Hot Shots (dance companies)
(Incomplete) Anders Lind began studying at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm, Sweden in 1978 and became interested in swing dance as a student.
He became a member of the Swedish Swing Society (SSS, formed in 1978), a dance club that originally focused on competition and show.
Lennart Westerlund, Catrine Lunggren, Anders Lind, and Lena Ramberg started to dance together in a small performance group as a part of the Swedish Swing Society in 1983.
When they arrived in NYC, Anders Lind decided to call the dance schools that taught Lindy Hop.
Count Basie had just died and his band members as well as the artists and dancers that had worked with him had planned a memorial dance in his honor at The Red Parrot, a nightclub in New York City.
Anders Lind learned about the event and the three Swedes showed up at the nightclub and found Al Minns dancing Lindy Hop there.
When they returned to Sweden, Henning recommended to the board members of the Swedish Swing Society to invite Al Minns to Stockholm to teach and give lectures.
After months of discussion, Lennart Westerlund, Anders Lind, Eddie Jansson, Catrine Ljunggren, Lena Ramberg and Eva Lagerqvist decided to form a dance company in the summer of 1985 when The Harlem Blues & Jazz Band returned to Stockholm.
From Al Minns, TRHS learned that Frankie Manning, another surviving member of Whitey's Lindy Hoppers, was also living in New York City.
[2] Before Frankie Manning visited Sweden, The Rhythm Hot Shots had learned how to Lindy Hop by watching old movies in slow motion, such as Hellzapoppin' and A Day at the Races.
[2] During the 1990s, TRHS achieved international fame and traveled worldwide to perform and teach at dance camps and workshops in North America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania.
On 5 April 2000, Lennart Westerlund, Catrine Lunggren, Mattias Lunmark, Åsa Palm, and Hanna Zetterman traveled to St Petersburg, Russia to help introduce Lindy Hop to 15 to 20 Russian dancers during a six-day workshop made possible by a grant from the Swedish Institute.
Some of the Hot Shots have been elected as honorary members of the SSS: Lennart Westerlund (1990-11-14), Anita Kankimäki (1993-11-27), and Anders Lind (1998-11-21).
Other honorary SSS members that were important in the history of the Hot Shots include Lasse Kühler and Henning Sörensen (1998-11-21).
The Mariahissen location featured a medium-sized hardwood dance floor, minimal food service, and a beautiful view of Gamla stan.
On 2 June 2004, Jesses Jassklubb reopened again at Hornsgatan 75, Stockholm, the current location of the Chicago Swing Dance Studio.
However, the jazz club had to immediately close again since the Hornsgatan location needed additional sound insulation before another dance could be held.
When the Wednesday night dances started again in autumn at a different location, the name changed to Zacke's Jazz Corner.
This new dance location become known as Zacke's Jazz Corner and was named after Sakarias Larsson, one of the founders of the Harlem Hot Shots.
Zacke's Jazz Corner was the name that prevailed and is used today to refer to the Wednesday night swing dances at Chicago.
In March 2004, Lennart Westerlund took over the contract for Hornsgatan 75 in central Stockholm, originally the location of a movie theater by the name of Chicago (from 1907 to mid-1960s).
When the HHS attempted to move Jesses Jassklubb to Hornsgatan 75 on 2 June 2004, it became apparent that additional sound insulation was needed before more dances could be held there.
During the summer and autumn of 2004, the HHS increased the sound insulation, added ventilation, and redesigned the interior of the locale.
