Epic Swing Night in May celebrates the Epic RETURN of Hunter Demaray! Hopefully you've seen him out dancing around the bay area and have already noticed or remembered a few things about Hunter:

• He's fun to dance with.
• He likes dancing fast.
• He's got really nice lines.

There's obviously more but, to that effect, Hunter will be teaching two classes on May 12th. The first will be a 2 hour intensive class on FAST LINDY! We believe Lindy Hop was meant to be done at blazing speeds and we'll get you feeling that exhilaration! The second class will be all about using your body and making fun expressive interesting or beautiful lines together! Shape your Lindy Hop! Both classes are for intermediate and above level dancers. Everyone can learn these concepts no matter what level you are, but we will split the rotations by level.

If the choice of movie wasn't obvious enough already from the poster, we're going to take it up a notch, and make the theme of the dance "Enchantment Under the Sea." That's right people, get ready all of your best 1950's style dance wear.

Check out our Epic Schedule:

4:30-6:30 = Epic Fast Lindy Class
6:30-8:00 = Epic Jazz Lecture & Dinner
8:00-9:00 = Epic Lindy Lines Class
9:00-12:00 = Epic Swing Dance with
Clint Baker's New Orleans Jazz Band!

Alisa Clancy from KCSM Jazz 91.1 will be back to give an Epic Jazz Lecture regarding a mysterious topic: "The Women Instrumentalists: Making them Visable."

Clint Baker's New Orleans Jazz Band comes back home and drives us to dance all night long. These guys are amazing. We hope to be getting more information about Clint and the rest of the band on the website soon, so stay tuned.

Register

Here's the pricing this month and check out our EPIC pre-registration discount:

$40 = Lecture + Dance + BOTH Classes OR $33 Pre-Reg price! ($7 off)
$30 = Lecture + Dance + 2hr Fast Lindy Class OR $25 Pre-Reg price! ($5 off)
$25 = Lecture + Dance + 1hr Lindy Lines Class OR $20 Pre-Reg price! ($5 off)
$15 = Lecture + Dance OR $12 Pre-Reg price! ($3 off)

Dinner is not included, but will be available for purchase onsite. We loved eating together last time! Join us again! We'll try to post more details about this as they come.

Registration has CLOSED! You can still come and pay at the door though!

Location

San Mateo Masonic Lodge
100 N Ellsworth Ave
San Mateo, Ca 94401

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For the first time, Epic Swing Night will fly in super-duper, world-renowned lindy hoppers to teach the workshop classes! Stefan Durham and Bethany Powell, two of the most beloved lindy hoppers in the world, continue to cultivate a unique style born from a kind of pure inspiration and love for not only appreciation of Lindy Hop's amazing legacy, but the spirit of improvisation and interpretation of the music from which it came in the first place. Stefan and Bethany are true artists. Don't take our word for it; check them out on youtube and see for yourselves.

(Now that we've finished it, can you guess which movie it is inspired from?)

Check out our Epic Schedule:

4:30-5:30 = Epic Advanced Lindy Hop
5:30-6:30 = Epic Intermediate+ Solo Jazz
6:30-8:00 = Epic Jazz Lecture & Dinner
8:00-9:00 = Epic (invite only) Master's Class
9:00-12:00 = Epic Swing Dance with Macy Blackman and the Mighty Fines!

It will be Duke Ellington's birthday on April 29th so we will celebrate with another jazz lecture by Alisa Clancy from 91.1 KCSM! For Ellington's birth month the topic will be "An Ellington Birthday Party!"

Epic Swing Night proudly presents Macy Blackman and the Mighty Fines! They have been rocking the house recently at Cat's Corner in San Francisco and we can't wait to hear more of their unique amalgamation of New Orleans Jazz and 50s R&B on our newly warmed floor at the San Mateo Masonic Lodge.

Register

Here's the pricing this month (and check out our EPIC pre-registration discount):

$50 = Lecture + Dance + 3 Classes OR $41 Pre-Reg price! ($9 off)
$40 = Lecture + Dance + 2 Classes OR $33 Pre-Reg price! ($7 off)
$25 = Lecture + Dance + 1 Class OR $20 Pre-Reg price! ($5 off)
$18 = Lecture + Dance OR $15 Pre-Reg price! ($3 off)
$7 = Lecture only OR $5 Pre-Reg price! ($2 off)

Dinner is not included, but will be available for purchase onsite. We want to cater food so that we might stay together during the lecture and break some bread like one big happy family! We will provide updates as we get more information on this.

Registration is now CLOSED! If you missed it, you can still sign up at the door - sign up earlier next time!

Location

San Mateo Masonic Lodge
100 N Ellsworth Ave
San Mateo, Ca 94401

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Attire - Dress Up!

Dress to impress! If you've got something that would make you look just like Don, Cosmo, or Kathy, then totally go for it - but if not, just look shnazzy!

Photo Contest!

We've just added a photo contest! Epic Swing needs a lot more photos than what we have, so we're giving away three free passes to the next Epic Swing night for the following:

1. The photo we choose to use as the cover photo on our Facebook page
2. The best overall photo of the night
3. One photo at random - each photo is one entry!

You can submit up to 25 photos max by either submitting them to ESN's photo album (I believe you can add photos to it, but I can't test that!), or by creating your own photo album with "ESN March 24th" somewhere in the title, and tag us when you post it.

Dust off your lenses, photographers - you could be learning from Stefan and Bethany for free!

Class Descriptions

The Aerials Classes

Beginning and Intermediate aerials classes are designed to be taken in series together. Even if you have aerials experience already, in the beginning lesson Jean and Bromley will be refreshing important technique and skills that make air steps easier and safer! The intermediate class will build on the techniques learned in the beginning class, so even if you are brand new to aerials, you will be able to follow what is going on in the intermediate class if you had the benefit of taking the beginning class before it.

We will not be rotating during aerials classes, so you need to secure a partner for class beforehand. Taking the beginning lesson with your designated partner before going on to the intermediate lesson will help you gel as a team better and practice not only the moves and exercises but communicating effectively with each other - hopefully leading to greater accomplishments!

Advanced Lindy - JAMS!

Advanced Lindy Class this weekend will be a JAM class! There is nothing like the excitement of joining in or watching a Jam Circle! I saw two of them form just this weekend and I'm excited to see more of this happening in the SF area! Jean and Bromley will help you hone your jam circle skilz and get you comfortable with short performance!

Teacher Bios

Look at these guys - how could you not want to take classes from them?

Jean Ma

Bromley Palamountain

Why You Should Totally Take the Aerials Classes

From personal experience, I (Brian) can tell you that Jean and Bromley are amazing aerial instructors. I was a part of their aerial-intensive group, JB and the Frequent Flyers, for a year, and during that time we did A LOT of work on air steps! They took us through all the steps to make sure that we knew how to set up an aerial correctly, and how to safely mitigate the effects of an aerial gone awry. For those of you who don't know, Bromley is a gymnast who trained under an Olympic gold medalist - what more could you ask for?

I remember J&B telling me a story about two professional Lindy Hoppers who were working on aerials together, but who didn't have the proper technical understanding of how the air step was supposed to be done - the follow ended up injuring herself pretty seriously. Even the people who swing out better than anyone can still make mistakes in this area - make sure you come learn safe technique form the best! These two have been hired by several international instructors for guidance in aerial training.

Aerials workshops are really special events - There are very few times that you will be able to learn this kind of material from the likes of Jean and Bromley! Head on over to our registration and sign up now!

featuring Jean & Bromley and Clint Baker's New Orleans Jazz Band

Don jumps onto the countertop and holds up the day calendar.

            DON
        Fellas, I feel this is my lucky day,
        March 23rd.

            COSMO
        No, your lucky day's the 24th!

            DON
        What do you mean the 24th?

Cosmo grabs the calendar from Don and rips off the top sheet as he says...

            COSMO
        It's 1:30 already.  It's morning!

            KATHY
        Yes!  And what a lovely morning!
        Good Morning!

This year our EPIC LUCKY DAY is March 24th too, because it will be the first time EPIC SWING NIGHT rocks our new home at the Masonic Lodge at 100 N Ellsworth Ave. in San Mateo! Located only 0.3 miles (a measly 5 minute walk) from the San Mateo Caltrain Station for the carless or the car-averse! Check out the northbound and southbound weekend schedules to plan your day!

Downtown San Mateo boasts a wide range of dining choices for hanging out with friends or date night alike!

Check out our Epic Lucky Day's Schedule:
3:00-4:00 = Epic Beginning Aerials Class
4:00-5:00 = Epic Intermediate Aerials Class
5:00-5:45 = Epic Jazz Lecture
6:00-7:00 = Epic Advanced Lindy Hop Jam Class
8:30-9:00 = Epic Beginning Lindy "Like a Boss" Class
9:00-12:00 = Epic Swing Dance
    With Clint Baker's New Orleans Jazz Band

Death defyingly amazing aerialists, Jean & Bromley will be teaching our Advanced Lindy Hop and Aerials classes this month. If you have not seen these two fly through the air effortlessly, this is still the video of them that packs the most tricks and air moves into one routine! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnQUKJ-XwuA

Alisa Clancy from 91.1 KCSM is back with another fantastic Jazz Lecture! This month's epic topic is "Even A Bad Bandleader Can Have A Great Band! Ornery & Eccentric Leaders OF The 30's & 40's."

Epic Swing Night happily welcomes Clint Baker's New Orleans Jazz Band to play on our inaugural night! Amazingly talented, Clint Baker and his fantastic friends have become a little family to us and we welcome them to our dance hall and our hearts as much as we can - in fact, they will be our house band!

Check out our epic updates to the event!

Register

Here's the pricing this month (and check out our EPIC pre-registration discount):

$50 = Lecture + 3 Classes OR $41 Pre-Reg price! ($9 off)
$40 = Lecture + 2 Classes OR $33 Pre-Reg price! ($7 off)
$25 = Lecture + 1 Class OR $20 Pre-Reg price! ($5 off)
$18 = Lecture + Dance OR $15 Pre-Reg price! ($3 off)
$7 = Lecture only OR $5 Pre-Reg price! ($2 off)

Pre-registration has CLOSED! If you didn't get in this time, sign up earlier in April!

Location

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6:15 - 7:15 Advanced Lindy: Movement and Momentum!
Ever wonder how some dancers make their simple moves look so good?  The simple secret to this is using the natural momentum of Lindy Hop in all your moves and to keep the dance flowing. We will take some simple moves and break down how to make them look and feel wonderful.

7:15 - 8:00 Lecture: Trumpet Stars of the 30s and 40s!
Alisa Clancy brings the stars out this night as we explore the sweet sounds of the trumpet masters! Don't forget that this lecture is included in the price of your classes or dance admission, so come on in and enjoy this special treat. If you are signed up for at least one of the classes, please also join us for pizza dinner.

8:00 - 9:00 Intermediate Lindy: Break it Up!
Having a hard time handling musical breaks in your Charleston? In this class we will work on inserting breaks into all areas of traditional Charleston positions (side by side, hand to hand, tandem, etc) and how to transition smoothly in and out of them.

CRITIQUE SESSIONS

6:15-7:15 Intermediate Critique Session
8:00-9:00 Advanced Critique Session
Nathan and Audrey will only be taking 6 leaders and 6 followers in each of these Critique Sessions in order to watch or dance with each couple or individual. This is a great way shake things up and rock your Lindy world. It is valuable to hear from your teachers and peers what they think you are doing well and what you might need more work on.

Why, yes, we *did* stagger the critique sessions so that you can do this AND get some level appropriate time in with Pat and Ann! Thank you for noticing!

Make sure to pre-register online - prices go up at the door!

Check out the epic fun we will have in San Francisco!

The classes will be taught by the incomparable Pat Wall & Ann Mony.  Like a master puppeteer, Pat Wall can make a follower do anything and make her feel like she has given up all control[1]. Watching Ann dance recently at the Lu Watters tribute concert, we just had to stop in our tracks for a moment and just say "dang, she can move!"  You don't want to miss these two.

For the first time ever, Epic Swing Night will be hosting a second track of classes! Nathan Dias and Audrey Kanemoto will be leading and Advanced and Intermediate level critique session with a small group of dancers - there are a limited number of spots for this class, so make sure you register in advance!

The Jazz lecture will again be given by Alisa Clancy from 91.1 KCSM! Alisa's description of and passion for jazz music, the musicians, the era, and their circumstances have inspired goosebumps.  This month’s epic topic will be “Trumpet Stars of the 30s & 40s.” This is included with the price of the classes or dance admission, so take this opportunity to enrich your understanding of the history behind the music we move to!

Since the night is pretty dense, we'll be offering free pizza for people attending at least one class during the lecture time slot.

This month we will feature DJ Shane Promtet spinning along side DJ Sarah Quan!

Considering the transformation (of venues) we are going through, our theme this month is Rocky Horror Picture Show! We'll do the time warp at the dance and go to a midnight showing (for Brian's virgin viewing) of this cult classic!

How much does all this epicness cost, you ask? Well, that all depends on your reflexes!

Epic Pre-registration Prices:
$20 = Lecture + 2 classes + Dance
$15 = Lecture + 1 class + Dance
$10 = Lecture + Dance
$5  = Lecture Only

Slightly Less (yet still) Epic Door Prices:
$25 = Lecture + 2 classes + Dance
$17 = Lecture + 1 class + Dance
$12 = Lecture + Dance
$7  = Lecture Only

Register

Online Registration has closed!

Location:

We will be hosting the classes, lecture, and dance in City College of San Francisco's Health and Wellness Center, located at 50 Phelan Ave, San Francisco, CA 94122. However, Google Maps may direct you to a strange location if you use this. Use the map below to know where to go. Enter from the front, and go up the stairs and to the right to find us.

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Footnotes:

[1] This was meant more as commentary on how badass Patrick is, an not commentary on roles in the dance. For more on that, we recommend this awesome article that was recently referred to us: http://www.annmony.com/blog/2010/12/how-about-some-clouds-with-that/

Check out all new epicness we have in store!

6:00-7:15 = Epic Advanced Lindy Hop Class
7:15-8:00 = Epic Jazz Lecture
8:00-9:00 = Epic Intermediate Lindy Hop Class
9:00-9:30 = Epic Beginning Lindy Hop Class
9:30-12:00 = Epic Swing Dance With Epic Regional DJ Battle!

The classes will be taught by the fabulous Gary and Amanda Sharpe! If you were at the last Epic Swing Night, you got to see how awesome they are when they threw down in our Epic Strictly Lindy For Cancer fundraiser. If you haven't seen them yet - you're missing out! They teach regularly in Sacramento and kick it hard in competitions all over the place!

The Jazz lecture will be given by Alisa Clancy from KCSM - she's a super engaging lecturer and knows a ton about the history of the music we love! This month's epic topic will be "Hats and Cats--It's All About the Show--Great Swing Bands and their Schtick." This is included with the price of the classes or dance admission, so take this opportunity to enrich your understanding of the history behind the music we move to!

This month the music will be provided in the form of an Epic Regional DJ Battle! We have DJ Allen Kerr representing San Francisco, who will be duking it out with DJ Gary Sharpe from SacTown!

Considering all the dueling going on between the DJs, the theme of the night should live up their epic conflict- and nothing says Epic Conflict like a West Side Story theme! Guys will be bubbling with anger as the Jets and the Sharks while the ladies strut their stuff and feeling pretty! Bring out your best dance clothes to turn the Wayback Machine to New York circa 1955. (Extra coolness points for recognizing the Wayback Machine.)

Here's what you should thinking: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kokbJvSEMUY

How much does all this epicness cost, you ask? Well, that all depends on your reflexes!

Epic Pre-registration Prices:
$20 = Lecture + 2 classes + Dance
$15 = Lecture + 1 class + Dance
$10 = Lecture + Dance with DJ Battle
$5 = Lecture Only

Slightly Less (yet still) Epic Door Prices:
$24 = Lecture + 2 classes + Dance
$17 = Lecture + 1 class + Dance
$12 = Lecture + Dance with DJ Battle
$7 = Lecture Only

Pre-registration will be available up through Friday, December 9th. There will be no pre-registration taken on December 10th!