Tampa Bay's Swing Dance News for September 16th 2011

Next Saturday SEP 24th, the Carrollwood Cultural Center hosts a Big-Band Dance & Concert with live music by the Sounds of Swing Orchestra. The dancing starts at 7:30pm. Swing Time opens the evening with a Dance Lesson 6:30-7:30pm. Tickets are $10-$14. Sam's review: The band plays a nice dance selection, with lots of swing! The hall atmosphere is laid-back and its layout is conducive to dancing. When I attended last month, the crowd loved to dance... it's well worth checking out! Visit the link above for tickets or more information. The Carrollwood Cultural Center is located at 4537 Lowell Rd, Tampa, FL 33618; Phone 813-269-1310.

Friday OCT 7th, Swing Time hosts Tampa Bay's first-ever TEEN SWING DANCE at the Gulfport Casino Ballroom! The dance is open to teens ages 13 and up, and no partner is needed. Spread the word! (details below)

Wednesday OCT 26th is Swing Time's 10th Annual Halloween Costume Ball! Experience Tampa Bay's Best Halloween Dance Party... ten years running! (details below)

TRIPLE TIME -- ADVANCING YOUR SWING is the 6-7pm Bonus Lesson topic the coming two Wednesdays, SEP 21st & 28th at the Gulfport Casino Swing Night. Kick your dancing up a notch with triple-time swing! Triple-time swing forms the basis for most advanced swing dancing (including Lindy Hop, West-Coast Swing, and advanced East-Coast Swing), for the simple reason that if you add more steps, you can perform more intricate moves. But triple-time is not just steps; it's a whole new attitude of dancing! In these classes, we focus on movement. We'll show you how to easily impress your partner. We'll show you a variety of more advanced six-count moves. Our overall goal is to raise your dancing to that next level! Read More

JAN 15th-22nd 2012, the Sea Swing Sensation Lindy Hoppers of the Caribbean dance cruise sails out of Tampa with stops in Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Belize, & Isla Roatan! Join an expected 100-200 swing dancers from California, Florida, and elsewhere for the cruising and dancing experience of a lifetime! Don't miss the boat... register today! (details below)

MORE EVENTS: See bottom of newsletter for Calendar of Swing Time Events.

Friday, October 7th, 2011
TEEN SWING DANCE
at the Gulfport Casino Ballroom

Swing Time hosts Tampa Bay's first-ever TEEN SWING DANCE on Friday, October 7th, 2011 at the Gulfport Casino Ballroom! The dance is open to teens ages 13 and up, and no partner is needed. Doors open 7pm, followed by a swing-dance lesson at 7:15pm, and dancing 8-11pm. The event includes a Dance Jam & Contest, with prizes to the winners. Retro swing attire is encouraged, but any appropriate dressy attire is welcome. Admission is $7. Door prize giveaways happen throughout the evening. Snacks and soft drinks are available for purchase.

The Gulfport Casino Ballroom has hosted Teen Dances since at least the 1950's, and it's one of the world's top dance destinations, featuring a huge dance floor and a spectacular beachfront setting! The Gulfport Casino Ballroom is located in the St. Petersburg, Florida area at 5500 Shore Blvd. S., Gulfport, FL 33707. For more information, visit www.SwingTime.info or see the following links: Map/Directions ... Info for Parents ... Parking

Art Walk -- Parents who are dropping off their teens should visit Gulfport's Art Walk festival, happening on the sidewalks of Beach Blvd 6-10pm, walking distance from the Gulfport Casino... restaurants, vendors, arts & crafts, street musicians, the beach... Gulfport has it all!

Why Dance? Swing dancing is fun & exciting, plus it's a powerfully positive influence, with benefits that last a lifetime. Dancing builds social skills, self-esteem, confidence, coordination, fitness, a sense of community/belonging, and more!

Swing Time's 10th Annual
HALLOWEEN COSTUME BALL!
at the Gulfport Casino Swing Night
Wednesday, October 26th, 2011

Wednesday, October 26th, 2011, put on your best costume and get ready to swing with all sorts of exciting characters! It's Swing Time's 10th Annual Halloween Costume Ball at the Gulfport Casino Swing Night! The Ball starts with a one-of-a-kind dance lesson: Shim Sham (with Special Zombie Styling!) 7-8pm; no partner needed. Starting at 8pm, dance 'til the midnight hour to the Ultimate Halloween Swing/Dance Music Mix... that's right! -- all Halloweeny music, all the way to midnight! The Halloween Costume Ball features a Costume Parade & Contest with hundreds of dollars worth of cash and prizes for the best costumes, plus prizes for Best, Scariest, Hottest, Funniest, Swingiest, and Most Original costumes! The Ball features loads of Chocolate, Candy, & Trick-or-Treats; Door Prizes; a Monster Shim Sham; a Steal Dance Mixer; plus Special Halloween Decor & Atmosphere! Gulfport Casino's vintage waterfront grand ballroom is smoke-free and provides a full bar and free parking. Just $8 admission includes EVERYTHING, and all ages are welcome! Experience Tampa Bay's Best Halloween Dance Party... ten years running! The Gulfport Casino is located in the St Petersburg FL area at 5500 Shore Blvd S, Gulfport, FL 33707. For more info, see www.SwingTime.info or visit the following links: Lesson... Map & Directions

LINDY HOPPERS OF THE CARIBBEAN SEA SWING SENSATION DANCE CRUISE ...Daily Classes ...Nightly Dances ...World-Class Instructors ...Super Crew of Lindy Hoppers from CA & FL! January 15th-22nd 2012, the 2012 Sea Swing Sensation, a 7-day Caribbean swing-dance cruise, sails out of Tampa with stops in Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Belize, & Isla Roatan! Already, 80+ dancers have signed up! Join an expected 100-200 swing dancers from California, Florida, and elsewhere for the cruising and dancing experience of a lifetime! Check out the cruise and sign up at www.SeaSwingSensation.net.

HERE's THE SCOOP: The Sea Swing Sensation is an incredible opportunity to learn from and dance with some of the world's best, while having the vacation of a lifetime! As we all know, California, and the L.A. area especially, is home to Camp Hollywood and an enthusiastic group of many of the world's best Lindy Hoppers. (For the few who don't know, "Lindy Hopper" is just a fancy name for a good swing dancer.) Every year for the past several, the L.A. swing dancers have sponsored a week-long cruise (and mini dance camp) called the Sea Swing Sensation. Normally, they leave from the west coast of the U.S.A. BUT THIS YEAR, the cruise leaves from the exotic port of Tampa, Florida! So they've invited us to be part of it!

INSTRUCTORS: We (Sam & Carleene) will be teaching a daily workshop on the cruise. Other instructors include Angel Jenkins (national champ and star of the famous Swing Aerials III instructional DVD), Minn Vo (tentative; all-around dance expert and champion), Morgan Day & Molly Woltz (check out Morgan's highly innovative Super Mario Brothers competition performance), Mike & Olivia Lai, and possibly others to be announced.

WHAT's THE COST & DEADLINE? To guarantee your spot at the current rates, please make your reservation ASAP. Call or email Brenda, our swing-dancing travel agent & organizer, at BookWithBrenda@aol.com or 562-217-1371. Earlier you could do the entire cruise, INCLUDING taxes/government/port fees, tips/gratuities, and dances/instruction for under $800; and there may still be space available at the same or similar rates. If you're looking for a cabin mate to save $, just let Brenda know and she'll match you up with another dancer. A small deposit holds your spot on the cruise. The entire ship is starting to sell out and will likely do so in the upcoming 1-2 months, so we recommend booking the sooner the better.

Last time Swing Time participated in a cruise (happens about once a decade) was seven years ago on an equally worthy embarkation, for Frankie Manning's 89th Birthday party ...and that one was a blast! We hope you'll join us for the Sea Swing Sensation!

GULFPORT CASINO SWINGS! -- Every WEDNESDAY

Wednesday SEP 21 2011, the 6pm Bonus Lesson topic is Triple Time -- Advancing Your Swing
Wednesday SEP 28 2011, the 6pm Bonus Lesson topic is Triple Time -- Advancing Your Swing
Wednesday OCT 5 2011, the 6pm Bonus Lesson topic is Shim Sham
Bonus Lessons are yours FREE! ...with paid admission to the event.

Bonus Lesson 6-7pm
Swing Dance Lesson 7-8pm
Swing Music & Dance 8-11pm

* All Ages * No Partner Needed *
Huge Dance Floor -- One of World's Best!
Beautiful Retro-Era Waterfront Dance Hall

Admission $7 (includes 2 Free Lessons!)
Students get 2-for-1 Admission!

Full Bar ~ Prize Giveaways ~ Smoke-Free ~ Free Parking
Celebrate Your Birthday at the Gulfport Casino Swing Night!

The Gulfport Casino is one of the world's best ballrooms, offering up social dance excitement in a picturesque beachfront setting.

Map & Directions Dance Lessons More Info

UPCOMING SWING TIME EVENTS
Mark your calendars... + watch this schedule as it's updated in the upcoming weeks!

Oct 26, 2011 (Wed): Special Event at the Gulfport Casino Swing Night
HALLOWEEN COSTUME BALL
Tampa Bay's Best Halloween Dance Party... 10 Years Running!

Nov 4, 2011 (Fri): Swing Time! LIVE at the Gulfport Casino Ballroom
1940's USO SWING DANCE
featuring The Ten O'Clock Band
Florida's Leading 18-Piece Big Band!

Nov 23, 2011 (Wed): Special Event at the Gulfport Casino Swing Night
PRE-THANKSGIVING BASH
Live Music by St. Pete Blues All-Stars
Jump/Swing/Boogie Woogie/Chicago Blues; 7-Piece Band!

Dec 21, 2011 (Wed): Special Event at the Gulfport Casino Swing Night
CHRISTMAS SWING-DANCE PARTY

Dec 31, 2011 (Sat): SWINGIN' THE NEW YEAR! at the St. Petersburg Coliseum
Grand New Year's Eve Celebration for All Ages!