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Thomas Latter

About Thomas Latter

https://rhythmstudiohk.com

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Rhythm Studio March Update

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Rhythm Studio March Update

March is coming in just a few days, let’s remind you how to keep dancing!

Swing Music Workshop

Join us on the 7th of March to learn about the music we dance to. Talking about everything from the history to the structure of the music. We’ll have live musicians to help demonstrate everything we talk about and really nail what SWING MUSIC is all about. if you sign up for this workshop, you can enjoy a $100HKD discount on our upcoming EXPLORE Cycle.

Upcoming Classes

Our new DISCOVER courses are starting very soon. So make sure to sign up soon! This month’s IMPROVE cycle will be covering Charleston, getting those fancy shapes and Tandem Charleston nailed. And instead of REFINE, we’ll have an EXPLORE cycle this month as we DANCE musicality. Taking the skills we learnt in our 7th music workshop and bringing them onto the social floor. We’ll learn things like

– How to dance the end of the chorus
– Fancy Footwork to match the rhythm
– Dancing Slow and FAST
– Connecting with your partner and the music

Don’t miss out on this exciting new Cycle. And if you sign up for both IMPROVE and EXPLORE, you can get the second class for just $500HKD.

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Social Media and Calendar

In case you haven’t yet, make sure to join us on our WhatsApp Community to stay more up-to-date with what’s going on. And of course, follow us on Instagram for updates AND cool videos of what we’re doing.
And check out our CALENDER to find out about the next social that you can attend.

Video Feature: AJW2923 Team Short Showcase

A quick video from Team AJC out of Korea today as we see some beautiful team choreography.

Rhythm Studio is dedicated to bringing you classes that you’ll love and enjoy. Have an idea or want something more? Feel free to shoot us a message, and we’ll do our best to make it happen. Swingout!

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Trickeration by Norma Miller

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Solo Jazz

The Trickeration is a routine choreographed by the late Norma Miller. One of the OG Lindy Hoppers who helped shape this dance into what it is today.

It’s a line dance routine that is known by many Lindy Hoppers around the world. And can be a challenging piece to learn for its complexity of movement and complicated choreography. But it’s a worthwhile learn for any aspiring solo jazz dancer.

The Global Trickeration Project by ILHC

Norma Miller

Norma Miller herself was around during the early days of Lindy Hop. Starting dancing at just 12 years old, and winning the prestigious Harvest Moon Ball at only 16 years of age. She was part of the famous Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers performance troupe and can be seen in many films including A Day at the Races and Hellzapoppin’.

In the 1980s she helped to bring swing dancing to a more international audience, travelling the world to teach and spread her love of the dance. And while she passed in 2018, memory of her remains and her legacy will live on, through the people who danced with her and her ‘Trickeration’ Choreography.

It’s no wonder that she was also named the ‘Queen of Swing’.

Trickeration

A line dance for everyone, there is some supposition that this choreography was used as an audition to get into Norma Miller’s dance troupes. Similar to another routine called ‘The Stops’. But whether there is any truth to that is up for debate.

All we know is that this routine is both challenging and fun and a great dance to pull out on the social floor when you hear a song that gets you going.

Typically, the song is danced to “Jive at Five” by Count Basie. But any cover of the song will do. Letting you practice to both slow and fast tempos.

Below is our take on the Trickeration. On the right is the classic take of the routine. While on the left, is a soft shoe tap remix.

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New Cycle, ILHC, and World Lindy Hop Day

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New Cycle, ILHC, and World Lindy Hop Day

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IMPROVE Lindy Hop

Let’s start off the newsletter by letting you know about the upcoming IMPROVE Lindy Hop Cycle starting next week! Suitable for any students who have done one of our DISCOVER cycles or have just a bit of dancing under their belt. We’ll adapt our teaching material to whoever shows up. So you will definitely have a chance to improve your dancing, no matter your level.

DETAILS AND SIGN UP HERE

World Lindy Hop Day

For those who didn’t know, yesterday (26th May) was World Lindy Hop Day. A great excuse to remember the historic origins of the dance. It also happens to be the Birthday of the great Frankie Manning. One of the founders of the dance and part of why we are still dancing this dance over a hundred years later. Here is a great short history of his life. But if you want to learn a bit more about him and more about the history of the dance itself, I highly recommend reading his self-titled book.

Virtual ILHC

The International Lindy Hop Championships is also using this day as an excuse to change the date. It’s been just over 6 months since the last event, but we can only be happy that there is more dancing to watch this weekend! You’ll have to purchase a pass to watch it live. And catch some of the online classes they are offering. But if you have the patience, ILHC will be uploading all the routines onto their youtube channel after a week or so.
We’ll definitely be tuning in when we can, and hoping to place with our own virtual entries.

Video Feature

To get you excited for ILHC, check out our favourite video from last year.

Alice Mei and Remy Kouakou Kouame show us what smooth dancing really is in this amazing classic routine.

Rhythm Studio is dedicated to bringing you classes that you’ll love and enjoy. Have an idea or want something more? Feel free to shoot us a message, and we’ll do our best to make it happen. See you in the next class!

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New Classes, Fashion Advice, and Dance Comps

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New Classes, Fashion Advice, and Dance Comps

DISCOVER Lindy Hop


First of all, letting you know about our new DISCOVER cycle starting on the 19th of May. We’ll be going over the basics of Lindy Hop and is a great way to get started on this dance. (or review basics if it’s been a while since your last DISCOVER class).

DETAILS AND SIGN UP HERE

Fashion Advice

For those of you still dancing in socks, or just want to step up your shoe game. We’ve made a page dedicated to help you find the perfect dance shoe. We’ve even managed to get some discount codes for a few stores. Check it out here

Video Feature

There has been a recent competition in France called the Savoy Cup. There were so many amazing competitions and performances that weekend. And it was hard to pick just one of our favourites to show with you today. But here is what we eventually went with.

The Champions Cup is a head-to-head competition with multiple rounds as competitors show off their best sequences and moves to wow the judges. This was just a Semi-Final but saw the reigning champs Nils and Bianca knocked out by one of our new favourite dance couples, Tadas and Pamela. Seriously, give it a watch, you won’t be disappointed.

Rhythm Studio is dedicated to bringing you classes that you’ll love and enjoy. Have an idea or want something more? Feel free to shoot us a message, and we’ll do our best to make it happen. See you in the next class!

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Rhythm Bite – Follower’s Connection

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Introducing our short and sweet explainer videos for some basic swing dancing techniques. Whether you’re watching to learn, or just keep the memory of Lindy Hop fresh, this series will be sure to educate and entertain at the same time.

We’re focusing on the follower today. As we try and break down some techniques for a great partner connection. Stay to the end of the video to see what this looks like while going FAST!

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Rhythm Bite – Charleston

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Introducing our short and sweet explainer videos for some basic swing dancing techniques. Whether you’re watching to learn, or just keep the memory of Lindy Hop fresh, this series will be sure to educate and entertain at the same time.

We’re focusing on the Charleston step today. Making sure that they look energetic and fun, instead of dull and flat. Watch the video to make sure you’re doing some great footwork both in partner and solo!

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Rhythm Bite – TripleStep

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Introducing our short and sweet explainer videos for some basic swing dancing techniques. Whether you’re watching to learn, or just keep the memory of Lindy Hop fresh, this series will be sure to educate and entertain at the same time.

This video focuses on the most basic step of Lindy Hop – the triple step! So have a watch to learn how we like to do them and how you can get the perfect triple step as well!

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The Big APPLE

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[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWYAoc3-THM[/embedyt]

The Big Apple Routine in Keep Punching ( Whitey’s Lindy Hopper)

Routine or Social Dance?

The Big Apple Routine (shown above) is a line dance choreographed by Frankie Manning and Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers. It’s a Solo Jazz choreography made famous in the movie Keep Punching. In the modern Lindy Hop world, dancers enjoy dancing this routine on the social dance floor and on stage. Being a choreography that is a few step harder than the Shim Sham and Trankey Do.

However, the history of the Big Apple didn’t actually start as a Choreography. The original dance involved a caller calling spontaneously calling out moves. This was done as both a contest and socially.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRmEa89kutE[/embedyt]

Big Apple Contest at Frankie 100 (New York)

The original form of The Big Apple was invented around the 1930s and was popular throughout many of the dance halls in the US. In The video above, you can see an example of this form of the dance done in 2014 during what would have been Frankie’s 100th Birthday.

The First Apple

The origins of the dance seem to come from a club called the “Big Apple” in South Carolina. Where three white students heard the tunes from a juke joint and were let inside to watch from the rafters. The dancing they saw there – they decided to name after the club. Eventually trying to copy it on their own. (The State – Jeff Wilkinson)

The dance spread far and wide, reaching national popularity by 1937. Life Magazine even did a 4 page feature on it (although with white dancers) showing this unique dance.

Life Magazine, December 20th 1937

While we rarely dance the original form of this dance on the social floor. Modern Lindy Hoppers still have a go with Frankie’s choreography often. Connecting us to the storied history of those original jitterbugs showing showing off at a small club called The Big Apple in South Carolina.

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Mama Stew

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[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsUMwGZyU6g[/embedyt]

Florent Llamas, Jérémy Chanton, Ludovic Chanton, Fred Caputo & Niko Rodrigues Pacaswing at Swing Family Festival
Red Prysock – Hand Clappin’

The Mama Stew or Mama’s Stew routine is a solo choreography that once again comes to us from the origins of Swing. Its a routine that was routinely practiced by Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers and used as a warm up before they got onto the ‘real’ stuff.

The name comes from ‘Mama Lu & The Parkets’ who would perform the routine regularly. Louise “Mama Lou” Parks is actually the former hostess of the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem, and was also one of the dancers helping to bring Lindy Hop into the 21st century.

Check her out performing in this video from 2004 (WARNING: Potato quality).

The History of Mama Lou

Mama Lou started as a hat-check girl at the Savoy. But under the tutelage of dancers like George Sullivan, Delma “Big Nick” Nickerson and Lee Moates Mama Lu became a significant dancer in her own right.

After the Savoy Ballroom closed in 1943,  Charles Buchanan, the Manager of the Savoy, urged Mama Lou and her fellow dancers to take on the responsibility of staging the Lindy Hop preliminaries, at the new Savoy Manor in the Bronx, for the Harvest Moon Ball Dance Competition. Mama Lu was integral for keeping the tradition of the Harvest Moon Ball going for years to come. 

Mama Lou (right) and Her Parkets

By 1961 she had established a professional dance company mostly comprised of those who had won the Harvest Moon Ball, which had various names The Lou Parks Dancers, The Parkettes; Mama Lu Parks and her Jazz Dancers – as well as other incarnations. The company continued touring for 29 years until her passing in 1990. 

Her dancers also toured around the world, performing in Sweden in 1963 with the “King Coleman Show”, in Mexico in 1968 at a cultural festival before the 1968 Olympics 

The Parkettes attracted the attention of the British TV Company who produced “The Southbank Show” a UK television show on ITV. In 1981 they paid for one of Mama Lu’s events to be re-staged at Small’s Paradise Club on 7th Avenue in Harlem. 


The routine itself is fairly simple, with the hardest move being the ‘Squat Charleston’. But it makes for a fun solo dance that can be done FAST. If you’re interested in trying it out on your own, you can check out this video we made at the beginning of the pandemic that should get you through the basics of the routine. And I’m sure you’ll be using it in your warmups in no time.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_ByCXKEAAU[/embedyt]

Thomas Latter, Karen Tong, and Aurore Alauze

Find more examples of the Mama Stew routine on Youtube

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