I'm excited to share the news that starting today I am the Senior Manager of Digital Learning for the California Academy of Sciences. I am honored to be leading a crack team of youth development and digital media specialists, and to be part of an amazing youth programs family at the Academy. If you had…
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Happy Fifth Birthday, California Academy of Sciences!
On September 27 2008, five years ago today, the California Academy of Sciences opened it's new headquarters to the world, in the heart of San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. I wasn't here at that time, but I heard that it was an impressive sight seeing the thousands of people lining up to get a peek…
Salsa + B-boying at Red Bull Dance Competition in Cuba (video)
What would happen if b-boys and salseros battled, having to show not one but both forms of dance in a competition? Sounds like it could be a complete trainwreck! But apparently not if it's in Cuba. Legendary b-boy Crazy Legs went to Havana in 2012 to help judge a competition between salsa dancers and breakers…
Interactive Video of Basement Jaxx’s “What a Difference Your Love Makes” (video)
I used Mozilla Popcorn Maker to create this enhanced video to supplement Basement Jaxx's excellent music video "What a Difference Your Love Makes." Mozilla Popcorn Maker is an open source system for combining video with text, web links, maps, photos, and more. Really fun and easy to play with. Click this link to see the…
This is where I work
The California Academy of Science: the world's only natural history museum, planetarium, aquarium, and rainforest, all under one living roof. Also, my office. I'm a very fortunate person.
This is America: Almond Croissant Stuffed with Green Tea Mochi
The Chinese bakery Sheng Kee (WARNING: link auto-plays lame jingle) sells lots of odd and tasty baked goods. But my favorite by far is the almond croissant stuffed with green tea mochi. I mean just look at it. Is there a better culinary metaphor for America than the almond croissant stuffed with green tea mochi? Only…
South African Pantsula and Basement Jaxx “What a Difference Your Love Makes”
Check out the dope dancing to this new music video for the Basement Jaxx song "What a Difference Your Love Makes." But what's the story behind the dancing? A friend of mine called this "charleston hip-hop," which I can kind of see. There's definitely some tap and vernacular jazz influences in that movement, but…
My Talk on Social Dancing and Embodied Learning
For a staff retreat day at work last week, we had different staff people give short talks about something that they are passionate about that in some ways relates to our work as science educators. I decided to give a talk on "social dancing and embodied learning" since dance is such a big part of…
“That’s It” Combines NOLA Jazz, Tap, and Hip-hop Dance Beautifully (video)
Here's some slick house dance, popping, breaking and tap to the new song by the inimitable Preservation Hall Jazz Band. The track is "That's It." That is it, indeed! Video link, in case the embed doesn't work.
What Is Lindy Hop? (video)
A couple of months ago, I asked lindy hop friends where I could find a concise, accurate and entertaining video defining what "Lindy Hop" is. No one could suggest a video that met that criteria, so we decided to make one. Here is "What is Lindy Hop" by Yehoodi productions. We hope you like it….