Back in States now, getting ready to go back to "real life" after my adventures at the Herrang Dance Camp. It’s hard to sum up the experience of being crammed together with 800 crazy lindy hoppers for nine days in a tiny town in Sweden. On my last morning in Herrang, I strolled through the…
Friday Night Herrang Blowout Party
The final evening of dance camp is always a costume party with some kind of theme. This being the 25th anniversary of the camp, the theme was simply to dress in outlandish fashion, which lots of dancers gladly did. I loved how several dancers were dressed as different lindy hop moves, from the Texas Tommy to…
Rik’s Tips for Herrang
I’m spending a couple of days in Stockholm with my friend Tomo, recovering from Herrang. Here are some pointers from me that might help your Herrang experience be more enjoyable and stress-free: Be Flexible: I’m not talking about your body (although it’s important to stretch out before and after dancing.) I mean, the dance camp…
Frankie Manning book signing in Herrang a success!
The Herrang book signing for Frankie Manning’s autobiography Ambassador of Lindy Hop finished at around 3:30PM, only an hour after it was scheduled to complete today. Reportedly, the Herrang camp sold more than 700 books, with several campers buying more than one copy to take back home with them. Frankie, ever the gentleman, would not…
Inevitably ill in Herrang
Not surprisingly, I’ve gotten a bit sick here at Herrang Dance Camp. Really it’s a perfect breeding ground for airborne and skinborne viruses, since we spend a lot of time in close quarters, dance holding hands with tens of strangers, and get no sleep. It doesn’t help that people who are sick selfishly go out…
Groovin to the Blues
Last night was “Blues Night” at Camp Herrang. A killer band from Stockholm came in, the Family Carling band, playing live blues music. They played some solid sets for the dancers that kept the floor packed and moving. I did have a bit of a problem with how people were dancing to the blues. The…
Second Life Non-profit Commons Opening Party August 14
I’m excited to announce that on August 14 the Plush Non-profit Commons in Second Life (teleport SLURL) will be holding an official opening party. Starting at 5:30PM PST, this will be a mixed-reality event taking place in the real world in San Francisco as well as virtually at the Non-profit Commons sim. Here’s the official…
What is an “advanced” lindy hopper?
I decided this morning that I’m leveling up at Herrang Dance Camp. Normally I see myself as a solid intermediate-advanced dancer. Better than most, but far from what I consider the advanced dancers in the New York scene. But here I think I’m dancing at more of an advanced level compared to the general population…
Herrang Day 3: the DJ Showcase
Last night there was a “DJ Showcase” at Herrang Dance Camp, with a series of DJ’s playing six-song sets and a panel of dancer judges on the stage judging their picks. I was curious how this was going to go, since nothing is more subjective than the kind of music people like.
About the Herrang Dance Camp
I feel like I should be writing "Hi mom and dad, having a great time at dance camp! Today I got a blue star in intermediate ribbon dancing." Seriously, it’s been an amazing time so far at the Herrang International Dance Camp in Sweden. Herrang is quite a special place with a strong sense of…