Robert & Jennifer Foster

Night on the Town Dec 15th 2012

Mon, 10 Dec 2012 23:53:32 GMT

Night on The Town Saturday, December 15th at the Medina Entertainment Center

R Factor Orchestra
Begins at 8:30pm
Tickets are $12 at the door

RSVP to let us know you are coming so we can get you a seat! jennifer@championballroomdance.com

'Night on the Town' Sat., Sept. 15th to see Boogie Wonderland!

Wed, 29 Aug 2012 19:20:33 GMT

Saturday September 15th ~Go dancing to Boogie Wonderland at the Medina Ballroom.

Saturday, September 15th, Join us at the Medina Ballroom to see BOOGIE WONDERLAND! Tickets are only $10 at the door. Sign up on our roster ahead of time to get reserved seating with our group.

Brush up on your Hustle, Night Club 2 Step, West Coast Swing, Cha Cha and Rumba, because all these dances will work that night!

Sign up HERE to get reserved seating with us.

'Happy Hour' Practice Parties

Wed, 29 Aug 2012 19:16:51 GMT

'Happy Hour' Practice Parties~ Friday, September 21 and 28! Our Power Hour of Dance, 8-9pm

We play a variety of music to get everyone dancing and practicing their dance moves. Whether it is East Coast Swing, Hustle, West Coast Swing, Ballroom, Latin, Salsa, Tango.... we do it all. Requests are always welcome. This dance event is open to everyone, Champion Ballroom clients or not. Only $5, $3 for Members. Enroll online to let us know you are coming, and pay at the door.

Free wine samples served in honor of happy hour!

Sign up on our roster HERE.

Practice Party

Wed, 11 Jul 2012 15:22:48 GMT

Practice Party! Wednesday, July 18th

Our Power Hour of Dance! We play a variety of music to get everyone dancing and practicing their dance moves, plus, we are here to help. Got a question? We can answer! Plus, no moving and heavy furniture at your house-come use our big floor. Whether it is East Coast Swing, Hustle, West Coast Swing, Ballroom, Latin, Salsa, Tango.... we do it all. Requests are always welcome. This dance event is open to everyone, Champion Ballroom clients or not.

Only $5, $3 for Members or students. Sign up on our roster here!

Steve Clarke and the Working Stiffs Swing Dance Orchestra

Tue, 29 May 2012 14:02:54 GMT

Steve Clarke and the Working Stiffs Swing Dance Orchestra! Saturday, June 23!

Swing dance 'mini' lesson 8-8:30pm
Band plays 8:30-11:30pm
$10/person, $8/member, $7/student under 25 w/ID

http://www.myspace.com/workingstiffs Band starts at 8:30pm. Mini East Coast Swing lesson (beginner/intermediate) from 8-8:30pm. $10 cover

Parking in back, along the street and in the Caribou Coffee lot.

BIG WOOD FLOOR! Lot's of room for dancing!

“The Working Stiffs swing hard and hot, jammin’ and jivin’ their way right into your dancing shoes. Their jump blues and jazz bill, with some rockabilly thrown in for good measure, complimented by Steve’s golden saxophone, is a favorite with the dancers.” --- Terry Gardner from the Working Stiffs website.

The Band: Steve Clarke – tenor, soprano & baritone sax, vocals; Travis Merchant – guitar, vocals; Katie Gearty – vocals; Scott Hornick – upright bass; Brian Zemniak – piano; Eric Swenson – drums; Matt Darling – trombone, vocals; Steven Kung – trumpet, vocals

It’s about time. Metroplitan is a perfect representation of what this band is all about. Not about to be pigeon-holed into one style, these guys just plain swing! Whether it’s jump, jazz or some sassy blues, you are going to get your money’s worth!

You’ll recognize lots of the tunes they cover, like Ain’t Nobody Here but Us Chickens and Five Guys Named Moe to Swing Brother Swing and Cheek to Cheek. There are plenty of other gems like my favorite song by Gearty, Women be Wise.

The band is tight and swingin’. Clarke, winner of several “Horn of the year” awards from the MN Music Academy, never disappoints and his showmanship comes through on this live recording as if you were right there dancing live. But the musicianship has a deep roster with this band. Merchant’s guitar solo’s are spot on, whether jumpin’ or complimenting the golden voice of Gearty. Not to be left out are the horns of Steven Kung and Matt Darling. These guys pack a punch and give the band a full sound. The backbeat rhythm is in the capable hands of of drummer Swenson and Hornick on bass.

Katie Gearty. Wow! Her singing ranges from sultry on Women be Wise to upbeat and bright on Swing Brother Swing and Cheek to Cheek. Her voice is beautiful and and has a wide range. She is very adept at her phrasing as well. She’s able to capture the emotion of each song and deliver it to you like she’s singing to you personally.

Clarke and Merchant also handle singing duties, adding to the dimension of the band. With three good singers, a great horn section and a steady rhythm section, you’re gonna find this CD in your player more than not.

Beats per minute. “The Stiffs” are a workin’ band. They have dancers in mind with their musical choices and this CD caters to the dancer. Not to say non-dancing music lovers should shy away. Anybody can tap their toes and you’re gonna do a lot of that with this CD. Hopefully, this band will get some national recognition with their debut CD. The professionalism, the fun, the energy, and the passion they put into their music should be loved by all, not just folks on the local scene.

Where to dance in June

Tue, 29 May 2012 13:54:16 GMT

Every Friday in June- Its FABULOUS FRIDAYS, w/ VIC VOLARE!
Come and dance and be entertained by Minneapolis' own legendary crooner, Vic Volare. Vic plays a variety of memorable dance music ranging from Swing, to Ballroom and Latin. Whether you are new to dancing or an old pro-Vic is sure to delight all dancers!

Group class, Swing: 7-7:45pm
Band Plays 8-11pm
$10/person, $8 members, $7/students under 25 w/ ID

May 4th, it's Fabulous Fridays w/ Vic Volare

Sat, 05 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

May 4th, 11th, and 18th~it's Fabulous Fridays, w/ Vic Volare!

Come and dance to great music on a large floor! Vic and his band of 'merry men' play a variety, including, Ballroom, Swing and Latin.

Swing Group, 7-7:45pm
Dance 8-11pm

$10/person, $8/members, $7/students under 25 w/ID

'Talk of the Town'~Swing and Variety Dance!

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 14:21:35 GMT

'Talk of the Town' Swing Dance Orchestra is here at Champion Ballroom on Saturday April 28th.

Swing out on our big wood dance floor to the song styings of 'Talk of the Town' Swing dance Orchestra.

The Talk of the Town Orchestra is a variety swing band for listening and dancing. Lead by trumpeter and MC Dave Haberman. In the full big band setting, it's 18 pieces, with that big brass sound. The dance combo (Small Talk) is six pieces, with a female lead vocalist backed by trumpet, sax, and rhythm section. The repertoire is from the swing era and what we know as the Great American Songbook. Music that Sinatra would have sung and that Buble is currently singing. Fun music, very danceable.

Besame Mucho
Anything Goes
All of Me
Ain't Misbehaving
Let's Call the Whole Thing Off
Fever
Unforgettable
Don't Get Around Much Anymore
Paper Moon
Fly Me to the Moon
More
So Nice (Summer Samba)
Moon River
I'm Beginning to See the Light
On the Sunny Side of the Street
Hello Dolly

7-7:45pm- Swing group class by Robert Foster
8-11pm- Dancing to Talk of the Town

$10/person, $8/members, $7/students under 25 w/ID

Reno Sweeney

Sun, 08 Apr 2012 01:57:00 GMT

SATURDAY APRIL 14 at CHAMPION BALLROOM
Variety Dance w/ Reno Sweeney~sign up here

Another great night of dancing at Champion Ballroom! Join us to dance to Reno Sweeney~Reno is a 30's cabaret act. It's six pieces, with a girl lead singer. They play 30s and 40s swing, Latin, Waltzes, Gershwin, Cole Porter, and so on. Here is some of the great music that Reno plays...

Besame Mucho, Ain't misbehavin’, All of me, Anything goes, Bewitched, Don’t get around, Fly me to the moon, Fever, Music goes round and round, Why don’t you do right, and more.

Be sure to catch the Rumba dance lesson at 7-7:45pm w/ Robert Foster.
Music by Reno Sweeney~ 8-11pm

$10/person, $8/members, $7/Students w/ID

Champion Ballroom Dance Events

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 21:53:00 GMT

VARIETY DANCE EVERY FRIDAY AT CHAMPION BALLROOM
~ IT'S 'FABULOUS FRIDAYS' W/ VIC VOLARE~sign up here
Vic Volare is the Twin Cities legendary crooner. His rat pack stylings have been thrilling crowds since 1996. With his band of merry men known as the Volare Lounge Orchestra, Vic has blazed a horn screamin high kickin trail of swing music and classic standards that keeps 'em dancing all night long.

7pm~East Coast Swing Group Class by Bill and Shannon Butler or Robert and Jennifer Foster (all levels)
Dancing from 8-11pm
$10/person, $8 members, $7 students w/ID under 25