Behind the Madness

New Year's Eve 2011 Footage

2012-01-10T22:37:00.000-08:00

Footage from this year's house party!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-03T14:13:00.000-08:00

Guests: 100 (approximately).
Cocktails: 186 (approximately).
Wine: 9.5 bottles.
Champagne: 5.5 bottles.
Beer: 0.5 pony keg.

What a night. Thanks to everyone who came to ring in the new year with us!

Maui, HI Vacation 2011 - Parts IV, V & VI

2011-08-13T02:45:00.000-07:00

I finally got a chance to post the rest of my dumb vacation videos! Enjoy.

Maui, HI Vacation 2011 - Part III

2011-08-07T17:24:00.000-07:00

Maui, HI Vacation 2011 - Part II

2011-08-05T21:32:00.000-07:00

Part two is here!

Maui, HI Vacation 2011 - Part I

2011-08-05T03:06:00.000-07:00

Nerd alert! Trying my hand at vlogging...hopefully I'll have part II up soon.

2011 Swing/Jazz Dance Music Video Entries

2011-06-12T02:49:00.000-07:00

The Seattle Vintage Jazz Dance music video screening party was a blast! Thank you to everyone who supported this event. Enjoy the following clips, and if you like what you see, please spread the word and help this event continue to grow. Thank you!

First runner up...

And the winner is...

Want more? Watch entries from previous years:

www.seattlevintagejazzdance.com/2009

www.seattlevintagejazzdance.com/2010

Can't make it to this year's music video screening? Watch live now!

2011-06-11T19:20:00.000-07:00

Seattle Vintage Jazz Dance is proud to present...

The 3rd annual Swing/Jazz Dance Music Video Screening and Awards Ceremony

Watch now, live on UStream.tv!

Edit: Thanks to those who tested this out. If we do this again next year, we'll make sure there's better sound quality... :)

The entries are in!

2011-06-04T03:31:00.000-07:00

All video entries for the 2011 Swing/Jazz Dance Music Video Contest have been submitted, and boy are you all in for a treat! A big thanks to everyone who participated!

If you're in or around Seattle you should definitely check out the screening and awards ceremony on Saturday, June 11th.

Having a bad day? Watch these.

2011-06-01T01:05:00.000-07:00

Babies. Are. Hilarious.

For shits and giggles...

Video Contest! #ExcitedAboutToPeeMyself

2011-05-23T14:29:00.000-07:00

First post in forever! Epic fail. That said, here's my post:

I'M SO FREAKIN' EXCITED ABOUT THE VIDEO CONTEST!

Rumor has it there are a number of really awesome videos in the works. The deadline is fast approaching, so get started on your videos soon...or nag someone about making a video soon. Either way. :)

Blarg.

2011-03-14T13:12:00.000-07:00

Ideas for the upcoming music video contest

2011-03-13T03:27:00.000-07:00

Want to make a video for the upcoming Swing/Jazz Dance Music Video Contest, but having trouble coming up with ideas? Here are a variety of clips that might spark your imagination:

2011 Swing/Jazz Dance Music Video Contest!

2011-03-09T01:42:00.000-08:00

ATTENTION LINDY HOPPERS!

Seattle Vintage Jazz Dance is holding it's 3rd annual Swing/Jazz Dance Music Video Contest! Check it out, and please spread the word to those who may be interested!

First prize is $700 cash, plus 40 dance passes to the weekly HepCat Productions swing dance!

Second prize is $150 cash!

Last year, entries were submitted from San Francisco, Washington, D.C. and Sweden! We're hoping to see an even broader representation with this year's contest.

This is a great event designed to help promote the dancing and music that we all love. If you're at all interested, please take a moment to visit the official contest website for details, examples, resources, etc.

Thanks! Hope to see your video submission in June. ;)

The Post New Years Recap

2011-01-09T12:22:00.000-08:00

BOY HOWDY! What a party. The toilet at Marie Callender's did not see that one coming! The New Years Eve party was, to understate, a roaring success. We went all out this year in attempts to show our friend and family a good time. We had alcohol of all varieties in various rooms, around 60 - 70 people roaming the house, a live band (with room to dance), and lots of merriment (read: "drunkenness") all around.

This fall we did a lot of work on the basement bar by expanding it, and adding decorative mirrors, signs and lights. In attempts to add to create a real bar-like atmosphere we also thought the bar needed a name. We decided that "The Lowdown" captured a certain spirit and seemed appropriate given the height of the ceilings...

In addition to the expanded bar, this year guests had a new room to explore. Earlier this summer, when I moved into Alex's home, we began working on my new room. The new room, which for obvious reasons we named the "Pink Room" provided a space for guests to escape the chaos, consume chocolate and indulge in some white wine from a fountain, all while listening to a lovely Bach playlist.

Don't worry, we kept things classy down in the bar as well.

There were a few sketchy points in the night, but all in all this was a party I will remember fondly for years to come. Thank you to Claire McKenna (Piersol)'s Trio + special guest Freddie Dickinson on trombone, our dinner and clean-up crew, our bartenders, and of course everyone who showed up! We hope to see you all next year.

I'm still alive.

2010-12-28T13:35:00.000-08:00

Dear readers,
I owe you a post. In short: I am alive, well and prepping for the biggest party of the year.

Live band - Check!
Keg of Mac & Jacks - Check!
Stocked bar in the basement - Check!
Surprises, both big and small - Checkity Check!
Obnoxious noise makers and party hats - Check and Check!
Alcoholic dancer friends - Check! Check! Check! Check! Check! Check! Check! Check! Check! Check! Check! Check! Check! Check! Check! Check! Check! Check! Check! Check! Check! Check! Check! Check! Check! Check! Check! Check! Check! Check! Check! Check! Check! Check! Check!

I'm ready. Catch you in the new year, folks!

Love,
Mad

Reflections on Dancer Relations at Jazz Festivals

2010-06-29T00:52:00.000-07:00

This weekend was the 20^th Annual Olympia Jazz Festival. This year a handful of Seattle folks made it, along with a number of people from Portland, a couple of Vancouverites and a...Chilliwackian? A Chilliwacker? That's what she said? Anyway, after catching the last set on Friday evening, my Seattle/Chilliwack crew drove back down to Olympia, WA on Saturday, arriving at the festival at about one o'clock in the afternoon.

We laughed, we drank, and of course we danced. Everything was great up until an unfortunate incident took place on the dance floor. The incident involved a notoriously grumpy older ~~gentleman~~ man threatening violence against my partner during one of our dances. The man, after walking over and shoving my partner to get his attention said, “If you don't stop stomping, I'm going to go get my gun and I'm going to shoot you! I will, because you could hurt somebody!” With that he and his wife danced off in a huff, leaving my partner and I absolutely stunned.

A number of people immediately got up from their seats to talk to us. One woman, who sounded quite livid, came up to us and said, “Don't you listen to him. That guy is an asshole. He thinks he owns the floor”. Throughout the festival others came up to send further messages of comfort. It became clear to me after hearing his outburst that this man has a serious problem. As another patron of the festival put it, “His last name starts with a capital A”.

This incident got me thinking, particularly about the latter half of what he said, “...you could hurt somebody!” This is clearly the man's grounds for making such a remark, and while there is no excuse for such behavior, this statement provides a glimpse into the rationale fueling the outburst. While I have not heard such a violent expression of this sentiment before, I have heard the same concern from other dancers at these festivals.

For the most part, Lindy Hoppers are well-received by the jazz festival patrons; it's hard to get through a festival without being showered by complements and encouragement. However, as time goes on, and Lindy Hoppers become a more permanent part of these festivals, more and more comments surface from those who share the floor with us which are not quite so positive. There have been a number of times where others have approached us and we've been told, in so many words, “We love you guys, but you really have to change if you want to continue being welcomed here”.

The problems boil down to many factors. One of the biggest problems I see is ignorance. One example of this would be that Lindy Hoppers have no concept of line of dance. Although we see older dancers traveling on the outside of the dance floor it doesn't always occur to us to stay out of the way. Sometimes the speed of the music can consume mental bandwidth. Other times we are distracted by the great live music to the point where these things just slip our minds.

Those factors may also explain why it doesn't occur to us to dance small when the floor is crowded. Additionally, the skill-set of a couple can influence this greatly (I say couple because I know very well that follows can suck up space as easily as leads can). Lack of awareness is one thing, and getting caught up in the music is another – but add on top of that the inability to control ones body movements, and we've got a little bit of a hairball on our hands (gross).

Yet another layer of this problem is the misconception that festival-goers hold in which they believe that we are one cohesive group. I suppose we are, but only in that we do the same dance; Lindy Hoppers come to these festivals from different cities, and often times we don't know the dancers from the other scenes. Yet the most frequent question Lindy Hoppers seem to get from festival-goers is this: “Are you all a part of a club?” Typically this question is directed at the person that is assumed to be the leader of the pack.

The conception that we are members of one club, and further, that we have a single leader, is exemplary of the ignorance that occurs at these festivals. Misconceptions occur on both sides. One belief I held was the idea that Lindy Hoppers are the only ones unaware of dance floor etiquette. I suppose I knew the problem was more than just our dancers, but it may not have been so clear to me mostly because I do not have a sense of responsibility for the behaviors of the festival-goers at large, but for myself and other Lindy Hoppers who I feel are essentially guests in a scene not their own.

In an attempt to educate our dancers, my friends and I decided to make a flyer to circulate at festivals. I drafted up the flyer last week and we printed them up for the festival (click the images below to enlarge). The flyer was well-received by all sides. After seeing this flyer, couples of the older generation informed our group that we're not the only ones who need a little education. In fact, the director of the festival is planning to use the language in the flyer to create something similar to put into the festival packets for next year.

Oddly enough, I think the incident this weekend helped us integrate into the festival more than we might otherwise by providing a situation in which to engage in conversation with other festival-goers. Our efforts to integrate into the jazz festival culture will continue, and education seems like a good first step. Although education will likely help tremendously in dancer relations at jazz festivals, there will always be that charming A-hole ready to give you a piece of his mind and an occasional death threat.

DanceOnline.TV -- Now FREE

2010-06-21T12:58:00.000-07:00

If you haven't checked out Dan Newsome's website you really should. This site has an ass-ton of content which is now FREE according to a recent email from Dan:

Hello Everyone,

We wanted to drop you a quick line and let you know that we've decided to make ALL the content on DanceOnline.TV FREE. Thats right, absolutely free. All you need to do is create a basic login and you'll have access to our http://www.danceonline.tv/default.aspxlibrary of over 400 instructional and review videos. We're adding videos almost every day,

We hope that you'll pass this information along to your favorite new dancers, and help us get more people dancing. This is our way of giving something back to the community.

If you want to support the effort, we have several DVD courses available that you can purchase for a very reasonable rate.

Thanks everyone! Enjoy,

Daniel Newsome

Kudos to Dan for this wonderful resource!

Hotsy Totsy Does Gilligan's Island

2010-06-17T13:24:00.000-07:00

Last week my uncle Jim contacted me by phone and told me that he needed two dancing girls for a Gilligan's Island-themed retirement party. Long story short: I was his Mary Ann and Celeste was his Ginger.

The gig was a blast! We met some cool folks, ate Italian food and (I hope) impressed the crowd with our sequined hot pants -- oh, and dancing. This was the first time I didn't get nervous before going on stage. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I'm a complete wreck before hitting the stage. I get butterflies in my stomach, I feel flushed, I sweat profusely...everything short of explosive diarrhea. You didn't need to hear that. I'm sorry (not really).

At any rate, it was a really fun experience for Celeste and I. It was particularly good for learning how to work with non-dancers with respects to communicating what needs to happen for us to do our performance. Those are good skills to have if we hope to do more gigs for non-dancers --which we do.

Chris Chapman's Birthday

2010-06-12T15:08:00.000-07:00

On Thursday Chris Chapman celebrated his birthday with a live band and cupcakes! In addition to this he was celebrating 22 years of swing dancing. Happy Birthdays, Chris!

Breaking away from "Bad-ass!"

2010-06-08T23:26:00.000-07:00

Lindy Hop is a dance that brings people together and gets us communicating. It's a dance of the people. It's a dance that fills us with joy and makes us laugh out loud. It's goofy, it's fun, it's crazy and that's why we love it. I think most Lindy Hoppers would agree with this.

However, a trend has emerged that has impacted the way we treat one another, caused further division in communications and created a particular aesthetic that I personally cannot admire. In the last few years we have seen a wave of, what I can only describe as cockiness, resonate through the Lindy Hop community in various forms.I have seen far too many instances of it and I'm hoping that we are moving past this.

I'm ready to move beyond the "Bad-ass!" rhetoric, and the "I'm cool" head nods (0:22). I am ready for performers to stop asking youtubers to take down footage of their performances when a less-than-perfect performance poses a threat to their egos. Furthermore, I'm ready to forget the fact that such performers can win competitions after pushing less experienced dancers out of their way during prelims.

I'm ready for more role models who exemplify good ethics. I'm ready to leave behind the attitude of elite dancers who smack-talk counterparts behind their backs. I am ready for particular "bad-ass" dancers to stop criticizing and maliciously mocking their students.

Some might say that in some cases I've misinterpreted what I've seen. Others might argue that I have a chip on my shoulder making me more likely to see the negative side of things. From my point of view these things are not so, though I can admit to the possibility. Everyone shapes their opinions of others at least in part on their opinions on themselves. This is human nature.

It is this same nature, however, that may prevent others from seeing what I believe to be true. I've observed that many people live life with blinders on, preventing them from seeing things like this. Other times they see it, but they don't want to believe that what they see is negative. Usually this is because these folks themselves are invested in the culture, or worship those who are.

I do not feel that this trend is entirely negative. There have been many instances where dancers are inspired by the "cool" factor, the impressive air moves, the confidence of the performers, etc. However, I wonder about the impact on our scene as a social dancing community.

Additionally, my intention is not to call out specific individuals here; I really just want to reflect on examples of how I've seen this trend impact our community -- not just in the way we treat (and in some cases abuse) each other, but also more generally in how we perform this dance, and what it might say about our dance and our community.

In the end this post really boils down to the following question:
Why can't Lindy Hop be bad-ass without being "Bad-ass!"?

It is my hope that the current era of "Bad-ass" Lindy Hop will fade away and usher in a new era where dancers can enjoy bad-ass Lindy Hop without having to prove that it, and they, are "bad-ass".

Tap Review #1

2010-06-06T23:51:00.000-07:00

Jazzpirations: A Dave the Wave Production

2010-06-01T17:53:00.000-07:00

Looking for inspirational clips on Jazz music and dancing? Look no further than Jazzpirations. This nifty blog, created by Dave "Dave the Wave" Soltysik, is just the place to find endless amounts of entertainment and inspiration. Check out his recent Camp Jitterbug 2010 post.

P.S. Also check out Dave in action as he Charlestons his way around Washington, D.C.

See, guys? Learning to dance really pays off.

2010-05-31T01:04:00.000-07:00

"You have saved my ass so many times, YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW. I just got back from Chicago, as a Groomsman in a Catholic wedding. I got so many compliments on my dancing prowess, and to this day almost all of it came from what you taught me back in the day. I still basically only know the single step timing along with a few basic twirls, but holy dog-shit that impresses SO MANY BEAUTIFUL WOMEN. Oh yeah also impressed a gal with Salsa, too, which is also from the very basics I learned way back with you. So thanks buddy."

Chilliwack Jazz Festival 2010

2010-05-03T12:29:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick and dirty run down of the Chilliwack Jazz Festival!

I left you hanging...

2010-05-02T21:23:00.000-07:00

I never did post about Disneyland. Shame on me!

So, I have decided that there's no better place I'd like to escape reality than in that little tourist bubble in Anaheim, California. What's better than a place that features live trad jazz bands?! Nothing, I say! Alex and I made sure to hit up all the Disneyland bands we could find. I was very excited to get to listen to Hook and Laddar who are reminiscent of the Firehouse Five Plus Two, a jazz band comprised of Disney animators (this is one of my favorite jazz groups). We didn't dance to them, but did spend some time doing Lindy Hop to one of the other Disney bands -- thanks for recording us, Amber!

Aside from the music and dancing, the rides and the shopping, I had a great time noticing all the ways that Disney manipulates people. So much goes into keeping their "happiest place on earth" image. So much is carefully planned to make you feel a part of this fantasy world while at the same time tricking you into spending an ass-ton of money on crap.

I love the "magic" in Disneyland. I love watching people act in ways they wouldn't act normally. For example, the people on the railroad wave at you and suddenly you're waving to the train every time it passes! During a very moving fireworks show, when Tinkerbell appeared over the castle a little girl exclaimed, "SHE IS REAL! TINKERBELL IS REAL!" That was too great! That same night I saw someone get proposed to by the wishing well. Damn, Disney. You're good.

When I first got to Disneyland I thought to myself, "This place is amazing, but I could never work here". I want to believe the magic. Yet, when an earthquake struck on our last day I wanted to see behind the scenes and find out what exactly goes on when something like that happens. The rides were all closed, so people were milling around looking for things to do...yet it was very business-as-usual in many ways. I wondered how much money they'd be losing, and how many people would leave and come back, or just leave altogether.

It was fun watching people. It's the combination of these things that make Disneyland more wonderful than just rides and fun foods. Why aren't I there now!?

Gearing up for Disneyland!

2010-03-31T00:03:00.000-07:00

In less than 24 hours Alex and I will be on a flight to California. Mom, Barry and the kids will be joining us on Thursday, April 1st. In celebration of my niece turning 10 the family promised her a trip to Disneyland. Luckily I get to tag along!

It's been years since I've been to Disneyland, and I am perhaps more excited than the kids are! Oh, the nostalgia! Teacups, The Haunted Mansion, Star Tours, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, Indiana Jones, It's a Small World, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad...so many memories!

I'm sure I'll have photos to post while on the trip and stories to tell. I am hoping to catch a band and do some dancing!

Hotsy Totsy Place 3rd in Short Showcase at SSJ

2010-03-15T14:41:00.000-07:00

This weekend Celeste and I took 3rd place in the Short Showcase at Savoy Swing Jam 2010. In this division competitors had 30 seconds to a minute to come up with a routine. Here's our routine:

Learning to tap

2010-03-01T12:14:00.000-08:00

The text below documents the beginning of my exploration of tap:

I am slowly attempting to learn how to tap dance. I know a few steps, and I'm cautious about moving on to new steps too quickly. A lot of Lindy Hoppers seem to dabble in tap, but it seems like those who do sometimes spend a lot of their time learning new move after new move without focusing a lot on getting the timing or rhythms into their bodies.

My goal is to take my time and focus on mastering what I've learned before throwing more at myself. I know I could probably practice various steps simultaneously and grow multiple skills at once, but I will approach this as I did Lindy Hop, as an experiment in learning. I can always change this approach later on, but I'm going to see how this slow and steady approach works for me. In my mind I feel that I will retain more if I drill what I know rather than flooding my mind with new material to digest.

Right now I know a number of pretty basic steps. They are basic only to my mind. To my body they are challenging. My sense of balance is lacking for a number of the moves, at least when it comes to getting the right timing down. One of the building blocks of tap is the time step. I currently know two versions, though more if I count the simpler versions of the ones I already know.

The time step I am most comfortable at the moment (which isn't all that comfortable) is apparently called the "Triple Time Step", or "Manhattan Time Step". Alex recently showed me another variation which is a bit trickier (it is the time step that Dr. Jeni LeGon speaks of as "The Time step"). I'm getting it, and I think that with time I will grow to like this step more than the first one I learned.

I'm very excited about tap, though it's tough to be excited about it when I'm frustrated by it. I'm going to try to not be so hard on myself when I can't get the motions. I know that it's just a matter of practice. Practice, practice, practice.

*Post made on 6/8/2010, backdated to 3/1/10 (date is an approximation)

Seaside!

2010-02-26T22:10:00.000-08:00

Feb. 26th, 27th and 28th was the Seaside Jazz Jubilee. I will sum up the weekend this way:

1.) Beautiful beaches

2.) Fabulous friends

3.) Nerdy adventures in candy

4.) Barbara and her boy toy

5.) Afterglow!

[Backdated post]

Hotsy Totsy at RCMA

2010-02-22T00:07:00.000-08:00

Hotsy Totsy performed at Rhythm City Mess Around in Vancouver, BC on January 23rd, 2010:

Tap dancing

2010-02-21T05:12:00.000-08:00

Right around August of last year I started learning to tap dance. Alex has been teaching me off and on since then and I've grown more and more addicted to it. My progress feels very slow, but it's starting to come together. I hope to document the process as I go and keep a video tap journal to remind me of how far I've come.

OH NO! Sad news for Titan Fans!

2010-01-18T23:53:00.001-08:00

Bob Draga has retired from the Titan Hot 7 jazz band! This band won't be the same without him.

Surprise!

2010-01-17T14:10:00.000-08:00

Last week I was involved in a surprise party for my Hotsy Totsy dance partner, Celeste Olds. Here's footage from the event. Enjoy!

P.S. The girl at the end of the clip is Celeste's sister, and Celeste supposedly hates that dance move.

2010 Swing/Jazz Dancing Music Video Contest

2010-01-11T13:08:00.000-08:00

I'm filled with excitement about the upcoming music video contest that Alex is running! Below is the winning video from last year's contest. You can see the rest of the entries here.

Last year the contest had 6 entries. I've been hearing so much buzz this year, and it looks like the number of entries may double from last year. I can't wait to see what everyone does. I have an idea for a video this year myself. We'll see if I can pull it off! Wish me luck!

New Year Photos

2010-01-05T13:05:00.000-08:00

Here are a few more fun photos taken by Cheryl Crow. You can view the rest of her photos here. Thanks, Cheryl!

NEW YEARS 2010

2010-01-03T19:44:00.000-08:00

It's so weird that it's already 2010. It seems just yesterday people were worrying themselves silly about Y2K. Time flies, I guess.

New Years used to be my least favorite holiday but it's becoming one of the most anticipated holidays of the year for me. This year, like last year, I helped Alex with his New Years house party. This year was bigger and better than last year (meaning more alcohol spills to mop up in the morning).

I had purchased a bar from a friend a few months ago, so this year all the alcohol was moved from the kitchen into the basement for a dark and intimate speakeasy, complete with 1920's jazz music. In addition to the bar, the Claire McKenna Trio returned this year and filled the house with some excellent hot jazz (later in the evening Glenn Crytzer and Freddie Dickinson joined in). As the night progressed the floor filled with tipsy dancers and the house was hopping.

I spent much of my time in the basement where my friend James played bartender and supplied me with stiff cocktails which eased me into conversation. I was excited to overhear discussions of how the party was a success, and talk of how much people loved the bar. I spent a lot of time cleaning and setting up for the party, so it was great to know that people were enjoying themselves.

One of the things I love most about Alex's parties is that I get to be a part of the hub-bub without being the official hostess. I enjoy being a part of something that everyone will be talking about the next day. What a thrill. I cannot wait until next year's party. Now we have to figure out how to make it even better next time!

*Photos by Alex Yan

Challenge

2009-12-27T22:36:00.001-08:00

A very funny tap clip:

Christmas 2009

2009-12-27T19:54:00.000-08:00

Another Xmas has come and gone. Typically each year is a somewhat chaotic blur which leaves everyone a bit overwhelmed. This year the festivities at the Hopkins household were very merry, but very low key. After opening gifts and eating a hearty holiday meal we concluded the evening with a trip to the Casino.

At the casino I lost money, of course. However, an older woman next to me hit a $1500 jackpot playing a leprechaun themed penny slot. She expressed her excitement subtly and promptly lit up a cigarette. This was a refreshing change from watching the many addicted gamblers lurking around the casino, whose crazed glances of paranoia and desperation start to get to me after a while...

Yesterday Alex and I met up with our friend Jess who is in town for the holidays! We went to Red Robin for lunch and enjoyed a brief visit before she had to meet back up with her family.

Today was another low-key day, starting with a brunch with friends. I spent the rest of the morning playing with the rats and taking photos. After that, Star Trek! Life is good. Do I really have to wake up for work tomorrow?

Killer Diller 2009

2009-12-17T22:50:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I attended Killer Diller Weekend, a local swing dancing event which first began in 2005. In this first year the event was a one-night dance called the Killer Diller Ball. Since then the event has grown into another weekend-long event (which I have mixed feelings about). Workshops were offered during the day and at night there were dances and other special events.

On Friday night Lorraine hosted her fashion show which was a great success. Many local and out-of-town dancers got to strut their stuff for a room of people at the Rainier Chapter House. Lorraine is very knowledgeable about vintage fashion. Not only can she tell you about the clothes themselves, but she can sum up the historical context surrounding the changes that occurred in fashion during the 20s, 30s and 40s.

On Saturday there was a music/history lecture given by local band leader Glenn Crytzer. Despite some technical difficulties the lecture was great. One of the best parts for me was that Glenn had other musicians sit in and give examples of various concepts he covered in his lecture. It's one thing to hear someone merely talk about how music changed, and it's quite another to hear it. I hope this sort of lecture occurs more often as I would like to broaden my knowledge of music, both the history of it as well as the structure.

On Sunday I joined a large group at the Daily Grill in Downtown Seattle for dinner. We laughed, ate and had a very good time. A number of inappropriate photos captured the spirit of the evening. After dinner we danced on the street corner while singing familiar swing songs. Once we had our fill of Lindy bombing we took off for the dance.

Sunday night is always the biggest night of weekend events, and on this Sunday dancers were swinging out to Crytzer's Blue Rhythm Band at the Century Ballroom. One of the big highlights of the Sunday night dance at Killer Diller is the Harvest Moon Ball Competition (which you can watch below thanks to Dave the Wave)!

I do sometimes wish we had an event that was just a fancy dance, like Killer Diller Ball was in its first year. The fact that it was a dress-to-the-nines all nighter made it more special in my mind...but I can't complain! I had so much fun dressing up, hanging out with friends and listening to awesome music (which helped pull me out of a serious dancing rut). Overall it was a fabulous weekend!

*Photos by Jared Luxenberg and Cheryl Crow

'Tis the Season!

2009-11-28T21:50:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving has come and gone, as has Black Friday, and the holiday season has officially kicked off! Today I tagged along with Alex (Happy Birthday, Alex!) while he picked out the perfect tree at the Dunshee House's annual Christmas tree lot!

We got an awesome tree for a very reasonable price, and 100% of the proceeds go towards funding the house for the next year. The bonus was that it was so close to Alex's house! They even have delivery services available. I was pretty impressed with this place. They had a really good selection. Big, small, TINY, they had it all! I'm going to tell my mom about this place (she's a size queen when it comes to Christmas trees).

When we got the tree in, we put it up (careful-like) and went to the store to buy lights and ornaments. When we got back I started trimming the tree with lights (Alex had gone to his parent's house for a birthday celebration). I told my best friend Donia, who currently resides in Portland, OR, to get on Skype and keep me company while I trimmed the tree.

Donia and I chatted over Skype and I began hanging up the white lights. I got them all up and moved on to the colored lights. As I strung the lights I noticed the tree start to wabble just a little. I began getting concerned about the stability of the tree. Next thing I know...

...it was time for a beer.

So You Think You Can Dance (Lindy Hop)

2009-11-24T22:55:00.000-08:00

They did great! Though, I'm not sure what I think about the underwear shot. Original Source.

Killer Diller Fashion Show

2009-11-24T18:33:00.000-08:00

Seattle Metropolitan Magazine is plugging Lorraine's vintage fashion show! If you love fashion, you'll love this. Check it out!

Tempting Tarts at 88 Keys

2009-11-20T02:10:00.000-08:00

Last night I went with Alex down to 88 Keys in Pioneer Square to watch the Tempting Tarts do their thing. The show was quite enjoyable, though the crowd was not as rowdy as they could have been (guilty). The speakers were also turned up just a little too high, which caused a bit of an ache to the head, but otherwise it was very fun!

The show started out with Jezebel Vandersnatch who performed "Minnie the Moocher" (a Cab Calloway favorite). Jezebel was invited to the Hepcat Halloween dance a few weeks back where she performed this number in makeup inspired by Dia de Los Muertos. It was quite impressive!

Jezebel was followed by the Roxy Ruby who did her happy pills act, which I was happy to see again (I saw it for the first time at a Kindergarten of Burlesque performance). Roxy performed a very good number later in the show as well, and I was pleased with her performance ability.

The pick-up girl of the night, Lil' Twinkie LaMour, was dressed as an Indian (er...sorry, I mean Native American), in celebration of Thanksgiving (er...sorry, I mean Spanksgiving). For those not familiar with burlesque shows, there is always a pick-up person who comes out after each act and tidies up. I once played the part for Sister Kate and Miss Indigo Blue after their performances at Emerald City Blues Festival (I was dressed as a maid and was given the name "Begonia").

There were a lot of acts in this show, "10 pounds of burlesque to fit into a 7 pound bag," as emcee Shefreaka Mcgee said. Some acts stood out while others just didn't do much for me...BUT, even so, I appreciate all the girls for putting it out there and workin' it!

As much as I love partner and solo dance performances, there's nothing I enjoy more than a night of burlesque. There's something very magical about burlesque (you know, besides the boobies). There's something it has that the swing scene doesn't, in terms of performance. Burlesque is all about the performance, all about selling it...luring the audience in to the act. I love it.

OMGRockettesWTF!

2009-11-18T11:45:00.000-08:00

Tickets have been booked. I'm going to see the Rockettes in December! I think I just wet myself.

Edit (12/17/09): THEY WERE FABULOUS (I did in fact pee my pants)!

Tempting Tarts Burlesque

2009-11-17T20:38:00.000-08:00

A recent addiction of mine has been going to Seattle burlesque shows. I found myself going to more burlesque shows when a friend dove into the burlesque world performing as Sugar La Vie. The first show I saw my friend in was her graduation from the Kindergarten of Burlesque (she was one of the best, if not the best performer there). The Kindergarten show was a nice intimate show. Nothing too big and crazy, just girls who wanted to give it a go. I like that.

This week I'll be going to a show put on by the Tempting Tarts. These shows comprise of performances by burlesque babes of varying experience levels and, from what I gather, many of the performers are graduates of the Kindergarten of Burlesque (I enjoy the fact that the Tempting Tarts shows provide a performance opportunity for the home-grown talent from the burlesque classes).

I try to make burlesque shows whenever I hear about them (sometimes it seems so underground). I've now been to a number of shows outside of the Tempting Tarts, including small performances at the Pink Door, and large productions at the Triple Door (the Burlesque Alice In Wonderland was one of my favorite shows...I will never in my life forget boylesque performer Waxie Moon performing as the Cheshire Cat).

I've found that burlesque shows can be very hit or miss (and unfortunately individual acts can sometimes bring down the show). Surprisingly, one of the biggest disappointments was going to a Dita Von Teese show at the Triple Door. Dita, who is considered one of the best in the business, didn't do a lot that entertained me (that's not completely true -- her costumes were very shiny). It was like watching a wet t-shirt contest, minus the t-shirt. I won't go into it here, but it wasn't what I was hoping it would be, that's for sure.

At any rate, I really enjoy the local shows that I've been to around town. Certainly some are better than others, but the shows I've seen by groups like the Tempting Tarts and the Kindergarten of Burlesque are enchanting. I'm looking forward to the show!

My nephew is awesome

2009-10-18T21:52:00.000-07:00

Since calling people assholes and bastards gets him into trouble, David has recently taken to calling people "Bastholes".

Fun on the swings

2009-10-18T21:49:00.000-07:00

Medford Jazz Jubilee 2009

2009-10-18T14:13:00.000-07:00

The Medford Jazz Jubilee (Oct. 8th - 10th) is one of the largest trad jazz festivals in the area and a favorite among my swing dancing friends. Many of us are eagerly willing to hop into crowded cars for an 8 hour drive to hear some of the best trad jazz bands in the country. This year, most likely due to other conflicting jazz or dance events, just a few of us made the trek down to Medford, Oregon.

James, Alex and I headed down to Washougal, Washington and met up with our friend Rachael on Friday afternoon. Alex and I wandered around Target laughing at various odd things we found in the store. Exhibit A. Exhibit B. I know. WTF, right?

Once we got our giggle on we hit the road again. Rachael booked us a cabin at KOA Campgrounds. When we arrived we discovered that our cabin was only a bit larger than Alex's car, and adding insult to injury, there was no television. Somehow we managed to survive, though I'm not sure how.

After a night's sleep we went to the Old Farm House Restaurant for a bite to eat and then rushed off to the Red Lion Hotel to pick up our badges. When we arrived we caught the tail end of Cornet Chop Suey, one of our favorites for their unique sound, their sense of humor and their showmanship. We stayed in the same venue for all of Saturday and saw a number of bands. One of the organizers suggested we hit up the new dance venue, mentioning that there would be dance competitions. We checked this out briefly over the weekend, but we much preferred the idea of following around our favorite bands.

The tradition for me and my friends is to follow around the Titan Hot Seven. The Titans are considered the kings of the trad jazz circuit, at least according to the Lindy Hoppers. This year the band was at another jazz festival which allowed us the opportunity to check out the other bands. The favorite of the weekend turned out to be Wally's Warehouse Waifs.

This group has a great sound, good stage presence and most importantly an arsenal of dirty and crude jokes. "This lady slaps her husband and he says, 'What was that for?' She says, 'That's for 30 years of lousy sex.' He slaps her back and she says, 'What was that for?' and he replies, 'That's for knowing the difference!'"

After eating dinner at Rooster's Restaurant we closed out Saturday evening by heading to the KOBI television studio for the last set with Wally's. We arrived in time to catch the end of the previous set which happened to be a great salsa band called Salsa Brava. I wanted to dance, but I was far too tired.

As we were waiting for Wally's to start playing we noticed a couple of friendly face walk into the room. Over the weekend we met a man and his wife who had a great level of enthusiasm for the music, and our dancing. The man was quite an entertaining fellow. When we were at our tiredest he would egg us on to continue dancing for him. He had a crazy sort of laugh which the leader of Wally's couldn't help but point out during the last set. These characters are not uncommon at jazz festivals, which for me is part of the appeal.

The weekend was very memorable and I look forward to future jazz festivals. These events are a nice escape from the everyday ho-hums. They provide a perspective on jazz music, dancing, and live in general. Life's short. You might as well live it up, and in my opinion, there's no better way to do that than with awesome friends and great live music.

You don't see numbers like this anymore

2009-09-27T20:06:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the Newlyweds!

2009-09-08T16:30:00.000-07:00

A big congrats to Mary and Travis who tied the knot this past weekend! I think this was the best wedding I've attended so far. The weekend began with a pre-wedding party on Friday night and was a nice mixture of Mary and Travis' Seattle friends and Mary's relatives who flew into town from different parts of the country.

Saturday night was the wedding. The non-traditional ceremony was lead by the wedding couple themselves. This was immediately followed by a New Orleans style parade, lead by members of the Holotrad band, and a fried chicken reception dinner. What could make a night even better? An open bar and cupcakes, of course!

Congratulations, Mary and Travis!

*Photo by Justin Hill

Count Basie's 105th Birthday

2009-08-24T13:49:00.000-07:00

Last Friday was Count Basie's 105th Birthday (and wedding anniversary). On Thursday, swing dancers gathered together and celebrated with a night of Basie tunes at the Hepcat swing dance. Multiple DJs throughout the night spun sets of pure Basie (both "old testament" and "new testament").

To celebrate in style Basie Brownie Bites, complete with edible album covers, were supplied by Kim Rachmeler. There was also a Lindy Hop routine done by Leah Stahly & Steven Stevenson to the song "Shorty George".

Happy Birthday, Count!

Lindy Birthday and Century Masters

2009-08-12T11:54:00.000-07:00

Today marks the 5th year that I have been doing the Lindy Hop. While I started doing East Coast Swing and Salsa a few years earlier, Lindy Hop is what I really count as the start of my dancing addiction.

Tonight is also the start of the Century Masters of Lindy Hop and Tap. What better way to celebrate a lindy birthday than with a live band to kick off a 5-day event celebrating the legends of the dance form that I enjoy so much?

The Century Masters of Lindy Hop and Tap is an event that was the brainchild of Alex Yan who brought the idea to Century Ballroom owner Hallie Kuperman (who was featured this week on King5 News as a Home Team Hero). This event brings legends of swing and tap to Seattle, WA to teach new dancers, seasoned dancers and the general public, the history and significance of dance through shows, workshops and panel discussions. The Century Masters of Lindy Hop and Tap brings history to life.

Today Alex Yan is traveling to Vancouver, B.C. to pick up one of the masters, Dr. Jeni LeGon a tap dancer who grew up in the Jazz Age and become a talented solo tap artist (Jeni danced with Bill "Bojangles" Robinson back in 1935). Jeni will be celebrating her birthday during Masters and is she is currently the oldest Master among the group since the passing of Frankie Manning who this years Century Masters will be dedicated to.

Many of these older dancers are still kicking, like Jeni herself. Though their mobility is not what it used to be, all the master are amazing, multi-talented performers. For example, in addition to doing Bhangra, Dawn Hampton is said to do a whistling act that blows audiences away (yes - whistling)! Norma Miller, the "Queen of Swing," is also known for her raunchy comedy stylings that bring tears of joy (and discomfort) to every audience.

Seattle Lindy Exchange 2009

2009-08-10T10:00:00.000-07:00

This weekend was the 10th Anniversary of the Seattle Lindy Exchange. Lindy Exchanges occur all over the world, and Seattle has one of the oldest exchanges around. More than other events in Seattle, the Seattle Lindy Exchange is about community. This is one time a year when we can host out-of-town dancers and show them what our scene is made of. Seattle is known as one of the hottest places for Swing dancing in the country, and with an event like Seattle Lindy Exchange 2009, I think we are living up to this reputation.

This event had everything. Amazing music, great dancing (indoors and outdoors), performances, dancing until the wee hours in the morning...did I mention amazing music? This year I was happy to see local musicians supported rather than bringing an entire band out from across the country (for this event they still brought out a few guests, which I felt was perfect).
WOW!

The Sunday night 13-piece big band, Glenn Crytzer's Blue Rhythm Band made swinging out hard feel seemingly effortless! That night was electric. Everyone was dressed up, having a blast, and the energy in the room was phenomenal.

The exchange is, I believe, the only large dance event in Seattle that has no competitions and only a minimal amount of performances. This year my friends Lorraine and Michael ("Dargoff") performed the Tranky Doo together to Vancouver B.C.'s Blackstick (a Sidney Bechet style band). The emphasis on social dancing (rather than on competitions and performances), is something that I think creates a great sense of community.

This event is not about the most prestigious dancers, nor is it about displaying the newest choreography or the most bad-ass air steps. The exchange, to me, represents a celebration of the dance as it was originally practiced. Lindy Hop is a social dance, and while all other swing events in Seattle include social dancing, no other dance event seems to bring people together in the spirit of social dancing like the exchange does.

Over this weekend I heard someone refer to the exchange as "refreshingly unpretentious," which was of course in reference to the widely popular Camp Jitterbug, a dance weekend of dances, competitions and workshops. Camp Jitterbug is known for bringing the biggest and best names in the swing world to Seattle, WA (the website title describes it as "The Awesomest Lindy Hop Event Ever"). While Camp Jitterbug is a huge asset to our scene, the difference between Seattle Lindy Exchange and Camp Jitterbug is in the sense of community and in the celebration of the true spirit of social dancing.

Unlike the exchange, which I mentioned has no competitions, Camp Jitterbug has competitions that are an all-out, balls to the wall exhibition of all that is flashy and thrilling about Lindy Hop. The Camp Jitterbug competitions are always a sight to behold. The same can be said for the Jump Session Show, the opening night event that showcases the best performers in swing and jazz dance. This event is one that really gets people pumped up, and it serves to inspire many people to step their dancing up to the next level.

Camp Jitterbug is largely about the "rockstar" culture ("rockstar" being a term to describe the best of the best in Lindy Hop -- the national and internationally known instructors and performers). It seems to center around a celebration of all things "bad-ass," the latest and the greatest in technique, and of course, aesthetic styling. Though the inspiration is great for dancers in our scene, there are some problems that go along with the event, and are probably unavoidable in most events of this caliber.

One side effect of having the most talented names in swing dancing at Camp Jitterbug is that the event can become loaded with a whole lot of ego. I will not go into this too deeply as I have touched on it in previous entries, and for the fact that it makes me rather angry to discuss.

Another perhaps unavoidable issue that can occur at events like Camp Jitterbug (weekends that include workshops) is the way in which student levels at workshops are determined and labeled. It's a difficult task to determine skill level of dancers. It cannot be done in years, because there are many dancers that drift in and out of the scene and those dancers will not have the technique of someone dancing continuously in the same time period. Another issue is that the term "intermediate" is used to describe a huge portion of the swing community, and there's no widespread standard for what makes someone an intermediate vs. an advanced dancer.

At Camp Jitterbug, many participants are either well regarded as "bad-ass dancers" or, well...they think they are. Workshop participants are given bracelets to indicate which level they belong in which helps the volunteers that working the doors quickly identify who belongs in what class. The problem with this is that it creates an us vs. them scenario ("How did HE get the master track bracelet?!"). What's worse than this less-than-ideal scenario is that the rules for track selections aren't strictly adhered to.

For example, during Camp Jitterbug this last year I heard that one of the locals who dances with many of the seasoned instructors in Seattle did not get in to the masters track. When one of these instructors found out, they spoke with one of the people who ran the audition and asked that this person be included in the masters track. The system is there for a purpose, but at the same time, the fact that someone who was a more experienced dancer was not selected to be a part of the masters track, while others of less experience were, is telling that the system is not without flaws.

Seattle Lindy Exchange, even without classes, has experienced similar divisions amongst attendees (some reading this might remember a few years ago when a group of people left the dance to start a blues dance in the parking lot across the street from the venue). There are always going to be divisions between people at large events, but this years exchange felt like an exception (though admittedly there may have been drama that I missed during the weekend).

Overall this year's Seattle Lindy Exchange felt like a breath of fresh air. There was minimal division amongst the attendees, the music was amazing, everyone was in good spirits and everyone just danced. This is as it should be.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall...

2009-07-14T13:38:00.000-07:00

They're the people who ask you to dance, (or who you ask to dance) who are completely fascinated with their own reflection. They don't dance with you. They don't even dance at you. These folks dance for the mirror and you happen to be attached to their arm. These people I speak of are the Mirror Watchers.

There are various degrees of Mirror Watchers (some are a lot more tolerable than others) and they come in a variety of skill levels. Last night I danced with someone who, for the most part, made me feel as though I was not even in the room. I have danced many dances with people who are obsessed with bettering their dancing (at least the visual aspect of their dancing) and who find themselves staring at their reflection in the mirror when they get a chance. Typically this occurs no more than half asong. As for last night's MW...well, I'm not sure that I've ever seen such an extreme case before.

For a few moments I decided that I was going to stare at the ground and not look up for the whole dance. After those few moments I decided this was not going to help anything. I decided instead to take any opportunity I got to make eye contact, smile and try to lure my partner into the dance. Our dance. I found him smiling back just briefly, but the eye contact soon broke as he leaned over to get a better look at himself. How disappointing.

Now, it is a rare sight to see me not smiling during a dance and at this point I couldn't smile anymore. I didn't want to smile. It wasn't a matter of making a point, I just plain wasn't enjoying myself. I figured eventually he'd see me frowning in the mirror and stop, but my face didn't seem to enter his range of vision.

I've heard the argument that some people never have time to practice outside of dances and that might explain their mirror watching ways. That may be the case in some situations, but I personally do not see this as a good reason for making your partner feel invisible.

Whatever the case may be, a social dance is a social dance, not a practice. This does not mean that you cannot get some practice in without offending your dance partners. Below are a few suggestions to minimize rude Mirror Watching behaviors:

1.) Rather than ask a girl (or guy) to dance, ask them if they would mind if you practiced your swingout with them in the mirror (or whatever move or concept you may want to work on).

2.) Practice on the sides or in the corner of the dance floor. By moving aside you will be free to look at yourself in the mirror without distractions, other dance traffic, and without endangering your partner.

3.) Be aware of how long your partner wants to be your partner for such an exercise. If he or she starts looking bored ask if your partner wants to continue. Keep in mind that partner might want to start dancing with others again. If your partner is starting to make eye contact with other leads across the room, they may be conveying a message of "Rescue me!" to another dancer.

2009 Olympia Dixieland Jazz Festival

2009-06-30T16:38:00.001-07:00

On Saturday morning I rode down to Olympia, Washington with a group of swing dancers for the 2009 Olympia Dixieland Jazz Festival. We arrived at the festival at around noon, checked in and then found the director of the festival, Charlotte Dickison. Alex had spoken to Charlotte about having Hotsy Totsy perform sometime during the weekend. We chatted with Charlotte for a bit and picked a time and location to perform the routine. After the time and location were selected we killed some time with some hot jazz.

When the time came, Celeste and I took to the stage and were announced by the wonderful Joel Schwarz. The performance went well, and I managed to keep my nerves under control until the very end of the routine. The crowd loved it. Alex overheard someone say "Now that's showy!" This statement is just what I like to hear! I love being able to entertain.

There are a pair of ladies known as the "Hot Jazz Dancers" (Anne and Andrena) who travel to the various festivals and perform for the crowds (they are are also part of a senior entertainment group in B.C. called The Vaudevillians). I tell you, these two ladies are entertainment wrapped in a fringed flapper outfit. They have various routines that they will bust out in the middle of songs being played by a live band. They also have a number of shticks that they pull out throughout the festivals which leaves everyone smiling. I want to be like them. I want to be an entertainer, not just a dancer (there's a difference)!

There are various jazz festivals around the area that provide top notch entertainment for a fairly inexpensive price (particularly if you happen to be a student/youth). If you haven't been to one, you should go. Live hot jazz for cheap? Yes, please!

If you do go, PLEASE be respectful to others on the dance floor. I have heard of elderly people get kicked on the dance floor. There will always be collisions on the dance floor, no matter how big or small the dancing is, but this could be greatly reduced if people just keep an awareness of their surroundings.

Be self-aware and practice good floor craft. If you don't know what the line of dance is, don't step foot on the dance floor until you find out (otherwise you will find out the hard way -- or you will continue being oblivious and piss people off). Watch for the reactions of others on the dance floor. If an elderly couple in closed position is grimacing, looking as if they fear for their lives, DANCE SMALLER. In other words, be considerate (read: don't act like a n00b, n00bie).

With that having been said, check out the Seattle Vintage Jazz Dance Society's calendar of events to find out when the upcoming festivals are.

Introducing....Hotsy Totsy!

2009-06-12T13:06:00.000-07:00

Last night was Chris Chapman's birthday. Chris runs the local Thursday night swing dance venue in Seattle (the venue where I took up Lindy Hop back in August of 2004). For his birthday Chris hired a live band, Glenn Crytzer and His Syncopators. To add to the excitement one of the dancers brought his homemade ice cream (including BACON ice cream) to the dance to share with everyone and another dancer brought gourmet cupcakes. The dance went into the wee hours with an end of the school year celebration put on by the UW Swingkids. Among all of this excitement, Celeste Olds and I also debuted our first routine together as HOTSY TOTSY.

When I first became enchanted by solo dancing I used to spend all my free time in my room putting together routines to Sidney Bechet tunes. These routines sadly never made it to the stage and the choreography has since slipped from my memory.

This Hotsy Totsy performance was my first solo jazz performance for a swing audience since taking leave from Sister Kate, a fabulous team of female solo dancers dedicated to vintage jazz dance. It was also the first time I have been able to perform a routine that I had a major part in choreographing (outside of my solos in previous routines). I could have been more involved in choreography for Sister Kate I'm sure, the opportunity was there, but for some reason I always felt like I couldn't.

I felt a bit of pressure having been on a group like Sister Kate, a group that is well known and well liked. I didn't want the first post-Sister Kate jazz routine I performed to flop. I wanted to make a splash, I wanted to show what I could do. I wanted to prove that I wasn't hanging on the coattails of established, seasoned dancers. I also wanted to show off the performance skills I had acquired through my participation on Sister Kate (thanks, ladies!).

All my fears and worries about this performance started accumulating a week before the performance (as is typical with any given performance). The nerves were bad, but not as bad as they could have been (I could have done without the excessive sweating that goes along with my nerves). I took comfort knowing that the amount of nervousness I experience seems to correspond with being more "on" or "in the zone" during a performance.

The moment I walked through the doors from backstage into the main dance hall my appearance changed, the worry melted from me and my face lit up. It's funny how this works. Before a performance I am all nerves, but once I hit the stage, "BAM! It's go time". That's what I love about performing.

I think it's safe to say that the routine was a hit. Everyone seemed to love it and they seemed very engaged throughout. The response was one that would make any performer happy. The people who commented on the routine for the most part were very enthusiastic.

Celeste was such a joy to work with, and I tell you, she's a damned natural. Her performance was fabulous and at no point was she nervous. She's got a great mind for choreography and knowing what works. In reflection I have a hard time remembering who choreographed which part of the routine (with a few exceptions). I am contented by the fact that it was very much a collaborative effort, and that the choreography just flowed from us rather effortlessly. I don't think I could have come up with a routine as engaging as this one on my own if I tried. What a thrill.

Rock out without your cock out

2009-06-02T12:56:00.000-07:00

In the Lindy Hop world the top tier of skilled dancers are often referred to as "Rockstars". From what I have been told the term started out as a negative remark about elite dancers with big heads. I don't know whether this is accurate or not, but whatever the origins of this expression are, it seems to have evolved into a general term to describe nationally and internationally renowned Lindy Hoppers.

I myself have used the term in both a negative and a more neutral way. Lately though, I have taken to utilizing a different term for describing the more unpleasant members of this group of dancers. While there are Rockstars, who may or may not be jerks, there are also "Cockstars".

Cockstars are particularly shallow individuals. Many of the Cockstars will stop at nothing to satisfy their egos. They will start teaching not to help others learn or to share the joy of Lindy Hop, but they teach to fuel their own self-image. They may morph their image as a way of branding themselves along their path to Lindy success--changing their names, their clothing, and their attitude.

Cockstars (not to mention Cockstars in the making) are the people who will outright snub you when you're first learning to dance and when you get better they will perhaps call out your name in a jam, or dance with you in your birthday jam (at this point they won't have any recollection of having snubbed you because at the time you were one of the invisibles). Cockstars will make fun of less experienced dancers, thinking nothing of it, even going out of their way to rationalize their malevolence. This is unacceptable.

These people are in the position of being the role models in Lindy Hop. These people should be representations of the spirit of this great dance but instead they focus on building themselves up at the expense of others, at the expense of people who look up to them. Shameful.

On Saturday evening I went to a dance at Camp Jitterbug. I witnessed a most disturbing sight. It was the Lindy Hop prelims and the floor was packed with competitors. Too packed to be a fair competition, but that's besides the point. I was contentedly watching the antics of fellow Seattle dancers Mark and Darla for a while, then I shifted my focus to another couple dancing nearby.

These dancers were very experienced, clearly. One of them is a very well known instructor. The two were dancing around, having fun, smiling, showing off... I was appreciating the show until the moment I saw one of these dancers push a less experienced couple out of their way. I could not believe what I had seen. "DID YOU SEE THAT?!" I was astonished.

Now, granted the floor was tight and people were swinging out in every direction, but there was absolutely no need for this action. I thought about it and considered that perhaps I was misreading the action. Perhaps it was a mistake, or it was just a physcial reaction that just...happened.

In retrospect I am certain of what I saw. I am convinced that it was intentional and that if the couple next to this person were top instructors/dancers this wouldn't have happened. If the floor was a little less crowded it may not have happened because it would perhaps be more easily spotted. This is just one instance, which I understand is easily unnoticed. I can understand someone giving them the benefit of the doubt.

What I do not understand is when people turn a blind eye to the more overtly cruel behaviors of this group. It is simply deplorable that these people, who will walk all over others to get what they want or to boost their own self-image, are celebrated -- worshiped even!

Remember kids, it's better to rock out without your cock out.

What I learned as a member of a vintage chorus girl troupe:

2009-01-27T14:45:00.001-08:00

A short list of life lessons I have gathered from both personal experiences and the observation of other's experiences....

1. Never wear pants when performing.

2. When playing a maid named Begonia, be sure to pick up EVERYTHING the burlesque performer leaves behind on stage.

3. When being filmed for a television spot, try hard to ignore the camera man filming up your skirt.

4. When performing to an un-engaged audience (read "some schmuck in the front row is reading a book") work harder to sell it.

5. When radical feminist a-holes mock you mid-performance, in the front row, vow to lock them in a closet later in the night, but never follow through because you're better than that.

6. The words to "Ain't She Sweet" are better like this: "Swedish fish, just a swimming in my mouth. I eat them oh so very happily, Swedish fish."

7. You don't actually have to pee. It's just nerves.

8. Men who walk out of Starbucks and do not react in any way to a woman bending over, obviously pretending to look under the hood of her car, must be gay.

9. The bigger the tulle puff, the better.

10. Never trust men named Anthony.

11. Moves are easier to remember when you name them after politically incorrect concepts.

12. When you meet with 6 - 7 other girls every week boys tend to think you're doing naughty things, which obviously is not the case.

13. Excessive wine drinking at team meetings leads to topless photos.

14. It might not be socially acceptable to offer someone the spankies you just wore commando.

15. It might not be socially acceptable to air out your crotch using electric fans.

16. Raspberry marshmallow fondue is the best fondue.

17. Fake hair is just easier.

18. Old people and children are the best audiences.

19. The "smokey eye" is harder to achieve than one might think.

20. Surprisingly, vintage chorus girls are not that fond of penis cakes.

Russian Center Halloween Dance

2008-11-01T23:59:00.000-07:00

This year the weekly Thursday night swing dance went all out decorating for their Halloween dance on Oct. 30th. Alex Yan (seen below) pitched in (along with many volunteers) and helped HepCat Productions put on a fun night of tasty treats, unique decorations, a thrilling performance by local dance group Swing-amajigs, a creepy funeral processional in the dark and a costume contest.

Alex lighting the pumpkins in front of the RC

Volunteers helped us decorate with cut-outs

Bats! :)

More cute cut-outs on the walls of the RC

Cheryl helped me make deviled eggs
In the bathroom getting ready for the night

Transforming myself into...

The triple-breasted whore...

...of Eroticon Six

Costume contest (I won)! :D

Alex as (a maskless) death, Me and Chris

Lorraine as girl in cake

Michael ("Dargoff") the flasher

Cheryl, Me, Celeste and Melissa

Celeste and Chris

Lee as...
Dancing with Lee in his birthday jam

Deviled egg dipped by Andy

Cheryl dancing with Ninja Marc

Sandra and Steven as Zombies

Calle as Zombie
Braiiinnssss!

Bobby as Zombie

Performance!

Posing for a photo with Dargoff after the dance

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T11:34:00.000-07:00

Mediocre chorus girls No. 1 though 8 pose for "scary" photos backstage at the Pantages Theater in Tacoma!