I can see that this is going to be a really interesting third season of the Fox show "So You Think You Can Dance." Through the wonders of TIVO, I got caught up on the last 12-hours of show last night in about three hours. I cried 2-3 times already, and applauded at the TV…
Category: Dancing / Music
The Harlem Hotshots on Swedish TV Talent Show
Here’s an amazing video of the Swedish lindy hop performance group the Harlem Hotshots kicking ass and taking names at what looks to be a Swedish equivalent of "America’s Got Talent" called "Talang." Wish I knew what the judges were saying, but clearly they were pleased. There’s a couple more videos up on YouTube for…
The Peabody: all the kids are doing it nowadays
This is me attempting to peabody with my friend Monica. I have no idea why my mouth is open like that. Cindy and I had a marvelous day at Governors Island today, enjoying the beautiful sunshine and cool breezes as we listened to the old-timey sounds of the Michael Arenella Orchestra. It was a great…
Demand “Planet B-Boy” in your town
I got a message from the makers of the kick ass breakdance documentary "Planet B-Boy" today, asking for help in finding a distributor for their amazing indie film. Cindy and I saw it a couple of months ago and were totally blown away by the dancing, the great backstories on the different crews, and the…
Summer Swingin in the City
The summertime is the perfect time for a lindy hopper in the city. There’s a slew of free or cheap swing-related events going on nearly every weekend. The season kicks off with Michael Arenella and his Dream Orchestra playing on the beautiful Governor’s Island this Saturday. Emphasizing roaring 20s and 30s music, they are perfect…
Yehoodi HQ in Second Life, beta 1.02
So over the past couple of months, I’ve been slowly building up Yehoodi’s in-world presence in Second Life, experimenting with our new headquarters in the Plush Non-profit sim (teleport SLURL.) It’s been a good learning experience for us, helping us strategize about our longer term goals in SL. Here’s a brief tour of what we’ve…
Happy birthday, Ms. Dawn Hampton!
Last night we celebrated the 79th birthday of my friend Ms. Dawn Hampton. For most of Dawn’s life, she has been a musician and a singer, playing saxophone and singing with the Hampton family band, and later the Hampton Sisters. But I’ve known Dawn primarily as a lindy hop dancer. She’s a regular at our…
Viral campaign launches Ambassador of Lindy Hop to #7 on Amazon
I am so proud of our swing dance community right now I could burst. What began as a random suggestion by my friend Shorty Dave — “Hey wouldn’t it be great if all the lindy hoppers in America bought Frankie’s book on the same day?” — blossomed into an international campaign that shot Frankie Manning: Ambassador…
Loose Marbles – Nawlins hot jazzy goodness
I had the pleasure of catching this group of New Orleans-based ragamuffins called "Loose Marbles" playing for dancers last night in Manhattan. They make such a joyous, hot jazzy noise, led by Meschiya Lake on vocals. Meschiya eschews the mic and just belted all night into the crowded room. The percussion section looks like…
Today’s the day! Buy Ambassador of Lindy Hop today from Amazon!
Today thousands of Friends of Frankie Manning are rushing to Amazon.com to purchase his new autobiography entitled Frankie Manning: Ambassador of Lindy Hop. Today is Frankie Manning’s 93rd birthday, believe it or not. To celebrate, we are asking folks everywhere to go to Amazon.com and purchase his book. We believe we can make The Ambassador…