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Showing posts from April, 2017

Family Ties .... Really? Part 2 regarding "Alive and Kicking"

The  Family Life in the Real Fam i ly            noun a   basic   social   unit   consisting   of   parents   and   their   children , considered   as   a   group,   whethe r   dwelling   together   or   not....   collectively... adjective of,   relating   to,   or   characteri stic   of   a   family... One of my friends was at the Harlem viewing and was impressed by  the  sense of family among enthusiasts.  Well here I will expound and muse quite a bit :>) For the most part dancers around the world into Lindy Hop/Swing and other Jazz dances do share a camaradarie among them: The love and appreciation for the art form of the Lindy Hop. Many would say this is mainly experienced and observed when it comes to the social dancing, certain dance moves, contests, dance camps and more.  If you are regular on the greater Lindy Hop scene wherever you are and stay in touch with select people this would in effect make sense. Within the film

Back Home to Harlem: The 2017 American Lindy Hop Championships (ALHC)

In this post we interview Paulette Brockington about The American Lindy Hop Championships coming Home to Harlem in October 2017. Tickets go on sale soon -  May 1st.   So heres a bit of an inside scoop, and more importantly HISTORY that we don't want to get lost ... and that we want Harlem and others to know :>) What is the purpose of  the American Lindy Hop Championships  (ALHC)? ALHC's original purpose was to provide Lindy Hoppers a fair  and unbiased platform where they could compete, take class, network and enjoy away from other dance styles that looked down on them. When did it start? It started in anger. I was at the 1997 US Open. The event played one swing/Big Band song  on Friday  night.  On Saturday  afternoon, just before the Lindy, they called on the Lindy competitors out on the floor for their warm up song. They played Benny Goodman's "Sing, Sing, Sing".  It turned into a jam because duh how could they dance well in their divisio

Harlem's most famed dance is in "Alive and Kicking": But wheres Harlem and Why? Part 1

APRIL  5th  2017 The VIEWING of  "ALIVE and KICKING"   at CITY COLLEGE, NYC With Talk Back/ Q & A   PART 1  Alive and Kicking  is a 2016 American   documentary film  about  swing dancing  directed/produced by Susan Glatzer. It   gives the audience an intimate, insider's view into the culture of the current swing dance world while delving into the history.  We meet the dedicated dancers and witness their energy, drive, sacrifices, challenges and successes as they make the time to perfect their craft for the dance they love... A dance that was made famous during the 1920's  in H arlem at the legendary Savoy Ballroom:  How apropos that this film have a showing in Harlem!  Out of all of the four NYC screenings of this film this was the one I was looking forward to being at.  I was hoping for a diverse audience - and honestly for more of my people to attend - and it "balanced out".  Present were Lindy Hop/Swing Dancers, secon