I'm beyond myself excited about seeing the incredible Jabbawockeez dance crew's show in Las Vegas this weekend, courtesy of my awesome cousin Zan. They are one of my favorite hip-hop crews in the world, a group that has elevated the art in new directions and to a massive audience. And all of that while…
Category: Travel
Weird European Packaging: Atamon Danish Preservative
When I saw this product at a supermarket in Sweden, I had to buy it. Even though I had no idea what it was. The clerk in the store was equally puzzled, mumbling something about "preservative." Now I have found out that "Atamon" is a Danish product that is used in jellies and pickles to…
Dancing with My Gigantic Self
Question: So say you had access to a ginormous banner depicting yourself dancing with one of your favorite dance partners. What would you do with it? Answer: put it on the ground on dance on it! As you may recall, Lincoln Center a couple of months ago contacted my friend Nina and I about being…
Yehoodi Talk Show: The Herrang Edition
I forgot to mention that Spuds, Letta and I did a live taping of our Yehoodi Talk Show from the Herrang Dance Camp last week! It was a blast being with both of them in the Folkets Hus main building of the camp, sitting in a cafe, just talking about how Herrang is going. I'm…
The Herrang Dance Camp: The Culinary Experience
As a food-obsessed dancer, going to rural Sweden for the Herrang Dance Camp was a mixed bag for me. Sure, some of the best swing dancers, swing musicians and teachers are there from around the world. But what am I going to EAT all day and night? I mean, you can only have so many…
Final Day in Herrang: Hellos and Goodbyes
Saturday is the traditional change-over / reset day at the Herrang Dance Camp. All day, scores of dancers arrive and depart as the next round of classes and parties is prepped to begin on Sunday. Rooms are cleaned, facilities are repaired, schedules are organized. I have been walking around in a stupor after being out…
Getting into the Herrang Groove: Two Weeks Minimum
I have decided that the minimum stay for having a satisfactory Herrang Dance Camp experience is two weeks. You need at least one week to get acclimated to the unique environment, culture and time-table of Herrang. Just figuring out where to sleep, eat, go to class, social dance, and hang out takes like three…
The Herrang Dance Camp and the Incredibly Horrible Floorcraft
A couple of nights ago I was the perfect (bad) example of why the floorcraft at the Herrang Dance Camp sucks so much. So I'm dancing in the open air "dance barn" at like 3:30 or 4am. I'm dead tired, barely standing. There are very few couples on the large dance floor, perhaps 20. I'm…
The Dreaded Herrang Flu: Catching More than the Lindy Bug
So I'm inevitably sick in Herrang. I have long thought that the Herrang Dance Camp would be a perfect place to study the spread of contagions and illnesses. I'm no epidemiologist, but with hundreds of people packed into dense spaces for hours and hours at a time, in close embrace, breathing the same air, the…
The Frankie Walk: Learning about Herrang and Frankie’s Life
The "Frankie Walk" is one of the newest additions to the Herrang Dance Camp this year. The Frankie Walk combined a walking tour of the town of Herrang and a quiz about Frankie Manning's life, particularly his relationship to the Herrang camp. Spuds and I did the walk together today, and we really enjoyed it. You…