You may recall my previous post about Ben Morris and Jennifer Deluca's WCS / hip-hop routine , and my problems with it. This rhythm tap / hip-hop routine by Maya Sharpe & Jade Jordan from the 2013 Jump Session Show demonstrates how powerful it can be when two dance genres work together seamlessly. What I like about…
Category: Dancing / Music
More Keone and Mari Hawtness at WOD NY 2013
Other hip-hop dancers might hit harder or do fancier tricks, but there's no couple out there with better dance chemistry than Keone and Mari. So many great moments to highlight in this choreo: Mari's drawn out stretch at 1:45 Mari exploding out at 2:44 Keone's backward run at 3:40 Mari's drop at 4:19 Keone…
The Jazzawockeez do the “B-boy Shim Sham” at 9:20 Special (video)
Thanks to the Iris and Kirk at the 9:20 Special for inviting us back to perform the “B-boy Shim Sham” at the 9:20 Special swing dance last Thursday. A fantastic crowd in the best place to swing dance in SF. The “Jazzawockeez” are B-boy J-Blaze, b-boy Chiao, b-boy Rikomatic, and featuring b-girl Chachi! Enjoy.
Catch the “B-boy (and B-girl) Shim-Sham” at the 9:20 Special Open House Tomorrow!
Tomorrow night, May 30, at the 9:20 Special Open House in San Francisco, myself, b-boys J-blaze, Chow and b-girl Chachi will be performing again the "B-boy Shim Sham". Debuted last year at the 9:20, we've freshened up the choreo and added a new dancer to the mix. We think you are going to like…
The Jump Session Show and Camp Jitterbug 2013: The Best of Swing in Seattle
After years and years of hearing people gush about this event, I finally got to experience Camp Jitterbug and the Jump Session Show in Seattle, Washington this weekend. It's four days full of incredible swing music, dancing, and fun in the heart of a wonderful city. Having experienced it, I can say that Camp Jitterbug…
Hip-hop and West Coast Swing Dancing: Ummmm
As a swing dancer and a hip-hop dancer I'm ambivalent about how hip-hop music is used in West Coast Swing. On the one hand, I'm impressed with the difficulty in the choreography and cleverness of the moves. But on the other hand, I find the "up"-ness of WCS and the smoothness of the movement…
Lindy Hop, Hip Hop and More in Capital Cities Music Vid
Happy Saturday! Check out this fun music video featuring a number of lindy hoppers, as well as hip-hop, ballroom, disco skaters and more. The band is LA-based alt-dance duoCapital Cities, performing their song "Safe and Sound." According to Capt Morgan, dancers include Mikey Pedroza, Nikki Marvin, Marshall Watson, Minn Vo, Nick Williams, Stefanie Klausmann, and Lou…
Watch Nashville’s “I Charleston” Video and Get Happy!
The "I Charleston" phenomenon is one of my favorite swing memes, if I can call it that. Started by some Frenchy lindy hoppers, basically any swing scene in the world can create an "I Charleston" video showing their local dancers charlestoning and doing solo jazz in notables spots in their city and put it online…
“Re/Genesis” Dance Show: Post-Script
We did it! After months of work, Freeplay and Prince on Point dance crews pulled off an ambitious and demanding dance show this weekend. "Re/Genesis" was for me a very personal project that grew out of something in my own heart and has blossomed into this colorful quilt of dance pieces. It was really only…
“Re/Genesis” Debuts Tonight!
It's showtime! The Freeplay Dance Crew and Prince on Point collaboration "Re/Genesis" debuts tonight at 8pm at the Garage Theater in San Francisco. It's been a long, sometimes difficult, even painful, creation process. But reviewing video of our final rehearsal last night, I'm blown away by all that we've accomplished together. And I can't wait to share…