Skate buddy Bob shot and edited this dope footage of myself and my friends jamming in Golden Gate Park on January 14. Such a fun night! Featured skaters and dancers: Terrence Deep Zak HK Kendra Leyla Jess Jake
Tag: skating
Unlocking Myself at the Skating Rink
I started roller-skating because I missed dancing. But it might be making me a better person. Because of the pandemic, all of my usual outlets for social dancing were suddenly closed to me. No lindy hopping on Thursdays at 9:20. No late night clubbing at New Parish. No dance classes, no street parties, no music…
Skating at the Soon-to-be-closed Golden Skate
I had a blast skating at my first proper skating rink, the venerable Golden Skate in San Ramon, which has been open since the 1970s. Sadly, the owners announced that they will be closing it after the holidays. It’s a lovely old rink with a quaint, old-timey feel to it, from the country town motif…
Ice Skating in Union Square is Delightful
I had forgotten what a joy it is to ice skate. Even better when 20 of your skate and dance buddies show up to skate with you! My heart was so full from this evening of fun at the Union Square rink. I mean look at these happy faces! Here’s a little compilation from the…
A Warm and Lovely November Sunday at the Skating Place
This is November in San Francisco! Such a glorious day in the park with beautiful people — including my Facebook skater friend Caroline who I actually met in person for the first time! Good times!
Lindy Hop + Rollerskating in Harlem in the 1930s!
My friend Albert Boulanger brought this awesome factoid to my attention: to compete with the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem in the 1939, the Golden Gate Ballroom also featured roller-skating. Can you imagine getting to lindy hop AND rollerskate in the same lavish ballroom? Sigh. SOURCE: The Birth of Bebop, By Scott DeVeaux ยท 1997
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…
Jam Skate Progress – 10 Months
Yesterday was International Dance Day! And it’s been about 10 months since I started quad skating! I decided to try and capture some of the stuff I’ve been working on with my jam skating— that niche sub-genre of dance skating, often confused for rhythm skating. Jam skating is basically breaking / b-boying but on skates….
Rekindling that Electric Vibe of Social Dancing
Yesterday at the amazing “Rollin Deep” event put on by the Bay Area Roller Group, I got to experience all those life-giving feelings that dancing gives to me that I had almost forgotten: Seeing another dancer going off, locking eyes, and just vibing with them for a moment, a phrase, or whole song. Seeing your…