The Legend of Tian at the Riverbank

Thursday night Georgina and I went out seeking a legendary dance location. No, it's not that it's a legend in the community only spoken of in hushed voices... not that kind of legend, but rather the sort of swing-dance-community legend where word was passed around that a big band was playing in a somewhat obscure place (to us) that was expensive and flashy, but would not make you buy anything but a soda to try out the small dance floor.

We headed to the west side of Harlem with the voice of the GPS telling us in sullen tones that we needed to go over the Triboro bridge (Calling it the RFK Bridge sounds wrong to me) when we wanted to go over the Queensborough Bridge (Calling it the Ed Koch bridge is ridiculous, and I will never do it). Still we kept going, though our hopes were muted by endless shops, apartments, and chain stores that can be found anywhere in the city. Finally arriving at the corner of 145 and Riverside (all the address we had) was a bit of a disappointment. Nothing there that looks like a restaurant, and 145 dead-ends into Riverside State Park! We only chanced to see a driveway leading into the park. There was guard shack containing a guard. We stopped at the shack and asked in tremulous voices if there was a restaurant hidden somewhere down there. Lo and behold - he said, yes!

Tian at the Riverbank has free valet parking. In the darkness of the evening the restaurant's rounded face is elegantly lit, and, for those of us who are not made of money, just the least bit intimidating. The light emanating from the interior was tinged blue with electricity, and entering felt as if we just might be treading on ground reserved for the elite. That feeling ended as the doors swung wide and swing music washed over us. One of the hosts came and greeted us, asking if we wanted dinner. When we declined, without even a pause she directed us to a table near the dance floor. We found a few friends already there, some eating, others making use of the beautifully polished wooden floor. I ordered a glass of wine and Georgina ordered seltzer with lime. Making a quick calculation based on my surroundings, I figured we'd spend twenty bucks plus tip for the waiter and another few dollars for the valet. Seemed generally fair enough, considering. But the music! The music being delivered to our ears by the Harlem Renaissance Orchestra was fantastic, smooth and perfect for dancing. The people in the place, and I mean all of them. were welcoming, talkative and friendly. We had an amazing time, and we will be going back soon. The final bill was $8.00 - I left a generous tip for both the waiter and the valet and still came out way ahead. We checked the menu and the prices are actually very reasonable - the earlier talk of it being expensive notwithstanding - an urban myth it seems.

Now the legend is of the other kind, spoken of in revered (though not hushed) tones. We're telling our friends as I'm telling you - This place is, in my...

Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere! - and I recommend it highly

http://www.tianattheriverbank.com/

Tian at the Riverbank 

679 Riverside Drive 

New York, NY 10031 

Phone:

Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden

Georgina and I have been heading over to this place on Sunday nights for a good part of the summer, practicing our moves on the dance floor for what is officially noted as Swing Night. A lot of the time the place is rockin and we love it. There's no cover charge and no drink minimum. Some of the bands have been really fantastic, while some of them - not so much, but what the heck? Ya can't complain all that much when you're getting free dance time, right?

Well, let's talk about that, shall we? Although Sunday nights are designated as Swing Night, no one in the management seems to know exactly what swing music is, and consequently some of the bands on stage appear to be rather taken aback that swing dancers aren't all that thrilled with cool jazz, and other such un-dance-able stuff. Sure there are a few show-offs who can dance to pretty much anything, but come on, the very least we need is 4/4 timing...think Bill Haley instead of Miles Davis

I'm not saying that everything is all bad because that's simply not true, but I am saying that swing is swing and not anything else. The beer is good, the prices are fair. I've not yet eaten in the place but I hear that the food is very good. But this isn't a review is it? This is an evaluation of sincerity. Last Sunday was Halloween and there was to be a big Swing Bash with prizes for the best costumes etc... A nice idea in the abstract, but as things turned out it was cold on Sunday, really cold. We arrived around 7:30 and were astounded to find that the event was being held outside. This is a place that just happens to have a huge dance hall inside that was not in use, though it was warm and inviting. Georgina asked one of the people in charge why she had been told that the party was going to be held inside when she inquired last week...no answer. Could things be moved inside? No. Why not? No answer. In the meanwhile, other people were stopping by, checking out the situation and leaving. Just in the time we were there, possibly a hundred people or more simply left. One bartender suggested that the only way to keep warm was to dance. Well yeah, but what was to happen when you stopped and stood sweating in the 42 degree weather? No answer.

Evaluation: Kind of sincere (What can I say? If I ever wanted a sincere attitude from anyplace - it's this one. One can only hope for a brighter and warmer future)


 

29-19 24th Avenue
Astoria, New York 11102

Mon-Wed: 5:00pm - 2:00am                                 

 Phone: (718)274-4925

Thu- Fri: 5:00pm - 3:00am                           
Sat: 12:00pm - 3:00am
Sun: 12:00pm - 2:00am 

http://www.bohemianhall.com/en/Index.php

Sandra Cameron Dance Center

When we first started taking Swing classes at Sandra Cameron Dance Center, we weren't compelled to comment on its sincerity or its lack thereof. I mean, we immediately liked the teachers, but otherwise it just seemed a business like any other: good service, but dedicated to the dollar - not that there's anything necessarily wrong with that. Our one month of "Basic Swing," a terrific deal for $80.00, was so much fun we repeated it a second month. Then, we were hooked. We went on to pre-intemediate, when the price jumped to $90.00 for one class per month, and you have to take, like, 6 sections of pre-intermediate before you move up to intermediate/advanced, but they do give various discounts which helps. We're now into our fifth month of classes and have found that we love Swing dancing on about the same level that we love kayaking - which is a lot. The good thing about dancing is that there are a lot more opportunities for it in NYC than kayaking. I mean, you can't kayak in your living room. There are, however, lots of cheap or free venues for Swing dancing in this town.

But I digress. I now feel Sandra Cameron Dance Center deserves an evaluation.

The teachers are beyond dedicated. They've invited us to participate in performances, giving extra time and energy to working with us, and at the same time they're fun and funny and superb, superb dancers. I get the sense that the same applies to the Salsa, Tango, Ballroom, (etc.) teachers there (though I haven't taken those classes) because the place is so dang popular. Once a month, they have a guest night and invite the public to take free Salsa and Swing classes, view performances and attend practice dances. When we checked out another school's guest night recently, we were struck by its lack of sincerity as opposed to SCDC. First, they charged $10.00. Second, it was all sell, sell, sell, and third, the music stank. So, especially after having had a chance to compare SCDC with another studio, we realized that it's indeed worth evaluating and deem it:
Evaluation: Very sincere

Sandra Cameron Dance Center
199 Lafayette Street
NY, NY 10012
212-431-1825
dance@sandracameron.com