July Bands

All events are hosted by Lilli Ann Carey of Dance for Joy! unless otherwise noted. Lilli Ann is also the organizer of Dancing til Dusk. danceforjoy.biz

Tuesday, July 8

Swingin’ in the Rain with Dina Blade | Swing Variety

Westlake Park, 6–9:30pm

Dina Blade is a refreshingly natural singer with a great sense of time and swing who specializes in singing American popular songs from the 1930s and '40s, preserving the work of master composers and lyricists from that era. An effervescent performer, she has written and toured several different thematic shows celebrating the Great American Songbook.

Dina has released six recordings, including her most recent, Shall We Dance, with songs ranging from the lively to the sultry and romantic. KPLU's "Jazz Northwest‚" DJ Jim Wilke praised her voice as "warm and inviting, fresh and original," and included her recent CD, "My Romance‚" on his "Best of the Northwest" list. dinablade.com

Beginning East Coast Swing lesson with Guy Caridi and Nancy Fry | savoyswing.org and NorthwestDance Network
Guy Caridi has been dancing since 1988, performing and choreographing since 1991, and teaching since 1993. He is a founding member of Seattle’s Savoy Swing Club and with his dance partner, Nancy Fry, the first couple from the Pacific Northwest to teach Lindy Hop and Balboa. He has taught and performed internationally and is well known for his respectful, sensitive, and humorous teaching style. Guy has been artistic director of the Savoy Swing Club Performance Troupe for over fourteen years. In 1999, Guy took home trophies in the Lindy Hop and Team divisions at the U.S. Open Swing Dance Championships in southern California. In total, four of five routines choreographed by Guy were place-winners. savoyswing.org

Nancy Fry discovered her passion for dance in 1981 and has been dancing ever since! She finds great joy in connecting and co-creating with her dance partners on the dance floor and believes that this special connection is where the magic in partner dancing is found. Over the years, Nancy has enjoyed dancing and teaching a large variety of partner dances. She and her dance partner, Guy Caridi, competed at the 1999 US Open Swing Dance Championships, where they placed in both events in which they competed. One of these awards was for the team competition in which she performed with the Savoy Swing Club Performance Troupe, which she helped found.

Nancy began teaching Lindy Hop, Balboa, and jazz-related Swing movement classes with Guy in 1994, with the Seattle Savoy Swing Club. She started teaching with NW Dance Network in 2004, where she teaches Swing, Nightclub 2-Step, and many other dance styles. Her teaching focuses on developing that special connection between partners, helping her students to develop the ability to lead and follow, and to communicate through movement while having fun doing it! nwdance.net

Thursday July 10

West Coast Swing DJ Battle with Sam & Rebecca | WCS

Westlake Park, 6–9:30pm

A duo of two of Seattle most popular WCS DJ’s Sam Lingane and Rebecca Savoca. No sitting down with the music of this pair!

Beginning West Coast Swing instruction Katie Schneider | Reverieballroom.com
Katie Schneider has been dancing West Coast Swing for over 10 years and competing nationally at the Champion/All-Star level since 2005. Her background includes a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education with a minor in Dance, and she has studied Jazz, Ballet, Modern/Contemporary, Country and Swing. She’s a very experienced teacher and is known for her focus on technique, the lead/follow relationship, and her creative musicality.

Tuesday, July 15

Alex Guilbert's Stampede Seven Quartet | Swing

Freeway Park, 6–9pm

Alex is a frequent provider of live music for the region’s thriving dance scene. He can be found onstage at Swing it Seattle, the Century Ballroom, Jule’s Mae’s, the Eastside Stomp, Bellingham Stomp, T Town Swing, and many more dance events and festivals, as both a leader and sideman committed to keeping the dancers on the floor. Alex Guilbert (piano), Hans Teuber (reeds), Eric Eagle (drums), Trevor Ford (bass). alexguilbert.com

Beginning Swing lesson by Lilli Ann and Claire Carey, danceforjoy.biz (It's also Lilli Ann's Birthday!) Youtube- youtube.com/@dancelilli

Lilli Ann Carey loves to dance almost anything but focuses her teaching on Waltz, West Coast and East Coast Swing, Zydeco, Polka, Foxtrot, One-Step/Blues, Fusion and a few vintage dance forms. Lilli Ann promotes dance classes, workshops and events through her company, Dance for Joy!, and is committed to developing a creative, connected and playful dance community here in Seattle.

In line with that committment, Lilli Ann also coordinates this highly successful Dancing til Dusk program for Seattle Parks and Recreation.

Claire Carey began learning swing dance at the age of seven in 1998, and began teaching a variety of styles in 2008. They discovered their passion for the creativity and fluidity of West Coast Swing in 2010, where they have achieved multiple first placements, and competed in the All Star division. Claire has loved teaching Cross Step Waltz, East Coast Swing, West Coast Swing, Blues, Foxtrot, Nightclub Two-Step, Zydeco, and other vintage waltz forms in Seattle for Dance For Joy! Claire and their mom, Lilli Ann have taught together both nationally and internationally, and are known for their fun, innovative, and technically-minded teaching. In class, Claire specializes in empowering follows to have strong skills in connection, intuition, and self expression, and helping leads build facility in communicating and customizing to each follows' needs. They also love teaching private lessons, and helping students find the nuances that make everything click into place!

Thursday, July 17

Bayou Envie | Zydeco

Hing Hay Park, 6–9pm
Hosted by Sean Donovan

Bayou Envie is a Zydeco band from the Pacific Northwest, led by brothers Danny & David Salonen, grandsons of Seattle Cajun and Zydeco pioneer Dave Lang, who bring Louisiana's Zydeco music to a new generation of dancers. Facebook/BayouEnvie

Beginning Zydeco Dance lesson with Sean "Gator Boy" Donovan | GatorBoyProductions.com
Combining passion for music and dance with his great love of teaching, Sean Donovan provides joyful, exciting dance classes for all skill levels. Positive and playful, Sean is a creative, effective communicator with focus on the vital power of dance to delight and transform us. A professional dance instructor and DJ since 1999, Sean teaches classes and workshops year round, regularly hosts and produces live music dances, and provides music and dance for extraordinary special events. Contact Sean about private or group lessons. GatorBoyProductions.com

Tuesday, July 22

Ron Bailey and The Tangents | Swing

Freeway Park, 6–9pm

The Tangents are an all-star Americana dance band, led by seasoned songwriter Ron W. Bailey who has been performing in the Seattle music scene since 1970. This accomplished group includes Mark Dalton on bass, Kelly Van Camp on drums and harmonica, Steve Flynn “The Boogieman” on keys and Al Kaatz on electric guitar. These musicians have accompanied legends like Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, Doug Kershaw and Wanda Jackson. Dancers will appreciate the wide variety of songs and styles the band embraces.

Beginning Swing lesson with Sean "Gator Boy" Donovan | GatorBoyProductions.com
Combining passion for music and dance with his great love of teaching, Sean Donovan provides joyful, exciting dance classes for all skill levels. Positive and playful, Sean is a creative, effective communicator with focus on the vital power of dance to delight and transform us. A professional dance instructor and DJ since 1999, Sean teaches classes and workshops year round, regularly hosts and produces live music dances, and provides music and dance for extraordinary special events. Contact Sean about private or group lessons. GatorBoyProductions.com

Thursday, July 24

Ben Thomas Tango Quartet | Tango

Hing Hay Park, 6–9pm

Ben Thomas plays both traditional Tango and modern jazz-influenced Tango on the bandoneon, capturing the romance and passion of one of the world’s most favorite dance forms.

“The bandoneon is a perhaps more expressive cousin to the accordion and a central element in the sound of tango music…Thomas’ music breaks some molds, but it never abandons a connection to Tango’s fiery melancholy, deep sense of groove, and rhythmic drive.” (Earshot Jazz)

Beginning Tango instruction by Michelle Badion — michellebadion.com Michelle is one of Seattle’s most experienced dance teachers, having taught full time in Seattle for over thirty years. She was Seattle’s first Salsa teacher and third Argentine Tango Teacher. She was also part of Seattle’s second wave of good West Coast Swing teachers, and taught ballroom dancing at the Washington Dance Club. Michelle loves to dance and totally believes that social dancing can enhance every person’s life.

Tuesday July 29

Ranger and the “Re-Arrangers” | Django Reinhart Swing

Freeway Park, 6–9pm (This is a Ball Rouge — wear red!)

Seattle Gypsy Jazz band Ranger and the "Re-Arrangers" evoke the spirit of a Paris café and the raucous energy of a Gypsy campsite with their unique twist on gypsy jazz. "At the heart of their sound is Ranger Sciacca's sweet violin playing, his sense of melody and daring improvisations" (World Rhythm Webzine). The band's repertoire includes swing standards, traditional Gypsy melodies, the music of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli, and Ranger's unique originals. Ranger and his father Michael formed Ranger and the "Re-Arrangers" in 2006, after returning from the Django Reinhardt festival in Samois, France. In the years since, the band has released 4 CDs and played over 100 shows a year, including summer concerts, festivals, swing dances, art openings, and weddings. www.rangerswings.com

Beginning Waltz lesson by Lilli Ann and Claire Carey danceforjoy.biz Youtube: youtube.com/@dancelilli
Lilli Ann Carey loves to dance almost anything but focuses her teaching on Waltz, West Coast and East Coast Swing, Zydeco, Polka, Foxtrot, One-Step/Blues, Fusion and a few vintage dance forms. Lilli Ann promotes dance classes, workshops and events through her company, Dance for Joy!, and is committed to developing a creative, connected and playful dance community here in Seattle.

In line with that commitment, Lilli Ann also coordinates this highly successful Dancing til Dusk program for Seattle Parks and Recreation.

Claire Carey began learning swing dance at the age of seven in 1998, and began teaching a variety of styles in 2008. They discovered their passion for the creativity and fluidity of West Coast Swing in 2010, where they have achieved multiple first placements, and competed in the All Star division. Claire has loved teaching Cross Step Waltz, East Coast Swing, West Coast Swing, Blues, Foxtrot, Nightclub Two-Step, Zydeco, and other vintage waltz forms in Seattle for Dance For Joy! Claire and their mom, Lilli Ann have taught together both nationally and internationally, and are known for their fun, innovative, and technically-minded teaching. In class, Claire specializes in empowering follows to have strong skills in connection, intuition, and self expression, and helping leads build facility in communicating and customizing to each follows' needs. They also love teaching private lessons, and helping students find the nuances that make everything click into place!

Thursday, July 31

Instructors Miss Anna Ponder & Sean Donovan | Line Dance Favorites

Hing Hay Park, 6–9
Hosted by Sean Donovan

Line Dance instruction by Miss Anna Ponder & Sean Donovan. No experience is necessary for this night. Your line dance leaders will teach each line dance so you will be able to jump in any time — easy and fun! Anna Ponder — youtube.com/@steppersuniteinc.757 and Sean Donovan — gatorboyproductions.com