alain’s dance blog

On May 31st 2008, I’m riding a bicycle from Vancouver, Canada to Tijuana, Mexico.

There are two goals to this 3000 km, 7 week ride. I’m raising $3000 for the AOC micro-credit fund, and I’m promoting micro-credit as a tool to fight poverty and empower women. All the money you donate will go directly to people in need, without overhead. So support me by donating today.

Standout Jobs is matching the first thousand dollars in donations, so if you donate $100, it means I will get $200 to fight global poverty. You will also get a tax receipt if you are a Canadian citizen.

If you wish to help me with my personal expenses such as bike equipment and plane ticket, please contact me at alainkinwong@gmail.com. As I will fly from Montreal to Vancouver to start the trip, your donation of AirMiles or other travel points is welcome.

For further information on microcredit, check some of the following sources:

• KIVA (also check out my Kiva lender’s page)
• United Nations International Year of Microcredit
• Microcredit Summit Campaign
• Grameen Bank
• Microfinance Alliance
• ACCION International

Feb 22, 2008

Thank you Ann, Sylwia, Alain and Sandra for being the first donors.

Feb 25, 2008 update

Thank you Gary for donating a bike for my trip.

Mar 1, 2008 update

Thank you Rik for posting on the frontpage of Yehoodi. Thank you to all you anonymous donors - fundraising total has reached $750. Yay!

Anne and I taught Charleston to 9th grade students at St-George’s high school today, and this reminded me that teaching a partnered dance means teaching people to lower their physical barriers and allowing someone else in their space.  Teaching high school students is especially challenging, because not all teenagers are used to the intimate contact of partnered dancing.

The major barrier to swing dancing at this age is the awkwardness of being close to someone of the opposite sex. As a teacher, you need to make them feel comfortable. The easiest way to do this is by having them work towards a common goal, which in this case is to help each other learn the steps.

To keep them focused, move fluidly from one step to the next move in your teaching. Don’t give them time to be shy.

At first, it may seem hard to get them going - they get easily distracted, don’t pay attention, even disturb the class. However, once you get the whole class dancing and enjoying the music, I can guarantee warm and fuzzy feelings.

During the Quebec Swing Rendez-Vous, Benjamin Ricard from Port-O-Swing showed me their nifty new brochures. There’s a picture of Ann and myself inside.

Port-O-Swing is the big swing dance school in Quebec city. They teach many different jazz dances, including Lindy, East Coast, Jive, Blues, Shag, Balboa, you name it. Benjamin and Geneviève are most know for their death-defying acrobatics.

I’ve been following the US elections a fair bit, and I have to say, the Barack Obama campaign has quite some viral Youtube videos supporting it. Here are my favorites:

• Yes We Can - song & video, featuring a star cast, by Will.i.am of The Black Eyed Peas. Inspired by Barack Obama’s ‘Yes We Can’ speech.
• Obama Girl by barelypolitical

I’m not picking sides on the election, but immensely enjoy Obama’s speaking skills. He has the gift to inspire.

The classic West Coast Swing routine by Jordan Frisbee & Tatiana Mollmann at the 2007 US Open Swing Dance Championship. It’s an unconventional song selection, but they pull it off well. From a judging perspective, traditional West Coast dancing might have been compromised for more musicality and expression.

I’m used to seeing them win in that division every year, and was surprised by their 3rd place finish. Their performance fits the music, but might not fit the context of the dance competition. But kudos to them for the gutsy performance and bringing the dance to a new direction.