Lindy Extravaganza photo courtesy of the Savoy Swing Club.
July 19-21
Various venues, Seattle
From July 19 through 21, the Savoy Swing Club, Seattle’s vintage dance non-profit organization, presents the 2019 Seattle Lindy Extravaganza(SLX): a swing dance event dedicated to the club’s mission of preserving and promoting the enjoyment and cultural heritage of Lindy Hop, supporting the existing Lindy Hop community, and nurturing the growth of rising dancers.
Whether you’ve been dancing for years, or just learned to tie your shoes, Savoy Swing Club is a space that welcomes and meets folks where they’re at in the name of dance. The weekend showcases some of the best live music, Seattle venues, classes, and competitors.
The Extravaganza boasts a plethora of instructors from Hungary to New York to Seattle, and everywhere in between, who specialize in Lindy Hop and street dance styles. Spinnin’ swingin’ tunes each night are four live bands and a few DJ’s, including Savoy Swing’s own president, Sean Dunn.
SLX thoughtfully interacts and coexists with Seattle’s own history and activates city treasures, including Volunteer Park, Washington Hall, the Century Ballroom, and many more. Kicking of the weekend, Friday night at the Aria Ballroom features a night where two tenors go head to
head, ‑e Dueling Tenors: Alva Meets Doyle featuring Albert Alva (tenor saxophone), Jonathan Doyle (clarinet/saxophone), Jen Hodge (bass/vocals),Josh Roberts (drums), and Stefan Schatz (drums).
After Saturday’s afternoon classes, drummer Josh Collazo and band, theFour on the Floor, welcome back Alva and Hodge, as well and introduce Ray Skjelbred (piano) and Mike Van Bebber (trumpet) to play the Midsummer Ball at Washington Hall where attendees are encouraged to dress as the inner flowery nymph in all of us.
Saturday is the only day of the Extravaganza that has a double featureof social dancing, with back-to-back late-night dances. Following the ball at Washington Hall, dancing continues
at Velocity Dance Center from 12:30am–3am featuring Greg Ruby’s Krazy Kats with Ruby (guitar), Doyle, Alex Guilbert (piano), and Jonathan Ng (violin). This is definitely the day you’ll want to take a nap, or slam back a coffee or two beforehand.
SLX closes out with their final daytime classes, a social dance downtown at Westlake Park with Jonathan Ng and the Rain City Swing band featuring Ng, Collazo, Ruby, Van Bebber, and Ryan Donnelly (bass), and finally the Closing Dance and Award Ceremony at the Century Ballroom featuring Jim Ziegler (trumpet/vocals) and his band the Swing All Stars, with fan favorites Collazo, Hodge, Ruby, and Doyle. With a rise-and-shine jam packed schedule, it’s easy to get lost in the swing of things. Slow down and take it in. Meet the folks who have gathered from near and far to share in the beauty of dance, the strength of long-distance friendships, and the legacy of swing.–Rayna Mathis
For more information visit savoyswing.org. The Seattle Lindy Extravaganza and its host, the Savoy Swing Club, are committed to equity, diversity, inclusion, and to making the dance floor and our city’s scene a safe and respectful community. Read more about its safe space policy online at savoyswing.org/conduct .
