Ragtime, Jazz Age & Swing Era danceswith
Nikki Santilli
African-American jazz dances, 1900-1950:
Solo Jazz – Balboa – Lindy Hop – Charleston – Black Bottom
With a long-standing interest in the history of these styles, I compliment my classes
with lectures and discussions to give context to our dancing.
I also try to help develop the art by creating new dance pieces.
BOOK NOW! Intermediate-level Balboa/ Bal-Swing Workshop:
Sat 15 Feb – South London Irish Assoc. Wimbledon Book >>
Jazz & Jam
Sunday 16 March
6-8pm
Hargrave Hall
N19 5SP
Live Gypsy Jazz jam. Dance floor. Free entry. Donations to the musicians (cash)
Paper Moon 2025
20 April – Easter Special with RAY GELATO Swing Quartet & DJ Don Pucci. Tickets >>
15 June – The Hot House Combo & DJ tbc Tickets >>
26 October – Lana-May & her Hot Jazz Band DJ Aila Baila
14 December – A Christmas Paper Moon
Jazz & Jam – Monthly, informal practice / freestyle dance, Archway
Moonshine – Very occasional informal dance, Wimbledon
*Live jazz-swing music
ideal for dancing Balboa
also: Shag, Lindy Hop & Jazz Dance
The History of Authentic Jazz Dance
by Nikki Santilli (Aug/Sept 2021)
for the National Jazz Archive
Read Part 1 here >>
Read Part 2 here >>
my thanks to John Rosie for his valuable editing assistance
Dave Doyle’s review of Rhythm & Book
in the Syncopated Times
(Sept 2020)
Read it here >>
Rhythm & Book
March 2020 – June 2021, I hosted a weekly live zoom session where guest speakers or I presented topics concerned with dancers, musicians, literature, fashions and more that made the 1900s-1950s such a rich period in history. Our aim was to define “jazz” as something greater than a style of music and to understand it as a shared culture. Our particular focus was the history of jazz & swing music & dance in social dancing. However it became clear very quickly that the history of jazz was the history of a struggle for civil rights. Never before, perhaps, has a fight left such a rich and enduring artistic legacy.
This ‘lockdown series’ has now closed.
