Swingin’ the Blues

Posted on December 26, 2012

Held at Chiswick’s Town Hall (pictured) on January 19, the Swingin’ the Blues Ball is a full day of blues dancing, covering everything from the “Slow Drag” of the 1920s to the latest Utopian Blues.

Workshops run from 11am until 7pm, with teachers including Simon Selmon, Amir Giles, Marc Forster and Rachel Pears. During the lunch break, you can watch a selection of dance film clips from the history of swing and blues. The ball kicks off at 8pm with a Cuban Blues class with Marc and Rachel, and runs through three rooms until 12.30am. Tickets for the whole event cost £35 per person; tickets for the ball only are £10 per person. See www.ceroclondon.com or call 07733 408 796 for details.

Zoe Anderson

Zoë was born in Edinburgh, and saw her first dance performances at the Festival there. She is the dance critic of The Independent, and has also written for The Independent on Sunday, The Scotsman and Dancing Times. In 2002, she received her doctorate from the University of York for a thesis on “Nationhood and epic romance: Ariosto, Sidney, Spenser”. She is the author of The Royal Ballet: 75 Years and The Ballet Lover’s Companion.