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!
Category: Dancing / Music
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…
Intro to My Adventures in South Africa
I’m just back from Africa, a bit browner, a bit fatter, and excited to share about all I experienced. There’s so much to write about my two week trip to South Africa, it’s hard to know where to start. So instead of trying to write a huge magnum opus that few people would be interested…
Mother City Hop Was Awesome!
I'm way behind on my blogging because we've been so busy having fun in Cape Town! But just a quick shout to the Mother City Hop organizers for putting on a fantastic dance event. It was everything I hoped for and more — fun dance parties, awesome tours of the city, incredible dance workshops, and…
Exploring Johannesburg: a Hipster Market, Strolling through Apartheid and in Da Club
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…
Let’s Rename the Jack and Jill Contest (Op-Ed)
The Jack & Jill contest is a mainstay of the lindy hop dance scene, from local contests to international competitions like the International Lindy Hop Championships. It’s an exciting and dynamic format that many feel is a true test of a lindy hopper’s dancing ability. It’s also an archaic term that we should stop using. A…
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…