Category — dance

JenChicago, NBC Chicago Street Team

Last night I went to one of the best events all year! The Dos Equis Most Interesting Academy held at the Museum of Science and Industry was AMAZING! The venue is, of course, outstanding in its own right and so was everything else! In addition to free free food and drinks, there was windtunnel sky diving, edible bugs with Andrew Zimmern (of the TV show Bizarre Foods), mohawk coiffeurs, a tattoo parlor, burlesque dancing lessons, an old timey photo booth, birds of prey, performance art, lots of dancing and so much more that I didn’t even have time to see it all! There were three different DJs pumping out hot dance beats inside, outside and all around! DJs Z-Trip, Flosstradamus, and White Shadow did an outstanding job of keeping us on the dance floor all night!

The party planning was impeccable all the way down to the free trolley service running from the museum to River North to shuttle us party-goers to and fro. I had so much fun, I had to “live vicariously through myself!”

Here’s a little taste if you missed it!

Dos Equis Most Interesting Academy in Chicago! from Jen Knoedl on Vimeo.

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JenChicago, NBC5 Street Team
If you have been checking out my last few posts, you may notice a theme… Live music and The Joynt. I moved here a year ago from Austin, TX (also known as the live music capital of the world) and maybe that has a little something to do with my love for live music. And undoubtedly, my love for dance, draws me to The Joynt. Now, I can break it down with the rest of them to a hot DJ (like Tim Spinnin’ Schommer that is guest DJ-ing tonight) but there is just something about a live performance. You know what I’m talking about. That sizzle in the air. The energy.

Jacqui Horton is my friend. And we became friends from me hearing her sing, totally falling in love with her as a person, and then asking her if she would like to be my friend. (She said “yes”.) Jacqui loves people, loves life and has a beautiful heart! I feel it when I talk to her, and I DEFINITELY feel it when she sings! I tell people she gives me goosebumps… and she does.

I shot this video at The Joynt last Saturday to give you a little taste of what you may not even know you are missing in your life! I make no apologies about the video, save this… There WERE a lot of people dancing around me… AND I was in heels. So cut me some slack on the shooting, eh?

This group of musicians work incredibly well together and as you can see, the crowd loves every second of it! Like any live performance, a recording isn’t quit the same as actually feeling the energy of the room. Luckily for you, you can check out the real deal on Saturday nights at The Joynt! You will have a good time because “We’re gonna boogie-oogie-oogie ’til we just can’t boogie NO MORE!”

Boogie-Oogie-Oogie at The Joynt! from Jen Knoedl on Vimeo.

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JenChicago, NBC5 Street Team

I feel as though I have told this story a thousand times, and yet, it still makes me smile…

When I first moved to Chicago, I went out by myself… a lot. It was exciting to try new places without knowing anything about them in an effort to find “my spot” for “this or that”. One of the “spots” that needed to be found was a place for me to dance. Preferably to live music. I’m not much of a sit-and-drink kind of girl. I never really have been, unless I’m eating or watching a show. I like to keep moving. And by “moving”, I mostly mean “dance“. And the best kind of music to dance to is live music! Agreed? The energy of a great band moves me in a way that makes me feel as though I am part of the music. I love it.

So, I sauntered into The Joynt one day, a little less than a year ago, and it just felt “right”. I knew this was my spot. It is essentially four (5 in the summer) clubs in one! The Grand Bar, The Retro Club, The Lounge and The Outdoor Cafe are all fantastic rooms with different personalities for each one! And then there’s my personal favorite… The Swing Bar.

Anyway, long story short… I started shooting at The Joynt here and there until I finally asked Stan Wozniak and Pauly Babcock to let me play with an idea on the weekends. The video below is the first edition of a bi-monthly series. The premise is simple.

Everyone in Chicago has a story. The following are just a few… STORIES FROM THE JOYNT.

Stories from the Joynt: Friday, May 22, 2009 from Jen Knoedl on Vimeo.

Come see me at The Joynt on Friday and Saturday nights!

JenChicago, NBC5 Street Team
It was a HUGE success! Arthur Murray’s Fourth Annual “Dancing with Chicago Celebrities” raised $67,000 for the Chicagoland Area Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure®,and what a fun way to do it! All of the toe-tapping fun went down on Friday, March 13, 2009, when Chicago celebrities paired with Arthur Murray professional dance instructors at the Hyatt Regency Chicago.

The winning team included Dana Kozlov, Assignment Reporter from CBS 2, and her Arthur Murray partner Edgar Chavarria. The MVP went to Robbie Ventura, who along with his team raised the most – $4,680. Other celebrities competing included Pat Cassidy, Radio Personality on WLS 890 AM, Lourdes Duarte, Assignment Reporter for WGN 9, Daryl Hawks, Sports Anchor and Reporter for NBC 5, Evelyn Holmes, Assignment Reporter for ABC 7, and Katie Lorenz, Miss Illinois 2008. The night’s emcee was NBC 5 Sports Anchor, Mike Adamle. WGN Anchor Dina Bair, NBC 5’s Meteorologist, Ginger Zee and ABC7’s Traffic Reporter Roz Varon also returned as alumni.

Dancing with Chicago Celebrities! from Jen Knoedl on Vimeo.

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