Swing Ann Arbor reopens again tomorrow, January 10th!

Every Wednesday we offer a beginner lesson from 6:30-7:30pm and a social dance from 7:30-9:30pm. Proof of Covid-19 vaccination required and masks recommended!

WHAT: An evening of social dancing and live music! Help us celebrate the end of 2023 with friends, music, and, of course, dance! This year will feature tunes from KissMe crowd favorite, The River Skippers! 

WHEN: December 2, 2023

SCHEDULE:

• 7-7:50pm: FREE beginner lesson
• 8-11pm: Evening dance with live music from the The River Skippers 
• 11-11:30pm: Evening dance with DJ-ed swing music
• 11:30pm-1am: Late night blues with DJ-ed music 

WHERE: Concourse Hall, Ann Arbor, MI

ADMISSION:

• General admission: $25 
• SAA/AACTMAD members + student admission: $20 
• Front desk volunteer admission: $10 

COVID PROTOCOL: Masks welcome, Covid vaccination suggested

This event is made possible by Swing Ann Arbor, Friday Night Swing, and Riverside Swings 

WHAT:
Come swing with us at our weekly dance featuring LIVE MUSIC! During our social dance from 7:30-9:30pm we will be hosting a 4-piece jazz combo in the Michigan League Ballroom! Additionally, we will be teaching a class on the Shim Sham line dance from 6:30-7:30pm in lieu of our normal beginner lesson! No partner or experience needed. You do not need to be a student of the University of Michigan to attend. Just bring yourself and some comfy shoes! Note that there is a cost for the social dance, even if you were at the lesson.

WHEN:
Wednesday, November 8th
Shim Sham lesson: 6:30-7:30pm
Social Dance: 7:30-9:30pm

COST:
Admission to Shim-Sham lesson: FREE!
Admission to social dance (must be paid even if you were at the lesson): $15 general admission, $10 SAA members

COVID PROTOCOL:
Proof of vaccination required. If proof of vaccination cannot be shown, attendees must wear a mask the entire length of the event instead.

WHAT: It’s back again for a second month! In this course, we will build on the Lindy Hop essentials of Swing I and learn how to do a swingout. Swingouts are a fundamental (and by far the most recognizable) move of Lindy Hop! They require dancers to hone their connection with a partner and can lay the groundwork for many new moves. We will dedicate most of the time in this class to cleaning up the swingouts you will learn in the first few weeks. We will also focus on musicality and teach you a few fun swingout variations (time permitting). 

COURSE PREREQUISITES: Swing I or equivalent. You should feel comfortable switching between 6-count and 8-count Lindy Hop, have experience with some basic variations (e.g. yoyos, Lindy circles), and feel confident about your musicality and connection. We will not expect you to know how to do a swingout yet – we will teach you to do one!

WHEN: 7:30pm-8:30pm on Thursdays (11/2, 11/9, 11/16, 11/30)

WHERE: Mason Hall Room 1401, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 

INSTRUCTORS: Sarah Redman & Steve Losh 

PRICING:

• General Admission 4-Week Pass: $40
• SAA Member 4-Week Pass: $30
• Individual Class: $12

Acceptable forms of payment: cash, check, or PayPal

REGISTRATION: Please register in advance by filling out this short form: https://tinyurl.com/SAANovProgressives

Swing Ann Arbor is offering a 4-week Taster Series next month! This series will introduce you to a different type of swing dance each week. Continue reading for each week’s topic! 

11/2/23: ST. LOUIS SHAG

St. Louis Shag is an African American Partnered Jazz dance that has been alive in St. Louis MO since the 1930’s. Kendra and Casey will be covering the basic shapes and style of the dance to get you shagging faster than you can say “In St. Louis, they just call it Shag!” 

• Instructors: Casey McCoy and Kendra Wade

11/9/23: COLLEGIATE SHAG

Sometimes the music is too fast for Lindy Hop, too bouncy for Balboa, or not chunky enough for Charleston. Collegiate Shag is your secret weapon! Challenge yourself with new footwork & stylized shapes while you get your cardio in.

• Instructors: Emily Topham + Angel Jenio 

11/16/23: 20s CHARLESTON

Try your hand at the grandparent of the swing family!  A simple ballroom hold and step-touch footwork will soon have you ready to try fun stylings with your partner.

• Instructors: Emily Topham + Angel Jenio 

**Note: there is no class the week of November 20th due to Thanksgiving**

11/30/23: SLOW JAZZ

Learn how to partner dance to slow music from the Swing Era! In this class we’ll teach you about the history of some slow dances from the 1930s and 1940s, get you comfortable moving with a partner in close embrace to slow jazz music, and provide you with some dance vocabulary to make the dance interesting. A great way to impress your friends and family at formal dances & weddings! 

• Instructors: Emily Topham + Max Okros 

WHERE: Mason Hall Room 1401, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

PRICING:

• General Admission 4-Week Pass to all four classes: $40
• SAA Member 4-Week Pass to all four classes: $30
• Individual Class: $12

Acceptable forms of payment: cash, check, or PayPal

REGISTRATION: Please register in advance by filling out this short form: https://tinyurl.com/SAANovProgressives

WHAT: Swing Ann Arbor and Friday Night Swing are partnering to bring world-renowned instructors Kate Hedin and David Rehm to Ann Arbor to teach a two-day workshop on SoCal Lindy Hop and Balboa!

This workshop weekend will also include a Saturday night Halloween Dance with live music from the Easy Street Jazz Band, a costume contest, and a mix-and-match competition.

It is recommended that dancers attending the Saturday So Cal Lindy workshops be at an intermediate dance level or above and be familiar with swingouts. The Sunday Balboa workshops are open to anyone at or above a beginner Balboa level. 

Thank you to AACTMAD for sponsoring this event.

WHEN: October 28th + 29th, 2023

WHERE: Concourse Hall, Ann Arbor 

INSTRUCTORS: Kate Hedin and David Rehm

COVID PROTOCOL: Masks welcome, Covid vaccination suggested 

SCHEDULE: 

Saturday:

• 11am-1pm: So Cal Lindy Session I
• 1pm-2pm: Lunch 
• 2pm-4pm: So Cal Lindy Session II 
• Dinner Break: 4pm-7pm 
• Mix + Match Prelims: 7-8pm 
• Social Dance: 8pm- midnight 
• Costume Contest: 9-9:30pm
• Mix + Match Finals: 10:30pm-11:00pm 

Sunday:

• 1:00-2:45 pm: Balboa Session I 
• 2:45-3:15 pm: Break
• 3:15-5:00 pm: Balboa Session II
• 5-7pm: Social hour

ADMISSION AND REGISTRATION TIERS: 

• Whole Weekend Pass, General Admission: $80
• Whole Weekend Pass, Student or SAA/AACTMAD Member: $70
• Just the Saturday workshop, General Admission: $40
• Just the Saturday workshop, Student or SAA/AACTMAD Member: $35
• Just the Saturday Dance, General Admission: $25
• Just the Saturday Dance, Student or SAA/AACTMAD Member: $20
• Just the Sunday workshop, General Admission: $40
• Just the Sunday workshop, Student or SAA/AACTMAD Member: $35
• Mix & Match Competition: $5 

REGISTRATION: https://tinyurl.com/TricksTreatsWeekend

VOLUNTEER: If you volunteer, you can save money! For each hour you volunteer, you get $5 off your admission. (Volunteers will be reimbursed after the weekend.) Sign up to volunteer in the registration form and we’ll be in touch! 

CARPOOL: Do you need a ride to the venue? Or, can you offer folks a ride? Fill out this form to sign-up for carpool: https://forms.gle/Mw1UbE27PoPr7naYA

MIX & MATCH COMPETITION: This comp will be Lindy Hop-focused. $5 entry. Prelims on Saturday, October 28th, from 7-8pm and finals from 10:30-11pm. 
Winners will have the option of receiving a free pass to Dayton Swing Smackdown 2024, a free pass to KissMe in Ann Arbor 2024, or a free pass to our Winter Dance this December. 

COSTUME CONTEST: Show us your best! Winners will have the option of receiving a 4-week pass to one of SAA’s progressive lesson series, free entry coupons to SAA or FNS, or candy. 

WHAT: 
Come learn Balboa with Emily and Ben in preparation for our Halloween Balboa Workshop at the end of October with Kate Hedin and David Rehm! Balboa is a type of swing dance that came out of Southern California, is often danced in close embrace, and is great for really fast music. 

Whether you are new to this type of dance, or could use a refresher (e.g. if you took our Balboa progressive lesson this past spring), this workshop is for you! We will talk about basic rhythms and connection, practice moving from pure balboa to bal-swing with out & ins with variations, and (time permitting) add rotational movement to bal-swing with lollies and toss-outs. Don’t miss out — this workshop is a great way to prepare for the workshop with Kate Hedin and David Rehm! No experience necessary!

WHEN: Wednesday, October 11th 6:30-9:30pm ***This will replace our usual beginner lesson + social dance***

WHERE: Anderson Room ABC (1st floor), Michigan Union, University of Michigan

INSTRUCTORS: Emily Topham & Ben Sun

PRICING:
$15 general admission 
$10 SAA members 
Acceptable forms of payment: cash, check, or PayPal 

We’ll be offering two classes! These will include Swing I: Lindy Hope Essentials and Swing II: Swingout Bootcamp!

WHAT: Ready to level up from our beginner lessons? In this course, we will take the basic Lindy Hop you’ve learned at our beginner lessons and play around with it, extending your vocabulary and working on bringing your social dancing to the next level. We will focus on rhythm and musicality, improving your connection with your partner, switching between different types of footwork (e.g. 6-count and 8-count), and teach you some new shapes. This course builds up to and prepares you to enter Swing II, which will teach you how to do a solid swingout. 

COURSE PREREQUISITES: Attendance at least 3-5 Lindy Hop beginner lessons (either at Swing Ann Arbor or elsewhere, e.g. Riverside swing). You should be starting to feel comfortable with both 6-count and 8-count Lindy Hop footwork, as well as pulse/rhythm and connection (in both open and closed position). 

WHEN: 7:15pm-8:15 pm on Tuesdays in October (10/3, 10/10, 10/17, 10/24)

WHERE: Mason Hall Room 1401, University of Michigan

INSTRUCTORS: Lily Roof & Max Okros 

PRICING:

• General Admission 4-Week Pass: $40
• SAA Member 4-Week Pass: $30
• Individual Class: $12

Acceptable forms of payment: cash, check, or PayPal

REGISTRATION: Please register in advance by filling out this short form: https://tinyurl.com/SAAProgressives

__________________________________________

WHAT: In this course, we will build on the Lindy Hop essentials of Swing I and learn how to do a swingout. Swingouts are a fundamental (and by far the most recognizable) move of Lindy Hop! They require dancers to hone their connection with a partner and can lay the groundwork for many new moves. We will dedicate most of the time in this class to cleaning up the swingouts you will learn in the first few weeks. We will also focus on musicality and teach you a few fun swingout variations (time permitting). 

COURSE PREREQUISITES: Swing I or equivalent. You should feel comfortable switching between 6-count and 8-count Lindy Hop, have experience with some basic variations (e.g. yoyos, Lindy circles), and feel confident about your musicality and connection. We will not expect you to know how to do a swingout yet – we will teach you to do one!

WHEN: 8:30pm-9:30pm on Tuesdays in October (10/3, 10/10, 10/17, 10/24)

WHERE: Mason Hall Room 1401, University of Michigan

INSTRUCTORS: Emily Topham & Zayne Knuth 

PRICING:

• General Admission 4-Week Pass: $40
• SAA Member 4-Week Pass: $30
• Individual Class: $12

Acceptable forms of payment: cash, check, or PayPal

REGISTRATION: Please register in advance by filling out this short form: https://tinyurl.com/SAAProgressives

WHAT: Mama’s Stew is a fast paced choreography from the early 1960s. It was created by the 1955 Harvest Moon Ball champion George Sullivan for the Mama Lou Parks Dancers. The routine goes by several names: some call it “Mama Stew” (without an apostrophe), the Parkets themselves referred to it as “Hand Claps”, and it has (perhaps more accurately) been known as “Sully’s Stew”. 

This beginner-friendly routine will be taught by Max Okros. It is a great primer for solo jazz and a fantastic way to be a part of the history and culture of swing dance!

You can see some of the original Parkets performing this choreography here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tn8n5eSh37I

You can also see how other folks have performed it here: https://youtu.be/T8ChDfbgP18?si=HbThgV8d1HFMeHeR

Thank you to Paulette Brockington for providing us with the historical background and context of this dance. 

WHEN: September 26th, 7:00pm

WHERE: Mason Hall Room 1401 

INSTRUCTOR: Max Okros 

COST: $5 (cash, check, or PayPal) 

COVID PROTOCOL: You MUST either A) show proof of COVID-19 vaccination in order to attend indoor, in-person SAA events OR B) wear a mask during the entire duration of indoor, in-person SAA events if proof of COVID-19 vaccination cannot be provided.

SAA is offering memberships again for the Fall 2023 Semester!

Fun perks of being a member include:

• FREE admission to our weekly dances!
• Discounts on our series and workshops!
• Discounted admission to our special dances!
• Free SAA swag!

SAA semester memberships are active from the beginning to the end of a semester. Fall memberships will last from September 2023 thru December 2023. Membership savings cannot be applied retroactively. 

Cost:

• If you pay by cash or check, the cost is $50.
• If you would prefer to pay through PayPal, the cost is $51.55 (to offset PayPal fees)

Sign-up to become a SAA Fall Member here!

Membership registration will close October 2nd at 11:59pm.

Join us for our usual Wednesday night beginner lesson and social dances OUTSIDE September 6th and September 20th! We’ll be under the Harlan Graduate Library Overhang from 6:30-9:30pm those days. Map below for reference!