San Jose Swing

This month's event will just be a fun, low-key way to get dancing with each other. The event is free, but please check out the event description for suggested places to donate if you're able! :)

One week away from Underrated Figures in Jazz History with Shelby Johnson!! We're so excited!

Hey y'all! Just to answer a few FAQs about tonight's event, Solo Jazz at Home with LaTasha Barnes! (1) You can still register online (https://breakawayswing.square.site/) any time before the event. And (2) the class won't be recorded, but we're super excited to join y'all live! :D

Super excited for tomorrow’s online class with LaTasha! In the meantime, enjoy this video of her solo dancing at Lindy Focus! :D https://youtu.be/8ame4M2h-4E

This Tuesday, we are so excited for LaTasha Barnes to come teach us tips for solo dancing at home! You can register for Tuesday's class here: https://breakawayswing.square.site/

Hi everyone! We wanted to share a wonderful event that two of our Bay Area swing venues, Wednesday Night Hop and The Breakaway, are putting on this weekend. If you'd like to attend but have financial concerns, San Jose Swing will cover you. Just shoot this page a message :)

Hi everyone! Just a reminder that we have a Virtual Social Hour tomorrow at 7pm. Feel free to bring your dinner, cats, knitting projects, etc. :) The zoom link will be posted an hour before the event starts.

Hi everyone! Activism Power Hour! will take place this Monday from 8-9pm. This will be a chance to come together and write emails, sign petitions, and chat about everything going on. We're partnering with other venues in the Bay Area for it too! :) https://www.facebook.com/events/648075499248707/

Hi everyone! Hoping everyone is safe and healthy, and hanging in there right now <3 For those of you who are interested in online dance classes, social justice discussions, or community social activities, here is a survey you can fill out! We'd likely be hosting any of these on a monthly basis. https://forms.gle/suPvn5enUGTqQ8EW7

Hi everyone! We'll have our last anti-racism discussion of the month next Monday via Zoom from 8-9pm. After that, we'll continue to post resources in the San Jose Swing - Community Group -- these conversations about race and inclusivity will be forever ongoing. Here is an event I wanted to share - it is a discussion led by Black dancers and academics in the swing and blues dance scenes. It's on July 11th and I'd love to see SJS in strong attendance! :) https://www.facebook.c...om/events/564607791150108/ And here are 4 blogs/pages by Black dancers that have a lot of important information about Lindy's history and the experience of Black people in our scene: Grey Armstrong blog: https://obsidiantea.com/ Odysseus Bailer page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2294584277429093/ Shelby Johnson patreon: https://www.patreon.com/gitgudfactory Frankie Manning Foundation: https://www.facebook.com/FrankieManningFoundation

Lindy Hop’s history is rooted in Black history and Black culture. Lindy Hop wouldn’t exist without the African American dancers who started it in Harlem in the 1920s. The Breakaway said it well: We cannot simply celebrate the dance legends without recognizing that Frankie was famously denied entry to Roseland Ballroom. Norma was not allowed to stay near the Vegas casino where she performed. Dawn's family band was threatened to be lynched while performing at a carnival. The s...ame immense struggle that shaped the lives of countless African Americans during the swing era, is still painfully on display in our society today. We will be continuing Monday night discussions about anti-racism and allyship throughout the month of June from 8-9pm via zoom. A piece of media amplifying Black voices will be posted every Wednesday in the San Jose Swing - Community Group. Each Monday, we will spend some time discussing it, as well as continuing to share resources, ideas, and concrete ways we can take action. Change is long overdue. We don’t have the answers, but we want to listen and learn and are committed to doing better.

**NOTICE OF CHANGE OF TOPIC TONIGHT** In light of recent events, we’d like to shift our community discussion tonight out to a later date, and instead use tonight to talk about what’s on the forefront of many of our minds. This will be an open-ended discussion about anti-racism and allyship. Our aim is to share resources, discuss materials we've found helpful, and leave everyone feeling a little more equipped than before to take action. https://www.facebook.com/events/667868153994348/

Hi everyone! We are excited to share three events we have coming up: (1) Community Mini-Lessons: "Verbalizing Movement" with Walter - Here's our last mini-lesson of the month from Walter Luh! This may or may not be the last one, depending on event number 3 ;) (Free, as always.) (2) Bay Area World Lindy Hop Day with Chester Whitmore and the Shim Sham! - We are partnering with The Breakaway - Swing Dancing in Oakland and other Bay Area dance venues to celebrate Frankie Manning'...s Birthday and dance the Shim Sham together! (Sliding scale.) (3) San Jose Swing Community Brainstorm! - We're super excited to discuss the future of SJS in a community brainstorm session. We'd love to hear your ideas - both for what you'd like to see while we're on hiatus, and what ideas you have when we start up again!

Hi everyone! Brynna here - I wanted to pass on a GoFundMe fundraiser from Silicon Valley Dance Club, the venue that has been hosting our Monday night dances. They're currently trying to raise funds to pay for rent during the months when they aren't able to hold classes or dances. If you would like to donate, you can click the link below :) If you'd like to support the studio by taking a class, I am also teaching an online beginner solo Charleston class on Thursday nights from 6-7pm, and all of the proceeds from it are going to support the studio. Here's the event for that if you'd like to join: https://www.facebook.com/events/552060422413247/ Miss dancing with you all dearly <3 Stay safe!!