Solomon and Rebecca 2001

The Queen's Swing Club is proud to present Solomon Douglas and Rebecca Kelm from Cleveland, Ohio for a weekend of non-stop dancing.

Here's your chance to give your Lindy Hop skills a huge boost. You'll learn more about connecting with your partner and using the music to make your dancing come alive.

You'll also be exposed to Balboa, a closed-position dance done to the fast, driving swing music of the 1930s.

From Out of Town? Billeting Information

Here at Queen's, just about everybody's from out of town. If you need a place to stay in Kingston we'll set you up. Please contact Laura Stewart as soon as possible if you want to stay with us.

Swing Club members, here's your chance to get to know all sorts of dancers from out of town! If you have some spare room and wouldn't mind shacking up a fellow dancer or two, please contact Laura immediately.

Photos can be found in the Solomon and Rebecca photo album.

This page summarizes what Rebecca and Solomon taught on Decemebr 1-2, 2001, in Kingston. Thank you to Solomon Douglas for providing these notes.

Lindy Hop 1: Beginning Lindy Hop

We taught the 8-count closed basic (also known as the lindy circle from closed), the double underarm tuck-turn from closed, and the lindy circle from open.

Blues

We worked on different kinds of fishtails (without a parter). Leading and following, partly in open position, partly in a spacious sort of closed position (his wrists on her shoulder blades), and partly in a very snug closed position (similar to balboa, but possibly with his left hand agaist his left hip): weight changes, fishtails, travelling forwards and backwards, turning clockwise, and crossing through.

Lindy Hop 2: Moving On

We worked on the connection issues surrounding the skip-up, and taught a new, syncopated ending for the skip-up. We spent some time listening to a fairly tricky 12-bar blues (I think it was "Peppermint Pipes"), discussed the phrasing, etc. Then we danced this sequence of six 8-counts: 1. closed basic; 2. double tuck turn; 3. lindy circle; 4. basic skip-up; 5. skip-up with Rebecca's syncopation; 6. break.

Big Apple

The Ithaca-style Big Apple, originally choreographed by Frankie Manning, usually danced to Lionel Hampton's "Flying Home" or Joe Salzano's version of that song: 20 counts of eight:

The sequence repeats over and over again until the end of the song. Note that there are a couple spots where the choreography changes in response to the music: First, at one point in the song, there is an extra 8-count of music (it's a vibraphone fill in the original version). The next time we get to the spank-the-baby, do it for an extra eight beats so that the jump-charlestons start on the phrase. Secondly, on two occasions near the end of the song, during the bridge, the music will hit a climax that tells you to "run and jump". Afterwards, we go straight to the jump charlestons, regardless of where we had been in the sequence.

Balboa

We taught the basic, travelling forwards, travelling backwards, and the come-around. Please note that we (Rebecca and Solomon) do not consider ourselves to be experts in Balboa as we are in Lindy Hop. We are delighted to have had the chance to introduce it to Kingston! But we urge you to go seek out Sylvia Sykes or Val and Joel for further study. Sylvia will be teaching in Toronto on January 19-20, in Columbus on February 8-10 (nine hours from Kingston), in Montreal on March 22-24, and soon in Cleveland (seven hours from Kingston).

Lindy Hop 3: Fundamentals Intensive

We spent 75 minutes working on the swingout from open. What bliss!

Bal-Swing

We taught the kicks in and out (also known as Lolly kicks), with inside turns, and ending with an inside turn followed by a come-around.

Lindy Hop 4: Intermediate-Advanced

We taught the following sequence, danced to Under Paris Skies (137bpm), from the album "The Band That Swings" by Ernie Krivda & the Fat Tuesday Big Band. During the intro (four 8-counts), improvise bluesy stuff in closed position. First phrase: swingout from closed (follower shines), swingout from open (leader shines), six-count into closed (ending in "skater's hold" with his right wrist on her right shoulder; 4-count change sides; 4-count change back again; rock-step. Second phrase: twist forwards for four counts, send her out into a rock-step with a she-goes, he-goes (ending with her behind his back); six-count tuck-turn from open; lindy circle; finish up with some improvised syncopation in closed position.

Solomon Douglas

Solomon Douglas, a native Torontonian, has been dancing and teaching Lindy Hop for the past three years. His specialties include Savoy and new-school Lindy Hop, Balboa, Charleston, and Blues. With his long-time partner Alana Hock, he has taught weekly in Toronto along with weekend workshops throughout southern Ontario. He is also a jazz pianist, who leads the duo Corner Pocket (very popular among lindy hoppers). He now lives in Cleveland, Ohio, where he trains and teaches with his partner Rebecca Kelm. In June, 2001 they taught a weekend workshop in Calgary, Alberta, and currently teach weekly classes in the Cleveland/Akron region of Ohio.

Rebecca Kelm

Rebecca has been dancing for the past sixteen years. She has trained in tap, modern, ballet, jazz, and hip hop, but in 1998 she found her true obsession in swing dance. Since then, with a base of Savoy style Lindy Hop, she has tackled Hollywood style, Dean Collins style, Collegiate Shag, and Balboa, among others. She currently lives in Cleveland, Ohio, where she is finishing her bachelor's studies in Graphic Design, with a minor in dance; her bachelor's thesis is on the topic of swing dance.

Please note that all classes will be held in the MacLaughlin Room, JDUC.

Lindy Hop 1: Beginning Lindy Hop

This will be an introduction to Lindy Hop if you've never done it before, or a useful review if you have.

Blues

What do you do when the music is too slow for swingouts? This class will cover the basics of connection and movement for slow Blues dancing.

Lindy Hop 2: Moving On

Building on the basics, this class will introduce some more advanced lead-follow and movement for lindy hop.

Big Apple

The Big Apple is a high-energy group jazz dance that's even older than Lindy Hop itself. We'll teach the Ithaca-style Big Apple, originally choreographed by Frankie Manning.

Balboa

Balboa is a style of swing dance done exclusively in closed position, which evolved gradually out of couples Charleston in the 1920s when the ballrooms of southern California became more and more crowded. It can be danced at any tempo, and is especially well-suited to fast music.

Lindy Hop 3: Fundamentals Intensive

This class is only open to seasoned lindy hoppers! We'll tear apart the basics into tiny pieces and then put the pieces back together again. When we're finished, you'll have a better understanding of movement and lead-follow, and you'll be a better dancer.

Bal-Swing

Bal-Swing was developed by Maxie Dorf and others when they started adding breakaways to Balboa in the late 1930s. In this class, we'll introduce some of these breakaway steps.

Lindy Hop 4: Intermediate-Advanced

Not for the faint of heart, this challenging class will build on everything else we've done, and focus on musicality and styling.

Friday Night

Last Swing at Wallace Hall until 2002: Laura vs. Dave at the decks

Wallace Hall, JDUC, Queen's University
9:00pm-12:00am
Free for workshop registrants, $2 otherwise

Come join us and experience the last Wallace Hall swing dance of the year!We'll be spinning from 9:00pm until midnight! Laura and Dave will be vying for swing DJ mastery and you will be the judge!

Admission for this special Friday Night dance is free for workshop registrants, and $2 for non-registrants. You will also be able to pick up your workshop package here rather than waiting in line Saturday morning.

Afterparty

Stay tuned (hit Refresh on your browser) for news on the Queen's Swing Club Official Afterparty after the dance.We guarantee a crazy time!

Saturday Night

Swing with the Wildest Men of Jazz: The Spencer Evans Quintet

Dunn's Famous Deli (upstairs)
9:30pm-3:00am (Band plays 10:00pm-1:00am)
$6 for workshop registrants, $8 otherwise
Tickets for non-registrants available at the door or at the UBS Exchange, JDUC, Queen's University

For an night to remember, join us for a very special night of swing dancing. The multi-instrumental Spencer Evans has wowed the jazz community with his ever-changing musical styles and his incredible talent. Always engaging, his music pushes swing to its limits and will stimulate even the most jaded dancer to hit new musical territory.

We'll also hold the much anticipated QSC Jack and Jill dance contest and there will be many door prizes to be won!

After the band plays their finale (with an encore or two!) we will switch the decks up yet again and hit the late night groove until 3:00am. You'll be as hungry as our web manager so we'll have Dunn's open the kitchen up just for you. California Club sandwich and fries? Make that two for me with a twist of lemon!

Legend

-WH = Wallace Hall
-MC = MacLaughlin Room
-DN = Dunn's Famous Deli (upstairs)
-TBA = To be announced
Prices shown are for registrants/non-registrants.

Queen's University

Wallace Hall, 1^st floor
Robert Sutherland/MacLaughlin Room, 2^nd floor
John Deutsch University Centre (JDUC), Queen's University

At the NE corner of Union Street and University Avenue
Kingston, ON
K7L 2V9
(613) 533-2794

More directions
View campus map (JDUC is #62)
View JDUC info

Dunn's Famous Deli

110 Princess Street,
Kingston, ON
K7L 1A7
(613) 531-3307

The workshop is now over. Registration has closed.

If you have any questions about the workshop or billeting, please contact our Vice-President, Laura Stewart.

If you have a question (or problem) about the website, please contact our web manager, Dave Tran.

Please refer to the main contact list if you wish to speak to the other members of the Queen's Swing Club executive.