West Coast Swing in January

Thank you to all my West Coast Swing friends who showed up to not only support me as the DJ but the country dance scene in general. We are running out of venues who play this style of music and it felt so good to get out there and party with all of you. I was also able to dust off some Musical gems that I have not played or heard in a long time as well as the new music I found in the last couple of weeks.

This week December 24th Class is West Coast Swing Musicality

We are going to do a quick recap of some of the musical patterns we just learned and start to play with HOW to use them in our dance. I plan to keep it light, playful, and of course musical!
Here are the details for our next Thursday class:

The Thursdays Class, December 21st
6:30 lesson (West Coast Swing)
7:30ish There will be a guided dance practice time that follows and I am available for dances and questions with plans to wrap the night up by 8:30.
Cost $20
Its held at 304 S. Broadway in Salem, NH
Its Two Guys Smoke Shop across from T-Bones on Route 28 (Front Right hand Door)
You are welcome to park anywhere in the lot including the spots out front labeled for 20 minutes. We are using the door closest to the giant sign which will be marked with a sign.

Up Coming Events:
January 7th
Sweeny Post
for our California Mix at
Sweeny Post #2
251 Maple St, Manchester, NH 03103
Lesson 6-7 Cha-Cha Patterns W/Ray Huard
Dancing 7-9 (Julie Lutter DJ)
Cost: $20

January 14th
Sweeny Post
for our California Mix at
Sweeny Post #2
251 Maple St, Manchester, NH 03103
Lesson 6-7 Foxtrot Patterns W/Ray Huard
Dancing 7-9 (Julie Lutter DJ)
Cost: $20

About Ray Huard
PaperMoon Ballroom Instructor & Choreographer
Raymond Huard began ballroom dancing in 1997. He has studied at studios throughout New England, most notably with coaches Ian Folker, Ed Simon, Michael Ulbrich, and Suzanne Hamby. He specializes in American Smooth, American Rhythm and International Standard and has won the trust and affection of many students, who regularly place at or near the top of their events at Pro/Am competitions. Ray began competing in the Professional Rising Star American Smooth category in September 2009 with his partner Maria Huard under the coaching of Larinda McRaven, and danced in the finals at competitions throughout the Northeast.

January 19th
Roma Restaurant
29 Middlesex St.,Haverhill, MA
(Some GPS units may have this listed as Bradford, Ma)
7:30pm Lesson West Coast Swing
8:30-10:30pm West Coast Swing Dancing
Cost is $20
This is a restaurant with a full menu downstairs. My Friend Brett just bought it and has been making some serious improvements on the menu. If you like Italian style food you can certainly go a little early and have a meal making for a great date night. This may be a beginner crowd and has potential to draw a younger audience so I am coming in with the plan being no plan. I will be ready to teach to what ever level of dancer shows up and if it goes well we may have a new new spot to dance. The dance floor is hardwood and is spectacular!

January 28th
Sweeny Post
for our California Mix at
Sweeny Post #2
251 Maple St, Manchester, NH 03103
Lesson 6-7 Night Club 2 W/Mr. Jonathan
Dancing 7-9 (Mr. Jonathan DJ)
Cost: $20

Jazz Singer Ariana Savalas’s Reaches Out

Breaking news about my demo at Living Legends…The artist who cover’s the song “Peel Me A Grape” got alerted that it was being used in my video. She has the right to refuse its use and gave it a watch…Instead of booting the song off of YouTube she commented officially on the video. Apparently I have a new new fan in Ariana Savalas the daughter of famed actor Telly Savalas! Click the video to read what she wrote.

New England Dance Festival Report

I had SO MUCH FUN dancing Thursday and Saturday night at NEDF! Dean had his work cut out for himself as many more ballroom dancers showed up Thursday night than I have seen in the past. Most of what he played crossed over for the WCS dancers and a lot of it worked for Country as well. I felt like he really turned the heat up for the last hour and I don’t think I missed a dance! Saturday Donna stepped up to the challenge of a full room competing with 2 others and she managed to keep things rocking till almost 2 am…My feet still hurt! Next year’s event is scheduled for August 1-4 so mark your calendars.

Speaking of marking your calendars I hope you made a big notation for this Sunday because I am bringing some new music in almost every dance!

$15
California Mix Dance
6:30pm Night Club Two-Step Mr. Jonathan
7:00pm  WCS Mr. Jonathan
7:30-11ish DJs Mr. Jonathan

Longfellow’s Club JoEllen
524 Boston Post Rd
Wayland, MA

Saturday, August 18th
NHABDA
MILFORD TOWN HALL
1 Union Square, Milford NH
6:45 – 7:30 pm by Lesson by Lets Dance Studio
8:45 Showcase by Lets Dance Studio, Concord.

Music by Mr Jonathan
7:30 – 10:30 General Dancing
Please make Reservations by 7pm on Thursday, Aug 15th
Cost: $17.00 per person, $12.00 per person for NHABDA Members (annual dues are only $20)
Late reservations and admissions at the door: $2.00 additional

Become a member at the dance for only $20 for the year and you`ll receive Footnotes, our monthly newsletter in addition to lower admission costs.

E-mail Betty Ashooh at getinstep@comcast.net OR call 603-716-6791 and include date of dance, names of all attending and seating preferences

Debby Monk Returns to Longfellows in September!

Keep your calendar open for September 8th as my wife and I will be splitting the duties of the night. She has a bad ass lesson plan to teach and as you can tell from my latest Spotify list that the music gods have blessed me with some new groove!

Saturday, September 8th

$20
8pm WCS Lesson W/DebbyMonk
9pm-? WCS Dance W/DJ Mr. Jonathan
Longfellow’s Club JoEllen
524 Boston Post Rd
Wayland, MA

December 2nd Club JoEllen Potluck Dinner Dance

Dance Concept Level 1: Moving is dancing…dancing is movement in time with the music and little else matters. Just move your feet in time with the music and you will be just fine.

Dance Concept Level 2: There is a huge difference, in dancing, between moving your feet and moving your center. Always move your center to move your feet!

Dance Concept Level 3: Your center as a leader must be ahead of the beat and your center as a follower must be slightly behind the beat and through the secret language of connection we can both be dancing to the same beat at the same time.

Dance Concept Level 4: Now that you have mastered moving from your center, center to center connection, and timing you can now revisit “Dance Concept Level 1” and just move!

To really excel in dance you must keep pushing your self to be more and more on point with your movement while at the same time letting your inner artist loose to interpret the song that is playing right now. Every moment you make should be practiced to the point of it being second nature but at the same time appear to be completely made up on the spot and in real time. Watch better dancers do their thing but don’t try and hold yourself accountable to put their dance on the floor. Put your dance on the floor and try to love and appreciate every beat…every movement..and every connection!

Free (bring a dish to share)

Saturday Night December 2nd

Annual Pot Luck Dance

7:30pm DJ Fred Rapaport

8:15pm DJ Steele Shane

9:00pm DJ Donna Shea

9:45pm DJ Larry Mongeau

10:30 pm DJ Mr. J

Longfellow’s Club JoEllen

524 Boston Post Rd

Wayland, MA

October 2017 Dancing in the Boston Area

Saturday October 14th
7:00 – 8:00 PM All Level West Coast Swing with Tessa Antolini
8:00 – 9:00 PM Intermediate West Coast Swing with Tessa Antolini

8:00 – 9:00 PM Beginner West Coast Swing with Steele Shane

9:00 – 12:30 PM West Coast Swing Dance with DJ Mr Jonathan

$20/2, $15/1 Tessa’s workshops includes dance
$10 Beginner Lesson includes dance
$10 dance only


6:30pm WCS Lesson w/Mr. J

October 2017 Dancing at Longfellow’s Club JoEllen promises to be a great time. Share the info with your friends and get on my emailing list to get direct notifications of all dancing that I am hosting, Teaching, or DJing not just October 2017 Dancing but ALL of it!

Tessa, Larry, and Mr. Jonathan Oh My!

Friday, Sept 8th, 2017 (tonight)

Its the  Mr. Jonathan Show at Tessa’s Forte Friday Fun Night. She has come down with a high fever and does not want to infect the dance community. She will be home resting while we swing our butts off! I have a new 32 count pattern cycle that is easy and fun to dance. Plus over these last few years a great new partner passing WCS game, centered around the very patterns you will learn, has surfaced…Be prepared to be dancing (and possibly rolling) in the isles after this one of a kind experience!

$10

Beginner WCS 7:45pm
Intermediate WCS 8:30pm
Social Dancing 9:30pm
Forte Dance
123 Muller Rd.
Burlington, Ma
Saturday, Sept 9th, 2017

$10
8pm Intermediate Lesson W/Larry Mongeau
9pm -12ish General Dancing DJ Larry Mongeau
Longfellow’s Club JoEllen
524 Boston Post Rd
Wayland, MA
Sunday Sept 10th, 2017

6:30 – 7:00 PM Intermediate 2 Step with Mr. J

7:00 -7:30 PM Intermediate WCS with Mr. J

7:30 – 10:30 or 11PM Country Mix Dance with Mr. Jonathan

(Music will be a mix of Country, Ballroom, and WCS until we run out of people!)

$15 any lesson (s) includes dance
$15 Dance only