Click here to get your semester membership!

Click here to get your semester membership!

We’ve got three – that’s right, THREE – series comin’ at you this month to kick off the Winter 2019 semester! You can take as many series at a time as you like, but please make sure that you meet any prerequisites (if there are any, e.g., Swing II)

• Swing I (Wednesdays, 7-8pm): Intro to Lindy Hop, starting from the very basics!
• Solo Jazz Fundamentals (Wednesdays, 8-9pm): No experience needed. Learn basic solo jazz, solo line dances, and some solo Charleston!
• Swing II (Mondays, 7-8pm): Being present in the dance through musicality & dynamics.

and, of course, we host a free, open practice on Mondays from 8-9pm immediately following Swing II. Bring ideas of what you want to work on, and be willing to help others practice theirs!

     

 

Want to learn more about the history of Lindy Hop and other jazz/swing dances? Here’s your chance!

Connor & Sarah will be sharing their favorite vintage dance clips of lindy hop, balboa, solo jazz, charleston, chorus girls, shag, blues, tap, and more. Come out and get inspired!

WHERE: Freespace in the Ann Arbor District Library
WHEN: 2-4pm
COST: FREE!!!

Most of the dance styles we love were created and spread by some key dancers in the late 1920s and 30s who appeared in a few treasured dance clips available through YouTube and other means. It’s pretty incredible to reflect on what these dances looked like almost 100 years ago! It’s also interesting to look at the videos and clips from the time in between – from the 1930s and 40s to the influence of rock and roll in the 50s and 60s and then to watch some of the original swing dancers dancing in their middle-old age in the 1970s, 80s and 90s with the swing revival. These dances have changed a lot in some ways, but you can also see a spirit that perseveres throughout the decades. Please join us!

Celebrate the holidays with Swing Ann Arbor and Friday Night Swing (FNS) during our Holiday Dance on Saturday, December 15th! Bring your friends and fam for a wonderful evening of live music and dancing!

Never danced before? No problem! We’ll kick off the night with a beginner lesson to get you out on the dance floor!

We’re delighted to have Planet D Nonet playing for us! Planet D Nonet is a “a down & dirty little swing band from Detroit” – and a SIX TIME Detroit Music Award-winning swing band. They’ll keep us swinging out all night long!

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Schedule of the night:
8:00pm-9:00pm ~~ Beginner Lesson
9:00pm-12:00am ~ Dance w/ music from Planet D Nonet

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Pricing:
$10 (regular)
$8 (students, SAA members, & AACTMAD members)
****Volunteer at the dance for discounted admission! Sign up here****

Join us this Saturday night (11/10) at Campus Chapel! Doors open at 8:30, band starts at 9pm.

This fine frolicking autumn night, music is brought to you by

• Plenty Rhythm, featuring so many of your favorite local musicians:
  • Dawn Giblin – vocals
  • Chris Smith – trombone
  • Jim Dapogny – piano
  • Rodney Rich – guitar
  • Erick McIntyre – guitar
  • Gwen MacPhee – bass
• & band breaks/late night brought to you by DJ Ike Swets!

 

WHERE: Campus Chapel @ 1236 Washtenaw Ct., Ann Arbor, MI
WHEN: 8:30pm-Midnight
PRICE AT THE DOOR:
$12 community
$10 community SAA member or student
$8 student SAA member

 

Come in costume (or dress up in some other way) and join us on October 31st for our Halloween Dance!

Location: Ballroom, Michigan League

• MIX & MATCH dance competition
• COSTUME CONTEST
• PRIZES:
  • Private lessons
  • Class series
  • Dance entry (for a month!)

Plus, you can learn one of our favorite line dances, the Shim Sham, at our workshop from 7-8pm in the Ballroom!

WORKSHOP INFO:
Fast Dancing & Jams with Charlie Wieprecht!
Afternoon workshop & evening dance.

Join us for an advanced 4-hour lindy hop workshop with Charlie Wieprecht! Charlie is coming all the way from Baltimore to bring a little spunk and speed from his main gig at the popular Mobtown Ballroom as one of their main instructors. Charlie has been dancing fast since he started, and he’s going to share some of his favorite tricks for how to keep moving when the tempos get high. In Baltimore, they have jams at almost every dance, so he’ll also be talking about going into jams and what to do once you’ve gotten there.

This workshop is designed for those who are very comfortable with their basic lindy hop movement. This workshop will be a little more physically demanding, so please plan ahead! Bring plenty of water, snacks, and more than one shoe option to make sure you’re comfortable during the day. A NOTE ON JAM CIRCLES: Jam circles are a great space to show off and support your fellow dancers! We will be asking people to step a little bit outside their comfort zone and practice dancing in front of and for an audience. Contact us at swingannarbor@umich.edu with any questions!

Click here to register & view workshop schedule!

• Times: Workshop 11:00am – 4:15pm
  Evening Dance 8:30pm – Midnight
• Location: Campus Chapel, 1236 Washtenaw Court, Ann Arbor, MI
• Prices:
  Scholarships
  SAA is offering two full-ride scholarships to POC dancers. To be considered for this scholarship, indicate your interest on the registration form.

  Workshop & Dance
  $60 Community member
  $55 SAA member or student
  $50 SAA member and student

  Workshop Only
  $55 Community member
  $50 SAA member or student
  $45 SAA member and student

We had a wonderful turnout at our first dance of the new school year – so many new faces! We’ve uploaded a few photos from the lesson & dance here, but you can check out the rest on our facebook page!

 

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We had such a wonderful time dancing with all of you at our Valentine’s Dance, our annual joint event with Friday Night Swing! A special thanks to the amazing James Dapogny Quintet, all of our hardworking organizers and volunteers, and of course – to you, for filling the floor with your love of dancing! We can’t wait until next year 🙂

Mix & Match Winners!
1st place – Bryana Hall & Mike van Andel
2nd place – Kendra Wade & Emily Topham
3rd place – Maddie Harris & Douglas Bae
Congrats, everyone! Make sure to contact SAA & FNS to receive your prizes!

Photos!
John Jay Li Photography took some stellar photos of y’all dancing and cheesin’ at the photo booth. We’ve uploaded just a few here, but you can check out the rest at http://www.johnjayli.com!

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For more photos of the dance, visit John’s website!

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Check out the rest of the photo booth pics HERE!

Don’t tuck those Halloween costumes in depths of your closet just yet – on November 1st, we’re bringing you:

• FREE beginner lesson from 7-8pm
• 3 hours of dancing from 8-11pm
• live music from 501 Swing Street
• a battle-style Mix & Match competition
  • 1st & 2nd place prizes: FREE private lesson or FREE month of series classes
• a costume contest
  • 1st place: FREE month of series classes
  • 2nd place: FREE entry to a regular Wednesday Night Dance
• Too much discount Halloween candy

RSVP to the facebook event for specific updates!