Pre-party Le Hot Sauce at FNS on January 29

Special weekend event—on January 29th, Friday Night Swing and Cheryl Burke Dance are collaborating with Carla Heiney to bring you special classes with guest teachers Carla Heiney, Jeremy Otth, Karen Turman, Andrew Thigpen, Bromley Palamountain, and Jean Ma. Saturday has a amazing schedule too, with tons of classes and a dance all at City College. Get information here.

7:00 - 8:00 - Fun Lindy Hop Turns - taught by Karen & Andrew (Partnered / Intermediate-Advanced)
A lot of dancers get stuck doing the same turns all the time. We want to share some fun turns for both the leads and follows to help mix it up and end the monotony of tuck-turns and side-passes. This class is great for intermediate dancers and anyone looking for a little more variety in their dancing!

7:00 - 8:00 - Balboa Basics and Beyond - taught by Jeremy and Carla (Partnered / Beginner)
A great way to learn the basics of this dance and a few fun improvised Balboa steps to get you out there dancing right away. Great for Beginners and people who need a review of the basics.

8:00 - 9:00 - Look Ma' No Hands - taught by Jean & Bromley (Partnered / Intermediate +)
Explore the realm of partnering by taking a deeper look into the art of connection. How many ways can you think to connect with your partner besides just hand to hand. Find out with Look Ma' No Hands!

8:00 - 9:00 - Beginner Swing Dance Class with Autumn & Christine (Partnered / Beginner)

Pricing

Double-Day Bonus! If you are registered for the full day on Saturday, you receive $5 off your total entrance price for Friday.
(Must sign up for Saturday in advance by January 23, limited to one $5 discount per person.)

Early Bird Price (register by January 23rd)
$15 one class
$25 two classes

After January 23rd and at the door
$10 for the dance (no classes)
$18 one class
$30 two classes

Ben Polo and Christine Nguyen Take Over FNS on January 15

The rumor is that Ben Polo, mysterious newcomer to the SF teaching scene, will be teaching beginning sensual dance from 8-9pm at Friday Night Swing this week. What I think will actually take place is that Ben Polo and partner, Christine Nguyen, will teach a stellar beginning Lindy Hop and East Coast Swing class. Don't miss it! This Friday from 8-9pm.

Deejay Sarah Quan will be spinning from 9-10:30pm.

At 10:30pm the dancing will move downstairs into the main ballroom where Nathan Dias will play his favorites until midnight at which point he and everyone else will turn into pumpkins and have to leave, feeling very sad that Friday Night Swing has ended yet again.

Plus, make sure to come out on January 29th when FNS and Cheryl Burke Dance will be humbly hosting the Le Hot Sauce 4 preparty, with Autumn's famous peanut butter cookies, and awesome guest instructors Karen Truman & Andrew Thigpen, Jeremy Otth & Carla Heiney, and Jean Ma & Bromley Palamountain. Le Hot Sauce 4, taking place January 30 at City College of SF, is a day of swing workshops featuring top instructors, all brought to you by Carla Heiney. Be sure to check out www.redwoodcityswing.com to sign up for Le Hot Sauce 4.

First Friday Night Swing of 2010 January 8th

Beginning Swing Lesson at 8pm with Christine and Autumn

1930's music and dancing from 9pm to midnight

In our new location at:
Cheryl Burke Dance
1830 17th Street (corner of De Haro Street)
San Francisco, CA 94103
415-252-9000

$10 (dance only)
$15 (lesson and dance)


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Swing Sundays 2010 Beginning and Intermediate Swing Classes

Sundays beginning January 3rd
4:30PM-5:30PM Beginning Lindy Hop/East Coast Swing
Learn the basics—8 count and 6 count timing, sugar push and passes, swingout and circle, turns and tuck turn, and Charleston. In this unique class, initially you'll learn the "feel" of the patterns first before the footwork, so even if you have decent grasp of the patterns and their footwork, this would be a great class if you want to improve your "feel" and connection.
$18 drop-in, $68 4 weeks

5:30PM-6:00PM Free practice
Stay after class or come early. I'll be there to work with you, answer answer questions, and give you feedback.

6:00PM-7:00PM Intermediate Lindy Hop
In this class you'll learn to lead and follow the essential 6 and 8 count Lindy Hop patterns including various turns, swingout and Charleston variations.
$68 for 4 Weeks or $18 per class.

**Note that there will be no classes on January 17th**

Happy New Year,

Autumn

Last Friday Night Swing in Current Location!

As you may have read in last Sunday's New York Times, this Friday will be your last chance to experience Friday Night Swing at its 1500 16th Street space. Please join us in a rollicking farewell to the venue that has been our stomping grounds since March 2008. We won't be crying — we'll be dancing! And probably eating! But not at the same time!

Beginning on Friday, January 8, 2010, FNS will move to its new location at 1830 17th Street, just one block away. This is the main site of Cheryl Burke Dance, and we've got the Mezzanine all to ourselves. If you know what's good for you, you'll swing by every Friday night! Stay tuned for details.

In the meantime, check out the schedule (on the right-hand side) for details on what's happening this Friday night. We hope to see you there!

Happy Holidays,
Autumn LaVarta

This Friday, It's Free-day Night Swing!

When Autumn LaVarta was born, he cried hysterically. He wailed and wailed. He screamed at the top of his tiny, not-yet-fully-formed lungs. He cried so hard, he turned pink.

Now you might be thinking, "Big deal! Most babies cry when they're born!" But Autumn did not cry for the usual reasons. He was not cold. He was not confused. He was distraught because he wanted to dance, and yet he had no rhythm, no coordination, no dance shoes! He knew that it would be a year at least before he would be able to stand, and even then, he would not be tall enough to reach the radio, and even if he could reach it, he would not have the fine motor skills required to turn the knob to a station playing swing music.

Oh, why must he be a swing dancer trapped in a baby's tiny, ineffectual body?

And so he bawled day and night, night and day, and his parents slept not a wink. But in the brief moments between crying and drooling and peeing and pooping, six-pound Autumn hatched a plan. Yes, on his thirty-third birthday, when he was big and tall and had complete control over his bodily functions, he would open the doors to his Friday Night Swing party to the people and let them dance the night away at no cost to themselves! Yes, they would enjoy the swinging tunes of guest deejays Mike "Moondog" Quebec and Sarah "Webbed Fingers" Quan, both of whom will also be full-sized adults, and whose fine motor skills will allow them to freely manipulate the music machine!

But baby Autumn did not stop there. He determined, gripping his Sesame Street blankie in his tiny fists and shaking it relentlessly, that the people would not only enjoy free admission, popping tunes, incredible dancing, and the company of friends both new and old, but also pumpkin pie! There would be no stopping him, and as he took comfort in this knowledge, he caught his breath and ceased crying. But then he realized he was cold and hungry and had wet his diaper, and the wailing began anew.

Please join us this Friday night for the realization of baby Autumn's plan, hatched thirty-three years ago today!

FNS This Week? Nope Nope Nope Nope Nope

Yip yip yip yip yip, you heard correctly -- there will be no Friday Night Swing this week (10/30). Nope nope nope nope nope. Now before you start complaining, hear us out! In the middle of the night, some creatures came down from outer space and they asked Autumn to go up with them. Unfortunately, this incredible incident was not captured on film, but some kindly felt puppets have agreed to reenact the event for your amusement.

Upon meeting the martians' demands for oatmeal, yip yip yip yip yip yip yip yip, oatmeal, yip yip yip, Autumn will be returned safely to earth. He is expected to arrive over the weekend.

Stay tuned for an exciting announcement about next week's Friday Night Swing!