CORNELL SWINGS: Dance & Workshops
Hot Toddies Jazz Band + Tony & Jaime
Join us for a swing dance weekend with two full days of workshops, plus the big dance - featuring THE HOT TODDIES JAZZ BAND (from NYC) and international swing dance instructors TONY & JAIME!
Get ready to swing into spring with our 2-day Lindy Hop Workshop and Live Music weekend on April 29th and 30th! This event features a total of 8 hours of Lindy Hop workshops taught by Tony and Jamie of the Hell’s Kitchen Kilowatts. We'll cover everything from basic steps to musicality and improvising on the dance floor, so whether you're a beginner or a seasoned pro, there will be something for everyone!
But that's not all - on Saturday evening, we'll be turning up the heat with an amazing social dance featuring live music from the Hot Toddies Jazz Band featuring vocalist Tatiana Eva-Marie & pianist Gordon Webster! With over 3 hours of music, this night of swing dancing will truly be one to remember.
This event is open to everyone, so don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to learn, dance, and connect with other passionate Lindy Hoppers in Ithaca and the surrounding communities. Save the dates now and join us for a weekend of fun, excitement, and unforgettable swing dancing!
PRICING
Workshops: $10 / day OR $15 both days
Dance: $20 general, $15 student
Crash course: FREE -- first-time swing dancers welcome!
Cash or Venmo, all payments to be made at the event.
SCHEDULE
Saturday, April 29:
Workshop Sessions 1-2: 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Workshop Sessions 3-4: 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Crash course lesson: 6:00 pm - 6:45 pm
Live music & dance: 6:45 pm - 10:00 pm
Sunday, April 30:
Workshop Sessions 5-6: 11:00 am - 1:00 pm
Workshop Sessions 7-8: 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Workshops:
Session 1: “How to truly dance: moving with your partner and the music”
Session 2: “Swing out intensive: develop and refine the Lindy fundamental”
Session 3: “Dance in close embrace: bring your connection to the next level”
Session 4: “Swing out variations: adding flair and style”
Session 5: “Magic on the dance floor: how to nail any move”
Session 6: “Dips and tricks: how to safely make a statement”
Session 7: “Dancing outside the box: musicality and improvisation”
Session 8: “Fancy footwork: moving beyond the basics”
LOCATION
The entire event will be hosted in Willard Straight Hall, located on Ho Plaza of Cornell’s campus. The workshops will take place in room 519 while the live music and social dance will be in room 407 (Memorial Hall). Signage will be put up at the main entrances to help find the correct rooms.
PARKING
There is a small lot behind the building, but it often fills up quickly. The most reliable option will be to park in the parking garage next to the football field, which is free on the weekends. It is a few minute walk between the garage and Willard Straight Hall.
MASKING
Masking is optional but encouraged. We will have extra masks on hand for those who want or need one. We ask that attendees respect each other’s decisions on whether or not to wear a mask, including if someone is only comfortable dancing with a partner who is also masked.
BAND
THE HOT TODDIES JAZZ BAND are a fun loving hot jazz & swing band based in NYC. They play all around town with an eclectic mix of styles perfect for dancing, lindy hop & good times!
Recently, their wacky music videos for "Dunkin Bagel" and “Five O’clock Coffee” off their debut EP "Quarantine Tracks" (2021) each hit over 100k views on Facebook, and over 10k on YouTube!
The band is led by by Grammy nominated violinist GABE TERRACCIANO (Turtle Island String Quartet) and noted composer, producer & drummer PATRICK SOLURI. It also features some of the top musicians in the swing & jazz worlds including JUSTIN POINDEXTER (Jazz at Lincoln Center), DAN LEVINSON (Mel Torme, Woody Allen, The Aviator, Boardwalk Empire), RON WILKINS (Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Dizzy Gilespie); plus noted vocalists QUEEN ESTHER (James “Blood” Ulmer), and HANNAH GILL (Post Modern Jukebox); as well as special guest pianist GORDON WEBSTER.
Nicknamed the “Gypsy-jazz Warbler” by the New York Times, TATIANA EVA-MARIE is a transatlantic bandleader, singer, author, and actress based in Brooklyn. Best known for her work with the Avalon Jazz Band – and accruing over 70 million views on YouTube, – she was acclaimed as a millennial shaking up the jazz scene by magazine Vanity Fair.
Pianist GORDON WEBSTER is one of the most sought after musicians in the lindy hop world. His tremendous musicianship and passion, supported by his first-hand knowledge of social dancing, have inspired lindy hoppers at hundreds of dance events worldwide. Drawing on influences as diverse as Fats Waller, Count Basie, Oscar Peterson and Gene Harris, Webster serves up a smorgasbord of styles unified by one characteristic: irresistible danceability.
DANCE INSTRUCTORS
NYC master swing dance teachers TONY & JAIME are some of the most sought after dance coaches and instructors around the globe. As a partnership they represent an extremely intricate, complex, and hyper-connected jitterbug style. As teachers they are known for bringing up dancers quickly, as well as training champion competitors. As international swing dance instructors, Tony and Jaime teach all over the US, Canada, and Europe. As performers, they are frequently invited to share their style with such notable theater and dance organizations as Jacob's Pillow, The Group Theatre Too, Jazz Choreography Ent., American College Dance Festival, Lincoln Center, and Hofstra University Dep. of Drama & Dance.
TONY FRASER is a seventeen year veteran of swing dancing, competition, coaching, and teaching. He’s a best-of-breed technical instructor, a specialist in Collegiate Shag, Lindy Hop, Aerials, Tricks, and Partner Charleston. He’s been on television and stage many times, and is an ALHC and US Open champion.
JAIME SHANNON is a classically trained dancer having earned her dance degree from Hofstra University. She has worked with several New York City based modern dance, contemporary, and jazz dance companies such as Azul Dance Theatre, Dance Cat-Alyst, Lauren Hale Dance, HalloHallo Inc, Kelley Donovan and Dancers, and the Bronx Opera Company.
Tony and Jaime have teaching and performing together since 2010.