Hanah and I started the first leg of our epic South African adventure in the mega-city of Johannesburg. Home to a rich mix of 4.5 million blacks, "coloureds" and whites, Joburg is a much cooler place than I anticipated. We arrived early in the morning on a Sunday to the very popular hostel Curioucity Backpackers…
Category: Dancing / Music
Off the South Africa for a Safari, Penguins and Lindy Hop!
I'm so excited to share the news that I will be traveling in South Africa from March 17 to April 3! My friend Hanah and I are headed for a fantastic African adventure, including a four day safari, a week in Capetown, and a lindy hop dance camp! One of the main reasons for our…
Lip J Waacking to “That Man” by Caro Emerald
Check this awesome waacking performance by Lip J of Korea to a fun electro-swing song. Great musicality, energy and movement! Ibuki has more powerful, aggressive movement and dynamism. But Lip J, in my opinion, has more beautiful expression and lines. Track is "That Man" by Caro Emerald. Other sick videos of Lip J.
SwingNation #81: Dealing with Sexual Assault and Rape Culture in the Lindy Hop Community
My friends Manu and Nicole take on the difficult and painful subjects of sexual assault and rape culture in the lindy hop community. One of the most important episodes of SwingNation. Trigger Warning: This video contains images of alleged rapists Steven Mitchell and Max Pitruzella.
Celebrating a Swing Icon and Pastry Bingeing in NYC
This week, I had the pleasure of visiting New York for a happy and sad occasion, a celebration of the life of Dawn Hampton, an icon in the lindy hop community who passed away late last year. I always love being in New York, a place that still has my heart, despite being away for six years…
Japanese-Americans Swing Dancing at Internment Camp
This photo gives me all sorts of feelings as an Asian-american. There was a time – not very long ago– when people who looked a lot like me were judged as being a threat to the state by the very nature of their race and ancestry, rather than their deeds. They may have immigrated here and…
Rob C’s Definitive Guide to Identifying Street Dances During a Cypher / Battle
From my boy (and dope Chicago Footwork dancer) Rob C. A GUIDE TO IDENTIFYING STREET DANCE FOR NON-DANCERS DURING A CYPHER/BATTLE If that dancer in the battle has been spinning on any appendage for over a minute irregardless of what is happening in the song: B-Boying/B-Girling If that dancer is flapping their arms repeatedly…
A Message from Michael and Jaya: Decorate Time and Space with Art
Photo Credit: Bobby Bonsey photography Page one of the program for the Lindy Focus 2016 swing festival is a welcome letter from the organizers Michael and Jaya to the participants. Most people I'm sure skipped right through it to get to the schedule and other logistical information. That would be a mistake. I was reading it on the…
Lindy Focus 2016 : Chick Webb, 20s Charleston, Almond Croissants and All the Feels
Me and my Lindy Focus "Wife" Jodie This is my third year in a row going to the Lindy Focus swing music and dance festival in Asheville, North Carolina. (Blog posts from 2014 and 2015.) It's always an incredible, inspiring experience, and a great way to close out the year. Here are some of my personal highlights from Lindy…
My 2016 in Pictures
It's been a strange year for a lot of people including myself, with a lot of drama and ups and downs. That said, I have a lot to be thankful for in 2016. Here's a pictorial recap of some of my favorite moments in the year. Dancing Dancing was a huge part of 2016, which…