Weekly Calendar: October 20-26

How can it be the 20th already?!

First off, Hartford Ballroom news!

A big thank-you to my husband, Dave Spiro, who filled in for Mom, Nate, and me at our 3rd Friday Beginner's Social!  We had to perform at St. Joseph's college, but we heard he did a good job hosting the event.  Thanks honey!

And thank you to those who came to watch us perform at Daniel Salazar's Noche Latina!  If you missed it, don't worry!  I'm going to post videos real soon!

Don't forget our Salsa Night This Friday!  It's always a fun time and we hope to see you there!

4th Friday Salsa Night

October 24

Absolute Beginner Lesson at 7pm

Intermediate To Advanced Lessons Interspersed Throughout The Evening

Dancing Ends When Everybody Leaves!

$10 per person

It's Salsa time!  All lessons are salsa lessons that get progressively harder as the night goes on.  A little bit of bachata. rumba, merengue, and chacha is also played to give a little something extra, but it's mostly salsa all night long until everybody leaves!

And now for events elsewhere!  They are organized by date, with the state in parentheses.  If you see a red stamp next to the event, that means we at Hartford Ballroom strongly recommend it!

Monday, October 20

1. MIT Tango Club Monday Night Practica (Massachusetts)

MIT Campus, 77 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA (building and room is found on their website)

9-11 p.m. practica

Free

A free practica that takes place on campus.  The building and room they use changes from week to week, so double-check their webpage for exact locations.
 
2. Monday Night Practice (Massachusetts)
First Church, 11 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
7 p.m. New School Swing Lesson
8 p.m. New School Swing Lesson
9-11 p.m. Dance
$8 general admission, $5 for students under age of 23  
This is one I found on DanceNet.

3. DancEncounters Ballroom Social Dance (New York)
215 Tremont St., Rochester, NY

7 p.m. lesson

7:45-10 p.m. dance

$8 general admission

Found through USA Dance, provided by DancEncounters.  Their floor looks nice.

4. Ensueno Tango Salon (New York City) 
Ukrainian East Village Restaurant, 140 2nd Ave, NYC
7:30 p.m. Total Beginner Lesson
8:30 p.m. Intermediate Lesson
9:30 p.m.-1:15 a.m. social dancing
$13 general admission per class, and per dance (student discounts and group packages available)
I found a postcard for this dance at MalaLECHE, I don't know much about this one but it looked interesting.
 
5. Monday Night Blues Dancing (New York)
Tango Cafe, 35 S. Washington St., Rochester, NY 14608
8:30 p.m. lesson
9 p.m. open dancing
$5 cover charge 
This dance was originally found through USA Dance.  I had a difficult time finding it on Tango Cafe's website.

Tuesday, October 21

1. Bluesy Tuesy (Massachusetts)
The Democracy Center, 45 Mount Auburn Street, Cambridge, MA

7:30 p.m. lesson

8:30-11 p.m. open dance

$5 general admission for the lesson, $5 separate admission for the dance

Provided by DanceNet, this dance has been described as a blues dance.  Essentially blues dancing is a slow dance for Lindy dancers.  According to DanceNet it happens every Tuesday night.  I can't say if it's a good one to go to, but I will eventually try it out.

2. Tuesday Disco Night! (New York)

The Ukrainian Club, 402 25th St, Watervliet, NY 12189

7 p.m. workshop

8-11 p.m. dance

$10 general admission, $5 students

This dance is provided by the same teacher who hosts the above Potluck Dinner and Dance.  I can only assume by the name that it's primarily hustle.

3. Swing Dance Long Island Tuesday Dance (New York)

Huntington Moose Lodge, 631 Pulaski Rd, Greenlawn, NY
7:30 beginner lesson
8-10:30 dance
$4 members, $5 students, $6 general (prices slightly higher on band nights)
I'm not sure where in Long Island this is, but it sounds pretty casual.

Wednesday, October 22

1. West Coast Swing @ Fire And Ice Grill And Bar (Massachusetts)
Harvard Square, 50 Church St, Cambridge, MA
8 p.m. beginner/intermediate lesson
9 p.m.-12 a.m. dance
$10 general admission, $5 student (with ID)  
I've eaten at a Fire And Ice restaurant before; decent food, and an original experience!  So at least you can have a fun meal before you dance!

2. TangoCafe (New York)
You Should Be Dancing dance studio, 412 8th ave, 4th floor (between 30th and 31st st), NYC, NY
10 p.m.-2 a.m. milonga
$10 general admission (before 9:45), $12 general admission (after 9:45)
This milonga is brought to you by adam and ciko, the same people responsible for MalaLECHE.

3. Wednesday Night Swing (New York)
Kokopellis, 124 4th St, Troy, NY

8:15 p.m. lesson

9-11 p.m. dance

$10 general admission, $8 student admission

Apparently this one has a large dance floor.  Originally found through USA Dance, this includes Lindy Hop.  A $5 Drink Card is included in the admission.

4. Lindy Jam (New York)

Groove Juice Swing (Third Floor Ballroom), 389 Gregory St, Rochester NY 14620

8:45-11 p.m. dance 

9 p.m. lesson? (contradicting information)

$5 general admission

Originally found through USA Dance, this one is mainly a Lindy Hop dance.

Thursday, October 23

1. Yale Tango Club Milonga (Connecticut) Rumberos Studio, 216 State Street, New Haven, CT  9-11:30 p.m.  Free! This is a milonga my brother, the tango specialist, frequents a lot.

2. Cape Cod Tango Night (Massachusetts)
Liberty Hall, 2150 Main St, Cape Cod, MA

7-8 p.m. practica

8-9 p.m. beginner-friendly "practilonga"  
Free!

I've never heard of this dance, but it sounds beginner-friendly in general.  And it's free!

 

3. MIT Tango Club Thursday Night Practice (Massachusetts)

MIT Campus, 77 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA (building and room changes frequently so check their website for details)

8-11 p.m. Practica

Free

The same club that brings you the Monday Night practica, this is almost identical to Monday nights.  The floor looks huge!

4. Blues Union Boston (Massachussetts)
Dance Union, 16 Bow Street, Somerville, MA 7:30 p.m. Intermediate Class 
8:30 p.m. Blues Basics class and beginner clinic 
9:30-11:30 p.m. Dance 
lesson and dance are $5 each  
I found this one on DanceNet and it sounds useful.   Apparently on the last Thursday of the month, there's what they call a "Blues Clinic": instead of the lessons, they have this one-on-one with the teachers, where they walk around the floor and help you out, and you can use it as an opportunity to practice and work with your peers.

5. Thursday Night Swing (New York)
Rocks, 77 Central Ave, Albany, NY 12206
8 p.m. lesson

9 p.m.-12 a.m. dance

$5 general admission

This dance is a mash-up of lindy, east coast, and blues, and there's a bar in the next room.  Originally found through USA Dance.

6. Thursday Night Rochester Swing-In Dance (New York)

St. Thomas Episcopal Church, 2000 Highland Ave, Rochester NY

7:30 p.m. lesson

8:30-10:30 p.m. dance

$4 general admission

New York sure has some cheap dances!  This dance involves East and West Coast Swing, Jitterbug, Lindy Hop with a little Balboa, and Blues.  It looks like a good time.

7. Thursday Ballroom Dinner Dance (New York)
The Ukranian American Citizens Club, 1 Pulaski St. Cohoes, NY 12047

7 p.m. beginner lesson

8 p.m. dinner

$10 general admission

Found this one through USA Dance.

 

Friday, October 24

1. Ken Mercik's Friday Night West Coast Swing Dance (Connecticut)

Polish Home, 9 First Street, Windsor Locks, CT
7 p.m. Newcomer Lesson

8 p.m. Intermediate Lesson
9 p.m.-12 a.m. Open Dance
$10 for dance (newcomer lesson included), $15 for intermediate lesson and dance
A fun dance for those who like West Coast and Hustle!  The classes are usually taught by Ken Mercik, but every once in a while, there are guest teachers (such as Mario Robau and Robert Royston).  When there are guest teachers, the newcomer lesson becomes more of an intermediate lesson, and the admission prices increase by $5-10.  Check the website for guest teacher scheduling. 
 
2. Boston Swing Central (Massachusetts)

Crosby Whistle Stop, 24 Roland St, Charlestown, MA

8 p.m. lesson 

9-12 p.m. open dance

$15 general admission, $13 student/senior admission (with valid ID),  lesson included in price

Originally recommended by DanceNet, this one sounds like a fun dance for swing and Lindy Hop.  Their website is still frequently updated, and they have a live band every week.  It looks like a good time, so try it out and let me know what it's like
 
3. Fridays At Sunset (New York)
Ballroom On Sunset, 13 Sunset Drive, Latham, NY
7:15 p.m. lesson

8-10:30 p.m. dance

$10 general admission, $5 students

This one is said to have a beautiful dance floor.  Originally found through USA Dance

4. USA Dance New London (Connecticut)
East Lyme Community Center, 41 Society Rd, East Lyme, CT
7 p.m. Lesson
8-10 p.m. Open Dance
$5 general admission, lesson included 
I've guest-taught at this social dance before.  It's a decent social to go to, particularly for intermediate/advanced dancers.

5. Hartford Ballroom's Salsa Night (Connecticut)
Hartford Ballroom Dance Studio, 30 Arbor St, 3rd floor, Hartford, CT

Dance runs from 7 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., with 30-minute lessons throughout the night.
7 p.m. absolute beginner lesson
7:30 p.m. beginner lesson
8:30 p.m. intermediate lesson
9:30 p.m. advanced lesson
$10 general admission 
This is a great salsa night to go to!  Lots of good salsa dancers come in, and the lessons always a fun new pattern to try out!  Strongly recommended.

 

Saturday, October 25

1. Waterford Ballroom Saturday Night Social (Connecticut)  
Waterford Ballroom Dance Studio, 86 Boston Post Rd, Waterford, CT 06385  
7 p.m. beginner lesson
7:30 p.m. beginner lesson
8-11 p.m. Dance social  
$15 general admission  
Recommended by Will Rogers, this one sounds like a friendly one to go to, for beginners and experienced dancers alike.

2. Swing City Boston (Massachusetts)  
West Cambridge Youth Center, 680 Huron Ave, Cambridge, MA  
8 p.m. lesson  
9 p.m.-midnight dance
$16 general, $12 students  
This one has a live band, so it's guaranteed to be a good time!

3. Rita Giancola's Ballroom Dancing (Connecticut)
Plainville V.F.W., 7 Northwest Drive, Plainville CT  
7:30-11:30 p.m. dance  
$13 general admission  
We at Hartford Ballroom love Rita!  She is such a wonderful and strong woman!  It was at this dance that I first met my husband.  A good quiet dance. BYOB. 860-224-0543

4. Hartford Community Dance Swing Jam (Connecticut)  
American Legion Hall, 275 Main St, Wethersfield, CT  
7:15 p.m. lesson  
8:15 p.m. open dance
$10 general admission, $8 student admission   
This dance is provided by the same organization that does the First Friday Swing Dance.  I haven't tried this one yet, but it sounds like a good time.  

5. Bob's Ballroom Dance (Massachusetts)  
Knights of Columbus Hall, 96 Main Street, Peabody, MA 01960  
7 p.m. ballroom dance lesson   
8-11 p.m.  dance
price not specified  
This website looks like a flyer, which is a little unusual and vague.  The price isn't listed, but there is a phone number and e-mail address.  

Sunday, October 26

1. Yale Tango Club Practilonga at GPSCY (Connecticut)
Graduate and Professional Student Center at Yale (GPSCY), 2nd floor ballroom, 204 York Street, New Haven, CT
8-11 p.m.
Free!
Another one brought to you by Yale Tango Club.

2. Ballroom Dancing at the Roseland Ballroom (Massachusetts)
Roseland Ball Room, 174 Broadway, Taunton, MA

12:30 p.m. lesson

1-4 p.m. dance  
$10 cover charge

Originally found this through USA Dance, sounds casual

3. Dance2Swing (Massachusetts)

The Leominster Elks, 134 North Main Street, Leominster, MA

6:30 p.m. beginner-friendly swing lesson

7:30-10:30 p.m. open dance

$14 general admission if there's a live band, $12 admission if there's a DJ

Originally recommended by DanceNet, I'm not familiar with this one but in August they featured some really good bands.

4. Milonga RoKo (New York)

Manhattan Ballroom Dance Studio, 29W 36th St, 2nd Floor (between 5th and 6th Aves.), NYC, NY

7:15 p.m. lesson

8:15 p.m.-12:30 a.m. Milonga

$12 general admission, $7 student (with ID)

Recommended by my brother, this is a week Milonga that takes place in the city that never sleeps.

5. Argentine Tango Dance From DancEncounters (New York)

DancEncounters, 215 Tremont Street, Rochester, NY, Door #8

7 p.m. Introductory Lesson

8-10 p.m. Milonga

$8 general admission 

It seems like DancEncounters has quite a number of events!  This milonga sounds ideal for those who don't want to pull an all-nighter