So, this kinda goes with the "Pick Up and Move" thread.
It seems that different scenes gain momentum then die down. First it was DC, then LA, and then Seattle. I've spoken with a number of dancers, instructors, world champions, and legends. As of right now, Seattle has the #1 dance scene in terms of quality of leads, follows, and instructors.
Disclaimer: I'm not saying other scenes are bad, but if someone was to ask which city would be the best city to move to in terms of getting the most out of dancing, Seattle repeatedly comes up as the #1 answer.
With that being said, what city do you think will be the next BIG one?
In my opinion, I think the next scene will actually be New Orleans. We have a small and humble scene, but we already have Nathalie, Chance, and Amy. We have Dance Renaissance, Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown, Fleur de Lindy, and the Rhythmic Arts Festival. A couple of champions will be moving here March, April, and May. I don't want to say who yet as it is not my place to let THAT cat out of the bag, but it will be great for the scene.
We have the best music in the world, no cover at most of the jazz clubs, no cabaret laws (no offense NY but those laws SUCK A BIG ONE), the best festivals in the world, and lots of support for dancers through the local community. Not to mention the student scene at Tulane, Loyola, UNO, and LSU is growing, therefore feeding a new generation of dancers. AND New Orleans has been named one of the fastest growing cities (mainly because they're rebuilding it from almost scratch, and job opportunities continue to open).
Drawbacks for people moving here...
1. Pay scale is dramatically smaller than anywhere else in the US, but for those pro-dancers, they don't work full-time jobs anyway, and would make just as much teaching here as they would in another city.
2. Way of life is not THAT much less expensive than anywhere else in the US other than the BIG cities.
3. New Orleans is a small city. The population is tiny, therefore a percentage of the dancing population is tiny.
With such big events, great music, and a spirit that will never die (plus drinking in the streets is legal), I can't think of another city that compares. Although, honestly, I didn't see Seattle as a contender a couple of years ago.
What are your thoughts on the next big swing city and why?
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I think that says a lot right there about where the scene is headed. I almost never thought I'd see the day where drinking anywhere, much less in the streets, would be a big thing for lindy hoppers.
Quoted from "bryn" I think that says a lot right there about where the scene is headed. I almost never thought I'd see the day where drinking anywhere, much less in the streets, would be a big thing for lindy hoppers.
it's only a big thing for the loud, drunk minority ( hmmm.... beer).
You may be right. One of the exciting things that may help grow interest is the expansion underway at the World War II Museum that is currently underway. This article in the local paper caught my attention:
Quote
If the Victory Theater is the ultimate in forward-looking technology, the Stage Door Canteen is meant to evoke old-fashioned entertainment of the World War II era.
The restaurant will seat 150 with indoor and outdoor seating and will be run by a local food-service operator, yet to be selected. A 15-minute video will feature music from the 1940s. Still in the works is a live song-and-dance show involving local talent re-creating the look and feel of the war years. Jazz and swing music will be on stage regularly and will, it is hoped, keep the dance floor filled.
Along with its recreational value, the Canteen is meant to showcase the work of the USO during World War II.
"The USO would show up and keep soldiers from thinking they were forgotten over there in the Godforsaken islands of the Pacific or the North African desert," Mueller said. "Music was something that pulled the whole nation together."
The Canteen will be open to the general public, day and night, without museum admission charges, and will be available to rent for parties or meetings.
Yeah, I've been talking to them for a while. The Grand opening is in November, so they're still working out the details, trying to find out who the restaurateur will be, and how much room they'll have for dancing.
Actually, the first place I saw real lindy hop (and not 6 count ECS) was at the WWII "Sunday Swing" events last summer. You and Nat both taught some basic stuff, which we were already familiar with. But after that we saw what you guys and others were doing and signed up for your classes.
I think booze is absolutely necessary to building a scene these days. There just aren't enough people who decide to start swing dancing out of nowhere (e.g. because they saw the Gap ad or Swing Kids). The best way to expose new people is to have dancing at places where there are a lot of non dancers. That generally means live music and alcohol. It's a lot easier to convince someone to come along with you to a bar w/ live music downtown than it is to get them to go to a dj'd dance at a church rec room 20 minutes outside of town.
Quoted from "jlindyhopr" The only other big city that I think will gain momentum (which already has a great scene) is Quebec.
Quebec the city or the province? I don't see Quebec City reaching that status. I don't think Montreal will, either. Great scenes with some great dancers, but the conditions aren't right for becoming the next DC or Seattle.
I'm guessing you're referring to Montreal, Quebec, instead of Quebec city - or the Quebec province as a whole.
We've got a lot of inspiring dancers and teachers in town, including Max&Annie, Zack&Maryse, Sylwia Bielec, Alain Fragman, Dax (& Alice who was here for the past month) etc... who are all working to push the dance here. There are also rumors of a couple of top Balboa teacher/dancers moving here in the very near future.
I'm fortunate to be working with an inspiring group of dancers here (Northern Lights) and I think Montreal is definitely growing, with three major swing schools, 5 well-attended weekly dances, and people really working hard on growing the community.
Does that mean you should move to Montreal for dance? Maybe, maybe not. There are many other perks that make the city attractive - including lower costs of living, English/French bilingualism, cheaper university tuition (for Americans, can be significant savings as tuition is 15k instead of 38k), amazing public transportation.
.. and we're in Canada (although you could argue most of us are experiencing Obama-envy right now). I guess the main drawback is that you would need to find a way to legally move here. Fall in love and marry a Canadian :)
Quote think booze is absolutely necessary to building a scene these days. There just aren't enough people who decide to start swing dancing out of nowhere (e.g. because they saw the Gap ad or Swing Kids). The best way to expose new people is to have dancing at places where there are a lot of non dancers. That generally means live music and alcohol. It's a lot easier to convince someone to come along with you to a bar w/ live music downtown than it is to get them to go to a dj'd dance at a church rec room 20 minutes outside of town.
I agree with the above statement.
I think the "movers and shakers" of the swing scene need to make the dance events and venues more "stylish". After all, it was a nostalgia for a stylish, elegant past which revived swing dancing in the last few years of the 20th Century. It was the idea of dressing up in nice clothing, downing a few cocktails in a nice setting before taking a spin on the dance floor with your well dressed partner that propelled so many non-dancers to take up swing ten years ago (and also in the 1930's and 1940's as people looked for a glamorous escape from the grim realities of the time - and swing became the mainstream pop culture). I think we need to inject this style back into the swing scene in order to attract more new dancers and keep the scenes thriving. We strive for style in the our actual dances so why not in the scene itself??
I should note that in addition to excellent dancers and teachers in Seattle, the scene there has an elegant, period ballroom which is a focal point for the city's vibrant swing scene.
London UK has some wonderfully "stylish" events such as dine and dance events etc.
Quoted from "RubyMae" I'm in the "I don't care where the next big scene will be" crowd.
Then why bother posting in this thread? No one cares that you don't care.
She was inquiring why no one was posting - she posed a false dichotomy - either we agree, or we don't disagree. I was noting that there's a third option.
DC's is even growing geographically. We have dancers in Southeast Virginia who are increasingly doing what we call the "carpool hell ride": 3 and a 1/2 hr. drive up, dance, and someone else drives the 3 1/2 hours back.
Quoted from "AlainW" I'm guessing you're referring to Montreal, Quebec, instead of Quebec city - or the Quebec province as a whole.
You never know, Quaqtaq, QC could be the next big scene!
It's really hard to say what the next big scene will be. I see lots of really good things happening in many scenes, small and large. A lot of people are doing a lot of hard work to promote the dance, move up the competition ranks and put together performance teams. It's really exciting to see the growth in small scenes like Edmonton, AB. The whole Lindy Hop scene seems to be experiencing growth.
Quoted from "AlainW" I'm guessing you're referring to Montreal, Quebec, instead of Quebec city - or the Quebec province as a whole.
Not necessarily. Since the QSRV is/was in Quebec City and it always had such a great attendance, it is fairly easy for an out-of-towner to make the assumption that Quebec City has a big scene.
Quote We've got a lot of inspiring dancers and teachers in town, including Max&Annie, Zack&Maryse, Sylwia Bielec, Alain Fragman, Dax
Dax is now living in Montreal? since when?
Quote cheaper university tuition (for Americans, can be significant savings as tuition is 15k instead of 38k), amazing public transportation.
Cheaper for Quebec residents. For the rest of us Canadian is twice as much as we would pay in our own province :P
I think it also depends on how you define "the next big scene". It is sheer numbers of dancers? Is it average quality of social dancing? Is it the venues? Is it the number of dance nights per week? Is it great local bands? Is it hosting big events? Is it having big name dancers who live there? Is it based on what style is prevalant (fast lindy, blues, balboa, charleston, etc)?
There are a lot of good scenes out there for different reasons. And depending on who you are as a dancer and person you might value them differently.
Is New Orleans growing? Yes. Are they hosting more cool events? Yes. But that isn't necessarily everyone's definition of a strong scene.
Quoted from "bryn" I think that says a lot right there about where the scene is headed. I almost never thought I'd see the day where drinking anywhere, much less in the streets, would be a big thing for lindy hoppers.
Quoted from "CharlieChristian" You seem to be be implying that DC and LA are no longer amazing... which is not true. Both are thriving and growing.
I tend to agree with Alain that Montreal is the next big scene. The talent out there is incredible.
I'm totally implying that. DC sucks. You have dancers like Andy, Kate, Bobby, David, Nina. What do they know. And bands like the Boilermakers?! Absolutely terrible!
And your events?!?! Good lawd! ULHS, an annual sold-out DCLX, VSO, they all suck and no one goes to them. I can't believe you think that the scene is amazing!
For the record, that's where I learned to lindy, and it holds a very dear place in my heart. It's one of my favorite scenes in the world, and I was honored ro be a part of its resurgence.
Quoted from "mouth" I think it also depends on how you define "the next big scene". It is sheer numbers of dancers? Is it average quality of social dancing? Is it the venues? Is it the number of dance nights per week? Is it great local bands? Is it hosting big events? Is it having big name dancers who live there? Is it based on what style is prevalant (fast lindy, blues, balboa, charleston, etc)?
Yes. That is how I define "the next big scene". All of that.
And I have some serious Montreal envy right now.
Actually, I have some serious Canada envy. http://www.newsweek.com/id/183670
Quoted from "jlindyhopr" And your events?!?! Good lawd! ULHS, an annual sold-out DCLX, VSO, they all suck and no one goes to them. I can't believe you think that the scene is amazing!
Quoted from "jlindyhopr" And your events?!?! Good lawd! ULHS, an annual sold-out DCLX, VSO, they all suck and no one goes to them. I can't believe you think that the scene is amazing!
Quoted from "bryn" I think that says a lot right there about where the scene is headed. I almost never thought I'd see the day where drinking anywhere, much less in the streets, would be a big thing for lindy hoppers.
Quoted from "bryn" I think that says a lot right there about where the scene is headed. I almost never thought I'd see the day where drinking anywhere, much less in the streets, would be a big thing for lindy hoppers.
The next big dance scene
jlindyhopr
So, this kinda goes with the "Pick Up and Move" thread.
It seems that different scenes gain momentum then die down. First it was DC, then LA, and then Seattle. I've spoken with a number of dancers, instructors, world champions, and legends. As of right now, Seattle has the #1 dance scene in terms of quality of leads, follows, and instructors.
Disclaimer: I'm not saying other scenes are bad, but if someone was to ask which city would be the best city to move to in terms of getting the most out of dancing, Seattle repeatedly comes up as the #1 answer.
With that being said, what city do you think will be the next BIG one?
In my opinion, I think the next scene will actually be New Orleans. We have a small and humble scene, but we already have Nathalie, Chance, and Amy. We have Dance Renaissance, Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown, Fleur de Lindy, and the Rhythmic Arts Festival. A couple of champions will be moving here March, April, and May. I don't want to say who yet as it is not my place to let THAT cat out of the bag, but it will be great for the scene.
We have the best music in the world, no cover at most of the jazz clubs, no cabaret laws (no offense NY but those laws SUCK A BIG ONE), the best festivals in the world, and lots of support for dancers through the local community. Not to mention the student scene at Tulane, Loyola, UNO, and LSU is growing, therefore feeding a new generation of dancers. AND New Orleans has been named one of the fastest growing cities (mainly because they're rebuilding it from almost scratch, and job opportunities continue to open).
Drawbacks for people moving here...
1. Pay scale is dramatically smaller than anywhere else in the US, but for those pro-dancers, they don't work full-time jobs anyway, and would make just as much teaching here as they would in another city.
2. Way of life is not THAT much less expensive than anywhere else in the US other than the BIG cities.
3. New Orleans is a small city. The population is tiny, therefore a percentage of the dancing population is tiny.
With such big events, great music, and a spirit that will never die (plus drinking in the streets is legal), I can't think of another city that compares. Although, honestly, I didn't see Seattle as a contender a couple of years ago.
What are your thoughts on the next big swing city and why?
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pill_popper
This is huge.
you just got to listen to the music, 'cause it's talkin' to you man! -frankie
http://www.zazzle.com/anarchyforpresident
jlindyhopr
yup ;) especially for lindy hoppers!
bryn
I think that says a lot right there about where the scene is headed. I almost never thought I'd see the day where drinking anywhere, much less in the streets, would be a big thing for lindy hoppers.
mity
it's only a big thing for the loud, drunk minority ( hmmm.... beer).
scoharn
You may be right. One of the exciting things that may help grow interest is the expansion underway at the World War II Museum that is currently underway. This article in the local paper caught my attention:
jlindyhopr
Yeah, I've been talking to them for a while. The Grand opening is in November, so they're still working out the details, trying to find out who the restaurateur will be, and how much room they'll have for dancing.
BTW, who are you?
scoharn
Check your PM, Professor ;)
Actually, the first place I saw real lindy hop (and not 6 count ECS) was at the WWII "Sunday Swing" events last summer. You and Nat both taught some basic stuff, which we were already familiar with. But after that we saw what you guys and others were doing and signed up for your classes.
I've been lurking on Yehoodi for a while.
jlindyhopr
Welcome Scott! Have fun at KdV tonight. Drink a few for me!
jlindyhopr
And btw, so far, there are no arguments. The only other big city that I think will gain momentum (which already has a great scene) is Quebec.
Any other thoughts? Are you in agreement, or just don't disagree?
excess
I think booze is absolutely necessary to building a scene these days. There just aren't enough people who decide to start swing dancing out of nowhere (e.g. because they saw the Gap ad or Swing Kids). The best way to expose new people is to have dancing at places where there are a lot of non dancers. That generally means live music and alcohol. It's a lot easier to convince someone to come along with you to a bar w/ live music downtown than it is to get them to go to a dj'd dance at a church rec room 20 minutes outside of town.
arthur
RubyMae
I'm in the "I don't care where the next big scene will be" crowd.
jlindyhopr
That doesn't surprise me RM.
bryn
Quebec the city or the province? I don't see Quebec City reaching that status. I don't think Montreal will, either. Great scenes with some great dancers, but the conditions aren't right for becoming the next DC or Seattle.
Other than that, I have no opinion on the matter.
boyerific
Then why bother posting in this thread? No one cares that you don't care.
AlainW
I'm guessing you're referring to Montreal, Quebec, instead of Quebec city - or the Quebec province as a whole.
We've got a lot of inspiring dancers and teachers in town, including Max&Annie, Zack&Maryse, Sylwia Bielec, Alain Fragman, Dax (& Alice who was here for the past month) etc... who are all working to push the dance here. There are also rumors of a couple of top Balboa teacher/dancers moving here in the very near future.
I'm fortunate to be working with an inspiring group of dancers here (Northern Lights) and I think Montreal is definitely growing, with three major swing schools, 5 well-attended weekly dances, and people really working hard on growing the community.
Does that mean you should move to Montreal for dance? Maybe, maybe not. There are many other perks that make the city attractive - including lower costs of living, English/French bilingualism, cheaper university tuition (for Americans, can be significant savings as tuition is 15k instead of 38k), amazing public transportation.
.. and we're in Canada (although you could argue most of us are experiencing Obama-envy right now). I guess the main drawback is that you would need to find a way to legally move here. Fall in love and marry a Canadian :)
northlight
I agree with the above statement.
I think the "movers and shakers" of the swing scene need to make the dance events and venues more "stylish". After all, it was a nostalgia for a stylish, elegant past which revived swing dancing in the last few years of the 20th Century. It was the idea of dressing up in nice clothing, downing a few cocktails in a nice setting before taking a spin on the dance floor with your well dressed partner that propelled so many non-dancers to take up swing ten years ago (and also in the 1930's and 1940's as people looked for a glamorous escape from the grim realities of the time - and swing became the mainstream pop culture). I think we need to inject this style back into the swing scene in order to attract more new dancers and keep the scenes thriving. We strive for style in the our actual dances so why not in the scene itself??
I should note that in addition to excellent dancers and teachers in Seattle, the scene there has an elegant, period ballroom which is a focal point for the city's vibrant swing scene.
London UK has some wonderfully "stylish" events such as dine and dance events etc.
It is time to bring back "glam"!!!
Let's hear your thoughts!
RubyMae
She was inquiring why no one was posting - she posed a false dichotomy - either we agree, or we don't disagree. I was noting that there's a third option.
And now, I'll post just to irk you.
CharlieChristian
You seem to be be implying that DC and LA are no longer amazing... which is not true. Both are thriving and growing.
I tend to agree with Alain that Montreal is the next big scene. The talent out there is incredible.
billy bakelite
DC's is even growing geographically. We have dancers in Southeast Virginia who are increasingly doing what we call the "carpool hell ride": 3 and a 1/2 hr. drive up, dance, and someone else drives the 3 1/2 hours back.
Toon Town Dave
You never know, Quaqtaq, QC could be the next big scene!
It's really hard to say what the next big scene will be. I see lots of really good things happening in many scenes, small and large. A lot of people are doing a lot of hard work to promote the dance, move up the competition ranks and put together performance teams. It's really exciting to see the growth in small scenes like Edmonton, AB. The whole Lindy Hop scene seems to be experiencing growth.
Summer Solstice Girl
Not necessarily. Since the QSRV is/was in Quebec City and it always had such a great attendance, it is fairly easy for an out-of-towner to make the assumption that Quebec City has a big scene.
Dax is now living in Montreal? since when?
Cheaper for Quebec residents. For the rest of us Canadian is twice as much as we would pay in our own province :P
mouth
I think it also depends on how you define "the next big scene". It is sheer numbers of dancers? Is it average quality of social dancing? Is it the venues? Is it the number of dance nights per week? Is it great local bands? Is it hosting big events? Is it having big name dancers who live there? Is it based on what style is prevalant (fast lindy, blues, balboa, charleston, etc)?
There are a lot of good scenes out there for different reasons. And depending on who you are as a dancer and person you might value them differently.
Is New Orleans growing? Yes. Are they hosting more cool events? Yes. But that isn't necessarily everyone's definition of a strong scene.
boyerific
What does it say?
jlindyhopr
I'm totally implying that. DC sucks. You have dancers like Andy, Kate, Bobby, David, Nina. What do they know. And bands like the Boilermakers?! Absolutely terrible!
And your events?!?! Good lawd! ULHS, an annual sold-out DCLX, VSO, they all suck and no one goes to them. I can't believe you think that the scene is amazing!
For the record, that's where I learned to lindy, and it holds a very dear place in my heart. It's one of my favorite scenes in the world, and I was honored ro be a part of its resurgence.
CharlieChristian
Yes. That is how I define "the next big scene". All of that.
And I have some serious Montreal envy right now.
Actually, I have some serious Canada envy. http://www.newsweek.com/id/183670
hoya01
You mean ILHC, right?
Jeslett
The Boilermakers are from Pittsburgh. We've just co-opted them.
jlindyhopr
Yes, I was tired when I was typing.
RubyMae
It says the scene is headed to rehab.
Wexie
Rehab is for quitters.
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