Hop to the Beat's blog

Monday Classes Still Open, Sunday Classes Start May 1

Thanks to everyone who joined our workshop weekend with the always amazing Michael Jagger and Evita Arce! Uptown Swing was a blast with the fabulous Toni Lynn Washington Band AND a phenomenal performance with M&E. The room was hoppin’ and so much fun!

Monday Lindy Hop/Swing Classes This Week!

As the last of the Boston Marathoners continued to walk by the window, our new session of classes started:-) It is still possible to join in the second Monday, April 25 as we will be reviewing everything from week one. Feedback on the new format with practice time added after class was very positive and we enjoyed seeing everyone join in!

Uptown Swing this Saturday; Early Bird Dates this Week

Yes, spring does officially arrive this week! That and some great dancing is all you need to brighten those winter blues!

Uptown Swing Dance

Join us this Saturday, March 19 for Uptown Swing at our beautiful venue, Brookline Tai Chi, located directly across from the Washington Square T stop on Beacon Street. This month we are welcoming back Shawn Hershey and the Fried Bananas. How can you go wrong with some Fried Bananas! Beginners are very welcome and you do not need to have a partner. The music will be excellent for Lindy Hop, Swing, Balboa and even some Blues. Bring your friends and introduce them to a fun night of dancing!

Uptown Swing Dance Information

Michael & Evita Workshop Weekend

This Wednesday is the early bird discount date to register for Lindy Hop workshops with Michael Jagger and Evita Arce on April 15-17! These two will knock your socks off. They are excellent instructors, full of technique, style, grace and pizazz! Classes for all levels will be held at Lower Falls Community Center in Newton. The weekend will also include our monthly Uptown Swing dance in Brookline featuring the Toni Lynn Washington Band and a performance with Michael and Evita. Not to be missed! Register now to get the best prices!

Full Workshop Information, Schedule & Registration

New Class Session; Michael & Evita

Thanks to everyone who came out to Uptown Swing on Saturday night with The Love Dogs! Was that fun or what!!! One of our best dances ever and we were excited to see so many new and familiar faces. Looking forward to the next one on March 19 with some Fried Bananas:-)

Lindy Hop Swing & Balboa Class Session

The next 6 week session starts Sunday evenings on March 6 in Newton and Monday evenings on March 7 in Boston. New classes in Beginner Swing/Intro to Lindy Hop Level 1 and Lindy Hop Level 2 will be offered in both locations, conveniently accessible by car or T with free parking available.

Uptown Swing the Saturday; New Class Session; Michael & Evita

Did the temperature actually hit the 50s? Amazing! Our mailbox has re-emerged:-) Time to think of spring time and summer plans!

Uptown Swing Dance

Join us this Saturday, February 19 for Uptown Swing at our beautiful venue, Brookline Tai Chi. Who else can we have in this month of love but The Love Dogs! A guaranteed good time to be had by all. Beginners are very welcome and you do not need to have a partner. The music will be excellent for Lindy Hop, Swing, Balboa and maybe even some Blues. Bring your friends and introduce them to a fun night of dancing! More information.

New Class Session; Uptown Swing; Michael & Evita

We are completely immersed in planning these days with so much great stuff coming up!

Lindy Hop Swing & Balboa Class Session

The next 6 week session starts Sunday evenings on March 6 in Newton and Monday evenings on March 7 in Boston. New classes in Beginner Swing/Intro to Lindy Hop Level 1 and Lindy Hop Level 2 will be offered in both locations, conveniently accessible by car or T with free parking available.

Uptown Swing this Saturday; 2nd Week of New Class Session; Looking Ahead

It’s always rewarding to begin the new year with a great start! We had a blast at our first week of classes. Good to see many familiar and new faces on Sundays in Newton and also wonderful to see our classes growing in our new location in Boston. We need to make this year one that is filled with fun and joy:-)

Uptown Swing

Come in out of the cold and join us for our first Uptown Swing Dance of 2011 this Saturday, January 15 at Brookline Tai Chi. We are excited to start the year with the always fun Mike DiBari Swingtet! Mike always gives us a great night of hot Swing music to keep everyone on the dance floor. Beginners are very welcome and you do not need to have a partner. The music will be excellent for Lindy Hop, Swing, Balboa and a little bit of Blues. Bring your friends and introduce them to a fun night of dancing!

New Classes Start Sunday/Monday; Uptown Swing; BSDN

New year’s resolution - get out dancing! What could be a better way to start the new year? Plus it has been scientifically proven to be good for you:-)

New Session Lindy Hop/Swing Classes

Our new 6 week session starts this Sunday, January 9 at the Newton Lower Falls Community Center in Newton and Monday, January 10 at the Ruggles Baptist Church in Boston. Here is what’s coming up:

  • Beginner Swing/Intro to Lindy Hop - This class is for both brand new dancers and those with some experience who would like to build a stronger foundation and gain more confidence on the dance floor. Six count basics are covered along with a different selection of fun steps each session. There are 7 different sessions at this level, which can be taken in any order, providing the opportunity to develop a good base for social dancing while continuing to learn new steps. If you have any friends who have been wanting to get started, please send them along! This class meets in both Newton and Boston locations.
  • Lindy Hop Level 2 - This class is aimed at intermediate level Swing dancers who can already comfortably social dance any style of triple-step Swing. It is not necessary to already know Lindy Hop. The class includes a mix of 8 and 6 count basics with a focus on technique and lead-follow connection. There are 6 or 7 different sessions at this level which continually change over time and can be taken in any order. Each session includes a mix of classic Charleston moves and newer variations. This class meets in both Newton and Boston locations.
  • Partner Charleston - This is a new class covering a variety of Lindy Hop Charleston moves to add to your partner repertoire while focusing on execution and pizazz to make it look really cool:-) This class will be for intermediate to advanced Lindy Hoppers and meets on Sundays in Newton.
  • Beginning Balboa - We like to dance some Balboa every night we’re out dancing. A great thing about it is that you can learn a little and mix it in with Lindy Hop, so there’s not much lead time to get Balboa in your repertoire. We’ll be covering the core moves as well as technique and style that gives Balboa its own special flavor. This class will be ideal for those new to Balboa as well as those wanting to review and refine basics. It meets on Mondays in Boston.

Full information, on-line registration and directions are available at:
http://www.hoptothebeat.com/classes/lindy-hop-swing-balboa

HTTB Year End Message 2010

We often find ourselves reflecting on the past year as it draws to an end. This one has been kind of a rollercoaster for us with some big ups and downs along the way.

We had a truly amazing Beantown Camp this summer. It was more work than ever putting it together, which is really a reflection on the way of the dance world these days. Many events for people to attend and lots of attention needs to be devoted to marketing. Beantown has had many great years, and we always wonder how we can possibly top them, yet this year may have just been the best ever! There was a huge diversity of people attending from all over the country and beyond as well as an outstanding staff of instructors and musicians, and it all merged together into a week full of joy, laughter and a ton of fun! We owe so much to everyone who participated and contributed to making it such a positive, wonderful event.

Hop to the Beat hit an incredible milestone this year with our 15th anniversary. It is quite amazing when we think about that. It all started because we had seen this dance called the Lindy Hop and we just wanted everyone to do it! It seemed the only way to help make that happen was to teach, so we gave it a try. We added small practices which eventually led into what is now Uptown Swing. Along the way we brought in international instructors and eventually started Beantown Camp. It literally just evolved, we along with it, and it continues to be a full time endeavor.

Pages

Subscribe to RSS - Hop to the Beat's blog