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This week we have Paul Mandel and Christine Moser teaming up to show you how to put more dynamics in your dancing:

Polyrhythms (Intermediate – 7:30-8:15)
Blues is all about rhythm, and we’re going to teach you how to put those rhythms in your body! We’ll cover some basic rhythms and then we’re going to push into expressing different rhythms with different parts of your body. Prepare for some fun isolations and challenging musicality!

Fundamentals of Rhythm (Beginner – 8:15-9:00)
We’ve got rhythm, we’ve got music, we’ve got dancing, who could ask for anything more? We’ll be using basic steps and rhythmic variations to create dynamic patterns in your dancing which will make your partner go ‘mmmmmm’.

Afterward we’ll have our own Steve York and the lovely Ms. Leslie Stevenson coming in all the way from Albany, NY to spin us some tunes.

As always, the lesson is $5, and the dance is an additional $5.

Last week we sped it up. This week, Amanda Gruhl and Jamie Triplett will be slowing it down:

Slowing Down with Stretch
Any good dancer will tell you, a partner with great stretch is the
best thing ever! We’ll improve your stretch and counterbalance using
some cool, swing-inspired, blues moves you can use on the dance floor.
Using stretch gives you a great tool to slow down your blues dancing
and connect with your partner.

Slow Drag
Learn one of the most common blues styles, the Slow Drag. For
beginners, we’ll cover how to pulse, how to connect with your partner,
and how to move around the floor. Intermediates will practice
collecting their weight, milking the movement, and dancing “in the
pocket.”

As always, the lesson $5, and the dance is an additional $5.

This week we’ll be groovin’ out to some more upbeat blues! Julie Brown and Joshua Boroff will be bringing you two lessons for dancing to faster blues:

*Kick it up a notch (Intermediate, 7:30-8:15)*

Just ‘cause it’s blues, doesn’t mean it has to be slow…In this class, we’re turning up the tempo, and showing you some ways to still get down! With some vintage dances and sweet balboa-inspired moves, you’ll be able to kick it to any …tempo of blues. Warning: shimmies or shakes may be involved.

*Fast Blues Basics (Beginner, 8:15-9:00)*

Learn some blues basics for dancing to faster blues songs! We’ll cover some vintage dances and fun moves for dancing to upbeat blues. If you’re new to blues, this class will be enough to get you out on the floor, dancing, and having fun.

After the lessons John Brooks and Julie Brown will be bringing you their usual excellent music, but with a leaning towards more upbeat tunes. They’ve got some sweet songs they’ve been excited to play for awhile!

As always, the dance is $5 and the lesson is an additional $5.

This week we have our monthly two-fer – a Blues Clinic to get things started, followed by live music! This month we’re happy to present the Monster Mike Welch Band (http://www.myspace.com/monstermikewelch), a local Blues band with tons of experience playing to dancers.

Our monthly Blues Clinics are 1.5 hours of personalized instruction, where students dance with instructors and get individual feedback on their dancing. Music play…s continuously in the background, and students are encouraged to social dance and give each other feedback while not dancing with instructors. There is also a long beginner lesson running throughout, making the Clinic perfect for introducing newcomers to Blues Dancing.

After the Clinic, Monster Mike Welch takes the stage. Monster Mike is a Somerville local who often hosts the Johnny D’s Blues Jam, with years of experience playing for dancers in the area. He’s fresh off the plane from a month-long European tour and ready to play for you!

The Blues Clinic will be $5, and as always on band nights, the dance itself will be $10. Can’t wait to see you out!

This week we have Julie Brown tearing up the instructor’s floor doing some awesome solo styling, and Amy Kucharik teaming up with her afterward to rock the DJ booth!

Without further ado, our classes this Thursday are:

Solo Dance: Arms, Legs and Lines (Intermediate, 7:30-8:15)

In this solo dance class, we’ll discuss how to create better lines with your body and legs and some different ways of using your arms. Then we’ll apply these ideas to some of my favorite solo moves 🙂

Blues Basics (Beginner, 8:15-9:00)

Learn (or refresh yourself on) some blues basics! We’ll cover some vintage dances, turns, traveling moves, and more. If you’re new to blues, this class will be enough to get you out on the floor, dancing, and having fun.

After those classes, Julie will take the DJ booth first and Amy will take it home!

As always, the dance is $5 and the lesson is an additional $5.