[Dixielandjazz] New energy for OKOM coming

[TCASHWIGG at aol.com]

Hi folks,

Some of us on the list saw great strides in employment opportunities after 
the Ken Burns series was shown on Television, and some of us are still reaping 
great gigs because of it.

We have often discussed on this list the pros and cons of dancers and concert 
only jazz audiences.

Well, there is a new Move about to Hit the USA airwaves that could very well 
give Dancing a Kick in the Pants again and the residual effects should prove 
to inspire a new generation of kids to get out in public and Dance again.

It is Called "Hot Mad Ballroom" if I read it correctly, and it is about a 
bunch of kids yeah kids learning how to Ballroom dance to waltzes, etc., and no 
doubt will move up into OKOM dancing styles somewhere in the movie unless I 
miss my intuitive guess.

This is an important element in promoting OKOM to the Jazz Oblivious millions 
out there who have had little or no exposure to this music.

Again as some of us keep saying over and over again, it is up to US to take 
it out to them, any way that we can and in any place we can get in front of an 
audience with good music.

The music will do the rest if we indeed play it well and entertain the folks 
again and stimulate them into HAVING FUN and feeling like they are actually 
part of our presentation, which of course they are, without them we have no 
audience at all.

Now, go buy those grandkids some dancing shoes, I would certainly rather see 
all those millions of kids with unspent energy Dancing in the streets than 
shooting each other and throwing rocks and bottles at cops and each other.

Cheers,

Tom Wiggins

Saint Gabriel's Celestial Brass Band recently had an entire audience of Hip 
Hoppers hanging out on the street corner in Old Town Sacramento dancing to 
Second Line and Iko Iko like they had done it all their lives.  They fully excited 
the crowd of several hundred folks in the intersection of 2nd & K streets and 
everybody was dancing like the olden days, kids, and old folks alike, Most of 
these folks were also NOT wearing Jubilee Badges either, but they certainly 
responded to some hot new generation versions of OKOM.

Turn on the Dancers and you will get an audience.