SSC Steals the Show at the NW Folklife Festival
Vol 1, Issue 3: Summer 1996
WOW! You should have been there. The Center House at Seattle Center was absolutely alive with excitement when the Savoy Swing Club stepped (er . . . cartwheeled) onto the stage. It all happened at Folklife on Monday, May 27th at 12:30, and despite the chilly day, people came in droves to see our performance. The house was literally packed. The crowd whooped and clapped throughout the whole performance -- just imagine more than 700 human beings together emanating such appreciation. I'm surprised that the roof of the Center House remained intact.
The performance troupe entered with flash and humor (Win, how is your cartwheel coming along?) and did a splendid job on "Flying Home." Troupe members included Win Hobbs, Kristine Hansen, Viola Spencer, Jan de Rie, Kathy Bruni, Roger Mowery, Guy Caridi, Deborah Gardner, and Dave Atkinson. When the applause died down, other members of the Savoy Swing Club (most of whom are not members of the performance troupe) came onto the stage and danced with style and enthusiasm to "Don't Be That Way." The audience loved it.
The troupe then performed to "Swingin' at Newport," a mostly jazz routine choreographed by Steven Mitchell. The aerials were exciting and the troupe was definitely "on." It was really fun to watch, and it took great restraint to keep from jumping up onto the stage with them.
Next came the club members to show how The Lindy Chorus is really supposed to look. The crowd loved this piece, and the group did an excellent job. For some of these performers, Folklife was their debut (what a place to cut your teeth!). Congratulations to Kathy Minsch, Dave Gloger, Lovica Callisti, Rob Chave, Beth Chave, Jane Sunter, and Steve Crawford for a job extremely well done.
And finally, the troupe brought the crowd to its feet with their closing number, "Sing, Sing, Sing," choreographed by Guy Caridi. The variety and humor in the piece really got everyone's attention. The troupe deserves praise for doing such a great performance, especially considering all the last-minute changes in staging that they had to deal with. You guys were fantastic, and many others join me in feeling proud to have you represent the club.
When the performance was over, people literally flocked to the stage area to pick up information about the Savoy Swing Club, and to praise the performers. It was obvious that the performance piqued great interest in the club and our classes.
And speaking of classes; Deborah Gardner and Dave Atkinson did a remarkable job of teaching an hour-long class directly following the performance. I am certain that it was the largest Lindy Hop class ever held in Seattle, with at least 300 participants! Man, it was such a hot class that it even set off the fire alarm.
All in all, the event was a huge success. Congratulations to all who participated, and thank you for making us proud.
-- Nancy Fry