Rock N' Swing is the San Francisco Bay Area's fast paced and energetic swing dance lesson series geared specifically for flashy, fancy, and fun(!) swing dancing to traditional 1950's style rockabilly and rhythm and blues. Regular weekly swing dance classes in the “Dean Collins” style of “Lindy Hop” or "jitterbug” swing are taught through workshops at The Joanne Brown Dancers, and weekly classes at The Mark Green Sports Center in Union City.
Mark Green Sports Center is located at:
31224 Union City Blvd.
Union City, CA 94587
(510)-675-5808
Joanne Brown Dancers is located at:
33535 Western Avenue
Union City, CA 94587
(510)-475-4122
Dance Instructor Michael Quebec brings his over 20 years of teaching and performance experience to "Rock N' Swing", making sure that students get the most thorough and detailed instruction possible, while doing it in a patient, welcoming, energetic, and fun manner! This is retro vintage dance instruction with the most modern up to date instruction techniques!
Contact Mike at (510)-240-2732 or at esperescano@gmail.com for private lessons. Check out our latest events, as well as our weekly group class schedule.
Practicing various turns during one of our Saturday workshops at The Joanne Brown Dancers in Union City.
Working "quickstops" and other moves that hit breaks in the music at one of our Saturday Union City workshops at The Joanne Brown Dancers (33535 Western Avenue.)
David Galvin and Gina Katigbak, two very popular West Coast Swing instructors, trying out some Smooth Lindy Hop and doing extremely well while having a good time!
Practicing various turns during one of our Saturday workshops at The Joanne Brown Dancers in Union City.
Features
East Coast Swing is on Fridays, Level 2 Lindy Hop is on Tuesdays. Thursday Level 1 Lindy resumes in September. All held at the Mark Green Center, 31224 Union City Blvd, Union City, CA 94587, 7:45 p.m.
Rockinswing will also continue to provide free online articles on 1950s teen culture history. The history of rock n' roll, 1950s-era dances, hot rod culture, teen idols and "Kleen Teen" culture, 1950s teen fashions, The Beat Generation and the beatnik fad, and the history of 1950s juvenile-delinquency and street gangs will be explored in detail in blog/article and even e-book form, to provide fans of vintage culture free resources for historical research and recreational reading.
Visit our blog section to check out our latest blog, "The Word On Grease: History Vs. Hollywood" (Click on the button to access the blog.)
Instructional dance videos will be provided, free of charge, at channel "Michael Quebec" at the clickable You Tube Channel button.
Videos on the history of 1950's youth culture will be provided at channel "Mike Quebec's Hepcats Hangout," which can be accessed via the button below:
Easy-To-Do Swing On Friday Nights
Session start and end dates: Friday evenings, July 12 to August 16, 2024.
Location:
The Mark Green Sports Center
The Aerobics Room
31224 Union City Blvd.
Union City, CA 94587
Tel. (510)-675-5808
Fee per person: $68 Union City resident/$78 non-Union City resident
Online registration link:
https://secure.rec1.com/CA/union-city-community-and-recreation-services/catalog
REBELS WITHOUT A CAUSE: A brief history of youth crime between the years 1950-1961.
All Videos
Above is the cover page to the latest blog,
It's a free, 76 page e-book, posted as a blog for free, educational and historical reading that compares the real life subcultures of the 1950s with what was satirized in the iconic 1978 musical comedy/fantasy "Grease." The presentation also looks at that show's journey from a grounded, local Chicago stage comedy into the movie phenomenon during the height for 1950s nostalgia during the 1970s.
The presentation looks at doo-wop, 1950s hot rod and custom car culture, Dick Clark's American Bandstand during its Philadelphia years, and the fighting youth gangs of New York that captured headlines throughout the 1950s and early 1960s.
The entire blog can be viewed and read for free by clicking on the flyer above.
Home School Teen Swing Dance Program
Rockin' Swing provides swing dance as a way of providing a fun fitness format with social events for teens. We follow California physical education requirements through Alta Independent. If you are a parent of at teen who would like to join our teen swing program for physical education, click below.
Suggested Vintage '50's/Rockabilly Links
Vintage Alley is Hayward, California's 1940's and 1950's inspired vintage boutique, hair salon, and clothing store where all of your vintage swing and rockabilly fashion needs can be met. In addtion, Vintage Alley also hosts a yearly car festival with pin ups, classic cars, and live music to dance to.
Go to their site, http://www.vintagealley.com/, by clicking on their welcome message.
James Marshall, "The Hound," is a rock n' roll historian who has written liner notes for various CDs, including Hollowbody's rare rockabilly and chicken-bop series (I personally have the "Wail Man Wail" cd, and it's the most!)
His podcast broadcasts some of the most rockin'-est cuts that you won't find in any "oldies" collection.
Access his site (https://thehoundnyc.com/) by clicking on the logo.
Author David Van Pelt has years of extensive research into the subject of 1950's-era New York youth gangs.
His book, "Brooklyn Rumble," is an excellent resource for those 1950's culture fans who would like to know the actual history of this aspect of 1950's youth culture, without the "sugar coating" and with detailed historical sources.
Go to his site, https://newyorkcitygangs.com/, by clicking on the "Brooklyn Rumble" book scan.
Online retail and wholesale quality vintage clothing at reasonable prices, for both men and women can be found at Swanky's.
Visit http://www.swankysvintage.com/ by clicking on their card.
Ratrodz n Pinups at www.ratrodznpinups.com is San Antonio, Texas' go-to for rockabilly inspired men's and women's apparel.
Owner Frank Teniente can be contacted directly at ratrodznpinups@gmail.com.
They also have a kewl blog section, so check 'em out by clicking on their card!
Looking for high-quality vintage-inspired clothing reproductions, specifically for women?
Ms. Kim's Vintage Gal at
http://www.vintagegalclothing.com/ will hook you up right! (Click on the card.)
For rockin' record hops and live bands, as well as burlesque, check out Handsome Hawk Valentine's Hops in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Click on the picture button of Hawk himself(!) to visit his site on updates on all of his rockin' shows and events!