Musings on Dance, Food, Geek Stuff
For the past two years I have been trying to get up the courage to do the legendary San Francisco Friday Night Skate. Last night I finally did it… and I didn’t die! (I did fall a couple of times.) It was the 69th birthday of my friend and FNS organizer Lainie that got me…
Many of us in the local lindy hop, jazz, and circus scenes are devastated by sudden death of local musician Rob Reich last week. Rob was a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and bandleader who was well-loved by so many in the Bay Area. I didn’t know Rob well, but I always loved listening and dancing to his…
Earlier this month, I led a “Rhythm Skate Teaser” at our local rink, which summarizes how I’ve been thinking about how to learn how to roller skate… and learning in general. It was such a great experience for me, and hopefully for the many folks that turned out. That night, I gave a broad overview…
I’ve been wanting to put together this compilation for awhile now, and finally found some time to edit and produce. Enjoy a brief history of one of my favorite dance moves, the Jazz Split. Dancers Featured (in order of appearance):
These photos of Black folks skating at the Savoy Ballroom in Chicago from 1941 are just priceless. Look at how dressed up folks are! And love how joyful and silly everyone is. Oh and apparently photobombing was always a thing? Photographer: Russell Lee, 1903-1986 Source: Library of Congress
As I wrote in the previous post, lots of 2024 was spent dealing with external events that impacted my life. Which was a lot. But I also accomplished quite a bit. Published the Definitive History of Yehoodi.com I began 2024 with the release of a 39-page history of the online community Yehoodi.com, a labor of…
At its face, 2024 was not the best year ever. Let’s run down the awfulness: But honestly, despite all of these events – and in some ways because of them – 2024 was still a pretty great year. Let’s break it down. Problems Money Can Solve Someone said “You are fortunate if you have problems…
I’ve been thinking about how learning to skate is both a physical and a mental skill. Of course you need to be able to physically move your body in certain ways, and involves a certain amount of strength in your legs, butt and core. But perhaps the harder aspect of skating is building up the…
Way back in 2017, my friend Aurelia invited Hanah and me to participate in a unique photo shoot in a long abandoned train station in West Oakland. How could we say no? Hanah and I put on our favorite vintage-y outfits and met up with Aurelia in an industrial part of West Oakland I had…
A skater asked me today how long I had been skating. It’s a question I get a lot from beginners. I understand — you see someone do something that you aspire to, and you wonder how long it will take you to get there. I answered, “About four years… But it isn’t the years, it’s…