I have not been able to find the original source for this quote from author Kurt Vonnegut, I’m afraid. But it speaks volumes to me as a eternal beginner at so many things. When I was 15, I spent a month working on an archeological dig. I was talking to one of the archeologists one…
Category: Dancing / Music
Comparison is the Enemy of Joy
This evening in the Skating Place there was a boy who was maybe six or seven years old going around the circle with us. At that hour, there were about ten of us skating, all adults. I round a corner and see the boy lying on the ground just bawling his eyes out, while two…
4th Month Skating: Let’s Jam!
Hey it’s been 3 months since I started quad skating in July! I’m still skating pretty much every day and learning new stuff all the time. My current obsession is unlocking how to do toe spins. Wicked hard! I thought I would celebrate by doing a little jam skate video. I could think of no…
Partnered Skating in SF!
If this isn’t a perfect city summer vibe, I don’t know what is. God damn do I love skating in the park.
One Month of Roller Skating: So Happy!
So I’ve been roller skating for about a month now. I can’t think of anything I’ve “worked” so hard at at the start. Pretty much every day I’ve put in at least 1-2 hours of practice. And when I’m not skating, I’m probably watching skate videos. I didn’t do anywhere near that much practice when…
How I’m Surviving the Pandemic: Moving, Meditating, Connecting
So we are in Month 4 of the coronavirus pandemic quarantine, which is unbelievable and weird. Time has no meaning anymore, as people are fond of saying. Despite not getting to go to most of the places that were part of my regular routine (the office, the climbing gym, dance clubs and bars, restaurants, bakeries),…
Rik’s Birthday Weekend Wander!
This year, because of the pandemic, a gathering of my friends was not going to be possible. <sadface> I knew that I didn’t want to throw yet another Zoom virtual party, which honestly is getting a little old. So instead, I came up with organizing a Birthday Weekend Wander! The idea was to invite friends…
My New Thing for 2020: Roller Disco!
As another birthday rolls around, it’s time to learn something new and #embracethesuck. What will I be terrible at today? Two weeks ago, I was biking around Golden Gate Park with my friend Jess when we passed by the “Skatin’ Place” circle near 17th street and Fulton. We were watching the skaters spin, slide, and…
Eventbrite: How Lindy Hoppers Moved Their Groove Online
A couple of weeks ago I was contacted by Quinne from the online ticketing service EventBrite about an article she was writing about lindy hop. We had a lovely phone chat for 15 minutes and I promptly forgot about it. Yesterday her story went live on the EventBrite blog: “How Lindy Hoppers Moved Their Groove…
My First Virtual Lindy Hop Dance Video Watching Party: The Playlist
For a long time, I’ve been wanting to throw a dance video watching party. Tonight I finally got my chance! Using the TwoSeven video sharing service, I got together 30 buddies to watch lindy hop videos, chosen by four lovely dancer friends Amanda Collins, Samantha Nguyen, Ann Mony and Shawn Chiao. Hosting a party for…