This weekend I had the pleasure of seeing “Swift Solos” – a new dance theater show based on the life and legacy of legendary b-boy Ken Swift. I found it to be a dramatic departure from the typical b-boy and hip-hop dance theater shows that I've seen. In a nutshell, “Swift Solos” is about the…
Yehoodi, the #1 Swing Dance Website on the Net, Gets a Web 2.0 Facelift!
On January 4, 2010, Yehoodi entered a new chapter in our history with a whole new website, built from the ground up. Our goal was to make sure that our site continued to serve the lindy hop community through providing necessary news and information , helping people find dance events anywhere in the world ,…
From Kimonos to Cosplay: “Japan Fashion Now” at FIT
Yesterday I got a chance to check out the "Japanese Fashion Now" exhibit at the Fashion Institute of Technology. It's a small, but intriguing overview of some of the major influences Japan has had on the fashion world internationally. From the angular minimalism of Issey Miyake to the "rebellious conformity" of the various Japanese sub-cultures,…
Burdock root tea… or extraterrestrial brainstem?
My colleague Dominique brought in this kind of scary looking jar with a big root floating in the middle of it. Apparently he was steeping a herbal tea using a burdock root that he had just unearthed from a city park. Watching him take a big swig from it make me realize what a hardcore…
The Chinese Restaurant as Ghetto Indicator?
Living in Prospect Heights, on the edge of Crown Heights, I see on every corner the forces of "urban" culture and gentrification duking it out. There's tony cafes with $50 prix fixe meals next to storefront churches, next to cafes serving $3 cups of coffee, besides auto repair shops with scary junkyard dogs. But how…
“Cage” and “Luke Cage Noir” Graphic Novels: Alternate Visions of the Blackest Superhero
I just finished Luke Cage Noir (2010), part of the Marvel Comics "Noir" series, re-visioning various superheroes as trenchcoat-clad detectives, gangsters, and devious molls from the 1930s. Luke Cage is nearly a perfect choice, since he is a street-smart, hard-edged detective, who also happens to have bullet-proof skin. I found myself comparing the graphic novel…
Yehoodi Celebrates 12 Years Supporting Lindy Hop with Swing Party, Dance Contest October 21
It’s hard to believe that 12 years ago in a garage in Queens, a scrappy Manu Smith and a scruffy Frank Dellario thought, "There has to be a better way to disseminate Larry’s List!" And thus, Yehoodi.com was born. In the twelve years that followed there have been all kinds of changes in the Lindy…
Diana Jensen’s Found Photo Paintings at the DUMBO Art Festival
This Saturday I stopped by the DUMBO Arts Festival, to see the recent work of my friend Diana Jensen. Her newest work is entitled “Blue Screen Series” and here's how she describes it: These paintings reference photos I found on the wall of a Miami pizzeria—shots of the workers after hours. The vivid ultramarine blue…
“Swift Solos” Show Celebrates the Work of Legendary B-boy Ken Swift
oLive Dance Theatre's SWIFT SOLOS from Hip-Hop Theater Festival on Vimeo. This year's Hip Hop Theater Festival features a show I'm very excited to see: "Swift Solos." "Swift Solos" is a series of vignettes based on the dance legacy of legendary b-boy Ken Swift. From his early years as an up-and-coming dancer, to joining Rock…
Ill Clan “morphs” into Two New Virtual World & Animation Shops
My friends at the award-winning machinima crew Ill Clan Studios tell me that they have "morphed" the company into two different concerns: Pixel Valley Studio will focus on real-time machinima animation and traditional 3D digital animation Kerria Seabrooke and Paul Jannicola will specialize in virtual world builds, experiential design and artistic machinima Not much more…