Welcome to Swing Asheville! Below you’ll see a quick overview of the happenings at our official Tuesday night weekly dance at THE BLOCK off Biltmore at 39 S Market St, downtown Asheville. The cover is $5 for Swing Asheville members (become a member by clicking HERE…please be patient, page takes a while to load!).
Note that every month, this schedule will change to reflect the upcoming bands and learning opportunities!
Tuesday Night Music & Dance Schedule
The dance runs from 9-11 pm, followed by late night vintage blues dancing.
| Date | Music | Description |
|---|---|---|
| October 3, 2017 | Community Jazz Jam | This monthly fundraiser for Swing Asheville has become one of our favorite nights and really brings our community together! The music will be our community swing jam band which means YOU are welcome to jump on stage with the house band and sing or play old jazz favorites with us- or dance your heart out. Visit our Asheville Swing Jam facebook page for setlist and charts if you want to join us on stage. |
| October 10, 2017 | One Leg Up | One Leg Up represents Asheville's jazz scene in fine form, playing a lively, danceable mix of gypsy jazz, Latin, swing, and original compositions. Always a responsive and fun dance band, and also delightful to just sit back and watch while they make musical magic! |
| October 17, 2017 | Sweet Megg & The Wayfarers (from NYC!) | Sweet Megg and her wayfaring musicians will transport you, not to the past but to a new world of their own making. The band is lead by the charmingly enigmatic Sweet Megg, who imbues each song with her own concoction of melancholy and euphoria that will delight you, surprise you, and break your heart all at once. The band seamlessly incorporates elements of New Orleans Swing, Harlem swing, Parisian cabaret, and gut bucket blues into one charming musical performance. Saxophonist Ryan Weisheit reimagines a world where Sidney Bechet, Lester Young, and Charlie Parker blow side by side. Together Sweet Megg, Ryan, and all the Wayfarers create a world where jazz is alive and well and living in New York. |
| October 24, 2017 | The Billie Holidays (a new Michael Gamble band) | The Billie Holidays pay tribute to Lady Day's music and the era in which she made her mark on pop music forever. The iconic vocalist's repertoire is rendered instrumentally with great care given to details of the performance style of the day. Stride pianos, sentimental trombones, and vibrating saxophones dance through the airwaves in celebration of the golden age of songwriting. Savvy to dancers' needs, the Holidays keep it cooking at a medium pace, and spike the music with head-nodding riffs and recreations of classic dance floor arrangements. Bandleader Michael Gamble's 15+ years in the international swing dance and music scene inform every aspect of the band's repertoire and taste. |
| October 31, 2017 | SPECIAL HALLOWEEN DANCE
The Low Down Sires | THERE WILL BE A COSTUME CONTEST The Low-Down Sires have been busy reviving rare early 20th century jazz classics for the past five years, and are known and respected widely as true traditionalists. Consistently hailed as one of the most popular dance bands in the region, the Sires have had the pleasure of performing at events all over the eastern US, in addition to their regular circuit of local swing dances, club appearances, and private parties. Dedicated to the lost sounds of the earliest roots of jazz, and inspired by the compositions and arrangements of King Oliver, Kid Ory, Jelly Roll Morton and other giants from the storied origins of the art form, their authentic sound transports listeners to the streets of Old New Orleans and the barrelhouses of early 20th century Mississippi river towns. Their hot swingin' style is a surefire hit with audiences everywhere, from concert halls, bars and back-porches, to swing dances and street corners |
Tuesday Night Class Schedule
(All monthly class series begin the first Tuesday night of the month.)
| Time | Class | Instructors |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesdays in October at 7 pm | Balboa Technique for Intermediate Dancers
This four week series will focus on techniques to make your Balboa more comfy, more gushy, more connected-basically more of all the things we love about Balboa! The first 2 weeks will focus on closed connection (pure Balboa) and the second 2 weeks will emphasize open connection (Bal Swing). Participants should know (or be familiar with) some fundamental balboa patterns to benefit from this class: uphold and downhold basic, ad-libs (such as paddles and scoots), Out and ins, swivels, and toss-outs. Classes are held every Tuesday from 7-8 pm at The BLOCK off biltmore. Each class costs $10, or $8 if you are a Swing Asheville member. | Melissa Burdeos & Franklin Smith |
| Tuesdays in October at 8 pm | Intro to Partner Charleston
PRE-REQUISITES: none! No partner needed! We are excited to be teaching an intro to partner Charleston! This fun style of dance is especially suited to dancing to faster tempos. In this 4 week series, we will cover the basics and a couple of variations. 1930's Charleston is a great addition to your swing dance repertoire, and pairs well with Lindy and Balboa. No partner necessary, everyone will lead and everyone will follow. Come dance with us! Classes are held every Tuesday from 8-9pm at The BLOCK off biltmore. Each class costs $10, or $8 if you are a Swing Asheville member. | Sparrow Pants & Keith Smith |