August Classes

Spanish Ballroom, Glen Echo Park
7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo, MD

NEWS FLASH: You can drop in for the two remaining classes at $20 per class. Each class is 80 minutes. Just pay at the door on August 14.

Swing & Charleston Fundamentals
Thursdays, August 14 - 21, 7:20 - 8:40pm
(80 minutes each class)

There is no better introduction to social dance than Swing! Everything you need to get started in this popular dance is included: footwork, partnering skills, and plenty of moves. After mastering these concepts, you'll see how easy it is to dance with anyone. No partner required. $20 per class.

Slow Blues Dancing
Thursdays, August 14 - 21, 8:40 - 10pm (80 minutes each class)

When the music gets too slow to swing dance and changes the mood altogether, you need to know how to change your dancing too. Learn the tools to establish a strong connection with your partner, develop effective lead/follow skills, and move creatively as partners to express the blues. No partner/experience required. We'll be teaching an Intermediate Blues Class in September, so we highly recommend new Blues dancers to take this class first! $20 per class.

FRIDAY SWINGIN' THE BLUES
August 15

8:00 pm - Midnight
Bumper Car Pavilion, Glen Echo Park

The Glen Echo Park Partnership presents a Swingin' the Blues Dance with BG & the Mojo Hands who will delight your musical ear and get you moving to their fabulous blues music. BG & the Mojo Hands is a dynamic Washington, DC based band that performs a variety of blues styles including traditional Chicago, Jump, Swing, Rockabilly and down home Delta Blues. For this show they'll be focusing on Chicago and Delta-style blues with lots of slide guitar. The Mojo Hands distinguish themselves by playing with a lot of feeling. So bring out your dancing shoes and enjoy this wonderful venue! Our Swingin' the Blues dance will have about 50% slow blues tunes and 50% slow swing numbers.

Included in the cost of the dance is your choice of either a West Coast Swing lesson with Ken Roesel, or a Slow Blues lesson with Mike & Donna from 8 - 9 pm. Either class will introduce to you the basics, and then move on to more challenging concepts.

Held in the Bumper Car Pavilion, Glen Echo National Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo, MD. $13 admission, partner not required. Tickets sold at the door only. To volunteer and get in free contact Donna (dbarker@glenechopark.org).

SUNDAY BLUES DANCE
August 17

7:00 - 11:00 pm
Spanish Ballroom, Glen Echo Park

The ACME Blues Co. is back for our Sunday Blues at Glen Echo Park, and we've missed them! A high-energy electric blues band from the DC area, ACME delivers Industrial Strength Blues - Blues you can dance to!

"Them boys can play!" - Blues Legend Pinetop Perkins, after jamming with ACME Blues Co.

The ACME Blues Company plays a mixture of traditional and contemporary blues music with an original sound that's sure to get you dancing. Known for their lively stage performance, ACME has gained a reputation for delivering highly charged and memorable performances all around Virginia, Maryland and DC. The 4-piece band features Wave Milor on harp and lead vocals, Steve Remy's soulful and blistering electric guitar, Steve “Wolf” Crescenze on electric bass, and Chris Ruckman thumping out the rhythm on drums. The dance will feature 75% slow blues tunes and 25% swing numbers.

Prior to the dance, Mike & Donna will teach a 1-1/2 hour workshop from 7 - 8:30pm. During the first half hour we'll introduce some basics for those people who might not know much about the dance. The rest of the lesson will offer more challenging concepts and ideas to inspire both the experienced dancer and new dancers. Each workshop features new material, tailored to fit the level of the class. The cost of the workshop includes the dance with the ACME Blues Co. that follows.

Cost: $17 for workshop and dance; or $12 dance only starting at 8:30pm. You do not need a partner. Tickets sold at the door. To volunteer and get in free contact Donna (dbarker@glenechopark.org).

SUNDAY BLUES DANCE
September 7

7:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Spanish Ballroom, Glen Echo Park

Every time the Jamie Lynch Band plays at the Park, they knock our socks off! We are so pleased to bring them back again to usher in the cool, autumn weather and warm our souls.

Jamie Lynch, a native of Gaithersburg, MD, is turning heads with her strong and soulful voice. She studied classical music at Westminster College, but couldn't stay away from blues, R&B, and gospel music. Jamie chooses such vocal influences as Big Mama, Big Maybelle, Ella Fitzgerald, Bobby Bland, Etta James, and Susan Tedeschi, to name a few. Don't miss this grand opportunity to hear Jamie Lynch deliver great music for blues dancers - you'll love this band!

Prior to the dance, Mike & Donna will teach a 1-1/2 hour workshop from 7 - 8:30pm. During the first half hour we'll introduce some basics for those people who might not know much about the dance. The rest of the lesson will offer more challenging concepts and ideas to inspire both the experienced dancer and new dancers. Each workshop features new material, tailored to fit the level of the class. The cost of the workshop includes the dance with the Jamie Lynch Band that follows.

Cost: $17 for workshop and dance; or $12 dance only starting at 8:30pm. You do not need a partner. Tickets sold at the door. To volunteer and get in free contact Donna (dbarker@glenechopark.org).