Your local Lindy Hop scene - Uses real Swing music or other?

[Platypus]

vintagefreak, you have fun sets and when you are on, I KNOW that I will be getting the real swing deal.

We ARE having a blues/fusion growth in the area. We are now split almost half-half between the number of venues that prefer all swing vs. fusion. The organizers who have developed the newest monthly dances are into fusion. Most of the newbie DJs showing up on the scene seem to be interested in fusion. The boundaries of what is dancable is being pushed. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

Just got the urge to go put together an old skool set...

[Eyeball]

This fusion you both describe sounds awful. How did it get a toe hold down there?

[Platypus]

With a growing blues dancing scene in Texas and some people moving here from other states, there was growing interest for something different. A local dancer wanted to have a weekend where she could do all of the styles of dance she enjoys, including swing, tango, and blues. People liked it. Kicked off a "fusion" movement here. There is experimentation and the fusion venues are continuing to refine what kind of mix they want.

[Eyeball]

With a growing blues dancing scene in Texas and some people moving here from other states, there was growing interest for something different. A local dancer wanted to have a weekend where she could do all of the styles of dance she enjoys, including swing, tango, and blues. People liked it. Kicked off a "fusion" movement here. There is experimentation and the fusion venues are continuing to refine what kind of mix they want.

So is your Swing dance scene gone now replaced by a jumble type of thing?

[Haydn]

With a growing blues dancing scene in Texas and some people moving here from other states, there was growing interest for something different. A local dancer wanted to have a weekend where she could do all of the styles of dance she enjoys, including swing, tango, and blues. People liked it. Kicked off a "fusion" movement here. There is experimentation and the fusion venues are continuing to refine what kind of mix they want.

It sounds fun

[Toon Town Dave]

With a growing blues dancing scene in Texas and some people moving here from other states, there was growing interest for something different.

Quick tangential question, does the blues dancing scene dance to Blues music or simply slow music?

[Platypus]

There are still strong swing-focused instuctors, organizers, events, and DJs in town who are working to keep the swing in swing dance.

Fusion is an offshoot. Don't y'all have blues dancing, bal, or other offshoots of the swing scene in your area? Some of the Dallas dancers even holds a soul music weekend once a year.

Blues dancing: mostly blues, but some other stuff thrown in. Mostly slow, but not always. The best bet is to check out some blues dancing websites to see what some of the DJs are posting.

[Eyeball]

There are still strong swing-focused instructors, organizers, events, and DJs in town who are working to keep the swing in swing dance.

How are they doing? The way you've phrased it makes it seem like they have a battle on their hands.

[vintagefreak]

Oh my I go away for a week and the topic explodes. Plat. I know that my sets are what they are and certain people love them but I still feel that the majority of dancers don't want to hear them.

I have always felt like the odd fish here. Sheez we turned to western swing and cajun to get any Balboa practice.

I really don't mind people experimenting and turning to other forms of music to get people dancing. I get excited when a venue can be wall to wall with dancers. But what I wish is for more swing music while I am swing dancing. I know good blues venues if I feel the need for some blues.

I support all venues but If I sit down for more than 5 songs without hearing something with a true swing beat it is not worth me even making the effort to come out.

Certain Djs I avoid because I know I will hear only one swing song all night. That's cool but do we really need 3 venues playing the same things.

The new venue that wanted more fusion has a girl that feels the way I do and will whisper in the ear of the owners. Last night there was an awesome band and the DJ played an acceptable mix so we will keep our eyes and ears open.

[fredo]

hey Holly! Glad to hear you're DJing! I wish I could hear your sets.

I felt very much the way you do when I lived down there, though I think when I was there the fusion hadn't gotten as big yet. There ARE people that want to hear majority-swing music down there, but there numbers are hard to count when they don't always show up.

Anyway, keep playing what you play, and I recommend traveling for more dances with music that you love. Of course that's easy to say though. You might also consider having smaller dance parties/house parties somewhere with some hardwoods and that way you can play the music you want to play, and the people that desire that will show up and have a great time.

take care!

-freddie

[vintagefreak]

Hey there!!!!! Yeah we try to get out but of course money is key. But I am looking forward to seeing Nick and Sylvia in Feb. San Antonio here I come!


What I really want is to start a small balboa group down here. Hopefully I can get organized soon.

[djstarr]

73.8% real Swing

Haha. You're sure?

Well no one would be sure until you visited and made your personal assessment of the situation and self certified it of course.

given that I certify Trev's statement and claim the rest of the 26.2% is comprised of Wynonie Harris. lol. Sincerely though the Djs I heard at MLX were great and most of the music swung hard. And I've got several new songs now I have to chase after.

[djstarr]

As for Seattle and swing music, I'd say things are pretty swingin' up here. Most dances have music from the 30s and 40s, with certain DJs throwing in more 20s and 50s than others. There is also plenty of recordings from the 80s to the present (trad jazz and swing) being played as well.

Adding a couple of more comments based on where the thread went - as far as live music I think Seattle does a pretty good job, even though we are stuck in the NW corner - we have live music once a month on average and for big events we always feature live music. We're fortunate to have Solomon Douglas back here and another swing dancer who is a musician/composer who has started putting together both small and big groups and coming up with lots of new arrangments - his name is Glenn Crytzer and I was very impressed with his big band that played here last Sunday.

As far as fusion, Seattle is large enough with enough dancers that the salsa/tango/blues/swing dancers tend to stay within themselves although plenty of people participate actively in more than one scene. Portland is the home of fusion in the NW. I'm happy with this since I think fusion events all the time are a little confusing and perhaps diluting. Our blues scene is growing and we have enough specific blues dances now that the lindy hop dances are refocused to featuring swing music.

And we had a DJ battle a month or so ago, Falty won, playing nothing but music recorded after 1980. And it all swung hard. So it doesn't have to be from the 30's or 40's to swing.

Oh and NT Basie swings. Just in a slightly different way.

[Eyeball]

And we had a DJ battle a month or so ago, Falty won, playing nothing but music recorded after 1980. And it all swung hard. So it doesn't have to be from the 30's or 40's to swing.

So if he didn't play Swing, what did he play?

[fredo]

He played recordings from contemporary swing/jazz bands playing traditional swing/jazz songs. I can ask him later and post the band names.