It was five years ago today that I was last at the legendary Herrang Dance Camp in Sweden, along with 1,000 other crazy lindy hoppers from all over the galaxy. On a lark, I entered the solo jazz dance contest, knowing that I would get spanked by the many, many incredible dancers who were there….
Jeremy Cooper on Comparing Yourself to the Greats
I recently shared to my feed this incredible breakdown of an Oscar Peterson piano solo. Which led to this response from my friend Jeremy Cooper: There are heroes that inspire me and always make me want to sit down and simply practice more. But then there are giants who tower so high above the landscape…
Ricky the Mouseketeer?
I have an odd memory of visiting Disneyland as a kid where a family asked me if I was a Mouseketeer. I didn’t even know there was an Asian Mouseketeer at the time. Apparently Curtis Wong was on the late 1970s revival of The Mickey Mouse Club. I have to admit, upon comparing photos, there…
Performing the “Skate Sham” with the Savoy Rollers
This past weekend, I had the extreme pleasure of performing a piece for the annual Skate Showcase we call “the Skate Sham.” Created with my Savoy Rollers crew, we wanted to share with the larger skate community our passion for lindy hop and our newfound love of skate dancing. So doing a skate version of…
Dreamland Roller Rink, 2008, Coney Island, Brooklyn
So way back in 2008, my friend Amy Winn convinced me to go with her to check out the Dreamland roller rink in Coney Island. I think it was a fundraiser because it was threatened with closure? I was blown away by the artistry of the rhythm skaters we saw. Here’s a bit of footage…
First Time Making Croissants
Operation Croissant was a success! Wow that was a lot of steps… Stuff that I’m happy with: shatteringly crisp exterior, good amount of lamination, rich and buttery flavor. Are they perfect? No. But for a first effort, I’m so pleased. I followed the Claire Saffitz method.
Celebrating My Golden Birthday with Pastries, Skating and Jazz
This year, I was so happy to get to celebrate my birthday with actual physical gatherings with my loved ones. As a theme, I decided to lean into this being my “golden” years with a couple of very sparkly gold outfits. The festivities began on the morning of July 3 at my favorite SF bakery,…
Visiting Disneyland on the Worst Day of the Year?
On Tuesday, my friend Kristin and I survived what could have been the worst possible day to visit Disneyland this year. And we actually had a blast! Several months ago, we decided to risk buying tickets to Disneyland in June, thinking that probably the pandemic would be more under control and that the Disney folks…
Small Talk Isn’t Small
I was not good at small talk before the Pandemic. And certainly have not improved since. At the first true party I was at, I was noticing one tactic that I want to get better at: throwing out a topic about someone else. Hanah was hosting a “post-Apocalypse” dance party at her place last weekend….
Shiny Stockings: a Tribute to Frankie Manning by The Revisionists + 38 Dancers!
Check out this incredible music and dance tribute to the late, great Frankie Manning by the Revisionists featuring a ton of wonderful dancers from around the world. I’m happy to play a very small part in this. “When I travel to all these different swing dance events, I’m finally seeing what I’ve wanted to see…