I'm sad to inform you that

THE LAUNCHPAD IS CANCELED[/size]

or at least postponed

due to scheduling difficulties

Many thanks to all the teachers who have put a lot of time into preparing great lessons. I appreciate everyone's support of my workshop idea.

Skyrocket your swing dancing to the stars at...

THE LAUNCHPAD!!!

September 23rd

ft. two 4-hour tracks of instruction from Utah's swing dance engineers.

9:15 - 9:30 am --> Registration & Warm up

9:30 - 10:30 am --> Class 1A & 2A

10:35 - 11:35 am --> Class 1B & 2B

11:40 - 12:10 am --> Brown Bag Lunch w/ Jeremy Weight -- How to Dance with Soul

12:20 - 1:20 pm --> Class 1C & 2C

1:25 - 2:25 pm --> Class 1D & 2D

Ignition Track -- From the Basics to Infinity and BEYOND!!

Shane & Julie Shurtliff and Ryan Martinsen & Mindy Probst

Class 1A:

Shane & Julie

World Domination through Triple Steps

Don’t underestimate the power of the triple step. In this class we will focus on basic triple step swing, feeling the rhythm, and basic partner connection. This will be mixed in with a wide variety of swing variations for everyone to practice with.

This class is open to anyone that wants to build a solid foundation for launching your swing dancing in the right direction.

Class 1B:

Mindy & Ryan

Lindy Hop Basics and Beyond 1: The swing out, working with your partner

Class 1C:

Shane & Julie

Lindy Hop Basics and Beyond 2: Dance to the Music

Without the music, none of us would be here!! In this class we will use Lindy Hop variations to help you understand the patterns in Jazz Music, and using those patterns to make your dance flow. We will address how you and your partner can connect through musicality, and how the music can tell you how to dance!! Don’t believe it can be done? Come and find out. This class will open your eyes to a new world of Swing.

Anyone can attend this class.

Class 1D:

Mindy & Ryan

Lindy Hop Basics and Beyond 3: Techniques to make you look cool

Desired attendees for Ignition Track:

Everyone from beginners to advanced dancers. Anyone who wants to learn more about the fundamentals of this amazing dance!

Shane & Julie's background/experience:

Shane and Julie have both been dancing Lindy Hop Swing for more than six years. They began dancing together two years ago, and in that time have traveled across the country taking many private lessons and competing on a national level. Shane and Julie have won first place in several local Lindy Hop competitions, and have placed within the top ten in several national competitions, including 6th Place in the American Lindy Hop Competition Showcase Division, and 8th Place in the Camp Hollywood National Amateur Lindy Hop Competition. Their ability to teach was demonstrated this year as they led their dance team to place 2nd in the Camp Hollywood National Team Division. Their fun and fast paced style of teaching creates a wonderful combination of enlightenment and entertainment.

Mission to Mars -- Elite Astronaut Training

Jeremy Weight & Emily Squire

Class 2A: Lock'n

Lock'n is a dance that was popular in the 70's. Students will gain more coordination with thier arms while doing steps. This will help our lead and follow skills while doing complex steps and rhythms. An appreciation for funk can also be gained. Lock'n has a lot of character. Those principles can be applied and used to help make our dancing lindy hop more fun to do and for others to watch.

Class 2B: Lindy hop routine I learned by Skye Humphreys. He rocks! Lead and Follow principles will be covered along with some movement.

Ron Capunay & Ginny[/i]

Class 2C: Advanced Jazz/ Hip Hop Fusion Movement

It's not about the moves It's about the movement!

This class will be a fast paced Jazz Fusion class for advanced dancers

who want to improve movement and isolation. It will also focus on

feeling the music and being more expressive with their dancing

I would like to see dancers who have basic understanding of Jazz

Movement attending this class.

Class 2D: Advanced Fast Lindy Routine

Ready to go above and beyond?

This class will take over where intermediate classes leave off. It will put

to use the basic concepts learned in the beginner/int. classes into a

more advanced Lindy Hop Routine. This will be a fast paced class that

will help students put the pieces together. It will bridge the gaps of

charleston, 6 count and Lindy Hop. The focus of this class will be to

help students dance to a faster tempo and learn how to transition and be

more musical.

Jeremy's Dance Background/Experience:

I have taught USU (non-club) beginning and intermediate dance classes for six years. USU swing club president 2 years 1999-2001. I have taught for swing clubs since 1999. I have taught for Logan High and Skyview High for the last 4 years beginning to lindy hop. Taught at other various miscelanious functions over the past 7 years. Attended several workshops taught by proffesionals too many to count. Harlem nights competition winner 2005 and 2006. Lindy invitational winner 2005 held at the Mac. Bustagroove winner 2004 in pop'n. 2006 pop'n winner at the good foot competition. 4 years of hip hop experience.

Brown Bag Lunch: How to Dance with Soul!

Jeremy Weight will share a brief history of jazz and jazz dance and how this will help us put some soul into our dancing. Students will gain more of an understanding of what it means to have dancers energy and how we can work towards putting some soul and character into our dance. We will be watching some old clips as examples.

Are you ready for blastoff?

Start the countdown...

I think I have a cousin getting married. It's Jordan river, so I might be able to make both.

Updated [Emoticon not found]

i think you should postpone so i can go. [Emoticon not found]

The change would let me catch some of the first session and all of the late one. Of course that's a family thing, so not much I can do about it (aside from disown my family, but I like them too).

LOCATION CHANGE PENDING

BYU's venues are booked for that day

If you know of any dance rooms available for rent near campus please send me a private message ASAP. Thanks for your support!

Curse you BYU and you're scheduling fickleness

I'm not really sure which organization I dislike more, BYUSA or campus scheduling...

BYUSA isn't that bad. It's not their fault really. There are 6 or 7 organizations that make the rules for them. It's a HUGE conflict of interests. For example, the group that gets the revenues for Campus Scheduling is the group that makes rules for BYUSA clubs about scheduling needs. (So if they make us schedule more, they get more money)

The people within BYUSA are really cool people. It's the beauracracy of BYUSA that you should dislike if anything. Me, personally, I dislike Campus Scheduling more.

I've never done anything with scheduling. I've never had a major official position either though . . .

You mean that's not how people should act while working? doh