SWING AND LINDY HOP
WORKSHOPS
Four on the Floor regularly brings to Austin the best teachers in the instruction of Lindy Hop, swing, balboa and other Jazz Era dances. This is an important part of achieving our goal to help Austin dancers get the most enjoyment and fulfillment out of the dances that we all love.
We are happy to announce the following workshops...
STEVEN AND VIRGINIE - MAY 2008 BALBOA WORKSHOP - MAY 2008_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
STEVEN MITCHELL AND VIRGINIE JENSEN
COMING TO AUSTIN - MAY 16 - 18, 2008
A weekend of classes, dances, and live music both Friday and Saturday nights with some of Austin's best live swing bands!
ABOUT STEVEN AND VIRGINIE
Four on the Floor is proud to bring to Austin the couple considered to be the best Lindy Hop instructors in the world - Steven Mitchell and Virginie Jensen!
Steven Mitchell is the most influential new generation
Lindy Hopper in the world today. Steven Mitchell is an extraordinarily
gifted and versatile dancer, expert not just in Lindy Hop, but Jazz,
Hip Hop, African dance, and social ballroom. Steven started his dance
career by studying Jazz, Ballet, Modern, Ballroom and Hip Hop in both
Los Angeles and New York. He started Lindy Hopping / Swing Dancing 1978/1979
together with his partner Erin Stevens. They worked with Al Minns in New
York 1982, and brought Frankie Manning out of retirement in 1986 by working
together with him. He has been an innovator in teaching Lindy Hop and
Jazz Movement for almost two decades.
Steven is a leader amongst the handful of dancers whose commitment to
preserving and giving new life to the Lindy Hop has been directly responsible
for its worldwide revival. As a teacher he is challenging and inspiring,
highly sought after all over the world by Lindy Hoppers and Jazz companies alike.
Virginie Jensen is one of the country's most dynamic Lindy Hoppers and joined Steven as his teaching partner in 1999. Virginie has over 20 years of dance experience that includes Jazz, Classical Ballroom, Swing, Ballet, Franketti School of Dance, Harlem School of Classical Ballroom, and Arcadance School where she worked on many dance performances. She began teaching Ballet and Ballroom at the age of 16, and has performed Ballroom and Jazz professionally for several years. She is also the winner of numerous dancing awards in France. Virginie began teaching Lindy Hop in 1997, and in 1999 paired up with Steven Mitchell to teach full-time internationally. Known for her unique style, spunk, and connection, Virginie draws from her extensive dance experience to teach grace, frame and flash to the followers. Virginie has become a leader in teaching follow's styling and movement, and in encouraging women to take their half of the dance and assert themselves.
In Steven's own words, Virginie was the teaching partner that he had always wanted to work with. Their classes are inspirational and challenging for lindy hoppers of all levels. Their May workshop will be an all-levels workshop from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon.
THE SCHEDULE
Steven and Virginie's Lindy Hop classes during the weekend will invigorate and inspire the students' dancing by improving fundamentals, adding flavor and style, and incorporating Steven and Virginie's experience and knowledge of other dance forms into Lindy Hop. The Workshop classes will also include Jazz with Steven, Swing Movement with Virginie, and other fun classes.
All events will be held at the nationally famous Texas Federation of Women's Clubs in Austin, Texas.
FRIDAY - MAY 16 at The Texas Federation of Women's Clubs
| 7:00 pm | Registration - Check-in | |
| 7:30 pm | FIRST CLASS with Steven and Virginie | SWING WALK: Steven and Virginie bring this dance back to Austin. Learn an exciting and fun alternative to dance to swing tunes. Frankie shared it with Steven and Virginie and they have brought it to us. This dance is perfect to warm everyone up for the weekend, and to dance to the music of Giant City. |
| 9:00 pm - Midnight | Dance in the FED Ballroom with live music! | Featured Band: Giant City |
SATURDAY - MAY 17 at The Texas Federation of Women's Clubs
| 10:00 am | Registration - Check-in | |
| 10:30 - 11:45 | Swing-out Tune-Up Session | Steven and Virginie start at the beginning and help dancers of all levels to improve Lindy Hop's cornerstone dance pattern - the Swing-out. |
| 12:00 - 1:15 | Lindy Hop with Steven and Virginie. | |
| 1:15 - 2:45 | Lunch | |
| 2:45 - 4:00 | Lindy Hop with Steven and Virginie. | |
| 4:15 - 5:30 | Jazz with Steven | Steven's Jazz Classes are easily the most popular classes at major dance camps and workshops around the world. A class that is sure to be fun and challenging for dancers at all levels. |
| 9:00 pm - 12:30 | Dance in the Fed Ballroom | Live music from a local favorite! |
SUNDAY - MAY 18 at the Texas Federation of Women's Clubs
| 12:15 pm | Doors Open | |
| 12:30 - 1:45 pm | Swing Movement with Virginie | Virginie shows you that great partner dancing starts with your own movement, and teaches you the skills to help you keep your end of the bargain. |
| 2:00 - 3:15 | Lindy Hop with Steven and Virginie. | |
| 3:15 - 3:45 | Snack Break | |
| 3:45 - 5:00 | Lindy Hop with Steven and Virginie. | |
| 5:15 - 6:30 | Lindy Hop with Steven and Virginie. | |
| 7:00 | Doors Close at the Fed |
THE ENTERTAINMENT
Live music both Friday and Saturday nights with some of Austin's best live swing bands!
The Friday night dance will feature the GIANT CITY SEXTET Giant City is comprised of consummate professional musicians that live, speak, and breathe the music they play and impart the genuine care and love they feel for the genre into every performance. The sound of Giant City Jazz is always fresh, exciting, and alive. Each Giant City performance is a fun filled and family oriented event that inspires dancers to dance, lovers to cuddle, and true lovers of jazz to rejoice. Check out their myspace page .
Saturday night features THE MARSHALL FORD SWING BAND WITH EMILY GIMBLE. Their own description of themselves: "We are a great group of friends from Austin Texas Who Love to play "good" Music . Although we are mainly a swing band we are always writing new material, branching into different styles, and making fresh arrangements of old favorites." Check out their myspace page .
REGISTRATION
Online Registration is now closed. You may still register and pay at the door this weekend.
Registration for THE WHOLE WEEKEND costs only $125.
This price includes the Friday night class, the Friday night dance, Saturday classes, the Saturday night dance and Sunday classes.
Day Passes will be available for the Steven and Virginie Workshop - They can be purchased at the door on Friday night or Saturday morning - there is no on-line registration for day passes.
Friday Night Class and Dance - $25
Saturday classes and Saturday Night Dance - $85
Friday Night Class and Dance and Saturday Classes and Saturday Night dance - $100.
Parking
The Fed parking lot will be reserved this weekend for staff, bands, and teachers. Please visit our parking page to find the best parking locations.
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SATURDAY BALBOA WORKSHOP
SATURDAY - MAY 10TH, 2008
UPTOWN DANCE CENTER
12:00 - 3:30 PM
TEACHERS - LAURA MALLOY AND MATT JONES
For dancers who already know the Balboa Basic. We will assume that everyone in the workshop will know and can social dance the Balboa basic, break-time and the come around. The classes will build on those skills - teaching both balboa and bal-swing patterns and how to comfortably speed up to faster tempos. Class 2 will pick up where Class 1 left off.
GET READY FOR THE WORKSHOP ON THURSDAY NIGHT AT THE FED - MAY 8TH Laura and Matt teach the basic, break time and the come-around at the Beginning Balboa class at 8:15 pm at the Syndicate Weekly Dance. Practice in the GEORGIAN ROOM to Balboa-friendly tunes from 9:30 pm to 11:30 pm.
WORKSHOP CLASS TIMES| REGISTRATION | 12:00 - 12:15 |
| CLASS 1 | 12:15 - 1:35 pm |
| CLASS 2 | 1:55 - 3:15 pm |
WORKSHOP COST
| One Class: | $15 |
| Two Classes: | $25 |
*There is no advance registration - Registration will open at noon at Uptown Dance Center.
UPTOWN DANCE CENTER is located at 8868 Research Center.
Click her for a location map.