Past workshops
Join the Global Trickeration Project with Saigon Swing Cats
Sign up NOW for this trending solo jazz routine workshop organized to commemorate the late Norma Miller, the Queen Of Swing in this global Trickeration project to share it to many jazz dancers around the world and raise fund to help pay for Norma's headstone and grave site maintenance.
This Sunday 27th October we invite all who have learned the routine to join in the 2nd studio run and get ready with your colorful Saigon 1960's outfits to make the Saigon Trickeration video. This will be the music (Jive At Five by Count Basie) used.
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The 3-hour workshop took place Sunday 20th of October from 10AM - 1PM at GS Dance Studio (129 Đinh Tiên Hoàng, Bình Thạnh District).
Saigon Swing Cats covered the studio cost and teaching fees with our fund. All proceeds will be donated to the Frankie Manning Foundation collectively as Saigon Swing Cats. Update from the donation will be shared on this website and FB page of Saigon Swing Cats.
⚫ When: Sunday October the 27th, 2019 from 9AM - 11AM
⚫ Where: Thư Viện Quận Bình Thạnh at 140 Đinh Tiên Hoàng, Bình Thạnh
⚫ For Whom: All who have learned and practiced the routine enough since our workshop on Otober 20th, 2019
⚫ We are still accepting any donation to help pay for Norma's resting place in Woodlawn Cemetery’s famous Jazz Corner that will be transferred to Frankie Manning Foundation collectively as Saigon Swing Cats.
What to bring
Dress comfortably for the studio run. Bring your colorful Saigon 1960's outfits and accessories to change into for the VDO shoot.
Bring your own water bottle!
And your lovely self!
SIGN UP below!
About Norma's original Trickeration routine:
The Trickeration routine as it was taught by Norma Miller, an original member of Whitey's Lindy Hoppers from the Savoy Ballroom and acclaimed as the "Queen of Swing", is a routine that Norma "borrowed" from the chorus dancers at Harlem's Apollo theater probably around the mid 1930’s. The piece of the routine that Norma used and taught is only a part of a larger original routine that has been lost to time.Norma often used the routine, or pieces of the routine, similarly to the way tap dancers use the B.S. chorus. It served to fill in spaces in her choreography and as a go-to foundation for classic Jazz steps. Norma also used it as an audition piece for the Norma Miller dancers and as a piece intermixed with other Lindy and Jazz choreography she assembled over the years. About the Global Trickeration project:
This year 2019 at International Lindy Hop Championship (ILHC) we are calling on all Lindy Hoppers and Jazz dancers around the world to join in The Global Trickeration Project to honor the life and legacy of the one and only Queen of Swing, Norma Miller. Dancers from around the world can learn this routine and create a video of their community or scene performing it. The final edited video will be compiled and presented on Norma’s 100th birthday Dec. 2nd at The International Lindy Hop Championships in Washington D.C. as well as performed live by all in attendance who want to join! Saigon Swing Cats joins in the project by organizing this workshop whose all participants will be able to discuss details for the shooting of the routine performance to be processed and submitted to the ILHC by November 1, 2019.
Learn the original SAIGON SHIM SHAM
Save the date for August 18 to learn the Saigon Shim Sham with TrangK!
Sign up for this fun solo jazz routine workshop that takes place the Sunday 18th of August from 11AM - 12.30PM for Part 1 and 13.30 - 15.00 for Part 2 at GS Dance Studio at 129 Đinh Tiên Hoàng, Bình Thạnh District. It is an original routine from Saigon with many simple solo jazz steps to the great music by Gene Krupa Swing Band ft. Helen Ward: I'm Gonna Clap Your Hands.
⚫ When: Sunday 18-Aug from 11.00 - 15.30 including 1 hr break
⚫ Where: GS Dance studio at 129 Đinh Tiên Hoàng, Bình Thạnh
⚫ For Whom: Open level, it would help if you already can count to 8 and wear comfy sneakers and have no problems telling Right from Left
⚫ How Much : VND 300,000 per person to be paid in advance via bank transfer to VPBank account number 177576735 to UONG TU THUY
==> What to WEAR <==
Dress comfortably for physical movements. Please consider using anti-sweat deodorant, bringing extra shirts and/or towels for the comfort of yourself in contact with others! Read more on our Dance Etiquette
Best to wear your leather sole dance shoes, or comfy non-marking sole sneakers!
Registration is now OPEN (scroll down) on a 1st comes 1st served basis (with full non-refundable payment) until class max capacity of 25!
I’m gonna clap my hands, I’m gonna snap my fingers Struttin’ like a peacock, feelin’ like a millionaire I’m gonna stamp my feet, I’m gonna start to whistle Struttin’ like a peacock, feelin’ like a millionaire He said he loved me, oh what a great surprise You know I love him, you can tell it by my eyes I’m gonna clap my hands, I’m gonna snap my fingers Struttin’ like a peacock, feelin’ like a millionaire
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Do-BE the Tranky Do
Solo Jazz is a general term that can refer to anything from the pre-Cake Walk dances to post war era material linked with be-bop as well as rhythm 'n' blues music. In modern terminology, it often refers to dancing without a partner rather than dancing with a partner, and it comes without any influences of ballet or any other modern contemporary techniques. Also known as Vernacular Jazz, Authentic Jazz and Original Jazz, it can be danced free and improvised or in routines like the Big Apple in Keep Punchin, the Tranky Doo in Spirit Moves or the Shim Sham. (reference from Herrang.com)
Saigon Swing Cats opens a #solojazz workshop that is organized over 3 consecutive sessions of 2 hours duration (total 6 hours) so you can learn all the breakdowns (to the single beat) and time to self-practice to absorb the rhythms of many fun vernacular authentic jazz movements, put together as the pretty much hyped Tranky Doo routine. 🔎 Read more about its mysterious history here. NO PARTNERS NEEDED!
⭕ The goal is everyone who finishes the routine can join our group performance at our great party to celebrate Lindy Hop dance this coming May 25 at #sofitel.🤗
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When: 3 consecutive sessions
1️⃣ Session 1: 13.30 till 15.30 Saturday 18 May 2019.
2️⃣ Session 2: 13.30 till 15.30 Sunday 19 May 2019.
3️⃣ Session 3: 19.30 till 21.30 Monday 20 May 2019
Where: GS Dance Studio A @ 129 Dinh Tien Hoang, Binh Thanh (https://goo.gl/maps/cxV61BehahD2)
Instructor: Thanh Thanh
Been “swinging” for 3 years with the cats, Thanh Thanh Nguyen has brought lots of joy and groove to the dance floor with her contagious enthusiasm and freestyle street dancing background.
Improvised or choreographed, authentic jazz is rhythmical, playful and full of character – you just have to add a bit of your color to own it. “A good lindy hopper is a good vernacular jazz dancer.”
Thanh Thanh got the 1st place in the J&J competition and gave the wonderful Opening Performance of an originally created solo routine You Talk A Little Trash this January 2019 at Swing Into Spring weekend.
What to WEAR:
Dress comfortably for physical movements. Please consider using anti-sweat deodorant, bringing extra shirts and/or towels for the comfort of yourself in contact with others! Read more on our Dance Etiquette
Best to wear your leather sole dance shoes, or comfy non-marking sole sneakers like KEDS!
FEES:
Early Bird: VND 720,000 / pax if you pay by Bank Transfer to VPBank account number 177576735 or in Cash to UONG TU THUY at Wednesday Social at Chanh Bistro Calmette (171 Calmette, D.1) between 9pm - 10.30pm on Wednesday 15th May, 2019.
Full At Door: VND 900,000 / pax if you pay at the door via Bank Transfer or in Cash to UONG TU THUY at GS studio 13.30 on Saturday 18th May, 2019.
Sign up and complete payment NOW to get Early Bird ticket! RSVP on Facebook to get all instant updates too.
Lindy Hop Workout with James
We organize a special 8 hours of class which includes Lindy and Charleston with guest instructor James Lee (KL, Malaysia) and our own Trang Khanh over 2 weekends this June, 2019 with the goal to bring our Intermediate dancers on an intensive workout of Lindy Hop to solidify and pimp up their danceability esp. in faster swinging music. (like Sing Sing Sing by Benny Goodman or Jumping At The Woodside by Count Basie) 😂
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WHEN: 13.00 to 15.00 Saturday and Sunday Jun 1, 2, 8, 9
WHERE: GS Dance studio 129 Dinh Tien Hoang, Binh Thanh (https://goo.gl/maps/4juJ658yu9zcB9mz5)
WHAT:
how to connect better with not only your partner, but also to the music.
how to mix Charleston into fast Lindy and vice versa.
tricks to steal (partner) in dance jam circles with suave.
WHO CAN JOIN: all who are comfortable with swing out (prerequisite!)😎 and want to get more fun doing more tricks
HOW MUCH:
🐣Early Birds price at 1.4M per person or 2.6M per couple for Full workshop of 4 sessions until May 29.
🐤Full price at 1.7M per person or 3.2M per couple
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SPECIFIC PLAN:
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Session 1
Connecting better with your partner
Maintaining a frame when dancing
Musicality
Session 2
Swing outs & Styling
Matching your partner & breaks
Session 3
Charleston
Fast Lindy
Session 4
Charleston
Fast Lindy
Circle Jam steals & etiquette
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REGISTRATION LINK: https://forms.gle/t7V5jvD6xB7Wa1hP9
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About James:
James is from Borneo Island. Dancing has always been in his blood. Four years ago, he reconnected with Swing Dancing and fell in love with it. He has been actively involve in the Swing Dancing scene of Malaysia. While he is often seen dancing and competing (in places such as Asia and Australia) he helps document memories in swing through his love of photography.
COMPETITION
2017
JNJ, First place, Swing out loud, Malaysia
Finals, Big Bang Swing, Thailand
Finals, Australia Jitterbug Championship, Australia
2018
Second place, Australia Jitterbug Championship, Australia
Second place, Mala Swing, China
2019
First place, Summer event, Australia
Al & Leon Shim Sham WORKSHOP
Weekend workshops are great to learn some particular styles or choreographed solo jazz routine to aid your swing dancing!
Here's one for you this September:
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Learn the Shim Sham as performed by legendary dancers Albert Minns and Leon James. This is a must-know vintage jazz routine for all swing dancers. It’s also a lot of fun, with sweet rhythms and plenty of opportunity to inject your own character into the choreography. OPEN LEVEL - NO PARTNERS NEEDED
Albert Minns and Leon James were Savoy Ballroom dancers and members of Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers.
Read more: http://www.hollajazz.com/news/2017/4/26/dancers-you-need-to-know-al-minns-and-leon-james
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When: 14.00 - 16.00 Sunday 16-Sep-2018
Where: GS Dance Studio A @ 129 Dinh Tien Hoang, Binh Thanh (Google Map locator https://goo.gl/maps/cxV61BehahD2 )
Instructor: Sangsang Kim ♥
What to WEAR:
Dress comfortably for physical movements. Bring extra shirts and/or towels for the sweaty ones please!!!
Best to wear your comfy non-marking sole sneakers and very low-heel-no-spiky dance shoes!
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Payment:
Price: VND 350,00 / person at door
Please arrive 15 mins earlier to register and pay!
SOLO BLUES WITH LUNA
If you love jazz blues and wouldn't mind bursting out groovy moves on the dance floor like you would in your own room, we are going to have a date this coming Sunday 24-June-2018 at 214 Pasteur, D.3 at noon!
- What is Blues? melancholic music of black American folk origin, typically in a twelve-bar sequence. It developed in the rural southern US toward the end of the 19th century, finding a wider audience in the 1940s as blacks migrated to the cities.
Class will get participants introduced to the Blues groove and how to move individually with body and soul to the groove with solo techniques.
- How to register: Online pre-registration by Jun 20 http://bit.ly/SSCclass
- Price: VND 290,000 per person
- How to pay: 15 minutes before class time at the studio after registering online
++ About Luna ++
Han Joohee is a Swing Blues dancer from Seoul, South Korea since 2006. Luna, her nickname, has established her standing in the growing Blues dance scene in Korea as a popular instructor and judge after winning several Blues competitions like Legend Swing of Korea 2015 and Blues & Blues 2016. She has recently relocated to Danang and will be spending her 1st Vietnam weekend sharing her love for Blues dancing in solo in this 2-hour Solo Blues workshop.
++ About our sponsors ++
Soul Music & Performing Arts Academy - SMPAA is proudly our venue sponsor with the vision to foster the holistic development of the young generation through education in music and the performing arts.
Keds Vietnam is our voucher sponsor for all registered and paid participants of the workshop. Each can receive 2 x vnd 100,000 vouchers to be used at any Keds stores in Ho Chi Minh city until July 24, 2018.
Let's talk about connection
What: Whether you have been dancing or brand new, join us for 90 minutes where we talk about this connection between leaders and followers in swing dancing that separates this dance style from solo dance. Some social dance moves to get the knowledge into you too!
When: 19.00 - 20.30 of December 26, 2017
Where: La Habana @ 152 Le Lai, D.1
Everyone can be a leader or follower!
Price: VND 150,000/pax or VND 200,000 / couple
LEARN THE SHIM SHAM
This is one of the most popular jazz routines in Swing dancing seen at socials or international dance exchanges.
Cost: 200,000 VND per person or 640,000 VND per group of 4 Level: Open
When: 1pm - 3pm Saturday 14-Oct and 21-Oct
Venue: Erato School of Music & Performing Arts @ 107 Tôn Dật Tiên, CR2-22-24, Tân Phú, D. 7
LEARN THE TRANKY DOO
The Tranky Doo is another 1940s jazz line dance that likely originated in the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem, and like the Shim Sham Shimmy, the Tranky Doo is danced in a line formation. The dance incorporates a wider variety of steps than the Shim Sham, as well as steps with more interesting and challenging rhythmic syncopation. The routine will be broken down in 4 parts of 2 hours each per day on October 15, 22, 28 and 29 at Erato School's dance studio.
Cost: 800,000 VND per person
Level: Intermediate or Hip hop / break dancers with ease in rhythmic syncopated movements
When: 1pm - 3pm October 15, 22, 28 and 29
Venue: Erato School of Music & Performing Arts @ 107 Tôn Dật Tiên, CR2-22-24, Tân Phú, D. 7
Special workshops with Ann Sychterz, visiting dancer from Canada
Ann began swing dancing (lindy hop, balboa, and shag) 2009 in Waterloo, Ontario (not far from Toronto) and started teaching a year after. She moved to Lausanne Switzerland for her PhD with robotic bridges, where to founded and teaches at Studio Swingtime. She holds titles for competitions in balboa and lindy hop from the USA, Canada, France, Germany, and Russia. As an academic and a dancer, she finds joy in teaching. Her personal and teaching focus is on musicality as a partnership while keeping a comfy dance.
INTRODUCTION to the "SHAG"
The Collegiate Shag (or "Shag") is a partner dance, originated in the Carolinas in the US, done primarily to uptempo swing and pre-swing jazz music (185-200+ beats per minute). Come learn the basics that would get your feet unstoppable in fast music with Ann in this 2-hour workshop followed by 1 hour of social dance in La Habana (upstairs)!
Sign up link: http://bit.ly/SSCclass
What: 2-hour class + 1-hour social dance
Cost: 200,000 VND per person or 380,000 VND per couple
Level: Open
When: 7pm - 10pm Tuesday 14-Nov
Venue: La Habana upstairs @ 152 Le Lai, D.1
LINDY to BALBOA
The Balboa is a swing dance that originated in Southern California during the 1920s (though it may have started as early as 1915) and enjoyed huge popularity during the 1930s and 1940s. The term Balboa originally referred to a dance characterized by its close embrace and full body connection at tempos of 180 - 250 beats per minute. Come learn its basics and how to mix Lindy Hop and Balboa beautifully with Ann!
Sign up link: http://bit.ly/SSCclass
What: 90-minute of workshop before 2 hours of social dance
Cost: 190,000 VND per person or 350,000 VND per couple
Level: Intermediate
When: 7pm - 8.30pm Wednesday Nov 15
Venue: La Habana upstairs @ 152 Le Lai, D.1
What is Shim Sham?
Shim Sham is originally a tap dance step from the Afro-American community. This routine then was reused by numerous Swing and Lindy Hop dancers who adapted it and created new variations as a line dance routine. Nowadays, most Swing dancers know at least the simplified version to join in the Shim Sham fun in most every swing dance events in the world.
In the late 1920's and the 1930's, at the end of many performances, all of the musicians, singers, and dancers would get together on stage and do one last routine: the shim sham.
Shim Sham vốn là 1 bài nhảy thiết hài bắt nguồn từ cộng đồng Mỹ Châu Phi, sau đó được Swing và Lindy Hop biến tấu lại nhiều lần thành 1 bài nhảy nhóm tập thể. Ngày nay, hầu hết những ai khiêu vũ môn Swing đều biết ít nhất biến thể đơn giản nhất để có thể tham gia nhảy cùng mọi người dù bất kỳ nơi nào trên thế giới.
Thường đây là bài dùng để làm màn kết cho các show diễn ở Mỹ vào thời điểm thịnh hành, gồm tất cả diễn viên, nhạc công, ca sĩ, vũ công cùng lên sân khấu nhảy cùng nhau.
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Watch this little clip of our Shim Sham at Sunday Social at LFS | Xem đoạn phim của bài nhảy Shim Sham tại quán Cửa Sổ Mặt Trời La Fenetre Soleil số 44 Lý Tự Trọng, Q.1:
https://www.facebook.com/saigonswingcats/videos/418367618494207/
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When: 15.00 - 17.00 Sunday 7 Jan, 2018
Where: GS Dance Studio @ 129 Dinh Tien Hoang, Bình Thạnh
RSVP: Confirm going by signing up to the form below for class size control. | Ai muốn tham gia thì đăng ký vào form bên dưới.
Cost: Your Commitment To Learn | Miễn Phí nhưng cần cam kết học tập trung để có kết quả tốt nhất.
Stay tuned for exciting workshops on this page or email us at info@saigonswingcats.com!