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They were the interwar years and people were beginning to come out of their
bunkers and live a little. The dance halls were packed with young girls like
Prezzy Carter and brave service men such as the dashing Wing Commander Mick
Fardon. The music was swingin' and hep cats like Crazylegs Keppell and
Zootsuit Riddle were to be found at the local speakeasy listening to the
crooners of the day: Peggy Lefoe and Satchmo Sims. The years of depression
and prohibition brought with it the seedier side, and the gangsters. Like
Bugsy McNaught, who ruled the Italian district with an iron fist. Potsy
Pennell ran numbers during the day, and roamed the streets by night in his
blue gabardine suit, looking for action...
The ASCILITE Dinner Dance is always a highlight of the conference, and this
year's will really be something special. The theme for the dinner dance is
the Roaring 20s and Swingin' 30s. That's right, you'll be transported to the
era when swing was the thing, with entertainment provided by Melbourne's 16
piece big band, The JW Swing Orchestra. You'll get a free lesson in Lindy Hop swing dancing from Swing Central, so even if you've never danced before, you'll be jitterbugging like crazy before the night's out.
San Remo Ballroom
365 Nicholson St Carlton North
Tuesday 11 December, 7.30pm
The San Remo Ballroom was the
location for shooting the highly successful ABC TV show, That's Dancin'.
Originally the Jubilee Theatre, and more recently the Adelphi Theatre,
the San Remo Ballroom was remodelled and renamed in 1963. Boasting a large
circular dance floor and high ceilings, the San Remo maintains an intimate
atmosphere with the warm timber panelling and ambient lighting, recapturing
the style and romance of the Art Deco era.
Parking
Free parking for delegates has been arranged at St Brigid's, 378 Nicholson
St, located opposite the San Remo Ballroom.
Dressing in style for the night is essential, and easy. Gentlemen of the 20s
and 30s era usually wore hats, pants with braces, ties, vests, and chalk
striped suits. Ladies of the 20s wore beaded "flapper" dresses, and in the
30s donned elegant printed cottons, typically at mid-calf length. But if you
don't want to go to too much trouble, it's a snap to look the part just by
adding an accessory or two: hats or braces for men, and feather boas or
beads for women.
For more ideas on fashions of the day, see the "Ball Photos" section on the
website for the MLX Gangsters & Flappers Ball, held in Melbourne last
weekend
Costume rental and purchasing:
JC Westend, City.
Tel: 03 9670 1765
WWW: http://www.jcwestend.com.au/
Old Hat, Northcote.
Tel: 03 9484 6422
Gorgeous Gear.
Tel: 03 9305 6509
WWW: http://www.gorgeous-gear.com/
Swing dancing demonstrations
Swing dancing demonstrations for the ASCILITE 2001 Conference Dinner will be provided by Swing Central. "Lindy Hop" swing dancing originated in the ballrooms of Harlem in the 1920s and 30s.Swing Central teaches classes for beginners and experienced dancers every week in Fitzroy, Brunswick and Flemington. For more information about classes contact Pat 0412 016 780 or visit the website:
http://www.bigfoot.com/~lindyhop
The JW Swing Orchestra has been in existence since 1974 under the leadership
of clarinetist, John Wanner. Throughout its history, John has managed to
obtain numerous rare, authentic and exciting arrangements of the Big Band
Era. Most of these are popular swing standards of the 1930's to the 1950's.
For more information, see the website: http://www.scad.com.au/jwswing/
Links: (open in a new window)
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Click here for fashion ideas
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