On Saturday, my friend Rachel and I went to Vallejo to watch the 2012 World of Dance Bay Area hip-hop competition. World of Dance is one of the biggest touring hip-hop dance competitions in the world, and always features some of the best dancers and dance crews you will find anywhere. With the proliferation of…
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Rik Attempting a Front Flip (video)
Here's a video of me attempting a front flip, taken by the awesome acrobatics instructor Andrey at Athletic Playground. Andrey used this killer iPhone app called Coach's Eye that allows him to take video of his students, replay it for them in slo-mo or frame-by-frame, and show them how to improve by drawing…
Atamon Danish Preservative & Chinese Stereotypes (redux)
About a year ago, I posted about this strange product I saw in a Swedish super market called "Atamon." The store clerk had no idea what it was, and so I turned to the internets. Apparently "Atamon" is a Danish product that is used in jellies and pickles to preserve the freshness of the food…
“Beauty and the Beat”: Disney Classic Goes Ghetto-tastic (video)
My friend James shared this with me: "Beauty and the Beat," produced by Todrick Hall. I must confess I've watched it way too many times. The cameo at 4:05 just kills me. You're welcome.
B-boying for a Better Life in Uganda (video)
Here's a pretty dope story about b-boying (not "breakdancing") in Uganda and how it changed the life of one young man, and how he is trying to spread the dance across the country to other disadvantaged youth. Breakdance Project Uganda is a grass roots organisation, founded in 2006 by Abramz Tekya, working with disadvantaged young people…
Review: “Step Up Revolution” — Silly Politics, Great Dancing
As you may know, I had low expectations for "Step Up Revolution," the fourth in this series of street dance movies. The trailers I found underwhelming and disappointing. The director has never done a film before. Many of the amazing dancers from previous "Step Up" films didn't seem to be in the cast. And…
Going to DC to Host a Live Broadcast of the International Lindy Hop Championships!
I'm excited to report that from August 24-26 I will be in Washington DC to host a live internet broadcast of the International Lindy Hop Championships, along with my awesome co-hosts Nicole Zuckerman and Manu Smith. This is the first time an international swing competition of this kind has been live broadcast in this way….
Blogging Less, Falling More
Yesterday I formally shut-down my other website Betterverse.org. Betterverse has been a labor of love for the past three years, so I’m of mixed emotions about wrapping it up. On the one hand, it’s been wonderful having an outlet for spotlighting all the amazing work that nonprofits, charities, companies and governments have been doing using…
Jazz Divas Tamar Korn & Kally Price at Amnesia Bar! (video)
This Sunday, I got to enjoy a fantastic double-bill at Amnesia Bar in SF: local diva Kally Price and her band and the incomparable Tamar Korn and her friends from New York! Thanks to my friend Ann Mony for putting out the word to me and the many other lindy hoppers and jazz fans who showed up.
Best Run Ever: 3.8 miles in 35 minutes!
Logged one of my best runs this morning, which feels pretty great: 3.8 miles in just under 35 minutes , averaging a 9:10 min/mile pace. I love this route from my Oakland apartment, through Piedmont and up the stately hills of Mountainview Cemetery. When I get to the top of one of the main hills…