Thank you to everyone who came out to the first Uptown Swing Dance of 2014! It was a wonderful turnout to start off the year and some great music with Boston Swing Express.

There are many special events coming up, so get out your dance calendar and don’t miss a single one!

Gordon Webster at Boston Swing Central

Any night when Gordon Webster is in town is a special one! Head on over to the Crosby Whistle Stop this Friday for an amazing night of dancing. Expect a packed house!

Boston Swing Central information.

Providence Swings 10th Anniversary Dance

Providence Swings is celebrating their 10th anniversary this Saturday, February 1st and have a jam-packed evening of good times planned.

• Potluck dinner
• Beginner Swing lesson
• Live Music with Jessy Carolina & the Hot Mess
• DJ Jesse Hanus
• Solo Charleston Contest
• Cake
• Motown at Midnight

Now that is a celebration! All for only $10. Let’s all head down to RI and join the festivities with our friends at Providence Swings!

Full details on website.

Swing & Soul Dance at Uptown Swing

On Saturday, March 1st, Uptown Swing Dance will be having a special Swing & Soul night! The Racky Thomas Band always brings a fun night of Swing. Add some classic Soul, and guest DJ Javi Johnson, who will also teach a lesson on the Electric Slide!

Please note that this dance will be at Extreme Dancesport in Cambridge and NOT at our usual location in Brookline!

Full Uptown Swing details on website.

Boston Tea Party

Champion level instruction with over 80 workshops. West Coast Swing, Lindy Hop and Balboa. Over 140 attendees and over 500 competitors. Dancing with the White Heat Orchestra and some of the country’s top DJs. Three ballrooms and all-night social dancing. All that and more!

Where is this all happening? Right here in Newton, MA, March 20-23! This is going to be one big dance party!

Registration is open!

Boston Tea Party information.

The Dirty Dozen Weekend

Providence Swings is at it again with another edition of The Dirty Dozen Weekend, April 25-27. Four world class instructors, Peter Strom & Naomi Uyama, Jeremy Otth & Laura Keat. Two nights of live music with Gordon Webster. One epic mash-up Jack & Jill competition. Always a super fun weekend!

Registration opens February 12th!

Dirty Dozen Weekend information.

Frankie Manning 100th Birthday Celebration

Frankie Manning leading the Shim Sham during a Hop to the Beat Dance at the Cambridge Friends School in 2005.

This May, Lindy Hoppers around the world will be celebrating Frankie Manning’s 100th birthday. Uptown Swing will be hosting a local celebration on May 10th and welcome all dancers to join in!

All profits from the dance will go to the Frankie Manning Foundation.

Details to come!

Full Uptown Swing details on website.

Beantown Camp

Beantown registration has been open for one week now and we couldn’t be more thrilled with the response! Groups are already forming from Baltimore, Chicago, New York, Providence, Québec and Maine!

There are currently 2 spots left in Tier 3 for first time campers and less than 10 for Tier 4 of regular admission. Get’em while they last!

There is still plenty of available housing on campus, although some of the options have filled.

More exciting announcements will be coming soon!

Beantown Camp information.

Join the Beantown Camp 2014 Facebook event.

Registration opens Thursday, January 23 at 8:00pm EST. Be one of the first campers to register to get the biggest discounts. Don’t forget to set up your Beantown account in advance if you don’t already have one!

Check out these pricing deals:

• NO camp registration increases. 
• TIERED pricing for the earliest camp registrations.  
• NEW tiered whole shebang and week discounts for first time campers.  
• INTERNATIONAL camp registration discounts.  
• LOWER Endicott prices for housing and meals.  
• HIGHER student housing discounts.  
• SIX month installment plan available for registrations by January 25. (Additional installment plans afterward.) 

Beantown runs from June 26 to July 3. Do the week to get the full experience! Most campers stay on campus, which is highly recommended.

Come on out this Saturday, January 18 to Uptown Swing Dance, featuring Boston Swing Express. Led by guitarist Mike DiBari, this tight knit combo hones in on the classic guitar driven Swing of the 30’s and 40’s. Their sound derives from guitar stylists such as Charlie Christian, Django Reinhardt and Les Paul, while also paying tribute to Swing era greats such as Lionel Hampton and the King Cole Trio. With rave reviews, the band continues to get better with each appearance at Uptown Swing. It promises to be a fun night to kick off 2014!

The atmosphere is fun and friendly and beginners are very welcome! KI is a beautiful large space with a smooth wood floor and a convenient location on Harvard Street in Brookline (entrance on Williams Street). For those taking the T, it is close to both Coolidge Corner and Harvard Ave stops on the Green Line. If you want to come early for dinner or a drink, there are plenty of places nearby. Parking is free after 8:00pm (some areas after 6:00pm) and there is plenty of street parking and several town lots in the vicinity.Beginners welcome, no partner needed
Location: KI (Congregation Kehillath Israel), 384 Harvard Street, Brookline, MA 02446; entrance on Williams Street
Band: Boston Swing Express
Date: Saturday, January 18, 2014
Time: 8:15pm-12:00am
Swing Lesson: 8:15-9:00pm
Admission: $15 ($10 with Student ID)

Full Uptown Swing details.

Join the Facebook event.

What an incredible weekend with Skye, Naomi and Gordon Webster! It was fun, challenging, inspirational and full of awesomeness. How could it not be with all the right ingredients?

Huge thanks to Skye & Naomi for the excellent classes, performing for us at the dance and for being just so incredibly wonderful all weekend.

Uptown Swing on Saturday night was fun, fun, fun! Gordon Webster & Band and Naomi on vocals were on fire! Topping off the night was a surprise visit from Tamar Korn. What a special treat to have her join in on a few numbers. It was great to see KI packed with a wide mix of dancers from both near and far.

Of course the weekend would not be possible without all the wonderful dancers who participated. Thanks also to everyone who helped at the dance, plus with hosting, transporting, running the door and spreading the word, especially Betty, Margaret, Meredith, Aslan, Chris and Jason. Every little bit is what added up to such an exceptional weekend.

The vibe was so positive and full of joy! Looks like we will have to do #7 next year!

Info is up for the first 6 week session of classes in Newton and Boston for 2014

New classes in Beginner Swing/Intro to Lindy Hop Level 1 and Lindy Hop Level 2 are scheduled in Newton Lower Falls starting Sunday evenings on January 12 and in Boston, Monday evenings on January 13. Both locations are conveniently accessible by car or T with free parking available. It will be possible to make up missed classes at the alternate location and it has been great to see students taking advantage of that.

Also coming up is a new class for intermediate to advanced Lindy Hoppers: Partner Charleston Fun - New Twists on Old Classics. Find new variations plus transitions for ins and outs using partner connection, stretch and rhythm. It will be challenging, energetic and of course a ton of fun! It meets on Sundays in NewtonThe Skye Humphries & Naomi Uyama workshops are coming soon on November 29-December 1! This is the last week to register at discount prices, expiring next Wednesday, November 20!

Registration is open - Complete class information and registration.