Yesterday, I had the privilege of taking a class with Eric Fenn, choreographer of the innovative "urban contemporary" dance troupe Loose Change. Combining house, popping, waving, and breaking with modern dance, martial arts and ocassionally, swing, Loose Change has been a pioneer in the dance fusion movement for 20 years. I've long been a fan…
Category: Dancing / Music
Hip-hop Meets Nutcracker in latest LXD Dance Piece (video)
Just when I had pretty much given up on the Legion of Extraordinary Dancers project, they come out with this totally charming and wonderful short video, "Matched". Striking visuals, amazing dancing, and well-filmed — just what drew me to the franchise in the first place before the poor writing and acting nearly killed it for…
Breaking Class with Drew Looner at Athletic Playground: Pushing Your Body and Your Mind
Although I was pretty tired from the two day conference I just got back from, I decided to head out to catch B-boy Drew Looner's breaking class at Athletic Playground in Emeryville. Athletic Playground is a small and friendly space where they teach all manner of athletic pursuits from gymnatics to parkour, acro-yoga, and something…
Yehoodi Talk Show # 124: Lindy Luv is in the Air on the Lindy Dating Game!
For this Valentines Day, Spuds and I are happy to bring to you a very special edition of the Yehoodi Talk Show: "The Lindy Dating Game". Three lovely lindy bachelorettes and one lindy bachelor play our game to win a date and valuable prizes. Find out if Kevin ends up with Sarah, Kellie or Becca…
Lindy in the Park: Free Swing Dancing in Golden Gate Park since 1996
I had a fantastic time today at "Lindy in the Park," a weekly outdoor swing dance that happens every Sunday afternoon in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. A mainstay of the Bay Area lindy scene since 1996, Lindy in the Park is a great public outreach for the dance, since it attracts hundreds of passersby,…
The 9:20 Special: Where the Bay Area Lindy Hoppers Gather Every Thursday
Last night I headed out to the Russian Center in San Francisco for the weekly "9:20 Special" lindy hop dance held there every Thursday. The 9:20 takes place in a beautiful old ballroom with a gorgeous sprung wooden dancefloor that packs a couple hundred dancers from complete newbies to oldsters like myself. Classes at various…
Rik’s NYC Bucket List : Amateur Night, Elegant Swing, and Lots of Pork
So my last two weeks in New York were spent fulfilling several "Bucket List" items that are my favorite things to do in the city. Here's a quick rundown of what I did. Probably the only true "Bucket List" item — something that I've never done that I've always wanted to do — was to…
My Farewell Dance Party in NYC: B-boys, Lindy Hoppers, and Quakers Getting Down!
One of the last things I wanted to do in New York was throw a dance party and invite all of my friends to hang out and dance together. So on Saturday, January 22, more than sixty of my favorite people gathered at You Should Be Dancing Studios to get their groove on. It was…
Documentary features Lindy Hop Legend Ms. Dawn Hampton and Hampton Family
Those in New York City should set your DVRs to catch "The Unforgettable Hampton Family," a new documentary by filmmaker Julie Cohen about an extraordinary African-american family of jazz musicians premiering on Thursday February 3 on WNET (Channel 13). The short film features musician/ singer/ dancer extraordinaire Ms. Dawn Hampton, a mainstay of the New…
Congrats to the Winners of the Bally’s Swing Dance Off in Atlantic City!
I'm happy to share with you the results of the Bally's Swing Dance Off, co-sponsored by Yehoodi.com, that took place yesterday evening at Bally's Casino in Atlantic City. From the reports I'm reading, it looks like an awesome event for everyone involved, including six hours of social dancing and competition, two amazing big bands, and…