OUR TEAM
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Bill Ewanick
Saskia Walker
Jody Glanzer
Kofi Arthiabah
Nadine Oliver
The Ottawa Swing Dance Society is completely run by volunteers!
Our team of executives is dedicated to providing a fun and safe dance environment.
Our team of executives is dedicated to providing a fun and safe dance environment.
If you are interested in joining our Executive Committee or trying your hand at DJing, please contact us at swingottawa [at] gmail.com.
We'd be thrilled for you to join our team!
OUR DJS
Brian Choi
Jean-Francois Harbour
Paul Campbell
Wayne Roy
BAND BOOKER
Liz Kennedy Klaassen
Bands, if you're interested in playing for us, please email swingottawa [at] gmail.com with the Subject: Attention Band Booker. (Note; we usually book one band per month and book several months in advance.)
At the beginning of the evening, when new dancers have just completed their first dance lesson, tempos should be between 120-160 bpm with a very clear beat to encourage them to try their new skills.
OSDS prefers a traditional selection (Basie, Ellington, Armstrong, Calloway, Fitzgerald, Holiday, etc.) and traditional swing rhythms, with not too many fast or slow songs in a row.
Successfully playing for dancers means keeping the songs short, roughly 3 minutes, (and shorter if a very fast tempo). If you want to try out less traditional swing selections, towards the end of the evening is better.
― Information to include (if you have them): website address, Facebook page/group address, Bandcamp, YouTube Channel.
❉Note: We request that you advertise your gig with reciprocal links to the event on your Facebook page & website.
Band leaders:
― Before your gig, you're welcome to attend some dances, take the lesson and learn to dance. Be a new dancer and learn their musical needs. Dance and practice your moves. Listen to the DJs selections. Watch the dancefloor for the room's responses.
― Pick our dancer/music, brains if you'd like. Contact us at: swingottawa [at] gmail.com with the Subject: "Attention Band Booker - Visit" as a message before to sit and talk with a DJ about what they play, when, why etc. Do as much research with us as you'd like to be able to have better gigs for us and out there in the wild.
PAST EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS
We would like to honour and thank the many past members of the committee whose tireless efforts have enabled so many to experience the fun and friendship that can be had by discovering swing dancing.
(*We did our best to include everyone but we're human. If we've missed you please let us know.)
We would like to honour and thank the many past members of the committee whose tireless efforts have enabled so many to experience the fun and friendship that can be had by discovering swing dancing.
(*We did our best to include everyone but we're human. If we've missed you please let us know.)
Albert Chan
Alex Hawley
Andrea Hook
Andréa Pelletier
Xan Dagenais
Bruce Shan
Bryan Larsen
Claudia Petrilli
Dave Miller
Dwight Hopkins
Darlene Tytula
Ed Reaney
Elizabeth Watt
Ève Laframboise
Flynn Strathearn
Geoff Dinsdale
Helena Forbes
Halle Endiga
James Dunlop
James Johnston
Jean-Francois Harbour
Jean-François Ouellet
Helena Forbes
Jeremy Prudhomme
Jillian Coolidge
Jody Glanzer
Jordan Long
Jordana King
Kate Jubenville
Rhonda Arsenault
Konrad Scherer
Laura Avelino
Linda Paul
Liz Kennedy Klaassen
Marg Wooley
Maxim Berdichevsky
Nathalie Hetu
Rhonda Arsenault
Rob Crosbie
Shawn Moffatt
Stefan Fuchs
Stephen Gagne
Tara Dentry
Warren Chrusciel
Yan Robichaud
Robyn Robichaud
Translation graciously provided by Kayla Cardinal Lafrance and Adrien-Alexandre Allin