As more people become ambidancetrous, we all have a little to learn about the etiquette required to respect them as dancers in both their primary and non-primary roles.
Difficult Conversations: Broaching the Topic of an Intimate Connection on the Dance Floor
Uncomfortable Connections on the Dance Floor I’m fairly certain that we’ve all experienced that moment where a lead or follow connects to us in an uncomfortable way. Maybe it is uncomfortable because it is physically painful, or maybe it’s uncomfortable because it’s an intimate place on my body — it happens. How do you manage it? If you are a mature…
Unapologetic Consent: Your Obligation To Offer It, and Your Right to Revoke It
Consent, by definition, is the permission for something to happen, or an agreement to do something. It’s a pretty simple concept. But for such a simple concept, I find that consent is often misunderstood, abused, or completely ignored — even in the dance community. Consent cannot be influenced by age, gender, sexuality, nationality, religion, politics, or hair color. Consent can…
In Solidarity, I Resolve to Take Action
There is a lot of discussion in the Lindy Hop community about sexual assault — and for a good reason. I have seen accounts from Sarah, Allison, Heidi, Brenda, and Clara about the inappropriate actions of Steven Mitchell, and I am appalled. If you’ve missed these events, you should read Sarah’s post and the subsequent comments (while taking care to…
Inspire and Empower through Swing for Kids: an Interview with Kimberley Kays
Swing for Kids inspires and empowers students through swing dance. We do this by providing a 10-week in-school Swing Dance program to 5th Graders; the program promotes Social & Emotional skills, Cultural Competency, and Health & Wellness. Now Swing for Kids is seeking aprtners and donors to help expand to more schools — read to find out more about this program and how you can help!
On the Joy of Dancing with Each Other
I was browsing Facebook (as you do), and I came across Bug’s Question of the Day. The question asked about the balance between when a follow is contributing to a dance versus when a follow hijacks the moment. The conversation went as you would expect (where most answers did not answer the actual question); however, I did find this gem…
What does it mean to be a good student?
Over the last year, I’ve been teaching Argentine Tango and Lindy Hop to a small group of people in remote California. The students aren’t particularly quick learners, and they aren’t generally athletic – but they have an advantage I don’t see in most workshop classes I’ve attended. They are good students. In a society where we are inundated with workshops,…
Happy Dance Fun Time
Hello, my friends. It’s been a while (vague post about the hiatus on my personal blog), but I’m probably back to semi-regular updates (no promises). Statesboro Swings Out had this awesome theme for their upcoming event, and I keep seeing promo videos of it crop up on occasion. The answer the following question: “What’s your HappyDanceFunTime?” This answer brings you…
In case you missed it!
This has been a busy week in the world of the Lindy Affair. First, I was a guest on PaulTalks! I think Paul is super awesome, and when he invited me to be part of his “People of Lindy Focus” series (not to be confused with the “Faces of Lindy Focus” photography series), I was super excited! If you would…
Photos belong on your real wall – Not Just Facebook
How often do you buy the professional photos from a dance event? If you’re like most people, you probably answered “never” or “rarely” – but I’m here to tell you why you should. Jessica Keener took 5000 photos at Lindy Focus XII, but she’ll be lucky if she makes enough money selling photos from the event to cover her plane…
The Lindy Affair 