I thought it was time to for a summer blog. London seems to be running smoothly over this Olympic period and I hope you have enjoyed the whole crazy energy.
First I wanted to welcome the many new dancers who have taken the plunge and are immersing themselves in the world of Lindy Hop. It's an exciting adventure and I hope every new step is a great experience for you.
We have a lot to be thankful for at Swing Patrol so I thought I would list my top ten summer highlights so far for this 2012 summer.
1. Lindy Hop in the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics.
2. Lindy Hop as part of the Olympic celebrations.
3. Lindy Hop at the many Summer Festivals
4. The London Swing Festival
5. Herräng Dance Camp - Sweden
6. London social dancing
7. Our teachers & our venues
8. Hawaii - Sibhe - O
9. The Elusive Ball challenge
10. I got married
1. Lindy Hop in the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics.
Wasn't that amazing?! I don't think any of us ever dreamed Lindy Hop would get such exposure at the largest show on Earth. It was such a buzz for every Lindy Hopper all over the Globe and of course even more of a buzz for the dancers actually involved like Simone, Tessa, Asif, Lisa C, Lisa B, Keith, Barry, and so many others I don't know. It was brilliant!
2. Lindy Hop as part of the Olympic celebrations.
The Olympic Bid we submitted has paid off in many ways. On Thursday August 30th we are dancing in Trafalgar Square. Our daily BT Live Site gigs have been a great experience and for me personally it has been brilliant getting to know some of the dancers better. How amazing that in the middle of summer we can still find two anchors (usually teachers) and so many dancers every day of the Olympics.
3.Lindy Hop at the many Summer Festivals
Latitude, Wyndstock, Secret Garden Party, Love Box, Camp Bestival were all amazing experiences and we still have Greenbelt, Bestival, Wilderness and Boomtown to come. Isn't that mad? Using a team of now over 80 dancers we have been partying, making new friends and sharing this dance of ours all over the place. The teams have been a combination of our most experienced dancers and many of our up & coming dancers. It has been a really inclusive programme and a great experience for so many.
4. The London Swing Festival
Deserves a mention as it was the start of summer and it was such a special weekend. The teaching line-up for 2013 London Swing Festival is off the hook, with the final teaching team to be announced soon. I am really proud of the team (a large team) and all their work to make this event so special. www.londonswingfestival.co.uk
5. Herräng Dance Camp - Sweden
I love this camp and love what it means to the world Lindy Hop community. I have been amazed this year how many Londoners attended and how many are still away. Even on Tuesday when I anchored the BT Live Site team I was so fascinated that half the team had just arrived back from Herrang. Some said it rained the whole time, others had the Herräng flu, some were bitten half to death by mosquitos but in true Lindy Hop fashion…they all loved it. I think it's the coolest thing that the London crowd are investing in their dancing and getting so involved. We can't wait to have all the team back and hear all about it.
6. London social dancing
Even through summer the dancing continues and this was really highlighted last Sunday. We had to relocate venues at the last minute and after a few phone calls were given permission to run a trial night at the Bedroom Bar. With 4 days notice almost 70 people attended with Sibhe managing her first Sunday evening social. Sibhe raved about the support she got from the teaching team and thanks to the numbers the Bedroom Bar have offered us another evening on Sunday September 9th. Of course I am biased but I think this is all a stunning effort in the middle of summer. I was teaching in Durham so I was sorry to miss the night, especially after the rave reviews.
7. Our teachers & our venues
With so many of our teachers away on holidays or enjoying the Herräng experience we have had to close a couple of venues this summer. But to the credit of the remaining teachers we have kept the classes running professionally & smoothly. I am really proud of the team for this and can't thank them enough. The class planning, admin and teaching efforts is colossal as a group and I just wanted to acknowledge the hard working SP teaching team.
8. Hawaii - Sibhe - O
Sibhe has been supporting me over summer as the main point of contact for Swing Patrol with Fiona on leave. Sibhe has had lot's to learn but her whacky London humour entwined with her gritty determination for excellence has made summer a lot of fun and we are all very fortunate to have Sibhe involved. Behind the scenes Jackie, Kat, Ranall, Jody, Pippa (BBB) and Laura are also playing important roles for SP.
9. The Elusive Ball challenge
Well we can't have a perfect summer. The slight frustration has been that we had to cancel the Swing Ball. We still have a lot of work to do on this area but never fear…we are on it and enjoying the challenge!
10. I got married
Ok so it's indirectly related to Swing Patrol but I have been quite distracted with getting married just over a month ago. Laura & I have been seriously overwhelmed by the brilliant well wishes from so many of you. I am grateful to the teachers who have been covering extra classes as a result. Naturally my focus has been away from Swing Patrol for a bit so I feel very grateful for the amazing team in London.
So that is my 2 cents written on a train. With troupe starting again soon and dancers starting to arrive back in London it's an exciting few months ahead. If you have read all this guff this far… thanks!
