Charleston Challenge Downunder, World Record Attempt

The Roaring 20s … And all that Jazz” Special Documentary Event

admin — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 02:45:18 +0000

Get ready to relive the 1920′s with a documentary of the 1920′s and all that Jazz! festival including footage from the Charleston Challenge World Record Attempt and the Ragtime at the Paragon Dinner and Dance. The documentary will be be screened at The Edge Cinema, Great Western Highway, Katoomba on Saturday 5 May, 1pm arrival for 2pm – 4pm screening. You can dress up in 20s period or arrive in comfortable and warm clothing if it is a cold evening.

Ticket holders will be encouraged to come in 20s costumes, vintage cars will be on display outside the cinema. There will be 20s style entertainment.

All tickets will need to be purchased online via Oztix:

Tickets are $15.00 plus processing and booking fees.

The documentary will feature the following:-

Automobile Picnic in Leura Mall plus an overview of some of the other Roaring 20s Events including Ragtime at the Paragon, Classic Car Rally Jenolan Caves, Highlands Steam and Vintage Fair Oberon, Speakeasy Thrills at Blue Mountains Manor House, Vintage Cars Jazz and the Great Art Deco Ball at The Carrington, Trains, Trams and T’s at Valley Heights Locomotive Depot and Jazz in the Garden at Norman Lindsay Gallery.

For more information visit blue mountains website

2013 Charleston Challenge Downunder Date has been announced

admin — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 03:00:49 +0000

It’s official!
Charleston Challenge Downunder will get its chance to reign as the world record holder for the most number of Charleston Dancers, dancing the same routine for the time of 5 minutes. Please help spread the word and encourage your family and friends to SAVE THIS DATE:

Saturday, 2nd February 2013 at Leura Mall
Time: TBC

Thank You!

admin — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 08:30:32 +0000

A big thank you to everyone that was there to give it a real go with such style, flare and so much colour! Thank you to all the media that was present, the Leura Village association and the local business owners and staff, Rural Fire Service, Blue Mountains Lithow Oberon Tourism and all the other organisers and volunteers, council members and the Local State Member for turning up and supporting such a wonderful COMMUNITY event! It is also lovely seeing the beauty of when people come together and the friendships that form from these wonderful events and how good people feel from being apart of such special events!

Thanks to KFM Media for filming and posting the attempt online! We were really close but not close enough for 2012, so see you, your friends and family in 2013.

If you have any photos from the day that you would like to share post them on our facebook page and also email them to info@charlestonchallengedownunder.com.au

Register for the Challenge

admin — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:12:06 +0000

With the Charleston dance challenge world record attempt at Leura Mall less than 3 weeks away now is the time to register. You can download the form. Online registrations are now closed but it’s still not too late to join in on the fun by simply downloading the form and completing it. Just show up on the day between 8am and 9:30am.

About Jan O’Shea – Choreographer

admin — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 10:47:42 +0000

Jan O’Shea is regarded by most as Australia’s No. 1 Lady of Swing and publically dubbed by the late great Frankie Manning who travelled to Australia every year to workshop and teach with Jan right up until his passing in 2009 as Australia’s Queen of Swing.”

: Jan O’Shea pictured (centre)

Jan commenced dancing in 1954 and by 1957 was an Australian Champion of Jitterbug which was the final Jitterbug competition in Australia until the revival of Lindy-hop/Jitterbug in the 1990s which Jan was an integral and influential part of. Several times during the period 1959 – 1964 she was an Australian Champion of Rock n Roll dancing.

Jan and her dance partner was a featured act on Johnny O’Keefe’s Six O’Clock Rock and danced in many club and pub shows for many years. She was also the first fully qualified Rock n Roll dance teacher in Australia and she is an examiner and adjudicator in this genre.

Jan then retired to raise a family in the Blue Mountains between the years 1970 – 1990. Jan reignited the passion for dancing in 1988 and then returned to Sydney in 1991.

She is believed by many to have achieved what after 42 years no other competitive dancer in this field in the world has achieved by winning in 1998 the Open Invitational Harlem and in 1999 won the Australasian Open Invitational Championships in Lindy-hop/Jitterbug, Harlem/Slow Swing and Rock n Roll.

Today, Jan continues to enjoy teaching her students, passing on the knowledge of dance and preserving apart of dance history in Australia. Jan says her main objective is “to get other people to acquire the same joy and love for the dance that I have had over the past 58 years.”

Should you wish to find out more or learn to dance from Jan O’Shea at Rockdale RSL on Monday night and North Manly Bowling Club on Tuesday night for Lindy-Hop/Swing and Wednesday night for Rock n
Roll please phone Jan on her mobile 0410 683 727 or office 02 9604 9747.

Leura Village

admin — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 09:58:25 +0000

Leura, an aboroginal word for ‘lava’, erupts with blossoms in Spring, is temperate in Summer, explodes with Autumn colour and brings the wood-fire best out of Winter, making all seasons perfect to enjoy when you visit. When you arrive at Leura it will be like stepping into another world. It is an experience that greets you with a stream of pure mountain air, your eyes tell you you’ve stepped back in time and you feel yourself gently unwind.

Leura is well known as the “Garden Village” but it is so much more than that…you’ll find unique shopping, fine food, great coffee and much much more. Beyond the gardens and sophisticated shopping there is the village charm, its colourful blooms of Spring and blazing tones of Autumn, cosy winter fires, breathtaking views, beautiful walks and the warm nature of the village folk themselves.

The heart of Leura is the village centre, known as The Mall. This historic village centre weaves boutique shops, day spas, eateries and galleries together with a tapestry of enchanting architecture. All the local businesses pride themselves on making each and every experience a treasured and cherised memory.

With many thanks to the Leura Village Association who are hosting the Charleston Challenge Downunder world record attempt on Saturday, 4th February 2012 and are together with the Festival Producer a large part of the planning and organising of the 1920s and All the Jazz Festival.

To see an extensive lists of shops and attractions please visit the website for Leura Village by clicking here.

About Ann Niddrie – Official Festival Photographer

admin — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 09:51:08 +0000

“Beautiful, delightful, timeless and inspiring” are some keywords that would best describe and represent Ann Niddrie and her photographs.

Ann Niddrie is an active member of her local community, supporting many local events with her creative work and positive spirit. It is no surprise that she has been selected to be part of the 1920s and all the Jazz Festival as the official festival photographer for both the festival and the Charelston Challenge Downunder world record attempt.

Ann’s business Over the Moon Photography is a boutique studio specialising in wedding and portrait photography. Over the Moon is a premium custom photography service delivering bespoke photo creations and capturing all the special moments in one’s life to treasure forever.

To find out more about Ann Niddrie or Over the Moon Photography please contact Ann directly by mobile 0416 278 911 or email ann@overthemoonphotography.com.au

The Valley Heights Locomotive Depot

admin — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 05:54:40 +0000

The Valley Heights Locomotive Depot was officially opened in January 1914. The Depot’s locomotives assisted up to 30 trains every day from Valley Heights to Katoomba. Located on the steeply graded line to Katoomba in the Blue Mountains, the Depot served the railways for 75 years.

However, its days became numbered when more efficient and powerful electric locomotives were introduced – eventually resulting in the closure of the depot, marking a major milestone in the State’s rail history.

The site is now home to the Locomotive Depot Heritage Museum which provides interactive exhibits of engines and carriages, along with other unique displays of railway memorabilia. A group of dedicated volunteers have also worked to conserve both the depot buildings, including the oldest roundhouse depot in NSW, and heritage rolling stock.

The Steam Tram and Railway Preservation Society operates from the site, providing historic steam ride experiences for visitors of all ages to enjoy.

So on Saturday 25th & Sunday 26th February 2012 (10am – 4pm) you can take a journey back into time. Explore transport 1920′s style at the Valley Height Locomotive Depot Heritage Museum. For more information contact them on 02 4751 4638 or visit there website at www.infobluemountains.net.au/locodepot

Infromation flyer for the weekend

1920′s Jazz Age Dance Dresses

admin — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 05:08:27 +0000

To help get into the spirit of the Roaring 20′s and All that Jazz festival Lorna McKenzie from “The Tailor’s Apprentice” has written a comprehensive guide on transforming your wardrobe to get that classic flappers outfit in time for the Charleston Challenge.

Don’t forget that as part of the Charleston Challenge Downunder world record attempt you need to be dressed in theme.

Read the Roaring twenties dress from your wardrobe guide.

She will also be holding A Jazz Age workshop in January 2012 for those of you interested in creating an accurate outfit for the time period. The
workshop will look at all the above aspects and you will be turned into a 1920s Flapper and look like your great, great grandmother.

Numbers are limited, so book early!

For more information on these workshops, please contact her via email enquiries@thetailorsapprentice.com

About Sandy Luxford – Festival Producer

admin — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 04:29:11 +0000

As producer of The Roaring 20s…and all that Jazz! Festival, Sandy Luxford brings to her role a motivating passion and love for all things of the era.
After a visit to Napier in New Zealand, Sandy returned to the Blue Mountains, her home of some 16 years, with a dream to develop a 1920s festival that payed homage to the decade and the Blue Mountains region’s wealth of era appropriate architecture, cultural heritage and history.

It was somewhat serendipitous when the region’s tourism organisation, Blue Mountains Lithgow and Oberon Tourism, was also envisaging a festival along the same themes.

After her appointment as Festival Producer, Sandy set about with gusto and utilised many of her skills gained across a diverse range of industries including film production, interior design, adventure guiding, tour guiding, corporate training and as the organiser of many events in the mountains, to establish the inaugural Festival in 2011.

The Roaring 20s…and all that Jazz! Festival 2012 programme Sandy has compiled is a combination of loved events from the 2011 Festival such as the Highland Steam & Vintage Fair, costume balls and fashion parades of vintage garments from Charlotte Smith’s Darnell Collection to innovative additions like the opportunity to explore the vertical world of abseiling 1920s style through to the world record attempt for the most number of costumed Charleston dancers stepping it out on Saturday 4 February in Leura Mall.

Sandy’s inspiration is to stage a festival that intertwines a sense of history, with a degree of fun and a touch of the era’s hedonism.