Inner City Blues Night

A night to discover vintage blues music you've never heard before, learn sultry blues dance moves, and soak in the mesmerising atmosphere of a bygone era.

Blues is a sexy, groovy, funky, sensual and cheeky style of dance that developed alongside blues music in the Deep South of the USA in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Come and feel the soul of this era, learn some solo dance moves or learn how to partner up... and if you like, fall in love with your lover or with strangers during every three-minute dance.

We'll start off teaching you some of the basic moves, and then treat you to a night of BLUES music dripping in soul, with richness and texture long forgotten by our electronic generations...

• When? Thursday, 17 March, 7 pm till late
• Where? Truth Coffee, 36 Buitenkant St
• How much? R100 at the door
• Who? Bring your friends, family, neighbours, and lovers

PLUS:

• Blues 101 taster class to learn basic solo and partner moves
• Dance demos to inspire
• Donation tickets are available if you can't make it or if you'd like to contribute more

Why? We are raising money to build a sprung wooden dance floor at AfrikaBurn and introduce the magic of a forgotten analogue era that only exists in black and white movies, old records and our grandparent's memories...

"Like the music, blues dance is not just one style of dance, but a family of blues idiom dances. Born from slavery, blues music and dance embody African American cultural values."

– thebluesroom.com

If you’ve never seen blues dance before, check these out:

This event is a fundraiser for a vintage swing dance theme camp at AfrikaBurn, called Ain't Misbehavin':

At Ain’t Misbehavin’ – we’re here for some good old-school fun. SWING. No, not that kind. Like we said, we Ain’t Misbehavin’.

We’ll have a wooden dance floor, daily dance classes, solo jazz flash mobs, sunset socials, evening soirees, silly dance games, live music, DJ's and playful tomfoolery.

In terms of era... Think JAZZ, the old kind, born in New Orleans. 1920s-1950s. Kid Ory, Sidney Bechet, Chick Webb, Ella Fitzgerald, Benny Goodman, Lester Young, Una Mae Carlisle, Duke Ellington, Fats Waller, Slim & Slam, Louis Prima…

We are all about gifting magic of fun, old-school music and the JOY of learning to DANCE. Even if you have 3 left feet, even if you don't have a partner, swing has moves you can make your own. At Ain't Misbehavin' you'll learn how to Charleston, Slow Drag, Lindy Hop, Balboa, and have the time of your life.

“I’ve never seen a lindy hopper who wasn’t smiling. It’s a happy dance. It makes you feel good.”

– Frankie Manning

JOIN US!