I have long thought of Disney California Adventure (DCA) as the inferior little brother to Disneyland. I grew up going to Disneyland Anaheim. It has layers and layers of history, tradition, and memories for me. That is hard to top. In contrast, California Adventure has only been around since 2001. I never thought of it…
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Seven Things You Should Know about Hellzapoppin’
The dance scene from Hellzapoppin’ (1941) is arguably the most iconic lindy hop clip in history. Certainly millions of viewers have been inspired by this routine, that is still unmatched in dynamism, exuberance, and athleticism. Go ahead and watch it again here. But how much do you know about this scene? Here are seven remarkable…
Health Update: Back in Shape, Staying Active
I haven’t done a health update in awhile. I’m happy to report that being on sabbatical has not meant that I’ve become a lazy sloth. In fact, I’ve been probably more active than when I was working. After gaining a bunch of weight from my Asia trip a month ago, I am now back to…
Scending a Reach-y, Arm-y V3
It felt so good to top this V3 this morning, which was really strenuous and had holds just out of my reach. I have been struggling to just start it for awhile. Finally last session, I figured out how to start. So this session was all about getting all the moves down and scending it….
Sabbatical Week Three!
I just realized I am already into the middle of week three of my work sabbatical! This is really the first day I have had completely schedule-free since I finished work at the Cal Academy. So far it has been completely wonderful to have this time to take a break and take stock of things….
Ksenia’s Hair and Our Continuing Debate over Black Representation in Lindy Hop
NOTE: Originally posted to website Yehoodi.com on March 14, 2018 Earlier this week, the issue of race came to the forefront again in the lindy hop community over something that to an outsider might seem quite benign: a woman came back from a trip to Africa and posted to her social media feed a selfie….
Who Is Steven Mitchell and Why You Should Stop DJing His Music [op-ed]
NOTE: Originally posted to the website Yehoodi.com on March 11, 2018 CONTENT WARNING: Sexual assault. Steven Mitchell has been a very influential figure in the lindy hop community for the past 20 years. Steven and his then-partner Erin Stevens are credited with helping convince Frankie Manning to return to lindy hop in the mid-1980s. Steven…
Let’s Rename the Jack and Jill Contest (Op-Ed)
The Jack & Jill contest is a mainstay of the lindy hop dance scene, from local contests to international competitions like the International Lindy Hop Championships. It’s an exciting and dynamic format that many feel is a true test of a lindy hopper’s dancing ability. It’s also an archaic term that we should stop using. A…
Max Pitruzzella Accused of Sexual Assault by 5 Women
NOTE: Originally posted to website Yehoodi.com on January 19, 2017 Ruth Evelyn, a Boston-based lindy dancer and instructor, posted to her Facebook wall a couple of days ago a very disturbing account of sexual assault by French lindy hopper Max Angelo Hurtado Pitruzella. You can read all of her harrowing account here (WARNING: description of sexual assault.) The incident…






