Dance Through the Decades
at the Verdi Club Centennial

Peggy and I Dance Through the Decades in celebration of the Verdi Club Centennial.
6m 20s

The Verdi Club is a historic Italian-American club a block from our art studios. We know it well from the “Tuesday Night Jump!” Lindy Hop weekly swing dance. We choreographed this dance performance to a custom sound track I put together, spanning the decades. We wanted to share some of the variety of styles of music and dance that people have enjoyed in the Verdi Club over the last one hundred years.

The celebration was attended by the Italian Consul General, Mauro Battocchi, and San Francisco Board of Supervisor Malia Cohen, representing District 10. Listen to the very end of the video to hear Malia’s reaction to the dance performance! MC Karl Kriedel said the next day “Last night was one to remember for the ages. Thank you for helping make it great.”

Here are some photos from the celebration:

Historic Verdi Club neon sign lit up

This shows Peggy and I in front of a photograph in which we are featured as dancers and which has been placed in the new Verdi Club bar. The photograph was designed, taken and printed by our friends and former 1890 Bryant studio neighbors Eszter+David. The photo was shot in the old Verdi Club bar and also includes our artist friend Warren and Jose.

Big Red (1972 Buick Centurion Convertible) parked outside the Verdi Club with a happy birthday balloon!

Verdi Club member Shannon in front of a photograph of her grandparents getting married in the club

Before our performance Sarah Lamb sung a beautiful Verdi aria (Caro Nome from the opera Rigoletto), accompanied by her mother, Cynthia, on piano. Big thank you to Annette, Karl, Sarah, Cynthia, Jason, Veronica, and the whole Verdi Club board, team, volunteers and staff who contributed to making the evening so special.

May 14, 2016