" He's the teacher?!   I don't want that White Boy teaching me anything!"    "He's not teaching me my dance!" And with that they - some African Americans/ Black people -  do an about face and march out of the dance classroom... ________________ Harlem and Harlemites (aw heck Black folks!) can be a challenge - and that race card goes both ways a whole lot.  With that bad word "gentrification" and the bullying tactics in the area it can have some of the locals thinking EVERYTHING is being taken/stolen away from them.  So when some folks  - Black and White - see The Harlem Swing Dance Society's main teacher Rafal Pustelny he definitely generates all kinds of reactions.  SSSSSSSSSssssshhhhh.... Most times he is unaware of it ....  ;>) Oh but what they miss out on! Rafal Pustelny has built up quite a resume from the days we met him sometime back when he proudly spoke of "Boogie Woogie" influences. Th...

As already stated I have attended 4 showings of the Alive and    Kicking Documentary Film.  The first showing on April 5 th had the largest and most gregarious audience, 95% of which were Lindy Hop/Swing dancers.  In Harlem it was a mix…. But the last 2 showings had a change in dynamics.  There was a varied mix of older persons and young dancers…. It seemed like the older crowd was there to reminisce about their youth or recall when their elders did it.  Again it was a light sprinkle of black people; I encouraged them to stay for the Q & A Talk Back because they would “need” and appreciate more clarity on what they were about to see. At the Francesca Beale Theater y ou could hear better at these latter screenings for sure!  This is no cut against enthusiasm for the documentary – there was just a more concentrated interest in these characters on screen. Maybe more eagerness in a way to understand what has happened, since it was so su...