Dancing Til Dusk in Downtown Seattle, Summer 2016

Dancing Til Dusk 

in Downtown Seattle

Wonderful music, mostly performed live, friendly dancers, free lessons, and beautiful settings where passerbys and enjoy watching or jump in to join the fun! 

You become a joyful part of our downtown scene. 

Click on the link to get the full scoop. 

And if possible, carpool or take a bus - parking is expensive, and carpooling is fun

14 Nights of Free Lessons

& Dancing in
Seattle's Downtown City Parks!

Summertime Swing! NW Solar Fest in Shoreline, Saturday July 23 12:30 - 2 pm

Today's the day for the annual NW Solar Fest, at Shoreline Community College

Saturday July 23, 10 am to 5 pm 

Mark and I will be teaching a High Joy, Low Carbon Swing lesson  for beginners

followed by dancing and dj'd music,

and we'd love to have experienced dancers join us in bringing more converts into our beloved dance community. 

Swing dance lesson:  12:30 - 1 pm

Swing dancing:  1- 2 pm

Dancing at Folklife 2016, Seattle Center over Memorial Day Weekend! Meet the world's cultures one dance at a time

Dear dance friends,

Ah, the wild, magical and chaotic beauty of Folklife!  Where else can you dance nearly every kind of dance you can imagine, all for the cost of a daily donation? ($10 per day requested, pay as you can) .

 Mark and I are looking forward to seeing many many friends, and making new acquaintances, at Seattle Center this weekend.  Since it can be overwhelming as well, here's a condensed schedule for familiar partner dances + a couple performances featuring friends (like us!  and Left Foot Boogi-ers). 

Savoy Swing Performance Troupe at Folklife 2015.  Photo by Laura Livingston, use with permission

All the items in red are dances / events we're counting on attending, with this caveat:  I leave room in my plans for serendipitous discoveries, intuitive diversions, and generally being led astray by happy interactions that can never be anticipated.  Maybe you'll find yourself dancing with a stranger and the chemistry is too good to leave until the end of that set.... or you find a string band doing improv with an opera singer... or you slide into a seat at one of the theaters and become mesmerized by the experimental film you're watching... or the sea shanties being sung in the beer garden are as intoxicating as your stout!  

Here's one of my strategies for enjoying Folklife:  after I've already used my earplugs well while beating a drum in the rhythm circle, and joined an impromptu parade, and danced my socks off, I migrate over to the Back Porch Stage, (map on pg. 24 of the program guide) also known as the Northwest Court area.  This is the home of wonderful indie + traditional acoustic music, with room to dance on the concrete plus visual arts and the crafts booths nearby.  

Lastly, PLEASE consider going green, as green as you can, this year. This is the microcosm of the world in it's finest light; let's bring our best, too.  Some ideas:  

Getting there:  carpool down, take Metro or enjoy a special deal from Folklife for trying Lyft, an Uber-like service; click here for more details:  Folklife transportation and parking

Bring Your Own: reusable drink / coffee cup, plasticware, cloth napkin, snacks (fun to share, and cheaper than buying all your food there, although who can resist a good foodcourt, or the annual elephant ear :) , and ground cloth for sitting on wet grass.  I bring a backpack and check it at the Roadhouse, or loop it around a chair leg.  Umbrella, too... looks like a good chance of some rain. 

Enjoy!  xox Margot

The Participatory Folklife Dance Schedule

Folklife is an amazing experience of music and dance over Memorial Day weekend. Here is the   dance schedule!  (click this link for more details at the 2016 NW Folklife site! ). 

Note :  Contra dance is a lot of fun, and it's the most popular dance form at Folklife.  Give it a whirl!  Basically any time you're at Fisher Pavilion / Roadhouse between other forms of dance, it'll be Contra dance time.  It's like Square dance, with a caller, but takes many forms and uses a wide variety of moves / patterns.... it's also a bit like riding a bumper car without a steering wheel, if it's your first time; embrace the chaos! 

Friday May 27

Armory Court: 

3 High School Jazz/Swing Bands 3:30–6 pm

3 Blues/ Swing Bands 7–9:45 pm  (lesson w Ari Levitt at 7:45 - 8)

Fisher Roadhouse (Pavilion ) : 

Two Cajun /Zydeco Bands 8–10 pm

Contra 11 am-8 pm

Fountain Lawn Stage: 

Blues 4:30-5:45

Saturday May 28 

Armory Court: 

Hula showcase and lesson 2 - 2:45 pm

3 Tango Bands 3-6 PM

Fisher Roadhouse: 

6-8pm  Jazz age partner dance / Swing dance  

    Jodi + Dean Patton teach One Step from 6:50 - 7 pm

Contra 11-1,   3-5   &  8-10 pm

Armory Loft: Dance Workshops all day

* Intiman Theater ?:  Annual Performer's Party (check in at Hospitality upstairs in the Armory to find out details, if you're performing - one year, this was the highlight of our weekend! )

Sunday May 29 

Fountain lawn    12-2pm  Zydeco

Fisher Roadhouse  1-3 pm  Western Swing 

1:40 pm  Left Foot  Boogie Swing performance troupe 

2- 2:45  check out Wylie & The Wild West, highly recommended!  

3-5pm  Cajun and  Zydeco  (lesson w MaryLee Lykes! at 3:50 )

8-10pm Waltz
8:40pm  Left Foot Boogie  Waltz performance troupe 

Monday May 30 

Armory Court: 
11-1pm  Cajun and  Zydeco

3-5pm  Swing

3 and 4pm   Savoy Swing Performance Group  (This is our troupe! and there's a Swing lesson, too  from 4 - 4:15) 
6-9pm  Salsa

Coastal Jam and Traditional Powwow, Sunday and Monday at Folklife

Thanks for a great year! See you at Folklife 2016!

Thanks everyone who came out to Namaste Yoga Studio to take lessons with us and share your vibrant spirit with us!  Let's meet up at Folklife and dance our socks off, enjoying the world's culture and every kind of dance you can imagine! 

Namaste.

Affectionately, Margot and Mark

  D e l i c i o u s   D a n c e

Thanks to our good friend Heber Farnsworth, for these wonderful photos from class! 

This Tuesday, May 17th, we'll teach our final spring lesson at Namaste Yoga Studio!  Jump in and celebrate with us:

Swing 1 : A special half hour intro lesson, from 7 - 7:30.  A $5 donation is requested; free if you can't afford that.  

* Swing 2 friends can come for free, to reinforce your basics and welcome new dancers

Swing 2 :  New and review moves for our Vintage Swing series, 7:30-8:30

Drop in:  $12

Afterward, anybody who's interested can go out with us for a little refreshment and socializing at a the Easy Monkey Taphouse, a great neighborhood venue that JUST opened up their Tuesday evenings!  Open till 10, so we'll bust out of the dance studio and head right over; EMT is just down 15th at:

17537 15th Ave NE, Ste B

Shoreline, WA

See your beautiful self shining on the dance floor!

xox Margot 

Swingin' Through Spring ! New Swing dance classes for beginners + Intermediate level, May 3, 10, 17 2016

S w i n g i n'   through   S p r i n g !

New Swing classes for May, Beginning and Intermediate levels

Swing 1 from 8:30 - 9:30 pm * Everything you need to get out on the dance floor, including fundamental moves + connection.  

This is a great opportunity for brand new dancers to get rolling, just as the wonderful season of outdoor dancing and weddings begins, so if you know somebody ready to begin, send 'em our way!

Also great for learning the opposite role, switching Lead or Follow.

Swing 2 from 7:30 - 8:30 pm * Snappy new moves + combinations, more musicality, more fun! 

With a core group of friendly dancers and room for you!  

$33 / 3 week session or $12 drop in

Location: Namaste Yoga Studio 18021 15th Ave NE, Suite 101 Shoreline (in North City, in the Evergreen building, lots of free parking. Located just south of St. Mark's church).

Happy dancing, xox Margot + Mark 

You can reach us at  206-913-3962   and   illuminahealingart@gmail.com  

Swingin' at the Blue Sage June 2nd 2016 ! North Fork Valley dance

Hey there, North Fork dancers! 

Mark and I are coming for a short visit ( 1 week ) to Paonia, to see friends, work on our house, and dance!  We've got the Blue Sage booked on Thursday evening, June 2nd, from 8 - 10 pm.  We'll play a mix of Swing, Rock, Blues, and a few surprises.  No lesson, just lots of friendly dancing.  Mark your calendars - come visit and dance with us!  

Suggested donation to cover the cost of renting the hall:  $5

All proceeds beyond the rent go to the Blue Sage. 

Happy springtime, Margot and Mark, Delicious Dance 

Swingin' through Spring - Swing dance classes in May at Namaste Yoga Studio in Shoreline / North City

Mark and I had such a grand time teaching our free lesson at Third Place Commons last night - wow, what an amazing turnout!  We thought maybe a dozen would show - by the time we were done, we estimate about 100 happy dancers had joined the circle!  Thanks to everyone who came, especially you "ringers" who helped some brand new dancers have a successful first experience with Swing dance. 

Now we're inspired to offer a 3 week session in May:

S w i n g i n' through S p r i n g

Swing 1 from 8:30 - 9:30 pm

and snappy new material for Swing 2 from 7:30 - 8:30 pm

Invite your friends, and save the dates:

Tuesdays, May 3, 10 and 17  $33, or $12 drop in

Location: Namaste Yoga Studio 18021 15th Ave NE, Suite 101 Shoreline

Meanwhile, hope to see you this Tuesday at Namaste Yoga Studio, as we continue Swing into Blues, level 2, 7:30 - 8:30.  Leads especially encouraged - we need you to round out this wonderful group of dancers. 

Happy dancing, Margot + Mark

Free Swing dance lesson, Saturday April 16 Third Place Commons !

Jump into Swing dance! 

Free Beginning Swing lesson at Third Place Commons    

taught by Mark and Margot of Delicious Dance, members of Savoy Swing Performance Troupe

No partner neccesary, fun and friendly.  All ages welcome. 

 Saturday April 16  6 – 7 pm *  followed by dancing with 85th St Big Band

Swing into Blues! April Swing 2 class at Delicious Dance, Shoreline / North Seattle

Swing into Blues !

Friendly Swing Dance class * level 2 for dancers w solid basics

Tuesdays, April 5, 12, 19, 26   7:30 – 8:30 pm

At  Namaste Yoga Studio, in North City / Shoreline.

 In our small group class, we'll teach smooth blues styling to mix into your swing.  The beginning and end of class includes time to simply dance and practice, integrating the moves with the  rhythm of the music. Fun, great exercise, and joyful connection with your fellow humans!

Location:  Namaste Yoga Studio 18021 15th Ave NE, Suite 101 Shoreline, 98155 

Cost: $44 for the 4 week session, $12 drop-in

No partner or dance experience necessary;  we'll rotate during the lesson for maximum fun. 

Please bring clean, smooth soled shoes or dance shoes, and a water bottle

Instructors:  Mark and Margot of Savoy Swing Performance Troupe

DeliciousDance.blogspot.com

Top 5 reasons for learning to swing dance

The top 5 reasons to learn Swing dance?
5. It's great exercise
4. You'll make new friends 
3. Dancing builds new synapses in your brain, refreshing your body / brain connection
2. It increases your self confidence
1. For the joy of it! Joy and pure happiness contribute to our well being in every possible way:
    building healthy communities, invigorating physical health in every cell of our bodies, and enlivening 
    us as evolving spiritual beings - wow!  This last one may be harder to prove; we believe it's certainly 
    true, and many of the social dancers you'll meet will agree. 

Frankie Manning, the Ambassador of Swing + his dance pal 

Delicious Spring Swing Dance classes in Shoreline / North Seattle, March 2016 !

Delicious Spring Swing Dance      March session

8h ago

Spring is here, and you're invited to join our fun and friendly swing dance classes, conveniently located in north city at Namaste Yoga Studio !
This month wraps up our regular weekly classes, so here's your big chance for dance adventure!
For March, we're providing these 5 week sessions: 
Swing 1, covering the fun-da-mentals
to get you quickly on the dance floor!
Swing 2, with juicy new combinations, more practice to enhance your musicality, 
and opportunities to add refinement and verve to your existing 
moves!
Instructors: we're Mark Willson and Margot Richardson, long time Shoreline neighbors + members of the Savoy Swing Performance Troupe! Our classes are friendly, fun, and tailored to our student's skill level + interests. 

Here's the scoop:
Delicious Dance at Namaste Yoga Studio, Shoreline / North City
18021 15th Ave NE, Suite 101 Shoreline, 98155 

Swing 1, the Fun-da-mentals
March 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 $55 
or $12 drop in 
8:30 - 9:30 pm
Learn all the basics of Swing dance through solid connection,
basic footwork, and fun combinations.
Also a great review of the basics, if you're looking for a refresher. 

Swing 2. It's a Wrap! *
March 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 $55 
Or $12 drop in
7:30 - 8:30 pm
All new combinations plus expansion of some classic moves + more on musicality!

The beginning and end of classes include time to simply dance and practice, integrating the moves with the rhythm of the music. Fun, great exercise, and joyful connection with your fellow humans!

* Easy, free parking, too. Located at the north end of the North City business blocks, on the west side, just before St. Mark's church. 

Welcoming new and returning students
You don't need to bring a partner, we rotate throughout class. 

Please bring clean, smooth soled shoes or dance shoes, and a water bottle 

* Swing 2 is for dancers with some fundamental swing dance skills: basic 6 count footwork and connection with a partner, inside + outside turns. 

Questions? Email Margot at illuminahealingart@gmail.com   or call 206-913-3962 

See you in class! 

PS Private lessons are another possibility - for a reasonable cost, we'll tutor you in the basics, in a time frame that's convenient for you. Just drop me an email       illuminahealingart@gmail.com 

Beginning Swing and Swing 2: You Solid Sender, You! Shoreline Swing Dance February 2016

New!  February Swing 1 and 2, more fun for you! 

Delicious Dance at Namaste Yoga Studio, Shoreline

18021 15th Ave NE, Suite 101 Shoreline, 98155 

Thanks to popular demand, we're now offering Swing 1 on Tuesday nights, along with our very lively Swing 2 class!  More to love, so jump in, new dancers! 

Swing 1, the  Fun-da-mentals

February 9 + 16   $24    

8:30 - 9:30 pm

Dip your toes in the water, get a taste of Swing dance through solid connection,
basic footwork, and fun combinations. 
Yes, you can learn enough in two weeks, with practice, to get out on the dance floor and start enjoying social dance!   Also a great review of the basics, if you want a refresher. 

Swing 2, You Solid Sender, you!

February 2, 9 + 16   $33  or $12 drop in

7:30 - 8:30 pm

Play with new rhythms and combinations, giving you expanded confidence to move to any groove.  In swing slang, become a "Solid Sender", able to use what you know and add your own feeling to the dance. 

The beginning and end of class includes time to simply dance and practice, integrating the moves with the rhythm of the music. Fun, great exercise, and joyful connection with your fellow humans!

* Lots of free parking, and some good, cheap places to eat nearby

Welcoming new and returning students
You don't need to bring a partner, we rotate throughout class. 

Please bring clean, smooth soled shoes or dance shoes, and a water bottle

Instructors:  Mark and Margot of Savoy Swing Performance Troupe

And from Left Foot Boogie

Lindy Intermediate on Thursdays at Phinney Center

with Mark Kihara and Jodi Flieschman!

Jan 28, Feb 4, 11, 18, 25

6532 Phinney Ave North, Seattle, $80. Drop in: $20.

7:00 - 8:30   More Frankie Faves!