Scroll down this page for the latest news and exciting things happening in the next few weeks!
Book for the 12th July Shim Sham workshop now! Scroll down for details and link to booking form!
Hawaiian Kalamazoo on 28th June
To celebrate the 9th anniversary of Brighton Jive, we held a Hawaiian Cruise theme at the Kalamazoo on 28th June, and what a night it was! Everyone made a huge effort with their outfits, and the whole hall was taken over with bright colours, Hawaiian prints and grass skirts! There were some particularly talented people taking part in the annual Limbo competition as well - and winner Jamie Cripps managed to get lower than has ever been done in 9 years! There was a great atmosphere all night, but the greatest surprise for me and Colin was that a group of you (with John Copp and Sue Ward as ringleaders) had arranged a HUGE anniversary cake and even HUGER bunch of flowers, courtesy of florist and jiver Zarina Shrubb. Thank you so much - we were so touched and speechless!
Book now for the Shim Sham workshop
We'll be holding another Shim Sham workshop on 12th July, with teacher Gypsy John (www.cinqueportsswingjive.com). This workshop is suitable for both those who are completely new to the Shim Sham, as well as those who have completed a previous workshop but need a refresher, as the whole dance will be covered step-by-step in detail. You may have seen the Shim Sham at Kalamazoo - it's an original vintage dance that's done on your own, with jazz and tap steps, usually to the song 'T'aint What you Do', and it's great fun! The 3-hour workshop will run from 1 - 4pm, and booking in advance is essential as numbers are limited.
The workshop costs £10 per person. Special Offer - Book for the workshop and the Kalamazoo in the evening at the same time and pay only £15! See booking form. Booking forms are available at all our events, or you can download and print one out here - Booking Form
1 - 4pm, Saturday 12th July, St Mary's Hall, Surrenden Rd, Brighton
Kalamazoos on 12th and 26th July
Twice a month, we hold our dance in Brighton called Kalamazoo, and the next ones will be on Saturday 12th and Saturday 26th July. Come along
and jive, bop and stroll to the hottest sounds of the 1940s and 50s, courtesy of resident DJ Kalamazoo Colin. In between dances, have a browse through our retro
clothing and dance shoes stalls. There's a large dance floor, plus plenty of seating, and our free raffle!
Bring your own drinks (soft drinks provided). Hope to see you there!
8 - 11:30pm, Saturday 12th and 26th July, St Mary's Hall, Surrenden Rd, Brighton
Dancing in the streets
It was a beautiful day (ok, it was sweltering!) in Worthing on Sunday 11th May, when the Brighton Jive Dancers did a dance display in Montague Place. Thanks to everyone who came along and joined in, and thanks to Dennis and Jane for providing plenty of iced water - we needed it! Courses start again on Thursday 22nd May in Worthing, and on Friday 23rd May in Brighton. There are currently spaces on both courses, but the Brighton course is now full for ladies wishing to join on their own. Call 01273 560480 for a free information pack or email us at brightonjive@hotmail.com.
Jiving at the Parlure Spiegeltent
The Brighton Jive Dancers performed a dance display at Ragroof Theatre's Tea Dance on Sunday 5th May, at the wonderful Parlure Spiegeltent. Photos have been added to the Photo Gallery, and there are also 4 video clips which you can play with Realplayer - Click here to go to the videos & photos. Thanks to everyone who came along - it was a lovely afternoon with all kinds of dances, and even tea and cakes! Ragroof Theatre are holding another tea dance on the 18th May. See the News page for details.
The Victory Ball went with a Swing!
A big thank you to everyone who attended our first Victory Ball on Saturday 26th April. Everyone really entered into the spirit of the evening, and there was a very impressive array of uniforms and 40s outfits. Many people had travelled from far afield, and judging by the lovely feedback we have been receiving, a good time was had by all. Even though there were nearly 400 people through the doors, there was still room to dance on the huge sprung dancefloor at the Assembly Hall. The swinging sounds of the forties were provided by the Memphis Belle Orchestra and the Swingtime Sweethearts, and Viv the Spiv provided the jokes inbetween. DJs Gypsy John and Kalamazoo Colin ensured that the dancefloor was kept busy between sets, and the adjoining Richmond Room was transformed into a vintage mall for the night, with stalls selling vintage and repro clothing, shoes, accessories and cards. A huge thank you must go to Sue Ward and Bob Andrews, who helped with all the setting up, running and packing up of the evening - we couldn't have done it without you! Now it's time to get the ball rolling for next year's do....
Brighton
Jive Dancers at Jukebox Show
The Brighton Jive Dancers performed in the afternoon to live
music from Greggi G and his Crazy Gang at the annual Jukebox Fair at Brighton
Racecourse, Brighton, on Sunday 20th April. Thank you to Rob & Michelle, Vicki, Lucy, Sue and Bob for dancing their socks off!
And thank you to all the Brighton Jive supporters who came along and joined in - it was a really relaxed day with good music and we got a chance to have a dance with all of you too!
