2015 Midsummer Night Swing at Lincoln Center
Dance
Jun 23, 2015 to Jul 11, 2015
$17
Official Site
The 27th season of New York’s greatest outdoor dance party – Lincoln Center’s Midsummer Night Swing – takes over the open-air ballroom in Damrosch Park (West 62nd Street between Columbus & Amsterdam) from Tuesday, June 23 through Saturday, July 11. Midsummer Night Swing will bring together people of all ages, at every skill level, and from diverse social and cultural backgrounds for 15 evenings of social dance. Dance genres presented this summer include swing, mambo, tango, hustle, salsa, disco, blues, Lindy hop, waacking (similar to vogue-ing), and jitterbug. The bands come from across the country and around the world to play for the most demanding and appreciative audiences they’ll ever play for – New Yorkers.
For more info click here or continue reading for ticketing and full schedule
Tickets and passes go on sale May 20. Multi-evening Midsummer Night Passes are priced at $84 for six dances, and $170 for the full season. Four dance passes are available for $60. Tickets for individual evening events are $17.
Dance Ambassador. For $100, a group of four friends getting together for one night of open-air dancing will receive admission for four, bag check for four, and one complimentary glass of wine or beer per guest.
Each evening of Midsummer Night Swing is a ticketed event. The night begins with a dance lesson at 6:30 pm for all skill levels with some of New York’s foremost instructors. Lessons are included in the price of admission. Live music and dancing begins at 7:30 pm until 10 pm. Dancing continues until 11:30 pm on June 25 and 26 and July 2 for the Silent Discos.
The Swing box office is located in the lobby of Avery Fisher Hall at Broadway and 65th Street. Tickets for individual events and passes can be purchased in advance at the Avery Fisher Box Office or beginning at 5:30 pm on the night of the event at a box office in Damrosch Park. All major credit cards will be accepted. Tickets and passes can also be purchased through CenterCharge, 212-721-6500, or at MidsummerNightSwing.org. Twitter users can follow Midsummer Night Swing @LCSwing for ongoing news and updates.
Rain Policy Midsummer Night Swing makes every effort to present each event of the season, as long as unpredictable weather allows. Performance cancellations due to inclement weather will not be announced until 8:30 pm on show night. In the case of cancellation, ticket holders are entitled to exchange for another performance or a refund. Pass holders are not entitled to a refund. If a performance has begun and is cancelled after 8:30 pm, exchanges or refunds are not offered.
Silent Discos Following their success the past two seasons, there will be Silent Discos, powered by Quiet Events, on June 25 and 26 (a Silent Salsa) and July 2. At the Silent Disco, dancers are provided with wireless headphones to listen to extended DJ sets after the live music ends at 10 pm. While casual observers see a seemingly bizarre public ritual as dancers revel to the “silent” beats, the dancers are actually a part of an exhilarating public/private dance party. On June 25, Mobile Mondays! DJs Operator Emz, Joey Carvello, and Natasha Diggs will spin different sets in each headphone channel, creating simultaneous and ever-shifting dance parties. June 26 will be a Silent Salsa, with DJ Geko Jones of Qué Bajo doing the spinning, and on July 2 the party will keep going with DJ Turmix and Bill Coleman at the controls. Silent Discos will continue on the dance floor until 11:30 pm. Wireless headset is free with that night’s live show ticket, or $5 at the door for Silent Disco only, subject to capacity.
The schedule for Midsummer Night Swing:
Tuesday, June 23
Jonathan Stout’s All Star Orchestra featuring Hilary Alexander Big Band Swing
**New York City Debut**
Rarely do pre-bebop jazz and Lindy Hop enthusiasts get to dance to an orchestra of this caliber. Guitarist and bandleader Jonathan Stout has selected some of the scene’s best musicians to form this all-star orchestra. Being a swing dancer himself, Stout knows what ignites the dance floor and the excitement of music that begs to be danced to. The orchestra plays the music of the 1930s and 40s – and they follow the templates of Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, and Count Basie with their tight and aggressive sound.
Lesson: Evita Arce and Michael Jagger teach Lindy Hop
DJ: Ryan Swift
Wednesday, June 24
Nikki Hill Rock ‘n’ Roll
Nikki Hill sings raw rock ‘n’ roll with strength, passion, and honesty. While her debut album in 2013 created a huge buzz about the singer and her band, it is in live performance that she really explodes. Hill has been called “The Southern Fireball” and “the new Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll” for her unique voice and embrace of American roots music. She and her band have jaws dropping to the floor from the U.S. to Europe to Australia and back.
Lesson: Simone Coonrod of Swinging with Simone® teaches Jitterbug
DJ: The Golden Gup
Thursday, June 25
Mobile Mondays! Live with Jody Watley featuring SHALAMAR® Disco, Funk
The beloved and beautiful Jody Watley got her start as a “Soul Train“ dancer before forming the group SHALAMAR® with two male friends from that show. They had a number of hits in the late 1970s and early 80s, including “Make That Move,“ “Take It to the Bank,“ and “For the Lover in You.“ Watley went out on her own in 1982 and had huge success with songs including “Looking for a New Love“ and “Real Love“ that showcased her distinctive style, voice, and singular dance moves. The body-popping style of dance that SHALAMAR® is famous for, known as waacking, will be taught prior to the show, and the DJ crew Mobile Mondays! will be on the decks to continue the dance vibe.
Lesson: Princess Lockeroo teaches Waacking
DJ: Mobile Mondays! with DJs Operator Emz, Joey Carvello, Natasha Diggs
Silent Disco powered by Quiet Events at 10 pm
Friday, June 26
Orquesta SCC Salsa Dura
Orquesta SCC stands for Orquesta Salsa Con Concienca, and band founder Jose Vasquez-Cofresi says it is because they make music that benefits society in more ways than just sound. But what a sound! Orquesta SCC’s 11 members play old-school salsa dura, with the brassy street sound that salsa was originally known for. They also pay attention to the lyrics, which often deal with issues and complexities of modern life. Their playing has a hypnotic rhythm that pulls dancers onto the floor, hopeless to try and resist.
Lesson: Jimmy Anton teaches Salsa
DJ: Geko Jones of Qué Bajo?!
Silent Salsa powered by Quiet Events at 10 pm
Saturday, June 27
Save the Last Dance for Me: Roomful of Blues plays the Music of Doc Pomus Jump Blues, Rhythm & Blues, Rock ‘n’ Roll
Count Basie once called Roomful of Blues, “the hottest blues band I’ve ever heard,” and in 2015 the accolades are still pouring in. Their sound is a horn-driven blend of swing, rock ‘n’ roll, jump blues, and soul that makes for non-stop dancing. On June 27 they will honor the man who got the band its first recording contract: songwriter Doc Pomus. Pomus, one of the best white blues singers of the 1940s, turned to songwriting in the 1950s and almost immediately, with partner Mort Shuman, began to crank out the hits: “Little Sister,” “Lonely Avenue,” and “Viva Las Vegas” among them. Pomus’ biggest hit, and the song that remains one of the 25 most popular songs ever recorded, was “Save the Last Dance for Me,” written by Pomus, who was in a wheelchair, for his wife on their wedding night, a story poignantly told in the recent documentary feature film AKA Doc Pomus. Pomus’ songs have reached number one on every type of Billboard domestic and foreign chart and have reached the top forty in every decade since the 1950s.
Lesson: John Joven and Shoshi Krieger teach Blues Dancing
DJ: Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus
Special dance performance by Marcin Leszczynski and Elaina Cardenas of American DanceWheels Foundation after the first set by Roomful of Blues.
Tuesday, June 30
Cachao’s Mambo All Stars Mambo
**New York City Debut**
Tuesday, June 30
Making their New York debut seven years after the passing of their founder, “Father of Mambo” Israel “Cachao” Lopez, Cachao’s Miami-based Mambo All Stars carry on his legacy. Credited with inventing mambo in 1938, Cachao specialized in descargas, Latin jam improvisations with extended solos that are now performed by the Mambo All Stars. Made up of a peerless ensemble of Afro-Cuban musicians, the Mambo All Stars’ music brings to mind and ear the rhythms of old Havana.
Lesson: Eddie and Maria Torres teach Mambo
DJ: Ron McGugins
Wednesday, July 1
Aurora Nealand and The Royal Roses New Orleans Traditional Jazz
Drawing heavily from the repertoires of Sidney Bechet, Django Reinhardt, and other jazz masters, The Royal Roses and leader, Aurora Nealand, breathe new energy into the genre of traditional jazz while learning from its rich history and traditions. Nealand, a saxophonist and vocalist, founded The Royal Roses in 2010 and the band quickly captured attention for making traditional songs sound both beautiful and fierce. The band has a regular gig in The Big Easy and they tour the country as well, keeping alive the timeless sounds of their home city.
Lesson: Heather Flock teaches Lindy Hop
DJ: DJ Tomo
Thursday, July 2
The Loser's Lounge Disco Party: Thank God It's Thursday Disco Funk
The Loser’s Lounge is a collective of some of New York’s best musicians and singers who perform the great songs of the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s. According to The New York Times, they “honor pop stars from these eras and validate the zeal of music fans.” Started by session keyboardist Joe McGinty in 1993, The Loser’s Lounge has performed nearly 300 shows honoring 50 different artists. On July 2 they summon the mothership of Casablanca Records, the label that was home to Donna Summer, Parliament Funkadelic, and Kiss.
Lesson: Robert Vance teaches Hustle
DJ: Bill Coleman, Silent Disco 2nd DJ: DJ Turmix
Silent Disco powered by Quiet Events at 10 pm
Friday, July 3
Kahulanui Hawaiian Swing
In the between-the-wars period of the 1920s and 30s America fell in love with swing music. There was a certain niche of swing that was filled by Hawaiian swing orchestras – musicians who played the popular swing tunes on Hawaiian instruments including ukulele and lap steel, and vocals that had a breezy harmony. Kahulanui (The Big Dance) is a band created by Lolena Naipo, Jr, a third generation Hawaiian swing musician whose grandfather was a member of the Royal Hawaiian Band in its heyday. Naipo and his band will play Hawaiian songs in a sweet, syncopated style, merging tropical ease with big band sound. Between sets there will be a vintage fashion contest, open to all ticket holders, for the best vintage duds (Hawaiian style gets extra points!)
Lesson: Paolo “Pasta” Lanna teaches Balboa and Collegiate Shag
DJ: Meredith Ochs
Saturday, July 4
Dr. K’s Motown Revue Soul, Rhythm & Blues
One of America’s greatest musical gifts to the world is the sound of Motown. Born in Detroit, Motown music quickly captured the American audience, both black and white, and it spread to Europe and the rest of the world in short order. It is not just the songs that people take to heart, but the memories that are associated with them. The Supremes’ “Baby Love,” Smokey Robinson’s “Ooo Baby Baby,” and the game-changing “What’s Going On” by Marvin Gaye are touchstones in American culture. Dr. K’s Motown Revue faithfully brings the sound of Motown back to life, delivering the vocal sounds, memorable licks, and tight arrangements that drive audiences to the dance floor.
Lesson: Joe Palmer teaches West Coast Swing
DJ: Qool DJ Marv
Tuesday, July 7
Conjunto Sabrosura Salsa
**New York City debut**
Conjunto Sabrosura is a band founded by Cuban native Ihosvany Negret. Negret creates music that is a fusion of the explosiveness of New York salsa with the delicate cadences of Son Cubano. This Latin hybrid – dubbed salsaboricubana – also includes a potent dose of old-school New York salsa for a sound powered by trumpets in the horn section and the powerful voice of lead singer Mayte Perez.
Lesson: Gildred M. Ribot teaches Salsa
DJ: Andy Rodriguez
Wednesday, July 8
Gordon Webster Big Band with featured vocalist Brianna Thomas Big Band Swing
Gordon Webster has a huge advantage as a leader of a swing band – he is a Lindy Hopper himself and knows exactly the beats and the rhythms that will get dancers going. As both a pianist and band leader he has performed at hundreds of Lindy events worldwide, add to that his dancing and the result is a “wow.” Webster’s Big Band will be joined by vocalist Brianna Thomas, whose timing and technique enliven the tunes of the big bands’ golden age.
Lesson: Laura Jeffers teaches Lindy Hop
DJ: DJ Va Va Voon
Thursday, July 9
Tribute to Octavio Brunetti featuring Pedro Giraudo Tango Orchestra Tango
Grammy-winning pianist, arranger, and conductor Octavio Brunetti was a consummate tango artist. Born and raised in Argentina, he played piano with most of Argentina’s important tango singers and musicians before moving to the US in 2004. The winner of New York’s International Tango Competition for Best Solo Piano and Best Duo, Brunetti recorded a number of albums including Soledad by Ástor Piazzolla with cellist Yo-Yo Ma and the soundtrack to Francis Ford Coppola’s film, Teatro. Last summer Brunetti and his group played an evening of magical tango, a night that turned out to be his last public performance. Brunetti died unexpectedly a few weeks after that show, so tonight his friend and fellow Argentine Pedro Giraudo brings his tango orchestra to perform as a tribute. An award-winning bassist and composer, Giraudo brings his extensive musicality and gifted way with plush harmonies to his performances of tango.
Lesson: Ana Padron and Diego Blanco teach Tango
DJ: Maria José Sosa
Friday, July 10
José Alberto “El Canario” 40th Anniversary Salsa
Celebrating four decades of singing the tender ballads of salsa’s romantic side, Jose Alberto is also one of the most influential singers of Latin music. A master improviser, Alberto is a native of Santo Domingo who grew up in Puerto Rico, where he first fell for Latin music. He came to New York as a young man and performed with a lengthy list of orchestras, including a stint with Tipica ’73. He has recorded ten albums of Latin music, and in addition to his solo work he performed frequently with the great vocalist Celia Cruz.
Lesson: Carlos König teaches Salsa
DJ: DJ Brian Martinez
Saturday, July 11 from 2:30 to 4:00pm
LC Kids Dance!
Free
Ballroom, Salsa, Swing
Kids get in on the act with a special afternoon session (ideal for the entire family) with teacher Rodney Lopez from Dancing Classrooms – seen in Mad Hot Ballroom, the 2005 documentary about teaching ballroom dance in NYC public schools. He’ll get youngsters off on the right foot, teaching them the basics of ballroom, tango and swing. The mission of Dancing Classrooms is to cultivate essential life skills in children through the practice of social dance.
Saturday, July 11
Harlem Renaissance Orchestra: 11th Annual Tribute to Illinois Jacquet Big Band Swing
Dancers will jump to the big band sound of the Harlem Renaissance Orchestra, a group that was formed more than twenty years ago to revive the great sounds from the big band era. The band recognizes the masters of the big band sound: Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Lionel Hampton and Midsummer Night Swing favorite, Illinois Jacquet, and plays their music as if it were yesterday. Band leader Ron Allen has taken the orchestra to perform at the JVC Jazz Festival, the Rainbow Room, the Copacabana, the legendary Apollo Theater, and a decade ago was selected by Jacquet’s longtime companion, Carol Sherick, to carry on his legacy as the perennial closing night band for Midsummer Night Swing.
Lesson: Margaret Batiuchok teaches Lindy Hop
DJ: Odysseus Bailer
On the 11th there will also be the 7th Annual Ambassador’s Prize Dance Contest, honoring the late Frankie Manning, “Lindy Hopper extraordinaire.” The contest is open to everyone and it takes place during the break between sets of the Harlem Renaissance Orchestra.
FREE Talk: Tap dancer and choreographer Michelle Dorrance will discuss tap dance’s influence on the Shim Sham, from 5:30 to 5:50 pm.
Midsummer Night Swing 2015 is sponsored by Macy’s
Author: Lincoln Center
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