Last night Cindy and I were lucky enough to catch the documentary "Planet B-Boy," playing as part of the Tribeca Film Festival. The setting was pure New York: a large outdoor screen set up at the World Financial Center gathering various strata of NY society — from Staten Island guidos to Williamsburg artsies to rowdy…
Category: Dancing / Music
Frim Fram: my regular Thursday hang
Just got in super-late, tired but satisfied after a night of dancing. Every Thursday night, for the past five years, my team at Yehoodi has thrown a weekly swing dance party in Manhattan that has become a central gathering point for swing dancers in the city, and a must-visit spot for visiting dancers from around…
The Olmannen ballet: art or the appearance of art?
I finally got a chance to catch the dance production "Olmannen" by the Second Life Ballet troupe this evening. I admit that I am not very fond of ballet — I find the movement very stilted and regimented and the music not to my taste. But I love dance and virtual worlds, so I felt…
Yehoodi’s new virtual home
Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you the future virtual home of Yehoodi in Second Life (teleport SLURL) courtesy of Techsoup and Anshe Chung Studios. Once known as the "website for the hardcore hepcat swinger" we will now be known as the "3D immersive, community-based media environment for the hardcore hepcat swinger." Ok, not really.
Eff and Lisa at the Easter Parade
My friend D-Rod took some great pictures from the Easter Parade yesterday, even if most of them are of Eff and Lisa pictured above. I’m unclear on what a Shriner’s hat and a Chinese print smoking jacket have to do with Easter, but that’s my buddy Eff for ya. Thanks, D-Rod! According to the NY…
The joy of swingin’ in the Easter Parade
I met up with some swing dance friends today on Fifth Avenue and 49th for the annual Easter Parade, one of my favorite New York events of the year. More of a promenade than a parade, every year on Easter Sunday New Yorkers put on their Sunday best and strut their stuff down Fifth Avenue. …
Anne Lamott on dancing and eventual grace
Anne Lamott is one of my favorite writers, and one of my top five sort-of-famous people I would like to have dinner with. By chance I came across an email about Anne doing a book signing at the local Barnes and Nobles last night and I just had to stop by. Her new book is…
Yehoodi Video Podcast #411 online
My buddy Spuds and I recorded the second video podcast of our long running swing dance program the "Yehoodi Talk Show" a few days ago. We talk about Christina’s latest swingin video, how to take care of your Aris Allen shoes, Columbian "boogaloo" salsa, and lots of other silliness. Check it out via direct download…
“Step Up”: a much better dance movie than it deserves to be
Cindy and I were bored the other night so we rented the dance movie “Step Up” which came out a few months ago. I’m kind of a sucker for these formula dance movies which always seem to have the same basic plotline: Uncouth street dancer meets prissy “professional” dancer through some contrived scenario (community service,…
The THON: the Dance Marathon to end all marathons
The kids at Penn State every year throw an amazing dance marathon called simply "The THON" to benefit pediatric cancer care at at the Penn State Children’s Hospital. They have raised $41 million over the past 31 years! This year, the benefit has gone virtual, with a host of in-world concerts to raise funds taking…