‘One, step! Two, step! Three, step!’ commands the dance instructor on the night of Saturday the 28^th August. It is the

The cosmopolitan electric jazz club is conveniently situated near the corner of Loop Street and outside the queue gradually builds a certain kind of energy. On the pleasantly cool evening, night-life is transformed from the characteristic smart casual of the 1920s Old School to the swagger of a revived culture of Swing. Costume is thrown to the wind as patrons come dressed only in what their wardrobe has on offer and throw them altogether to create their own eclectic interpretation.

Cape Town locals mostly came dressed in black and white fashion of flapper and baby-doll dresses, with sequenced pumps and high-heels accentuated with pearl necklaces, glitz and garish feathers seen everywhere. Guys came dressed as encouraged, in Fedora and Trilby hats, zoot suits, suspenders accessorised with shiny two-tone shoes. Perspiration visibly drips as guys and gals in their twenties to their thirties loose themselves to the incandescent notes of swing and electro-swing sets by DJs Honey B, Mix ‘n Blend, Fred Spider and Lt Fizzer.

Experienced and inexperienced dancers seem to loose their cares through the bold hotsy-totsy whoop-doo-dah moves on the crowded Club Zoom Zoom’s floor.  ‘Here’s the thing you need to know, just make it all up as you go’ sings Louis Prima. However, I must caution you, not everyone can restrict themselves to the dance floor – the seated me being testament to one guy’s shiny shoe kick doing a number to my already beat-bobbing head as he brashly Swings it on out!

That aside, it’s the perfect fix for the culture-spirited night crawler looking for an unadulterated rush. Well, I’m keen to know when will Cape Town experience the next explosition of Swing, but in the mean time, I’ll be practising at dance class.

Words by Nadine R. Arendse

Photography by Denzil Paris Jacobs

The term flamjangled has solidified itself into the Cape Town lexicon. The second annual Tea Party offered a smorgasbord of delight accompanied by a genre bending soundtrack , costumed revelry and tea inspired libations. Brought to life by Good Times Events and the fantastic team behind Balkanology, the party proved itself one of Cape Town’s most impressively executed music festivals.

The Tea Party garden provided the just what the Mad Hatter would’ve ordered to transport oneself to another place and time. A place where Little Bo-Peeps and their sheep roam and the sky is a moving mix of circus colours.

The special alchemy of sun, lyrical adventures and magic tea potions ignited the Contermanskloof Wine Farm. The Party was a playground suitable for all ages, where people seemed to let go of daily city life and inhibit the world of wonder and adventure associated with childhood.

The evening sessions got off to a rolling start with a Foxtrot Fandango lesson accompanied by the Dixie Swingers. Hailing from another era, their tuba and banjo got the crowd jiving along to New Orleans-styled classics. Mr. Cat and the Jackal gave a jaw dropping performance as each member wore a larger than life effigy of their head. These prolific musicians have recently launched their new album. Between Rob van Vuuren’s satirical emceeing, Fletcher’s skills on the decks and the Black Orchid Burlesque troupe’s shows, a fantastical musical showcase ensued. It was all about getting and looking a little shmangled in true, slightly bizarre Flamjangled style.

For those in attendance, the Flamjangled Tea Party was certainly one of the most talked about events of the year. For those who missed out, its reputation is setting it up to be the most anticipated party for 2012. Tea time folks…

Words: Ashlee Valdes
Photography: Ernst Lass