Swing Dancing in Luxembourg

Lindy Hop Workshop with Birgit Schaarschmidt

2012-01-24T18:36:00.000+01:00

On the 17th and 18th of March 2012

Workshop times and themes:

Saturday:
from walking to dancing, improving our basics 13 to 16.30 (including breaks, 3 hours of workshop)

Sunday:
Musicality, leading and following, cool moves 13 to 17.30 (including breaks, 4 hours of workshop)

Level: Beginner/Intermediate and Intermediate (no total beginners admitted, if you started lindy hop in january it should be fine, so some previous lindy hop experience is required)

Cost:
Early-Bird Special: Both days for 70 Euros
( if registered and paid before 20 th of February 2012, after that date: 90 Euros)
(Only Saturday 50 Euros, only Sunday 65 Euros)

About Birgit
Birgit is the creator of the Frankfurt lindy hop scene. She has been dancing Lindy Hop since
1999 and is teaching and deejaying since 2002. She has participated in numerous workshops
in Europe and the US. She regularly organizes the Harlem Nights in Frankfurt.

To register please send an email to swinglux@gmail.com

You will only receive the payment information after registration. (please do not send money upfront without registering beforehand, your registration will need to be accepted first, depending on place and leader/follower ratio.

There is a Lindy Hop party on Saturday evening starting at 8.30 pm, entrance is free for the workshop participants (5 Euros for the others)
The party and workshop both take place in Theatre le 10 (10, rue des Gaulois in Bonnevoie)
This time there will be a bar service (so please don't bring your own food and drink)

New classes January - March

2011-12-20T19:49:00.001+01:00

Our classes next year will start on Thursday 19th January and there will be ten classes until 29th March. The dates will be the following:
19, 26 Jan
2, 9, 16, (23 Feb no class, Carnival Holiday)
1, 8, 15, 22, 29 March

The schedule and location of the classes remain the same:

20.00 - 21.00 Beginners
21.00 - 21.30 Social dancing
21.30 - 22.30 Beginners/Intermediate

Theatre le 10
10, rue des Gaulois, Luxembourg-Bonnevoie

The semestrial fee is 60 euros. Early bird price until 8th January is 50 euros.

Description of levels

Beginners - this is a class for total beginners who have never danced Lindy Hop or those who would like to work on their basics.

Beginners/Intermediate - this is a class for those who have been dancing Lindy Hop for some time. In this class we will be working on building and consolidating the basics, improving dancing technique, adding variations to basic figures.

To register, please send us an e-mail to swinglux@mail.com indicating the level you want to register and we will come back to you with all the details.

Lindy Hop Xmas Party!

2011-12-02T18:26:00.004+01:00

We would like to invite you to our very special end of the season Xmas Lindy Hop party on Friday 16th of December 2011! Come and dance to the best of Swing music!

Starting at 8 pm and taking place in Theatre le 10 in Bonnevoie (10, rue des Gaulois, Luxembourg-Bonnevoie)

In order to celebrate the last lindy hop party of the year please bring some food or drinks along. (It can be a cake, snack, a local speciality or anything else you would like to bring and share)

At 9 pm there will be a free 30 minute Bluesdance taster class, open to everybody (total beginners as well as experienced dancers).

Entrance to the party is free, feel free to bring along your friends as well!

Let's make this a very special and cosy end of the season, before we continue in 2012!! :-)

(we'd appreciate a lot if at the end of the party at 1 am, a few people would help us with the clean-up of the place, that way it will go really quick)

Lindy Hop Workshop with Eiki and Subei

2011-10-24T00:16:00.003+02:00

On Saturday, 19th of November 2011 at 13.00 to 17.00 (including breaks)
at Theatre le 10, 10 rue des Gaulois, L-1618 Luxembourg-Bonnevoie

On Friday the 18th November there is a party from 21.00 at Brasserie de l’Arret. (entrance included for workshop participants, 3 Euros for the others)

Theme of the workshop:

Part 1
Dancing to fast music - made easy.

Part 2
Cool moves to fast music

Part 3
Be creative with your Lindy Hop.

Cost:
40 Euros per Person

Level: Beginner/Intermediate and Intermediate (If you started Lindy hop in October it should be fine, but no total beginners admitted)

Please register before 15th of November by sending an e-mail to swinglux@gmail.com.
The first 3 followers and the first 3 leaders to register only pay 30 Euros. So be quick! :-)
We will ensure balanced leader/follower ratio, so register early to secure your place!

About the teachers:

Eirikur “Eiki” Gudmundsson started dancing Lindy Hop in 2007 and instantly fell in love with the dance. Since then he has also taken up Blues, Boogie Woogie and Balboa.
Eiki was one of the main Lindy Hop teachers in his home country of Iceland from 2008-2011.
In 2011 he moved to Germany and started training with Ali & Katja and has been teaching for their company SwingStep.de in Heidelberg and Darmstadt for the past 6 months.
In his classes he uses a methodical approach and precise statements to take his students to the next level.
This year Eiki won the Jack'n'Jill at the Smokey Feet festival in Amsterdam and the Jack'n'Jill at BerliNinjammerz festival in Berlin.
Here is a video of him competing in the perlims of the BerliNinjammerz workshop.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmKKQa4FESM

Subei Wu embodies the "spirit" of the Lindy Hop: full of energy and always with a smile on her lips. Her enthusiasm for swing dancing carries over to spectators, dance partners and her students alike.
With a keen eye for the needs of her students she teaches with the element of fun as the essence of the Lindy Hop. She has been training with Ali and Katjas SwingStep team since 2010 and currentlly teaches for them also.
Eiki and Subei have been dancing and teaching together since Februrary 2011.

2011-09-21T16:53:00.009+02:00

Lindy Hop Workshop with Praveen Raghuraman from Amsterdam

Learn to dance Lindy Hop with Praveen, one of the most inspiring dancers from Amsterdam! He will be giving an afternoon workshop in Luxembourg together with Ieva.

On Saturday, 22nd October from 13.00 to 17.00 (with breaks)

Theatre le 10, 10 rue des Gaulois, L-1618 Luxembourg-Bonnevoie

On Friday, 21st October there is a party from 21.00 at Brasserie de l’Arret (entrance included for workshop participants, 3 Euros for the others)

About Praveen

When Praveen discovered Lindy Hop, he immediately fell in love with swing dance. He is one of the main organisers of the Amsterdam Lindy Hop scene, giving regular classes, performing and DJing. When he doesn’t dance at home, he often travels to international workshops and festivals all around Europe. Praveen is a very musical and creative dancer, with an individual style focused on good connection with a partner, musicality, improvisation and of course fun.

Level: Beginners/Intermediate

Costs: 35 EUR per person

Please register before 17th October by sending an e-mail to swinglux@gmail.com.
(To attend the party only no registration necessary)

2011-07-19T17:30:00.010+02:00

The new weekly lindy hop classes start on Thursday, 6th of October 2011 at Theatre le 10, Rue des Gaulois 10, L-1618 Luxembourg-Bonnevoie

The schedule is the following:
20.00-21.00 Beginners
21.00-21.30 Social dancing
21.30-22.30 Intermediates

Registration: Send an email to swinglux@gmail.com
Once your registration is received and accepted (space permitting) we will forward you the payment details.
The semester subscription is 50 EUR (for 10 classes until the 15th of December). For Newcomers the first class is free!

Early bird special:
If registered and paid before the 15th of September the semester subscription is only 40 Euros!
We will aim for a balanced leader/follower ratio, so registering soon is advisable to secure your place.

Summer Break!

2011-07-14T11:16:00.002+02:00

It's time for our Summer Break, so no classes until October! Still we have lots of activities going on during summer! Send us an email to swinglux@gmail.com if you would like to be updated regularly on social dancing and other events during the summer!

9th of July, Lindy Hop Workshop with Gregoire and Alex / Swing Dance Party

2011-06-14T10:33:00.008+02:00

Alex from Dortmund has been dancing Lindy Hop for 4 years. She enjoys also other dances such as Shag and Balboa.

Greg who started Lindy Hop 9 years ago, has lived and danced in different countries such as in France, Spain and Germany. Both are coming to Luxembourg to share their joy and experience with us!

The lindy hop workshop takes place on the 9th of July, lasting from 13h to 17h (including short breaks) suitable for Beginner-Intermediate and Intermediate dancers (so suitable for both of our classes).

During the workshop the focus will be on improving swing-out technique, how to become a better leader/follower and they will show us some fancy moves!

It takes place in Theatre le 10, 10 rue des Gaulois, L-1618 Luxembourg-Bonnevoie

The price is 40 Euros (only 30 Euros as Early bird special if registered and paid before July 1st, bank details will be given upon registration)

To register please send an email to swinglux@gmail.com

In the evening there is our swing dance party at Brasserie de l’Arret 365, route de Longwy, L-1941 Luxembourg-Merl, participants of the workshop have free entry (3 euros for everyone else)

Total Beginner’s Balboa Danceworkshop

2011-04-20T10:19:00.001+02:00

Balboa is a dance that originated in Southern California during the 1920s and 1930s. It is a swing dance that is danced in close embrace. So in some ways it has as many similarities with Tango argentino as it has with other swing dances. The art of Balboa is in the subtle communication within the couple, including weight shifts, which most viewers cannot see. As a result, Balboa is considered more of a "dancer's dance" than a "spectator's dance".

Designed to take up only a small space, the dance was originally a response to overcrowded ballrooms. Balboa is often perceived as a restrained or introverted dance, with most movements occurring below the knees; however, part of its appeal is its variations on turns and twirls. Almost completely forgotten for many decades, nowadays the dance has seen a resurrection and is widely growing in popularity in Europe and across the world, with small but active dance scenes in cities as Los Angeles, Cleveland, Stockholm, Zurich, London or Paris to name but a few...

About the teachers

Kerstin and Jo are experienced tango dancers and have explored their enchantment with Balboa on numerous international events and workshops. They are currently building a Balboa scene in their hometown Cologne in Germany and we are very glad to have them coming to Luxembourg to give us a taste of the dance! www.swingsoiree.de

When? Saturday 28 of May 2011 from 13.00 to 17.00 (including breaks)

Where? THEATRE LE 10

Rue des Gaulois, 10

L-1618 Luxembourg-Bonnevoie

To register please send an email to swinglux@gmail.com

Party: In the evening we will have a Swing dance party at Brasserie de l'Arrêt (Cubana Café). 365 Route de Longwy L-1941 Luxembourg

as an example for the dance you can watch following video clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZvunWjOCk0

Cost: 40 Euros

Early Bird special: 30 Euro only if registered and paid before 12th of May (payment details will be given once you have registered by email)

The entrance to the evening Swing dance party is included in the workshop fee (5 Euros for the others)

Bringing a dance partner is advised but not obligatory as we will rotate partners frequently during the workshop. No previous dancing experience is needed. It is advised to put on comfortable clothing and shoes. Flat shoes or high heels are fine (but broad ones, no stilettos), leather soles can be helpful.

Start of the new classes on 17th of May

2011-04-12T14:13:00.006+02:00

Our Lindy hop classes take an Easter break now before we start with the new season on Tuesday 17th of May also at the Lounge Bar Hangover (19, rue de Hollerich) !

Here’s the schedule:

19.00-20.00 Beginners

20.00-20.30 Social dancing

20.30-21.30 Intermediates

Registration: Please send an email to swinglux@gmail.com

The semester subscription is 50 EUR (for 9 evenings until the 11th of July). For Newcomers the first class is free!

Early bird special:

If registered and paid before the 9. of May the semester subscription is only 35 Euros!

You're all welcome to participate in both classes (if there is space), the beginner class will start from scratch, but even for intermediate dancers repeating the basics is always fun and a good thing to do!

Beginners are welcome to participate in the intermediate class as well as long as they participate in couples and rotate only with other beginners.

Dancing socially in between the classes is strongly recommended, also for our beginners!

New Location!

2011-03-31T22:03:00.003+02:00

From Monday 4th of April our classes take place at a new location!
At Lounge Bar Hangover 19, rue de Hollerich L-1741 Luxembourg

The schedule remains unchanged:
Beginner 19h-20h
Social dancing 20h-20h30
Intermediate 20h30-21h30
Social dancing 21h30-22h

See you there! :-)

Spring Lindy Hop Party

2011-02-11T15:40:00.005+01:00

We are delighted to anounce the Spring Lindy Hop party in Luxembourg!!! Get ready for some crazy dancing to the best swing jazz music and be with us on 11th March at Brasserie de l'Arret in Merl. (365 route de Longwy)

The evening will start with a taster class at 21.00 until 21.30. Later on we dance until we drop. The best jazz tunes for your feet to swing around will be played by Dj Ievita and Dj Einar!

You have to be there!

2011-01-01T19:13:00.001+01:00

The Spring Season starts on the 17th of January 2011, which is free for everyone, all classes and social dancing taking place at Loft Latino:

19.00-20.00 Beginner class

20.00-20.30 Social dancing for all

20.30-21.30 Intermediate class

The price is 50 Euros for the spring term (for a total of 12 evenings until 4th of April).

To register please send an email to swinglux@gmail.com , indicating your name and dance level.

As we rotate dance partners every few moments, you can attend without a dance partner, however we will try to keep an even leader/follower-ratio, so please register early to secure your place!

Intermediate dancers can do both levels for the cost of one level (space permitting). Beginners can do likewise (i.e. dance at a the higher intermediate class if they participate in couples and don't change partners).

Monday 20th class and social dancing canceled

2010-12-20T11:26:00.002+01:00

We are very sorry but due to bad weather conditions, the class and social dancing today (20th Monday) is unfortunately cancelled.

Special Social dancing on Monday 20th of December!

2010-12-09T10:16:00.015+01:00

As it's the last week before the Xmas break, we would like to invite all of you to a
"Special Xmas social dancing"
on Monday 20th of December at Loft Latino!!!

The eventing starts with a joint lesson for all levels starting at 19.00 and the social dancing will start at 20.00.
Loft Latino is located on top of Marx Bar at 42, rue de Hollerich in Luxembourg-City
See you all there!!!

Both beginner and intermediate class on Monday, 13th December and social dancing!

2010-12-07T23:02:00.001+01:00

Unfortunately next week on Tuesday, 14th December, Brasserie de l'Arret is not available therefore we will have both beginner and intermediate class on Monday, 13th December at Loft Latino. The schedule will be as follows:
19.00-20.00 Beginners
20.00-20.30 Social dancing
20.30-21.30 Intermediates

As you can see from 20.00 to 20.30 there is social dancing for everybody, a perfect opportunity to mix and mingle! :-)

New Autumn Semester

2010-09-22T22:39:00.004+02:00

Our new autumn semester starts from 11th October for total beginners and 12th October for more advanced dancers. The class for beginners will be on Mondays from 7 pm at Loft Latino and will be followed by a social dance which everybody is free to attend. All details about the times and locations of the classes can be found on the left side column. If you have any additional questions, you can always send us an e-mail.

Social Dancing this Monday!

2010-09-15T21:59:00.000+02:00

Social Dancing this Monday 20th of Sept at Loft Latino, 42 rue de Hollerich, 19-21h

Blues and Jazz Rallye!!

2010-07-12T22:32:00.001+02:00

Though the classes take a summer break now, the fun continues!!! In fact the upcoming Blues and Jazz rallye, taking place this Saturday 17th of July in Grund, represents an excellent opportunity to listen to some great Blues and Jazz and possibly even to dance a bit to it! You can find the program with the bands and locations here http://www.bluesjazzrallye.lu/

For those interested, we would like to meet up there, at 20.30 at the PT-Clearstream Neumuenster Stage (Parvis) near Abtei Neumuenster in Grund, for the Concert of the Luxembourg Jazz Orchestra feat Jon Faddis. When facing the stage, you will find us on the left side of the stage, you'll definitely see us once we start dancing! :-)

During the summer we are planning to organise Dancing in the Park regularly as well! Classes will resume this Autumn! Happy Dancing!

End of the Season Swing Dance Party!

2010-06-24T21:23:00.005+02:00

You can't miss it! Our end of season party takes place on Saturday 10th of July 2010! We start dancing at 21h at Brasserie de l'Arret (Cubana Cafe).

Free introductory dance class to Lindy Hop at 21h30 for everybody.

There will be lots of good old swing music and lots of crazy dancing. So put on your best clothes and shiny shoes and let's swing out together!

Dancing on Sunday at Fête de la Musique

2010-06-17T13:46:00.000+02:00

Our Sunday afternoon dancing tradition continues. This time we again invite you to come and dance to live music. There is Fête de la Musique the coming weekend and there will be a concert by Big Band Rhythm & Blech Trier on 20th June 4pm in Place d'Armes (see the full programme of the festival http://www.fetedelamusique.lu/programme.php?date=2010-06-20). At least some of the music should be danceable and if we don't like it we can always go to the park. So we invite everybody to come and dance!

New Orleans meets Luxembourg

2010-05-20T20:00:00.006+02:00

A lot of good music and hopefully lots of opportunities to dance! See you there! http://www.neworleans.lu/

1920s and Lindy Hop Party!

2010-04-25T15:43:00.005+02:00

Come and join us on Saturday 8th of May for our very first Lindy Hop party at Brasserie de l'Arret!

Starting at 8 pm we will have dinner together with lots of dancing in between and after. At 9.30pm there will be a short introduction to Lindy Hop and Charleston, for everybody to try for free so bring along all your friends who would like to try this marvellous dance! Dressing up is encouraged but not mandatory. The party is free of charge, you can arrive at any time knowing that the party only goes until 1 am, so be sure to arrive early!

2010-03-23T22:41:00.008+01:00

The Easter break is approaching fast and there will be no classes on 30th March and 6th April.

The classes will start again on the 13th of April!

We will start our spring semester with some changes, there will be 2 levels again:

18.30 to 19.30 Total Beginner class

19.30 to 20.30 Beginner-Intermediate class

Please arrive on-time, as due to our limited access to the room we have to start and stop on-time.

In our spring semester, which will last until 6th July (11 classes in total), there are more fee options to choose from:

either 35 euros per person for the whole semester if you are registering as single.

or 30 euros per person for the whole semester if you are registering as a couple. We will continue rotating partners during the lesson; this "partner option" is only to encourage you to bring a dance partner in order to help us maintain a more equal number of girls and guys

or 5 euros per class per person.

For newcomers the first class is free of charge.

In order to register for the new semester, please send us the following information via email (swinglux@gmail.com):

Your first and last names

The level you want to attend

Your partner's name, if you are registering with a partner.

2010-01-24T18:53:00.001+01:00

Entrée d'Artistes

2009-12-24T23:45:00.004+01:00

A documentary by Andy Bausch about the luxemburgish swing and entertainment music from the 30s to the 60s. The first jazz bands on the Schueberfouer , the American Swing, forbidden by the Nazis, and finally the disappearing of our jazz musicians into the Cabarets and the local kermises.

Shown on the local RTL tv channel on the 31st of December, at 20.00, in luxembourgish with french subtitles.

Christmas holiday

2009-12-16T16:14:00.007+01:00

So this season has come to an end... It was so nice to see all you people social dancing at the last class, to notice the progress you make, the fun you're having while dancing and how your dance really starts to swing! :-)

The class will start again on the 12th of January 2010!
We will have 2 levels again, level 1 teaching basics (mainly intended for beginner, but not only, as it's always good to review the basics, so everybody is welcome to do it, things like good posture, connection, lead and follow, rhythm, etc...) and level 2 (where we'll mainly be teaching routines and figures, improvisation... so this level is not for total beginners, but eventually with a bit of practice everybody is welcome in this class as well)

There are a lot of lindy hop events in surrounding cities and further away, we would like to point out a few, especially those where the registration has just started or where it will start soon. From experience we know that many events are extremely popular and signing up as early as possible is very important to secure a place.

The ones we are listing here all have Beginner or Beginner/Intermediate level classes (among other levels):

- http://printempsswing.free.fr/ a festival organised in Orleans, close to Paris
- http://www.rockthatswing.com/ a huge festival in Munich
- http://www.istherehop.ch/ in Zurich, registration starts in January
- http://www.herrang.com/ THE lindy hop festival, registration starts latter this year (in March probably)
You can find many other festivals in the link section on the left.

Next Social Dancing in the Park, 30th August!

2009-08-17T18:56:00.003+02:00

The next social dancing is foreseen to take place on Sunday 30th of August (weather permitting), at 4pm, same place as the ones before (so see the previous post for the map of the location, if you're coming the first time)

Social dancing in the Park

2009-07-19T12:53:00.006+02:00

Größere Kartenansicht

Blues & Jazz Rallye

2009-07-12T12:45:00.002+02:00

This Saturday an important Blues and Jazz event takes place in Grund. There should be some opportunities to dance to some of the music, so email us or leave a comment in case you wanna meet-up to dance!
More info on http://www.bluesjazzrallye.lu/

Social dancing 14th of June!

2009-06-08T13:52:00.003+02:00

This Sunday (14th of June) another social dance takes place on the same spot in the Park, this time at 5pm.

In case it rains the event would be cancelled. (In that case we will post it here on the website) . For the exact location check out the older posts below.

Our classes on Tuesdays will continue until the end of June. During the summer we will from time to time organize social dances until the classes start again this fall.

New total beginner class on Tuesday and social dancing on Sunday

2009-05-31T17:13:00.008+02:00

From this Tuesday on we will offer a new total beginner class at 18.30. (see sidebar on the left for details). So this is the opportunity to start if you've thought about it but haven't dared to do so yet ;-) The beginner/intermediate class is at 19h. Everybody is welcome to both classes.

On Sunday, 7th June, at 16h, we will have another social dancing in the park! Same place as 2 weeks ago (see the old posting below for details).
In case it starts to rain we would go to an alternative dry location nearby (next to Mr Copy and Optique Bohler near centre Hamilius, a passage way at the end of Grand-Rue), so the event will take place in any case.
See the map below for both locations (A) and (B).
(A) being the "main" location in the park
(B) being the alternative location (which we only use in case of rain)
both locations are only a 5 minute walk away from each other

Größere Kartenansicht

New Orleans meets Luxembourg!

2009-05-29T13:45:00.003+02:00

There's a Jazz event in Luxembourg too this weekend!! (as I just discovered)
There will be some swing played too, so see you all on Place Guillaume II to try out what we've learned in the classes!
More info on:
http://www.neworleans.lu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5&Itemid=6

Jazzfest am Dom

2009-05-26T12:12:00.005+02:00

On the 30th-31st of May the Jazz Festival in Trier takes place. The event is free! Some of the music will be Swing, a really nice opportunity to dance or just to listen to some live music! More information about it here:http://www.jazz-club-trier.de/Inhalt/Events/Dom/2009.06.30-31_Domjazzfest.htm

Outdoor Social Dancing in the Parc!!

2009-05-06T18:03:00.038+02:00

"Parc de la Ville de Luxembourg".

The location is a pergola in the middle of the park (see the photo above), a big concrete stairway leading to it, another big square with a fountain is not far from it to the east. West of the location is the building of the Croix Rouge. Also the Villa Vauban is next to it. Easiest way to reach it is parking at Glacis or coming from Centre Hamilius (if arriving by bus).

The exact location is marked by an "A" on this map:

Größere Kartenansicht

2009-04-27T17:51:00.023+02:00

Frankie Manning
May 26, 1914 - April 27, 2009

Frankie Manning - the legendary lindy hopper, dancer, choreographer and inspirator for thousands of dancers around the world - has left us. For much of his lifetime he was the unofficial Ambassador of Lindy Hop. His life, his dances and his words has inspired many of us and his legend will be alive as long as people will be dancing Lindy Hop. Rest in peace, Frankie.

You can read the biography of this legendary dancer here.

Come and dance Lindy Hop outdoors!

2009-04-19T20:44:00.025+02:00

When? Sunday 26th of April at 16h
Where? The square behind the Philharmonie on Kirchberg (Place de l'Europe)
Who? Anybody interested in Swing dancing, Beginners and Experienced welcome!
What? Just a bit of social dancing, watching, relaxing, chatting, having fun in the sun... ;-)

In case of bad weather we would have to postpone the event to another day... (in that case we would post this here on the website in time by Sunday noon). Next to the square there is a roof, so even in case there would be some showers we would have some protection. So unless it really rains heavily the event will take place. Remember there is no bad weather just bad clothing... ;-)

In many cities people meet up to dance Lindy Hop in public places such as squares or parks, a phenomena that has grown in popularity in the recent past in various cities such as San Francisco ( http://www.lindyinthepark.com/ ), New York, Helsinki, Vilnius or Paris among others.

A portable stereo will be provided, so you don't need to bring anything (except good mood and comfortable shoes).

Don't be shy, we all started as beginners and it's only by lots of practice that one really gets to enjoy this fabulous dance!

Songs played in classes

2009-04-06T21:40:00.002+02:00

I promised some time ago to make a playlist of the songs that we usually play during the classes. Finally finally, here it is! It is definitely not exhaustive but just to give you some names and songs that you can listen to or dance at home:)

The Shim Sham Song (The Bill Elliot Swing Orchestra)
‘Tain’t What You Do (Jimmie Lunceford)
Opus 1 (Gene Krupa)
Fine Romance (Ella Fitzgerald)
Sunny Side of the Street (Benny Goodman)
Shout Sister Shout (Sister Rosetta Tharpe)
Heaven (Louis Armstrong)
Stomping at the Savoy (Ella Fitzgerald)
Ain’t Misbehaving (Ella Fitzgerald)
Don’t Fence Me In (Ella Fitzgerald)
Shorty’s Got to Go (Lucky Millinder)
Silent George (Lucky Millinder)
Jump Session (Slim & Slam)
Tutti-Frutti (Slim & Slam)
All That Meat and No Potatoes (Fats Waller)
Exactly Like You (Benny Goodman)
Is You Is or Is You Ain’t My Baby (Louis Jordan)
Frim Fram Sauce (Diana Krall)
Swingin’ On Nothin’ (Charlie Barnet)

Easter break

2009-04-01T00:47:00.012+02:00

We're glad that so many people have shown interest in Lindy Hop in Luxembourg so far and we very much look forward to teach you more exciting steps and routines after the Easter holiday.

Here's the list of the moves we've seen so far:
- 8 count basic step
- 6 count basic step
- open position
- closed position
- he goes/she goes
- duck walk
- basic charleston
- walking charleston with turn
- charleston with kick-away
- skip-up
- flying charleston (kick with slide back)
- swing out
- swivels (for the girls)
- swing out with inside turn
- circle
- tuck turn
- double tuck-turn
- inside turn

Btw, if you are unsure about a move, try searching for it on Youtube
Be assured that this list will grow even longer in future... ;-)

People have expressed the wish for more dancing opportunities, so we are planning to have a bit of outdoor social dancing (on a town square, or in a parc) after the holiday, once the weather is warmer, either on an evening of a workday or afternoon on a weekend.Remember to check out the blog regularly on news on this subject. A swing party is in the pipeline as well in a couple of months...

See you all back on the dance floor on the 21st of April! Btw, this is not a April's fool day joke, even though it's published on April 1! ;-))

Frankie Manning week

2009-03-12T14:12:00.008+01:00

Imagine a young man in the 1930s going to the legendary Harlem’s Savoy Ballroom in New York City, he sees all those dancers and decides to join in and swing along, eventually becoming an elite dancer there, inventing new steps and moves (aerials) and shaping the dance as it goes on, becoming one of the members of the professional dancers group Whitey's Lindy Hoppers.This man is still alive and kicking today and this year Frankie Manning, one of the pioneers of Lindy Hop will celebrate his 95th birthday. His official birthday party will be in New York in May but in order to give Lindy Hoppers worldwide the opportunity to participate in the celebrations, Frankie Manning week starts today, lasting until 22nd of March. Also check out this choreography!

Resources on the net

2009-03-04T11:51:00.014+01:00

For those who are eager to learn more in between the lessons, there is help! ;-)
There are lots of resources for Lindy hop on the net. For instance on youtube, if you want to have a look at some of the moves we have done in the lesson so far, check out following videos of the swing out, circle or Charleston (or try this one). Among many other videos of course...

As Ieva suggested, there are different versions of the shim sham out there, so check out several videos to get an idea of it.

There are lots of other clips of shows, competitions and social dancing. So just try to search and you’ll find more material than you’ll ever be able to watch. (Try search words such as Lindy hop, Herrang, Jack & Jill, Frankie Manning, Leon James, Norma Miller, Sakarias & Frida, etc…)

On wikipedia there is a lot about the history of Swing dance, swing music and Lindy hop:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swing_(dance)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swing_music
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lindy_hop
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Lindy_Hop

Obviously reading and watching videos alone will not make you a better dancer (but it helps), so we look forward to see you again on the dance floor! We got lots of new steps, rhythms and routines waiting for you!

P.S. Don’t forget to scroll down to the bottom of the page to activate and listen to the Jukebox. These are some typical swing songs. Feel free to email us if you have other songs in mind you’d like to have added.

Swinging out

2009-02-26T11:20:00.008+01:00

A swing-out. There are many ways of doing and here is what Frankie Manning - the man who saw how lindy hop was born and contributed a lot to its development - said about it in his book.

'Many of the other dancers developed specialties to distinguish themselves and wow the crowd. As Dawn Hampton, my good friend and one of my favourite dance partners today, likes to point out, “All of the Lindy hoppers at the Savoy had their own individual style. It’s not like everyone was going to class and learning someone else’s way of dancing.” A lot of the girls came up with their own way of swinging out. Some would back away from their partner; others would go out facing away from him, then flip around – whatever fir their fancy. No one ever told them they weren’t doing the Lindy just because their swing-out was different.

Joyce and Joe Daniels developed a swing-out that became known as "the submarine." He’d bend down so low that his left arm was coming up from the floor as he pushed her so forcibly that she’d shoot out. It was almost like what we call the whip today. We’d say, “Man you submarining that girl!"'
Extract from: Frankie Manning: Ambassador of Lindy Hop. Frankie Manning, Cynthia R. Millman. Temple University Press, 2007. p. 169

The Shim Sham

2009-02-25T12:06:00.010+01:00

The Shim Sham Shimmy or Shim Sham originally is a particular tap dance routine. It is the Lindy Line Dance and there are at least five separate versions of it. However, the point of Shim Sham is getting together and any way you do it is just fine. When a group of people do the Shim Sham (especially a group of people from different cities), their steps will be largely similar with some variation and even some improvisation. Among the alternative choreographies of Shim Sham one is developed by Frankie Manning, another by Al Minns and Leon James (also called the "Savoy Shim Sham"), and a third by Dean Collins.

The Original Lindy Hoppers at the Savoy Ballroom had a considerable background in Tap and jazz dance. They used to warm up for dancing by doing traditional jazz and tap steps. Eventually, their warm-up became standardized and a group of them could be found on the floor warming up as the band was tuning up.

The Shim Sham was originated by Leonard Reed and Willie Bryant in Harlem in 1927 and has been a favorite of tap dancers and other entertainers every since. Frankie Manning has introduced it to swing dancers. It is undisputed that the Lindy revival of the late 1980s also brought back Shim Sham and no evening of swing dancing is complete without the Shim Sham.

Today in the Lindy Hop scene, when the Shim Sham is over , dancers typically grab a partner and break into lindy hop for the remainder of the song. During this portion of the song, the band or a DJ may call out "Freeze!" or "Slow!" instructing the dancers to either stop where they are or dance slowly, calling out "Dance!" to tell everyone to resumes normal dancing.

Lindy Hop workshops near Luxembourg and in Lithuania

2009-02-19T14:48:00.006+01:00

The weekend 27/02-01/03 there will be an international lindy hop workshop Swingin'In The Rain in Liège with top teachers, classes in Lindy Hop, Charleston and Jazz Roots, and of course great parties! More information and registration here: http://www.swinginintherain.org/.

On 14/15 March don't miss the workshop in Orléans (France) with classes in Lindy Hop, Blues and West Coast Swing. You can find the flyers of the workshop during our classes from one of the dancers or check their website: http://feuswing.blogspot.com/2008/10/rserver-ds-maintenant-votre-week-end-du.html.

And last but not least, if you want to visit Lithuania and dance some Lindy Hop there, here is your chance! On 19-22 March there will be an international lindy workshop in Vilnius. It's already the third festival organised by the Lithuanian lindy hoppers. And since I am one of them, I can assure you it's always lots of fun:) If you are interested in going there, you can always ask me for advice about the best ways to go to Lithuania and more information about the festival can be found here: http://harlem.lt/index.php?language=en

Keep on swinging!

Lindy Hop is taking off in Luxembourg

2009-02-17T23:11:00.017+01:00

This week's class was a great success, with more people attending than we'd ever expected... It seems that Lindy Hop is taking off in Luxembourg!
The next class we'll continue with some more shim sham and learn some charleston!
Please note that from this week Tango pratica takes place after our class (at 20.30). So our lesson and social dancing will have to stop shortly before.
We'd appreciate as well if people could help us arranging the tables and chairs in the dance hall (put them away before the lesson and back after the lesson).
See you all back on the dance floor! :-)

Lindy has started again!

2009-02-10T23:16:00.004+01:00

The first lesson was a lot of fun, thanks to everyone who participated!
Next week we'll revise what we did (so everyone who couldn't make it the first time is still very welcome to join in) and most importantly we'll also learn the swingout, which is the most typical move for lindy hop, so don't miss it! ;-)

New start

2009-02-02T19:26:00.003+01:00

After making a good start in December and making a break during January we restart lindy hopping on 10th February. Since we expect new people to join us and since we made this long break, we will start from the very basics, that is from the triple step:) As it's a couple dance, we especially expect more men to join but, even if you are without a partner it's not a problem, since we always rotate.
So put your dancing shoes on and let's swing out!:)

Lindyhop workshop in Brussels

2009-01-12T19:49:00.004+01:00

On the 31/01-01/02 there will be a lindyhop workshop in Brussels with two teachers from France. Since it is very close to Luxembourg, why not go there?:) All the information can be found here http://www.apolloswing.be/.

Ieva

2009-01-06T22:01:00.004+01:00

As we've got a pretty busy schedule in January (intensive tango course), we've decided to postpone the next swing meeting to early February (see the sidebar on the left) . In case you get bored until then, why not check out one of the links on the side and visit one of the many international swing festivals... ;-)
See you soon on the dancefloor!

2009-01-04T18:52:00.007+01:00

Happy New Year!

Finally the Xmas break is over and it's time to dance swing again! (for the date and time see the sidebar)

If you're on facebook, feel free to join our group "Swing dance in Luxembourg" (see link on the sidebar)

Feel free to email us in case you wanna join or if you have comments or questions.

People from all levels but especially beginners welcome! See you on the dancefloor! :-)

2008-12-17T21:09:00.003+01:00

We would like to thank everybody who joined our first classes of lindy hop in Luxembourg! It was lots of fun and we do hope that you will come again next year. Also, those who are wondering what is this swing dance all about, those who have always dreamed of learning to dance to swing music or those who are simply looking for a nice way to spend an evening - come along! So far we haven't set the exact day when we restart but it will be again on Tuesday evenings. We have many new steps of lindy hop and jazz routines ready to show to you so that you can soon go and swing out on a dance floor!:) In this spirit, we wish you Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Laura and Mike [social lindy hop]

2008-12-09T22:50:00.002+01:00

2008-12-03T10:22:00.022+01:00

Luxembourg has finally entered the Swing era!

The first Lindy hop lesson took part yesterday, and Ieva and I would like to thank all the girls who participated in it! Of course it would have been even more fun if there had been any men as well, so here's a very strong invitation to all future-swing-dancing men out there to come along! All girls are of course more than welcome as well!

The next free class is already scheduled:
Tuesday, 9th of December,
Brasserie de l'Arret (Cafe El Cubano),
365 Route de Longwy, Luxembourg-Merl.

This time it will be from 18.45 to 20h, with a bit of social dancing until 20.30 (until the Tango practica starts). Since we expect more total beginners to come, we will show the basics with a little reminder of what we learnt the previous class and go on with some new moves. So, everybody is very welcome!:)

2008-11-15T12:30:00.018+01:00

Come and Dance Swing!
(Lindy Hop, Balboa, …)

When and Where ?

Tuesday 2nd of December, 18.30-20.30, at Brasserie de l’Arrêt, 365 route de Longwy, L-1941 LUXEMBOURG

With free introduction for beginners and social dancing for everyone else.

The aim is to promote Swing Dancing in Luxembourg, eventually leading to creating a non-profit association (organizing classes and parties)

If enough people are interested this will become a weekly event, so feel free to invite and bring along your friends as well.

Afterwards from 20.30 until midnight there is the weekly Tango practica for those interested in Argentine Tango.

For more info on Swing dancing check out:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swing_dancing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lindy_hop

Lindy Hop Showdown

2008-11-15T08:27:00.002+01:00

Wow, very nice...

Time has come to dance swing in Luxembourg!!

2008-11-12T13:08:00.000+01:00

Welcome to Luxembourg's first weblog about Swing dancing!
Any events and other information on swing will be published here soon.
Feel free to drop a comment for suggestions or questions.