Swing Dance USA Brings Weekend Workshop to Tampa Bay
For the second straight year Tampa Bay, FL is traveling back in time to the Swing Age and hosting the Swing Dance USA dance competition and convention on October 6, 7 and 8th held in the historic St. Petersburg Coliseum dance hall. Attendees can expect a two-day swing dance workshop and competition, vintage clothing runway show, musical performances by Barbara Morrison and the George Gee Jump, Jive and Wailin’ Orchestra, The History of Swing presentation and an appearance by dance legend Norma Miller, accompanied by her celebrity entourage.
The workshop dance classes are scheduled to be held on Saturday and Sunday, with two or three workshops happening simultaneously each hour, throughout the day. Participants have the option of choosing which classes to attend, such as Lindy Hop, Balboa, Bal-Swing, Jitterbug, Jazz, Blues and more. Individual classes will also be categorized as to their level of difficulty. Beginning dancers would have an easier time taking a class in the medium-paced track, since it will include more-detailed instructions than one in the fast track. Attendees may switch their classes back and forth between the tracks, so they may choose a comfortable learning pace. The final class of the workshop will be the Master’s Class, which is only available for instructors and advanced dancers. It is not included in the group package.
International swing dance champions Steve Garrett and Heidi Salerno are the featured instructors for the workshop, who are considered one of the best dance couples in the world. They have been consistently awarded International and National Champion titles in Jitterbug, Balboa and Bal-Swing (combination of Balboa and Lindy Hop) categories since 1999 and will be teaching all of the classes in the fast track, as well as the Master’s Class. Other instructors from across the Southeast will teach classes throughout the weekend, including Forrest Outman, Don Kruse, Sayra Vasquez, Marcie McCabe, Tim Adams, Lee Davidson, Tim Munsell, Rebecca Strickland, Seth Dietzel and many more.
Workshop classes are scheduled to be held on Saturday and Sunday between 10 AM and 4 or 5 PM, but a full workshop schedule with a list of instructors and class titles will be posted shortly on the event Website.
Advance tickets are only available for purchase at http://swingdanceusa.com; however, you may purchase your tickets at the registration booth each the day of the show. For a limited time, early-bird attendees may purchase the Ultimate All-Access Weekend Pass, which includes access to all of the workshop classes, competitions, two live concerts and DJ’d dances Friday through Sunday, including a free event T-shirt. Advanced purchases of the All-Access Pass is $109 (regular price $119), for a limited time only. The Master’s Class workshop is not included in the Ultimate All-Access Weekend Pass; it is an additional $24.
Individual passes will also be available for each day’s workshop, as well as the day’s evening dance. Please see http://swingdanceusa.com for individual ticket prices.
Throughout the weekend, two of the top bands among swing dancers worldwide will be showcased: the George Gee Jump, Jive and Wailin’ Orchestra and Barbara Morrison. George Gee’s Orchestra will be performing 9 PM to 1 AM on Friday. Comprised of veterans of the world’s most legendary big bands, this New York City-based band has been labeled this generation’s Count Basie, since it performs at top concert halls across the world. Barbara Morrison will be performing at 8 PM to midnight on Saturday, backed by George Gee’s Orchestra. No stranger to the jazz and blues community herself, Morrison is considered the Aretha Franklin of Jazz, Blues and Swing genres. She has been featured on more than 20 recordings and celebrates nearly 30 years within the music industry. She has performed with a “who’s who” of the industry, including Ray Charles, Dizzy Gillespie, Joe Williams, Mel Torme, Tony Bennett and Keb’ Mo. Also in attendance will be dance legend Norma Miller, accompanied with an entourage of friends and celebrities associated with her new film, “Queen of Swing.”
Swing Dance is also holding dance competitions, in a variety of categories, on both Friday and Saturday evenings. Friday night there will be a Junior and Senior Division Strictly Swing Dance competition at 8 and 8:30 pm and an Exhibition “Show Your Stuff” Jam Circle will be held around 10 PM, with group dancers competing from different cities. Saturday night is the USA Championship Competition with Lindy Hop, Balboa and Jitterbug/East Coast Swing national competitors in Jack and Jill and Strictly Swing divisions held from 6 to 8 PM. Winners qualify for airfare to the American Lindy Hop Championships in New York City with guaranteed entry into the semi-finals. See http://SwingDanceUSA.com for rules, divisions and the entry process.
Two special presentations will also be held throughout the weekend. Friday night offers a special, free to the public, Meet and Greet reception held in the Coliseum’s balcony at 6 PM where Rebecca Strickland, who has a Masters degree in Dance, will offer a well-researched presentation of the History of Swing. The presentation will also feature refreshments, music and a guest appearance by dance legend Norma Miller. Saturday’s special presentation includes a vintage runway show held at 10 PM. All attendees are encouraged, but not required, to wear vintage swing dance attire.
Last, but not least, the biggest feature of the workshop weekend is also the oldest: the dance hall. All three days of Swing Dance ‘s events occur at the historic Coliseum, located in the heart of the Tampa Bay area at 535 Fourth Ave. North in St. Petersburg. It offers a 15,500 square foot oak dance floor with an additional seating capacity of 2,000 guests. Built in the 1920s, the Coliseum is a true vintage show palace. Throughout its rich history, the Coliseum has hosted many big band concerts, dance marathons and vintage films. Some of the performers who have appeared at the Coliseum are Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Cab Calloway, Glenn Miller, Artie Shaw and many more. Before the television set was created, radio shows such as “The Old Gold Show,” “Ted Mack’s Original Amateur Hour” and “Don McNeil’s Breakfast Club” were recorded there.
At the workshop’s conclusion on Sunday afternoon, everyone is invited to attend Tampa’s biggest weekly dance as the Grand Finale continues until midnight. For more information on the Sunday dance location, please visit http://swingang.com. For more workshop information, please visit http://www.swingdanceusa.com.
For more information on Tampa’s biggest weekly swing dance, please visit http://swingang.com.
For more specific information, please call (813) 5-SWING-5.
