Seattle's Monday night dance (new blues dance begins September 14!)

The friendliest dance in town

Join us every Monday for an evening of dancing to a great mix: waltz, blues, swing, foxtrot, cha-cha & other Latin rhythms, even the occasional zydeco or tango. Beginning mid-September, make a night of it by staying for the all-ages blues dance that happens right after Waltz etcetera. Details:

• Dance: Every Monday at 7:30 pm. We've been dancing every week since 1999
• Classes: There's a drop-in class at 6:30 pm right before the dance. Info on current classes below.
• How much? $5 for the dance, $15 for the class, $20 for both. Beginning mid-September: $5 for the blues dance, $8 for both dances, $23 for both dances and the class
• Where? Lake City Community Center, 12531 28th Ave NE in Seattle; it has a big hardwood dance floor plus plenty of room off the main dance floor to socialize, rest, or dance in a quieter setting than the main floor; the offsides area has the same great hardwood floor.
• What about parking? Free parking in the LCCC's lot plus free street parking nearby; you can also park for free in the parking garage of the library next door (not open on holidays).
• How many people come? We average 60-70 dancers every Monday.
• Do I need to bring a partner? No, most people come as singles to both class and dance. We rotate partners frequently in class.
• What's it like there? Casual dress. Non-competitive. Easygoing vibe. Unpretentious. Friendly dancers.
• Why do you dance? Dancing's all about holding someone in your arms. Sure, it's good exercise, artistic expression, it keeps your brain working right, all that's true. But you can get those benefits elsewhere. Partner dancing you get to do in someone's arms: dancing is embracing. Partner dancing offers the deep pleasure and satisfaction of human contact, body to body. Pay attention to the person you're holding in your arms. That's not just a dance frame; dude, that's an embrace. Hold her like you mean it.

Current class: Introduction to blues dancing: A class for experienced dancers

Blues dancing has been a revelation to me; it's radically different than other kinds of partner dancing:

• There are no moves, no basics, just partnered improv
• The core element is creative vulnerability
• Blues dancing subverts the lead-follow relationship and
• Thumbs its nose at the partner dance patriarchy

Blues dancers dance cooperatively, creating the dance together as equals, no longer locked in the roles of a lead-follow hierarchy. I love it like I've never loved any other kind of dancing, and I want to share my passion for blues dancing with as many dancers as I can, because blues dancing has changed my life for the better. Yes brothers and sisters, I'm preaching the gospel of blues dancing, get on board that train. Hallelujah!

This class is an introduction that's aimed at getting experienced partner dancers with good lead-follow skills started with blues dancing. Read more about the class. The class will run through the end of July. There's a basic introduction to blues dancing here, and you can learn more about it on Blues dance connection, my new blues dancing website.

Our Monday night classes: You can drop in anytime. No need to sign up, just show up. Classes are 6:30 - 7:30 pm every Monday, $15 per class, at our regular dance hall, the Lake City Community Center. No partner required; we rotate partners frequently in class. These classes happen right before our regular Monday night dance, which always includes plenty of music for you to practice what you got in the class.

New Monday night dance (following Waltz etcetera) begins mid-September!

Beginning September 14 Waltz etcetera will be followed by a new blues dance that will feature mostly slow blues with a little uptempo blues/soul/r&b mixed in, the kind of mix they play at blues dances like BurnBlue. The new dance, called Zbluez (Zachariah's Blues), will go from 9:30 - midnight and will also be just $5; if you want to stay for both dances it's just $8 for a full 4½ hours or dancing, 7:30 - midnight. I've created a new website for the blues dance: www.bluesdanceconnection.com.