BBC Radio 2 in particular runs three programmes run back-to-back 2 on a Sunday night. Starting at 9pm, Russell Davies plays an hour of music that celebrates the art and craft of popular song. Whilst not all of the music he plays is not swing, much of it is and personally I love the cheek of some of the songs. Sunday Night at 10 is Radio 2′s traditional slot for swing. Presented by Clare Teal, it celebrates big band and swing, occasionally paying tribute to artists of the era (this week for example is a celebration of Duke Ellington and Count Basie). And at 11pm, David Jacobs presents his Collection which celebrates music from the Hollywood, Broadway and Tin Pan Alley heyday. Again, not necessarily all swing, but many tunes familiar to us all.
Clare Teal also presents Big Band Special on BBC Radio 2 on a Monday night (currently at 9.30pm), a half hour show with live recorded music usually with the BBC Big Band and a guest singer.
All of these shows can be found on the BBC iPlayer for seven days after broadcast.
If you’re into blues, JazzFM has shows over the weekend dedicated to blues, and in the past has had some shows dedicated to swing. As these have changed over time, check out their schedule for more details.
And online of course is Yehoodi. An online community of swing dancers, it contains a great resource of what’s swingin’ around the world. And it has a 24 hour radio feed, occasionally featuring DJs from London as well.
And for you all in North America, Sirius XM has a 1940s themed radio station (40s on 4) where you can enjoy 40s jump jive and swing uninterrupted all day.
So there’s plenty to listen to until your next visit to the dance floor. Keep on swingin’!
]]>As always, our Facebook group and Swing Out London will also carry the latest updates as well. Do let us know if there is anything we’ve missed.
In any case, may we wish you all a very happy Christmas and a swung-out New Year!
- Sat 1 Dec: A Very Bluesy Christmas (Blues Revolution Christmas Party): http://www.bluesrevolution.co.uk/
- Sat 1 Dec: Mouthful O’Jam: http://mouthfulojam.com/
- Sat 1 Dec: @SwingPatrolLdn Swing Den: http://www.swingpatrol.co.uk/social-dancing/
- Sun 2 Dec: Gangbusters: http://www.hellzapoppin.co.uk/
- Sun 2 Dec: Swing Rendezvous: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mlle-Chat-Noir/136719216353080
- Sun 2 Dec: @SwingPatrolLdn Red Rhythm & Book Club Blues: http://www.swingpatrol.co.uk/social-dancing/
- Fri 7 Dec: @Swingland This Joint Is Jumpin’: http://www.swingland.com/jump/
- Fri 7 Dec: The Swing Thing! Christmas Ball: http://www.jeromelanderson.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=61:the-swing-thing-christmas-ball&catid=3:newsflash
- Sat 8 Dec: LSDS (@swingdanceuk) Saturday Night Swing Club: http://www.swingdanceuk.com/calendar.htm#SNSC
- Sat 8 Dec: @SwingPatrolLdn Christmas Party: http://www.swingpatrol.co.uk/social-dancing/
- Sun 9 Dec: @SwingPatrolLdn Bedroom Bar Swing & Blues: http://www.swingpatrol.co.uk/social-dancing/
- Wed 12 Dec: Jitterbugs Big Snowball: http://www.jitterbugs.co.uk/home.asp
- Sat 15 Dec: Black Cotton Club Christmas Black and White Ball: http://www.facebook.com/events/123634791128657/
- Sat 15 Dec: LSDS (@swingdanceuk): Simply Copasetic: http://www.swingdanceuk.com/calendar.htm#SimplyCopasetic
- Sat 15 Dec: @LondonSwingCats The Cat’s Meow Christmas Party withe the Intelli-Gents: http://www.londonswingcats.com/page9.html
- Sun 16 Dec: @SwingPatrolLdn Swing Pit: http://www.swingpatrol.co.uk/social-dancing/
- Tue 18 Dec: LSDS (@swingdanceuk) Wild Times Christmas Party: http://www.swingdanceuk.com/calendar.htm
- Thu 20 Dec: Club Savoy Christmas Party: http://www.ryanandjenny.com/RJ/Club_Savoy.html
- Fri 21 Dec: Lindy Circle Christmas Party: http://www.lindycircle.com/
- Sat 22 Dec: @SwingPatrolLdn It’s A Swing Thing: http://www.swingpatrol.co.uk/social-dancing/
- Sat 22 Dec: @Swingland Winter Swing Ball: http://www.swingland.com/winter-swing-ball/
- Mon 24 Dec: Five Go Jiving at the Southbank Centre (FREE!): https://www.facebook.com/events/371581366256752/
- Wed 26 Dec: Strictly Winter Ballroom
- Sat 29 Dec: @LondonSwingCats Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree (Swing Cats Corner Christmas Party): https://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#!/events/441802765877826/
- Sun 30 Dec: LSDS (@Swingdanceuk) Pre- New Year’s Eve Lindy and Blues Fling: http://www.swingdanceuk.com/calendar.htm#PreNewYear
- Sun 30 Dec: Swingsters 1940s Swing/Jive/Ballroom Tea Dance: http://www.swingsters.co.uk/
- Tue 31 Dec: 11th DANCERS’ OWN NEW YEAR’S EVE CHARITRY DANCE: https://www.facebook.com/events/294146837368361/
- Wed 1 Jan: Strictly Winter Swing at the Southbank Centre (FREE): https://www.facebook.com/events/418143661572871/
Notes: This list is not exhaustive and is meant to reflect infrequent events/Christmas parties leading up to the 24th December, and all events after. If there are any errors/omissions, please contact us using our contact form. From previous years’ frozen weather experience, we recommend checking with event organisers and their websites before setting off. Whilst we’ll try to update the list with cancellations as we hear of them (particularly on our Twitter feed), we cannot be held responsible for late changes to dates.
[Last Updated: 30 Nov 2012 at 17:06]
]]>- Fri 2 Dec: @JazzFM The Peppermint Candy Swing Christmas (feat Simon Selmon and Paul Golledge): http://bit.ly/uaW654
- Fri 2 Dec: @Swingland Friday Night Jive in Windsor: http://bit.ly/vU7keM
- Sat 3 Dec: LSDS (@swingdanceuk) Saturday Night Swing Club: http://bit.ly/vCajmi
- Sat 3 Dec: Mouthful O’Jam Christmas Party: http://on.fb.me/s10XUp
- Sat 3 Dec: @SwingPatrolLdn Swing Den: http://bit.ly/sPbjex
- Sat 3 Dec: @SwingPatrolLdn Book Club Blues & Swing Pit: http://bit.ly/sPbjex
- Sun 4 Dec: Swing Rendez-vous: http://on.fb.me/vk6Roa
- Sun 4 Dec: Gangbusters: http://bit.ly/uJ33I6
- Fri 9 Dec: Blues Revolution Christmas Party: http://bit.ly/tBraHX
- Fri 9 Dec: @Swingland 2 O’Clock Jump feat King Candy and The Shuga Push: http://bit.ly/upMedh
- Fri 9 Dec: @londonswingcats Swing Party: http://bit.ly/rMsBZl
- Sat 10 Dec: LSDS (@swingdanceuk) Suzi Q: http://bit.ly/s3aSj6
- Sun 11 Dec: The Cakewalk Revival: http://on.fb.me/svByq1
- Sun 11 Dec: @SwingPatrolLdn Red Rhythm: http://bit.ly/sPbjex
- Sun 11 Dec: @londonswingcats: All The Cats Join In: http://bit.ly/vlBF7u
- Wed 14 Dec: Jitterbugs Big Snow Ball: http://bit.ly/s6Iyv3
- Thu 15 Dec: Imperial College Big Band present Christmas Extravaganza: http://on.fb.me/t0mV4O
- Fri 16 Dec: The last Rock a Hula at Bloomsbury: http://bit.ly/u3Anha
- Fri 16 Dec: Hellzapoppin Christmas Party: http://bit.ly/uJ33I6
- Sat 17 Dec: Winter Lindy Hop at @southbankcentre: http://bit.ly/tfHM4J http://on.fb.me/uxwUG4
- Sat 17 Dec: LSDS (@swingdanceuk) King Porter Stomp’s Christmas Party: http://bit.ly/rxT5rD
- Sat 17 Dec: @SwingPatrol Ldn Christmas Party: http://bit.ly/sPbjex
- Sat 17 Dec: The Black Cotton Club Black & Red Christmas Ball: http://bit.ly/rvinek
- Sat 17 Dec: @londonswingcats The Cat’s Meow Christmas Party feat. The Stargazers: http://bit.ly/vlBF7u
- Sat 17 Dec: Jive Party at the Rivoli Ballroom, feat Oo-Bop-Sh’bam: http://bit.ly/uaglsH
- Mon 19 Dec: @londonswingcats: Swing Cats Jam Xmas Party: http://bit.ly/vlBF7u
- Tue 20 Dec: @Swingland C-Jam Christmas Party feat. Graham Hughes & The Sunshine Kings: http://bit.ly/vcaQnr
- Tue 20 Dec: LSDS (@swingdanceuk) Wild Times Christmas Party: http://bit.ly/tqS21d
- Thu 22 Dec: LSDS (@swingdanceuk) Holborn Hop Christmas Party: http://bit.ly/uIX0A2
- Thu 22 Dec: @Swingland A-Train @ The Hammersmith Club, and Classes Wimbledon: http://bit.ly/vFpLAD
- Fri 23 Dec: The La De Dahs at the @southbankcentre (Gig): http://bit.ly/uWTX5d
- Sat 24 Dec: 5 Go Jivin’ at the @southbankcentre: http://bit.ly/uwBbws http://on.fb.me/sSxLWd
- Thu 29 Dec: @Swingland A-Train @ The Hammersmith Club, and Classes Wimbledon: http://bit.ly/vFpLAD
- Fri 30 Dec: The Original Rabbit Foot Spasm Band at @southbankcentre: http://bit.ly/rp9Ajh http://on.fb.me/vAfE3D
- Sat 31 Dec: 10th Dancers’ Own New Year’s Eve Charity Dance: http://on.fb.me/rQvcZe
- Sat 31 Dec: LSDS (@swingdanceuk) Saturday Night Swing Club New Year Eve’s Party: http://bit.ly/rtuqDk
- Sat 31 Dec: The Black Cotton Club New Year’s Eve Ball: http://bit.ly/tT2Hmy
- Mon 2 Jan: Shanghai Syncopated Orchestra at @southbankcentre: http://bit.ly/sqBFyT http://on.fb.me/u4VXy5
List last updated on Friday, 25 November, 2011 at 11:21 GMT.
For updates on events coming up over the next two weeks, visit our friends at Swing Out London.
It’s a bumper Christmas and New Year schedule, so mark out your diaries, and we hope to see you all dancing!
Notes: This list is not exhaustive and is meant to reflect infrequent events/Christmas parties leading up to the 24th December, and all events after. If there are any errors/omissions, please contact us using our contact form. From last year’s frozen weather experience, we recommend checking with event organisers and their websites before setting off. Whilst we’ll try to update the list with cancellations as we hear of them (particularly on our Twitter feed), we cannot be held responsible for late changes to dates.
]]>The usuals will be taking place with music from DJs and a bit of entertainment from our beloved octogenarian, John Barnes. So come on down for some summer fun!
Full details below.
| Date | Time | Event | Venue | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 03 Jul 2011 | 2:00pm | SDL Swing Dance Picnic: July 2011 Edition | Regent’s Park |  |
]]>
The first will be on Sunday 5 June, and feature live band, the Swing Ninjas, a class from professional dancer Taina Kortelainen, and of course, lots of fun from octogenarian, John Barnes.
Full details of the event are in the link below and on our Facebook event page.
| Date | Time | Event | Venue | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 05 Jun 2011 | 2:00pm | SDL Swing Dance Picnic: June 2011 Edition | Regent’s Park | |
We’re more accustomed to the Southbank Centre offering swing dancers a chance to strut their stuff around Christmas, but this summer a couple of events have been organised. The Meltdown Lindy Hop on 11 June features workshops and social dancing with music from one of our favourite bands, Blue Harlem. Later in the month (25 June), the BBC Big Band play a gig with Claire Martin as their guest, which are usually recorded for their Monday night BBC Radio 2 show.
The City of London Festival is an annual event, and this year features three bands whom we all love to bits. First up are the yellow-suited Jive Aces, who will play an evening gig at New Street Square on 21 July. Kai’s Cats, featuring American songstress and Ronnie Scott’s resident, Kai Hoffman, play Devonshire Square in a lunchtime gig on 11 August, and one of London’s swing scene favourites, Rob ‘n’ Pete’s Swing Thing play Paternoster Square the day after.
And with our swing dance picnics (dates to be announced), it’s bound to be a fun summer. Are you feeling it yet?
| Date | Time | Event | Venue | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat 11 Jun 2011 | 2:30pm | The Meltdown Lindy Hop | Clore Ballroom, Royal Festival Hall | |
| Sat 25 Jun 2011 | 10:00pm | BBC Big Band with Claire Martin | Clore Ballroom, Royal Festival Hall | |
| Thu 21 Jul 2011 | 6:00pm | The Jive Aces (Free gig – the City of London Festival) | New Street Square | |
| Thu 11 Aug 2011 | 12:30pm | Kai’s Cats (Free gig – City of London Festival) | Devonshire Square | |
| Fri 12 Aug 2011 | 12:00pm | Rob ‘n’ Pete’s Swing Thing (Free gig – COLF) | Paternoster Square | |
At this stage, I’m not yet ready and available to go back to the regular weekend event updates on the site, but I will continue to try to tweet events coming up on an occasional basis. If you’re an organiser, send us a tweet @swingdancersldn and we’ll try to retweet. Tweets will continue to appear on our homepage, so please keep checking those out.
In the meantime, just to say that the recent sun has definitely provided a taster of things to come this summer, and we’ll be looking out for dancing events and organising our own! So watch this space, as they say!
]]>- Fri: Lindy Circle Lindy & Balboa Night: http://www.lindycircle.com/
- Fri: @SwingPatrolLdn Meet the Scene Ball: http://www.swingpatrol.co.uk/
- Sat: @SwingPatrolLdn Intermediate Aerials workshop: http://www.swingpatrol.co.uk/
- Sat: @SwingPatrolLdn Swing Den: http://www.swingpatrol.co.uk/
- Sat: Mouthful O’Jam 1 year anniversary: http://mouthfulojam.com/
- Sat: LSDS (@SwingDanceUK) Royston Boogie: http://www.swingdanceuk.com/
- Sun: LSDS (@SwingDanceUK) Fast Beginners Lindy Hop workshop: http://www.swingdanceuk.com/
- Sun: @SwingPatrolLdn Swing Pit and Book Club Blues: http://www.swingpatrol.co.uk/
- Sun: Gangbusters: http://www.hellzapoppin.co.uk/
- Sun: @Swingland Swing Cellar: http://www.swingland.com/
- Fri: Lindy Circle Lindy & Balboa Night: http://www.lindycircle.com/
- Sat: @SwingPatrolLdn Learn to Dance in a Day workshop: http://www.swingpatrol.co.uk/
- Sat: Blues Revolution – Blues Awakening (SOLD OUT): http://www.bluesrevolution.co.uk/
- Sat: London Swing Cats – The Cat’s Meow: http://www.londonswingcats.com/
- Sun: LSDS (@SwingDanceUK) Fast Beginners Lindy Hop workshop: http://www.swingdanceuk.com/
- Sun: Jitterbugs Charleston and Lindy workshops: http://www.jitterbugs.co.uk/
- Sun: @SwingPatrolLdn Swing on Sunday and Book Club Blues: http://www.swingpatrol.co.uk/
- Sun: @Swingland Swing Cellar: http://www.swingland.com/
Have fun!
]]>However, do check out our Christmas Events post which lists special parties happening. For all other events, check out our earlier post on London’s calendars for swinging events.
In the meantime, keep those legs dancing!
]]>