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…
Category: Dancing / Music
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…
COBU Japanese Tap-Drum Ensemble at PMT This Sunday, January 30!
I'm just a few hours in California, and I'm already missing two awesome dance events in New York City this weekend! For you tap / drum fans, the Japanese ensemble COBU is not to be missed on Sunday. Blending ear-splitting taiko drumming, funky rhythm tap, and hip-hop dance, COBU performances is a visual, aural and…
Thanks for the memories, New York! San Francisco, here I come!
Today at 4pm, Mole Negro and I board a flight for San Francisco, our new / old home! It's been a really fun last two weeks in New York, knocking out pretty much everything on my "Bucket List" and then some! The finale was an awesome last Frim Fram Jam at Club412, with a goodbye…
Voon Makes Me Creme Brule at Frim Fram (video)
Here's some grainy video of my buddy Voon making me a homemade creme brulé at my Frim Fram dance last night. As one of the last Fram's that I'll be at for a long time, it was a lovely and delicious parting gift. In retrospect though, perhaps using a blowtorch on the bar near…
Lindy Hoppers Dax and Sarah on Semi-finals of “Live to Dance”! (video)
Check out this beautiful and flawless lindy hop performance by Dax Hock and Sarah Breck on the CBS dance show "Live to Dance." I haven't been watching the show, so I don't know what injury the judges are referring to, but they looked damn sweet. And the music choice I thought was perfect —…
Bally’s Swing Dance Contest POSTPONED till January 29
Due to the impending inclement weather, the organizers of the Bally's Swing Dance Contest in Atlantic City have decided to postpone the event until Saturday January 29. All the other awesomeness is the same though! Two amazing big bands: Michael Arenella's Dreamland Orchestra and the Boilermakers Two awesome tests of lindy hop abilities: a stamina…