It's the Shim Shammiest!

"And you push it and you push it and you… cross over…"

The Shim Sham!  If you've been around the lindy hop scene for a while, chances are you've had this happen to you at a dance: a medium-tempo swing song comes on, but by the time you've picked out your target partner in the crowd, they and half the dance floor have lined up haphazardly in the middle of the room and are doing crazy dance moves you can't even hope to replicate.  Then you go home and watch a YouTube tutorial on repeat until you've got your crazy dance moves perfectly in time, and hope that that great song comes on again at the next dance!

But that's just the moves; what about the heart?  What makes the Shim Sham the shim-shammiest?

It turns out, the Shim Sham got its start as the Goofus, a choreographed tap dance routine invented in

the late 1920s.  It has remained a staple in tap dance, with a few variations created by different dancers.  Lindy-hoppers at the Savoy Ballroom picked up the dance, without the tap shoes, and created some of their own variations, but the dance didn't become hugely popular until Frankie Manning created his version in the 1980s.

The Frankie Manning Shim Sham takes the original Goofus Shim Sham's moves -- double shuffles, crossovers, Tacky Annies, and half breaks -- and adds to them boogie forwards, boogie backs, and Shorty Georges.  After the choreography ends, the dancers grab a partner to finish out the song, sometimes with "Freeze!"s called out in the music.

Today, the Shim Sham is often danced to "Tain't What You Do" by Jimmie Lunceford and His Orchestra or "The Shim Sham Song" by The Bill Elliott Swing Orchestra.  A version of "Stompin' at the Savoy" with the George Gee Band features Manning himself calling out the moves.

If you want to learn the Shim Sham, there are plenty of YouTube tutorials available, or you can come out to the Monarch Ballroom on October 1st and learn it before the First Coast Blues and Lindy Society's monthly dance!

-Alison

And as always we'd love to see you this Sunday night at the Volstead! First time on the swing dance floor? The Dance shack will be teaching a free beginner East Coast Swing Lesson starting at 7PM sharp. There's always plenty of street parking available.

The Dance floor opens up right around 8:00 PM!
As always, there is no cover to enter! Swing Dance Sunday is 21+.

Address:
The Volstead
115 W Adams St, Jacksonville, Florida 32202

Frankie Manning YouTube tutorial:

Chaz Young and Frankie Manning Messing Around Shim Sham

T'aint what you do its the way you do it!

A funny modern spoof of the Goofus Dance

References:
The Short Story of The Shim Sham.
The Shim Sham.
History of Shim Sham.
Shim Sham. 

Jacksonville Goes to the Movies

"World's Winter Film Capital"

So movies have a wonderful history of using dance in film, but what I bet you don't know is that Jacksonville has a colorful and interesting history with the movie making business!

In 1908, Jacksonville had three years on Hollywood, CA and attracted 30 more studios in the next decade, including Metro Pictures, which would later become the film giant MGM. Check out the history of film making in Jacksonville here:


The Official City of Jacksonville Movie History


and this unique look-back at a different time in Jacksonville's past:


Florida Times-Union Article: "Action! A century of moviemaking in Jacksonville"


Of the many film studios brought to Jacksonville one stayed and left a legacy. Norman Laboratories was developed by Richard Norman in the 1920's and is now home of the only known remaining silent film studio complex in this area. The Flying Ace by Norman Studios was the only movie of the many that were made that was saved for posterity. The building has a rich history that has been preserved by Norman Studios and they still play silent films at a venue nearby with live music accompaniment to this day!


If you want to read more about the Studios check out this link here: Norman Studios


As for dancing the First Coast Blues and Lindy Society is offering Lindy Hop and Balboa lessons on Thursdays this month. The lessons are at Club Savoy in Arlington, directly across the street from a great white building with a sign for Norman Laboratories. If you come visit our classes take a peak across the street because it all a part of what makes Jacksonville great!

And as always we'd love to see you this Sunday night at the Volstead! First time on the swing dance floor? The Dance shack will be teaching a free beginner East Coast Swing Lesson starting at 7PM sharp. There's always plenty of street parking available.

-Jen & Amy!





The Dance floor opens up right around 8:00 PM!
As always, there is no cover to enter! Swing Dance Sunday is 21+.

Address:
The Volstead
115 W Adams St, Jacksonville, Florida 32202

Balboa the "dancers" dance!

Dance marathons took place here at the Balboa Pavilion on Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach during the Great Depression.

NEWPORT HARBOR NAUTICAL MUSEUM

"Come, and trip it, as you go, On the light fantastic toe." - John Milton, L'Allegro

In just over two years the Volstead Swing Dance Sundays has become an icon in the Jacksonville Swing Dance scene.  And what we love about it is the eclectic feel, the unusual prohibition inspired drinks, and the dancing! But as anyone who has ever been to the Volstead on a busy live show night can attest: you hope to find just the right spot to show off your moves. You dance and all the while a song blares that you love, and you've danced to before, but by golly, you are just exhausted after flying through beats that are up to 300bpm. In the end using all the floor-craft you possess, you find that sweet spot where a kick or a spin wouldn't bump someone in the chaotic flux of fun.  If you've ever felt this way on a dance floor, Balboa is the dance of your dreams! 

The origins of this dance are shrouded in history, some say, it originated in Southern California near Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach. In the 1920s and 1930s dancers only knew of this dance as Swing, but Balboa evolved to have its own unique look. Balboa came of the necessity to find an alternative to the Break-away, a dance that was banned in many halls due to the large crowds and massive popularity of swing dance (see video below). Just as swing dance branched mostly from the Charleston so did Balboa. 

Over the years the original dancers aged and continued with their passion. Sylvia Sykes and Jonathan Bixby in the early 1980's persuaded some of the old timers to teach them the dance to preserve it into the future. Maxie Dorf one of these original dancers was widely acclaimed as the 'King of Balboa'. Maxie danced and taught Balboa during the Swing Dance Revival into the late 90's before finally passing away in 2000.

There are two terms usually used when describing Balboa, Pure Bal, and Bal-Swing. Pure Bal is danced primarily in closed position, and is led with a full body connection. The art of Balboa is in the subtle movements or the pulse between the lead and follow, including weight shifts, which most viewers cannot see. Just a few of the steps involved are the Maxie Basic, paddles, scoots and pivots. Bal-Swing is a more open dance switching between the torso to torso lead to the lead in the handholds, this allow for more spins, variation in footwork and improvisation. 

Come learn Pure Bal and Bal-Swing with us on Thursday nights 8:30-9:30 this month at Club Savoy and take your moves to Swing Dance Sundays at the Volstead. During those fast paced songs you'll be the only dancer gliding over the dance floor without breaking a sweat.  

-Jen

The Breakaway

Venice Beach Balboa Dancers 1938

Modern Balboa and Bal-Swing Dancing to Sing, Sing, Sing

ILHC 2016

Links for more reading

Balboa: Depression-era dance halls left a footloose legacy from the Orange County Register

The Lindy Circle's History of Balboa

Weekly Events & Local Music

Friday September 9

8:00 pm Chris Thomas Band @ Hobnob/Brixx Pizza on the Unity Plaza in Downtown Jacksonville For more information Click Here!

10pm-1am Mikey Clams & the Daygos! @ the Beach

For more information Click Here!

Saturday September 10

4:30-6:30pm Rachael Warfield

7:00-9:00 pm Chris Thomas Band @ St Johns Town Center in Southside For more information Click Here!

Sunday September 11

7:00pm First Coast BLS Swing Dance Sundays @ the Volstead in Downtown Jacksonville
For more information Click Here!

Stormy Weather 1943

My my wasn't that wind something! Don't let the wind and rain from Hermine keep you from dancing! This weekend there are some great dance events happening! But first a little synopsis and history about Stormy Weather the movie:

"Bill Williamson (Bill Robinson), a struggling performer, meets a beautiful vocalist named Selina Rogers (Lena Horne). Bill promises her that they will be together after he becomes a success. However, he and Selina both skyrocket to fame and lose contact. Fortunately, Bill just might get one more chance to woo Selina at a huge musical stage show. "(IMDB)

 "This was one of the greatest and most entertaining of musicals - the 20th Century Fox film included the ravishing Lena Horne (as Selina Rogers), lent by MGM Studios to Fox, singing what would become her signature song in the lengthy sequence Stormy Weather; there were other great songs, dance and band routines from Fats Waller (Ain't Misbehavin'), Bill "Bojangles" Robinson singing I Can't Give You Anything But Love with Horne, Horne's There's No Two Ways About Love sung with Calloway and Robinson, the elaborately-costumed Diga Diga Doo , the Nicholas Brothers dancing duo (with an athletic dance to Jumpin' Jive), and the spirited Cab Calloway and his Orchestra." (filmsite.org) 

-Jen

Enjoy this clip of the amazing dancing! And don't forget to like, share and subscribe to First Coast BLS group and our page!

Enjoy your weekend dancing see you out there! If ever you see a band not listed please feel free to share on our First Coast BLS members site! We'd love to see you on there!

This Weekends Events!

Friday Night- September 2nd

Big Band Swing-

8:00pm Chris Thomas Band @ River City Brewery, in Downtown Jacksonville
For more information Click Here!

Blues-

9:00pm Toots Lorriane and the Traffice @ Mojo Kitchen in
the Jacksonville Beach area for more information Click Here!

Rockabilly-

9:00pm Mikey Clams @ the Volstead in
Downtown Jacksonville for more information Click Here!

Saturday- September 3rd

7:30pm First Coast Blues and Lindy Society Monthly Dance! @ the Monarch Ballroom in Southside for more information Click Here!

Sunday- September 4th

8:00pm First Coast Blues and Lindy Society Swing Dance Sundays! @ the Volstead in Downtown Jacksonville for more information Click Here!