Category: Dancing / Music

Back in States now, getting ready to go back to "real life" after my adventures at the Herrang Dance Camp. It’s hard to sum up the experience of being crammed together with 800 crazy lindy hoppers for nine days in a tiny town in Sweden. On my last morning in Herrang, I strolled through the…

The final evening of dance camp is always a costume party with some kind of theme. This being the 25th anniversary of the camp, the theme was simply to dress in outlandish fashion, which lots of dancers gladly did. I loved how several dancers were dressed as different lindy hop moves, from the Texas Tommy to…

I’m spending a couple of days in Stockholm with my friend Tomo, recovering from Herrang. Here are some pointers from me that might help your Herrang experience be more enjoyable and stress-free: Be Flexible: I’m not talking about your body (although it’s important to stretch out before and after dancing.) I mean, the dance camp…

The Herrang book signing for Frankie Manning’s autobiography Ambassador of Lindy Hop finished at around 3:30PM, only an hour after it was scheduled to complete today.  Reportedly, the Herrang camp sold more than 700 books, with several campers buying more than one copy to take back home with them.  Frankie, ever the gentleman, would not…

Not surprisingly, I’ve gotten a bit sick here at Herrang Dance Camp.  Really it’s a perfect breeding ground for airborne and skinborne viruses, since we spend a lot of time in close quarters, dance holding hands with tens of strangers, and get no sleep.  It doesn’t help that people who are sick selfishly go out…

Last night was “Blues Night” at Camp Herrang.  A killer band from Stockholm came in, the Family Carling band, playing live blues music. They played some solid sets for the dancers that kept the floor packed and moving. I did have a bit of a problem with how people were dancing to the blues.  The…

I decided this morning that I’m leveling up at Herrang Dance Camp. Normally I see myself as a solid intermediate-advanced dancer.  Better than most, but far from what I consider the advanced dancers in the New York scene. But here I think I’m dancing at more of an advanced level compared to the general population…

Last night there was a “DJ Showcase” at Herrang Dance Camp, with a series of DJ’s playing six-song sets and a panel of dancer judges on the stage judging their picks.  I was curious how this was going to go, since nothing is more subjective than the kind of music people like.

I feel like I should be writing "Hi mom and dad, having a great time at dance camp! Today I got a blue star in intermediate ribbon dancing." Seriously, it’s been an amazing time so far at the Herrang International Dance Camp in Sweden.  Herrang is quite a special place with a strong sense of…

Just quick to post to say hi from Herrang Dance Camp in lovely Sweden.  I’m here for the week of intensive dance classes, social dancing until the wee hours, and hanging out with an international community of lindy hoppers who converge here every year.  So many amazing dancers in one camp-y space for a week!…