More cool submissions are coming in for the Frankie Week "Global Shim Sham" video project! Those clever cats in Chicago organized at their Tuesday night dance last night a Shim Sham for Frankie Week. Not content to merely video record the whole thing, they also broadcast it live on the web! Here's what Nuprin writes:…
Category: Dancing / Music
The Southwest Lindyfest: junior jitterbugs, soaring Canadians, and Frankie Manning! (video)
I just got home from an exhausting, amazing weekend in Houston for the Southwest Lindyfest, put on by the Houston Swing Dance Society. Lindyfest, now in its 13th year, is one of the most successful lindy hop camps in the country, drawing hundreds of swing dance enthusiasts from all over the US. The four day …
Korean lindy hoppers perform Shim Sham to traditional song “Arirang” (video)
This video is so many kinds of awesome, I don't know where to start. Korean lindy hoppers perform their version of the "Shim Sham" swing line dance for legendary lindy hopper Frankie Manning's 95th birthday. Instead of one of the standard swing tunes, these Korean dancers chose to do a modified version of the routine…
Lindy hoppers around the world creating photos & videos for Frankie’s 95th birthday!
Frankie Manning leading the Shim Sham at the NYSDS dance, December 2008. Video courtesy of vwluong. Today is the first day of "Frankie Week," taking place from March 12-22 — eleven days for lindy hop scenes from around the world to create social media to get them excited about Frankie Manning's 95th birthday in May….
Two legends of hip-hop in one day: Ken Swift and DMC!
Today was one of those days I just love living in New York. In the morning I got to interview hip-hop legend DMC (of Run DMC) at the ENGAGE Expo at Javitz Center. Then in the evening I got to take a fundamentals of breaking class with legendary b-boy Ken Swift. I love my crazy…
Interviewing DMC (of Run-DMC) about hip-hop, virtual worlds and youth
I had a remarkable opportunity to interview hip-hop artist Darryl “DMC” McDaniels of Run-DMC fame today! I caught up with Dee at the Engage Expo at Jacob Javitz Center this morning, who was here to promote his new virtual space DMC World. We had a very interesting discussion about hip-hop culture, virtual worlds, digital games,…
Congrats, Quest Crew! (Next stop: the Battle of the Year?)
Here they are: Quest Crew, "America's Best Dance Crew" of 2009. Well deserved, boys. Well played. Quest brought some seriously jaw-dropping tricks every single show, combined with near perfect team precision, creative choreography, and playful energy. No one, besides Beat Freaks, could touch them the whole season. That said, I do have to wonder how…
Bluegrass & Contemporary Dance: The Dang-It Bobbys at BAM Cafe (video)
Tonight, I and a friend enjoyed the hipster bluegrass stylings of the Dang-It Bobbys in the BAM Cafe in my nabe Fort Greene. I love going there because the space is so cool, it always draws a funky, diverse crowd, and the concerts are free! What's not to love? The Dang-It Bobbys were quite talented,…
Happy Fun Smile: the best damn Okinawan pop band in New York City
I had the pleasure of seeing "Happy Fun Smile" perform at Forbidden City last night. One of my favorite New York City acts, Happy Fun Smile seems transplanted straight out of the 1300s Japan, perhaps picking up a couple of NY hipsters to play the sanshin and sanba along the way. Brian the lead singer…
DMC launches first hip-hop virtual world: where’s my digital Adidas?
I just got word that Hip hop artist Darryl “DMC” McDaniels of Run-DMC fame is opening the first hip-hop oriented virtual world, called DMC World. Officially launching next week, the 3d environment will include a rooftop club overlooking a "crazy NYC skyline", a VIP screening room, a "VIP access-only backstage hangout", and a stage to…