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…
The Carling Family Band : The Quintessential Lindy Hop Band (video)
Last night was one of those frustrating / inspiring experiences that happens often in Herrang, where you have the most amazing band playing your favorite song, a roomful of the best lindy dancers in the world — and you can't dance. The Carling Family Band is perhaps the quintessential lindy hop band. They…
Hip-Hop Herrang: Bringing Breaking to the Lindy Hop Camp
So last night I taught what I think was a very successful Breaking 101 class at the Herrang Dance Camp. I thought it might be a good experience for me and expose people to a different kind of movement that might help their dancing in general. And I think it is always useful to show…
Jam Circles and Confronting Your Inner Critic
So as I mentioned in the previous post, there was a spontaneous jam circle at the end of Lennert and W's class yesterday in Herrang. Inspired by the music, I jumped in with one of the follows from our class and did a short sequence — something like a couple of swingouts, a do-si-do, and…
Herrang Shenanigans: Class interrupted by Swing Band (video)
This is the kind of stuff that makes me remember why I love the Herrang Dance Camp so much. This was my final class of the week with Lennert (director of the camp) and his partner W. Toward the end of the class, a swing band marched through and began playing for us, followed…
Let’s Put on a Show!: Swing Kids Perform and Cabaret Night
Last night was one of my favorite events at the Herrang Dance Camp: Cabaret Night. It's the time when people bust out their best usually non-swing-related talents to share with the camp. With some of the most gifted dancers in the world in Herrang, you know they have many other tricks up their sleeve!…
Herrang Day 3: Challenging Assumptions and the Dreaded Slow Drag
So starting the second day, my body started pushing back, telling me, "Rik, you aren't 25 anymore." I was falling asleep all day and night, during class, during the dances, during the camp meeting… basically all the time. My dancing has certainly not in top form, but I pushed through the fatigue. That must mean…
Herrang Day 2: A Mellower Dance Camp Experience
It's been a different experience being here Week Two of the Herrang Dance Camp rather than Week Four or Five, when I have come in the past. This camp is a lot less intense so far than previous times I've been here. And for the most part, that is a good thing. Herrang in total…
Learning Again and Again the Art of Partner Dancing
It's the first real day of the Herrang Dance Camp for me. Today the advanced group had three classes with just one teaching couple: Jo Hoffberg and Kevin Saint Laurent. They taught something both totally simple and exceedingly difficult: how to lead and follow your partner. The concept was to lead precisely very simple figures…
Off to Herrang Dance Camp for a Couple Weeks
Starting on Saturday, I will be — for the third time! — at the Herrang International Dance Camp, in the quaint northern Swedish town of Herrang. I'm looking forward to being with the hundreds and hundreds of lindy hop afficionados from around the world that converge on Herrang. And lots of good friends will be…