Check out this really interesting podcast on the Black roots of house (and techno) music, and the white DJs that adopt fake Black personas and histories to get street cred. It would be appalling if it wasn't such a common trope for cultural art forms coming out of Black America. I learned a lot about…
Category: Dancing / Music
On Learning Dance and My Biases and Assumptions
Chatting with Rachel Phillips last night at Shimmytown revealed some of my own internal biases and assumptions about dancing. I asked her how the lindy hop class she was taking going. "It's pretty great for my first class," she replied. "Excuse me? How is this your first class?" I asked. Rachel is one…
My Mini-review of “World of Dance” Episode 1 (with all performances)
Did you watch the first episode of "World of Dance" on NBC? If you are a fan of "So You Think You Can Dance" or "America's Best Dance Crew" or just enjoy watching dance videos on YouTube, you will dig this show. It basically smooshes together all three formats into a nearly perfect dance competition show. You…
Ambidancers: A Pinterest Board of Non-traditional Social Dancing
Is anyone still using Pinterest? Given the recent interest in discussing gender norms, inclusivity, and LGBTQ+ issues in the lindy hop scene, it seems to me like it would be good to spread around positive images of people dancing in non-traditional roles. So I created a new Pinterest board called "Ambidancers." Enjoy!
A Message from Frankie Manning (and Spuds) on Frankie’s 103rd Birthday: Keep Laughing
I love this SwingNation video short on the occasion of Frankie Manning’s 103rd birthday. Frankie had many talents, including one of the most infectious laughs ever. I never grow tired of hearing it. Learn more about Frankie Manning on his website.
It’s Time to Rename the “Jack & Jill” Dance Contest
I wrote an opinion piece over on Yehoodi.com on why we should rename the Jack & Jill dance contest to something more inclusive. Read it all here!
My First Urban Dance Battle!
Urban dance has many facets and manifestations — club dancing, sessions, cyphers, workshops / classes, crews, performances, and jams. One aspect of urban dance culture I've never really been that interested in is battling or competitions. It just never interested me as a fairly non-competitive person. I enjoy going to battles and contests. Watching people…
Running, Dancing and Eating my Way Up a Mountain (Twice)
I run, dance, and eat healthy for a lot of reasons. One of the most important is that all those activities help me feel strong and capable. I have a good understanding of what my body can do, what my strengths and limitations are. I have pushed my body to be as close to its peak potential…
“Alive and Kicking” Mini-Review: A Love Letter to Lindy Hop
Last night, I got to see a sneak preview of the new swing dance documentary "Alive and Kicking" at the Brava Theater in San Francisco. A labor of love by director (and swing dancer) Susan Glatzer, the film "explores the culture surrounding swing dance from the emergence of the Lindy Hop to the modern…
Pantsula, Gumboot, and Mozambican Swing: Dope Dancing in Cape Town!
My main inspiration for coming to South Africa at this time of year was a dance camp going on in Cape Town called Mother City Hop. Last summer, I met a Swedish woman in Herrang who kvelled about what a great event Mother City Hop was. So I did some research into it and it seemed…