"Jazz washes away the dust of everyday life." ~Art Blakey
As of Fall of 2023, Mandi Gould along with her sister Zoey Gould are reigniting Bees’ Knees Dance. Please refer to beeskneesdance.com for local Toronto area updates.
For vintage style events, please refer to steppingoutvintage.com.
For Toronto’s Lindy Hop Reunion, check out lindyhopreunion.com.
For years we thought about how in 2020 it would be 100 years since the 1920s and that we would need to plan a big party. Well now the return of the ’20s is imminent and I’m doing just that! I’m the organizer of Roaring Twenties Events in Toronto and I couldn’t be more excited!
You can learn all about what I’m doing at roaringtwentiesevents.com
SATURDAY, JANUARY 18, 2020 – JOIN THE FACEBOOK EVENT:
The first event will be Saturday, January 18th, 2020 with the celebratory theme: Welcome to the ’20s! Think of it as a second new year’s eve bash; a jubilant spree to kick off the new decade. Click here for tickets!
And for any dancers in other cities who might like to do a similar event, I’ve already invested a lot in all the branding and would be happy to duplicate it for other cities if anyone would like a running start to throw their own 1920’s event.
My shoes have arrived!
I actually ordered a pair of Saint Savoy RIVIERA shoes that came in when I received my bag but I had ordered the wrong size. I was so nervous about them being small that I wore socks when I did my measurements and they ended up a size too big.
When I exchanged the shoes, I added another pair along too: WEST in black.
I’ve been waiting to invest it really great shoes in neutral black and white for a long time. For years I’ve been wearing character shoes, which were great when I had my studio, but I wanted something I could wear both on and off the dance floor.
I’m thrilled with the choices I made!
I did find that the Rivieras were a tiny bit tight/pinchy around the ball of the foot. Not to fear! My husband has cobbler tools and he helped me to very gently stretch them out a bit overnight.
The WEST fit perfectly as is.
I’m really excited to take these shoes with me for my workshop in Japan next week!
I’ll be teaching a guest workshop for Bees’ Knees Dance in Toronto on Wednesday, August 29th with my pal Aleks.
Click here for the Facebook event
Stretch is one of the most important principles of the Lindy Hop connection but that doesn’t mean that compression isn’t just as important. The way that you use stretch, compression, and the “neutral” space in between can really transform the way that you interact with your partner. We’ll get into the nitty gritty really enlightening ideas behind connection in this workshop.
Please direct any questions about registration to the folks at Bees’ Knees Dance.
It’s still very wintery out there but Frankie Month (May) is just around the corner! I’m pleased to announce two workshops, one in Toronto and one in St. Catharines. Happy to have my old pal, Kevin Miller, join me for these! All proceeds will be donated to the Frankie Manning Foundation.
As a board member for the Frankie Manning Foundation (FMF) and someone who had the privilege of assisting Frankie Manning for three workshops in 2002, 2006, and 2008, these workshops are very near and dear to my heart. The workshops are Pay-What-You-Can with a suggested donation of $40 if you do a full afternoon. Please join us.
Instructors: Mandi Gould & Kevin Miller
Legendary Lindy Hopper Frankie Manning passed away in 2009, but his spirit lives on in the hearts and feet of swing dancers around the world. Frankie is remembered and revered for his vital role in the history and revival of swing dancing, as well as for his radiant and charismatic personality. His legacy is hugely important and widely influential, and #FrankieMonth is celebrated around the world each May. Learn more about Frankie Manning.
I’m planning a big dance reunion in Toronto in January. Registration is now open! January 5, 6, 7, 2018. Details at lindyhopreunion.com.
Workshop with Chachi & Mandi
On Thursday, August 3rd, 2017 there will be a charitable workshop in Toronto to support Chazz Young.
Chazz Young is a tap, jazz, and Lindy Hop dancer, was one of Norma Miller’s Jazzmen in the 1950’s, and is Frankie Manning’s son. He is a longtime friend of the Toronto Lindy Hop community and over the years has taught several workshops here.
A little over a year ago, Chazz Young experienced a life-altering medical event. While Chazz is doing much better, the financial burden of medical expenses and his inability to teach have made things very challenging for him.
Mandi and Chachi will be teaching this workshop to help raise money to help him with some of his basic expenses. There is no fixed price for the workshop but your donations will be gladly received and sent to help him, via Frankie Manning Foundation.
Thursday, August 3rd, 2017
6:30pm to 8:30pm
Dovercourt House (1st Floor)
Suggested Donation: $25
Level: The workshop will be Intermediate+. The Frankie Phrase (Swing Out from Closed, Swing Out, Swing Out, Circle) is a prerequisite to participate.
To register and make your donation in advance, click here, or send your intention to participate here and make a cash donation onsite.
Thanks to everyone who participated in the fundraiser for Chazz. Not everyone was able to stay for the photo but it was a great little group and, along with some extra donations from people who couldn’t attend, we were able to raise $542.06 USD. The money is on its way to Chazz now. 
The workshops will run from 1pm to 4ish followed by some social dancing. The first hour at 1pm will be extremely important for anyone who hasn’t learned the Frankie Phrase from Mandi. If you haven’t been doing swingouts for years, aren’t familiar with “straight swingouts”, and can’t do swingouts in your sleep, definitely please don’t miss the first hour. Continue reading “Important Information for this Sunday’s Workshop”
Time: 1pm – 5pm
Location: Bethany Community Church, 1388 Third St, Saint Catharines, Ontario L2R 6P9
Cost: ***There is no fixed cost, but we will gladly collect donations for the Frankie Manning Foundation. We suggest donations between $5 to $40, as is affordable to you.
Instructors: Mandi Gould & Lisa Jacobs, along with Geoffrey Holmes Continue reading “#FrankieMonth 2017 Workshop in St. Catharines”
As part of my role on the board for the Frankie Manning Foundation, I’m behind the wheel of the preparations for #FrankieMonth. It’s only right that I hold an event in my own hometown of St. Catharines. Continue reading “Preparing for Frankie Month”
