YOU GOTTA HAVE FUN. SEE YOU OUT DANCING.
Hustle Dancing at Clay's Stage (Costa Mesa)
June 1 -- 8 p.m. to midnight
As usual, no entry fee but you are encouraged to bring something for everyone to enjoy --- water, soft drinks, or some food to share.
1375 Logan Avenue, Costa Mesa. Clay's Stage is located in Costa Mesa, about 40 minutes SW of the center of downtown Los Angeles. Take the Harbor Blvd turn off on the 405 (San Diego) Freeway. Go South on Harbor (toward the ocean) for 1/2 mile. Turn left at Baker Street (a stop light). Go one block on Baker St, then turn right on College (again, at a stop light). Go one block (to the first stop sign) and turn left on Logan Avenue. 1375 Logan Avenue is the third building on the right-hand side -- and normally there's a sign out by the curb identifying the location). The entrance is at THE BACK OF THE BUILDING). Telephone: 714-957-0414. Video.
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JUNE 8, 2013
BTSC PRESENTS T-LOU
& HIS SUPER HOT ZYDECO BAND
7-10:30 p.m. at War Memorial Hall, Balboa Park
Dance Lesson at 6:20 p.m.
Admission: Just $10
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Zydeco Dance Workshop in Long Beach
with Karen Redding
Saturday, June 8, 2013
4 p.m. Basic Zydeco Lesson
4:30 p.m. Intermediate Zydeco Styling
5-6 p.m. CD DANCE
Cost: $10 --- PLEASE R.S.V.P. AT 562-708-8946
LOCATION: En Pointe Dance Studio, 713 Termino Ave., Long Beach 90804
PRIVATE DANCE LESSONS ALSO AVAILABLE.
CALL KAREN AT 562-708-8946
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ZZ Ward at Birch Aquarium (La Jolla)
June 19 -- 5:30-9 p.m.
Sensational new blues-pop artist is making a quick stop in San Diego on her national tour. Music samples and videos at ZZ Ward Website. Birch Aquarium
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EVELYN HARMAN
NORTHEAST PERSPECTIVE
Cajun music came to the U.S after 1755, brought here by the French who had been expelled from Acadia in Nova Scotia. Armed only with fiddles, they played compositions about loneliness and unrequited love, reflecting their experience of new frontier life in Louisiana. Before long, however, these French Acadians began to intermarry with ethnic groups in the area and created a new group. The Cajuns were born.
During the 20s and 30s, American workers came to the area and brought with them a love of country and western music and Cajuns embraced the guitar and fiddle for use in their own music. In the 60s, Cajun music was pushed into the national consciousness with appearances from musicians at the Newport Folk Festival and its popularity has continued to grow, worldwide to this day.
Cajun, Creole and Zydeco Comes to the North East
The exciting thing about Cajun music is that, although its roots are firmly within the Louisiana scene, the magic of these Bayou sounds can be heard everywhere today.
From May 10th to 12th, the Bayou n’ Brooklyn dance festival comes to the Jalopy Theater in Brooklyn, New York where you can hear the likes of Christine Balfa, Ed Poullard and Megan Brown performing live. This event fosters the Cajun, Creole and Zydeco culture and is a celebration that brings together traditional and contemporary music of this style in an exciting gathering featuring guest musicians, headliners and local bands. There will be musical workshops, traditional roots music, dance hall bands and an authentic, delicious gumbo dinner to enjoy over this weekend.
Big Daddy Zydeco and Preston Frank will transport you into a world of Zydeco dancing, on Sunday May 12at Glen Echo Park’s Spanish Ballroom in Maryland, with dance lessons in the afternoon. Let your hair down the Cajun way and come along to this event. In October there will be a Dancing by the Bayou Fall Dance Festival at the park, for all to enjoy.
Johnny Ace and Sidewalk Zydeco play regular venues, particularly in New York, where their Zydeco music has the crowd on its feet for most of the night. There is often a complimentary dance workshop that takes place prior to these events, for those wanting to learn a bit more about Zydeco. Connolly’s pub has a lovely wooden dance floor for dancing and the ‘Lets Zydeco’ shows that feature here are popular among locals.
Dance Cajun!
Anyone can enjoy Cajun dancing. The music is infectious and you will find yourself up on your feet joining in at a Cajun dance with little persuasion.
The basic footwork for Cajun moves involves a jitterbug with a classic two-step. There are two beats to the music, and you listen for the second beat, which has more emphasis, and your footwork reflects this. The urban two-step to the jitterbug involves you going up on the ball of your foot, while the other foot is flat on the floor, then you push up on the raised foot on the first beat and drop down onto your flat foot on the second. When you get used to these steps, you can twist your foot to the side.
Cajun dancing is generally done in pairs, with one leading the other. There are open handed and cross-handed positions and when you dance, you keep a tension in your arms so that you give each other signals for the next move (or rather, the leader gives the signal, but it must be interpreted by the partner). From the basics, you can enjoy a variety of moves that are classically Cajun, such as the sweetheart, the hip turn, the outside turn and the turn-under, as you move to the rhythm of the music.
Cajun Dance is Therapeutic
Dance has often been used as a therapeutic tool to combat depression, addiction and other health issues such as body dysfunctions that can affect a person’s self confidence and make them quite introverted and unwilling to go to social events. Cajun and Zydeco dancing naturally lend themselves to this idea of using physical activity as a distraction or as a healing process because of their energetic and very social nature. People who attend Cajun classes or dance events across the U.S find themselves invigorated and absorbed by these activities and tend to thoroughly enjoy them, returning again and again. The act of dancing takes us away from our problems, it allows us to let go of our inhibitions and if we do it right, we feel a sense of reward and great accomplishment. With Cajun and Zydeco dancing breaking away from its southern roots and reaching the North East of the U.S, more and more people are becoming bewitched by the dance offered by this traditional music.
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Evelyn Harman is a freelance writer, and may be contacted at epearce@andalemono.com.
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May 10-12, 2013 --- Gator By The Bay Zydeco, Blues & Crawfish Festival featuring Geno Delafose & French Rockin Boogie in San Diego, CA, Mother's Day Weekend
May 25th & May 26th --- 24th Annual Simi Valley Cajun, Blues Music Festival featuring Leroy Thomas and Lisa Haley north of Los Angeles, CA Memorial Day Weekend
May 31, June 1 and 2, 2013 --- Michael Arnone's Crawfish Festival featuring Kevin Naquin in Augusta, NJ
June 6-9, 2013 --- Strawberry Park Cajun and Zydeco Festival "Blast From The Bayou" featuring Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys in Preston, CT
June 22 and 23, 2013 --- Long Beach Bayou & Blues Festival Pine Leaf Boys in Long Beach, CA
July 4-7, 2013--- Portland Waterfront Blues Festival featuring Chubby Carrier & Bayou Swamp Band in Portland, OR
July 7-12, 2013 --- Cajun/Creole Week in Augusta-Elkins, WV
August 3 and 4, 2013 --- Long Beach Crawfish Festival featuring Lil Brian & The Zydeco Travelers in Long Beach, CA
August 17 and 18, 2013 --- Cotati Accordion Festival in Cotati, CA
August 30 through Sept. 1, 2013 --- Ninigret Rhythm and Roots Festival featuring Cedric Watson and Bijou Creole in Charleston, RI
Sept. 7, 2013 --- 18th Annual Sebastopol Cajun Zydeco Festival featuring Sunpie Barnes & the Louisiana Sunspots, Dwight Carrier and Ro Dogg, Jimmy Breaux and the Sonoma Allstars, Curley Taylor & Zydeco Trouble in Sebastopol, CA
October 11-13, 2013 --- Festivals Acadiens et Creoles in Lafayette, LA
October 25 and 26, 2013 --- South Louisiana Blackpot Festival and Cookout in Lafayette, LA
For a complete description of each of these festivals on one page, Click on the 6th Tab titled "Festivals" at http://floridacajunzydeco.com/dance-calendar.html.
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Top Bands Play Florida Venues
Visit FloridaCajunZydeco.com for Florida Cajun and zydeco events. Donna the Buffalo is appearing in downtown St. Petersburg, and Jacksonville Beach.
Billy Lee & The Swamp Critters perform "Danse de la Mardi Gras" at Balboa Park's December Nights festival :: Video
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Bayou Brothers with "Hey Gator By The Bay," May 11, 2008 (with Peter Oliver on rubboards and candid footage of festival dancers) :: Video
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Theo & The Zydeco Patrol playing at Magnolia's, San Diego :: Video
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Cajun-Zydeco Grammy Nominees interviewed :: Video
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Zydeco Dance Exhibition :: Video
Dancing is a great way to reduce stress, have fun, learn new ways of moving your body, develop a new appreciation for music, become part of a group of friends with love of dance in common, and to express yourslef. So let's get started! Cajun and zydeco dances occur weekly, monthly, and on special dates when bands are in town. Before most dances a dance instructor or experienced dancer will present a beginner's lesson lasting about a half hour, often followed by intermediate or advanced moves for fifteen minutes. In San Diego, Tio Leo's presents Cajun/Zydeco dances every Wednesday evening with lessons beginning at 6:45pm and open dancing beginning 7:30pm, located at 5302 Napa Street.
Zydeco at Tio Leo's from 6:45pm to 10:00pm. Zydeco dance lessons are taught from 6:45pm to 7:30pm by a local instructor followed by the dance from 7:30pm to 10:00pm. Normally a local Cajun or Zydeco band plays and the cover is $10 which includes the lesson. Location is at Tio Leo's west of Fashion Valley at 5302 Napa St. (near where I-8 and I-5 cross). Map and other information is online at www.meetup.com/zydecosandiego or call Tio Leo's at 619-542-1462.
Los Angeles and Orange County
Brad Sjoblom posts Los Angeles Cajun and zydeco dance events on his Website. If you have an event in the Southern California area you would like promoted on Brad's site, email Brad at zydecobrad@aol.com or call him at (310) 320-1915.
Bay Area
Every Friday Night -- Zydeco dance at Eagles Hall, 2305 Alameda Avenue in Alameda, CA. For info, contact Dana DeSimone at zydecod@msn.com, (Website www.sfzydeco.com).
Sacramento Area
Website www.louisianasue.com
Here is a brief lesson in the basic zydeco dance steps. There are many other steps and stylings which can be added to these steps. Contact Greg for private instruction in zydeco. Greg Benusa's contact number is 619-857-8409, and his Web site is www.zydecoach.com.
DREW MILLER'S SECOND LINE PARADE ON 88.3-FM
Tune into 88.3-FM on Saturday nights from 7pm–8pm for an hour of New Orleans music including a good sampling from Cajun and zydeco artists!
Check our "Favorite Links" for local bands, local dance instructors, and sister clubs across the United States.
JOIN OUR FREE E-MAIL ZYDECO NEWS LIST Get news on San Diego Cajun and Zydeco events and happenings! Click Here to subscribe.
All events are subject to last-minute changes.
The Bon Temps Social Club of San Diego is a member of the International Dance Association of San Diego County. Dance events in Balboa Park are sponsored in part by the San Diego Parks and Recreation Department. |
