Every year, I write my words or praise over Stompology… and this year is no different. Why?  A bunch of reasons:

1. Rochester. I spent 6 years of my life there and made some really great friends. All of whom I get to see again when I go back. It feels like going home.

2. The vibe. The energy over the weekend is so freakin’ high. Everyone’s excited and inspired. And everyone feels comfortable. There’s no -I’m at a big event and there’s such big name people here, oh I feel awkward -- feeling. The instructors are approachable, and just as silly as the rest of us.

3. Solo Jazz. Well, solo jazz just always makes me happy. It feels like I’m really working on something. Particularly when it’s something out of the norm. Making my body move in ways it’s not used to feels great.

My personal highlights of the weekend:

1. Sharon and Juan’s Ballin’ the Jack routine class. It was a recreation of a Gene Kelly performance. I can’t wait to see a video of the end of class performances. But here’s a clip of the man himself:

2. Bethany’s Chi Chi routine. That was very different from the standard jazz movement we’re all used to -- by that I mean it was flowy motion, instead of sharp, and rhythmically was kind of like hip hop. It made me work hard, mentally and physically. I liked it.

3. Jams at the late night. As usual, lots of dancers have ventured into musicianship and a jam broke out in Mike’s room. It was nice to hear and sing along, and have a chance to chill out away from the crowd.

4. Baby Soda. They absolutely killed it at the Saturday night dance! I wanted to never sit down. Wish I could hear them more often.

5. Grill Jam. Always a great way to wind out the weekend. Grillling, haning out, and spontaneous sing-alongs? Yes, this year there was some spontaneous piano bar style karaoke involving jazz standards, classic rock, and even showtunes. In addition, Juan wowed us with some sweet card tricks, and Mike presented some rare clips he recently acquired. The night ended with a few of us sharing stories, and other random happenings. What a great night.

This is why I try to never miss a Rochester event. They’re always my favorite.

*Edit: 6/14/10*
Here’s a video of the post-class performance of Ballin’ The Jack!  

Most people were pretty surprised when I told them that this was my first ever Lindyfest. The event has been around for many years, is widely loved,  and I tend to travel a decent amount. How did I never attend before?!  It was either too far away, and therefore, too expensive to get to, or bad timing for me, or something or other… the reasons aren’t important.  The point is, this year I got to go. I live in Austin, TX now, and Lindyfest fun was just a three hour car ride away.

I got in to Houston Thursday night for the event’s first dance. I was expecting a small dance with mostly local dancers and got a dance where I got to hang out with a bunch of my friends form far away places. It made me so so happy. Every night’s dance that followed brought the same level of excitement out of me. I think that when I’m really happy, it shows — particularly through my dancing. And this weekend, I felt like I was on. Everything worked. Even when it didn’t, it somehow did.

Classes were another great part of the weekend. They held a full day of classes Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, a whole day more than most workshop weekends. Classes were incredible. But the thing I want to focus on right now is the selection process for the Advanced track auditions. I was really happy about how this went down. It was Jack and Jill style, for about three songs. The tempos sped up with each consecutive song. But the part I most loved was that at one point, to a rather speedy tune, dancers were asked to only do swingouts. What a great way to clearly see people’s strengths! At that speed, either your swingouts are successful or they fall apart. You can fake it a little in a group of 20 other couples to a medium tempo song. You  might get lost in the crowd not triple-stepping and doing some fancy looking stuff. But this made it easy to pick out those that were truly ready to benefit from advanced level instruction and those that weren’t. I can’t count how many times I stood in an advanced level class recently at some events and tried to learn new and challenging material with someone who was not strong on their fundamental movement. This way, people don’t over-place themselves, and students can really benefit from class instruction. And for the teachers, they then get a class who’s students are more or less on the same page. And they can really challenge them all toward a new concept. And for those who didn’t get advanced, and thought it a misjudgment – there were plenty of opportunities to move up later in the weekend. There were two formal auditions (Friday and Saturday before classes), and any teacher could individually advance a student at their discretion during the event. I loved how the class level auditions were carried out. More events should do that.

I took Masters classes over the weekend and an Advanced Tap class taught by Chazz Young. And man oh man, were they mind melters. I think my favorite types of classes are the concept ones. That’s why I loved the Masters classes so much. My favorite class of the weekend was Peter and Ramona’s class. It was the first one of the weekend and the one that challenged my mind the most. No moves. We just focused on dancing with the person holding our hand. It was about communicating an idea. The class focused on the conversation without words. It was hard. It made us put ourselves in a vulnerable position, not relying on our “go-to” moves. It was great.

I’ll definitely go to Lindyfest again.  The best way I can describe it was that it was a little, big event. Because it is a big event. Lindyfest is a big deal. People flock to it. But even with all those people, even considering it was half a hotel event, it felt intimate. Ahh, what a great weekend.

I love being in Austin. And last night was awesome. The Fed had a great DJ lineup for the night: Heather, Brooks, and Mike. So much fun dancing. But the night wasn’t over then. Some of my favorite musicians were playing at East Side Showroom till 2am. So we went, and danced like mad. Here’s the best thing. It made me feel super nostalgic for Banjo Jims. It felt just like Banjo Jim’s. Small, intimate, high energy. The band was rockin’.

After East Side Showroom, a bunch of us headed over to Kerbey Kerbey for some Kerbey Queso and other yummy snacks. I think it was about 4am when we finally made it home.

Oh yeah! I forgot to mention. We have a new dancer in town, at least for the next three months. Lindsay, an RIT student and member of swing club is here for a co-op. Daniel Son accompanied her on the trip down. I was stoked to have them both in town and to show Dan the awesomeness that is the Austin scene. And Teni was also in town! It was a really fun night.

Can’t wait till next Thursday.

Except it wasn’t!

For those who don’t know, Thursday night is Austin’s usual weekly dance night over at the Fed. It’s usually a pretty good time. But tonight was a particularly amazing night, at least for me. Allow me to explain…

Sometimes a lot of dances means I’m having a really good night. But, me solo-ing? That means it’s a fantastic night! I haven’t much felt the joy of spontaneous solo dancing since I left Rochester. I loved having a group of peers, with different styles, who would inspire me to be silly within the dance. It just seemed to happen naturally. And since I left, I felt like I had to make myself do it. Tonight, and here’s the magical part, towards the end of tonight’s dance, when more than half the people had left, and Eric was planning on winding down his set, he played something (I don’t remember what) that made me want to move. I was ridiculously happy, and the dancing just happened. I don’t know, or care if it was bad or good. But it was fun. He followed that up with about three more bad-ass tunes and so, I continued to dance. It was invigorating. When the night ended I was sweating like crazy and red in the face. Best feeling ever.

My body still aches from this weekend. Man, Tena and Scott threw one hell of an event. Where should I begin with my praise?

The music?
So awesome! The bands were two different configurations of local Austin musicians, both which included Ryan Gould, John Doyle and Oliver Steck. I feel so lucky to be able to listen to these guys play regularly in town, and I’m even happier that people from out of town got to hear them and love them too. I hope this means I might get to hear them at other events outside of Austin in the future.  Ahh, but lets not forget the  DJ’s. They all did a great job of keeping the energy and flow of the dance going between the band sets, competitions, and at late nights. But, I’d like to particularly comment on how amazing Naomi’s choice of music was for all of the competitions. Not only was it to the benefit of the dancers competing, but for the audience watching. Well, maybe I can’t speak for others, but it definitely had me dancing along as I watched and cheered my head off.

How about the competitions?
Oh my goodness, the level of dancing at this event was incredible… at every division! The novice level competitors were so impressive, and most had been dancing only about a year! I wish I had had the guts to travel and compete when I had been dancing just a year. On the other side of the comp spectrum, and a more personal note – this was my first invitational division event. Being invited to compete in it felt like such an honor. I mean, me? dancing alongside Nina and Naomi?! I felt like I was waaayyy out of my league. Little fish, big pond – that sort of thing. So yes, I was crazy nervous. But as usual, once the music started, It was just fun! And everyone has been really encouraging and supportive, making me feel like I actually belonged up there.  Now, I want to go into an in-depth description of the Invitational JnJ, but I think it best if anyone interested in it just watch the video, because I am totally incoherent when it comes to that comp. It was beyond words.

And of course there was some late night jam band fun!
Albanie Falletta, another local musician showed up to the late nights, and she joined a few of the musicians who hung around after their gigs at the main dance in some jams. The Killer Dillers also joined in the fun with some singing, dancing, piano playing, and overall goofing around. The side room with the hard to dance on tile floor was the place to be.

Visual evidence?
Pictures and videos are still going up, but here’s a few of my favorites from the event and of myself (yes, I’m taking a cue from Sharon on this) from photographer David Holmes. They are really really great shots. And hey! I even got a decent dance picture or two!

Ok, so I’m currently at the airport, it’s 5am, and haven’t yet slept tonight. This might be kinda nonsensical but I’m willing to take my chances.

I made the trip to Rochester this weekend for what may as well be considered Lindy Hop Church. Steven & Virginie’s workshop in Rochester has always left me bursting with new inspiration and a renewed if not magnified appreciation for the dance. But this year was beyond words. I don’t think it was anything the organizers (Groove Juice Swing) willed and worked to have happen (though I think organizers will always hope and work to do so). It just kind of happened. All the elements of a most epic weekend came together and BAM! We were all blown away. It’s Monday night / Tuesday morning after the workshop officially ended on Sunday afternoon and my heart is still bursting, and my brain is still scrambling to explain it. Since I obviously can’t, and it all won’t really make sense unless you were there to experience it, I’ll just give some highlights:

• Steven and Malcolm singing with Gordon Webster and his band (which included many super talented musicians like Jesse Selengut and Matt Musselman) for about half the night. Each time they sang the room stopped dancing… it was too awesome to not give them our undivided attention. My favorite moment was when Steven sang Truckin’ using the horn mute as a megaphone.
• The Sunday Musicality classes! We got to interact with the musicians in a new way, battling along to the music with another dancer, and then seeing Matt and Jesse (band members) duke it out on their horns.
• The babies!  More and more dancers are growing up and starting families. This year we had three newborns in attendance (Virginie’s, Sylwia and Adrian’s, and the Fragmans’), and they were loved by all! So cute! Next year there will be four (Alex and Sarah, from Rochester, are expecting). I think Groove Juice will need to work some sort of daycare option into their registration package in the future.
• The chance to catch up with old friends. People I haven’t seen in a loong time came to Rochester this weekend. It was nice to chat and catch up, dance with, and have a drink or two with them.
• Late nights were energetic beyond belief. We were still kickin’ it with high energy jazz at 4am… 5am…. then the sun came up. I barely got any sleep over the weekend but I don’t care. It was worth it.

I know my friends over at Groove Juice will work to re-create the magic for next year. It’ll be hard, but between the organizers, the amazing instructors, and the motivated students, it just might happen. In the meantime, I am stoked for NE Girl Jam.

All I can say is …..      that’s right. I’m speechless.

ULHS  was held in New Orleans this year. It was my first time there and I had a blast. New Orleans is a wild city. I had always wondered about going to Mardis Gras, but after seeing what Bourbon Street is like on a regular night, I don’t think I could handle Mardis Gras one bit.

Brooks and I got there Tuesday before the event and went right out to dance that night, as we did every night after. It was amazing. I finally had the chance to see the Vipers (now renamed the Cottonmouth Kings) live. They were as great as I imagined.

The event itself was awesome as well. It was great to see so many of my old friends from the northeast again. It was hot as hell in New Orleans. Everyone was drenched in sweat after a single dance, let alone a whole night’s worth.

Comps were stressful. I was terrified actually. Prelims and such were all jam-packed into Saturday and I was really just looking forward to getting them over with so I could sit down and watch finals. My plan was just to try my best, try and stay calm, and have fun. The J&J went exactly as I expected, you know, when there’s a group of so many amazing dancers all in one place. I did not make semi-finals and I enjoyed watching the remaining comp a lot. The finalists really brought some heat.

I also signed up for the Showdown (strictly) and the solo jazz comp. I competed with Chance and had a lot of fun. That comp however did not go as expected. I actually made the quarter-finals. We were just aiming to have fun for as long as we could. Then we made the semi-finals… then the finals.  And then, we won. We were up against Dax and Annie, two dancers who I greatly respect and admire. How did this happen?! Not what I expected at all. But it was a lot of fun. Now I’m waiting to find a good quality video of the whole thing… you know, so I can show my mom.

The solo jazz comp was right after the strictly finals, so I didn’t have a chance to rest at all. I didn’t get to change into something more comfortable or get water. I was exhausted and too tired to pull off any of the things I knew I wanted to do in that comp. Oh well. I did still last longer in that comp than last year, so to me, it was still a success.

Basically… New Orleans was a hell of a time.

One thing I forgot to explain is that the dance I attended, Hot Rhythm Ball, was in essence a one-night event advertisement for a dance weekend the organizers are planning to put on next year -- Hot Rhythm Holiday

Their site contains a video recap of the evening:

Last night Brooks and I decided to take a break from unpacking and go to this dance that we had heard was happening. It didn’t seem like it would be a huge event or anything (and it wasn’t), but it wasn’t a regularly scheduled Austin dance either. We had heard the band would be good and that there would be food (it was also BYOB). So we got gussied up and off we went.

The place was kinda hard to find. It was an old German style ballroom/meeting hall/manual bowling alley (yeah… I was confused about that too). The building was easy to miss. It didn’t stand out at all.  But it was perfect for this. The dance was a prohibition era themed dance. The ballroom was designed like an old supper club (with the tables at the perimeter of the dance floor), with a stage on one end of the floor, and the bar at the back. And, everyone was decked out in vintage 20′s, 30′s, and 40′s garb. It was  like walking into the past (a little). They definitely did the theme up right. The bowling alley, I found out, was even farther in back, and about only two lanes, and yes, manual. You set the pins up yourself. No, I didn’t try bowling.

The band last night wasn’t a usual group. They were members of about three different local jazz bands, chosen and thrown together into this one-time ensemble they called the Hot Rhythm All Star Band. And oh, how amazing it was. Jazz couldn’t get any hotter than that combo, it was so good. The one downfall to the evening was that the floor was so damn fast! It was hard to keep your balance even in rubber soled shoes… but we danced the night away anyway, just with some additional precaution.

During the band break there were some performances. Two musicians, and a dance performance by Mike and Laura. First off, I want to commend Mike and Laura for being so brave as to even attempt their choreography on that hellishly fast dance floor. Not to mention, Laura didn’t have rubber soled shoes on. She was dancing in suede (even slipperier) for that performance. Most of the partnered stuff in their routine worked just fine. The trouble was with the solo stuff. The floor was so slippery you had nothing to work off of for your movement. There were times watching their performance I thought ice would have given them more traction. So yeah, if you’re reading this, I commend you guys for doing that. You’re troopers. Seriously.

One of the musicians that performed during the band break was particularly memorable, and really, the reason I wanted to write this post in the first place. Luna Tart. Let me just describe what I saw…  A mature (but not old) woman staggers up to the stage looking totally drunk, dressed in vintage garb, holding a ukulele. When she speaks, she sounds drunk too. I wondered if she was. Then she starts singing. Her songs were this mix of humor, honesty, and multiple personalities. One song in particular was about a party she couldn’t leave because she was too drunk to find the door and she wanted to leave because they had run out of rum, but then she found the door but couldn’t find her keys, but then she didn’t want to leave because she found the gin… I laughed so hard I cried.

I found her website, and a particularly descriptive review of one of her performances. You should read that review and check her out. I know I definitely want to see her perform again.

Luna Tart.com

A Review of Luna Tart at Joe’s Pub

Swingtime in the Rockies was our final stop on this trip and we are now back home in Atlanta.

Swingtime was fun. It was my first competition event this year (yeah, I’ve been lame and not really traveling). In fact, I felt so out of sorts that I was nervous about competing again. Well, I wound up getting 1st in the Advanced/All-star JnJ and from what I heard, 6th in the Invitational Strictly with Joe (apparently we were the alternates for finals? – heard from Nelle). Either way, I was feeling really comfortable with my dancing again by the end of the weekend and I was starting to feel creative again. I can’t wait for my next big event – ULHS.

Now that the trip was over we had come to the big decision. Where will we be moving to?  The winner is: Austin, TX. We most likely won’t be moving until the end of the Summer. Definitely waiting till I rent out my apartment first. I’m really excited about this though.