Musings on Dance, Food, Geek Stuff
Yesterday was a lovely sunny and brisk day for the Easter Parade in Manhattan on Fifth Avenue. Thousands of locals and tourists milled about and marveled at the elegant, fanciful, opulent and sometimes ridiculous Easter outfits worn by participants. The lindy hop crowd tends toward the more vintage-y and elegant end of the spectrum, with…
I don't know if every biker does this, but I have my own set of personal rules for how I choose to bike in the city. Since New York City bikers tend to play light and loose with traffic regulations, it can be tempting to think that we have no regard for the laws or…
On May 6 , 2009, Global Kids is planning a happy-hour fundraiser for a trip to Kenya for several deserving Global Kids teen leaders this summer. The fundraiser will take place from 7-10 pm on Wednesday May 6, at Sidebar, near Union Square. There will be free food, a silent auction and awesome goody bags….
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…
Last Friday, Global Kids held its Annual Conference at Baruch College, gathering 600-some students and educators from around New York City to examine critical social issues, meet each other, and get activated. This year's theme was "Global Health — Be the Vaccine," featuring speakers and workshops on a wide variety of health-related topics. An important…
Good times at Gotham Girls roller derby at Long Island University tonight. It was a double-header event, well worth the $19 cover charge. The friendly crowd was packed to capacity in the auditorium, cheering madly for the New York teams and shouting out the names of their favorite players. I was there with a bunch…
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.
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…
"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 friend Amy Jacobus is a freelance florist who creates really lovely things with flowers. If you require floral work for your event or site in the New York-area, I can recommend her work highly. See her website at http://amyjacobus.com or contact her directly. Push Amy has the hawt librarian thing DOWN. But that's really…