Tonight is the celebration of the birthday of the incomparable dancer and entertainer Ms. Dawn Hampton. If you’ve never seen her, here’s a clip of Dawn dancing with her favorite dance partner John Dokes at Frankie Manning’s memorial service last year. Dawn’s birthday dance party is tonight at Club 412, 412 Eighth Avenue, 4th floor,…
World of Dance Today in Brooklyn!
It's a busy Memorial Day weekend, but there was no way I was going to miss the World of Dance urban dance event today at Brooklyn Tech. It's an all-star dance lineup of performers, including: Poreotix, winners of Americas Best Dance Crew Season 5 Jungle Boogie Blueprint Cru of Montreal Static Noyze and Ryhthm City…
“Light Cycle” Tron-esque Hoodie: It must be mine
I blame it on the powerful cocktail of pain and antibiotic meds that I'm on. My judgment is clearly impaired. I have no need for another hoodie. But I MUST have this one. It GLOWS IN THE DARK. It's Tron-tastic! OMG! Sorry, bank account. (Yeah , I know the girl depicted is not wearing a…
Memorial Weekend Swing: Dawn Hampton’s Birthday, Dedication of Frankie’s Gravestone, Vintage Beach Party!
This looks to be an incredible Memorial Day weekend for swing dancing in New York City! I've been away so I'm itching to get my lindy hop on. Among the highlights are: Saturday May 30 — Dawn Hampton's Birthday Bash: The fabulous dancer and entertainer Ms. Dawn Hampton is celebrating her birthday with a dance…
Fun with Dental Implant Surgery
Today, after several years of trying to postpone it, I finally got started with the scary dental implant procedure that I've been needing to get for awhile. It was quite the experience involving a powerful anaesthetic, the oral surgeon, two assistants, and even a representative of the company that manufactures the special implant I was…
“Abraham’s Children” Chronicles Lives of Muslim Youth in NYC (video)
My friend Nina sends out word that the premiere of her new documentary "Abraham's Children" last week was a big success. "Abraham's Children" tells some of the stories of the thousands of young people in New York City, where every 10th child is Muslim. I'm sad I missed the premiere, but hoping that I can…
My Amsterdam Food Tour
Amsterdam is not known as a foodie destination. Which is a shame, since it has everything a gourmand might want. Most foreigners don't even know what Dutch cuisine is — perhaps something involving raw herring on toast? Which is their loss really. After spending a week in Amsterdam, I am happy to report that there…
“Opus Jazz”: a ballet film with grit, sexiness and fun
My friend Mike sent me the info about a showing of the new dance film "Opus Jazz" last night at BAM. I jumped at the chance to see this loving paean to legendary American ballet choreographer Jerome Robbins, which aired on PBS a couple of months ago. Told in five acts, the film re-creates Robbin's…
KunstVlaai / ArtPie Exhibition in Amsterdam: Giant Mice, Fake Marketing, Robot Girls
I have been asking around to friends what are some of the cultural exhibits and shows that I should be sure and catch while I am in Amsterdam. Catherine told me that I should go to the "Kunstvlaai" experimental art exhibition that is happening at Westerpark in northwestern Amsterdam. Another friend Mark warned me against…
Living the Quaker Values: Wrap-Up
So over the past week, I've re-examined some of the core values of Quakerism, trying to be honest about my own feelings and experiences with each of them. I think I've a long way to go in fully integrating silence, worship, truth, simplicity, service and nonviolence into my daily life. At best I have flashes…