Mind or Body As a writer who uses music and dance in her stories, I’m always studying, analyzing, and exploring the best way to capture the essence and metaphysical connection we have to music ...
https://www.girlinthejitterbugdress.com/how-or-where-are-you-music-listening-body-or-mind/
Swing: A Vintage Book Review A Swing book review by Tam Francis The Synopsis Swing (Ever Ink Press, March 30, 2015) by Lindsey Renee Backen is an young adult coming-of-age romance set in post-Wo...
https://www.girlinthejitterbugdress.com/swing-vintage-book-review/
Vintage Sewing Pattern Plus Montage Dance & More For many years my family and I have participated in Vaudeville at the Baker, an old-fashioned variety show. This year’s theme was Rat Pack V...
As I work on my new collection of short stories: Swing Shorts (look for release in late 2017 or early 2018), I came across this short story I’d written. Since temperature across the country are...
https://www.girlinthejitterbugdress.com/hot-time-hot-city-moments-dance/
Shumard Oak, Maple, and Pecan trees stood naked against the southern winter backdrop. In contrast, the eternally green Live Oaks looked as if they were wearing party dresses to a wake. The sky hu...
https://www.girlinthejitterbugdress.com/hot-rods-and-hatters-car-show/
Hops the Atlantic: Now on Sale! Time-out for Hackers I’d hoped to have the sequel to The Girl in the Jitterbug Dress Hops the Atlantic in time for Christmas and let everyone know about it, b...
https://www.girlinthejitterbugdress.com/hops-atlantic-jittterbug-dress-sequel-now-sale/
I was recently inspired by Chronically Vintage’s 40 Random Beauty Questions Tag, and thought it would be fun to do the same and have readers weigh in on random swing dance questions. Before you...
https://www.girlinthejitterbugdress.com/25-random-swing-dance-questions/
I met my Canadian twin and her name is Liz Gruening. I stumbled across her blog and was instantly smitten. Like me, she writes about her Lindy Hopping experiences (one), social media coordinating...
https://www.girlinthejitterbugdress.com/5-reasons-fall-love-vintage-lindy-liz-gruening/
Bridging the Generation Gap with Postmodern Jukebox by Tam Francis As you loyal readers may know, I’ve taught swing dance with my sailor hubby for fifteen years and published Swivel: Vintage Li...
https://www.girlinthejitterbugdress.com/bridging-generation-gap-postmodern-jukebox/
IT’S ALIVE! The Girl in the Jitterbug Dress is finally ALIVE! Yes, I feel like Doctor Frankenstein, more so than with the release of Ghostoria: Vintage Romantic Tales of Fright. Doing a colle...
https://www.girlinthejitterbugdress.com/highly-anticipated-girl-jitterbug-dress-now-available/
Swing Dancing and Drinking in Dublin by Tam Francis The Lesson The night was cool, but the bar was hot. The windows steamed . Droplet rivers created spidery patterns on our side of the windows. W...
https://www.girlinthejitterbugdress.com/swing-dancing-drinking-dublin/
Yule Be Swinging This Top List of Dance Music by Tam Francis No Sentimental Music It’s the holidays and although I love Christmas music, I can do without the sad, make you cry and miss your lo...
https://www.girlinthejitterbugdress.com/top-list-christmas-swing-dance-music/
Swinging with the Chickens: Moments in Dance by Tam Francis Welcome to Callahan’s A life-size horse—tawny with black tipped ears and legs—greets us at the entrance to Callahan’s General S...
https://www.girlinthejitterbugdress.com/swinging-with-the-chickens-moments-in-dance/
Music, Whiskey & Memories in Lisdoonvarna by Tam Francis Bittersweet Music Banjo, mandolin, flute, guitar, and two fiddles filled the pub/restaurant with traditional music. I leaned toward the ...
https://www.girlinthejitterbugdress.com/music-whiskey-memories-in-lisdoonvarna/
~ Wish you were Beer ~ by Tam Francis Mmmmm…Beer A Wish you were Beer postcard blinked at me from a rack on the counter as we waited for the hostess to clear a table. I laughed at the card and...
https://www.girlinthejitterbugdress.com/wish-you-were-beer-moments-in-dance/
~ Make it Hurt So Good ~ by Tam Francis Up to Shenanigans I wasn’t sure what to expect as we drive by the tiny bar called Shenanigans. We’d heard Rip Carson was playing and there wasn’t a s...
https://www.girlinthejitterbugdress.com/make-it-hurt-so-good-moments-in-dance/
~ Good Clean Sweat: Moments in Dance ~ by Tam Francis Embracing the Sweat I felt the beads of sweat gather, fill, and slide down the small gully between my breasts only to be absorbed by the cri...
https://www.girlinthejitterbugdress.com/good-clean-sweat-moments-in-dance/
Remembering the First Camp Hollywood By Tam Francis In honor of this year’s Camp Hollywood, I go back in time, into the archives of Swivel: Vintage Living Magazine and tell you what is was li...
https://www.girlinthejitterbugdress.com/remembering-first-camp-hollywood/
~ In Search of Sam Butera ~ by Steve Conrad edited by Tam Francis As I finish work on my ghost story collection I thought I would share an interview Steve Conrad did for my magazine Swivel: Vinta...
Confessions of a Neo-Swing Dancer: Truth be Told by Tam Francis Writing Isn’t Enough I’ve written a fictional jitterbug novel, the first draft of a sequel and a ghost story collection of vin...
https://www.girlinthejitterbugdress.com/confessions-neo-swing-dancer-truth-told/
What’s your Swing Dance I.Q. ? Test your history and Lindy Hop Knowledge here. Are you Advanced, Intermediate, Beginner or Total Newbie? ♦ ♦ ♦ Which Dance Group was Frankie Manning NOT in...
https://www.girlinthejitterbugdress.com/whats-swing-dance-q/
~ Meet Jimmy Valentine the Extraordinary One-Legged Lindy Hopper ~ by Peter Loggins edited by Tam Francis About Peter Loggins Peter is a dancer and dance historian who I had the very great pleasu...
https://www.girlinthejitterbugdress.com/meet-jimmy-valentine-extraordinary-one-legged-lindy-hopper/
~ How do you handle Dancing Fools: Read this Q & A ~ by Tam Francis Over the years I’ve taught dance, jitterbugged, collected vintage and published my (out of print) magazine, Swivel:Vintage L...
https://www.girlinthejitterbugdress.com/handle-dancing-fools-read-q/
~ Fred Kelly: Tony Winner, World Class Choreographer and Story Teller ~ Written by Steve Conrad with edits by Tam Francis The multi-talented dance legend spoke about the history of the Lindy Hop,...
~ Meet Django Reinhardt: The Gypsy Jazz Man ~ by the late Jacob Faust edited by Tam Francis Django Reinhardt, an in-depth biography on the late jazz guitarist virtuoso, written by his good frie...
https://www.girlinthejitterbugdress.com/meet-django-reinhardt-gypsy-jazz-man/