Boston Blues News: July
Julie Brown
Hey everybody!
Here's what's going down in the blues scene in Boston for July, and beyond Boston too!
- Andi Hansen residency! Partnered conversation themes at Blues Union and Bluesy Tuesy!
- Sweet Molasses Blues - July 24-26! Come to Boston's big annual blues event! And help host out-of-towners if you can & make some new friends :)
- New raffle at Blues Union on Clinic nights!
- Amy K homecoming show at the Burren (June 28) & another show at Taco Monday (July 6)!
- Travel to dance at big awesome blues events in NYC, Philly, Albany, Minneapolis, Raleigh, and more!
Stuff around town
Andi Hansen residency!
In July, we’ll have a guest out-of-towner teach all the blues classes and DJing some too! Andi Hansen will be infusing our scene with her cool ideas, awesome style, and excellent musics!
Andi has taught Blues dance extensively in her home scene of Grand Rapids, as well as for events in Chicago, Pennsylvania, and Ohio--with more on the calendar for 2015. Her focus is on creating a safe, comfortable dance where each partner feels confident in expressing themselves. Andi believes that everyone has something to add to the dance, and that nothing is quite like the creativity of playing with the music, your partner, or solo dancing with friends.
More on Andi here: http://www.andidances.com/
Sweet Molasses Blues
Boston, MA - July 24-26
Boston’s Original Blues Dance Exchange is back for another year, July 24th - 26th. It’s going to be a great weekend, filled with the best dance classes and music we can bring into our city, so you should definitely sign up!
https://sweetmolassesblues.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/events/309059859279519/
Also, as part of the Major League Blues week long event with NYC, you also get a discount for Nocturne Blues when you register for Sweet Mo’!
https://majorleagueblues.wordpress.com/
Also, we’re currently looking for more people who can host out of town dancers. It’s a great way to get to know some really wonderful people, and then you can visit them later when you dance in their city! Just sign up to host when you register.
July at Bluesy Tuesy - Musicality, Partnership, & Improvisation
with Andi Hansen
All month, Andi will teach classes on partner conversation, music, and improvisation. Learn how to create space for your partner, keep the conversation going throughout the dance, and more!
July at Blues Union - Partner Conversation
with Andi Hansen
Come see Andi’s take on partner conversation! Topics will include how to create opportunities for your partner & encourage them to contribute to the dance, continuing the conversation & riffing off your partner, open leading vs closed leading, leading vs moving yourself independently, and exact following vs approximate following.
**If you’ve taken 6 months or more of blues classes at Blues Union or Bluesy Tuesy, you can take the intermediate classes at Blues Union. Alternately, you can do a blues interview with Jenn or Julie at the Blues Clinic.
Blues Union Raffle!
At the July Blues Clinic, we’ll be raffling off a pass to Sweet Molasses Blues! For every class you attend in July, you get one ticket in the raffle (so attending more classes increases your chance of winning)! Just show up to classes & clinics to enter :)
Earn free dances while spreading the love of blues!
When you dance at a blues bar, music event, or other blues bomb (or if you teach at a local college), bring some blues ambassador business cards to hand out! If people come to dances for their first time with your card, you get in that night for free! Talk to Julie Brown or Jenn Martinez at Blues Union to get yourself some cards.
Live music where you can go dance!
Stay up-to-date on where people are blues dancing to live music:
Join the Boston Blues Bombers group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/28357446101/
Weekly/ongoing:
-Mondays at Toad to the White Owls
-Americana Mondays at PA's Lounge
-Friday at Atwood's to Tim Gearan
-Sundays late afternoons at Johnny D's blues jam
-Sunday evenings after 9, there’s a jam at the Cantab Lounge in Central Square.
-Sunday blues jam at Players sports bar in Rockland MA, 4- 8pm
-Sunday blues jam at Pete’s Grill in Quincy 9-12 on Sunday
*Dancers don’t always go to all of these every week; check Facebook (Boston Blues Bombers group) and ask around to see where folks will be.
June 28: Amy Kucharik Trio homecoming show at the Burren (plenty of hardwood floor… we’ll move tables if there are lots of dancers! RSVP to the Facebook event so we’ll know!)
https://www.facebook.com/events/1622456417991297/
Catch a preview of Tiger Moan, the Friday night band for Sweet Molasses Blues, when they play for tips and tacos at Cuisine En Locale’s Taco Monday July 6:
https://www.facebook.com/events/949395871778005/
and/or at the Davis Flea on July 19!
Traveling for Dance
Want a learning- and/or competition-focused event?
These events usually have multiple tracks or levels of classes during the day. At night, there’ll be tons of dancing and one or more competitions or performances.
Nocturne Blues
New York, NY - July 17-19
Classes include a Basics Bootcamp, Masters Bootcamp, a History & Culture track, and more! Register for this and Sweet Molasses Blues, and get $20 off your pass!
Blues Muse
Philadelphia, PA - October 16-18
A follower-focused workshop where both leaders and followers can learn about things like receptive leading, follower voice, musicality, and solo movement. Registration is open, and traditionally Boston has made a great showing!
http://www.lindyandblues.com/bluesmuse/
Looking for more chill, hangin’ out exchanges?
These events don’t have classes during the day; instead they have either dances or non-dancing events around the city that they’re hosted in. The evenings have tons of dancing again, and may or may not include competitions.
ALBS (Albany Lindy Blues and Swimming)
Albany, NY - July 10-12
It's back! Albany Lindy, and Blues, and Swimming, and... Soul! (Possibly renamed to just, "Albany Swimming and Soul," because, hey -- who doesn't like a little ASS?)
Enjoy the picnic, dancing, and swimming in the lake by day and dancing all night.
http://www.albanylindyandblues.com/
Contact Paul Loschak about carpools - he’s organizing them so more Boston dancers can attend!
Tobacco Road Blues
Raleigh-Durham, NC - August 7-9
Come down to sunny North Carolina for some blues dancing! A few Bostonians are already registered!
North Star Blues
Minneapolis, MN - September 17-21
This is a really great exchange for hanging out in parks, dancing all night long, and getting to know one of the most welcoming dance scenes in the country.
http://www.northstarblues.com/
Other events to travel to:
-Check out http://bluescal.com/
The Boston Blues Scene is dedicated to creating a fun, welcoming, & safe environment for everyone:
If you have concerns or want to tell us something, our anonymous feedback form is here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/6JBRRK6