Sadly, over the last few days, friends of mine have had personal property taken, been subjected to sexual harassment and even threatened with physical violence. Yes, the skating rink is generally a safe and fun place. But there are shady folks out there. So I created this little PSA as a heads up.
Category: Dancing / Music
Just a Normal Tuesday at the Rink
For the past couple of years the Skating Place in Golden Gate Park has been my second home. Here’s a little taste of what makes it so magical. It’s a Tuesday in late August in San Francisco. It’s been annoyingly chilly the past few days, but the sun is out today! A perfect time to…
Deep and Riki’s Skate Showcase!
So last Sunday was the semi-annual Skate Showcase at the Golden Gate Park Skating Place, my second home for the past two years. This is a celebration of the SF skate community and a chance for folks to show off their skate dancing skills in a friendly and chill environment. Last year you will recall…
My Trip to Nawlins: Laissez les bons temps rouler!
At the end of June, I had the good fortune to be sent on a work trip to the great city of New Orleans, one of my favorite places in the world. After finishing a work conference, I spent a couple more days relaxing in this iconic American city. It has been at least a…
Why I Can’t Dance for You
At a conference after party, folks are getting frisky as Eminem comes on. A dance circle coalesces. Reps from other companies are jumping in and being silly. They cry “Oh!” and “Hey!” as the official videographer captures footage. My co-worker turns to me and says “You should go in. This is your moment.” I look…
Two-year Skate-A-Versary!
It’s exactly two years since I started quad skating! It’s been an incredible journey so far, and it feels like I’ve barely scratched the surface of what is possible with skating. I’m so grateful for everything that skating has brought to my life — friendships, community, and so many beautiful moments.
ILHC 2022: Creating Dance Spaces that Center the Black Experience
Lots of folks have already shared what their experience was like at ILHC 2022. But I haven’t heard much talk about why this event was a game-changer: it centered the Black roots of lindy hop. After two decades of dancing lindy hop, the 2022 International Lindy Hop Championships was the first major lindy hop event…
KQED Arts Feature Video on Lindy Hop!
I’m incredibly excited to share with you this wonderful video produced by KQED Arts on lindy hop and its African American cultural roots, featuring Columbus-based dancers Tyedric Hill and Shannon Varner. Plus a bunch of other dancers you will probably recognize! Special thanks to Tena Morales and the rest of the International Lindy Hop Championships…
Back in NYC – Skating, Noshing, Swinging and More!
On Tuesday I got back from one of the best trips to New York City ever. There’s a lot to recap, so here we go: Skating All Over NYC I was honestly most looking forward to finally getting to skate in NYC. Twenty years ago, I visited often the skate circle in Central Park and…
What the In-person ILHC 2022 Was Like
Last Friday, Manu and I walked into an elegant, empty ballroom in Times Square, NYC. “You know where we are, right?” Manu asks me. “The Edison Ballroom?” I reply. “Naw, dude. This is the Supper Club.” I stop in my tracks as it hits me where I’m standing. We’re in the $%^&ing Supper Club! For…