My family isn't perfect. I guess no one's is. But I am feeling grateful I generally feel safe and accepted when I am home with the relatives. It's maybe 70% pleasure, around 20% boring, and at most 10% awkward. I know that is not the reality for everyone. For some people, being with family means…
Category: The Spirit
Falling Isn’t Failing: What an Animated GIF Taught Me about Dancing and Living
So this awesome animated dancing gif has been making the rounds, for good reason. First off, it’s bad ass. Second off, it’s hilarious. The more and more I watch it, the more that I think it perfectly encapsulates some important life lessons that go way beyond dancing. Stay with me here! So what’s one of the…
Happy Birthday to Me / Joyeux Anniversaire a Moi!
Hey, it’s my birthday! I’m in Montreal right now, one of my favorite cities, staying with friends, eating amazing food, and dancing dancing dancing. I’m feeling very blessed. To my far flung friends and family, feel free to leave your greetings here, which would really make my day!
Frankie Manning’s 101st Birthday and What He Taught Me
Today would have been the 101st birthday of Mr. Frankie Manning, the “ambassador of swing” and one the finest humans I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. I was fortunate enough to start swing dancing in the late 1990s in New York, right during the peak of the neo-swing resurgence and when Frankie Manning was…
“What Does George Fox Say?”: Awesome Parody / Primer on Quakers (video)
This video has all of the awesome: Spot on parody of the already excellent "The Fox" music video Interesting content about the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) and our founder, George Fox Great production values, from music to cinematography, for a volunteer production Hilarious Quaker references: giving vocal ministry, the bonnets and hats, sitting…
“Sutro” (a poem)
First poem of 2014. Sutro Morning warming sun Chill breeze on my cheeksThe surf mist tickles Bones vibrate with each thu-thump of the wavesGulls callAnd everywhereThe lightThe lightThe light Rik Panganiban, 2014
Rik’s 2013 Year in Review: Dance Shows, Geeky Teens, Fake Ukrainian Bombs
Looking back on the past 12 months, it's been pretty incredible on a lot of fronts. Some highlights: helped hundreds of teens to be science storytellers using technology co-starred in a hip-hop dance show that I inspired co-hosted and co-produced a live broadcast from the Olympics of swing led a tech workshop in the Ukraine…
Morning Meditation on Meditation
Meditation or prayer has been a daily part of my life since at least my teen years. In my most fervent days, I sought to be "praying at all times," even when just walking from place to place or waiting for an elevator. I had little alarms set on my watch and planner to remind…
C2C “Happy” Music Video Will Make You Even Happier
I was turned on to this song "Happy" (by the electronic group C2C) from watching this amazing "I Charleston Nashville" video a couple of months ago. After watching the original music video, I can see where the Nashvillians got their inspiration. Really fantastic dancing, blending vernacular jazz, house and more. And the tent revival…
Happy Diwali: Celebrate the Light!
Happy Diwali to all my Hindu peeps out there. And whatever your denomination or creed, celebrate the light today, wherever you find it.