This past week, I got to spend a couple of days in the city of New Orleans for a teacher training I was conducting, which presented an opportunity to see some friends and enjoy this wonderful place. I have been feeling guilty that I haven't been back to New Orleans since Katrina struck in 2005. …
Category: Dancing / Music
Badass Video Monday: “Eye of the Tiger” Performed on iPads by B-boys
This music video by alternative artist Scott Harris has everything I love: an homage to cheesy 80s music, all the music was produced on virtual instruments on the iPad, and it's performed by two fresh b-boys. I don't know about you, but this gets me hyped on a Monday morning. The two b-boys are Kid…
My somewhat random pics from Herrang and Stockholm, Sweden
I wasn't a huge shutterbug during my travels in Herrang and Stockholm, Sweden this time around. There were lots and lots of other folks with high-end cameras running around the entire time. But I had my trusty iPhone on me, so did take a few fun pics. Can't wait to see more of the amazing…
Thoughts on Being Judged as a Dancer
As I wrote about yesterday, I competed in the "strictly lindy" division at the Jazz Jam competition in Stockholm, Sweden. It was my first Strictly so I found it both somewhat stressful and very educational. How strictly contests work is that you enter with a dance partner of your choice, but you have to dance…
Videos of Badass Dancing at Jazz Jam in Stockholm (updated)
Tonight I had a super-fun time dancing at the Jazz Jam in Stockholm Sweden this evening. A competition, concert and swing dance, it's quite a full evening of entertainment for anyone who loves swing and jazz. I originally wanted to enter the Jack and Jill competition, since I find watching them less fun than participating….
Herrang Final Party: Letting Your Inner Animal Swing Out
The 2010 Herrang International Dance Camp has finally come to a close. I'm sitting in the bar of the Folketshaus, the heart of the Herrang Dance Camp, surrounded by dancers grabbing breakfast before catching busses to the airport or to Stockholm. Meanwhile a small army of volunteers is dismantling the entire camp to return it…
Herrang Last Day: The Spirit is Willing But the Body is Shot
It's the last day of the Herrang International Dance Camp and there's a feeling of melancholy as the hundreds of dancers get in their last classes, meals together and dances this evening. For some it has been up to five weeks of camp, so quite a significant investment of their summer here. For myself, a…
Dawn Hampton dancing to the Carling Family Band in Herrang (pic)
Here's a cool pic of Miss Dawn Hampton dancing to the Carling Family Big Band at the dance last night at the Herrang Dance Camp. Dawn does these incredible motivational talks / dance workshops here (and elsewhere) that serve a very important role in imparting the values of lindy hop: kindness, joy, and personal expression…
Herrang Day Five: Teaching Lindy Hoppers How to Break
Sorry that the updates have been infrequent here at the Herrang Dance Camp. It's been a whirlwind experience and I haven't had much time to process or write about it. And frankly I've enjoyed being completely offline for once in my life. Anyway, today I found myself teaching an introduction to breaking class as one…
Herrang: Mind Officially Blown
Why do people come to Herrang? It's remote and hard to get to, over-crowded, hot, and full of mosquitos. There are many other camps, workshops, exchanges and dance events that occur all around the US, Europe and other parts of the world all year. And yet Herrang is still the gold standard of lindy hop…