Tampa Bay's Swing Dance News for November 17th 2011

This Wednesday NOV 23rd -- the night before Thanksgiving -- is Swing Time's annual Pre-Thanksgiving SWING Bash at the Gulfport Casino, featuring live & swinging music by the St. Pete Blues All-Stars! With Thanksgiving on Thursday, the weekend starts Wednesday night... join in celebration! This huge swing-dance party is always one of the biggest Wednesday Swing Nights of the year, attracting not just locals but out-of-towners who are home for the holidays. And the band is not to miss... one of my all-time favorites, and one of the best to have ever played a Swing Time event! Expect a variety of awesome music, from fast to slow, and great for dances ranging from East-Coast & Lindy to West-Coast & Blues! (details below)

Tomorrow (Friday, NOV 18th), join Swing Time at the Suncoast Dixieland Jazz Classic's Swing Dance. Dance to the best swingin' jazz bands from across the USA! (details below)

Saturday, DEC 31st is Swingin' the New Year at the spectacular St. Petersburg Coliseum, a grand celebration for all ages! Tickets go on sale soon. Mark your calendars, and stay tuned for details!

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 Swing Time and 100+ swing dancers from California, Florida, and elsewhere for the cruising and dancing experience of a lifetime! The entire ship is selling out, so the longer you wait, the more you'll pay. Don't miss the boat... register today! (details below)

Pre-Thanksgiving Bash
at the GULFPORT CASINO SWING NIGHT
featuring the... St. Pete Blues All-Stars!
This Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011

With Thanksgiving on Thursday, the weekend starts Wednesday night, when Swing Time hosts a special evening of live music and swing dancing... This Wednesday, November 23rd, join in celebration at the Gulfport Casino Swing Night for Swing Time's Pre-Thanksgiving Bash! This huge swing-dance party is always one of the biggest Wednesday Swing Nights of the year, attracting not just locals but out-of-towners who are home for the holidays. The Bash features live and swinging music by the St. Pete Blues All-Stars! It starts with a Blues Dance Lesson 6-7pm, followed by Swing Dance Lesson 7-8pm, then Live Music & Dancing 8-11pm. All ages are welcome, no partner is needed, and it all happens in the spectacular waterfront ballroom of the Gulfport Casino!

St. Pete Blues All-Stars are a 7-piece jump/blues/boogie/swing band featuring Boogie Woogie Hall-of-Famers, Liz Pennock on piano and Dr. Blues on guitar. They're joined by blues veterans, Mike Delaney on sax, Kim Harpo on harmonica, Jon Puhl on guitar, Don Cox on upright bass, and Dennis McCarthy on drums. The All-Stars each have decades of experience playing locally and touring internationally, playing prestigious events, clubs, and festivals too numerous to mention. Renowned for musical expertise in their own bands, the All-Stars came together a couple of years back, and have been swinging ever since. So get ready to dance and swing to music ranging from the Chicago Blues of Muddy Waters and Little Walter, to the Jump Blues of Big Joe Turner and Louis Jordan, to the band's own boogie-woogie infused compositions!

The Gulfport Casino is one of the world's best ballrooms, offering up social dance excitement in a picturesque beachfront setting. The Gulfport Casino is located in the St. Petersburg area at 5500 Shore Blvd. S., Gulfport FL 33707.

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

Live Music & Dancing w/ St. Pete Blues All-Stars, 8-11pm
Swing Dance Lesson 7-8pm w/ Sam & Carleene (no partner needed)
Blues Dance Lesson 6-7pm w/ Keith & Heather (no partner needed)

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

Admission $10 (includes 2 Free Lessons!)
(free passes & student specials not accepted on band nights)
Full Bar ~ Prize Giveaways ~ Smoke-Free ~ Free Parking

For more info, visit www.SwingTime.info or click the links below:
Band Lessons Map & Directions More Info

SUNCOAST DIXIELAND JAZZ CLASSIC
SWING DANCE FRI NOV 18 AT SHERATON SAND KEY

Swing Time is gearing up to dance and perform at the Suncoast Dixieland Jazz Classic, happening NOV 17th-20th and featuring the best swingin' jazz bands from across the USA! Join us for the Swing Dance on Friday NOV 18th, 7pm-midnight, at the Sheraton Sand Key! The swing-dance lineup is huge, featuring 5 bands playing the main ballroom (Jake's): Tom Rigney & Flambeau, Dave Bennett & the Festival All-Stars, Cornet Chop Suey, Wally's Warehouse Waifs, and Clarinet Clambake. Tickets to the Swing Dance are $18 and can be purchased at the door Friday. (Student Tickets are just $10 and provide admission to the entire weekend Festival!) This is going to great fun!

GULFPORT CASINO SWINGS! -- Every WEDNESDAY

Every Wednesday in NOVEMBER 2011, the 6pm Bonus Lesson topic is Blues Dancing
(featuring Special Guest Instructor, Keith Johnson!)

Every Wednesday in DECEMBER 2011, the 6pm Bonus Lesson topic is Foxtrot
(Social Foxtrot for Swing Dancers, featuring Special Guest Instructors from Let's Dance!)

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

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! Join 100+ swing dancers from California, Florida, and elsewhere for the cruising and dancing experience of a lifetime! We (Sam & Carleene) will be teaching daily classes on the cruise, as will top instructors from CA. Check out the cruise and sign up at www.SeaSwingSensation.net.

WHAT's THE COST & DEADLINE? For current rates and registration, call or email Brenda, our swing-dancing travel agent & organizer, at BookWithBrenda@aol.com or 562-217-1371. If you're looking for a cabin mate to save $, just let Brenda know and she'll match you up with another dancer. The entire ship will likely sell out soon, 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!

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

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!