It's been a few months since I got my Kindle as a birthday present, and it has slowly inched its way into both my heart and my backpack. I've been wanting some kind of e-reader to try and restart my love affair with reading that goes back as long as I can remember. I wanted…
How Ken Swift teaches improvisation and character in B-boying
I dropped in on Ken Swift's regular "breaking fundamentals" class that he has been running at PMT Studios for awhile now. It's always an enlightening experience, learning from one of the original innovators of this unique artform. Teaching breaking is enormously difficult, which I know from humbling personal experience. The dance demands so much from…
Videos are Up for the Red Bull BC-One B-boy Battle in Tokyo!
Wow, the videos from Saturday's epic b-boy battle Red Bull BC-One in Tokyo are already online, just one day later! And these aren't grainy, one angle, crappy audio cameraphone vids. This is a film-quality crew bringing the world's 16 best b-boys to the internet properly. And best part about the online videos — no annoying…
Final FINAL B-boy Performance at Frim Fram on December 9!
I'm excited to report that my ragtag crew from PMT studios will be performing our highly acclaimed b-boy routine "Ill Train" at the Frim Fram Jam dance on Thursday December 9. It's my favorite of all the routines I've ever done at PMT. Come by the Frim Fram Jam for the finest swing dancing and…
My Only Federal Offense: Painting Graffiti on the Rio Grande 18 Years Ago
Going through my files, I found this old clipping from the El Paso Times dated November 7, 1992. If I recall correctly, that is me in the middle of the picture, reaching down to help someone up the embankment. I just got finished committing a federal crime. The event was a public show of solidarity…
“Sita Sings the Blues”: An Animated Indian Myth set to 1920s Jazz
"Sita Sings the Blues" is one of those multi-thread, multi-cultural vanity projects that shouldn't work, but somehow does. Producer / animator / director / writer Nina Paley manages to blend the ancient Indian myth of Ramayana with 1920s jazz provided by diva Annette Hanshaw , as told by three contemporary Indians represented as shadow puppets. …
2010 Red Bull BC-One B-boy Competition: Pluto vs Luigi (video)
Here’s another one of my favorite matchups from this year’s Red Bull BC-One b-boy competition in Tokyo: Pluto from Ukraine versus Luigi of the USA. Pluto and Luigi have similar styles, including good floorwork, uprocking, and power. I’m still not sure how I would call this match. It’s interesting how frosty the reception of the…
2010 Red Bull BC-One B-boy Competition Final Match: Neguin vs Just Do It (video)
I woke up mad early to catch the Red Bull BC-One b-boy competition, streaming live online from Tokyo. Here's some quick video of the final match between Neguin of Brazil and Just Do It from the Netherlands. Neguin is a seasoned veteran, with a distinctive style, mad powermoves, and an aggressive stance. Just Do It…
Mini-review: Red Bull BC-One B-boy Game for iPhone / iPad / iTouch
Red Bull BC-One has in the past few years established itself as the gold standard of b-boy / breaking competitions, with top notch events, world class dancers, and film quality videos. Now the BC-One folks have added gaming to their offerings, with games for the Nintendo-DS, online, and now for the iPhone / iPad /…
Some Peeps I’m Thankful For
A few of the many folks I’m thankful are part of my life, on this day of thanksgiving: My boss Barry: When you offered me a job at Global Kids more than three years ago, you must have seen something in me that I didn’t see. Under your astute, mindful, and sensitive leadership I’ve grown…