a weekend of workshops and dances focusing on Balboa and Collegiate Shag and there’s a music track for people who want to learn more about performing jazz! The events take place at the Texas Federation of Women’s Clubs (“the Fed”), a mansion built in 1931 with a gorgeous historic ballroom. We are excited to return to Hot Rhythm Holiday for our second year! And bring on the brisket!
The ballroom at The Fed, taken at Hot Rhythm Holiday 2015
I Heart Balboa – September 5, 2015
We are excited to be a part of Richmond, Virginia’s inaugural I Heart Balboa, a mini-workshop weekend occurring September 4-5, 2015. The weekend features Balboa instructors Kate Hedin, David Rehm, Chelsea Lee, and David Lee, and the Mint Julep Jazz Band is performing at the Saturday night dance at The Dance Space in Richmond. We hear they are close to selling out, so get your weekend pass or your dance pass soon!
Bobby and Annabel on Floorcraft
We are delighted that international swing dance instructor and author of the Swungover blog Bobby White, along with the fantastic Annabel Quisao, decided to use the title track from Battle Axe in their video on floorcraft, a very important topic for dancers of all skill levels on a crowded dance floor. Check it out!
