View Larger Map When the organizers of the Frankie Manning 95th Birthday Festival cooked up the idea of having lindy hop scenes from all over submit videos of themselves doing the Shim Sham line dance, we had no real expectations for how many would come in, or from where. I remember telling co-organizer Shorty Dave…
Category: Dancing / Music
Blue Vipers + 1st Fans Meetup with Sun Kwak at Brooklyn Museum
Just got home from a fun night at the Brooklyn Museum for their free First Saturday event this month. First Saturdays is one of my favorite New York cultural events, and the Brooklyn Museum one always bring out such a neat cross-section of the city. This was the first First Saturday I went to as…
Tell your lindy hop story at IamLindyHop.com
Spuds turned me on to this super cool website started by lindy hopper Ben Yau from Pasadena called : IAmLindyHop.com. The purpose of the site is to "gather and share stories of Lindy Hop" from the dancers, musicians, instructors and DJs that keep this artform alive every day. As Ben writes, "each person has a…
The Shim Sham… now in 3D! (video)
Ok, I am sure that my non-dancer friends are sick to death of all of these bloody Shim Sham videos. This is the last one (perhaps) that I'm posting, because it's so stinkin' cool! That's right, it's the Shim Sham, rendered in 3D, by those amazing folks at the Jam Cellar in DC. Here's how…
Frankie Manning asks New Yorkers to host visitors for his birthday (video)
Here's a direct appeal from the man himself, Mr. Frankie Manning, asking New Yorkers to open up their homes to lindy hoppers visiting from all over the world for the Frankie Manning 95th Birthday Festival this May. The man has spoken.
Mike Jagger (plus 2 forks and 2 dinner rolls) dances the Shim Sham
Here's lindy hopper Mike Jagger dancing the Shim Sham ala Charlie Chaplin using two forks and two dinner rolls. Damned if those utensils and baked goods don't dance better than I do. This is just so strange and brilliant. Directed by John Damn.
New Yorkers shim shamming in Grand Central (video)
Here's my buddy Will's video of about 50 New Yorkers dancing the Shim Sham in Grand Central Station last Saturday. Thanks everyone who participated, and especially Shorty Dave, Akemi, Lynn, Swifty and Will for helping organize and archive all of this craziness. Mad props to you all. Part of the Frankie Week festivities, in preparation…
“Mad Hot Ballroom” kids need your support!
"Dancing Classrooms" is the afterschool program run that teaches thousands of young people around New York City how to ballroom dance, as featured in the documentary "Mad Hot Ballroom." Unfortunately, like a lot of non-profits, the Dancing Classrooms program is in dire financial straits due to decreased contributions. Founder Pierre Dulaine says the program will…
My interview with DMC about his new hip-hop virtual world (video)
Here's the video of my interview with the pioneering rapper DMC (of Run-DMC fame) talking about his new virtual hangout DMC World. It was great getting an opportunity to hear DMC's views about hip-hop culture, online games, and youth empowerment. The actual virtual environment looks pretty clunky and dated, I'm afraid. But DMC clearly has…
Shim Shamming in Times Square and Grand Central for “Frankie Week”!
Today about 50-60 lindy hoppers assembled in Manhattan to dance the "Shim Sham" line dance as part of the "Frankie Week" festivities taking place all over the globe. It was one of those remarkable days that make me grateful to live in New York and be a part of the lindy hop scene.