"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…
Category: Dancing / Music
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.
“Swim Sham” on the Canary Islands (video)
I enjoyed very much this "Swim Sham" performed by dancers at the La Santa Swing dance camp in Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. Particularly all the splashing in the second section and the pool aerials. It just looked like so much fun! I continue to be blown away by everyone's submissions for "Frankie Week." Many…
Frankie Week Day 7: Frankie’s Wednesday Class does the Shim Sham (with Celebrity Guest)
Here’s another clever Shim Sham video for “Frankie Week,” this time from Frankie’s Wednesday night class he has been teaching for many years. Watch for the celebrity appearance during the break in the middle! Filmed at You Should Be Dancing Studios . Awesome work, folks. Stuart Math, the videographer, also produced this awesome compilation video…
Catch Me Breaking at PMT Spring Showcase April 18 and 19
The performance group I'm in at PMT Studios is again doing a breaking performance as part of the PMT Spring Showcase the weekend of April 17-19. You can catch me and my team on Saturday April 18 at 8pm and Sunday April 19 at 3pm. We'll be performing along with several other dance pieces from…
Frankie Week Continues: San Francisco Shim Shim (with blooper!)
Here's another great video for "Frankie Week" created by those awesome folks in the San Francisco lindy scene. Set in front of the very picturesque Golden Gate Bridge, they really nail the movements and fun vibe of the Shim Sham. And then… well, watch the video… More Shim Sham videos for Frankie week can be…
Frankie Week Day Six: Chicago Shim Shams Live on the Web!
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:…
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…