[marktab]

[tornredcarpet]

That's awesome!!! No dance event is complete without late night for the hardcore!!!!

How about Friday late night? I need to stretch out my legs after driving for so long!!!

Sunday late night would be awesome too!
lol
_________________
Jesse Niou - Los Angeles, CA/Charleston, SC
Scissorfeet

[sirrobert]

Why stop dancing at all? It's a question I ask myself all the time.

[marktab]

[marktab]

Online Registration is Closed -- Yes, you can still come (based on availability) and even pay for individual classes or dances at the door.

Lots of people coming, cities represented in 14 states:

Birmingham AL
Columbiana AL
Madison AL
Pelham AL
Irvine CA
Largo FL
Sopchoppy FL
St. Petersburg FL
Tallahassee FL
Tampa FL
Alpharetta GA
Atlanta GA
Augusta GA
Covington GA
Decatur GA
Kennesaw GA
Lawrenceville GA
Mableton GA
Marietta GA
Mount Berry GA
Roswell GA
Smyrna GA
Snellville GA
Suwanee GA
Tucker GA
Olathe KS
s st paul MN
Stillwater MN
Waveland MS
Boone NC
Durham NC
Hillsborough NJ
Philadelphia PA
Charleston SC
Clemson SC
Goose Creek SC
Chattanooga TN
Cornersville TN
Knoxville TN
Lenoir City TN
Nashville TN
Oak Ridge TN
Alexandria VA
Kenosha WI
Milwaukee WI
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Mark Tabladillo
Atlanta, GA

[hooloovoo]

Wisconson? Minnesota? ... awesome!
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--Kate
www.BobbyKate.com

[littlebluesgirl]

If sunday night anyone wants to come back over for another late night Im always up to it. Friday night I think im going to be out of town =(
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-Dee

[littlebluesgirl]

[erinregina]

yippee, it starts tonight!!!!
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~Gina
www.dancewithgina.com

[mithril721]

I had so much fun this weekend! Thanks so much to everybody who helped put this together!
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-Carolyn

Founder and President, Berry College Swing Dance Association

[televandalist]

I had a great time dancing with everyone this weekend! I was a little ill early on Sunday night and took the opportunity to practice my shutter skills while my stomach settled. Here are the fruits of my labor. Enjoy!

Flickr photos

This was a lot of fun, btw. I'm definitely going to start taking the camera with me regularly.
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"...would you mind removing the leaky bladder quote from your signature? ... I wear Depends." - C.B.

[littlebluesgirl]

This weekend was so awesome I cant wait to see all the pictures






Thanks everyone who came out to the late night at my place, yall rock!
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-Dee

[marktab]

Hi All

Sugar Sullivan appreciated being at Down South Camp Meetin', and especially that Ben Lovelace invited her to come. As she said during her personal time, Sugar was first contacted by Nima, who had been trying over the past few years to get her to come to Atlanta. This trip was hers and her granddaughter Michele's first trip to Atlanta, and they were able to see many Atlanta sights while here. Their priority sight-to-see was the Martin Luther King Jr. Center, and they got to see some other things too.

Sugar is not much on the web sites or forums, but she does appreciate personal email. I told her that I would pass her contact information which is on her business card. "Sullivan" was her first husband's name, but her name now is "Sugar Sullivan Niles" which is from her second husband. Her card says "Performer, Choreographer, Teacher, Professional Dancer". She lives in Miami, FL with extended family, and her email is sugarsullivan70(at)yahoo.com (I know she would appreciate e-cards too).

Also, a historical FYI -- Sugar had been in a several year swing dance pause, when Dr. Sally Sommer (from Florida State) brought her out of retirement. After Sally's 1981 article on Sugar which was in New York's Village Voice (click this link), Sugar started getting contacted by dancers in the US and around the world. Sugar has periodically taught and lectured with Sally. Earlier this month, Sally was in Atlanta presenting a lecture at Emory University on the history of American social dance (click this link for my summary). Sugar has also worked with dance teams, and most recently has been coaching for the dance theatre program at Barry University in Miami Shores, FL. She has also worked with Terry Monaghan and the Jiving Lindy Hoppers from London, and she and Terry have an ongoing relationship. Click this link for the Jiving Lindy Hoppers' history webpage, and you will see Sugar and Sally Sommer listed in different events.

She would like to come to Atlanta again
_________________
Mark Tabladillo
Atlanta, GA

[Nima]

...And if you head down to South FLorida there is a good chance you will see her at some of the dances...


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"Jazz Musicians have dance in them, and Jazz dancers have music in them, or Jazz doesn't happen." - Sidney Bechet

[lovin' lindy]

Sugar was such an amazing influence for us all that got to really spend time with her! Those conversations with Sugar just made the weekend! (Thanks Ben and Mark!) She talked a lot with us over meals and such and I learned that her passion and smooth moves on the floor (as Sean quoted in class) came out of her heart- not her legs, and that it was that inner beat that she wanted to pass on to us. She kept saying, "Just keep on dancin'... no matter what- just keep on dancin'!" Later she added, "at the Savoy, we were always learning, and never stopped working on what we learned." We all get those times when we are humbled in our progression of dancing and we feel so inadequate- wanting to quit even...but in the midst of it we should just keep on dancin' through it. And later I guess also those times when we feel we've just got it and don't need the classes or private lessons or suggestions... her thoughts were to take the suggestions as they come... it doesn't mean that they are necessarily gold instructions- but we should still listen and evaluate and then decide what to use and what not to use. (As in at least listening instead of just hearing/ ignoring.) In my time this weekend, in casually talking with Sugar and several other dancers, I can see that though we have all been dancing for different times and are at different levels/ tracks - but all of them have their 'mountain tops' and their 'valleys' in common... and most importantly- all are progressive... We've all just gotta keep on listening, growing, and dancin'!

What a blessing it was to be humbled, encouraged, and inspired... all in one weekend!

(Hope all that made sense... my mind thinks it but it doesn't always come out the same way... sorry for the rambling.)
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-Aimee

[joyeuse13]

[wheato]

Thanks to Ben, Nima, Michelle, Alan and all the volunteers for planning and pulling off a great weekend. I appreciate all the hard work from y'all. Good teachers, good music, good food, good times --- and I'm sure next year will be even bigger and better!

[joyeuse13]

Has anyone collected Sugar's stories and published them? I got reams of blog entries just out of the hour on Saturday and that's only the barest little bit of what I remember. I'd love to see a book...heck, I'd love to write a book!

Joyous

[lovin' lindy]

I echo what "wheato" said-- huge applause to those who made it all happen! You guys- and gals- really worked your tails off.... and it showed in the great weekend! Thanks a ton!

ps-- There was a lost hat from one of the attendees (embroidered indian one i think)-- who has the lost and found?
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-Aimee

[sirrobert]

Allow me to add my thanks and congratulations on a superb event. Thanks to everyone for the hard work, fantastic classes, and fun dances!

[littlebluesgirl]

I found a pair of glasses at my house. If you know anyone who was at any of the late nights missing there glasses please have them contact me thanks!
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-Dee

[tornredcarpet]

[littlebluesgirl]

I believe so... are they yours?
_________________

-Dee

[tornredcarpet]

yeah I'll see you on Friday haha
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Jesse Niou - Los Angeles, CA/Charleston, SC
Scissorfeet