Thursday - June 21, 2007

Depot Town Cruise:  The Depot Town Cruise (http://www.ypsicars.com/cruisenites/cruisenites.htm) brings classic car fans out every summer Thursday in Ypsilanti's historic Depot Town. From about 5-8 pm, Cross street is closed and a 1950's DJ spins amidst vintage vehicles from the 1920's on. Don your bobby socks, slick back your hair, or just show up ready to dance, hoola hoop, and mingle with classic auto buffs. (Floor=Asphalt)

Top of the Park:   Ann Arbor is known for its month-long Ann Arbor Summer Festival (http://www.annarborsummerfestival.org) , featuring free live music and movies at dusk (along with food, beer tent, and inside ticketed performances) every night from June through mid-July. This outside street party on the University of Michigan's campus attracts people of all ages. Thursday line-up includes a blues dance demo at 6:30, blues band Doug Deming and the Jewel Tones from 7-7:45, with local favorite the Witch Doctors on at 8. (Floor=Asphalt)

Friday - June 22, 2007

Kick-Off Dance: 7-10 pm. Join our weekly summer evening street party in downtown Ypsilanti- the Crossroads Music Festival-- where we've lined up the act for that evening, and are excited that local blues and soul diva Lady Sunshine and the X Band (http://www.ladysunshine.net) will sure get the party started.  Click on the website to hear her play and you won't want to miss it!  This is a public street party, but we're working to set up dance floor as well. (Floor=Asphalt)

Address: Washington St. between Michigan Ave and Pearl St

Directions: From Ann Arbor, take Washtenaw Ave east. Continue on Washtenaw as you enter Ypsilanti, until it ends at Huron St. Turn right (south) and look for parking in one of the free lots.
From I-94, either direction, take Exit 183 (Huron St) and turn right (north). Continue on Huron St about a mile to Michigan Ave., and park in one of the free lots before or after Michigan Ave.

Progressive Dance: 10 pm- 2 am.That's right, we're having three dances in one night.  Lady Sunshine will play until around 11pm, after which we'll have a progressive dance among a number of the storefronts on Michigan Avenue here in downtown Ypsi-- music will be spinning at our favorite wood-floored coffee shop; live acoustic bluesy music will be jamming at Tap Room Annex; a deco-era building, our local screen printer, and a belly dance studio.  Some of our fav other downtown businesses are staying open late just for us-- well, for all of you. The whole evening's activities are within a two-block radius, so it'll be easy to move among all the dances-- literally a two-minute walk. (Floor=Mostly wood, some tile)

Addresses: 74 N Huron St, Ypsilanti, MI 48197 70 N Huron St, Ypsilanti, MI 48197 217 W Michigan Ave, Ypsilanti, MI 48197

Directions: All locations are with 1 – 2 blocks of the street dance. Look at map.

Night-Owl Dance: 2 am- 5 am. Enjoy your favorite DJs at Club Divine on Washington Street in downtown Ypsi.  The street party will literally be outside the door.  Dancers can head in to this nightclub (with pecan wood floor, and cages!) earlier in the evening for lindy bombing, but the club will close to the public, be quickly cleaned, and open back up to us only at 2 am.  (Floor=wood, some tile)

Address: 23 N Washington St. Ypsilanti, MI 48197

Directions: 1 block from evening locations. Look at the map.

Saturday - June 23, 2007

Afternoon Dance: 2 - 6 pm. Within eyeshot of the farmer's market in Ypsilanti's Depot Town is a great locally-owned spot-- The Corner Brewery (http://www.cornerbrewery.com/).   Enjoy a cold brew and brat (veggie ones also available!) inside the brewery while you dance, or kick back in the beer garden.  Danceable cement floor (though we may set up the wood one here as well). (Do your drinking here because we won't have alcohol at our evening venue)  (Floor=smooth concrete)

Address: 720 Norris St., Ypsilanti, MI 48198

Directions: From Ann Arbor, take Washtenaw Ave east. Continue on Washtenaw as you enter Ypsilanti, until it ends at Huron St. Turn left, head north on Huron, Turn right on Forest. The Pub is on the left hand side right past the rail road tracks at the corner of Noris and Forest From I-94, either direction, take Exit 183 (Huron St) and turn right (north). Continue on Huron St about a mile and a half. Make a Right on Forest St. The Brewery Is on the left hand side past the rail road tracks at the corner of Noris and Forest. There is a parking lot both in the front and the back of the brewery as well as street parking.

Evening Dance: 8 pm-midnight. Across the street from the Corner Brewery is Michigan Ladder, a 100+ year old business making quality ladders-- wood, aluminum, et all-- sold across the country.  We're excited that Ypsilanti's mayor gave us the idea for this venue, where we'll set up a wood floor in a ladder-lined warehouse.  The wood smells so good in this place, and there's a great ora of history in it.  The best part is that we've got Detroit blues diva Alberta Adams (http://www.spanglerbluesproductions.com/) backed up by RJs rhythm rockets to rock the house. We're absolutely excited!)  (Floor=smooth concrete,wood)

Address: 12 E Forest St, Ypsilanti, MI 48198

Directions: From Ann Arbor, take Washtenaw Ave east. Continue on Washtenaw as you enter Ypsilanti, until it ends at Huron St. Turn left, head north on Huron, Turn right on Forest. The warehouse is on the right hand side right past the rail road tracks. From I-94, either direction, take Exit 183 (Huron St) and turn right (north). Continue on Huron St about a mile and a half. Make a Right on Forest St. The warehouse Is on the right hand side past the rail road tracks There is parking at Frog Island Park as well as limited parking behind the warehouse. There is an additional lot behind the warehouse that can be accessed from Maple Rd.

Night-Owl Dance: 1-5 am. Time to head to Ann Arbor to a rad historic building-- the Pittsfield Grange. Save some energy for the late night so you can enjoy a nice sized space and wood floor!  (Floor=wood)

Address: 3337 Ann Arbor Saline Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48103

Directions: From Michigan Ladder Co. Head West on Forest. Make a left on to Hamilton St Heading south. Head south about a mile and a half and take the ramp on to I-94 West toward Ann Arbor. Take exit 175, make a left on to Ann Arbor-Saline Rd. Head south about three quarters a mile just past Oak Valley Dr., and you'll see the Grange on the Left Hand Side. There is plenty of parking in the gravel lots on either side of the grange.

Sunday - June 24, 2007

Afternoon Dance: 1- 6 pm. We'll head over to Ann Arbor for Sunday's dances, starting out in the afternoon at Leopold Brothers' Brewery ( http://www.leopoldbros.com/), which you may remember from the last two Ann Arbor Exchanges.  (Floor=smooth concrete)

Address: 529 S. Main St., Ann Arbor, MI 48104

Directions: From Ypsilanti, take Washtenaw Ave west. Continue on straight on Stadium Blvd. Make a right heading North on Main St. Head north half a mile and you'll find Leopold Bros. on the right hand side past Madison St. There is parking available in the lot across the street from Leopold Bros. From I-94, either direction, take Exit 175 (Ann Arbor-Saline) and turn right (north). Head north on Ann Arbor-Saline and Continue on Main St about a mile and you'll find Leopold Bros. on the right hand side past Madison St. There is parking available in the lot across the street form Leopold Bros.

Evening Dance: 8 pm. Head on over to Ann Arbor's Top of the Park for R&B and soul with the Martin Simmons Band, live acrobats, and a free showing of Happy Feet at dark! (Floor=concrete)

Address: 881 N University St., Ann Arbor, MI 48109

Directions: From I-94 either direction take Exit 177 (State St). Turn Right and head north on State street about two miles. Make a right on N University. There are two parking structures one on Thayer and another parking structure on Fletcher St. During special events, parking in the structures cost between $4-6. There is plenty of meters all around the neighborhood. Much of the event takes place in the area by the Bell tower, next to Hill Auditorium.

Night-Owl Dance: 12- 5 pm. Ann Arbor's favorite Dance Revolution (http://dancerevolution.biz)  (our regular Friday night venue) will be where the last few standing (and dancing) will head later on Sunday. (Floor=wood)

Address: 603 E. William St., Ann Arbor, MI 48104

Directions: From I-94 either direction take Exit 177 (State St). Turn Right and head north on State street about two miles. Make a left on to William St. The studio is on the right hand side above NYPD (New York Pizza Depot). There is a lot on Thompson, and a university parking structure a block away. Please keep in mind if you do park in this structure you MUST be out before 5am. after which the gates go down, and you may get ticketed.