Okay I am WAY late to this, but I felt compelled to throw something together tonight. Here’s my 2017 year in review.
Quick 2017 Stats
- Freestyle Dance Videos Shot: 7
- Number of Marches and Protests: 3
- Number of Pies Baked: 5
- New Hobbies Acquired: 1 (rock climbing)
- Dance Competitions Entered: 5
- Countries Visited: 1 (South Africa)
- Theme Parks Visited: 1
- Conference Presentations Delivered: 3
- Kouign Amman Consumed: NOT ENOUGH
And now on to the highlights…
Best Trip: South Africa!
More about the South Africa trip: Johannesburg, dancing in Capetown, and on safari.
Runner Up: Disneyland for Dapper Days
More about the Disneyland trip.
Dance Highlight: Competing with the Shimmy Shakers at ILHC and CH
More about the Shimmy Shakers at ILHC and Camp Hollywood.
Runner Up: Shooting Freestyle Videos in SF
My most produced dance video shoot.
Best Pastry Outing: Birthday Pastry Tour
Runner Up: Kouign Amman Tour 2017
More about the 2017 kouign amman tour.
Best Meal – A TIE! Chicken for Two at Zuni Cafe and La Tête in Cape Town
The incomparable “chicken for two” at Zuni Cafe in SF, celebrating five years at the Cal Academy!
More about La Tête and other meals in South Africa.
Best Outfit: the Stretch Suit
Runner Up: Gaff from Blade Runner Costume
More about cosplaying as Gaff.
Best Photo shoot: the Abandoned West Oakland Train Station
More about this epic photo shoot.
Other 2017 Highlights
Dawn Hampton Celebration
More about the Dawn Hampton celebration.
Learning to Make Pie, So Much Pie
Chocolate pie!
Spam musubi pie!
Buko pie!
Coconut flan pie!
Learning to Follow in Lindy Hop
More about learning to follow.
Dance Jam at Lindy Focus
More about the dance jam at Lindy Focus.
Miscellaneous Fun Pics
The ray tank at the California Academy of Sciences.
Chiara and Krystal doing the choreo I created for the Shimmy Shakers routine.
So many shoes, for so many activities!
Crushing my health goals in 2017!
Always a blast when my niece Aria and I get to play together.
Wonderful family picnic with the cousins.
Breaking it down at Day Breaker event in Oakland.
Twinsies with Julia in Dolores Park!
Skyping with my mentors Eve Gaus and Barry Joseph.
My best buddy Mole Negro.
On the set at SwingNation.
At the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago.
Scooter life.
Best Lindy Focus pic ever with my buddy Miranda.
Juliana is goddam fantastic as a dapper dame.
I’m so grateful for all the blessings in my life, the wonderful people in my community, and the many gifts that I’ve been given. All in all, not a bad year at all.
Here’s to 2018!