alain’s dance blog

The best slow motion I’ve ever seen on a Lindy Hop video (at around 1:20 into the clip). The dancers are Nick Williams and Carla Heiney from California during the Reno Dance Sensation 2007.

Nick was the choreographer of the So You Think You Can Dance Lindy Hop routine this season for Lacey and Neil. I love his musicality. And Carla is one of my favorite dancers at Lindy Hop events. She’s so much fun to dance with! No matter what level you’re at, she’ll smile and make you feel good.

Ann and I are teaching a new class this September at Cat’s Corner dubbed Lindy Revue.

The Lindy Revue concept

Une revue est une formule théatrale qui combine musique, danse et sketches. Pour ce cours, Alain et Ann ont combine le meilleur de nos cours de Dazzle & Flash, Charleston et Routines & Chorégraphies pour creer une routine qui vous mettra a l’epreuve sans vous decourager!

The goal is to learn a choreography in six weeks and to present it at the Friday night dance at Cat’s. There will be video reviews and even a dance blog for the class.

Check out the cool logo!

Next week, we’re having our second Battle of the Swing DJs at Cat’s Corner. It’s going to be a tag team battle AC vs. DK.

In the old school corner, we’ve got DJ Danny-O, head DJ at the Canadian Swing Championships for the last six years, and superman DJ “Ka-El” Karrwright Lee, who just got back from Japan. I had to convince Karrwright to come out of retirement for this one, so this will be a rare occasion to see one of the Montreal originals in action.

In the newcomer corner, we’ve got the youngsters from Cat’s, DJ Carl Nelson who will be DJing at the upcoming Albany Chill, and DJ Alain Wong (me).

Don’t miss it. It’s gonna be violent.

Google ran a contest last month in order to build a collaborative video through Youtube for Gmail. The idea was to pass the Gmail logo (an M envelope) in a creative way through video. Ann and I submitted a video of us swinging out with the envelope, and guess what? We made it onto the final cut!

Gmail: Behind the Scenes (Final Cut)
A compilation of clips submitted by Gmail fans as part of our collaborative video project. Selected from over 1,100 clips from fans in more than 65 countries. Learn more at http://mail.google.com/mvideoThank you to Etienne for filming it!

This is the playlist of the Saturday late night at the Montreal Lindy Hop Exchange 2007. Nathan Shetterley started off which some groovy mood music while people ate, and then dancing resumed at around 2am.

DJ Mike Thibault from Rochester and DJ Alain Wong from Montreal trading songs, mostly four at a time.

Savoy Blues Kid Ory’s Creole Jazz Band
Effervescent Blues John Kirby & His Orchestra
The Darktown Strutters’ Ball Alberta Hunter
Flying Home Barnet, Charlie
Moten Swing Kansas City Band
The Comeback Count Basie & Joe Williams
Roll With My Baby Ray Charles
Let’s Get Together (edit) Chick Webb/ Ella Fitzgerald
Don’t Go ‘way Nobody Boilermaker Jazz Band
Track 19 Mystery Track
Like It Is Erroll Garner
Honeysuckle Rose Ella Fitzgerald
Don’t Be That Way Lionel Hampton
One O’Clock Jump rip Coleman Hawkins & The Metronome All-Stars
The Very Thought of You Billie Holiday
Death Came A Knockin’ Ruthie Foster
It’s All Right Curtis Mayfield & The Impressions
Hound Dog Big Mama Thornton
Cry To Me Solomon Burke
Groove Me King Floyd
Shoorah Shoorah Allen Toussiant with Chocolate Milk
What Makes The Ending So Sad Lou Rawls
Never Make Your Move Too Soon (edit) Ernestine Anderson
Splanky Count Basie
Skin ‘Em Back (Original) rip Skeets Tolbert and His Gentlemen Of Swing
Exactly Like You The Benny Goodman Quartet
It’s De-Lovely Boilermaker Jazz Band
Yes Indeed Tommy Dorsey
Keep on Churnin’ Wynonie Harris
Got To Give It Up, Part 1 Marvin Gaye
Let’s Get It On (Demo Take) Marvin Gaye
Ocean Of Tears Ruthie Foster
Lonely Teardrops Jackie Wilson
Please Mama Please Go Cat Go
You Sexy Thing Hot Chocolate
When the lights Go Out Jimmy Witherspoon
Gimme a pigfoot Lavern Baker
On The Sunny Side Of The Street Lionel Hampton
They Can’t Take That Away Carmen McRae
A Letter To Heaven Sister Wynona Carr
Just A-Sittin’ And A-Rockin’ Ben Webster
I’m Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A letter (Ahlert-Young) Jay McShann
Black And Tan Fantasy Duke Ellington
You are My Sunshine Bill Henderson
Trouble in Mind Nina Simone
Midnight Blues (Red Shirt) Jimmy Witherspoon
You Send Me Aretha Franklin