Sun 27 Oct: Brilliant Balboa – Introductory workshop w Mandy & Ian

Nottingham Lindy Hop are very excited to host a Brilliant Balboa – Introduction to Balboa afternoon workshop with the wonderful Mandy & Ian from Balboa Connection.

Explore this beautiful connected swing dance through foundational Pure-Bal and Bal-Swing rhythms and techniques that will have you social dancing basic patterns by the end of the session.

No experience or partner required. Dancers will rotate so all leads will dance with all follows.

Note: More experienced dancers can use the practice time to dust off their skills when in a rotation with appropriate partners.

BOOK NOW: https://nottinghamlindyhop.dancecloud.com/dance/36614

💛 2.15pm – Doors open, check in

💛 2.30 – 5.30pm – Class time with breaks and guided practice with Mandy & Ian

About the dance: Balboa is a wonderful partnered, connected, often rotational, swing dance. It uses a relaxed close hold connection as well as some more open positions, using smooth, shuffling, sliding, and swinging footwork patterns to enable us to dance smoothly to very quick tempos but can also be enjoyed at slower tempos too. Some of the techniques and moves in Balboa can also be incorporated into Lindy Hop dance or danced solo in Jazz freestyle. Dancing Balboa is a joy in itself, with a long history and culture to discover, but will also teach you more about getting comfortable with connection and relaxed rhythmical footwork.

Video examples: I’ve put a short playlist together of some Balboa dance examples on our You Tube page – Inspiration: Balboa dance

Teachers: Mandy and Ian have taught Balboa in Nottingham and Leicester for many years and are very experienced, kind and gentle Balboa teachers so you will be in safe hands while having a lot of fun along the way too. Our Lisa will also be around to help things run smoothly through the afternoon. 

Venue: St Christopher’s Church Hall, Trent Road, Sneinton, Nottingham (separate building to side of/behind the church).

Breaks: Simple refreshments are provided during breaks throughout the session. 

Travel: There is free on street parking around the venue with some, limited spaces inside the gates. The venue is also close to bus routes from the city centre and we can keep bicycles safe inside if you wish to cycle or scoot.

Clothing: Wear comfortable clothing, tops should cover the back, shoulders and chest. Layers are good that you can adjust depending on how warm you get but avoid tags/tassel/hooks etc that could get caught up. 

Footwear: should be comfortable with a slippy (not grippy) sole. Note you can temporarily adapt grippy soles with duct tape or dance socks if you don’t have anything that slides easily. Lisa can help you with this if you ask her. Follower dancers may be more comfortable in a slight vintage style heel or wedge (this should NOT be a narrow, spiky stiletto type heel however).

BOOK NOW: We’re trialling online booking for this event so please get your tickets in advance at the link below:

https://nottinghamlindyhop.dancecloud.com/dance/36614

Future: I’m hoping that if this event is successful we can build on this workshop to bring Balboa classes back to Nottingham so if you’ve not tried it before, this is the perfect time to give it a whirl, if you have then I hope you’d like to refresh your skills and join us in building a Balboa community here again. So please come along and support us if you’re able.

Love to you all, Lisa xx

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October classes are back :-)

Hi guys.

I’m back with classes today and I’m really looking forward to seeing you all but I did want to warn you that I still have a bit of a cold so if you’re feeling like you want to stay away from that, I completely understand. It is however cold and flu season so as always there will be antibacterial gel available and regular handwashing is encouraged. Mask wearing is optional.

Also, unfortunately, the main heating is down at the hall (classic old boiler start of autumn/winter scenario). We’ll have heaters in the side rooms to keep you toasty when sat in there but you may want to wear some layers for class until you warm up through the dancing. Which you will do pretty quickly 🙂

Anyway, I’m looking forward to getting out and moving again so I hope to see at least a few of you later!

Lisa x

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Monday 7 Oct – Jazz class cancelled too :-(

Very sorry folks but due to continued ill health (this cold is kicking my b*tt) and ongoing roofing issues Jazz class on Monday 7 October is sadly cancelled.

It was probably very optimistic of me to think I could do the class but I do hate to cancel them. Big apologies for the late notice in making the call.

🤧🤒😢

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Sunday 6 October – classes cancelled :-(

Hello!

I’m very sorry folks but I’m having to cancel our Lindy Hop classes on Sunday 6 Oct due to the double whammy of 1) a hideous cold that’s knocked me for six (that I obvs do not want to share with you all) and 2) a leaking roof and subsequent soggy home which needs whatever energy I have left to sort out.

I’ll let you know about Monday Jazz class later tomorrow.

Hoping to be back raring to go next weekend.

Lisa xx

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SEPT 24 – Class dates plus Learn the Swing Stroll (& Oct Balboa heads up)

Why not join us and learn to dance this September?

🌟 Lindy Hop on Sundays 1, 8, 15 September
5pm – Level 1 – suitable for beginners (who start in wk1) and improvers
6pm – Practice and Social for all
6.30pm – Level 2 – suitable for Improvers to Intermediates

🌟 Solo Jazz/ Charleston on Mondays 2 & 16 September
8pm – All levels

In our first class on 2 September we’ll be learning the Swing Stroll as choreographed by Ryan Francois and dances to My Baby Just Cares For Me by Nina Simone.

All welcome regardless of experience.

See video here:

https://youtu.be/LnUpyAcp5Rk?si=DAP-PszfRy1Lhmsm

Ryan Francois – Stroll : My Baby Just Cares For Me – Snowball 2013

For all our classes:

Refreshments provided
Free on street parking with some spaces inside gates
ÂŁ7 per person per class
ÂŁ12 per person for both Lindy Hop classes per person on the same Sunday

—————-//////—————-

📣 SAVE THE DATE – Sunday 27 October – BALBOA WORKSHOP 📣

Finally, I’m very happy to be able to confirm that we’re going to be bringing a lovely bit of Brilliant Balboa back to Nottingham. We’re going to be kicking off with An Introduction to Balboa workshop with Mandy & Ian on Sunday 27 October. More details to follow but for now – save the date!

CalBal Classic 2023 – Open Classic Finals – Alice & Blake

https://youtu.be/_ncACnpGxRw?si=zq9n7Y4XlRlRa1xC

Venice Beach Swing Dancers (“LA Swing” / Bal-Swing / Shag) (September, 1938)

https://youtu.be/4uEbgpvxjfY?si=nUp6ARtuzh5rshM4

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NLH – Love not Hate

The escalating rioting, and increased verbal, and physical racist violence that we are seeing and many are experiencing first hand across the country and closer to home right now is truly horrific and sickening and truly frightening.

I hope this is something all of you all already understand, but I want to reiterate it today: hatred, bigotry, intolerance, prejudice of any kind has no place at Nottm Lindy Hop (& Jazz, Charleston, Balboa) and will not be tolerated at any of our classes or events or on our social pages or anywhere that we have presence and influence.

Everyone is welcome here and we treat each other with kindness, warmth and respect.

Lindy Hop, Jazz, Swing, all the things we love were created by Black Americans during a period of mass migration, leading to the Harlem Renaissance. Jazz is a melting pot of rhythm and influences from across the African diaspora. It has always sought to build bridges between people and provide a place of expression to relieve pain, give solace, lift up and empower the oppressed and celebrate life. Christians, Muslims, Jews, humanists, people of diverse ethnic, cultures, and countries of origin, genders and sexual orientation, have all made their mark on this art form over the years and continue to influence it today. Is the scene perfect, no, is it working hard to do and be better, absolutely.

What is Lindy Hop?What is Solo Jazz?

Nottm Lindy Hop’s mission is to be a safe, welcoming and supportive place, to have fun, meet friends, and learn to dance and appreciate swing and jazz music and dance and culture for all people – the heart is part of our logo for a reason – and, in partnership with all who have joined our community over the years, I believe we have been relatively successful at ensuring that is the case to date.

I am not perfect however, none of us are, and despite my many years of experience, I am actively continuing to learn and understand more every day about our modern and historic swing culture and community and the changing world around us, uncover my blind spots and unconscious biases, and adapt and change accordingly.

Please come and talk to me, or send me a message, or even ask a friend to speak on your behalf, if you have any concerns to raise at anytime and I will address them together with you or your nominee (that includes anything I may be doing or saying too). I want you to be and feel safe and happy. Tell me if you don’t. I want Nottm Lindy Hop to keep getting better for everyone, help me continue to do that as best I can.

Let’s Dance!

So, as dancing, in my opinion, really is the best way to (in the words of one of many favourite swing songs) ‘leave your worries on the doormat’ even if just for a little while, come join us and celebrate the best of being human and what collaboration and joy can achieve.

Please all continue to come to our classes and events with openness in your heart and a willingness to keep learning and growing and we will all be better for it.

Much love, always

Lisa xx

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AUG 24 – Classes continue through the Summer â˜€ď¸

Even with several of us away on holidays or down with illness or injury we still managed to have quite a bit of fun through July…


Thanks especially to everyone who came out to the social dance at month end and helped me celebrate my birthday (and held the ladder so that I didn’t kill myself getting the bunting down 😂). I’ve also been able to make a £50 donation to the Trussell Trust so thanks again for supporting the event.

Anyway, we’ve decided to continue the fun and keep classes running through August for those of you still around.

Classes for Lindy Hop get underway this Sunday 4 August for three weeks (so also Sundays 11 & 18 Aug) and then we have two Mondays, 5 & 19 August, for Solo Jazz/Charleston.

More details at the event links below or on our classes and diary pages

https://facebook.com/events/s/nlh-aug24-sunday-lindy-hop-cla/1593738221486786/

https://facebook.com/events/s/nlh-5aug24-monday-solo-jazz-ch/811214861203763/

https://facebook.com/events/s/nlh-19aug24-monday-solo-jazz-c/3824001221254198/

Looking forward to seeing you all there

Lisa xx

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JULY24 – Class dates and Summer Social

Hi everyone!

This is a brief note just to say that our class dates for July are confirmed. See our classes info page for more detailed information on times, levels and cost.

Solo Jazz and Charleston

Mondays 1 and 15 July

Lindy Hop

Sundays 7 and 14 July

Summer Social (and Lisa’s Birthday)

Sunday 28 July

More details on the social to follow. For now save the date!

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JUN24: Lindy Hop and Jazz classes back to usual (mostly)

Hi everyone

After a very fun social dancing weekend for many of you in Sheffield and Leicester for World Lindy Hop day last week; I’m happy to confirm our class dates for June. Yay!

Sunday Lindy Hop

Classes start this weekend for 3 weeks on Sunday 2 June for Lindy Hop.

Level 1 from 5pm; Practice from 6pm; Level 2 from 6.30pm.

ÂŁ7 per person per class/ ÂŁ12 for both on same day.

Future class dates for rest of block Sunday 9 and 16 June.

Monday Solo Jazz/ Charleston

Jazz class dates are slightly different again this month with 2 classes back to back due to a mix up with my availability. Apologies to those expecting classes on first and third Mondays, but rather than completely cancel I’ve squeezed the second class into week two instead. I hope you can all still join us.

Monday 3 and 10 June.

All levels from 8pm.

ÂŁ7 per person.

All classes as usual at St Christopher’s Church Hall, Trent Road, Sneinton

🥰

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MAY24 – FRANKIE Month, WLHD – Shim Sham + Frankie99 routine + more

⭐️May24! Lots of fun and something a little different at our two weeks of classes squeezed between the bank holidays as we celebrate Frankie (Manning) Month leading up to World Lindy Hop Day on 26 May.

⭐️Sundays (12th & 19th) have us learning the Shim Sham and the Frankie99 routine along with sharing some more history and interesting videos

⭐️And we’ll be getting back to rhythm and freestyle in our Monday Jazz classes (on 13th & 20th).

⭐️Then at the end of the month we’re encouraging you to hit the road and support our neighbouring scenes in Sheffield and Leicester as they both host social dances on different days on the WLHD weekend! It’s going to be fun! Come join us!!

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