LindyinthePark.com

>ландшафтase anybody was wondering, Lindy in the Park will swing on Sunday, August 24, even with the Outside Lands rock festival going on in Golden Gate Park.  Traffic and parking will definitely be affected by the concert, so please allow yourself extra time to get to LitP.

Also, we still have a few more special limited edition 12th Anniversary t-shirts and hoodies for sale.  If we don’t have your size, we’ll be taking orders the next few weeks for a second (and final) printing.  Don’t miss out!  Order soon!

Ken

SUNDAY, AUGUST 17, 2008!

Lindy in the Park is turning 12!  On Sunday, August 17, 2008 come celebrate 12 years of free swing dancing in Golden Gate Park with a special anniversary edition of Lindy in the Park.  To celebrate, we’re having a BBQ potluck and extending the music and dancing hours until at least 3:00pm.  We’ll supply the BBQ’s; you supply some food to BBQ, side dishes, drinks, or utensils to share.  Come out and party, dance, see your friends, reunite with old friends, make new friends, share some delicious food, and have an all-around great time!

WHY:
Celebrate 12 great years of Lindy in the Park, the longest-running regular lindy hop dance event in the San Francisco Bay Area.  The first Lindy in the Park took place on August 18, 1996 with 13 enthusiastic dancers and a boombox.  Over the years, Lindy in the Park has grown to the point where it regularly attracts 100-200 dancers each week and has become a San Francisco swing dancing institution.

WHEN:
Sunday, August 17, 2008 11:00am-3:00pm+

SCHEDULE:
Music & Dancing: 11:00am-3:00pm+
Free Beginner Swing Dance Lesson with Hep Jen: 12:00pm-12:30pm
BBQ Potluck: 1:00pm-3:00pm+
Group Photo: ~2:00pm

WHAT TO BRING:
Food for BBQ’ing, side dishes, salads, desserts, drinks, ice chests with ice, plastic utensils, paper napkins, plates, or cups, etc. to share.  (BBQ grills and charcoal will be supplied.)

WHERE:
The regular Lindy in the Park location: the south sidewalk area along John F. Kennedy Drive between the 8th Ave. and 10th Ave. park entrances, between the de Young Museum and the north entrance to the Music Concourse.  Please note that the following Yahoo map is only an approximation of LitP’s actual location:
Yahoo! Maps for Lindy in the Park (JFK Dr. location), San Francisco

VOLUNTEERS:
All of the volunteer positions for the Anniversary BBQ Potluck have been filled, thanks to our wonderful volunteer coordinator Trish Richman.  If you have volunteered to help at our Anniversary, and you need to contact us for anything related to volunteering, please contact Trish at 415-425-5879 or trish@trishrichman.com.  And thank you all in advance for helping out!

Please help spread the word!

Hope to see you there,
Ken Watanabe
Lindy in the Park organizer, co-founder, DJ

Sunday, July 20, 2008, 4:00-6:00pm
Announcing a 2-hour, intermediate-level workshop class that will teach you the Lindy in the Park Routine!
* Experience the thrill and energy of dancing as a group in a routine!
* Perform the routine at Lindy in the Park’s 12th Anniversary (Aug 17, 2008)!
* Learn classic Lindy steps & incorporate them into your social dancing!
* Includes two fun and easy aerials!
* Taught by the original choreographers, Hep Jen, Ken Watanabe, and Nathan Dias, and Naomi Walenta!

Location: LitP site (JFK Dr., near 8th Ave, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco) Yahoo! Maps

Prerequisites: Proficiency in Swingouts & Charleston, no partner required

Cost: $20 per person

Registration: Register in person with Jen, Ken, Nathan, or Naomi (cash or check) at Lindy in the Park or the workshop, or register online (PayPal, credit card) at: www.hepjen.com/workshop.html by the end of Saturday, July 19, 2008.  Please arrive to the workshop a few minutes early to check in.

Contacts:
Jen: hepjen@hepjen.com
Ken: ken@lindyinthepark.com
Nathan: nathan@swingornothing.com
Naomi: naomi@lindyinthepark.com

Hope to see you at the workshop,
Ken Watanabe
LitP organizer, DJ, co-founder

Lindy in the Square is back!

Lindy in the Square returns to Union Square for the 2008 season with another series of free monthly outdoor swing dances featuring dancing to DJ’ed music and free beginner dance lessons (every 4th Wednesday of the month, from May through September).  Lindy in the Square is a great place to bring co-workers, friends, or anyone who wants to learn about the original form of swing dancing from 1920’s Harlem, the Lindy Hop.  Come and enjoy this free outdoor swing dance in the heart of San Francisco!

Each month, Lindy in the Square will be hosted by a different swing dance venue.  The first Lindy in the Square will take place Wednesday, May 28, 6:00-8:00pm, and will be hosted by the organizers of Lindy in the Park.  Here are the details:

Location: Union Square (333 Post St.), San Francisco, CA
Dancing: 6:00-8:00 PM
DJs: Ken Watanabe and Naomi Walenta
Beginning Lesson: 6:30-7:00 PM with HepJen and Ken
Performance: Lindy in the Park routineкомпютри, 7:20 PM

For more information, check out the Lindy in the Square web site or call 415-235-9795.
Sponsored by Jewels in the Square.
Brought to you by The SF LIndy Squad.

Please help spread the word, and we hope to see you there!

Ken Watanabe
Lindy in the Park co-founder, organizer, DJ
ken@lindyinthepark.com

It’s that crazy time of year again–the annual Bay to Breakers race!  I want to remind everyone that the annual Bay to Breakers race happens this Sunday, May 18, 2008.  The race starts at 8:00am, and the course traverses the full width of SF, starting at the Embarcadero, travelling west along Howard St, Ninth St, Hayes St, Fell St, and JFK Dr through Golden Gate Park, and finishing at the Great Highway.

Note that Lindy in the Park will still take place Sunday, May 18, 2008 at its regular time (11am-2pm) and location (south sidewalk of JFK Dr., near the de Young museum), even though we might have a few extra (65,000+) people running near or through our dance floor!

Please be forewarned that due to the crowds and street closures, it may take longer to get to Lindy in the Park, so plan accordingly.  To travel north-south in SF across the race course, the Embarcadero and 19th Ave./Park Presidio will remain open in both directions at all times.  For more information about street closures and public transportion, check the official Bay to Breakers web site at: http://www.ingbaytobreakers.com/race_information/transportation.html??????

Hope you can make it!
Ken

On Sunday, May 4, 2008, the San Francisco Inline Marathon (SFIM) will be held on JFK Drive in Golden Gate Park.  The race course loops back and forth along JFK Drive between the Conservatory of Flowers and Crossover Drive (19th Ave), and this portion of the road will be closed to ALL non-racers, including cars, pedestrians, bicyclists, and runners between 8:00 AM and 1:30 PM.

We *should* be fine on the south sidewalk area where we usually dance, and that’s where we’ll try to set up first.  But please be forewarned that (1) we may have to move LitP to an alternate location (probably somewhere in the middle of the Music Concourse); and (2) you may find it difficult to cross JFK Drive at times during the race.

According to the race organizers “Non-race observers will be able to cross the street at several designated areas with the guidance of our volunteers”.  So hopefully, regardless of where LitP ends up, it won’t be too difficult for people coming from the north side of the park to cross JFK Dr. during the race.  Another option is for people to use the north tunnel to go underneath JFK Drive to get to LitP.

Two other quick announcements:
1. KGO-ABC 7 is coming to LitP this Sunday to film a feature about LitP which will air during the week before Mother’s Day.

2. The free beginner swing dance lesson moves to a new earlier time, 12:00pm (noon)-12:30pm.

Hope to see you at the park!  -Ken

For the last 4 years, the free beginner swing dance lesson taught by Hep Jen at Lindy in the Park has been a wonderful addition.  It has become very popular with beginner-level dancers, introduced many new people to swing dancing, and proven to be an important contributor in maintaining a vibrant and friendly swing dance community.

In an ongoing effort to improve Lindy in the Park, beginning May 4, 2008, the swing dance lesson will move to an earlier time (30 minutes earlier) and take place every Sunday 12:00pm-12:30pm, weather permitting.

Please tell your friends and help spread the word!

Thanks,
Ken Watanabe
Lindy in the Park organizer, co-founder, DJ

Yes, Lindy in the Park WILL take place tomorrow, Easter Sunday.

We’ll see you there.

Hope you remembered to set your clocks forward 1 hour.

See you out there!

2/24/08: Lindy in the Park has been cancelled today due to rain.  At this moment (10:07 AM), it’s currently raining, and the current forecast predicts a 90-100% of rain with winds up to 25mph between now and 2pm.  Stay dry and we hope to see you all next week!