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Tag: Lindy Hop

Happy New Year! The Vintage Inn’s 2015 Year in Review

What a year this has been and how fast it has gone as well. I literally feel like I just started 2015 and now it’s coming to an end. Well the one thing I do know is that 2015 was a busy and fun year and I would love to share with you some of the adventures I got into with you. Here is my 2015 in review.

January: Every year I attend a big German Karneval (mardi gras) function called GAMGA in Las Vegas. It’s 2 days of costume parties, after parties and then a big Gala. It’s super fun and something I have been doing with my parents since I was a kid.

German Mardi Gras in United States

February: I was lucky to be able to attend the premier of the 1940s new Canadian TV show called ‘X Company‘. I have never been part of a premier and it was a cool experience and we even got to meet the host of the event and get our pictures taken with the cast and producers.

X Company TV Show Premier in Toronto

I attend a 1920s Speakeasy party at the famous and beautiful Palais Royale in Toronto.

1920s Speakeasy Party at Palais Royale Toronto

AND I traveled to Seattle, Washington for a long weekend to visit a good friends parents and see uber cool Seattle. I did a blog post all about it HERE.

Seattle Washington first starbucks
In front of the first Starbucks

March: I did nothing really blog post worthy. WHAT?? lol

April: VIVA Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend! I did several posts on that big adventure which can be found HERE.

Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend 18

May: Vintage Spectacular Dance with the GTA Swing Band. This was a super night of dancing, dressing up and great Big Band Music. The image below is some of the lovely ladies of TVS and the lead singer of the Band (she is soooo good).

vintage spectacular dance

I was very lucky to be part of a cool experience in May with a favorite Rockabilly band in Toronto called “The Millwinders“. Myself and few friends were filmed dancing in front of a green screen for use for future videos. Here are a couple of pictures from that day.

1950s vintage style
Credit: Kahlil Heslop

Lastly Toronto Lindy Hop (that I’m part of) put on a full weekend of Lindy hop, classes, history lessons and live music dances all weekend long called ‘Toronto World Lindy Hop Day’. I played host and it was such a good weekend 🙂

The images below are with 2 living legends in the Lindy Hop World. Chazz Young the son of one of the founders of Lindy Hop-Frankie Manning (and a talent as well) AND Dawn Hampton the Queen of the Cabaret and a little firecracker (her image is on the shirts we are wearing).

Dawn Hampton and Frankie Manning toronto lindy hop

Summer (June, July and August): I did a full blog post on all the events I attended (tiki party, UK Adventure, Horse race event plus much more), so check that out HERE.

hats and horseshoe event 2015 woodbine racetrack

September: Weekend visit to Havana, Cuba

This was not my first visit to Havana, but this was definitely the first time I visited areas outside of the Old part and it was fantastic. I still have to do a blog post on all the new things I saw but for now here is a collage of some of the highlights.

Havana Cuba

October: Halloween and a friend’s Wedding Reception Toga Party (yes a toga party). For Halloween the hubby and I went as Amazing Race Contestants. The outfits were big hits.

Amazing race costume idea

Toga Party!

toga party costume ideas

November: Swing Out To Victory’. Once again I helped my friend Dean with hosting duties as a third of the beautiful “Dominion Belles”.

Swing out to Victory-1940s vintage outfits
Credit: Kahlil Heslop

The throwing of the candies 🙂

Swing out to Victory-1940s vintage outfits
Credit: Kahlil Heslop

Here I am with 2 friends from the Toronto Vintage Society. Both created their outfits from scratch and Joy on the left, won the best dressed because she recreated the “Swing Time” outfit from the movie with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

Toronto Vintage Society Swing out To Victory

Opening of Toronto’s first ‘Shameful Tiki Room‘ (literally around the corner from my apartment). Now one of my local hangouts.

Opening of Shameful Tiki Room Toronto

The official Tiki mug for Shameful. Very Canadian with the Beaver 🙂

Shameful Tiki Room Toronto

I dj’d my first Rock N Roll social dance night for my friends 50s dance studio ‘Soda Pop Hop‘. Such a fun night!

Soda Pop Hop Social Dance Night. Rock N Roll dancing

December: Toronto Vintage Society annual Kitschmas Party. I played host once again at the party and it was another huge success. Here are the winners of the title of Kitschmas King and Queen. Make sure you check out the blog called “Flipsville” because she made these outfits!

Toronto Vintage Society Kitschmas Party

And that my friends is a general overview of my 2015 year. I hope you had a wonderful year and I wish all of you a Happy 2016! Thank you so much for reading my blog and commenting and just being wonderful readers, I love and appreciate each and everyone of you.

Liz 🙂

 

 

Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown in New Orleans: The Memories

I don’t blog that much about my favorite dance “The Lindy Hop“, but for today’s post I want to share with you an event that is close to my heart-ULHS…The Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown in New Orleans. And why today? Well this weekend marks the very last time this event will run, as the organizer is hanging up her hat (after 14 years) and letting it become a slightly different event called the New Orleans Swing Dance Festival.

Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orleans -Lindu Hop on the Street.
Photo: Dean Villafuerte

What was ULHS? Well simply, it was a weekend in New Orleans (birthplace of Jazz) that featured Lindy Hop Dance competitions, Live New Orleans music, jazz club dance crawls, Second Line Parades, cool vintage buildings for dance venues and so much dancing! It was pure magic and one of the best events I have every attended.

Check out this AMAZING Video created for its 10th Anniversary that features outstanding Lindy Hop and takes you from its original start in Minneapolis to its final stop in New Orleans (seriously..watch this video).

Now for today’s blog I wanted to fill it up with pictures and some videos of the weekends I attended (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012) to create one big I LOVE ULHS post.

Let’s Begin…

New Orleans

New Orleans Street Sign - Bourbon St
Photo: Dean Villafuerte

The Saint Louis Cathedral is the oldest Cathedral in North America, founded as a Catholic Parish in 1720 along the Banks of the Mississippi River in New Orleans.

The Saint Louis Cathedral is the oldest Cathedral in North America, founded as a Catholic Parish in 1720 along the Banks of the Mississippi River in New Orleans

My friends and I outside of Anne Rices Old House (I think it was lol).

Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orleans

We ate at so many yummy restaurants, like our favorite Coop’s. IT’S THE BEST PLACE TO EAT IN NEW ORLEANS!

Coop's New Orleans

And another favorite of ours “Yo Mama’s” even at one point had a very interestingly placed pole in their dining room (it sadly is behind a wall now).

Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orleans
Yo Mama's New Orleans

The Music and Second Line Parades

Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orleans- Music on the street in New Orleans

d.ba. was a sweet place to listen and dance to music. They had a great selection of beers as well. -Washboard Chazz-

Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orleans had a dance at D.B.A. a super place to eat, drink and dance in New Orleans.

Second line parade through the french quarter.

Secone line parade through the French Quarter in New Orleans.
Photo: Dean Villafuerte
Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orleans- Second Line Parade through the French Quarter.
Photo: Dean Villafuerte
Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orleans- Second Line Parade through the French Quarter.

The Lindy Hop Competitions & the Dancing

Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orleans -Lindy Hop Competitions in the streets of the French Quarter.
Photo: Dean Villafuerte
Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orleans -Lindy Hop Competitions in the streets of the French Quarter.
Photo: Dean Villafuerte
Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orleans -Lindy Hop Competitions in the streets of the French Quarter.
Photo: Dean Villafuerte

The dancing at night was in venues, but the Lindy Hop was still jumping!

Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orleans -dancing competitions at night.
Photo: d.tom

Solo Jazz Competition featuring my friend Nancy Hitzig (front and center).

Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orleans - Solo Jazz Competition featuring Nancy Hitzig.
Photo: d.tom
Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orleans - Lindy Hop Competition.
Photo: d.tom
Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orleans - Lindy Hop Competition.
Photo: d.tom

Lindy Hop at Louis Armstrong Park.

Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orleans -Lindy Hop at Louis Armstrong Park.
Some Toronto dancer friends

Liz aka ‘The Vintage Inn Blog’ doing her own bit of Lindy Hop at the night dances.

Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orleans-Lindy Hop Dance
Photo: d.tom

In 2009 at my first ULHS I was able to dance in the WW2 museum in the city. Simply..Amazing.

Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orleans at the WW2 museum

The Fun-Ohhh the fun! I was lucky that every time I went to this event, many of my Swing Dancing friends were attending as well so it always turned into a good party. Here a collection of some of those images.

Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orelans -Canadian Lindy Hop Drinking Team

New Orleans is always a party and you just never know who might grab you to dance (like this guy with me).

Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orelans -dancing in a bar.
New Orleans Fun bar sign.
Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orleans-Canadian dancers at a restaurant.
At Yo Mama’s (after the pole was put behind the wall)

More pictures of all the Canadian Lindy Hoppers at the dance (My husband and I are in the background).

Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orelans

We even were able to dance on a historic Paddlewheeler-The Creole Queen one year.

Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orleans-Paddleboat photo.
New Orleans-Large fish bowl drinks.
Drinking out of a Fishbowl is a must in NOLA

My husband always manages to get in all the photos with the pretty ladies haha 🙂

Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orleans
Photo: d.tom

My turn with all the handsome men…man…and ummm…..

New Orleans
Never a dull moment in New Orleans

Love this photo. Taking a break at a super outdoor market on Frenchmen street with a dear friend.

Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orleans
Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orleans
Big Canadian Photo of us all at ULHS

I’m going to end my post with a video from one of the late night dances on Bourbon Street in 2009. The band is the fantastic Loose Marbles at the bar Fritzels.

Thanks for the fun Amy Johnson and Team!

Question Time: Have you been to New Orleans? Or maybe you attended ULHS yourself and if so how was your experience?

FURTHER READING: Collection of Vintage Blog Posts on Swing Dance & The Big Band Era

Liz 🙂