It’s the final week of Movember for Jungle Swing and we have even more great music for you at Stomp it Off! We’re finishing the campaign with DJ Lucy spinning all night long. Of course, you’ll be asking yourself the single most important question of the month: “Who in the Vancouver swing dance scene has the greatest tache??”. You will find out this Saturday! Join Jungle Swing’s Urban Mo Team and donate to Movember in support of Men’s Health and make your presence known. It’s moustache season.

Please make a donation to the Urban Mo Team and help out with the fundraising this year. Your donation can be as little as $5.00, yet that $5.00 can make a difference. Check it out, give them a thumbs up, and make that donation.

This Saturday at the Drop-In Swing Dance Lesson, Lucy and Walker will be teaching Jig Walks. You’ll want to check that one out.

We’re also coming up to the Christmas break, and as a result we’re offering something a little different at Stomp it Off! You can now purchase very nice, high quality, Chinese fans at the front as a gift for yourself or someone else. Alex, one of our newer dancers, is importing fans from Wangxingji Fans which has been making fans for 100 years. These guys do it right. We’re talking silk, linen, lacquered bamboo, the whole nine yards. While the photo below makes them look good, you have to check them out in person to really do them justice.

New to the whole swing dance thing? Yeah, there’s lots to learn, from Lindy Hop to Charleston and Balboa, but you can get yourself started at the Stomp it Off! Swing Dance with our Drop-In Survival Tactics™ Swing Dance Lesson from 8pm to 9pm. From there, get out on the dance floor and practice what your learned. The Stomp it Off! Swing Dance goes from 9pm to 1am every Saturday night. No excuses. Get out and dance!

The Stomp it Off! Drop-In dance lesson is provided by Rhythm City Productions and is taught by the best instructors in Vancouver. And here’s the details.

Where – 2205 Commercial Drive in the Grandview Legion Auditorium
When – Doors Open: 7:30pm, Drop-In Swing Dance Lesson: 8:00pm, Stomp it Off! Dance: 9:00pm to 1:00am
How Much – $13.00 regular price, $10.00 for Jungle Swing and Affiliate Members

If you’re interested in Lindy Hop dance lesson series to start on or improve your dancing skills, register for a Rhythm City Productions dance class series and watch your skills take off. Check out a sample of what you can learn in a Rhythm City Productions lesson series.

Remember to make your donation to the Movember cause and make it easy on yourself. Donate via the Urban Mo Team today.

See you Saturday night!

We’re into the second week of Movember for Jungle Swing and we have more great music for you at Stomp it Off! This week DJ’s Matt and Alan will bring you the tunes and keep you on the floor. Of course, you’ll be asking yourself the single most important question of the month: “Who in the Vancouver swing dance scene has the greatest tache??”. Support your favourite tache grower with a donation to the Movember foundation in his name. Men and women can join Jungle Swing’s Urban Mo Team and donate to Movember in support of Men’s Health. It’s moustache season.

Also, I’d like to give honourable mentions to Eric Buchegger and Jeremy Monks. Both of these fine men have joined the Urban Mo Team and will be helping out with the fundraising this year. Check it out, give them a thumbs up, and make that donation.

This year, as a part of moustache season, we want you to send in pictures of your Mo in progress. Yeah, it’ll look a little sketchy to begin with. However, by the end of the month, it’ll be a graceful and revered lip ferret. So don’t hide it. Flaunt it! Jungle Swing will help make your Movember memorable.

New to the whole swing dance thing? Yeah, there’s lots to learn, from Lindy Hop to Charleston and Balboa, but you can get yourself started at the Stomp it Off! Swing Dance with our Drop-In Survival Tactics™ Swing Dance Lesson from 8pm to 9pm. From there, get out on the dance floor and practice what your learned. The Stomp it Off! Swing Dance goes from 9pm to 1am every Saturday night. No excuses. Get out and dance!

The Stomp it Off! Drop-In dance lesson is provided by Rhythm City Productions and is taught by the best instructors in Vancouver. And here’s the details.

Where – 2205 Commercial Drive in the Grandview Legion Auditorium
When – Doors Open: 7:30pm, Drop-In Swing Dance Lesson: 8:00pm, Stomp it Off! Dance: 9:00pm to 1:00am
How Much – $13.00 regular price, $10.00 for Jungle Swing and Affiliate Members

If you’re interested in Lindy Hop dance lesson series to start on or improve your dancing skills, register for a Rhythm City Productions dance class series and watch your skills take off. Check out a sample of what you can learn in a Rhythm City Productions lesson series.

Remember to make your donation to the Movember cause and make it easy on yourself. Donate via the Urban Mo Team today.

See you Saturday night!

This year, as a part of moustache season, we want you to send in pictures of your Mo in progress. Yeah, it’ll look a little sketchy to begin with. However, by the end of the month, it’ll be a graceful and revered lip ferret. So don’t hide it. Flaunt it! Jungle Swing will help make your Movember memorable.

This coming Saturday, we’ve got DJ Angie on the decks with a soon to be confirmed cohort. Get out to the Stomp it Off! Swing Dance for great music and fantastic company this weekend. New to the whole swing dance thing? Yeah, there’s lots to learn, from Lindy Hop to Charleston and Balboa, but you can get yourself started at the Stomp it Off! Swing Dance with our Drop-In Survival Tactics™ Swing Dance Lesson from 8pm to 9pm. From there, get out on the dance floor and practice what your learned. The Stomp it Off! Swing Dance goes from 9pm to 1am every Saturday night. No excuses. Get out and dance!

The Stomp it Off! Drop-In dance lesson is provided by Rhythm City Productions and is taught by the best instructors in Vancouver. And here’s the details.

Where – 2205 Commercial Drive in the Grandview Legion Auditorium
When – Doors Open: 7:30pm, Drop-In Swing Dance Lesson: 8:00pm, Stomp it Off! Dance: 9:00pm to 1:00am
How Much – $13.00 regular price, $10.00 for Jungle Swing and Affiliate Members

If you’re interested in Lindy Hop dance lesson series to start on or improve your dancing skills, register for a Rhythm City Productions dance class series and watch your skills take off. Check out a sample of what you can learn in a Rhythm City Productions lesson series.

See you Saturday night!

We’ve also got some great prizes for top costumes this Saturday. Thanks to Rhythm City Productions for two free passes to the Rhythm City Strut on Thursday nights and to Royal City Swing for two free Friday night guest list spots. Dress it, work it, dance it!

If you’re new to Swing Dancing and the Stomp it Off! experience there’s no need to worry. We have a Drop-In dance lesson at the beginning of the night starting at 8pm. This lesson is included in your cover charge and will give you the basic survival tactics you will need to make your night an enjoyable one. The Stomp it Off! Drop-In dance lesson is provided by Rhythm City Productions and is taught by the best instructors in Vancouver. And here’s the details.

Where – 2205 Commercial Drive in the Grandview Legion Auditorium
When – Doors Open: 7:30pm, Drop-In Swing Dance Lesson: 8:00pm, Stomp it Off! Dance: 9:00pm to 1:00am
How Much – $13.00 regular price, $10.00 for Jungle Swing and Affiliate Members

See you at the Stomp it Off! Swing Dance this Saturday.

Cheers,
Darren

So you’re new to Swing Dancing and the Stomp it Off! experience? No need to worry. We have a Drop-In dance lesson at the beginning of the night. This lesson is included in your cover charge and will give you the basic survival tactics you will need to make your night an enjoyable one. The Stomp it Off! Drop-In dance lesson is provided by Rhythm City Productions and is taught by the best instructors in Vancouver. And here’s the details.

Where – 2205 Commercial Drive in the Grandview Legion Auditorium
When – Doors Open: 7:30pm, Drop-In Swing Dance Lesson: 8:00pm, Stomp it Off! Dance: 9:00pm to 1:00am
How Much – $13.00 regular price, $10.00 for Jungle Swing and Affiliate Members

This year for Halloween, Jungle Swing is working with a Pirate theme. Avast ye scurvy dogs an’ landlubbers! It’s time t’ get out an’ swab the deck with yer dancin’ shoes. We be the buccaneers o’ swing! If ye be havin’ no notion about yer costume this year, we be makin’ it easy on ye! Arrrr! Now tighten that jib an’ ready yerselves for boardin’ the decks.

If you’re interested in Lindy Hop dance lesson series to start on or improve your dancing skills, register for a Rhythm City Productions dance class series and watch your skills take off. Check out a sample of what you can learn in a Rhythm City Productions lesson series.

See you Saturday night at the Stomp it Off! Dance.

This Saturday we’ve got the ever popular DJ V on the rig with one of Vancouver’s up and coming DJ’s, Miracle Matt. This guy can spin a set like nobody’s business, so the venerable V is in for a challenge. Who will get you on the dance floor the most with the best swinging jazz? Who will have you busting out your Charleston, Lindy Hop, and Balboa moves? There’s only one way to find out. Get yourself out to the Stomp it Off! Swing Dance this Saturday night and hit the floor with your hot moves.

So you’re new to Swing Dancing and the Stomp it Off! experience? No need to worry. We have a Drop-In dance lesson at the beginning of the night. This lesson is included in your cover charge and will give you the basic survival tactics you will need to make your night an enjoyable one. The Stomp it Off! Drop-In dance lesson is provided by Rhythm City Productions and is taught by the best instructors in Vancouver. And here’s the details.

Where – 2205 Commercial Drive in the Grandview Legion Auditorium
When – Doors Open: 7:30pm, Drop-In Swing Dance Lesson: 8:00pm, Stomp it Off! Dance: 9:00pm to 1:00am
How Much – $13.00 regular price, $10.00 for Jungle Swing and Affiliate Members

If you’re interested in Lindy Hop dance lesson series to start on or improve your dancing skills, register for a Rhythm City Productions dance class series and watch your skills take off. Check out a sample of what you can learn in a Rhythm City Productions lesson series.

See you Saturday night at the Stomp it Off! Dance.

Dancing and Music

In the mean time, there are all sorts of events happening in Vancouver that Swing dancers can attend and enjoy. Heck, even non-dancers can take them in and get full entertainment value! For example, tonight, June 29th, The Jen Hodge All Stars are playing at Guilt & Co, located at 1 Alexander Street in Vancouver. Jen Hodge, hot off her big stage performance with the Company B Jazz Band for the Vancouver International Jazz Festival, will be taking her happy fun Jazz vibe to the stage with her All Stars. I believe 9pm is their start time, but get there early as it’s a Jazz Fest event and it’s likely to be crowded!

Thursdays during the summer the Showboat stage will be running from 7:30pm to 10:00pm, weather permitting of course! This summertime favourite is always well attended and is outdoors on the water with a cool atmosphere and relaxed vibe. It’s a great way to get some dancing in during the summer, so check it out!

For those that feel the need for Blues dancing and its spinoffs, there’s two events to look for in Vancouver. First is Blues in the City run by the incomparable Adam Konkle. Affectionately known as BitC, this well known Vancouver Blues Dance event runs every second and fourth Friday of the month at Academie Duello located at 412 W Hastings. It’s a can’t miss for you Blues lovers out there. Second is Blues Cafe, run by Vincent Wong, in Burnaby at Dance Addicts Studio, 4622 Hastings Street. This is what’s known as a Fusion event (not the atomic kind) and is attended by dancers of all stripes.

There will be many Canada Day celebrations with live music that dancers will love. Granville Island always has things on the go for Canada Day. This year they kick it off with the Jen Hodge All Stars and Swing Patrol running back-to-back from Noon until 5-ish at the Ron Basford Park stage. Elsewhere, Dal Richards will be playing at the Vancouver Convention Centre main stage, 10:00am start time, in the Jack Poole Plaza, and then at the Showboat stage starting at 7:00pm. This iconic band leader is still going strong well into his 90′s and is a must see not only as a musician but as a national treasure. Can you believe he’s doing two shows on Canada Day?!

Summer time is also a great time for dance classes. If you’ve ever wanted to take a Swing dance lesson series, give it a shot during the slower summer months! Jungle Swing’s recommendation is Rhythm City Productions. With a wide array of beginner Swing dance classes, you can get yourself ready for the fall season in no time flat! Visit the Rhythm City website for more information and to register for your first Lindy Hop class.

Public Spaces – How Do We Use Them?

This evening I have the privilege of helping the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association and VIVA Vancouver audition busking acts for the street space transformation on Granville Street this summer. As many of you know, Jungle Swing will not be participating directly in VIVA Vancouver transformations this summer as we did last year with Dancing in the Street. However there will be many different events and types of entertainment on the Granville Mall downtown. Of course, all this leads into the topic of how we use public spaces and in what ways we can re-purpose transit corridors in a city like Vancouver, which was built on a grid.

Last night I attended the Spacing Road Show for Spacing Magazine Vancouver launch. Spacing got its start in Toronto and is all about how we use and perceive public spaces in our cities. The Road Show had a great panel of thoughtful Vancouverites and members of City Hall who talked about Vancouver’s public spaces, how we currently use them, how we are moving towards new usage ideas, and how this all ties in with current transportation realities in our urban lifestyle. Currently in Vancouver, many of our public spaces are transitory such as the Sea Wall (which is ranked as Canada’s top public space by Spacing in their first national edition), Granville Mall, and Commercial Drive, rather than destinations unto themselves. These public spaces are transit corridors, whether for fitness or shopping, but the spaces themselves are not generally used for anything other than as a means of moving people. While this is certainly needed and wanted, there is the unique challenge of temporarily re-purposing these transit spaces for event and gathering space when such is needed and wanted.

We of course had fine examples of this re-purposing or layered use of public transit space with the 2010 Winter Olympics when the downtown core was turned into a gathering place for Vancouverites and guests alike. Last summer the DVBIA and the City of Vancouver got together to build off the Olympic successes to create the Rediscover Granville initiative, of which Jungle Swing was a part with Dancing in the Street. Every year the Vancouver International Jazz Festival successfully engages in the layered usage idea, turning Vancouver streets into open air stages. But it doesn’t always go right.

Some of you may recall a bit of hockey induced craziness that happened in the downtown core during what turned into a regular re-purposing for the playoffs. For the most part the re-purpose for the Canucks playoff run was successful with tens of thousands of people enjoying the outdoor viewing and celebrations. It only turned ugly for one game, but that is the part that will stick in the craw of Vancouverites for some time to come. Another re-purposing that didn’t turn out well, but with a much smaller consequence, was the Car Free Days on Commercial Drive. While many people enjoyed the chance to walk up and down the Drive, sit at a mid-street ‘patio’, and take in entertainment without fear of being squashed by oncoming traffic, a number of businesses were adversely affected because their regular clientele found it difficult to drive to and park near the places they wanted to go. This was an interesting unintended result of a transportation space re-purpose as many did not foresee the push back from businesses due to a lack of customers. While on the surface, both of these re-purposing initiatives seemed like a good idea, they both failed and for very different reasons.

With the positives and negatives both squarely in mind, the City of Vancouver, through VIVA Vancouver, is forging ahead with new ways to use the streets of Vancouver and create public destinations with transitory space. From the Pedestrian Weekends on the Granville Mall to the Cambie Village Community Artists Plaza and the Modular Deck just east of Main on East 14th, Vancouver is encouraging people to get out and engage in their spaces, as both destination and transitory. This summer will have a lot to offer in Vancouver with how we use our city and think about ways to layer usage and engage the public in a positive and thoughtful manner.

While you’re deciding where to go and what to do in Vancouver this summer, pick up the latest issue of Spacing at Chapters and think about how we can use the spaces of our city to encourage cultural growth and positive activities. To add one more idea that was rought up in the panel discussion last night, more than 80% of Canada’s population lives in urban settings yet we still have a century old notion of Canadians as pioneers. The sooner we accept our urban lifestyle and engage in solutions to urban problems, the better off we will be with regards to urban planning, transit, and space usage. And to drive home the point of our outdated ideas we hold about ourselves, it was noted that during the last federal election campaign debates, not a single party leader discussed the urban reality of Canada and the role cities play in our lives. Crazy, eh?

Cheers,
Darren