We are happy to welcome back Miss Tess and the Bon Ton Parade. Some of you might have seen her last June, and we’re excited to have her back!  She’ll soon be moving to Brooklyn very soon, and it’s a real challenge to get on her packed calendar.  The Bon Parade is her backing band, which promises to keep things lively and swinging with their reimagined 21st century Golden-age jazz.  You will leave with a smile on your face.  And if you feel so inclined, dress in your best quirky-retro-modern-vintage-wear to blend in with the band.

Not sure where to PARK?  Try the Whole Foods overflow parking lot, that it is a block or two down from Whole Foods  on Prospect and Bishop Allen. You can park there for free after 6:00pm…Extreme is a couple of blocks up Prospect (North).  Please note that this is NOT the lot in front of the store.

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): $12

Our DJs dig through their collections to pay tribute to Fletcher Henderson.  Many of you might not know who Fletcher Henderson was, but his 1925 band gave Louis Armstong a job when he relocated to New York.  The band also featured Coleman Hawkins.  Henderson went on to arrange for Benny Goodman and is an essential artist in Swing History.

Let’s celebrate the end of the decade, the beginning of the New Year and all that jazz!  2010 is here and we’re not quite ready to move into our new space (yet)…a couple more weeks.  Hang in there – we’re just as anxious as you! The floor is finished and it is magical.  The bathrooms are tiled, but they still need to finish a few details.  Anyhow, we will be back at Extreme Dancesport to kick off the year with some awesome swing music.  Come celebrate with us and stay tuned for more details on our space.  

We’re closed for New Years, but we’ll be back in full force in 2010!

All I want for Christmas is a new home for the BSC….You can fit that on your sleigh, right Santa?  I’ll know it’s you if you leave your cane there.  P.S., if that really can’t fit, I might settle for a Wii.

Tonight we’ll have a DJ Party with Jason Provost and other DJs (TBA).   Jason and others will be pulling out all the stops to get you in the holiday mood and send you off into the New Year with our final dance of the year.  Beat the holiday bulge and get your dancing feet movin’!  And keep your fingers crossed for a new year in a new space!

Closed due to construction.

We’re closed.  Enjoy the Turkey!

The Back Bay Rhythm makers return to Boston Swing Central to tear it up with their smaller combo (you might recognize them as members of White Heat Swing Orchestra). This smaller, more nimble, group has played for us many times. And we love them!  Fueled by the high energy clarinet of leader Craig Ball, these cats know how to bring it.  Be prepared to cut loose!
 
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.  See hoptothebeat.com for more details.

Boston Swing Central at Extreme Dancesport

288 Norfolk Street, 3rd floor

Cambridge, MA 02139

Lesson (included in the price of Admission): 8PM-9PM

Dancing: 9PM-12 Midnight

Admission: $13 General, $10 Students and Seniors (with Valid ID)

Hey good lookin’, what ya got cookin’?  Yes, it’s that time of year, when thoughts of turkey appear in our heads.  We’ve challenged our DJs to come up with their best swing songs about food.  Yes, there are many swings about food, like “Hey Sweet Potato” by Fats Waller (with a name like Fats, you gotta expect that he’d sing the praises of food, or at least use at as an analogy for a his sweet heart).   We’ll try not to overdo the theme tonight….there’s nothing worse then a slightly burned dance.  And it might make you more hungry than wanting to swing, but we’ll season the evenings proceedings by peppering the mix with some songs about food.  Okay, enough with the food references, we’ll save the rest for Friday night.

Boston Swing Central at Extreme Dancesport

288 Norfolk Street, 3rd floor

Cambridge, MA 02139

Lesson (included in the price of Admission): 8PM-9PM

Dancing: 9PM-12 Midnight

Admission: $10 General, $8 Students and Seniors (with Valid ID)

Tonight we’ll pay homage to the King of Swing, Benny Goodman.  Before rising to Royalty starting his own band, Goodman played the clarinet with other Jazz legends like Red Nichols and Glenn Miller in the 1920s and early 1930s.  In the mid-1930s, Goodman’s big band swing sound ignited the swing scene with the foot stompin’ rhythms of the “King Porter Stomp”.  Dancers loved it then, and they love it now.  There’s nothing like those big brass trumpets to get you hoppin’ and jumpin’.  Not only was Goodman at the forefront of Jazz, but he was also forging the way for societal changes, leading one of the first racially-integrated bands during an era of segregation in the 1930’s.  Jazz was a music that brought many different people together, just as we hope it will bring all of you together tonight!  So come on out and swing to the King of Swing!

Boston Swing Central at Extreme Dancesport

288 Norfolk Street, 3rd floor

Cambridge, MA 02139

Lesson (included in the price of Admission): 8PM-9PM

Dancing: 9PM-12 Midnight

Calling All Zombies! Rise up!  It’s time heed the bell toll for another ghastly and ghoulish Halloween party at Boston Swing Central.  So rise from your crypt and pay tribute to the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson and dance to the creepy sounds of the Fried Bananas.  The lesson will feature Michael Jackson’s Thriller line dance as taught by the undead duo, Jason Provost and Diana Byrne.  The lesson begins promptly at 8pm – 9pm and then performed later on in the evening.  So, start studying YouTube now…  Don’t miss this party as it will be one of the best of the Fall!

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): $12
 
Boston Swing Central
at Extreme Dancesport
288 Norfolk St # 3 (Upstairs)
Cambridge, MA 02139

Last week, we went back to the 90s for Neo Swing, this week, Boston Swing Central will go way back, back to the days of Fats Waller, Bunk & Lu, and Cab Calloway.  So we won’t be kickin’ it old school with Young MC, Tupac or Flavor Flav, we’ll be kickin’ it really Old School…30s and 40s style.  In recent weeks, you might have noticed our distinctive shift this direction, and we hope to continue to mine our mp3 collections to bring you the best music we can find to keep your imaginations stimulated and your feet moving…this week we also welcome guest DJ Isaac Marx back.  

And as always, we’ll have our beginning lesson at 8pm before social dancing.  So come on out and dance with us!

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
 
Boston Swing Central
at Extreme Dancesport
288 Norfolk St # 3 (Upstairs)
Cambridge, MA 02139

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
 
Boston Swing Central
at Extreme Dancesport
288 Norfolk St # 3 (Upstairs)
Cambridge, MA 02139

Lesson (included in the price of admission): 8:00pm – 9:00pm
Dancing: 9:00pm – 12:00am
General Admission: $8 with school gear, $10 regular
Students: $5 with school gear, $8 regular
 
Boston Swing Central
at Extreme Dancesport
288 Norfolk St # 3 (Upstairs)
Cambridge, MA 02139

This week the BSC steps back in time, to the 1930s and the Savoy Ballroom.  Dress-vintage…our DJs will bring their best Savoy Ballroom-inspired music to keep your feet jumpin’ to the Lindy Hop.   This was THE era.  Known as the “Home of the “Happy Feet”.  The Savoy Ballroom was the epicenter for swing dancing.  It’s where Frankie Manning got started and where he later joined the amazing performance troupe, Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers.  It was also famous for a supreme battle of the bands facing off Bennie Goodman, Count Basie and Chick Webb.  And the general concesus was that Chick Webb’s band won handily.  We’ll try our best to recreate that feeling.

Kellian and Brian will be teaching our lesson this evening.

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

Dancing: 9pm-12am

General Admission: $10, Students and Seniors (with valid ID): $8

Boston Swing Central at Extreme Dancesport

288 Norfolk Street

Cambridge, MA 02139

General Admission: $10/ Students and Seniors (with Valid ID): $8

We regret to inform you that due to the Jimmy Fund’s occupation of Copley Square the Copley Square Dance has been canceled for today.

We’re very sorry for the late notice, but when we went to set-up before 2 PM today, we found that the Jimmy Fund had taken over the Copley Square area.   The City of Boston who issued our permit several months ago, unfortunately did not alert us of the change.  While we did try, we couldn’t get into where we would normally set-up by Trinity Church…and they had set-up a big white tent there.  Sorry for any inconvenience, but of course, we had no idea!  At least we sacrificed our dancing today for a good cause!  More dancing outside next summer, and inside dancing this Friday at the BSC!

We’re closed for labor day, but will be back September 11th!

Once again, BOSTON SWING CENTRAL is proud to welcome back Gordon Webster, this time he plays as a trio.  Which will give him a chance to really stretch out his chops and play some soulful piano and some groovy stuff….so this will be quite  different than when he is with his full quartet.  Gordon’s sincerity, his honesty to the music really shines through in whatever form he takes, so we’re really lucky and excited to have him back.  He’s truely a dynamic artist, whether he’s challenging himself by playing with the Cangelosi Cards, or with his own quartet, or with his expanded quintet.  We’re lucky he lives close by and really loves visiting Boston, and he’s inventive enough as to keep us guessing as to what he’s bringing.  He just got back from some time in Europe and this Fall he’ll head out to the West Coast, so the World is definitely becoming enlightened to the talent that lies within, so let’s enjoy him while we can!