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Hello everyone!

We have a special guest this week at Blues Union – Ruth Hoffman (who teaches and runs a San Francisco dance called Shades of Blues) is flying in all the way from San Francisco just to come teach for us! (Though I hear she might be seeing the city over the weekend or something on the side). Here are the classes she’s throwing down!

Dance Texture (Intermediate, 7:30-8:15):

How do you give your dance different flavors? Sometimes it’s all in the tiny details; sometimes it’s in an energetic explosion. This class will explore the same movements dialed back to a 0 or amped up to a 10, and the different techniques and impacts they come with. We’ll take movements and explore masculine and feminine ways of expressing them, finding fluidity and sharpness.

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

Are you looking for an introduction to blues? This class will give you the tools you need to get started. Have you been dancing blues for six months or less? This class will refine your basics and add more vocabulary, including turning in place, traveling, and an inside under-arm turn.

After the lessons, Ruth will be teaming up with Khrysti Smyth to spin some tunes for the rest of the night!

See you all on the dance floor!

Hello again!

This week we have an out-of-town DJ coming in from Albany, one of our own DJs coming out of hiding, and Gui and Amanda teaching a set of classes focused on polyrhythms! Check this out:

Percussive Blues (Intermediate, 7:30-8:15):

In any Blues song there are often three or more rhythmic lines playing at the same time. When we start dancing, it’s often easiest to dance to the drum line or the bass line, as they’re the most predictable and repetitive lines in the music. In this class, we’ll show you a number of footwork methods and body isolations that you can use to follow any rhythmic line you want, whether it be a classic, repetitive rhythm line or a more spontaneous melodic line. This can turn into a Blues dance that feels like it has roots in tap or other percussive dances, where your body can become one of the instruments in the music!

Travelin’ Blues (Beginner, 8:15-9:00)

This class will borrow footwork concepts from Percussive Blues and bring them down to the beginner level, in order to allow newcomer and beginner dancers to travel around the room following whatever rhythmic line they’re inspired by. The class will cover both closed position and close embrace frames.

After the lessons, we have Leslie Stevenson and Alana Epstein DJing for us! Leslie will be joining us all the way from Albany, and Alana will be coming out from underneath piles of schoolwork.

As always, the lesson is $5 and the dance is another $5.

See you soon!