Monday, May 24th, 2010
With the London Jitterbug Championships but weeks away there’s never been a better time to brush up on your solo Charleston. The Newington Green kids had a go a few weeks a go, with some pretty impressive results it has to be said. So here we have a bit of a Charleston for dummies…be sure to stay to the end of the clip for something to do on those long taxi rides…
Sunday, May 9th, 2010
If I was a guy, I’d be Al Minns. As I am a girl, I’d just like to know where he gets his shoes from. If you watch this extract from The Spirit Moves you’d be hard pushed not to be amazed by his Solo Charleston. Yes, I know…we’ve gone a bit solo Charleston crazy of late, but this guy is the true legend. His knees are heading for both exits while his feet glide around effortlessly . All topped off with that HUGE grin…just to remind us what dancing is really all about. Enjoy….see you in the solo charleston round at the London Swing Festival 
Monday, May 3rd, 2010
Every seen a lindy punch up? Or maybe a lead almost strangle his follow to death? It’s murder on the dance floor in this clip from 1945 move Twice Blessed. Some square cats try their best in a swing dance contest. Let’s hope there’ll be no such horror at the London Swing Festival eh? 
Sunday, May 2nd, 2010
So, I was acquainted with a the phrase ‘white and upright’ recently, it’s a great phrase. How many times have we been told in class to bend our knees a bit more? I often feel that there’s a tendency to forget lindy hop’s african dance roots for and a preference for dancing it like your gran. Which is why I love the story of the Cakewalk. It’s often claimed that the Cakewalk was the first American dance to cross over from black to white society in America. But what’s best is that it’s thought to be a mockery of the ‘white and upright’ formal dancing preferred by white slave owners back in the day. Satirical dancing? Now you’re talking.
The dance was usually performed as a competition and the winners were said to receive a massive cake, hence the name Cakewalk. During the 1890s, the Cakewalk was one of America’s most popular dance styles. However its popularity died out between 1915 and the early 1920s, when it was replaced by other the Charleston and Black Bottom.
Dancing + Cake = Winning combination, time for a revival methinks.
Monday, April 12th, 2010
Burlesque beauties and hot rhythms from the golden age of jazz!
In association with the London Swing Festival, Sugar Blue Burlesque, Swingcopation, and the Wam Bam Belles.
Friday 14th May, 2010 at Proud Cabaret
Luxury supperclub & Jazz piano from 7.30pm Showtime! 8.30pm
Social dancing and late-night champagne floor show 11pm – 3am
Prize for best dressed (and best-undressed)….
Join Missy Fatale, London’s most formidable red-head, for a night of decadent jazz, vintage strip-tease and wild swing dancing.
This revue presents 1930’s burlesque, hot solo Charleston and vernacular jazz dance, body burning and fire tassels, burlesque’s answer to Billie Holiday, Lindy Hop, traditional belly-dancing, and a sparkling champagne-soaked finale! Starring…Missy Fatale, Miss Banbury Cross, Swingcopation, D’arcy Beau, and the fabulous Trixie Tassels (all the way from Sugar Blue Burlesque in Perth, Australia!)
Hosted by the glorious Ms Fanny La Rue (of Sugar Blue Burlesque fame), Fingers Wolfenstein on the keys, and the gorgeous Ginger Blush as stage kitten.
Swing DJ Benjamin Cook will be hotting up the social dancefloor from 11pm – 3am. Bring your dancing shoes for some Lindy Hop, Charleston, shag, balboa, cakewalk, blackbottom or slow-drag!
Advance tickets £8 (More on the door) | London Swing Festival ticketholders £5 | Social dancing only (after 11pm) £5
3 course Supperclub & show £37.50 | Luxury Supperclub & show £47.50
Buy tickets online | 24/7 Ticket Hotline: 0122-444-3377 | For info call 07771 393 347
www.proudcabaret.com | Proud Cabaret No.1 Mark Lane (Corner of Dunster Court and Mark Lane) London EC3R 7AH
Wednesday, April 7th, 2010
Ladies and gentlement check-in has officially opened for “Flight School!” the Aerials workshop with our excellent pilots Ben & Tanya. This workshop will take plac eon 24th April and will cover all new aerials…never seen before at a Swing Patrol London workshop. Excited? Thought so…Passengers are advised to make their way to check in and guarantee their place on this amazing workshop. Here’s a teasing taster of what you’ll be learning…
This is your time to fly. Give it a go…
Wednesday, March 17th, 2010
So imagine that someone took an array of old swing styled tracks and reworked them in a sort of hip hop style, slung in a DJ, A man wielding clarinetist and a very hypnotic female vocalist and brought them all to a bar just off Brick Lane. Sound like fun? Yea, we thought so too. Which is why we’ll be checking out Future Swing Stories at the Redchurch bar after class on Thursdays.
WATTS-ON? Jivers and Jitteries! 18th Of March marks the virgin eve celebration of a boisterous musical period in a” COOL CAT” contempory manner. FUTURE SWING STORIES , Is a night of revised vintage vibes and daredeviling dancing. Kick off your shoes and bust your conk off.
Expect: Swing suit clad men, Jive and Jitterbug dancers galore, man weilding clarinet, specially created early era films and the Londons best swing dj’s, mixing, scratching and mending, blending some of the best knees up audio this side of chicago.
Best of all, they dig Kormac. My new favourite swing mash up act. Don’t believe us? Well don’t take our word for it…have a listen.
Thursday, March 11th, 2010
To say we’ve emerged ‘fresh’ from the first of the girls only workshops with Sharon Davis last night would be stretching the truth slightly. However, we’ve all certainly emerged very excited about next week! So let us indulge ourselves for a little bit (sorry guys) with this archival clip from Night Music, a mini documentary on some of the female jazz bands of the 30’s and 40’s.
If you liked that you should check out this clip of the International Sweethearts of Rhythm. Chicks and brass are SUCH a winning combination
Tuesday, March 9th, 2010
So many people turned out for our French themed Swing Pit on Sunday night. The dancefloor was packed with stripey t-shirt, berets and fantastic dancing. A big thank you to Isabelle and Noemie for organising one of the coolest Swing Pits the Vibe bar has seen. If you didn’t make it down then take a look at these great photos by Simone Edwards and see what you missed….
You can see more photos from Ze Pit Francaise and keep up to date with Swing Patrol events by joining our facebook group. See you on a dance floor soon…
Thursday, February 11th, 2010
I know it’s very British to talk about the weather but hasn’t it been funny lately? On the weather theme take a look at this brilliant clip from the 1942 film “The Powers Girl” featuring Benny Goodman. If you watch closely through the rain and the ‘old movie’ haze there’s some lovely dancing from Dean Collins and Jewel McGowan. Not to mention a whole load of sliding around. Enjoy