SEE WHAT'S NEW AT THE KILLER DILLER 2011 EXTRAVAGANZA:
2011 Killer Diller Instructors
- Stefan Durham and Bethany Powell
- Mike Faltesek and Casey Schneider
Registration Deadlines
Full weekend pass: SSC members $120 / non-members $145
Dances only pass $70
Details
- Two Tracks of Classes
- 7th annual Killer Diller Ball on SATURDAY night - vintage attire strongly encouraged
- Three nights of dancing to live music at historic Washington Hall
- Competitions! Including the Harvest Moon Ball Lindy Hop contest
- *NEW* live music cabaret
- Vintage Fashion Show by Lorraine O'Neal
- Registration Open Now!
KDW was born with the goal of preserving the history and roots of vernacular jazz dance by re-creating the experience of walking into an early 1900's Big Band Hall.
FAQs
Q: What is included in the full weekend pass?
A: The full weekend pass gets you in to ALL of the Killer Diller Weekend events except the masters classes:
Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening and late night dances
2 days of classes (6-8 classes total)
Admission to the Saturday fashion show
Admission to the Sunday cabaret
Q: What is included in the dances only pass?
A: The dances only pass get you in to the Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening and late night dances, and the Sunday cabaret.
Q: Can I sign up for individual classes?
A: Only if space permits. You pay at the door, and the availability is on a first-come, first-served basis.
Q: How will classes work with two sets of instructors?
A: The weekend will have 2 tracks of classes. Each track will have the same number of classes with each set of instructors. At the first class, the tracks will be split into levels based on the group of students.
Q: Which track should I sign up for?
A: For the first time, KDW will have an intermediate and an advanced track. There will be an audition on Saturday morning for students registering for the advanced track, to ensure students are in the appropriate class level.
Q: It looks like there are 2 masters classes this year, is that right? How will that work??
A: Yes! There will be 1 masters class with Stefan & Bethany, and 1 class with Mike & Casey. Each masters class costs $20, or $30 for both.
Q: How do I sign up for masters classes?
A: Master's classes are by invitation only. Registration is online and there is limited space in these classes. Contact kdw@savoyswing.org for a registration code if you believe your invitation was lost. The masters classes are for very experienced/master dancers - if you did not receive an invitation, you will be asked to provide names of instructors who can vouch for your level.
The masters classes will be held at the same time as 2 of the regular weekend classes. If you buy a full weekend pass and are invited to attend the masters classes, you will not be charged for the masters classes (they will be included in the price of the full weekend).
Q: Do I need a partner to take classes?
A: No! Students will be encouraged to rotate partners in all classes.
Q: I'm a beginner, can I take classes?
A: The workshops are designed for students who are comfortable with the basics of Lindy Hop and have taken a few classes or workshops. For absolute beginner classes in the Seattle area, check out www.savoyswing.org.
Friday
Time
Event
Location
8:30pm-Midnight
Evening Dance with Glenn Crytzer
Washington Hall - Main Hall
10:30pm
Harvest Moon Lindy Hop Competition Prelims
Washington Hall - Main Hall
1:00am-5:00am
Late Night Dance
Washington Dance Club
Saturday
Time
Event
Location
Daytime
Classes (All Levels)
Washington Hall
Afternoon
Masters Class with Mike & Casey
Washington Hall - Main Hall
8:00pm-9:00pm
Lorraine O'Neal's Vintage Fashion Show
Washington Hall - Main Hall
9:00pm-Midnight
7th Annual Killer Diller Ball with Casey MacGill
Washington Hall - Main Hall
10:30pm
Harvest Moon Lindy Hop Competition Finals
Washington Hall - Main Hall
1:00am-5:00am
Late Night Dance
Washington Dance Club
2:00am
Jack & Jill Competition Prelims
Washington Dance Club
Sunday
Time
Event
Location
Daytime
Classes (All Levels)
Washington Hall
Afternoon
Masters Class with Stefan & Bethany
Washington Hall - Main Hall
8:00pm-9:00pm
Cabaret with the Careless Lovers
Washington Hall - Main Hall
9:00pm-1:00am
KDW Closing Party Dance with the Careless Lovers
Washington Hall - Main Hall
10:30pm
Jack & Jill Finals
Washington Hall - Main Hall
Saturday
Time
Intermediate
Advanced
10:30
Advanced Audition
Advanced Audition
11:00-12:00
Mike & Casey
Stefan & Bethany
12:15-1:15
Mike & Casey
Stefam & Bethany
Lunch 1:15
45 Minutes
45 Minutes
2:00-3:00
Stefan & Bethany
Mike & Casey
3:15-4:15
Stefan & Bethany
Masters: Mike & Casey (4:30)
Sunday
Time
Intermediate
Advanced
11:00-12:00
Stefan & Bethany - All Levels
Stefan & Bethany - All Levels
12:15-1:15
Mike & Casey - All Levels
Mike & Casey - All Levels
Lunch 1:15
45 Minutes
45 Minutes
2:00-3:00
Stefan & Bethany
Mike & Casey
3:15-4:15
Masters: Stefan & Bethany (4:30)
Mike & Casey
Masters Classes are by invitation only
Class Descriptions
Mike & Casey Classes
Intermediate - Lindy Hop Foundations
Mike and Casey will cover technique, movements and stylings of the lindy hop. This class will be perfect for those who realize the importance of having a solid foundation with which to build your swing dancing house upon. By the end of the class, you'll feel like you are Stompin' at the Savoy.
Intermediate - Dancing With the Music
By now, when you are social dancing, you can hear it coming up and you can hit it every time one of those.....BREAKS! Start thinking passed just hitting the breaks and start dancing like you are another musician in the band.
Advanced - Lindy Hop Foundations
Mike and Casey will cover technique, movements and stylings of the lindy hop. This class will be perfect for those who realize the importance of having a solid foundation with which to build your swing dancing house upon. By the end of the class, you'll feel like you are Stompin' at the Savoy.
Masters - Teachers Choice
All Levels - Savoy Shim Sham
If you know the shim sham, then you are wrong. If you don’t know the shim sham you are right! Because you don't really know the shim sham until you've learned the version that was done by the lindy hoppers in Harlem at the Savoy Ballroom in the 30s and 40s. Come get it!
Advanced - Doctor Jazz
The easiest and hippest way to add a little style to your dancing is to throw in some jazz movement. Dr. Schneider and Nurse Faltesek will inject you with boogie, directly into your bones. The doctor is in.
Advanced - Old Timer Dancing
Casey and Mike have a fine appreciation for the mastery that comes with 30+ years of dancing -- true to themselves, not dancing for anyone else. They make it look so easy! Come young and old alike, because we all can use a little bit of old timer in us. That's what she said.
Stefan & Bethany Classes
All Levels - That's that rhythm we mean
We go deep into rhythm until everything else disappears, even the sun and the moon. (lots of cool moves)
Intermediate - Follow Your Heart, Follow
Following and leading are the same things. Confidence is the bridge between them. Cross it with us. (lots of cool moves)
Intermediate - What's Needed To Do
Tap dancer Chuck Green said "You can't do everything you want to do...you have to do what's *needed* to do." Damn straight. (lots of cool moves)
Intermediate - Upper body-you have one
Your upper body can be a good feeling, dynamic part of your lindy hop, not just a frozen shape to hang your partner on. Check it out. (lots of cool moves)
Advanced - Artist or historian?
Lindy Hop is dead? Alive? Recreationist? Art form? Does it matter? Let's investigate. (lots of cool moves)
Advanced - Cold Turkey (not the Turkey Trot)
90 percent of the movement most of us do while swing dancing is unconscious habit-some of which we've been doing since our very first lesson. Breaking that stuff to smithereens will take you out of galaxy. Float with us. (lots of cool moves)
Masters - Feeling is believing
Leave your mind behind or we'll leave it behind for you. (lots of cool moves)
Stefan has been teaching Lindy Hop for a few years now, and he has won some stuff at a variety of Lindy Hop competitions, but none of that really means anything because the real issue at hand is his unflagging, lifelong love for and devotion to partnered jazz dance. In his classes, Stefan likes to teach ideas, rhythms and moves that are fun, edifying, and adjustable to each dancer's needs. Stefan likes dancing really fast and really slow. He likes Charlie Chaplin and the traditional dances of Guinea. He can do the Mill's Mess and a pretty sweet scorpion kick. And he likes syncopating his steps as he's walking down the street, all cool-like.
Bethany Powell
Bethany, a Maine native, was never 'classically trained' but has found a haven in the dances of the proletariat.
You know, getting down. She quietly achieved the threshold of Lindy Hop savvy in the Portland and (recently) DC
scenes of the past few years and, having fared well in recent competitions throughout the country, would like to
advert that she dominated three-legged-races as a child. Bethany is intrigued by the interplay of assertion and
concession that makes for good cooperative art. She would rather dance to the hot hot jazz. In spite of herself,
she's really beginning to enjoy choreographing and teaching choreography. Bethany's style of teaching is to keep
the fun focused and the focus on fun, although she would be embarrassed to hear it described that way.
Mike Faltesek & Casey Schneider
Mike and Casey have partnered since early 2006, and have been teaching and performing regularly since. They
focus on the roots of lindy hop and jazz dance, and find inspiration from the originators of the dance. Mike and
Casey thrive on the spirit of jazz music, letting it guide their creativity and innovation on the dance floor.
As teachers, Mike's and Casey's strength lies in their ability to simplify the complex, teach to various levels
of dancers simultaneously, and make their students laugh, usually by telling bad jokes. They have over 20
cumulative years of experience with Lindy Hop, authentic Jazz, Charleston, Black Bottom, Tap, and other early
jazz dances, making them favorites wherever they teach.
Casey's love of swing dancing began in 1998. Whether social dancing, teaching, or performing, Casey is inspired
by the playful spirit of traditional jazz dances and in "raising her voice" as a female dancer. In her teaching,
she focuses on developing solid technique and partnering skills as the foundation for developing one's style
and sense of musicality. Casey also enjoys competing, with placements or wins at regional and national
competitions. She frequently performs with and dabbles in a variety of dance forms with Sister Kate, an all-girl
performance group. http://www.caseyschneider.com/
Mike brings to the dance floor an incredibly diverse social and performance dance talent that includes not only
Lindy Hop but also Cakewalk, Black Bottom, Traditional Jazz, Tap, Charleston, Breakaway, Balboa, Big Apple,
Blues and many other Authentic Jazz dances.
Mike has been dancing for almost a decade, in that time he has traveled to instruct, compete, and perform
internationally. From Harlem to Los Angeles and all throughout Europe. Mike is well known for his charismatic
personality, approachability and passion for the essence of Authentic Jazz dance and music. He possesses an
enthusiastic ability to convey ideas and movements explicitly, making him a popular instructor wherever he
goes. He teaches workshops internationally, each time leaving a lasting impression on his students.
EMCEE | Andrew Thigpen
Andrew was first exposed to the Lindy Hop back in 1998 but didn't actually develop rhythm until booty dancing in college. He hopes to share his love of the dance and the energy it brings forth with as many people as possible. Andrew likes dragons and beer. All he wants to do is dance the Lindy Hop and make people laugh. Having fun is awesome. He hopes you like awesome too.
Friday: LIVE MUSIC with Glenn Crytzer and his Syncopators
Washington Hall - Main Hall
8:30pm-midnight
"The band truly represents the combination of the past meeting the present, a vintage feel with a solid rhythm that you can really groove to, for any dancer or musician. This big band swings hard!"
Giselle Anguizola
Vintage Jazz Dancer, Instructor and Preservationist
San Diego, CA
Admission: $20 at the Door
Saturday: Live Music with Jazz Stimulators
Washington Hall - Main Hall
9:00pm-midnight
Casey MacGill: Piano, Uke, Vocals, Cornet
Paul Woltz: Tuba
Craig Flory: Clarinet, Sax
Julian McDonough: Drums
Orville Johnson: Guitar and Dobro
Admission: $20 at the Door
Sunday: Cabaret and Dance with the Careless Lovers
Sunday Cabaret: 8:00pm-9:00pm
Sunday KDW Closing Party Dance: 9:00pm-1:00am
The Careless Lovers are an assembly of swing dancer musicians, inspired by the streets and clubs of New Orleans, New York City, and anywhere that hot jazz combos have been laying down swinging rhythms, past and present. The desire of the band is to play a mix of traditional jazz, blues, and swing era tunes and stylings with an attitude that's acoustic, fresh, and dirty. With an infectiously danceable rhythm, the Careless Lovers are bringing the spirit and joy of jazz culture to the streets of Seattle.
http://www.thecarelesslovers.com
Admission: $20 at the Door
DJS - Seattle Favorites
Friday & Saturday: Late Nights
1:00am-5:00am
Friday:
Travis Whetman (band breaks)
Mark Kihara (1-2am)
Freddie Dickinson (2-3:30am)
Justin Hill (3:30-5am)
Saturday
Travis Whetman (band breaks)
Dan Newsome (1-3am)
Mark Kihara (3-5am)
Sunday
Kelly Porter (band breaks)
All these amazing Djs will be spinning tunes at the Friday and Saturday late nights!
Admission: $10 at the Door
For all contests, sign up at the door!
Harvest Moon Lindy Hop Competition!
You know it well - the anything goes big annual competition of Killer Diller Ball! Lindy Hop, Balboa, Shag bust out what you got! Couples will dance all-skate in the prelims and spotlight/all-skate in the finals - 8-eights spotlights per couple.
Prelims - 10:30pm Friday at Washington Hall
Finals - 10:30pm Saturday at Washington Hall
Cost: $20/couple
Jack and Jill
Strut your stuff in the 2nd Annual Killer Diller Weekend JnJ!
Prelims - 2:00am Saturday Late Night at Washington Hall
Finals - 10:30pm Sunday at Washington Hall
Cost: $5
Harvest Moon Lindy Hop Competition Past Winners
2005 - Jason Baggett and Melissa Peterson
2006 - Joshua Welter and Casey Schneider
2007 - Joon Chang and Robin Nunnally
2008 - Michael Darigol and Brittany Johnson
2009 - Rebecka Decavita and Emelie Deckavita
2010 - Steven Stevenson and Leah Stahly
CONTACT US
Have questions? Email us and we can help: kdw@savoyswing.org
KILLER DILLER WEEKEND & THE KILLER DILLER BALL
The goal of the event is to preserve the history and roots of vernacular jazz dance by re-creating the experience of walking into an early 1900's Big Band Hall.
History coming soon!
ABOUT SAVOY SWING CLUB & THE ORGANIZERS:
Killer Diller Weekend is produced by Savoy Swing Club, a 501(c)3 non-profit, volunteer organization, comprised of PNW area lindy hoppers. All proceeds go to future Killer Diller Weekends and other Savoy Swing Club educational activities.
KDW ORGANIZERS:
Chanel Schwartz - KDW Lead organizer and SSC Events Coordinator
Gina Keppel - KDW Co-organizer and Former SSC President
Justin Hill - KDW Co-Organizer and Former SSC Vice President
Claire Burke - KDW Organizing Committee and SSC Vice President
Lee Broxson - KDW Organizing Committee and SSC Marketing Coordinator
Cris Fowler - KDW Organizing Committee
And a team of eager KDW volunteers
-Harvest Moon Prelims and Finals
-Jack & Jill Competition Finals
-The Vintage Fashion Show
-The Cabaret
-All Daytime Classes
Washington Dance Club | Late Nights Only
1017 Stewart Street,
Seattle, WA
Washington Dance Club is located on the corner of Boren and Denny on the edge of Capitol Hill and Downtown Google Map Link
-Late Night Dances with the Pacific Northwest's Top DJs
-Jack & Jill Competition Prelims
4th Annual Seattle Vintage Fashion Runway Show and Lecture!
Saturday 8:00pm- 9:00pm
The 4th Annual Seattle Vintage Fashion Runway Show and Lecture!
Individual tickets may be purchased in advanced at Brown Paper Tickets>
Vintage Fashion Comes Alive
An evening of vintage fashion and style brought alive on the Runway. Featuring a beautiful and authentic collection of Men's and Women's Jazz Age Vintage Fashion of the 1920's 30's and 40's brought to you by fashion hostess Lorraine O'Neal.
The Seattle vintage fashion is included in the Killer Diller Weekend full weekend pass.
If you would like more information about this event please contact Lorraine O'Neal at e-mail address: sweetlindylorraine@yahoo.com or 206-419-9132
Cabaret
Sunday 8:00pm- 9:00pm
Join us before Sunday's dance for an evening of performances from some of Seattle's finest dancers. Featuring
music from the Carless Lovers, and acts ranging from lindy hop to burlesque, you won't want to miss it.
Performers include: KDW instructors, Calico Goodrich, Olivia Taylor, Leah Stahly, Brittany Johnson, Michael "Dargoff" Darigol, Justin Hill, Dan Newsome, Gaby Cook, and Sister Kate!
Registration is now open!
To continue to the registration page, click below!
Swing-amajig Members perform a classic routine at Killer Diller Weekend. Dancers: Steven Stevenson and Leah Stahly, Rebecka Deckavita and Emelie Deckavita
A few local Seattle Dancers Come together to perform a seductive piece in the true spirit of Josephine Baker.
Sister Kate performs an elegant Charleston Routine for the Killer Diller Ball 2009
Sister Kate performs a synchronized chorus girl routine for the Killer Diller Ball 2010.
Savoy Swing Club is a non-profit organization 501(c)3 located in Seattle, WA. | Savoy Swing Club Site
