VAC INTERESTING NEWS Vol. 22, No. 2 TThehe VVillageillage AArtsrts CCoalitionoalition Mar-Apr, 2011 uring this time period, the Savoy ballroom was Presents: Folk Arts Dance & Music Calendar Dmore than just a dance floor, and the Lindy he inspiration and beauty of this dance has Hop was more than just a dance. For many, this Tbeen brought to Boulder, Colorado where w org was a place and a dance of freedom. Throughout professional instructors, Shana Worel and Stephen w ion. w.villa scoalit these years, the United States was recovering from Newcomb, strive to maintain and teach the spirit P! geart WWI, endured the Great Depression, entered of the dance. In addition to Lindy Hop, Boulder M WWII, and suffered from deep social injustices Swing Dance offers other American vernacular between races. In the midst of these tragedies, the forms such as Balboa, Charleston, Shim Sham, O Savoy ballroom and the Lindy Hop became a place and the Big Apple. With bi-weekly dances, and T where people could set aside their differences and frequent classes, Boulder Swing Dance remains S their worries and become masters of the dance as a pinnacle of knowledge for American swing floor. The constant and heavy rhythm of the swing dances, and is a place where the Lindy Hop is music mixed with the improvisational liberty in preserved, studied, and developed. the Lindy Hop allowed dancers to experience a sense of euphoric freedom and enjoyment during wing Dance Lessons: Monday nights at 7:00pm any given night. Swith a new series starting every month. The classes are held at Kakes Studio A (2115 Pearl he enthusiastic energy of the dance and the St.). Check the website for time changes or Tpassionate sense of freedom are two of the cancellations. primary qualities that have made the Lindy Hop timeless. It is for these reasons that the Lindy Hop wing Dances: 1st and 3rd Saturday of every has made a ferocious return within today’s society. Smonth, lessons at 7:00pm and dance from In the early 90’s the dance was rediscovered and 8:30pm-1:00am. The Saturday classes/dances are many of the original Savoy dancers were relocated held at Pearl St. Studios (2126 Pearl St.). Check and began to teach the world the beauty and grace the website for time changes or cancellations. of the Lindy Hop. Today, the Lindy Hop is danced The Home of Happy Feet across the world. It is almost guaranteed that one For More Information: www.boulderswingdance. can travel to any major city in the world and find a com, [email protected], Yesterday and Today Lindy Hop nightclub and dance through the night 303-941-3833 until the early hours of the morning. SUBMITTED BY: STEPHEN NEWCOMB Once upon a time, time there was a ballroom, ballroom and this ballroom set people freefree. The Village Arts Coalition's VAC International Festival on the Pearl Street Mall will be June 25-26. pecifically, this ballroom was located on Lenox Avenue We need volunteers. Please consider being a large or small part of this event. Sin New York City between 140th and 141st. This was no ordinary ballroom, it was two stories high, and it consumed an Call Hermine 303-440-8303 entire New York block. Along with a massive dance floor, the top level contained two bandstands, and seven nights a week, two bands would battle to be the “Kings of Swing.” The judges of this contest would be the hundreds of dancers that flooded the floor night after night. Frequently, the ballroom would overflow with dancers and people filled the streets dancing to the jazz that was blasting through the walls. True to the words that were written on its marquis, this was “The Home of Happy Feet.” This was the Savoy ballroom. uring its lifetime from 1926-1958 the Savoy ballroom became an international sensation. DMovie actors, politicians, and performers all flocked to the Savoy Ballroom to watch people dance the Lindy Hop. This energetic dance was born in Harlem and it was within this ballroom that the true hep cats developed their talent. The Lindy Hop became the first bonifide swing dance and is known as the godfather of all swing dances. Performance groups such as Whiteys Lindy Hoppers trained at the Savoy ballroom and later traveled the world sharing the profound rhythm of jazz and the swing culture to many nations. continued on back VILLAGE ARTS COALITION MEMBER GROUPS ONGOING CLASSES & EVENTS » American Vernacular Dance (AVD) » CSU Scottish Arts Club » Scandinavian Dance Class » Argentine Tango » Denver Area Fold Dancers (DAFD) » Scootbacks Square Dance Club Colorado Dance Teachers: Knut Arne Jacobsen Pearl Street Swing & Blues to get more details. Call 303-237-9605 or email » Arkansas Valley Music & Dance » Folk Dancers Investor Group » Scottish Country Dancers of Colorado and Brit Totland Fiddlers: Loretta Kelley and Boulder Swing Dance [email protected]. » Blue Moon Dance Company » Friends of Traditional Dance (FoTD) » Snowhawk Productions Karin CodeWorkshop: Friday 7:00 pm to Sunday 1st and 3rd (& sometimes 5th) Saturday of the Deb Sclar & Brian Dunn » Boulder Hungarian Workshop » Hoofi n’ High Country Cloggers » Storm Mountain Folk Dancers 4:00 pm. Dance Party: Saturday 7:30 pm, open month. Intro to Lindy Hop class from 7-8:30 Private Instruction » Boulder International Folk Dancers (BIFD) » Hora Romaneasca Romanian Dancers » Storysmith to Public, $10 (if not in workshop) pm Dancing from 8:30 ‘til 1 am, with blues » Boulder Israeli Dancers » The Moon Festival » Swingin’ Seven Deb and Brian are available for private Registration: Required! $110 if mailed prior to after midnight. Admission is $5, $10 for the instruction and presentations that combine » Boulder Scandinavian Dancers (BSD) » Little London Assembly » Tango Colorado March 5, $135 after March 5. lesson (includes admission to the dance). Held » Calico & Boots Square Dancers » LocoTango » Tom Masterson/Danceophile Studio dance performance, historical commentary, at the Pearl Street Studio, Boulder. For more tango fashion/art/food and authentic music » CMDance » Pikes Peak Scottish Country Dancers » Waltz Classes/Barbara Roach information, see www.boulderswingdance.com. » Colorado Friends of Cajun/Zydeco Music & Dance (CFCZ) » Pikes Peak Traditional Dance » Westminster Old Time Community Dance SWING accompaniment. For more info, visit www. danceoftheheart.com or call 303-938-0716 x2. » Colorado Friends of Old Time Music & Dance (CFOOTMAD) » Planina: Songs of Eastern Europe » Winter Solabration Society Fourth Saturday Swing with Live Music » Colorado Morris Dancers » Postoley Dance Ensemble » Watch Your Step 23Skidoo! Events at the Avalon Dance of the Heart (DoTH) Milongas » Columbiners Square Dance Club » Ruby Dancers All events take place at the Mercury Café in Denver. The Mercury Café is completely Live swing music! 4th Saturday of the month Intro. to Milonga generally on 1st and 3rd STOMP! is published six times a year by the Village Arts Coalition, a non-profi t organization dedicated to the enhancement of the folk arts. non-smoking and provides a full restaurant, (see VAC website for changes). Local bands such Saturday of the month. Class 7-8 pm Social dancing starts at 8 pm at PreEminence Hall, THE VILLAGE ARTS COALITION bar, coffee bar, and desserts. In all of our as the Swingin’ Seven, FortJazz Big Band, DU Village Arts Coalition Offi cers: President: Robert Schaedla, classes listed below: No partner or experience Claimjumpers play music for swing dancing and 3213 Walnut Street, Boulder. $10 with intro. Vice President: Steward Hartman, Treasurer: Deborah Howard, Secretary: Susan Reisser VAC MEETINGS: required, rotation is optional, all ages allowed, related forms. Intro dance lesson from 7 to 8 class, $7 otherwise. To confi rm dates and get STOMP! Editor: Caroline Holmes Stepanek 303-544-0881, jcvstep@infi online.net. more info, call Deb Sclar at 303-938-0716 or January 6, 2011& February 3, 2011 Board Notes wear anything you’d like, comfortable shoes Pm Music from 8 to 11 Pm Light refreshments. Deadline for items to be included in the May-June 2011 issue is April 8. visit www.danceoftheheart.com 1. We now have a community page on Facebook. Check it out! recommended. If you have any questions, please No partner or prior dance experience required. The policy of the VAC board is to limit mailed distribution of the 2. VAC bylaws are being examined in detail and prepared for revision. email us at [email protected]. All ages welcome. Plenty of free parking. Milonga Mercurio newsletter to VAC members and VAC member groups. Membership criteria and benefi ts are being evaluated. Additional info at www.23skidooland.com Usually $15 general admission, $10 students. Every Friday from 9:30 pm-2 am at the For info about joining the VAC, contact Stan Wilkes at [email protected] or 303-233-3474. 3. The VAC International Festival has received a $600 grant from the City » Tuesdays: 6 pm, Beginning Lindy Series; Avalon Ballroom, Boulder. Hosted by American Mercury Café, Denver. Beginning class at 7 pm, For information regarding The Village Arts Coalition Festival, please contact Hermine Higgins of Boulder's Human Resource Committee. 7pm, Intermediate Lindy Series; 8 pm, Dance Vernacular Dance. Info: Jim X. Borzym 303-449- intermediate at 8 pm Call Marilyn Meginity at for only $10 per class or $30 for the month. 5962. To sign on for email updates, send email 303-294-9281. at 303-440-8303 or [email protected] VAC’s central phone/fax number is: VAC Board members: 303-440-8303 (Avalon). Call this number or email [email protected] to Tuesdays are the night not to be missed in address to [email protected]. For special Robert Schaedla(P), Steward Hartman(V-P), Susan Reisser(S), Deborah Tango Colorado Practicas book The Ballroom at the Avalon – 6185 Arapahoe Ave.