This music video by alternative artist Scott Harris has everything I love: an homage to cheesy 80s music, all the music was produced on virtual instruments on the iPad, and it's performed by two fresh b-boys. I don't know about you, but this gets me hyped on a Monday morning. The two b-boys are Kid…
Learning to Slow Down and Embrace the Silence
The following is the message I delivered at Quaker Meeting this morning: So I was talking with my friend Rafi, who is a practicing Buddhist, about the recent month-long silent retreat he just came back from. I asked Rafi how it went. He replied that it was great but that he wished that he had…
Reinventing Myself
Being among several people in Herrang who are doing really interesting, creative things with their lives has got my brain spinning. Over the past six months or so, I've been thinking about a major life shift. As I scheme about this next phase of my life, this is a good time to think about how…
My somewhat random pics from Herrang and Stockholm, Sweden
I wasn't a huge shutterbug during my travels in Herrang and Stockholm, Sweden this time around. There were lots and lots of other folks with high-end cameras running around the entire time. But I had my trusty iPhone on me, so did take a few fun pics. Can't wait to see more of the amazing…
Global Kids in the New York Times: Helping NYC Teens Engage with the World!
Returning from vacation, I was very happy to see the news that my organization Global Kids got a nice write-up in the New York Region section of the New York Times a couple of days ago. Entitled "Learning in Summer, Gladly," Clyde Habermas writes about how Global Kids as a nonprofit works with New York…
Thoughts on Being Judged as a Dancer
As I wrote about yesterday, I competed in the "strictly lindy" division at the Jazz Jam competition in Stockholm, Sweden. It was my first Strictly so I found it both somewhat stressful and very educational. How strictly contests work is that you enter with a dance partner of your choice, but you have to dance…
Videos of Badass Dancing at Jazz Jam in Stockholm (updated)
Tonight I had a super-fun time dancing at the Jazz Jam in Stockholm Sweden this evening. A competition, concert and swing dance, it's quite a full evening of entertainment for anyone who loves swing and jazz. I originally wanted to enter the Jack and Jill competition, since I find watching them less fun than participating….
Herrang Final Party: Letting Your Inner Animal Swing Out
The 2010 Herrang International Dance Camp has finally come to a close. I'm sitting in the bar of the Folketshaus, the heart of the Herrang Dance Camp, surrounded by dancers grabbing breakfast before catching busses to the airport or to Stockholm. Meanwhile a small army of volunteers is dismantling the entire camp to return it…
Herrang Last Day: The Spirit is Willing But the Body is Shot
It's the last day of the Herrang International Dance Camp and there's a feeling of melancholy as the hundreds of dancers get in their last classes, meals together and dances this evening. For some it has been up to five weeks of camp, so quite a significant investment of their summer here. For myself, a…
Dawn Hampton dancing to the Carling Family Band in Herrang (pic)
Here's a cool pic of Miss Dawn Hampton dancing to the Carling Family Big Band at the dance last night at the Herrang Dance Camp. Dawn does these incredible motivational talks / dance workshops here (and elsewhere) that serve a very important role in imparting the values of lindy hop: kindness, joy, and personal expression…