Toronto Collegiate Shag Dance Weekend Workshop,
with

Chris O'Connor & Nancy K.

Saturday April 17 and Sunday April 18, 2004, Toronto, Canada

Look HERE
For one measly, paper-thin check in the amount of $ 25, we give you: Two days of instruction Eight one-hour classes All the basics, from scratch E-registration will follow as soon as mechanically possible, but we urge you to get the drop on this one now. Dovercourt House is only so big, ydig? kidoconnor@dancing.org (Secretary, Rebel Swing) Make your check or money order payable to: Rebel Swing and send it off to Shag headquarters at: Rebel Swing 114 Dolores Rd Downsview, ON M3L-2K8 Meantime, watch this SPOT for a brief history of the Shag, bios of the instructors Kid Christopher OConnor and Nancy K, and dates for pre-workshop PDS (Public Displays of Shag)

Schedule

Saturday, April 17th, Dovercourt House

10:30Registration Open

11:00
Shag Basics: The basic step, from scratch
12:00Turns: Four different ones!

1:00
Lunch/Practice: With music & instructors on-hand

2:00
Break Timing: One of the Shag's most important timings, it's the basis of some of the dance's fundamental figures
3:00Barrel Rolls & Back Breaks: Nifty-but-simple moves using and expanding on what we've already learned today
Sunday, April 18th, Dovercourt House

10:30Registration Open

11:00
Triple Timing: Shag's other must-know timing. Learn classic moves like Reverse Kicks and The Crescent

12:00
Triple Timing, pt. II: Onward and upward

1:00
Lunch/Practice: With music & Instructors on-hand

2:00
Open & Side-by-Side Moves: Break away into Shag's two other classic stances

3:00
Styling: Added fanciness with nifty footwork and postures. Plus! How to recognize a Shag song

*** REGISTRATION IS OPEN *** 
DANCE! to ridiculously fast tunes with ease and style

MOVE! to musical styles the Lindy Hop can't take you
to, like Dixieland, New Orleans- and Chicago-style jazz

DISCOVER! that classic tunes by Jelly Roll Morton,
Fats Waller, Jack Teagarden,  Pee Wee Russell and
Eddie Condon are suddenly danceable

LIBERATE! your dancing from the need to count.
`S'right, friends: this is a number-free dance!
[Non-engineers and tech-heads take note]

MIX! the Shag seamlessly with your Lindy Hop and
Balboa-Swing [We'll show you how!]

STEAL! moves from East Coast and Jitterbug and
make `em look cool

SHOW! your non-dancing friends at the bar how to
dance Swing in the span of a single tune.
[Just try this with a swingout or Balboa basic]

FAQ

Oye, vatos y vatas!

This is a short message to answer some of the frequently posed questions we've gotten about the workshop over the past week.

* What kind of info do you need for my registration? Just your name and the check'll do it. Since we don't maintain a newsletter or mailout group (not yet, anyway) we don't need street or e-mail addresses unless you want to give them. Also, since the workshop is a one-price-gets-all-classes deal, we don't need to know which classes you plan to attend: for the $25, you can take as many or as few as you feel like. All you need to do at registration is give us your name, we check it against our list of already-received checks, and you're in. Simple!

* Is there a registration deadline and do I need to pay more at the door? No, and no. We've decided not to impose artificial restrictions on who can come or to urge people to cough up the dough early. We've rented a big, cheap place -- the Dovercourt House -- with plenty of room for everybody who wants to go (Hell, it was big enough for Bill Borgida and Joel & Alison, so it'll definitely do for li'l ol' us). Since we intend to raise money only to cover the cost of renting the space and the headphones, we don't need to jack up the price the day of the event, either. Finally, on account of the big room, there will be no cap on registration numbers. That's right: since I very much doubt we'll outdraw the likes of Joel and Alison, there'll be space enough for everybody and consequently no maximum enrolment.

* Will there be a dance? As part of our mission to keep this thing as ridiculously cheap as possible, we've decided to forego having a dance. However, since this is Canada's most vibrant city (yeah, yeah ... lump it, Montrealers ;-> ) there's always the Reservoir Lounge, the Rex Hotel or the Silver Dollar, to name a few places. Checking out www.dancing.org or Jody's site hop.to_toronto, (I think?!) can get you some more details. Closer to the date, I'll try to mail out some suggestions.

* What's the schedule and will there be a website? Peter Renzland of dancing.org has graciously offered to host a page for our workshop. He says he's already got it up, so it just remains for me to type up the sked and mail it off so he can upload it -- I reckon by the end of next week at the outside. [Well, as you know, all that's available has been up for several weeks now. :-) ]

I'll also be mailing out to the E-mail lists a schedule within the next few days. I've already gotten it drawn up, but I figured I'd just throw a few teaser posts you-all's way first -- y'know, as they do in Hollywood.

For now, the registration opens both days at the Dovercourt House at 10:30, with classes beginning at 11:00. You'll get four each day, with a one hour lunch. Also, all during the lunch break I'll be playing some Shag-suitable music should you want to work out some moves.

THanks for your interest and questions: they're encouraging, and I know they bode well for us having a great workshop.

Thanks again,
Kid

Peter Renzland Toronto, Canada (416) 323-1300 Peter@Dancing.Org