NYC's favorite dance venue - Midsummer Night Swing - held at Lincoln Center annually - featured The Time Jumpers and their Grand Old Opry style swing music. The real news is that John Knapp and Meredith Stead, beloved and legendary dance teachers - graced the stage once more.
(Meredith Stead and
Richard McCurrich featured left.)
Oh, how we have missed them! What a treat this was for all of us to be their students again. John and Meredith once created a haven for country music and dance in their former school "Shall We Dance." They were featured teachers in the magical days of "Denim & Diamonds." It was one of the most special eras of social dance in New York City.
The outdoor dance floor was filled with enthusiastic dancers learning the Texas Two Step from the Masters. And it was dancing weather! Clear and cool - a perfect summer evening. The mood was infectious and carried through the air by the music. People danced and chatted with old friends and new ones, too. 
The Time Jumpers are an award winning band that started out as a group of studio mucisians in Nashville. They got together and established their own, unique brand of country-style swing. Cheerful and peppy, they featured such classics as "Cherokee Maiden" and "Stompin' at the Station." It was more like a participatory concert.
Look at these faces! To borrow a phrase "you can't dance and be unhappy." Recession - what recession! $17 bucks will cheer you right up! Midsummer Night Swing is one of the best entertainment creations that Lincoln Center ever came up with. And its better than ever. It used to be over by the fountain but now, in Damrosch Park, there is plenty more room to dance.
John and Meredith still keep up the old "Shall We Dance" website and update it periodically with news about themselves and the dance world. Does that mean they might teach in NYC again some day? (A little birdie whispered in my ear that when John finishes his nursing masters degree, they might just be ready to start a monthly venue!)
Let's All Jump For Joy!
For more information about the many fun events coming up at Midsummer Night Swing: http://new.lincolncenter.org/live/index.php/swing-2010
For news about what John and Meredith are up to:
For more information about The Time Jumpers:
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