Camp Jitterbug News
Hello Lindy Hoppers!
We are excitedly getting ready for Camp Jitterbug...just a few
months away with lots of wonderful things in store for you. We
are so proud of our instructors line-up this year...there may be a
couple of last minute surprise additions, but here are the
instructors that are confirmed so far. Be sure to register
early...we will be limiting class size more this year so there will
most likely be fewer spaces available.
Frida Segerdahl - Stockholm, Sweden
Skye Humphries - Washington DC
Sakarias Larsson - Stockholm, Sweden
Chester Whitmore - Los Angeles, CA
Nina Gilkenson - Baltimore, Maryland
Andy Reid - New Orleans, LA
Peter Strom - Minneapolis, MN
Naomi Uyama - New York, NY
Annie Trudeau - Montreal, Quebec
Max Pitruzzella - Montpellier, France
Lennart Westerlund - Stockholm, Sweden
Jenny Deurell - Stockholm, Sweden
Fatima Borg - Stockholm, Sweden
Pontus - Stockholm, Sweden
Rikard Ekstrand - Stockholm, Sweden
Jessica Lennartsson- Stockholm, Sweden
Sharon Davis - Melbourne, Australia
Juan Villafane - Buenos Aires, Argentina
Jo Hoffberg - Pittsburgh, PA
Kevin St Laurent - Pittsburgh, PA
Carla Heiney - San Francisco, CA
Hello friends,
Happy New Year!! Now is the time to start making your travel plans for the year...airfare is really inexpensive right now. Check out www.sidestep.com for lots of great airfare deals.
Camp Jitterbug is back on Memorial Day weekend this year and we have incredible plans for yet another unforgettable event. Registration is officially open so register early to save your spot.
As always, we feature the top instructors, performers and musicians with spacious, beautiful venues in the heart of Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood.
This year we are especially excited to feature the Jump Session Show in Seattle's top performance space, the beautiful Benaroya Hall in downtown Seattle.
This will be an event not to be missed. Campers can purchase tickets during registration for themselves (at a discount) and their friends. General public can
purchase tickets directly through Benaroya Hall at www.benaroyahall.org.
We have some fabulous instructors and bands booked, although not everyone is finalized quite yet, so keep checking back to see our latest additions.
Save the date and register early...we sell out EVERY year!
We are so proud to announce our HUGE news update...The Jump Session Show will be at the main hall (Mark Taper Foundation Hall) at Benaroya Hall next year. For those of you who do not live in the northwest, check out the pics of this world renowned facility (home of the Seattle Symphony) http://www.seattlesymphony.org/benaroya/view/
This will be one of the biggest single events in the name of Lindy Hop that the swing scene has ever seen. Our goal is to fill 1500 seats. Do NOT miss it. If you ever wanted to show your friends what Lindy Hop and Jazz dance is all about, this will be the time to do it. Not to mention that all proceeds are donated to charity. Mark your calendars for Friday, May 28th 2010 (Memorial day weekend). We can't imagine a more exciting kick off for Camp Jitterbug!
The Camp Jitterbug team
Okay folks, here is the Camp Jitterbug 2009 video trailer that we have posted on the new Camp Jitterbug facebook site.
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=100917719923655
Great news!!!
The videos are going to be mailed out by this weekend!!!!! We are busy finishing up the duplication of the dvd's this week...they turned out great and we are so excited for you all to enjoy them. So, if you have ordered a dvd, it will be automatically mailed to you. If you would like to order one, go to campjitterbug.com and click on "store". We know it took a little longer than normal to get the dvd's done...the project was postponed by a month due to the birth of our new baby boy Tristan! I am sure many of you remember seeing an extremely pregnant Tonya waddling around the camp:-) We appreciate your patience and we are sure it will be worth the wait.
Mark your calendars for next year's Camp Jitterbug & Jump Session Show.
Memorial Day weekend
May 28-31st 2010
Seattle, WA
Sincerely,
The Camp Jitterbug Team
Oops, here is the link to the video, sorry about the double emails!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcsyUhZgcps
The Camp Jitterbug team
Hello everyone,
We just posted the Jump Session 2009 Video trailer on Youtube...we are busily working on finalizing the CJ and JS videos but thought you would be excited to see a teaser. It was beautifully edited by Sean Morris.
If you ordered dvd/s, they will be mailed to you as soon as they are done. We will make an official email announcement once they are completed next month. If you have not ordered your dvd's yet, you can visit campjitterbug.com and click on store to reserve a copy.
The Camp Jitterbug team
Hello fellow Lindy Hoppers,
I just wanted to thank all of you who supported CJ this year and brought an unbelievable level of energy, passion and enthusiasm to the camp. It was the biggest and best Camp Jitterbug & Jump Session Show yet and was truly unforgettable.
A special thank you to all of our managers, helpers, instructors, performers, bands, dj's, hosts and everyone who contributed to this sizable production. It has become much bigger than just a few people and we couldn't have held such a well organized and positive event without our dedicated team!
Also, thank you to all of the campers and attendees...the CJ teams' hard work pays off when we see you all coming full force and having a great time at the event. We always welcome feedback, so feel free to email Tonya if you have any kudos or suggestions for next year. tonya@campjitterbug.com
We look forward to yet another wonderful Camp Jitterbug and Jump Session Show next year...we are already working hard on next years plans! Many exciting announcements to come, but for now, be sure to mark your calendars!
Camp Jitterbug & the Jump Session Show 2010
Memorial Day weekend
May 28-31st 2010
Seattle, WA
Hello everyone,
We have closed CJ registration for administrative purposes, however there are a few spots open here and there. If you are interested in registering,
please contact Tonya at tonya@campjitterbug.com and we'll see if there is an opening for you depending on track and/or lead/follow. Also, you are
welcome to show up at the Thursday night check in (7-9pm) or Friday morning before classes start at Knights of Columbus (722 E Union) to purchase
a campers pass (space permitting of course).
There are still some Jump Session tickets left and registration is OPEN for the show...it looks like there is a good chance we may sell out this 750 seat
theater this year!!! We are almost there with about 650 seats already sold. Tell your friends to come and experience this dance that we all love so
much. Remember, 100% of the proceeds are donated to charity that helps spread jazz dance programming to our youth so your enjoyment also
supports a great cause.
This is our biggest turnout ever for both Camp Jitterbug and the Jump Session Show...with more wonderful and spacious venues, it should make for an
Welcome to Camp Jitterbug!
We are only one week away from the Camp Jitterbug 10th Anniversary & Jump Session Show (Thursday, May 28-31st)!
We have included many updates and frequently asked questions for you to look over below.
Remember, more details are available at campjitterbug.com.
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask...email Tonya at tonya@campjitterbug.com
WORKSHOPS
WHEN AND WHERE DO I CHECK IN FOR THE CAMP?
It is important that you check in to the camp so you can get all of the info you need: Wristbands (this gets you into all of the events),
maps, schedules, etc. Check in is at the camp headquarters, Knights of Columbus at 722 E Union St on Thursday, May 28th from
7pm-9pm. Please visit http://campjitterbug.com/danceevents for all of the evening event times and locations.
WHERE ARE ALL OF THE VENUES LOCATED?
All of the venue locations are listed here http://campjitterbug.com/locations
DROP INS
SIGNING UP FOR THE FULL CAMP AT THE DOOR
We will be allowing sign ups at the door for certain tracks. It will be space permitting and lead/follow balance permitting.
Hello everyone,
So, in order to allow some more folks to register and to keep class sizes down, we have decided to add an extra venue to Camp Jitterbug.
Now the Comp & Show and Solo tracks will be split into two levels (one for Intermediate and Advanced and the other for Advanced Plus
and Masters). Due to the anticipated popularity of these track options, we want to make sure everyone gets a chance to participate.
We are re-opening registration at this point, but we will only be allowing a limited number of extra registrants into the camp. There has
been a high demand this year and we are trying to accommodate all of you who have been waiting patiently on wait lists so please sign up
as soon as possible to get into the camp. IF YOU ARE ON A WAIT LIST, PLEASE EMAIL TONYA ASAP AT
TONYA@CAMPJITTERBUG.COM TO BE MOVED INTO THE CAMP. IF YOU HAVE NOT PAID FOR THE CAMP OR MADE
ARRANGEMENTS, YOUR SPOT WILL BE GIVEN TO SOMEONE ELSE. We are also trying to keep the lead follow ratio balanced...since
we have closed some of the tracks for follows, we have improved the balance. So, we are going to temporarily open up the tracks to
Hello everyone,
We have had a LOT of you inquiring about housing and hotel options during Camp Jitterbug. For detailed info, you can visit
http://campjitterbug.com/transportationlodging. There are a few updates however that we would like to tell you about:
SILVER CLOUD HOTEL
This is the hotel that we have a group rate at for the camp...it is centralized and a great hotel. The rooms are very nice and have 2 queen size beds
(upon request) so there is plenty of room. They also open up their pool and hot tub to campers for late night (great place to soak after dancing).
The original deadline was May 5th for our group rate of $139, but they have graciously extended it to May 15th. So, go ahead and book your room
by calling (800) 590-1801 and specify that you want the Camp Jitterbug rate of $139. Again, we have more details and pics at the link above.
HOUSING
Every year, Max Aquino offers to coordinate housing for campers that can't afford to stay at the hotel. He has been so generous of his time and he
always does his best to find campers a bed to sleep on or a floor to crash on.
Hello fellow Lindy Hoppers,
As many of you have probably heard, our beloved Frankie Manning passed away this morning. For those of you who had the honor of meeting Frankie or taking a class with him, you understand the significance of this loss. Although many are mourning Frankie right now, it is so important to celebrate him at this time. Lovingly known as "The Ambassador of Lindy Hop", Frankie epitomized Lindy Hop...he really WAS and IS Lindy Hop. He touched so many peoples lives and spread this dance all around the world. The Lindy Hop community wouldn't be where it is today without him. It wasn't just Frankie's pure talent, athletic ability and teaching skills that set him apart; he was a gentle, caring and patient man that made so many people love him and connect with him on a very personal level. We will miss you Frankie and while we are saddened by your passing, we are more overjoyed by the mark you made in this world. You will always be remembered...you are truly a legend.
The Camp Jitterbug team
Hello everyone,
We wanted to let everyone know, that certain tracks and competitions have sold out at CJ. If you want to sign up for one of the sold out tracks, your name will be put on a waiting list. There is a very good chance that we will have spots opening up (once the balance is evened out in certain tracks and/or folks who have to cancel or do not pay for their registration soon). So, PLEASE sign up as soon as possible so your name is higher up on the waiting list! It will be first come, first served. You will NOT pay for a wait list position until/if you are contacted and moved over to an official camper/competitor. Here are the items that are wait list only at this point:
WAIT LIST ONLY-the following items are sold out as of now
Advanced Track - both leads and follows
Intermediate Track - follows
Advanced Plus Track - follows
Jack & Jill contest - follows only (there are only a few lead spots left however, so this will most likely close in the next day or so for leads as well)
We are SO excited about the Jump Session Show this year. We are in an awesome theater in downtown Seattle
and we have our most incredible line-up of performers this year including the Harlem Hot Shots of Sweden.
Spread the word to your friends and family because whether you are a dancer or not, this high energy show
will be unforgettable...not to mention that you can finally show everyone what this thing called Lindy Hop is all
about:-) Also, all of the proceeds are donated to charity that spreads jazz dance programming to our youth.
So it is also for a great cause!
Tickets are selling fast, so be sure to purchase your ticket online now at www.campjitterbug.com.
The Jump Session Show
A Tribute to the Legends of Jazz
Friday, May 29th 2009
7:30-9:30pm
Doors open at 7:00pm...feel free to come earlier and have some drinks at the theater's King Cat Lounge if you are 21+
The King Cat Theater - 2130 6th Ave in Downtown Seattle
Parking lots next door as well as street parking
Cost: $20 General Public/$15 Campers
Just a reminder, that the first price break deadline for the Camp Jitterbug 10 Year Anniversary is coming up April 10th. The weekend pass includes all workshops, dances, lectures, late nights and more. Don't wait, the spots at the camp are filling up FAST this year!
Also, you will get a discount on the Jump Session Show when you purchase your ticket during registration. This year's show is going to be incredible...just wait until we announce the line-up of performers!! We are very excited.
The Camp Jitterbug workshop schedule is now posted online. We are so excited about this incredible line-up of instructors and classes this year. Check it out at campjitterbug.com or click on the link below.
http://campjitterbug.com/files/CJ2009WorkshopSchedule.pdf
UPDATES!! This year we are doing a couple of new things with the classes, check it out!
TRACK LEVELS - There will be five track levels; Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Advanced Plus and Masters. Advanced Plus and Masters are audition only.
COMP & SHOW AND SOLO TRACKS - There will be two alternative tracks at the camp: Competition & Show and Solo. There will also be a lot of awesome Elective classes at the camp. For the Comp & Show and Solo tracks, you do NOT need to sign up for these tracks, you just show up. Space will be limited, so it will be first come first served until the class is full. Here are the requirements for these two specialized tracks: Comp & Show track-Partner required and you must be either Advanced, Advanced Plus or Masters. Solo track-you must be either Intermediate, Advanced, Advanced Plus or Masters.
We are very excited to announce an incredible line-up for our evening events at Camp Jitterbug this year...a lot of special treats in store to help celebrate 10 years of Camp Jitterbug! There is a LOT of dancing time this year in particular...we have added extra dances to the weekend. Also, we have hired the top musicians in the northwest...there will be incredible live music throughout the weekend. The theme for Camp Jitterbug and the Jump Session Show this year is "Legends of Jazz"...we will be paying tribute throughout the weekend to the legends of jazz dance and music. For more detailed info, visit www.campjitterbug.com.
2009 EVENING EVENT SCHEDULE
THURSDAY MEET & GREET DANCE WITH VIDEO DJ ALEX YAN
Thursday 05/28/2009 09:00 pm to 12:00 am
Featuring: A Tribute to the Legends of Jazz: Video DJ Alex Yan
We are excited to announce that the Harlem Hot Shots of Stockholm, Sweden will be at Camp Jitterbug's 10 Year Anniversary & the Jump Session Show! Help us welcome Lennart Westerlund, Frida Segerdahl, Sakarias Larsson, Jenny Deurell, Rikard Ekstand and Jessica Lennartsson to Seattle.
This will be a year to remember...we look forward to celebrating 10 years of CJ with all of you!
The Camp Jitterbug Team
www.campjitterbug.com
info@campjitterbug.com
Hey everyone,
For all of you out of towners coming to Camp Jitterbug's 10 year anniversary, we are happy to say that there are some ridiculously low priced airfares out there right now. Here are some example prices we found while searching at www.sidestep.com
LA to Seattle $159
San Francisco to Seattle $139
Denver to Seattle $180
Salt Lake City to Seattle $225
Baltimore to Seattle $220
Chicago to Seattle $268
New York to Seattle $319
Nashville to Seattle $279
Orlando to Seattle $240
Melbourne, Australia to Seattle $950
We haven't seen prices this low in years...book your flight now!!
The Camp Jitterbug Team
The team here at Camp Jitterbug just wanted to wish you a happy holidays and wonderful new year. May you get a lot of good food, good times with family and friends and good dancing in!
Cheers and hope to see you in 2009!
Camp Jitterbug 10 Year Anniversary & the Jump Session Show 2009 registration is officially open!
Visit campjitterbug.com to register now.
Camp Jitterbug will be held the weekend AFTER Memorial Day weekend this year (the LAST weekend in May), so mark your calendars, reserve your spot and get ready for the party of the decade! As usual we will have an incredible line up of world renowned instructors, bands, djs, performers and and more in Seattle to celebrate 10 years of CJ spreading the love of Lindy Hop and Jazz dance.
Camp Jitterbug 10 Year Anniversary & the Jump Session Show
May 28-31st 2009 (Thursday night-Sunday night)
Seattle, WA
CAMP JITTERBUG FULL WEEKEND PASS
Includes ALL workshops, lectures and dances - Jump Session Show sold separately
$169 if you register and pay by April 10th
$184 if you register and pay by May 1st
$199 if you register and pay after May 1st
The Camp Jitterbug & Jump Session DVD's are done and they turned out fabulous. All orders will be shipped on Monday, Aug 4th. If you would like to order a dvd, go to campjitterbug.com and visit our Store where you can purchase any of the dvd's from there. The CJ dvd includes all competition finals and workshop reviews. Enjoy!!
Be sure to check out the video trailers and other fun CJ/JS footage on YouTube for a sneak preview!
http://www.youtube.com/user/petitetonya
The Camp Jitterbug Team
Hello everyone,
We are working hard editing the CJ and JS show videos and they should be out within a couple of weeks!!! Here is a little teaser for you...we have posted the Jump Session Show trailer on YouTube. We will be posting the contest finals and both trailers on campjitterbug.com as we finish them, so keep checking in!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rChf8n8b84
If you ordered a video already, it will be shipped to you as soon as they are ready to go! If you would like to order a video/s, you can do so by visiting campjitterbug.com under "Store".
The Camp Jitterbug Team
Hello everyone,
We have posted the Lindy Hop Couples Finals on YouTube for everyone to enjoy...we will be posting the Jack & Jill and Charleston Finals shortly, so be sure to check back soon.
http://www.youtube.com/user/petitetonya
Online video orders are now available at campjitterbug.com under "Store". The footage turned out great...we are doing our best to get the videos edited and sent out as soon as possible!
Enjoy!
Tonya & the Camp Jitterbug Team
First of all, thank you so much to all of you who participated in the survey and gave us both positive and constructive feedback. This really helps us make future CJ's even better, so thank you!
We got wonderful positive feedback about all areas of the event and we are excited to keep those aspects of the event as good as always. We spend all year trying to make CJ amazing, but with any event of this size and complexity, there are always areas to improve. Based on your feedback, here are some of the main areas we plan on improving.
EVENING VENUE Floors and Ambiance-while there was room to dance, it was a bit of a loss for ambiance and the floor was hard. We have already booked a wonderful venue for next year...great floor, ambiance and walking distance to the camp. We are VERY excited about this!!!
MUSIC TEMPOS at dances-this year the tempos weren't as varied as much as people would like...we are going to make sure the band plays a wider variety of tempos next year.
Hello folks,
Help us make next year even better...fill out the Camp Jitterbug survey!
Just click the link below!
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=_2fkd9FQGhk0CvEyy_2fca9H2A_3d_3d
The Camp Jitterbug team
Hello everyone,
We wanted to thank all of you for helping make this Camp Jitterbug the largest in attendance and most memorable Camp Jitterbug yet. With dancers coming in from all around the world, it was an opportunity to meet new dancers and make so many new friends. Our locals welcomed our out of towners with a record number of dancers hosted...your hospitality is appreciated and thank you to Max for making it happen!
Here are some highlights from the weekend:
-The Jump Session Show also had record attendance and the performers brought so much energy to the stage. Proceeds from the show will go back into the community by teaching youth about Lindy Hop and Jazz dance. Your support is helping spread the love of Lindy Hop!!
-The competitions were incredible...by far the most energy and passion I have seen in years. There were so many new air steps and combinations that the competitors brought to the contest that inspired me.
-The instruction in the workshops was top notch...we had the highest level of dancers show up for auditions than any year. It is refreshing to see dancers at such high levels seeking more knowledge and inspiration.
Hello everyone,
All Jump Session tickets that have been purchased online are available at will call before the show. Tickets are NOT mailed. There was an error in the verbage on the registration page, sorry for the confusion. You can pick up your tickets at Kane Hall any time from 5-7pm (show time is at 7pm). Seating is first come, first served so arrive early for a good spot! Doors open at 6:45pm for seating.
Be sure to arrive early to pick up your tickets and be seated in time for the show to start at 7pm. Leave ample time to park at the UofW and walk to Kane Hall...especially if it is your first time there. Weather permitting, there will be an outdoor swing jam in Red Square (outside of Kane Hall) from 5-6:45pm. Here are directions on how to get to Kane Hall:
DIRECTIONS TO THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON CAMPUS
From I-5 North or Southbound
• Take the exit for NE 45th St
• Turn East onto NE 45th St
• Turn right at 15th Ave NE
• Turn left on NE 41th St into the garage
