Tampa Bay's Swing Dance News for May 9th 2007

Tampa Bay's Swing Dance News

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Swing Time Newsletter — Wednesday MAY 9th 2007

Hi Everyone! The exciting new DJ Talent Search has finally arrived! In other news... Swing Time is looking for Part-Time Summer Help. This Thursday at Swing Centro features a Charleston Dance Class plus Open Console Night! Tonight (Wednesday), we're swinging big at the Gulfport Casino, plus this Friday (May 11) features The Venturas at Swing Time! Keep reading for all the details, and we'll see you there! -- Sam

Swing Time! presents...
DJ Talent Search
$1000+ in CASH PRIZES!
Thursdays at Swing Centro
Starts May 17th

To discover & develop the best new Swing DJ talent, Swing Time is launching a DJ Talent Search and competition, with over $1000 in prizes! 1st Prize is $500 in Cash! 2nd Prize is $250 in Cash! 3rd-8th Places share an additional $250 in prize money, plus the top 16 entrants all receive a free pass to Swing Centro (to be used at a future date or for a guest). In addition to cash prizes, winners will advance to subsequent rounds, gain more & more DJ experience, and ultimately get paid DJing opportunities! All DJ entrants will receive an unbiased summary of their performance each night, which they can use to boost their performance in subsequent rounds.

The format of the talent search will be a single-elimination tournament, in which two DJs perform simultaneously. To round out the bracket, some entrants who are initially eliminated may be given a second opportunity (those who show the most potential for improvement). DJ competitors will try their skills in front of an audience of dancers, with one major objective -- to get people dancing! Two DJs will take turns playing songs for the crowd, according to a schedule allocated by the judges. To avoid a popularity contest, the audience of dancers won't know (until later) which DJ is playing which song! DJ performance will be measured using three criteria. The first criterion is the number of people the DJ gets dancing. The second criterion measures diversity -- each DJ's ability to play not just to the majority of the crowd, and not just to one or two factions of dancers, but to keep all groups in the audience entertained to the greatest extent possible. The third criterion measures technical skill -- the ability to DJ with minimal errors (ie, audio skips & glitches, dead air, volume & equalization problems, repetition of songs).

The DJ Talent Search is going to be a lot of fun for the dancers in the house... all you have to do is show up and dance! Not only will you hear and dance to some great new music, but you can even participate by making requests or bringing them on CD. Either DJ (you won't know which one) is allowed to take and play your request. This competition tests a DJ's ability to interact, and it's this nonverbal interaction between DJ and dancers, and between the two DJs that's going to make this exciting for everyone who attends! The interaction between DJs can take many forms: the two DJs might play off each other's strengths and compliment the prior selection with the next. They might steal/mimic each other's styles. They might challenge each other to take the music in a different direction -- faster, slower, harder, softer, different dance, bluesier, jazzier, more rockin', funkier, old school, modern, etc. But together, they'll create a single interactive musical program with its unique flow and changeups, making a great night for both DJs and dancers! The DJs will be on stage, and to preserve the blind-test integrity of the competition, the audience is asked to please refrain from talking to the DJs while they're competing. Requests will be made on a clipboard at the front of the stage and will be relayed by the judges. It's ok to talk to the DJs before or after the competition, and also to cheer them on during the competition!

Interested? Whether or not you currently consider yourself a DJ, whether or not you have any audio equipment, and whatever the size of your current swing-music collection, we encourage anyone to enter who has an interest in DJing and who thinks they might have the talent for it. Please enter by May 15th; priority will be given to those who do. Competitions will start Thursday May 17th, but you need not be available on this particular date to enter. See rules for complete details. Note that people who actually read and understand the rules are expected to have a huge advantage in this competition.

To Enter:
1. Click to Read the Rules.
2. Send an email to Sam@SwingTime.info with "DJ Talent Search Entry" in the Subject line. The body of the email should contain:
- First & Last Name
- DJ/Stage Name (by which you'd like to be known during the competition)
- Phone
- Email
- City (& State) of Residence; how many months per year do you live in/near Tampa Bay?
- A short 1 or 2 paragraph DJ "bio" -- nothing formal, just some stuff we can use to tell people about you. Things you might include are any prior DJ experience(s), dance experience(s), musical experience (singing, instruments, etc), or anything else, directly relevant or not. Tell people some things about yourself, and make it interesting!
- Include a photo or photos, and again, make it interesting!
- In lieu of the bio & photos, you could instead include a link to a myspace page or other personal web page containing similar info.
- Are you interested in DJing swing dances on a regular basis?
- Are there any upcoming Thursdays that you're not available during the evening?

OPEN CONSOLE NIGHT
This Thursday May 10th at Swing Centro

To test out the dual-DJ setup, we'll have an extra DJ console set up this Thursday May 10th at Swing Centro. This is an excellent opportunity for those who want to be in the competition to gain familiarity with the equipment, to try their hand at DJing a couple of songs, and to experience transitioning from one DJ to the other. Bring CDs, laptops, ipods, etc... just ask Sam if you need help with hookup or with running the console. Anyone is welcome to try their hand at playing some music! The event starts with a 7-8pm dance lesson, followed by music & dancing 8pm-midnight; admission is $7. This'll be cool!

SUMMER HELP WANTED

Swing Time is looking for a reliable person (or persons) to help part-time, both at the events and "behind the scenes" organizing the events. Hours are flexible; this could be a summer job or an ongoing part-time one. If you're interested, or know someone who is, please email Sam@SwingTime.info and include your contact phone and email. Thanks! --Sam

SWING CENTRO LESSON SCHEDULE
FREE Lindy Hop & Charleston CLASSES!

Learn a variety of swing dances, plus new moves, steps, and techniques in East-Coast Swing, Lindy Hop (that other swing dance), partner Charleston (which can be incorporated into most swing dances), Shim Sham, and more! Gain added versatility and experience more dance excitement on the floor! Lessons are free (with paid admission to the event) and can be attended by dancers of all levels, either with or without a partner. No prior experience is needed. To add these new & exciting things to your swing dancing, just arrive at Centro Asturiano by 7pm for each class!

May 10 (Thu): CHARLESTONS - Side-by-Side Moves
May 17 (Thu): LINDY HOP - Swingout Moves & Variations
May 24 (Thu): SHIM SHAM
May 31 (Thu): SWING RUEDA

Charleston Mini-Workshops (May 10) Learn the Charleston steps, plus how to work not just your legs but your arms and body into the dance. We'll cover partnering, leading and following, various styles and variations of Charleston, plus how to work the Charleston into your swing dancing. The moves and styles and variations taught will vary from week to week. Moves and variations will include a variety of Side-BY-Side, Side-TO-Side, Hand-to-Hand, Front-to-Front, and Front-to-Back Charlestons! The Charleston mini-workshops offer something for everyone from the beginning to the more advanced dancer. All three classes stand on their own; you need not take one to take any of the others; but the more you take, the better your Charleston dancing will be! There are no prerequisites, and no partner is needed.

Lindy Hop Mini-Workshops (May 17) Learn Lindy Hop, the original swing dance! Our innovative teaching methods (no math or counting required) will have you swinging & grooving to the Lindy Hop in no time! We'll cover single-time & triple-time Lindy Hop footwork, arms, open & closed body positions, partnering, leading & following, and numerous techniques, styles, moves and variations. Moves will include the Swing Out from Open Position, Swing Out from Closed Position, Lindy Circle, Tuck & Double Turn, Open Break, Outside Swingout Turn, Inside Swingout Turn, Free Swingout Turn, Texas Tommy, and more! You'll learn how to incorporate Charleston into your Lindy Hop and how to mix Lindy Hop with East-Coast Swing. Whether you're new to Lindy Hop or have taken several classes, try these out -- we know you'll like them! The Lindy Hop mini-workshops offer something for everyone from the beginning to the more advanced dancer. All three classes stand on their own; you need not take one to take any of the others; but the more you take, the better your Lindy Hopping will be! There are no prerequisites, and no partner is needed.

Shim Sham Mini-Workshop (May 24) Learn the Shim Sham, plus useful jazz steps for swing dancing, all in one accelerated 60-minute session! The Shim Sham is a swing line-dance & mixer that goes back to the early days of swing, jazz & tap dance. It has become a tradition at swing dances across the world, and is a fun & energetic part of just about every swing dance in the Tampa Bay area! There are no prerequisites, and no partner is needed.

Swing Rueda Mini-Workshop (May 31) Swing Rueda is an exciting group swing-dance based on the Lindy Hop, where moves are called out by a caller, and all participants dance the called moves to transition from one partner to the next. Besides learning Swing Rueda, you'll also gain valuable experience Lindy Hopping! Prior Lindy Hop experience is helpful if you're taking this class (ie, taking the Lindy Hop mini workshops is recommended) but not absolutely required. No partner is needed.

Swing Time! -- Upcoming Events
Click the links below for details on each event

EVERY WEDNESDAY: Gulfport Casino Swing Night

EVERY THURSDAY: Swing Centro

May 11, 2007 (Fri): Swing Time! at the Gulfport Casino
    featuring The Venturas!
    Exceptional Talent w/ Hot Vocals!
    Tickets: $11; purchase at the door

Jun 8, 2007 (Fri): Swing Time! at the Gulfport Casino
    featuring The Juke Joint Kings!
    Hot & Jumpin' Swing Band!
    Tickets: $11; purchase at the door

The SECOND FRIDAY Swing Time! at the Gulfport Casino
of EVERY MONTH: Live Music & Dancing!

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