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Next Dance
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Chad & Midori Present: HARLEM'S LEGENDARY "HOME OF HAPPY FEET" Saturday, September 13, 7pm-1am The 92nd Street Y remembers the famous Savoy Ballroom on Saturday, September 13, with a special tribute swing dance at Buttenweiser Hall featuring George Gee and His Swing Orchestra, special guests from the Savoy, a dance contest and a screening of rare swing dance (Lindy Hop) footage. The evening begins at 7:00pm with a dance lesson in the basics of the Big Apple, a 1930s jazz line dance made famous at the Savoy. From 8:00pm to 1:00am, there will be dancing to live music performed by popular New York bandleader George Gee and his 10-piece Swing Orchestra. A highlight of the evening will be a special dance featuring Savoy veterans from the '30s, '40s, and '50s dancing to the tune Christopher Columbus. At 10:30pm, the dance contest will test how well dancers know the jazz steps of the Big Apple, a call-and-response dance featuring a caller who hollers the names of jazz steps and the contestants who respond by demonstrating the steps. The Savoy hosted Big Apple contests every Tuesday night, rolling out an Apple-shaped dance floor for the event. Prizes will be awarded to the winners. Throughout the evening, hosts Chad Fasca and Midori Asakura will also give away prizes to the dancers who can answer the most Savoy-related trivia questions. In addition, rare film footage of the Savoy and Savoy era dancers will be screened in the lounge area just outside the dance floor. Doors open at 6:45pm on September 13, 2003. Admission is $15 and includes complimentary wine and cheese, soft drinks, light snacks, coffee and tea. Interviews available upon request.
About the 92nd Street Y Since 1935, the 92ND STREET Y HARKNESS DANCE CENTER has celebrated dance, nurturing the talents of dance greats like Martha Graham, Anna Sokolow, Alvin Ailey, Merce Cunningham, Robert Joffrey and Lester Horton. These artists created, performed and taught at the Y, building the foundation for contemporary dance as we know it. With the generous support of the Harkness Foundation for Dance, the 92nd Street Y Harkness Dance Center continues to nurture the teaching, creation and performance of modern dance, serving adults, children, dance professionals and the community at large. More information on the 92nd Street Y Harkness Dance Center and the 92nd Street Y is available at their web site:
About George Gee A favorite of dancers nationwide, George Gee and his big band have performed at Roseland Ballroom, Lincoln Center, The Rainbow Room, Town Hall, Irving Plaza, and Swing 46 among many other venues. The orchestra also tours regularly nationwide and internationally. More information and photos are available at the band’s web site:
About the Savoy Ballroom When the Savoy Ballroom opened its doors on 140th Street and Lenox Avenue in 1926, it started a new chapter in American dance and music history. The Savoy's two bandstands featured the finest bands in the swing era, many of which, including Chick Webb and Ella Fitzgerald, were its house bands. Many dance styles and crazes that have inspired generations of dancers worldwide developed on the Savoy's block-long mahogany floor, most notably the Lindy Hop, the Mambo, the Big Apple, and the Jitterbug Jive. In an era of racial segregation, the Savoy was a beacon of diversity, both its integrated dance floor and front office. Affectionately known as The Track, the Savoy entertained more than twenty million people in its 32 years. In 1958, the Savoy closed and the building was razed. In May 2002, several generations of dancers joined together to erected a commemorative plaque marking the spot where the Savoy once stood. More information about the Savoy Ballroom is available at historian Terry Monaghan’s web site:
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