Swing Dancing In North Brum

 Swing Express

As many of you know I'm a big fan of Swing Dance and the Big Band music that goes with it. Tonight a new dance class started in Sutton Coldfield. This is great because, at the moment, all teaching and most social dancing takes place in South Birmingham. I don't have a problem with this but I do feel that a city-wide Swing Dance scene in a place the size of Birmingham is a must. Tonight was definitely a step in the right direction to achieve this!

The teachers are called Paul Neary and Sarah McHugh and their dance school is called Swing Express. They taught us in a relaxed, friendly and accessible way. There were a number of absolute beginners in the class and they all seemed to get to grips with the moves and enjoy themselves at the same time. I felt the more experienced dancers also had a great time too.

Balboa

I love Balboa. As a Swing-Dance it is quite possibly my favourite and, given that I adore Lindy-Hop, that is quite a thing. I haven't been able to attend the latest bloc of classes due to a scheduling clash with my Spanish class. This week is, however, half-term so I was able to trot along to class last night. I had a brilliant time and did both Beginner and Improver classes.

Balboa comes in two forms: Pure Balboa and Bal-Swing. In Pure Bal the Lead and Follow maintain a close hold for the whole of the dance. In Bal-Swing the Lead and Follow will seperate to do turns, throw-outs, come arounds and the like. The Dream is a Bal-Swing move also.

We learned a move called 'The Dream' in Beginners and a Contra-Body move in Improvers. Contra-Body is best summarised as: your top half moves one way while your bottom half goes in the opposite direction. My back-ache this morning bore witness to this!

Updates as they happen!

PS Welcome to new blog follower Edwin King. He runs a smashing blog page and has a presence on Facebook. Go and have a look; you won't be disappointed!

Out, Demons, OUT!

I've been dreadfully ill with some kind of flu for the past two weeks. What's been annoying and depressing is that it has prevented me from going to dance lessons and social dances. This is simply not acceptable and last night my body decided enough was enough. I went to bed quite early but could not settle. At around 3am my body began to heat up, I became quite delirious in fact. I felt absolutely wretched.

Now, living alone as I do and this sort of thing happens it's a worry. Luckily, even in a delirious state I was able to take some paracetamol; get a homemade honey/lemon drink down me; open some windows and make it to the sofa in the living room; where I passed out until 11am this morning.

When I awoke I felt considerably better than I had a few hours before. So much so that I was able to cook myself some food: a sausage and fried egg sandwich and a mug of tea which raised my morale 100%. I then rested for the remainder of the day. Later I felt strong enough to go to dance class tonight and I am glad I did. It was a real boost to see all my friends and our teachers. And even though I was only about 90% fit I hacked the class.

We've started to learn a routine for a public display in November which includes the following Lindy-Hop moves:

2 x Basic 8-Count Triple Steps

1 x Double Turn Tuck Turn

2 x He-Goes-She-Goes

2 x Lindy Turns

1 x Bring In

2 x Frankie Manning Circles

1 x Normal Circle

1 x Travelling Jockey

We do that twice.

Then we do:

2 x Basic 8-Count Triple Steps

1 x Boost Jump

2 x Outside Turns

1 x Short Whip

1 x Bring In

1 x Long Whip

1 x Bring In

We do that once, maybe twice.

Quite a workout but superb for improving low mood or depression and it also seems to have killed off the last of the flu terrorists.

I can now probably get my annual flu vaccination. I'll ask my GP who I'm seeing tomorrow.

All the best!

Friday Night Social

I went Swing-Dancing in Selly Oak (a district of Brum) last night. It was great fun, fairly well attended, including a big bunch of my friends, and the dancing was good. The music selection was, however, mostly shite. I also forgot to take my camera or other recording equipment so you'll have to take my word for it.

No War

I've just returned from an impromptu night out which involved the Tom Dunnett Big Band, The Yardbird Club in Brum and some lovely friends. That one of my friends was a German woman was very fitting. We discussed how 100 years ago we would have been enemies because of some pieces of paper that neither of us would have read or much cared about.

We decided that drinking gin, dancing and being friends was more important. So that's what we did.

Jumpin' At The Woodside

Wow! Just WOW! What a fab dance weekender JATW was. I've been back over 24 hours and am still buzzing. We left Birmingham on Friday afternoon and had a very quick, pleasant journey to the venue at The Dowty Sports & Social Club just outside Cheltenham Spa. After checking in to our hotel we were ready for Friday's social dance! There was a really friendly, relaxed and welcoming atmosphere all weekend. The classes I did were excellent: really well presented by teachers who took a real interest in their students. With around 25 classes on offer each day it would be impossible to do them all. I concentrated on Charleston and Lindy-Hop and learnt some useful tips and some new moves. I did learn to Shag on Sunday morning as well............The social dances were great fun even though I forgot to take my camera on Saturday. There was a copious supply of delicious home-made cakes and endless cups of tea all weekend; my favourite was the almond, cherry and syrup cake although the marmalade cake ran it a close second.

Here are some shots from the weekend:

Electric Swing Circus

The HepChaps

Lola Lamour & Her Blue Light Boys

Honor & Jerry

Anne & Stu

Stan, Mo & Karl

Addam, Sue, Rob & Sarah

Frankie Manning 99th Birthday Dance Routine

In Maginot We Trust Part 2

One for my friend Virginia here. She claimed the Renault FT-17s featured in this post were like little ducks with big eyes. I fear these will get the same girly treatment.

A couple of Renault R-35s which I picked up at Salute and got around to building last night. They are a really fast build, each one took about ten minutes. From a Japanese manufacturer (S-Models) and with two toys per box a nice addition to the burgeoning DLM. Looking forward to some bright camo schemes on these two after all that German grey.

Eagle eyed readers will note that the box claims the toys are captured examples.

I say PAH!

I did one with a dome top and one with a flat top

I particularly liked the track arrangement on these toys. They come as a single piece but the are quite flexible. Careful with that cutting out, Eugene, but the effect is nice. The kits also came with the short barrel 37mm gun which will come in handy elsewhere. Also included were some brass parts, for example metal covers for the exhausts and lugs various. Needless to say these are being left off as extraneous matter. If anyone wants them drop me a line.

Off to Jumpin' At The Woodside and the forecast is GOOOOOOOD!

PS S-Models are available from PSC

Well now.......

 .....look what Postman Pat delivered today! My ticket for my first ever Swing-Dance Weekender!! 2013 is becoming a year of firsts.

 

YAY!!

Stoneleigh Swing Dance 26/1/13

I went to a big 1940s dance last night. The dance was great fun but I think it was rather more about WW2 given the number of non-dancing uniforms present. Still that meant the dance floor was never too paced for a little jitterbug action! To think that just 12 months ago I went to my first dance lesson; I never thought I'd have the fun and the friendships I've had and made since then. Marvellous!

Here are some photos a friend took which I've lifted from the relevant Facebook album. Thanks to Dawn Fitzgerald for taking the pics in the first place.

All the best!

All photos by Dawn Fitzgerald.

End of 2012.....

Goodbyeeeeeeeee!

.....And the beginning of 2013 beckons. I've had a relatively good year after losing my wargaming mojo completely. Setting up the blog has been instrumental in this. Photographing and writing up the projects has given me new impetus as well as an insight into the thinking of others' via their own blogs.

I've enjoyed building my two 54mm FLW armies, especially since the Anahuacan one started life as a Villista army for a Mexican Revolution project. My favourite is the Tarbooshian Army with all its contradictions and impossibilities. All made possible by the fantastic nature of FLW.

On other fronts I've re-activated two 28mm projects. One based around the movie Underworld and the other around 1970s Cops & Robbers. I've enjoyed the detailing of these figures after so much, equally enjoyable, toy-soldier style paint jobs.

I want to play more games and visit more wargames events in 2013. I've managed one game only this year: a 1/72 scale Crossfire one and that simply will not do!

This is also the first anniversary of me starting swing-dancing. I wish I'd done it sooner but I didn't. That said it remains the best fun you can have with your kit on. I get to dress smartly in a 1940s style and dance with the most amazingly beautiful and stylish ladies too.

And there was cake.

To conclude. Thank you for your support, advice and guidance since late August 2012 and I wish you all a happy 2013 and a bright future too!

All the best

A Tea Dance

Tea dance, well, going by this definition what I'm going to is not strictly a tea dance. The time's wrong for a start: 2pm - 6pm (but not by much). There's a big band playing and a comedian too. Mrs Barbara Nice? People tell me she's funny but I have no direct evidence or experience of her work. I am hopeful. The big band will be big with a bigger sound.

What is most accurate is the tea and cake. All the baked goods are home-made and, going by September's tea dance, plentiful and delicious. They even cater for minority interest groups like vegetarians and the gluten intolerant. (That was a joke, a poor one but a joke nonetheless). 

What is also accurate is the dancing. All kinds of swing dance: charleston, lindy, jitterbug, balboa, shim-sham plus the odd bit of foxtrot and two-step.

I'm taking my camera. IF I remember I'll get some shots. I may forget: all those lovely 1940s styled ladies and the fresh cakes are such a distraction.

TTFN!

I remembered:

One of the two tables groaning under the weight of delicious home-baked treats

The Tom Dunnet Big Band laying down a swingin' beat

What a well organised, friendly and all round brilliant afternoon! We started with an hour's worth of Collegiate Shag, no sniggering at the back! Followed by two sessions of top tunes from the Tom Dunnet Big Band and a funny if slightly crazy turn from Mrs Barbara Nice. I scored loads of dances and made some new friends too; a great afternoon.

Wednesday Night is Jitter-Bug Night!

As regular readers will know I'm an avid fan of swing-dance and have been learning to dance Jitter-Bug & 1920s Charleston for the past 11 months. Well tonight's the night for that but I've decided, given it's massive popularity, that I need some lessons in Lindy-Hop. What I already know will be of some help since Jitter-Bug evolved from Lindy and they have a lot in common but are different. Luckily the Lindy class is on a Thursday night in Lichfield.

Anyways here's a couple of swing jazz classics to keep you going until my next post: Skyliner which gets straight to it & the quiet start and belting finish of 2 O'Clock Jump. 

Swing that thing!

What's Buzzin', Cousin?

I'm off to see The Revolutionaires tonight at The Austin Sports & Social Club in Longbridge Birmingham. It's a rock & roll do but swing jive is fully compatible with rock & roll jive. Saw them back in March this year and they were boptastic! The DJs also play a good selection of music from the early 1940s Rhythm & Blues to 1959 R&R (probably). There's a subsidised bar and all for £6. Bargainsome!

TTFN!

Dancing Cake Tin

I've been quite idle the last few days as far as painting toys is concerned. I've not been feeling too good all week but did manage a few bits last night. My friend needed her digi-cam back as well. So I took the plunge and bought one. I'm currently waiting for it to turn up.

In other, brighter news, I'm just off to Aberyswyth for a swing dance tonight! My friends live there and work at the uni which has a Swing-Dance-Soc and they've invited me over. Cool beans!

To keep you all going until the toys return here's a video of A Dancing Cake Tin!

Hello to new follower Remco de Groot. Make sure you check out his blog too!

All the best!

Tonight's Swing Dance......

........is in Quorn, Leicestershire. The village hall to be exact. I went to the Hawaiian themed dance in July but that was before TDCT and does not concern us here. Unusually the sun is shining on Birmingham for the weekend and the forecast is similar for Quorn. This was also the case in July. Synchronicity? Dunno but I'm looking forward to the dancing tonight. All those ladies in their 1940s frocks! I'm undecided whether to go formal or informal. This basically means tie or no tie......gaaaah, the agony of choice!

I'll try and get some pictures of my dancing chums and chumettes but will probably forget. Apologies in  advance.

Big hellos to new follower Nigel H. His 28mm figures are a joy, go and see. You won't be disappointed!

TTFN!

SpeakEasy?

I'm posting this tune because it's swinging; the lead vocalist is hot; the band has a great name and there are dancers doing East Coast Swing Jive. Hit the dancefloor!

Put A Lid On It

Busy day

I started my second year of Spanish language class this morning. Our class tutor was her usual scatterbrained self but she did point us in the direction of a useful book. A visual bilingual dictionary which at £6.39 from Amazon is a real bargain.

This evening is Swing-Jive class. We usually do two classes each evening. A beginners followed by an intermediates. Tonight's intermediate will take us further into the mysteries of
Front To Back/Reverse/Tandem* Charleston. Here's a video to give you some idea what I'm on about: Tandem Charleston

*Take your pick

Hasta la entrada de blog proxima!

Dance Workshop etc

Today I am going to a Swing-Jive dance workshop. There's also a vintage market (nothing for blokes - guaranteed!) and a social dance this evening. A busy, but v enjoyable, day for me then!

This is what we'll be doing but I'm neither as good as this nor do I own a sailor suit. Which is probably for the best.

TTFN!