Welcome to Chicken Swing!We are an organization dedicated to improving the swing dancing vibe in
Oakland. There's been a sizable swing dance and lindy hop scene in
Pittsburgh for a while, and we (along with
UPitt's Cotton Club and CMU's
Swing Dancers Anonymous) aim to bring some of that energy to the university
scene in Oakland!"Swing dancing" is an umbrella term
for "lindy hop,"
"east coast swing,"
"balboa,"
"shag" (there are various
types),
"blues dancing," etc --
basically anything that can be done to swing/jazz/blues music. The
resident lesson instructors are Jeff &
Emily,
but guest instructors will drop in semi-regularly.
And then there's the music! Today, "swing dance music" includes music
from the 1920's through 2004, ranging from the early greats --
Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald,
and Duke Ellington -- to
later-era blues and jazz musicians like
Oscar Peterson, Clark Terry,
and Jimmy Witherspoon -- to the
great bands that grew up around the swing dance boom, like
George Gee, Indigo Swing and our
very own
Boilermaker Jazz Band. Of course there are hundreds more artists that are heard at swing dances
today, and we aim to please. |
|
| Dance
Information |
Where:
Andy's*, in the basement of
CMU's University Center (building #80 on the
map).
Corner of Forbes & Morewood.
* Sometimes we will have dances at Rangos Hall - sign-up for
the e-mail list for the most up-to-date information |
When:
Every 1st & 3rd Sunday.*
Free lesson at 6pm.
Dance from 7-10pm.
* During the summer we will be having dances
every week |
Cost:
Free
$3 suggested donation. |
Who:
You and your friends.
All skill levels.
No partner necessary.
Safe area in Oakland.
Alcohol & Smoke Free. |
Directions:
Click here for directions
Campus Map (building #80) |
Parking:
There is a parking garage right at the intersection of Beeler & Forbes
(P6 on the
map) that is free on Sunday. Park in the garage and walk back out the way you drove in. Once you're outside turn left and go down the stairs and walk past the narrow end of the track. The first building you run into will be the one you want (it has big glass doors and a rounded entranceway). Go inside and down one floor to the basement. Head straight down the hall and it opens right up into Andy's. |
| After
Hours |
| We don't go to the Spice
Cafe anymore but if anyone wants to get a group together to get
some food after the dance is over let us know. |
|
