Greetings from Providence, RI

I got a ukulele for Christmas. (Bet you never heard that before, huh?)

To be fair, DH knew I wanted one, and I was once a trained musician. Voice & brass. It's been a long time, and though I do a decent job with a proper instruction manual in front of me, nothing beats advice from those who know.

I just ordered a 1921 how-to and it should be here in a few days. I've tuned my baby in D (and she's holding it pretty well).

My husband & I are big vintage folks. Our house is from '29 and furnished in the style of the 30s--even my kitchen, which I designed. We do dance (though I'm a lindy hopper and he's ballroom). When possible we go to vintage-style events in NYC and CA (friends in both scenes), and we wear a lot of vintage or reproduction clothing.

Yes, we have a Victrola. (Also laptops, smartphones, and a wireless connection.) Bit of hybrid, the pair of us.

But I want to learn if only to get music back into my life (and some professional music pals of mine want me to do a trio the next time we're in Longbeach for the Art Deco Festival, which means I need to get cracking).

Greetings from a fellow lindyhopper, vintage-lover and former Providence resident!
Welcome to UU!

(PS: I never got a chance to dance lindy back when I lived in RI, but I hear there is a good scene in Pawtucket? Is that where you're going?)

Lalz said:

(PS: I never got a chance to dance lindy back when I lived in RI, but I hear there is a good scene in Pawtucket? Is that where you're going?)

Click to expand...

It's moved recently...to Cranston, I think? I haven't been in a while. Did go for a year or two when we first moved here, but since DH does't like it (I dragged him to a class or two) somehow I stopped making the effort. They're nice folks, I should have done!

The little dancing we really "do" now is limited to 20s and 30s theme events, usually.

I miss the real thing! (Then again, I swear I've forgotten how to do a swing-out, and the styles do change fast.)

ArtDecoDiva said:

It's moved recently...to Cranston, I think? I haven't been in a while. Did go for a year or two when we first moved here, but since DH does't like it (I dragged him to a class or two) somehow I stopped making the effort. They're nice folks, I should have done!

The little dancing we really "do" now is limited to 20s and 30s theme events, usually.

I miss the real thing! (Then again, I swear I've forgotten how to do a swing-out, and the styles do change fast.)

Click to expand...

Go Cranston!

Haha! Yes it seems balboa is all the rage now. It's nice but a bit too standing-straight-making-small-steps-y and polite for me. I like it better when legs are kicking and flying all over the place

You picked a great combination of hobbies: ukulele + lindy (+ vintage etc). Match made in heaven! And you've come to the right place for ukes, UU is awesome, really wonderful community.
Now you need to convince DH to go to Herräng Dance Camp on holidays!

Welcome! It sounds to me like you need a 20's Martin (unless that's what you already have!).

kvehe said:

Welcome! It sounds to me like you need a 20's Martin (unless that's what you already have!).

Click to expand...

Enabler hehe

Ha! No, I have a new Kala. Don't know much about it yet, but DH went to a luthier and insisted that it not be the cheapest, and made a noise about me being (trained as) a musician. It's a pretty thing. I'll do my research soon.

Bal? I love bal, I was doing it over 12 years ago, but at the time, there weren't many bal leaders around (it's the one thing I didn't learn to lead, unfortunately) and I slacked off on it. Now I'm so far behind the curve it's not funny.

Really, my favorite thing is bal-swing, or really slinky slow lindy or blues. But I don't really get to do much of either. I learned to dance outside metro Detroit, and honey, they know how to slink there! (My husband couldn't if he was drugged, poor boy. And he grew up in that area, oddly.)

RE Providence Swings, I saw a post today about a dance party at the new location--it's in Lincoln. Next Sunday, I think. I'd love to go but I doubt I'll make it.

Lalz said:

Go Cranston!

Haha! Yes it seems balboa is all the rage now. It's nice but a bit too standing-straight-making-small-steps-y and polite for me. I like it better when legs are kicking and flying all over the place

You picked a great combination of hobbies: ukulele + lindy (+ vintage etc). Match made in heaven! And you've come to the right place for ukes, UU is awesome, really wonderful community.
Now you need to convince DH to go to Herräng Dance Camp on holidays!

Click to expand...

Oh, Lord. I'd never get him to ANY dance camp (don't get me started).

BTW, do you know Keith McGee? He used to be a pal of mine, back when we were both beginning to dance. He's got a dance studio/gig called Feets of Amazement, I think. If you see him around, tell him Eileen says hello. (The one once in Ann Arbor. He'll know.)

Far as all the hobbies go, it snowballed. Always loved history & etc., but when I learned to swing dance, well...down the vintage chute I slid. Clothes, the whole bit. Real favorite is the mid-30s. Nothing so elegant before or since, for my money.

ArtDecoDiva said:

Oh, Lord. I'd never get him to ANY dance camp (don't get me started).

BTW, do you know Keith McGee? He used to be a pal of mine, back when we were both beginning to dance. He's got a dance studio/gig called Feets of Amazement, I think. If you see him around, tell him Eileen says hello. (The one once in Ann Arbor. He'll know.)

Far as all the hobbies go, it snowballed. Always loved history & etc., but when I learned to swing dance, well...down the vintage chute I slid. Clothes, the whole bit. Real favorite is the mid-30s. Nothing so elegant before or since, for my money.

Click to expand...

Don't know Keith I'm afraid. I've mostly danced in Sweden and here in the UK. Never made it to the lindy nights in Pawtucket while in RI, one of my biggest regrets!

Blues... do you know this guy Lucky Skillen who's an American swing-blues dance instructor? He just released part 1 of a three parts documentary about social dancing in the US. I was at the UK premiere the other day, it was brilliant! He said you could stream it from his website but I can't find it on there.

One great thing is that most songs that are fun to swing-dance to are also lots of fun to play on the ukulele :music:

Keith is now in the UK; he's been there for about 10 years. Can't remember exactly where he's based, but he's well-known enough to have danced in the lindy expo at the Olympics (lucky son-of-a-gun). He is a very good (and fun) dancer.

Pretty sure he's been to the big camps in Sweden, possibly as a teacher, though we're really not in touch these days. The odd FB comment, that's all. He looks kind of like Dizzy Gillespie before life caught up with him;slim, a little stooped. Often wears a backwards biking cap, or used to. About 46, 47? He wears a goatee. Big flirt.

I've never heard of Lucky Skillen. Do you know where in the States he started to dance, or when? It's a big place, and styles vary quite a bit, depending on the region where you learned.

Mostly I know the Midwest and NYC and some parts of CA.

Well, the instruction booklet hasn't arrived yet, but I know it has shipped. With luck I'll have it by this weekend. I really want to get started.