NEWS RELEASE: Thursday 28th May 2015
London Jitterbug Championships & London Swing Festival
- Active and attractive swing dancers in four-day festival of style, energy and fun
- From the 29th to 31st May 2015 over 150 stylish, fun-loving, active and attractive swing dancers from the UK and around the world will compete in the VIth Annual London Jitterbug Championships at The Camden Centre, Judd Street, London WC1H 9JE.
The competition forms part of the London Swing Festival – an annual four-day celebration of swing dancing and music attracting 2000 people to participate in dance lessons, workshops and parties organised by swing dance school Swing Patrol at venues around London. The launch party for the London Swing Festival is at Wilton’s – the world’s oldest surviving music hall. Spitalfields Market will host free lunchtime outdoor social dancing. The main events and competitions are at the Camden Centre, King’s Cross.
“Jitterbug”, “swing” and “lindy hop” are all synonyms for the street dance styles that emerged from Harlem’s Savoy Ballroom in New York City from the late-1920s and spread around the world during the 1930s and 40s. Fusing style, energy and fun, the dance was the precursor to jive, rock-and-roll and hip hop. It influences most popular contemporary dance styles.
Opening Party
Date: Thursday 28th May 2015
Time: 19.00 – 22.00
Location: Wiltons’ Music Hall, 1 Graces Alley, London E1 8JB
Images from 2014 event here
London Jitterbug Championships
& Evening Social Dancing
Dates: Friday 29th to Sunday 31st May 2015
Times: From 8pm. Full schedule of competitions below.
Location: The Camden Centre, Judd Street, London WC1H 9JE
Outdoor Dancing Under The Spitalfields Market Sails
Dates: Friday 29th, Saturday 30th & Sunday 31st May 2015
Time: 13.00 – 15.00
Location: Spitalfields Market, Brushfield Street, London, E1 6AA
Dance Workshops & Lessons
Dates: Saturday 30th & Sunday 31st May 2015
Times: 11.30 – 13.00 & 15.00 – 16.30
Location: The Bishopsgate Institute, 230 Bishopsgate, London, EC2M 4QH
Images of lessons are available on request.
THERE ARE EIGHT DIVISIONS IN THE LONDON JITTERBUG CHAMPIONSHIPS:
Friday 29th May 2015
Up & Comers
Time: 21:30
Duration: 15 minutes
Eager and promising contestants who started swing dancing under 18 months ago compete together in an “all-skate” – all contestants dance at the same time and are marked by roving judges.
Clip from last year’s competition at https://youtu.be/vhY_Q6vfUJQ
All Balboa Jam
Time: 23:00
Duration: 15 minutes
This competition prioritises style and finesse as balboa dancers enter a close embrace and take their turn moving to fast music with frequent small steps in front of the judges.
Clip from last year’s final at https://youtu.be/JUcsvB7B_gw
Couples Showcase Final
Time: 23:30
Duration: 15 minutes
New for 2015, couples dance a choreographed piece of their most impressive moves to music of their choice.
Saturday 30th May 2015
Jack & Jill Final
Time: 22:00
Duration: 15 minutes
Competitors are tested on their leading or following technique as they are paired with a dance partner at random. After preliminary rounds dancing to songs of various tempos with a different partner each time, the best individuals are randomly paired together for one final time to perform for the judges.
See last year’s final at https://youtu.be/GcV0yUrNytg
Team Showcase
Time: 22:30
Duration: 45 minutes
Dance troupes perform a choreographed piece to music of their choice. Expect impressive moves.
Clip from last year’s final at https://youtu.be/K79gPC6OzY0
Strictly Lindy Final
Time: 23:30
Duration: 15 minutes
Couples get sixteen bars of swing music performed by a live band to freestyle in front of the judges before all competitors have their final chance to impress by all dancing together.
Clip from last year’s final at https://youtu.be/W_XHcZOzVuQ
Sunday 31st May 2015
Solo Jazz Finals
Time: 23:00
Duration: 10 minutes
One at a time, individual dancers dazzle the judges with high energy improvised moves to music performed by a live band.
Clip from last year’s final at https://youtu.be/S1PjJzEwq_4
Fast & Furious
Time: 00:00 (midnight)
Duration: 15 minutes
Speed and style rule for this mixed discipline division where couples combine Charleston, Collegiate Shag, Jitterbug and Balboa. After three days of swing dancing, this is a challenge for only the fittest, fastest dancers.
Clip from last year’s final at https://youtu.be/x22-BwejHPg
Tickets to the opening party at Wilton’s Music Hall are available at: http://www.wiltons.org.uk/whatson/13-step-out-with-swing-patrol
Spectator and social dancing tickets for the main events at The Camden Centre are available at: https://swingpatrollondon.dancecloud.com/#/events/8266
The festival’s lunchtime swing dancing at Spitalfields Market is free to attend and no tickets are required.
More info at http://www.londonswingfestival.com/
Useful Links:
Images offered in the linked galleries above are available for full-size digital download and reproduction on purchase of each image’s royalty-free commercial use license (£25.00) and inclusion of copyright notice “Christopher Allen©”.
For press and photographer passes to the events, no cost royalty-free images, further editorial information, sample lessons or to arrange interviews with organisers, competitors and participants please contact:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 020 3287 9030
Mobile: 07904 414 889
