About the 2018 Reunion in Toronto
It doesn’t matter whether you started more than 20 years ago, haven’t danced in 20 years, or still dance regularly. Let’s get together for a bit of nostalgia and tip our hats to memories of The Swing Gang at Barcode, colourful Modrobes, and road trips to Ithaca. Save the date and spread the word!
All welcome! You don’t have to be from Toronto to enjoy this event. Think of it as an exchange for Lindy Hoppers who have slowed down somewhat. This event is open to anyone, from all generations of dancers. We especially want to make the people who haven’t danced in a while feel welcome. See some old friends, have a few laughs, and maybe even get back out on the dance floor. Once a Lindy Hopper, always a Lindy Hopper!
2018 Event Wrap Up
The first T.O. Lindy Hop Reunion took place January 5, 6, 7, 2018.
I didn’t get to do something very important this weekend and that’s acknowledge the massive amount or work that Lisa Jacobs contributed to the reunion!!!! Lisa, thank you. I couldn’t have run this weekend without you.
Also a huge thanks to Krister Shalm, Zoey Gould, Bryan Chung, Kevin Ryan, Joanna Miller, Michael Thorner, our talented instructors and panelists, Lisa Jacobs again, Alana Hock, Jana Jedlovska, Peter Renzland, Simon Threlkeld, Chachi, Kathleen Le Roux, to Allan Munro for preserving our history in the Hop to Toronto documentary, to the folks at Jam Factory T.O, Swing Toronto, Andy at the Dovercourt House Ballroom, Revival Bar, our Friday DJs, Zoey, Rachel Sparacio-Foster, Fred Ngo, our photographer Kahlil Heslop, Bradley Harder for filling in to play on Saturday, Tyler Yarema, Janice Emily Hagan, and the band today, to our sponsors, Doll Factory by Damzels and Limonana Beverage, and my incredible husband, Geoffrey Holmes!
For updates about the next TO Lindy Hop Reunion, join the Facebook event and sign up for the newsletter.
Thank you to our 2018 sponsors!
Why was 1998 important?
There’s been Lindy Hop in Toronto since the mid-90s, but it was in 1998 that the Lindy Hop-specific dance scene really took off. It was in spring of 1998 that the Gap commercial came out, sharing the “swing craze” with a new crop of enthusiasts in North America and around the world. Our little swing dances were also highlighted in articles in Eye Magazine and other newspapers, so by the summer of that year, our regular events had grown from less than 20 people to hundreds of people lined up to get in.
That was the year when many people started taking dance lessons with either Peter Renzland or Lisa Jacobs, and when regular dance nights became popular at venues like The Hooch (upstairs at The Gypsy Coop), Barcode, Ted’s Wrecking Yard, and many others.
On December 18th, 1998 the Toronto_Lindy Yahoo Group was created by Solomon Douglas. The archive has been backed up and saved but is no longer online.
For updates about the TO Lindy Hop Reunion, join the Facebook event and sign up for the newsletter.