SPAC brings back Live at the Jazz Bar series
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » Saratoga Performing Arts Center is bringing back its Live at the Jazz Bar series this winter, featuring music and dance in a unique, intimate setting.
Latin, swing and ballroom are all on the bill for this season’s free events, which include both live music and dance lessons in the Jazz Bar at the Hall of Springs in Saratoga Spa State Park.
Live at the Jazz Bar features live music by acclaimed regional and New York City-based ensembles and is part of an effort to provide year- round programming at SPAC, while also creating a dedicated space for social dancers and music connoisseurs.
The 2018 Live at the Jazz Bar Winter Series will kick off next month with Alta Havana for Latin Night on Thursday, Feb 8. The band will play traditional Cuban music and its many variations while guests can dance salsa and cha-cha-cha with Diane Lachtrupp and Johnny Martinez of Tango Fusion Dance Company.
The series will continue with Swing Night on Thursday, March 8 featuring local group Annie & The Hedonists. Led by vocalist Annie Rosen, the band interprets the songs of the great female blues artists of the ‘20s, ‘30s and ‘40s. This evening, the Tango Fusion instructors will teach each attendees the Lindy Hop, the Charleston and classic swing dance.
On Ballroom Night, Thursday, April 12, the allstar lineup of area musicians in Golfstrom with Peter Davis will perform, as the Tango Fusion team leads demonstrations of the waltz.
The free Live at the Jazz Bar series began in 2017 as part of SPAC’s vision to extend programming beyond the traditional summer months. It also revitalized a unique space that’s evocative of the jazz era that was flourishing when the Hall of Springs was built.
“A major focus of the 2017 season was creating initiatives that enhanced the accessibility and affordability of the SPAC experience, while also cultivating SPAC’s role as a place where creativity, culture and social connection thrive,” SPAC president and CEO Elizabeth Sobol said in a press release. “Following the enthusiastic response that we received from our first winter ‘ Live at the Jazz Bar’ event dedicated to swing, we are delighted to launch this new series celebrating a variety of music and dance genres. We encourage social dancers, live music enthusiasts and newcomers alike to join us for exhilarating, entertaining evenings that give us a taste of the summer months ahead.”
All Live at the Jazz Bar events are from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Jazz Bar, in the Hall of Springs, with a cash bar from Mazzone Hospitality available.
Reservations for these free events are recommended, and can be made online at spac.org.