Flyin’ Footwork has been listed in WESH’s A-List competition under the “dance studio” category. Please take a moment to drop by our A-List profile and vote for us! If you feel so inclined, leave a comment too! …and help spread the word… every vote counts!

Thanks for your support!

Due to the grassroots efforts of the local swing dance community, Whirl & Twirl has been voted the Orlando Weekly’s #3 reader pick for “Best dance club” in their “Best of Orlando 2007” contest. This is quite impressive given the more “mainstream” competition! We hope this serves as a statement to the public that traditional dance forms are alive and well (and as popular as ever) in Orlando. As a venue, Whirl & Twirl (owned by the square dance association of the same name), is truly a fantastic place to dance. We are currently in our sixth year of hosting swing dances there and, by the results of the reader’s picks, you love the venue as much as we do!

I wanted to post something here that I thought would be relevent to all of the female swing dancers. I recently had my hair and make-up professionally done for a friend’s wedding renewal ceremony. The person I went to was highly recommended by multiple people in the Orlando area. As I was talking to her while she was doing my hair and make-up, I got on the topic of doing retro 40’s hairdo’s and how hard and complicated they can be. Well, she told me how she is trained to do styles going all the way back to the 1800’s Victorian era and everything in between. So I asked her if she does private sessions where she teaches hair and make-up one-on-one and she does!

A few options went through my head like getting a group of interested people together to have a session with this lady. But then I realized that what works style wise for some people will not work for others and probably doing one on one private sessions with her would be a better use of your money spent (no dollar amounts for one on one sessions were discussed).

I’m including her website and contact info in this blog so if anyone would like to tap this wealth of hair and make-up information, you can do so. Her name is Candi Ekstrom and her email is ExpressWeddings@aol.com. Her website is www.expressweddingsflorida.com. Do not be thrown by the website in that it is very focused on weddings, that is her local specialty. Feel free to contact her about having her work with you to get that right mix of cool retro hairstyle and sizzling vintage make-up customized for your skin tone and hair

Photos from Saturday’s dance are now online. Catch ‘em while they are hot off the press!

The next dance is only two weeks away… mark your calendars for Saturday, July 28th.

Not exactly swing, but I thought this was pretty amusing. It seems school officials in China have reinvented the waltz to curb cases of puppy love and to improve grades. “The revised dance steps allow students to dance by themselves or in large groups”. I can’t wait to see what they have come up with! Something tells me that China is now prime for a swing dance revolution.

We’re only one month out from the big event! I thought this would be a good time to remind everyone of the awesome workshops and classes we have put together for this year’s events:

Get ready for two days of classes with some of the top instructors from across the nation, including Dan Amores, Joanna Kassoulides, Michael Gamble, Jaya Dorf, Rebecca Strickland, Dan Parshall, and Chris Buck (check out the instructor bios)! The goal of the workshops are to get you to shine on the dance floor! It will take you from basic moves to polished jam moves that are fun and look great! This is a rare chance to learn from some of the best in the nation… don’t miss out! Visit the Gulf Regionals Classes Page for more information, and, of course, event registration is now open.

Just starting out with Lindy? Don’t be shy! These workshops are designed to progress and advance your dancing. Performance classes will teach you new moves and combos and show you how to match them to the music. Musicality classes will teach you how to interact with the music and history… well that will get you in touch with the roots of the dance.

We have just completed our late summer class schedule! New Sunday afternoon classes start on August 19th. For those just starting out with swing dancing, or those looking to brush up on the basics and add some new moves, we have the 6-count Swing Dance Series Class. This class is designed to give you a solid foundation in dancing. For those looking to advance their dancing, we have our Intermediate Lindy Hop Class. We’re always adding new material into this class to keep you on your toes! Registration is now open for both classes.

There was a little delay this time in getting the photos online due to my travel schedule, but at long last, they have been posted to the gallery!

Don’t forget that we have another band night coming up on July 14th with live music by “Swing In Time”!