Old News & Ramblings

06.19.08
Jaya & I are hard at work getting the Southern Belle Swing Bash website up. Look for many details and an official announcement soon!

05.05.2008
Happy Cinco de Mayo! Well, I have a blog. Gina's Jazz Dance Blog. Check it out!

04.28.2008
I just returned from Northeast Girl Jam, and it was awesome! More video is up, this one of myself and Joanna Lucero performing a modified version of my Lindy Focus jazz choreo.

04.15.2008
The performance was amazing! Check out the videos to see Tiny Bunch in all its 8-couple glory.

04.10.2008
ATLX 5 is this weekend! Tiny Bunch will be debuting our new choreography at the Saturday night main dance -- I'm so excited!

03.11.2008
Lots of DJ Gina coming up. Vote for me (if I deserve it) as I battle DJ Moose at Hot Jam on March 24th!

03.02.2008
I'll be teaching a new 4-week series starting this Thursday; it's a "Followerkshop!" Which means lots of yummy stuff especially for followers. Check it out!

01.17.2008
This just in! I've been invited to teach at Battle of the Cities in Orlando, Florida. It's highly likely that I'll also be competing with our awesome team, Tiny Bunch. Check out our new website.

01.03.2008
Happy New Year, everyone! Also, don't forget to register to vote before your state's deadline. I'll be in Houston from Jan. 5-11th, so if you're in the area and want to do a private lesson, drop me a line.

12.27.07
Lindy Focus starts tonight!!! I'll be available all weekend for private lessons, so just come find me and we'll schedule a time.

12.16.07
Check out the new Wednesday night venue at Graveyard Tavern... it's seriously swingin'!

11.16.07
It's only a couple weeks until Swing & Soul hits Atlanta! Don't miss out - it's going to be the biggest party of the year.

And then we're going to have a swingin' New Year's Eve party at Lindy Focus! Join me for the festivities.

10.24.07
Breaking news: I will be teaching at Atlanta Varsity Showdown. Be there, get "schooled."

10.01.07
Well, in my heart it was a devastating victory. (We're number 2!!! We're number 2!!!) Check out all the awesomeness and hilarity that was Tiny Bunch at the Harvest Moon Melee. Videos courtesy of Rachael.

09.25.07
We're re-vamping the class schedule at Down South Swing beginning in October. Check out my 6-week class series: Dancing with Style (a.k.a. - Cool Points & Street Cred). I'll also be up in Nashville next weekend at the Harvest Moon Melee, hopefully leading my team, Tiny Bunch, to devastating victory.

09.06.2007
Summer is over! (Hooray! - I love the school year.) But don't despair. I'll be teaching a 3-week Soul class to keep you happy and snappy as the weather cools down. Also this month I get a double-feature on the Yehoodi Talk Show (check out my awesome drunk dial) and on the Hey Mister Jesse show, also produced by Yehoodi, where you can catch my song on the 8-Count Swing countdown. Catch all the Yehoodi podcast awesomeness here. Thanks to my good friend and sometime dance partner Manu for saving my voicemail from being lost in cyberspace... FOREVER.

And if you didn't register for Southern Belle Swing Bash, you're almost out of time. (Online registration ends tomorrow, Sept. 7th!) However, you can still catch all the amazing stuff happening at our evening and late-night dances. Admission at the door. ($15 Friday, $10 Saturday)

07.29.07
New classes starting up next week for August! I'll be teaching a special Classic Old-School Jams class with Austin. He almost never gets the free time to teach class, so don't miss it! I'll also be doing a mini-workshop on Sweet Solo Jazz & Charleston Moves, in preparation for the August 13th Hot Jam, where we'll have a solo dance battle to the live & swingin' tunes of the Hotlanta Dixieland Jazz Band! Also don't forget to register for Southern Belle Swing Bash - it's only 6 weeks away!

06.21.07
July classes are up! Also come see me teach with Austin (we're in the picture on the calendar page) at the Private Collection up in Knoxville on July 1st. Finally, mark your calendars because registration for Southern Belle Swing Bash opens on Friday, June 28th! 05.16.07
New month, new classes! Check 'em all out--plus now you can register online! Also I'll be traveling up to Seattle for Camp Jitterbug and performing in a sold-out Jump Session Show. So exciting!

04.25.07
There's a new round of classes starting up in May with Down South Swing! I'll be teaching 8-count Lindy Hop, and Lindy Hop Transitions. Get all the details on the classes page. I also just updated the entire Down South Swing website, so check us out!

Catch me DJ'ing at Hot Jam on May 7th.

04.01.07
New 3-week class series will be starting the week of April 9th. Check out the classes page for info on my Balboa Basics and 6-count Lindy Hop class series! Also join me tomorrow night at Hot Jam where I'll be spinning some swingin' tunes and Austin will be teaching the Tranky Doo!

03.21.07
I'm very excited to announce that I will be teaching at Swing out New Hampshire this summer with my good friend Manu Smith! If you missed us at Lindy Focus, I hope you'll be able to catch us at SONH. We have so much fun in class together... maybe a bit *too* much fun.

02.24.07
Lots going on this month! Next weekend is Enter the Blues with plenty of dancing & a little DJing. Then I'll also be DJing a set at Hot Jam on Monday, March 5th, where we'll be celebrating Moose's birthday! I'm teaching a Beginning Lindy Hop Series with Ben, and making a trip down to my homeland in Texas for the Great Southwest Lindyfest. Whew! 01.29.07
New month coming up, new monthly classes! Join me on Thursday nights from 6:30-7:30 for Advanced Lindy Hop, starting this Thursday, Feb. 1st. Ben & Patrick will be helping me out, and it's going to be a cool time! Details on the classes page.

01.16.07
Next week (Jan. 22) I'll be DJ'ing at Hot Jam, so come out & dance with me! Also, it's not too late to jump in on our Balboa Basics Series (info below), so join us on Thursday night for a swishy-footed good time.

01.03.07
Happy New Year!!! Lindy Focus was a fantastic time. Thanks to Manu for teaching with me, and thanks to Michael & Jaya and all the workers who made the event a success. Whew, that was exhausting! I've got a week to recover, though, before a new class series starts up. Mark your calendars:

Balboa Basics Series with Gina & Russ
Thursdays 7:30-8:30pm, beginning Jan. 11th
Druid Hills Presbyterian (directions)
Jan. 11, 18, & 25

Full series: $25 for ASEDA members, $30 for non-members. $12 for a single class.

12.20.06
Happy Holidays!!! Tomorrow night (Thursday) I'll be dancing at the Fed in Austin! I can't wait to see all my Texian friends and get some good dances in. Then it's off to Lindy Focus for 4 days of awesomeness and a kickin' New Year's Eve party. I'm honored to be teaching with Manu Smith, an amazing dancer and cool guy from California. I'll also be spinning the tunes at Lindy Focus and teaching some more solo jazz routines (whoohoo!). And, I'm available for a few private lessons during the camp in-between my classes. Contact me to get on my schedule!

12.07.06
Get a double-dose of my DJ'ing this weekend: Friday night ASEDA dance at AIDC; Saturday night Chatta-Atl festivities in TN. Speaking of DJ'ing, check out my new list of DJ gigs on the Bio page.

12.01.06
Happy Birthday, Jaya! It's a special day for my dear friend and partner in all-girl-weekend crime...umm...I mean, completely legal goings-on... So happy birthday!

11.24.06
Happy after-Thanksgiving weekend! You are currently looking at the newly re-vamped website. I hope you like it better than the last version! More colorful, more pictures, hopefully easier to read.

Southern Belles was a super-fantastic time, and I still feel like my head is spinning from the weekend. Mark your calendars for next year -- Sept. 16-18, 2007 with Frida Segerdahl & Peter Strom!

My next out-of-town event is ChattaAtlEtc., so check it out for some holiday silliness and dancing. I think I may even be spinning some tunes there, in which case, sweet.

11.17.06
This is it! Southern Belle Swing Bash 2006 starts tonight!!! I'm super-excited. I hope to see a bunch of people there!

11.09.06
I know you're probably tired of hearing about it by now, but online registration for Southern Belle Swing Bash closes on Monday, Nov. 13th! Also I'll be up in Charlotte this weekend teaching some workshop classes, so come join me! Info on the calendar.

10.17.06
I'll be hitting up the Atlanta Varsity Showdown in a couple of weeks. Skye & Frida will be here, so it should be a cool time. Also don't forget to register for the Southern Belle Swing Bash! Only a month away!

09.19.06
Registration for Southern Belle Swing Bash is OPEN! Early bird pricing is $75 for the full weekend through Oct. 2nd. Leaders, don't forget to register so we know our numbers--and you'll want to sign up for housing. It's shaping up to be another great year... don't miss out!

09.05.06
Registration for the Southern Belle Swing Bash will open on Monday, September 18th. Register early, don't miss out! (And if you didn't hear, we'll also have Crista Seipp joining the instructor line-up. Lucky us.)

08.10.06
Tomorrow I'm hitting the road to teach at Gulf Regionals in Florida. But the big news is, the website for Southern Belle Swing Bash is live!!! Go there. Get all the information. Check back for class descriptions, registration, DJ bios, the Solo Charleston Battle, and more.

08.01.06
Check out my classes happening in the month of August! Ben & I will be teaching the First Stops classic Lindy Hop routine, and Austin & I will be doing a couple of one-day workshops on Slides and Solo Jazz & Charleston. Get all the info here.

07.28.06
Come and see the culmination of a month's worth of hard work & practicing when my Solo Jazz & Charleston class performs their choreography, Monday July 31st at Hot Jam @ 9:45pm! It'll be a great show, and we'd all appreciate your support and clapping!

07.22.06
The dates have been announced for the 2nd annual Southern Belle Swing Bash in Atlanta, GA! So mark your calendars for November 17th-19th, and come join us for a weekend devoted to the ladies. This year's instructors will include Caitlin George, Julee Mertz, yours truly Gina Helfrich, Natalie Manigault, and Marcie McCabe. Last year we SOLD OUT, so register early to reserver your spot!

07.04.06
Happy Independence Day!
As once our country shrugged off the restrictive rule of jolly old England, Lindy Hoppers, too, have declared their independence from silly contest rules and created the no-holds-barred competition weekend, the Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown. Their website is finally up, and yours truly will be there as a Peer Judge. Definitely check it out, and sign up early, since passes are going to sell out!

06.20.06
Have you ever been at a dance and had a great song come on that you really want to dance to, but can't seem to find a partner? Never fear--learn to dance by yourself! Yes, you too can be that strange person in the corner doing the jump charleston, suzy-Q's, the truck driver, and many crazy jazz steps that don't even have names yet. Learn to dance some solo jazz & Charleston with Gina! Details here.

06.09.06
The latest Yehoodi radio show has a short feature on the new iDance.net podcast that includes a short chat about yours truly teaching beginning Lindy Hop! Manu tells everyone who happens to listen to Yehoodi radio that I'm a hottie. But not hot enough to refrain from making fun of me, apparently. (It's hilarious.) Check it out, about 1/3 of the way into the show, here.

06.08.06
I'm visiting Washingt0n, D.C. this weekend! Tomorrow night I will be dancing to the Boilermaker Jazz Band at the Glen Echo Ballroom in D.C. If you live in the area, come join me for a great night of dancing! If you can't make it out on Friday, you can also catch me at Jam Cellar on Tuesday the 13th. It'll be great to see all the D.C. folks again!

06.01.06
Welcome to my new site!
Here you'll be able to find all the info you could possibly want on dancing with Gina Helfrich. Where I'll be, what I'll be doing, when I'll be doing it, who I'll be doing it with, etc. Have a look around, and I hope I'll see you soon on the dance floor! ~Gina