Norma Miller

Back in May, Mary (my wife) and I and some friends participated in a show organized by our friend Reggio "The Hoofer" McLaughlin in honor of National Tap Day. It was a variety show extravaganza at the Old Town School of Folk Music, and the star was none other than the Queen of Swing herself, Norma Miller. The night before the show, she came to Big City Swing for a little story time hour.; then during rehearsal the following day, we got to talk with Norma a little bit. She's really something else. When she's on stage or even in front of the crowd at Big City, there's no doubt in anyone's mind that she's a star performer--man she just knows how to ENTERTAIN people. As the finale to the show, she sang her song "Swingin' Frankie's Way" (here's a video of her performing the same number at the Frankie 95 celebration). My friends and I were all star-struck.

(Mary, James, Norma, Chris, Roxy, Dan, and Sheila,
backstage before the National Tap Day Extravaganza, May 16th, 2009)

Upcoming events

First Friday at Big City Swing is THIS Friday. Yes, they know it's the second Friday of the month--it got pushed back so as not to double-book with BluesSHOUT. John Joven and I will be DJing downstairs, with Nathan Gumley upstairs until 11. Beforehand, Mary and I will be teaching another lesson in some sort of Charleston stuff (downstairs), while Jenna and Max offer a beginner swing lesson (upstairs).

Then the following week, the studio is having the one and only Norma Miller, queen of swing, original lindy hopper, and never one to mince words, at the studio for Q&A/story-telling/lecture, followed by a dance. Details here. If you've never heard Norma, man you've been missing out. She's awesome. Lippy and I will be splitting DJ duties.

Norma's going to be in town for a show that our friend Reggio the Hoofer is organizing at the Old Town School of Folk Music, in honor of National Tap Day. Details here. The show is a dance and music review, featuring several legends of tap dancing as well as younger tap talents from around Chicago. Plus, Norma Miller. Plus, several swing dance numbers by me and my friends (Mary, Dan, Sheila, Chris, Roxy). We'll be doing:

• Al & Leon's Shim Sham, then right into the Tranky Doo. These are line dances from the swing era--before the Electric Slide or the Casper Slide, folks were doing the Shim-Sham and the Tranky Doo. Our style for these dances was inspired by Al Minns & Leon James, two members of Whitey's Lindy Hoppers, who were caught on film doing their version of the shim-sham and the Tranky Doo.
  
• Don't Go Away Nobody, a partner-dancing piece that I choreographed about a year ago (with help from Mary & Jenna) and taught at Big City Swing.
• Peckin'. What is it? It's is a surprise.
  
• A finale involving solo dancing, partner dancing, social dancing...

Y'all (all of you out there in the blogosphere) should come to the show, it should be lots of fun. Just a tip: wear shoes you can swing out in.