Dance

Photo by Ryan SwiftI love to swing dance. More specifically, I love to do the Lindy Hop.

For those who have no idea what I’m talking about, Lindy Hop (or Lindy, or Jitterbug, etc.) is the original form of swing dance. It grew out of Charleston, jazz dance, and other social dances of the 1920s. More information on the history of swing dance can be found here.

Bands

I DJ for the Carleton Rugcutters and on KRLX, and I like to dance to good music. (who doesn’t?) I’m not an expert on swing music, but I know what I like, so here are some recommendations for bands old and new that are worth checking out:

  • Djug Django - Gypsy swing. My favorite band in Ithaca, and regular Monday night gig.
  • The Boilermaker Jazz Band - My friend Johanna out of D.C. got me into these folks. Kickin’ it old school. Also, the only time I’ve danced to a song (graphically) about the male anatomy.
  • The New Orleans Jazz Vipers - I got to hear these guys at Lindy Gras. They were amazing.
  • Twin Cities Hot Club - Another gypsy jazz band, this one out of Minneapolis. One of the hottest bands in the Twin Cities. We bring these folks down for our annual Spring Swing dance.
  • More coming soon!

Other Music Links

If you want to find good cheap music, or learn more about jazz music, check out some of these:

  • All Music Guide - A great resource for biographies, discography information, and sound samples.
  • Big Band Box - 40 CDs for about 50 bucks. Covers all the major artists of the Swing era. The sound quality varies, but a great way to learn about the artists and the music.
  • Proper Music - This British company makes some of the best box sets in the business. A great way to fill out your collection.
  • JSP Records - Another company that sells fantastic box sets.
  • Bill’s Music Recommendations - My friend and dance instructor Bill Borgida from Ithaca makes some excellent choices.
  • My amazon.com wish list - Buy me something nice, will ya? No, seriously, I put the music that I want but can’t afford yet on here. It’s got some good stuff.

Lindy Links

  • The Carleton Rugcutters - Carleton’s own swing dance club. Look for me here on Friday nights. I spin the tunes, and this spring I’ll be teaching our very own P.E. class.
  • Ithaca Swing Dance Network - Dancing in my hometown.
  • Tapestry Folkdance Center - Late night Thursday dancing in Minneapolis.
  • Minnesota Lindy - Discussion board for dancing in Minnesota.
  • Yehoodi - NYC swing dance site, the best resource for national events and happenings. Also the largest discussion board of dance nerds around.
  • LindyExchange - Lindy exchanges are pretty much the coolest thing ever. Go to a city, meet awesome people, and dance like crazy! This site lists events that are coming up.

Dance Pics

See, I really do dance! View more here.

dclxpic IMG 0909 IMG 0910 jayjam

If you want to find out what I’m up to as far as swing dancing goes, check out the Dance category.

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