alain’s dance blog

Thank you readers for following my dance blog this past year. I’ve decided to put blogging on hold for the next month as I prepare for my 7 week bike trip from Vancouver to Mexico. I’ll be dancing all along the West Coast on my way down south (starting with Camp Jitterbug in Seattle), so I’ll definitely write about my journey along the way.

It’s not too late to donate (click here to go to my donation page), and you can also come support me by dancing on Friday April 25 at Cat’s Corner. The Cool Canaries will be playing for my fundraiser.

New Dance Blog

As Carl mentioned yesterday, we are launching a collaborative dance blog project this summer. There will be more dancer interviews, more jazz music discussions and more reporting on Lindy Hop events in the near future.

For now, here are the most popular posts of the last year:

The Lindy Hop dance

• Top reasons why you will fall in love with Lindy Hop
• How to prepare for a swing dance competition
• The different types of dance shoe soles: pictures

Spotlight on dancers

• Dancer Interviews: Adam Boehmer
• Dancer Interviews: Stephanie McKernan and Lindy Bout
• Handpainted t-shirts of Lindy Hop dancers: Max Pitruzzella
• Handpainted t-shirts of Lindy Hop dancers: Mike Faltesek

About swingin’ jazz music

• How to start your collection of swinging jazz music
• Song playlist at the Montreal Lindy Hop Exchange 2007
• Song playlist for the Battle of the Swing DJs 2007
• My Top 5 Count Basie songs for swing dancing
• My Top 5 Sidney Bechet songs for swing dancing
• My Top 5 Duke Ellington songs for swing dancing
• My Top 5 Fats Waller songs for swing dancing

Wicked dance videos

• You can dance no matter what your size!
• We’re dancing Lindy Hop in the official Gmail video by Google
• The family of swing dances explained in video part 1
• Best slow motion dancing in a Lindy Hop video clip
• Watch our Lindy Hop performance at ULHS 2007
• SwingOutDayton team choreography to OK GO
• Watch Jordan Frisbee and Tatiana Mollmann at the US Open 2007
• Watch the SuperJews dancing at Swingin New England
• Bands for dancers today: Loose Marbles
• Watch the Harlem Hotshots from Sweden on TV
• Watch a tribute to the Harlem Congaroos in Seattle
• So You Think You Can Dance: The Lindy Hop

The Jam Cellar “April Fool!” video:

The Jam Cellar is a world-reknowned weekly swing dance party held in a posh, turn of the century mansion in Northwest Washington, DC on Tuesday nights. They have an awesome video blog that you all should subscribe to.

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.

Mariel Adams and I danced in the Strictly Lindy division at ALHC 2007 in October. Here’s our performance.

Tonight we are having our second Echoes of Harlem dance at Cat’s. Alain Fragman will be teaching a solo jazz class. And the great thing is that it’s free! Lesson starts at 9pm.

Here’s a video from the last Echoes of Harlem, with Ann Mony teaching some solo jazz steps.