Feb 25

Cangelosi Cards

Category: dances

Boston Swing Central is happy to welcome back Jake, Tamar and the rest of the Cangelosi Cards for their first gig in Boston in a long time. If you have not seen them, it’s because they’ve been in such high demand all over the World, mostly in Europe and China. But when they’re not globe hopping, they’re holed up in the denizens of Manhattan and Brooklyn where they live. Their old timey take on Hot Jazz, melds the Django influences with street blues into a pure Americana…dust bowl-era swing. Pure indeed, Tamar’s voice will entrance you and take you to the moon and back…

If you haven’t had a chance to listen to this fabulous group check out their website here.
Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:30am
General Admission: $15
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $13

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

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Feb 18

Anagrams Never Lie with guest DJ Gina Helfrich

Category: dances

According to the Internet Anagram Server, there is a saying that “anagrams never lie”, so we plugged in some of our favorite things, first, “Swing Dance” and lo, right away, it said, “Dance Wings”, well that seems all too simple and too obvious, so next we tried “Lindy Hop” and it gave us “Hind Ploy”, interesting and somewhat ribald and truthful to be sure!  

The interesting thing about anagrams is that they are rearrangements of letters, which is ultimately similar to what DJs do, they rearrange songs night after night.  Tonight, guest DJ Gina Helfrich is going to cleverly and deftly rearrange her favorite songs to please us in unexpected ways, just like the Internet Anagram Server has rearranged “East Coast Swing” into “Castigates Snow”.  No lie, type it in, it will take a bit of time to calculate, but voila!   You’ll also get, “Saga Once Twists” and “Agnostic Sweats” and a myriad of other silly phrases..speaking of silly, perhaps there will be an anagram mixer jam tonight…

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:00am
General Admission: $10
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $8

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

 

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Feb 11

I >heart< Swing with White Heat Swing Orchestra!

Category: dances

Boston Swing Central is very excited for one of our most beloved dances of the year!  I >heart< Swing (our 3rd year), featuring our super-cool custom-made Valentines, and our Cupids to deliver them to you! And as our musical guests, this year we have the full White Heat Swing Orchestra, all 14 pieces featuring band leader Craig Ball on clarinet. This night will be guaranteed to be in our memories for a long time as it’s our first Valentine’s Day at the Whistle Stop, so dress to impress and put on some red and pink and get ready to send your friends and secret crushes some Valentines…

If you are not familiar with the tunes you’ll be dancing to at the fabulous event. Go here and listen to what we are sure will make you dance around the room in preparation for a fun night ahead!

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:30am
General Admission: $17
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $15

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

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Feb 4

Boilermaker Jazz Band

Category: dances

Boston Swing Central is proud to present The Boilermaker Jazz Band, Pittsburgh’s finest and one of the premier swing bands in the country. We’ve been spoiled lately with the amount of talent coming through our doors and the Boilermaker Jazz Band continues our awesome Winter run…you don’t want to miss this. Boston usually only gets the Boilermaker’s once a year, if that! This band knows how to swing and has been wowing audiences all over the country at the biggest events with their Hot Jazz revelry!

If you are unfamiliar with their music check their website for tunes that will be sure to make this event a night you are anxiously anticipating… http://www.boilermakerjazzband.com/music.php

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:30am
General Admission: $20
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $15

Please note that we will be accepting passes at the rate of: 1/2 off for one pass, full admission for two passes.

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

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Jan 28

The Wonderful World of Color

Category: dances

Yes, it’s time to dress away the blah of white-washed Winter with some color…so we’re encouraging you to bust out a burst or a splash of color…reds and oranges to warm us up…guest DJs Tina Desorcy and Micki Balder will provide us with a soundtrack of full spectrum tunes.

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:30am
General Admission: $10
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $8

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

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Jan 21

The p.m. Stompers

Category: dances

Don’t let the snow scare you away!
Come and dance the night away!

Ok. We admit, the opening line is a bit cheesy but we got your attention. Here’s the deal. It’s Friday!  Yay!  It’s another snowstorm.  Boo!  But the good news is that we’re still running the dance tonight and the p.m. Stompers are still planning to bring their high energy swing to the Whistle Stop. 

Boston Swing Central welcomes another new band called The p.m. Stompers. The p.m. Stompers are an offshoot of Baby Soda formed by the drummer Phil McGowan (hence the p.m., but also a nod to the evening time and hence the lack of capitalization). Anyhow Phil has modelled his band on Count Basie’s late 1930s Kansas City Seven…He assures us it’s going to be “HOT”…and swinging! Can’t wait to see you there!!!

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:30am
General Admission: $15
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $13

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

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Jan 14

Odessa Rose

Category: dances,Uncategorized

Boston Swing Central kicks off our 2011 with a new band called Odessa Rose.   Let’s dust off that winter chill this Friday, Texas-style with Odessa Rose…a Western Swing band.   Just in case you don’t know what Western Swing is, don’t worry,  it’s got nothing to do with West Coast Swing…it is the Texas interpretation of what Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington and Count Basie.   Basically, cats like Spade Cooley and Bob Wills felt that if the Duke and the Count could swing, so could they.   Except they had pedal steel guitars instead of large horn sections.  And then they played hot jazz country-fried, and country songs hot jazz style and yee-haw, Western Swing as a genre of music was born.

So, we’re going to try this band out tonight and see how y’all like ’em.  We heard a subset of Odessa Rose playing in a smaller combo at  the brunch over at the Highland Kitchen and they made us want to get up and dance…and after talking to them, we found out that they had played for dancers before in Texas where some of them are from…so there you go…

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:30am
General Admission: $15
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $13

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

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Dec 21

Groupon Welcome!

Category: bands

Welcome to Boston Swing Central!

Have Fun!

We’re extremely excited that you’re checking out our website! This is your gateway to the world of swing dancing.  The Lindy Hop, East Coast Swing, Charleston, and Balboa are all authentic dances from the 1930s and 1940s that fall under the larger category of Swing Dance.   From here you can learn about the dance styles, attend our social dance and discover how fun swing dance and the people that do it are.  Watch a video here:

What can you expect?

First off, each evening starts with a 1-hour beginner lesson.  The lesson starts at 8:00pm, but you’ll want to get there by 7:50pm so that you have time to park and get into the dance hall.  There is plenty of parking available, but there can be traffic getting into the Sullivan Square area on a Friday evening.  We can’t predict the traffic patterns, so plan accordingly. We recommend using our Google map for help with where to park.

The lesson is taught by some of the best swing dance teachers in the Boston area.  In the lesson you will be asked to partner up…that means you find a partner.  (Gender does not matter here, as people of the same gender often dance with each other, though usually this means a male and female partnership.)  Don’t worry you won’t be stuck with this person for very long, the instructors will rotate partners frequently. Swing dancing is a very social dance and you’re going to meet and dance with a lot of people from all walks of life, especially in the lesson.

After the lesson, we have a night filled with the very best music we can provide.   Boston Swing Central brings in a lot of bands from New York and the Brooklyn Trad Jazz Scene is exploding right now.  There is a diverse group of musicians and bands that play together in many different line-ups and configurations.  Those who attend our dance regularly will discover amazing artists like Baby Soda, Gordon Webster Band and the Blue Vipers of Brooklyn.  As well as many talented locals such as Toni Lynn Washington, White Heat Swing Orchestra, Swing Legacy, Phil McGowan & the Easy Winners and many many others.

Our DJs are like vintage musicologists, culling the 80-90 years worth of recorded swing music for treasures from Cab Calloway, Fats Waller, Benny Goodman & Sidney Bechet all the way up through modern times and Indigo Swing & Diana Krall…They try to kick it old school as much as possible to give you that feeling that you’ve been transported back in time.

Get some exercise.

Swing dancing is energetic and some of the tempos are fast.  Dancing to fast tempos can be quite a workout….the great thing is, we hardly notice all the work while we’re dancing.   It’s not like the dreadful treadmill or riding a stationary bike where we’re looking at some sort of meter and counting down every mile to meet our goal.  The exercise we get feels almost free.  A lifestyle filled with regular dancing, you won’t need to do any of these types of workouts (unless you’re training for a marathon).  Many dancers find the dance so addictive that they go out 2 or 3 nights a week in lieu of those trips to the gym.

Learning to Swing.

Learning dance is good for your brain!  By learning body movement, choreography and becoming aware of your body and its parts in free space, you’re exercising connections in your brain that you probably didn’t know you had.  It can be challenging, but don’t get discouraged, enjoy the ride and before you know it, you’ll be swinging with the stars!

Be Creative.

The music will hopefully inspire you to move in ways that feel natural to you.  Make up your own style and have fun.  Don’t be afraid to be goofy.   And always deploy the age old phrase: “Dance like nobody’s watching.”  Which is really true, because if you think about who you watch when you’re at a dance, it’s always the really good dancers that catch your eye.  So that is the general rule of thumb, everyone is watching that really good dancers over there…but if you come to our dance regularly, perhaps one day you’ll be one of those really good dancers!

BSC Groupon FAQs

1) Do I need to bring a partner?

A: Nope, just show up.  New dancers get a warm welcome by the dance community!  There will be plenty of helpful folks who are ready and willing to dance with someone new.

2) Can I use half of my Groupon now and half later?  I bought the Groupon and my friend backed out at the last minute, the Groupon says it’s for 2 admissions; can I use one now and one later?

A: Unfortunately, no.  A Groupon used for admission will be used in full whether you have 2 people or not.  Remember that you can purchase up to three (3) of these Groupons, so if your friend misses out on one, there are still two other chances for them to attend with you.

3) I got there at 8:20pm due to heavy traffic?  Can I use my Groupon?

A: Sorry, no.  This check-in time is designed primarily so that you can attend the lesson. Please plan your trip accordingly.  We recommend checking traffic and road conditions on Google Maps. However, if you check in late due to a long line at the front door, you can still use your Groupon.

4) Do I have to take the lesson?

A: You do not have to actively take the lesson, but you cannot check in at the space early, leave, and return for the dance.  You must remain on the property to use your Groupon for admission.

5) Is there a dress code?  What about shoes?

A: There is no dress code, though we encourage people to dress up a bit, or in vintage (1930’s, 40’s, 50’s) attire for fun.  Men usually wear slacks or jeans and Tshirts, polo shirts, or dress shirts. Women usually wear dresses, skirts, slacks, jeans, Tshirts, or blouses.  We discourage shorts and tank tops, except in the summer heat.

As for shoes, we strongly recommend flat shoes.  Keds or tennis sneakers are widely common. Unless you have dance experience, we discourage women from wearing heels. You’ll want a smooth sole (leather or suede) so that you can easily slide around the floor.  Also a clean pair of shoes is also desirable, as opposed to muddy street shoes, so if you have an extra pair of shoes, bring them and keep our floors free of a lot of sand and grit.

6) I regularly attend BSC, is this Groupon offer good for me? 

A: Though we cannot stop our BSC regulars from purchasing this deal, the idea behind this Groupon is to welcome new folks to our dance!   We hope that the existing Swing Dance Community will be extra supportive of this effort to welcome in new dancers!

AND finally…

Feel free to browse the Photo and Video sections on our website and check out the upcoming bands on our News page. We also have a general FAQ section

if you have further questions. And if that isn’t enough information for you, please feel free to email us at info@bostonswingcentral.org

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Dec 17

White Christmas Swing!

Category: dances

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Joyous Kwanzaa, or whatever you might celebrate.   Tonight our DJs aim to give you their best Holiday Swing tunes and general good cheer. As the mercury falls, so falls the snow…and we’ll need some swing dancing to keep our popsicle toes warmed. This will also help us dance off all of the extra holiday treats and meals we plan on consuming…Devona Cartier is our guest DJ for the evening.

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:30am
General Admission: $10
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $8

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

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Dec 10

Beantown Swing Orchestra Holiday Party

Category: dances

Boston Swing Central is proud to announce the Crosby Whistle Stop debut of Beantown Swing Orchestra! Yes it’s been a while since we’ve been able to host a big band with so many musicians, and tonight they told us they are bringing a 4-piece string Quartet with them in addition to the regular big band! So the sound is going to be MASSIVE!   Just like the good ole days before amplification when the bands were BIG to fill a hall with sound.

They’re also bringing with them 3rd Season, American Idol finalist, John Stevens to do the vocal chores…John has a melifluous voice which reminds us a lot of Rat Pack icons, Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, and the more contemporary artist: Harry Connick Jr.

Frank Hsieh, bandleader for BSO, promises a few Holiday tunes in the mix as he is using this outing as a tune-up for their upcoming corporate gigs.  To add to the fun and because they love playing for dancers we’d like to take heed a little reminder from Reuben and tell you…. “don’t forget to clap at the end of songs.”

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:00am
General Admission: $15
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $13

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

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Dec 3

Jailhouse Five Plus Two – Dixieland Jazz Band

Category: dances

The Jailhouse Five Plus Two returns with their authentic and enthusiastic Dixieland jazz…and we’re ready for a night of great music and fine dancing. This fantastic band brings an air of authenticity, as you can easily tell this is the music that they grew up with, cherish, and love and have played for many years.

The name, The Jailhouse Five Plus Two is inspired by the lawless characters of the prohibition era when Dixieland was adopted as the popular music of the time, “The Roaring Twenties.” This time is also fondly remembered as the Great Gatsby era which also happens to be the theme of our upcoming New Year’s Eve bash…

Bootlegging, speakeasies, bath tub gin, Bonnie & Clyde and other lawless activity was the way of life in major U.S. cities. The Jailhouse Five Plus Two tries to capture the exhaltation of the era. Happy, fast, boisterous, free, and improvisational are all descriptors of their music. Come on out and feel their electricity…

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:00am
General Admission: $15
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $13

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

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Nov 26

The Great Turkey Swingout!

Category: dances

Yes, it’s that time of year when thoughts of turkey appear in our heads and a lot of it ends up in our tummies. Tonight we’re going to dance off the previous nights yams and pies (or at least try to). What better way to burn off all those added calories than taking a spin on the dance floor? So if you happen to be in town, come on out and share some camaraderie with those of us who aren’t travelling on this hectic holiday weekend.

This also kicks off a big swing dancing weekend where we welcome some of our favorite teachers Skye Humphries and Naomi Uyama, and we’re hoping that they get a chance to stop by. For those of you attending their workshops think of it as a chance to get a little extra practice in and perhaps dazzle us with some fancy foot work.

Lesson (included in the price of admission):
8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:00am
General Admission: $10
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $8

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

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Nov 19

Ain’t We Slick! A Tribute to Mike Smith

Category: dances

Yes- it’s November, we’re almost at the end of the decade and perhaps our themes are running a little nutty (tweed, slick)… Perhaps we’ll redefine ourselves as we leave the oughties behind. For now, we’re going to pay tribute to former Monday Night Practice stalwart and DJ, Mike Smith, aka Slick Mike.

This past summer, Slick Mike ended his reign as the most prominent DJ in the Boston Swing Scene (moving his family West sort of like in the Grapes of Wrath) and  “Consarn it!”, we miss his reliable and steady hand in the DJ booth.  For over 10 years, Mr. Smith was as sold as a rock delivering us the hoodle-addle of classic swing music.  If you don’t remember his DJing or never experienced his DJing, don’t worry, we’re talking about some iconic tracks that are inspiring to dance to. So tonight, we’re going to party like it’s 1999, or 2002, or 2004, or 2008!  Slick Mike had a great tenure here as our own King of Swing and maybe someday he will show up and really DJ for us! For now we’ll have to settle for this well-researched and fitting tribute.

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:00am
General Admission: $10
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $8

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

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Nov 12

Tweedlee Deedlee Dee, How Tweed It Is!

Category: dances

It’s a tweed tweed tweed world and we at Boston Swing Central just
live in it. Not really, but, it’s time to get dressed up again and
this time it’s tweed that we’re celebrating. Why tweed you ask and
not gabardine or suede? Well, tweed is for distinguished ladies and
gents. And it reminds us of a time when we were dancing in the
parlour. We were also inspired by several discerning dancers who went on the Tweed Ride http://bostontweed.blogspot.com/.

As incentive, we’re offering a $1 discount to those who bust
out their best Harris, Donegal or herringbone outfits. And if you come
adorned in a tweed headcoat not only will our jaws drop to the floor, we might
have to jam you dear chap. Pip pip and cheerio…

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:00am
General Admission: $10 ($9 donning the tweed)
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $8 ($7 clad in tweed)

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

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Nov 5

Baby Soda Jazz Band

Category: dances

Baby Soda Jazz Band makes their BSC debut tonight! And we couldn’t be more excited – we’ve been trying to get them to play at the BSC for almost a YEAR!  Some of you may remember them when they played at Uptown Swing Dance during BIX this past May, and oh what a fabulous evening it was.

Their heart pounding brand of hobo street jazz makes us swoon! From the traditional sound of the trumpet and trombone to the one string box bass this band has a sound that is sure to keep your feet moving all night long. Listen to them here.

So get excited; we are!   And get ready for another high energy night of dancing, we want you to bring it, because we know Baby Soda Jazz Band will.

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:00am
Admission: $15
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $13

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

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Oct 29

Calling All Zombies 3-D!

Category: dances

Calling All Zombies*! It’s time to heed the bell toll for another ghastly and ghoulish Halloween party at Boston Swing Central. It’s our 3rd year and this time we’re in 3-D (I think we always were, but that seems to be the thing to do when you get to that third sequel in the series). Rise up all you creepy crawlies and pay tribute to the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson and dance to the shocking sounds of Shawn (of the Dead) Hershey and the Fried Bananas.

The lesson will feature Michael Jackson’s Thriller line dance as taught for the third straight year by the reanimated duo of Jason Provost and Diana Byrne. The lesson begins promptly at 7:30pm – 9pm and then performed later on in the evening (performing is optional – we won’t force ya!) So, start studying YouTube now… Don’t miss this party as it will be one of the best of the Fall!

Get $2 OFF ADMISSION if you come in costume.  But no lame costumes like, “I came as a swing dancer”, or “I came as myself” or putting a couple socks on your shoulder and being “static cling”.  Discount is at the discretion of the door staff, so put in some effort!

Extended Lesson Time (included in the price of admission): 7:30pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:30am
General Admission: $17 ($15 with costume discount)
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $15  ($13 with costume discount)

Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland St
Charlestown, MA 02129

*Being a zombie is one of the easiest costumes we can think of…so no excuses!

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Oct 22

Gordon Webster Quartet featuring Brianna Thomas

Category: dances,Uncategorized

Gordon Webster is back once again with his stellar Quartet featuring vocalist Brianna Thomas. Gordon is one of the most in demand swing band leaders in the country, maybe even in the world. He’s played at every camp, exchange and special event from Sweden to Seoul and we’re lucky he’s made Boston a regular stop on his tour.

This time he brings Brianna Thomas, who reminds us of a young Ella Fitzgerald. This combination is swing dancing nirvana! And dancing to their music is what we imagine it might’ve been like to see Ella live back in 1948. Something like this. (Except, of course, unlike Benny Goodman and Duke Ellington, we wouldn’t be sitting down). So come with us tonight and let’s enjoy the lightning they’ve caught in a bottle and will unleash at the Crosby Whistle Stop, because it is pure magic!

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:00am
Special Event Admission: $17
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $15

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

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Oct 15

The Sweet & Low Down and Bring a Friend Get in Free Promotion

Category: dances,Uncategorized

If you have not yet heard the Sweet & Low Down, you are in for a treat, and if you have heard them, then you know how great they are. The harmonies of Miss Tess and Rachel Price are the “Sweet” part and the rhythm section brings the “Low Down”. A mixture of blues and swing that is simply intoxicating.

And if that weren’t enough, we’re bringing back our “Bring a Friend, Get in FREE” Promotion.  This was popular earlier this spring, and we want to see what you guys can do this fall.  See qualifying details below.  Why are we doing this?  Because most people hear about us through a friend.  And we know how hard it is to get your friends on the dance floor – we’ve all been there.  So for those of you that can weed through all of those excuses and get someone new to our dance, you’re finally getting rewarded! 

Promotion Qualifying Details:

1)      In order to get free admission when bringing a friend, you (the dancer) needs to have attended at least one BSC Dance prior to October 15, 2010.  Your friend must have NEVER, EVER, NOT EVEN ONCE been to a BSC dance.  How will we know?  Oh, we’ll know!

2)      You must get there with your friend BEFORE 8:20PM so they can take our beginning lesson that starts at 8PM.

3)      If you bring a friend and you have also NEVER been to our dance, you DO NOT qualify for the discount.

4)      The person must be your friend and of the homo sapiens.  Imaginary friends, Lassie, ET, pet rocks, etc. do not qualify.

5)      You must mention this promotion at the door when paying admission to receive it.  You can’t come back later and ask for it if you forget (if ya snooze, ya lose).

6)      Who gets in free?  Well that’s up to you…and how good of a friend you are.  Show up with a friend and only one admission has to be paid (buy one, get one free).  How you settle up is at your discretion, but please resolve any disputes by peaceful means (i.e. thumb wrestling, drawing straws, and dance offs).

7)      May not be combined with any other promotions or discounts(i.e. get in free or half off coupons/passes, discounts received for angeling or DJ’ing, etc.  Board Members do not qualify.)

8)      If you get caught gaming the system, you may be subject to the consequences thought up on the spot by BSC staff.  May include but are not limited to the following activities with your new “friend”:  wearing matching ski sweaters throughout the entire dance,  doing a Charleston duet to “You Can’t Touch This” to be posted on YouTube, dancing in your bare feet.

New people coming by yourselves or with other people are still of course welcome!  And what a great night to come out with lots of other new people.  We’re sorry you won’t qualify this time, but if we run this again in the coming months, and you attend our event this Friday, you will qualify for next time!  

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:00am
General Admission: $15
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $13

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

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Oct 8

These Boots are made for Swingin’…

Category: dances

This week we’ve appropriated the title from the Nancy Sinatra classic as our theme for tonight’s stellar line up of lady DJs!  We had a similar evening earlier this summer which was a huge success. Since we weren’t able to fit all of the ladies we wanted to invite on the first night- we’ve planned a second night.  That means they’ll be teachin’ (Gina will be teaching), swingin’ (we’ll have a special lady steal jam mixer) and spinnin’ (DJ’ing) all over Boston Swing Central.  Tonight, we have Gina Helfrich, Tina Desourcy, Abby Cohen and Amy Kucharik all taking a turn behind the DJ desk.  And if that weren’t enough we have a special price for ladies tonight, and the gents will have to pony up.  So grab a friend or just come on out solo.  It promises to be a really fun night!!!  Boots and/or partner not required.

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:00am
General Admission: $9 for ladies, $11 for gents
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $7 for ladies, $9 for gents

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

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Oct 1

Fortune Cookie Surprise!

Category: dances

Are you feeling lucky? At Boston Swing Central, we are feeling so lucky!
…and for you we’ve got a Fortune Cookie Surprise!  That’s right, we’ll be passing out REAL, ORIGINAL, Boston Swing Central fortune cookies just for you dancers!  Come tonight and see what the future holds…we’re up to our old tricks and believe you me, you’re going to leave with a smile on your face…because that’s just what a good night of dancing does to us: makes us feel like we’re walking on air… Tonight we’ve got RetroMike spinning the first half of the evening followed by the soft-spoken bearded sage, DJ John Brooks taking us home with some of his lucky favorites…

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:00am
General Admission: $10
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $8

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129

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Sep 24

Sing-a-long with J-Street Featuring Josh Fialkoff

Category: dances,Uncategorized

Josh Fialkoff brings his smokey voice and his fantastic band: J-Streetback to Boston Swing Central. J-Street is one of our favorite acts, and Josh is a long time friend of the BSC.  Tapping into his influences, Josh summons up Lou Rawls, Ray Charles and maybe a little bit of Harry Connick Jr to create a swing and soul gumbo worthy of his idols.  This date also coincides with Josh’s birthday, and we’ve planned something special: a Josh Fialkoff musical roast…I mean toast.  🙂

So what’s the lowdown and where do you come in?  Basically, it goes like this: YOU prepare two choruses of your own lyrics to go with the song “Goin’ to Chicago” by Ernestine Anderson…(check out this video, if you don’t know the tune…Click here.

If you feel so inclined, you can alter the melody too – in fact we’ll give you some extra props if you do.  While we’re not officially endorsing this, we encourage proper roastings of the birthday boy himself – Mr. Josh Fialkoff.

However, for the gentler among us, you can instead sing your praises for BSC or for swing in general.  Unfortunately, we have lots of dancing to do and don’t want to cut into our dancing time too much.  So, we only have room for 20 people.  To be one of our featured vocalists, you’ll either need to contact us ahead of time or, if you want to risk it, sign up at the door.

Contestants will be rated for silliness, creativity and quality of lyrics and the winner, as judged by audience applause, will receive a free pass to a BSC dance.  I know, the prizes keep coming.  So, let us know as soon as possible if we can put you on the list.

See ya soon.

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm

Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:00am

General Admission: $15

Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $13

The Crosby Whistle Stop

24 Roland Street

Charlestown, MA 02129

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Sep 17

Toni Lynn Washington Band

Category: dances,Uncategorized

Boston Swing Central is looking forward to the return of Toni Lynn Washington. This summer she played 3 glorious sets for us and inspired by all of the great dancing, she kept on playing right up until closing time at 12:30am! Toni Lynn gives us her all! She is a local legend, an institution, a master, a treasure, and the hottest blues diva in town! You won’t want to miss this night of great grooves.

Like some of the more well-known blues divas like Etta James, Ruth Brown and Koko Taylor, Toni Lynn is the real deal. At age 72, she continues to rock the house, belting it out and delivering the goods…behind a crackerjack band that is tough to beat.

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:00am
General Admission: $15
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $13

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129 

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Sep 14

September Lessons and Swing Practice Session!

Category: dances,Uncategorized

Labor day marks the end of summer.  Time to start moving the fun activities inside (Although, those of us who love to dance don’t ever stop, do we?)

Here’s the schedule for September.  Sign up today at http://newschoolswing.com .  If you missed the first week of classes on Sept 7th, you can still sign up and join in this week!  Check out this month’s offerings below.

Tuesdays

7-8pm Advanced Beginner Charleston with Paul Mandel and Amanda Gruhl
8-9pm Lindy Hop Basics and Fundamentals (6 count) with Shawn Hershey and Nicole Zuckerman
9-11pm will be our open practice session for $3 per session, $10 for the whole month if you sign up in advance through NSS.  Teachers will stay 30 minutes after class to answer any questions and provide one on one help.

Wednesdays

7-8pm Intermediate/Advanced Fast Lindy Hop with Shawn Hershey and Amanda Gruhl
8-9pm Fundamentals of Balboa with Shawn Hershey and Nicole Zuckerman

Cost:  See http://newschoolswing.com for pricing details and for a discount if you sign up online!  $3 for practice session at the door.  FREE if you are taking a NSS class this month!
Place: The Crosby Whistle Stop where else?

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Sep 12

Copley Square Swing – CANCELED

Category: dances,Uncategorized

It’s gotten back to us that the Jimmy Fund will be in Copley Square this Sunday.  Unfortunately, the City of Boston issued us a permit on this day forgetting there was a major conflict with this space.  It also looks like Sunday will bring rain, so perhaps it’s all for the best anyway.  But if you’re up for some dancing this weekend, you can come on out Friday to the BSC for the Back Bay Rhythm Makers!

We hope you enjoyed our free summer series which took us to East Boston, Copley Square, and ZUMIX.  Next year we are hoping to add a location in Charlestown.

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Sep 10

Back Bay Rhythm Makers Band Night!

Category: dances

The Back Bay Rhythm Makers make their Crosby Whistle Stop debut!  You might remember them, as they’ve played Boston Swing Central dances quite a few times over the last couple of years.  To refresh your memory, BBRM is a smaller combo featuring members of White Heat Swing Orchestra.  Fueled by the high energy clarinet of leader Craig Ball, these cats know how to swing!  Be prepared to cut loose!  Check out their sample video here.

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:00am
General Admission: $15
Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $13

The Crosby Whistle Stop
24 Roland Street
Charlestown, MA 02129 

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