Night clubs

[dhermann1]

Dancing close

The one thing I miss whenever I go to a place with a live big band is the ballads. You know, songs like Moonlight Serenade and Getting Sentimental Over You, and all the slow schmaltzy songs Sinatra sang when he was with Tommy Dorsey. It is SO simple to do a basic slow fox trot with your honey and just enjoy the closeness (NOT to be confused with copping a feel!). This whole "Ballroom Dancing" craze has utterly perverted the whole idea of social dancing, in a totally opposite, but just as deadly way as non touch dancing (i.e. the Twist) did in the 60's.
I really think if the bands would play more ballads more regular guys would get up and dance. And if more regular guys would get up and dance the whole nightclub experience would make a whole lot more sense. If you look at the pics of those elegant places, they're all dancing close, they're not jittering all over the place. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE to Lindy, but I also LOVE a nice slow dance that's nice and close. You can float over the floor and actually have a conversation at the same time. That's what makes it classy.
I think this is an overlooked factor in the equation.

 

[VintageRed]

I so agree with you!

My husband is always afraid to dance with me, as he feels incompetent to today's modern dancing and they rarely play the ballads necessary for partner to partner dancing.

The compromise is that he loves to go to a country bar and two step, which he's quite talented at, and I feel like I have 2 left feet!

Together, we always talk about how fun it would be to take swing/old timey dance lessons.

I'm such a horrible romantic.


~Red

 

[Max Flash]

Biba, a place for all the switched on dollybirds of London. This is pretty kitsch and therefor lovely, a tribute to the "Rainbow" room at Derry & Toms department store in kensington London?...It even had a roof garden with Falamingoes.






http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=biba+nova&search_type=

Kensington Roof Gardens still exists in London on what was the Derry & Toms department store - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kensington_Roof_Gardens - and still has flamingoes (or did the last time I checked). I haven't been for a while though. It now operates as a private party venue rather than a nightclub.

It is a long-held fantasy/ambition of mine to open a nightclub, based on the club that Tony goes to in Scarface (the one about the Cuban gangster, not his Chicagan counterpart!) and the nightclub in the Aviator. It would comprise tables on varying raised levels around a central dancefloor with a stage at one end. Patrons would visit for dinner, enjoying comedy acts and other light entertainment, and stay for drinks and dancing accompanied by live bands (big band, swing, etc.). There would be a dresscode, cloakroom and hatcheck, powder rooms - everything members of the Lounge would appreciate. There would be a seat when you want it (booths around the edge of the dancefloor) and room to dance when you wanted that. I had wanted to call it "Tuxedo Junction" but now I might call it "The Fedora Lounge" in honour of this place!

The closest I have found in London are Floridita's downstairs club (http://www.floridita.co.uk/london/index.php) and the Pigalle Club in Piccadilly (http://www.thepigalle.co.uk/#thepigalle), now that the spectacular (and Oscar Wilde favourite) Cafe Royale has closed its doors for good.