Stagedive redux

During my time at the training center at iO West, I felt the need to dig in to the physical aspect of my improvisational work. Of course the training center at iO didn’t include any physical work as part of its core curriculum. There were the occasional workshops offered, but not often enough to scratch the itch I was feeling.

I remember one day, the morning of the Del Close Awards in 2012, that I had a dream that I had stage dived from the main stage at the theatre. That night, after getting done with my intern shift there was a dance and it was incredible. By that I mean that I couldn’t believe that so many folks had so much dancing freedom! There were dozens more (maybe most of the attendees) who would rather schmooze in the bar, but the groove on the dance floor was deep and everyone was in the pocket. From a Harold nerd’s perspective, what was happening was essentially a giant group game, moved by the flow of the DJ.

Then there came the stage dives, and I got to live the dream I’d woken with that morning.

At the time I’d imagined working with dancers on an improv comedy form. I’d seen so many talking heads scenes over the previous few years that I was eager to break new ground. At Camp Hollywood, an annual swing dance competition that I’ve attended for over a decade, I’d imagined a way to do a completely improvised swing dance routine to music that we generated from singing of the audience. To say that was an ambitious notion would be an understatement, but I knew that the ideas revolving around improvised dance would need to be realized.

I’ve taught improvisation for dancers in the Lindy Hop world since the turn of the century. Most of my exercises were inspired by things I learned in my earlier days of improvisation. So when I started my level 7 class at iO, during which our class would workshop an entirely new form, the notions that had been swelling in my head for months or years were ready to be born. I’d have to save those ideas for later since our class worked on a great form called The Quark, but that meant I’d have time to recruit players and a coach and find space for us all to play!

I called the form The Stagedive. We rehearsed with coach Stacy Rumaker (and once with George Caleodis) until I was pulled away from Southern California for family reasons. We got a good couple of months of practice and what I think were some good shows under our belts. I was sorry to leave the group behind, but I was needed in Kansas City.

The following are the email correspondences I sent to the Stagedive group. I’m finding it valuable to revisit these ideas because they’re still boiling for me.

Email 1

Here are some new clips to check out. This week I was interested in the heightened world of dance:

Black Coffee
This metaphor is pretty much on the nose.

Step Up 3 - Red Hook
http://youtu.be/Tistx28WpJU
Another video of two tribes. Seems like a common theme in dance movies.

Adriano Celentano - Prisencolen...
I can't even explain this one. I find it infectious.

I've got tons more clips, but just three for now. Thanks a ton for your time!

Email 2

Hey y'all,

There's a lot to say about what music means for a dancer. I've got some links here which you may interesting or may seem pretty heady. If you find your brain pounding then I advise you to put the reading down. We'll explore musicality more in rehearsal this week.

In the follow-up email, I'll have an exercise for you to try and more videos for that "ooh, pretty" feeling.

So, musicality... In the sense that I'm bringing up here, let's consider the word a few ways.  How does a dancer feel music? How then can the dancer use those feelings to find movement? And eventually how does this work with a group? How do a group of surfers ride the same wave?

The first link is from my dance blog. These are all the links that specifically relate to musicality.  

http://lindygroovetechnique.blogspot.com/search/label/Musicality?m=0

The next link is from Swungover. It's an interview with a deaf dancer named Tim Vail. There's a lot about how music moves a person who can't use their ears to hear it.

http://swungover.wordpress.com/2011/08/16/interview-with-tim-vail-deaf-lindy-hopper/

I followed the included links yesterday. One of those that hits me really hard is the link to "Whip My Hands," video by Adrean Clark.

When I first watched this I wanted to hear the music she danced to. Then I thought "oh..."

This could get pretty deep. If you have any questions I welcome them! Thanks for your time.

Email 3

One of the things I've been considering lately is the way I listen to music. We talked about lyrics in rehearsal last weekend and I remember that for me lyrics are usually the last thing that hit. Usually I don't hear lyrics until the second or third time through and usually only remember them if they're exceptionally clever or bold enough to stick in my head. For me music is usually what's underneath the words. For me a singer's voice is one instrument among many.

Maybe it wasn't always that way for me. I remember in a dance class at the Edge years back, when the instructor stopped us cold. He told us to stop counting (bear in mind I haven't asked us to start counting) and listen to the music. He asked us to pick out one instrument and dance to that. That minute's worth of work was a crucial one for me! So I'd like for you to have a similar experience.

Here's a song from Lake Street Dive:

Clear a Space

Here's the exercise:

1) Listen to the song. Please don't read parts 2 forward until after you've heard the song once.

****
****
****
****
****

2) Listen to the song again. This time pick out the BASS - It's fairly prominent in the song.

3) Once you've found the bass, hum along with it. Try to make the same sounds you hear. If you're sensitive to which parts of your body vibrates when you sing then make note but there's no pressure to think on that much. If you don't notice anything them just hum along for now.

4) Dance to the bass-line. It might just be a simple foot tapping. A head bop counts as dancing in my book! Whatever feels like moving, let it move.

5) Listen to the song again picking out a different instrument. There are only four instruments total including the singer. Sing along and dance with that instrument.

6) Try the exercise again with a song of your choice!

Questions: Where in your body does music turn into dancing? How is listening in this way similar or different from the kind of listening you use in the world or onstage?

The exercise above is a musical exploration of sensitivity to tone. Later we'll explore how structure works in songs and how we can become more sensitive to that as dancers and as players.

I promised videos. Here are some videos!

Videos

*Jammin' the Blues

This is one of my favorite jazz clips, shot by one of my favorite photographers, Gjon Mili. It's a good transition in the discussion of music and dancing.

*Amelia - Lalala Human Steps

I've lost count how many times I've watched this. I find it completely hypnotic. This is the first section of a longer feature film from Lalala Human Steps.

*Weightless - Erika Janunger

Man, I don't know what this is but it's gorgeous.

Okay, that's plenty of stuff. Please let me know if you have any questions. Thanks for your time!

Email 4

Great rehearsal last weekend! Aw man, I have to give it up to Kelsey McCowan for coming in to teach for the first hour! I've been working on that tap section. And I have to thank you all for just playing your asses off!

This week I'll be teaching a Lindy Hop lesson. We're going to learn the roles of lead and follow and build some ideas about what that means in partnership. Since we're a little gender-uneven I'll be inviting some extra ladies to join us for that first hour. If you know anyone who'd like a free lesson please send me a line!

We'll be guest coached this weekend by George Caleodis, alumnus of the Second City mainstage and a man who performs with at least 12 Harold teams each week. I'm excited for him to work with us!

Some related READING -

USS Rock 'n Roll - Dance Lessons part 1 & 2

http://ussrocknroll.com/?p=6907

http://ussrocknroll.com/?p=6911

RockStepTriple - Lindy Hop vs. Improv Comedy

http://rocksteptriple.wordpress.com/2012/02/17/lindy-hop-vs-improv-comedy/

A slew of VIDEOS -

Groovie Movie

Fifteen years ago this movie changed my life. Most of my basic philosophy of life can be found here.

Hellzapoppin'

This is one of the most memorable scenes from an ahead of its time sketch comedy film.

I Love Lucy - from Lucy Gets an Eye Exam

http://youtu.be/frLNbUWG524 (*unfortunately now removed from YouTube*)

Lucy danced with one of my heroes from the Groovie Movie, Arthur Walsh

Living it Up - Jerry Lewis & Dean Martin

Jerry Lewis backed up by some of southern Californias legendary swing dancers.

The Retro Kids Show - Everybody Eats When They Come to My House

Hey, I'm in this one!

Okay, that's plenty for now. Send a line if you have any questions. Thanks for your time!

Email 5

Just one video today - Bobby McFerrin 

I'd love to play an audience like he does.

BIRTHDAZ'D: My annual year-long birthday celebration: the kick-off!

Last year's celebration of my birthday officially ends on January 25, 2012. That's the day before this year's celebration begins.

We have swing dancing, improv shows and classes, food-ishness and some as-yet-unplanned wackiness. The kick-off event is spread out over several days. Make it happen.

Last year, I challenged folks to try things they hadn't done much. The challenge is extended again this year. It runs on the honor system.

For some reason people have gotten the crazy idea that I don't want presents. If this is you, you've been misinformed. I love presents! Here's where to go if you want ideas about what to get: me want. If you get something from this list it is likely that I will weep openly. Sorry about that.

Here's the schedule as it stands. It's subject to change.

Thursday, January 26th
7:30pm beginner lesson
8:30pm-midnight dancing!
LindyGroove - This is my regular spot and always a blast. Admission is $8 and comes with a free beginner lesson. I also have less than 10 free passes I can give away for this night only. If I know you from Improv, yoga or math, this is a night I really want to see you! Swing dancers are welcome, but you were going to be there anyway so find another night.

Friday, January 27th - IO West -
Three hours of comedy shows on the main stage at IO West and admission is $10 for all the shows you want to watch.
09:00 PM - $10
Opening Night: The Improvised Musical!®
10:00 PM - $10
Orpheus Roy & Old Milwaukee
11:00 PM - $5
The Wild & Glory Stories

I want as many Lindy Hoppers here this night as possible, since they mention the possibility of a dance party afterward. Actually, everyone should come out for this, because it's always a hoot!

IO West
6366 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA

After Lindy bombing IO, my bud Marshall is opening up a new club on the same block. It's an Electro Speakeasy, whatever that means. As I understand it, there's no cover.

1am-3am - Confidentiel

Saturday, January 28th -
12:45pm - Mixed level Yoga class at Mission Street Yoga
5pm - Cafe Gratitude - I've never been. There's food here!
7:30pm - Enter Spider at Nerdmelt - $10 at the door

Sunday, January 29th -
2pm-4pm - Improv Trick - Improv class
At the Underground Theater Annex
1314 N. Wilton Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90028

4:30pm - Doomie's Home Cookin'
6pm-whenever: let's go roller skating around Hollywood!

24 Hour Cancer Dance-a-thon 2011 redux

It's a week later and I haven't properly written up the 24 Hour Cancer Dance-a-thon. Maybe I can't properly sum it up. The event this year was my favorite to date. The population was perhaps a bit smaller than in the last couple of years, but everyone who was there was there in a big way!


Video by Vince Fry


This clip from the Garden Grove News was probably shot around 12 hours into the event. About midnight, since they got Jonathan Stout and the Campus 5!

Our team, Old School, was a bit smaller than usual this year. I'd say we went in with a skeleton crew of about 10 members. That's five under the official minimum, but we didn't tell anyone about it. I made sure that we were all smart about conserving our energy for the weekend and we had a few folks who were working for the event so their work time was going to be our official representation.

I don't have a group pic of Old School ready. If anyone wants to send one I'll post it.

Here's a link to the story in the Orange County Register. It includes a short video and a photo slide-show. Dancers Fight Cancer, One Step at a Time. A direct link to the video is here: video


This is the 2am jam. I'm behind the camera and having a heck of a time! I kinda wanted to get on the floor but I'd have had to stop shooting. Plus my shoes were off at the moment. (Excuses, excuses.)

What I learned more than anything else is that it's effortless to put out a low quality video on YouTube. The resolution isn't great and the camera ain't steady, but it was really exciting to shoot, so it's share time! I also got two more videos of JS and the C5 playing, but I haven't been able to check those for quality yet. I'll assume that the audio on those clips are really poor.

Is there any footage of the Karaoke session run at 3am by Eli Charne? That was a hoot!


At 6:00, a small band of dancers made their way to KTLA Studios in Hollywood to shoot this for an hour.

This meant that I got to teach the Wake-up class at 6:30am. I pulled out my improv for dancers class "Adventures in the Groove" and abbreviated it to fit into an hour. I had intended to shoot at least a few moments of the class since I get to teach it so rarely. We started with a modified version of Pass the Itch, then I did bang, then I did noses and then it got crazy. (If you don't know what that means, you'll have to take one of my dance classes) Many dancers later told me that the class was one of their favorite moments that weekend. When one student said the class was inspirational, I got really weepy.

I guess there are plenty of things I didn't catch this weekend. I really wish I could have gotten some footage of that class.


Okay, let's move forward. At about 8, Danny Maika starts his set. He's a great talent and a good guy! Check him out!

There's still so much more, but I have to close now. In all, the dance-a-thon raised over $124,000.00. Next year we're aiming to more than double that to bring the total for the event to $1 million!

Why I do the 24 Hour Cancer Dance-a-thon!

My mother is currently recovering from her second surgery to remover her cancer. Her appetite is growing and hopefully she'll make a strong come-back.

My father had a form of blood cancer before he died. He had other health issues as well, but the cancer was no help.

At the age of 12 I was told by a dermatologist that I had a high risk of skin cancer. So I wear sunscreen when I remember and I try to stay indoors a lot and eat well.

***

If you haven't heard of the 24 Hour Cancer Dance-a-thon before, its a large event put on by some Lindy Hoppers down in Irvine with proceeds benefiting the City of Hope, a center for cancer research, care and education.

I've been contributing to the 24 Hour Cancer Dance-a-thon since its inception several years ago. Certainly that was before I had learned of either of my parents illnesses. Now that my mother is fighting the disease too I have to think about why I've done it all these years.

If you haven't read it before, here's my write-up of the event back in 2009: What a Difference a Day Makes.

Here's a video re-cap of last year's event that I found on Youtube:



Going all the way through it is an emotional experience. I can't remember a year during which I didn't laugh, cry and feel a great amount of love. It's a very moving event. It's also loads of fun. That's certainly part of what makes me return.

Maybe that's only part of it.

I think I do it because it's very close to home. My parents, me, even friends I haven't mentioned here. I dance for me and mine. It could be your parents, you or your friends. I dance for you and yours too.

24 Hour Cancer Dance-a-thon 2011 is only two weeks away. Please consider participating or making a donation. Even a few dollars will help a really worthy cause. Even a few dollars can make a big difference.

If you love dancing and hate cancer, please figure out how you can help!

Thanks for your time.

What I learned in my time away...

and how I learned it.

As I mentioned in one of my earlier posts on Improvisation, I took a good long sabbatical from improvisation. There's a little 'why' there, and a lot of what happened in the duration.

Where was I at the time? I had been the little-seen player in the ComedySportz team in Santa Barbara. I think the team probably had no idea what to do with me and I don't believe I was ready to learn what I needed to learn from them. I left them when I left Santa Barbara to head to the Pacific Conservatory for Performing Arts in Santa Maria. I was asked to leave that group at the end of my first semester there. I was beginning to feel like there were things I needed to learn that I wasn't going to learn there. I remember Paul, the president of PCPA saying to me "this isn't stand-up." So I moved back home to Los Angeles and in a little while I took Judy Carter's class on stand-up.

Some folks question the notion of a class on stand-up comedy. After having taken Judy's class I can say that it's a craft that can work in the classroom. For me it wasn't until the final practice before the final class that any material came together for me. It was partially just the pressure and also something that my practice partner noticed: I wasn't making eye contact with her.

I'll say that was a revelation! No one had mentioned that tid-bit to me before. In college folks often assumed that I was pretty confident. Perhaps they confused the idiosyncratic outfits I wore with confidence. Some folks perhaps believed that I was too cool for them. Looking back on it now, I can imagine that I was more alienated than cool. Ah, perspective.

Anyway, that practice partner taught me to look her in the eye. She asked me to look directly into her right pupil. Such a huge lesson. Good looking girl too, but I don't think I ever saw her again after that showcase.

Shortly after that I did an improv class at the Ice House in Pasadena. We had one showcase, but fell apart after that. I can't say I really had discovered what it meant to be a team player at that point. I was still doing a bit of stand-up, but finding that world to be really bitter and hard. There were a few cool folks who stick around in my memory. Some good gigs, but mostly I remember folks being jealous of other folks and not having a real support system. I started my sabbatical some time after my last stand-up gig. Was doing some work at the Public Access studio in West Hollywood, but time marched on.

I didn't recognize it as a sabbatical when it began. I had moved on.

The next thing to fill my life was Lindy Hop. That's swing dancing, if you've never heard of it. I discovered the dance some time between September 4th, 1997 and now. It took many of the things I was needing to learn and put them into sharp focus. Also, I had been a dancer in my youth and really needed an outlet for my physical creativity.

Here's an overview of Lindy Hop: it's an American dance born in the jazz halls and ballrooms of the early 20th century. It's loose and free-form, but works with a structure. It requires an understanding of one's own body and playfulness with one's partner is more often than not rewarded. If you're curious what the dance looks like, you might click on the "Lindy Hop" tab to your right. There are a few clips there that will give you an idea.

It seems to me now that Lindy Hop has been one of the most important and fulfilling elements of my life. In Lindy Hop, I was able to put the phrase "Yes And" to work literally in a way I wasn't ready to do in my past on stage. That is to say that after years of dancing with folks I understood what it was to be in the moment in a substantial way.

In fact I remember in the late 1990s watching a class that some San Francisco dancers had taught on the subject of improvisation and feeling that the classes were really shallow. I saw a very simple mirror exercise and I didn't see the teachers really even taking that exercise to its fruition. It was after that when I developed the class I came to call "Adventures in the Groove." That class is central in the way I view the Lindy Hop and reflects many of the ways I feel about taking creative chances in the world.

Here are some things I learned from Lindy Hop that have influenced my Improvisation:

1) There is someone with you, whether you remember it or not.
2) It's better to play with the person with whom your are dancing than some other person about whom you may be wishing.
3) When someone does something you don't expect, it's way more fun to accept it and perhaps augment it than it is to put up defenses.
4) What's the point of fear? It's not like there's a bear on the dance floor.
5) Listening is more than hearing. Using my senses is an important way to tune in to the world around me, not to mention the person with whom I'm dancing.
6) Everyone was a beginner at some point.
7) There's always more work to do.

These are just several notions that come to mind after more than a decade of dance.

Anyway, as I mentioned in other posts, I've returned to improvisation pretty solidly. I finally have been admitted to the Monkey Butler level 2 class and am working on my long-form improv chops there. I'm also in the teaching track with Bill Chott and The Improv Trick. Next week I'm hoping to audition for The X-Ecution, which is essentially a contest. I see it more as a creative pressure cooker and the notion of joining really excites me.

In dance, I teach the LindyGroove Technique Class. My partner Fancy and I will be flying down to Tucson in two weeks to teach a workshop. Excitement abounds.

More recently I've also begun studying yoga. The way I see it, these things all work on the same principles. It's all about play. Just starting on this track now and it has been greatly enriching.

Fump!

This is a short we shot last weekend. I didn't know I'd be dancing in it. It was a good time overall!

My schedule has been full of Orccon. That's next weekend at the LAX Sheraton from Friday through Monday. I'm excited!

We're holding a performance by Dungeon Master on Saturday night! Also, free Monster Energy Drinks for the folks who enjoy our late night festivities!

It might just be me, but I'm going to set up a Twister Yoga practice at least once that weekend.

Also, if you're interested in attending, I need volunteers. Send me a line at fad23@hotmail.com and I'll let you know how you can help!

Here's a geeklist about what I expect from my volunteers: Strategicon - Guide to Good GMing.

4 Decades of Whimsy - the clips.

This is an addendum to the post I wrote last week, 4 Decades of Whimsy, in which I outline my birthday plans.

For those folks who are curious what all my birthday events are about, here are some clips:

Lindy Hop

Here's the classic Groovie Movie, the film that inspired so many of us over a decade ago. I remember the night I shared this clip with the back room at the Derby. Oh, man, them's memories.

Improv

I don't have audio at the moment, but at some point I'd like to listen to this clip. I haven't watched it fully yet.

Yoga

Here's Anusara Yoga founder John Friend, speaking at a yoga conference.

Board Games

Watching people play board games on YouTube might not be the best way to experience it.

Okay, so play is the operative word. Come play with me next week!

4 decades of whimsy

I'm turning 40 this month. It's time to figure out the celebration plan!


Essentially, I'm inviting folks to join me for my weekly activities, which include yoga, improv class, Lindy Hop and board games. Here's the catch: I ask that everyone come to the activities with which they are least familiar. For instance, if I know you from board games and dancing, then you'll be urged to improv and/or yoga. Or if we met doing yoga, you'll be invited to come check out LindyGroove or improv. Everyone is still welcome to play in their comfort zone, but I'm challenging everyone to break out a bit. Does that make sense?

There are a lot of free options to be had. I'll explain more of those as we go.

Here's the schedule:
Saturday, January 22nd
4:30-5:30pm - 7 Dollar Yoga at Mission Street Yoga

Sunday, January 23rd
10:30am-Noon - Mixed level Yoga class at Mission Street Yoga
5:00-7:00pm - Improv class with Monkey Butler, Burbank

Monday, January 24th
8:00-10:00pm - One Buck Butler - Come watch me perform! Entry is one dollar. EVERYONE IS INVITED!

Tuesday, January 25th
9-midnight - Joe's Bar and Grille - Lindy Hop

Wednesday, January 26th
12:30-1:30 - 7 Dollar Yoga at Mission Street Yoga
8-11pm - Game Empire - board game party

Thursday, January 27th
7:30-midnight - LindyGroove - Lindy Hop

Friday, January 28th
5-11pm, Game Empire - board game party

Bonus!
Sunday, January 30th
4:00-6:00pm - Improv class with the Improv Trick! FREE!!
6:00-9ishpm - ASSSSCAT, improv show, Hollywood

Here's my Amazon wishlist. There are many items on here that can be bought for a penny plus shipping. If you feel like splurging for bigger ticket items, then be my guest.

Also, to be perfectly honest, I usually do improv on Tuesdays, but I felt like the schedule needed more Lindy Hop. Come check out La Granja's Game Night at IO West at some point. I'll probably be there!

FREE STUFF
Improv class - The Sunday class is free. Class with Nathan Davis of Monkey Butler. Media City Church, 269 East Providencia Avenue Burbank, CA 91502-1433
Mission Street Yoga - New students that live within a 10 mile radius of South Pasadena are eligible to take their first class for free.
Joe's Bar and Grille - There is no cover charge for this event. I think there's a bucket of love if you'd like to support.
LindyGroove - The first 10 folks who send me their email addresses can get free admission on January 27th. I'll save this for folks who haven't already been to LindyGroove. Please RSVP before January 24th.
Game Empire - Come hang out! Drinks and candy for sale. Buy a game if you like supporting local businesses.
ASSSSCAT - The Sunday show is free, though donations are suggested.


edited to add: Now there are videos! Check out 4 Decades of Whimsy - the clips

"If I had to do it all over again, I would do it."

This entire morning has been filled with the news that Frankie Manning, the Ambassador of Lindy Hop, has died. Credited with creating the first air steps of the dance, his legacy is far more than can be described in a short missive.


This clip dates back to the 1980s, I think.

This was surely one of the first things I watched in my own Lindy Hop education. Since then, a generation of dancers have been gifted with his inspiration.

I remember the moment I first saw the flyer for the Harvest Moon Swingout in 1997. I had learned East Coast Swing a month before and had planned to delay learning Lindy Hop for another few months. Then I saw the flyer at one of the Pasadena Ballroom Dance Association Saturday dances. Frankie Manning would be teaching Lindy Hop the following weekend! I hadn't learned the step yet, but the common thought at the time was that it was nearly impossible to learn. So I bought the Frankie Manning/Erin Stephens instructional video and got to learning on Sunday. Then I took Erik and Sylvia's Lindy Hop class at The Derby on Monday and worked on the basic step for the rest of the week.

By the time I got to the class on the following Saturday, I hesitantly joined Frankie's beginning level class. I really didn't have an idea of what to expect from the man. This was in the days before YouTube. I thought he would be an old white guy, and I might have been intimidated by the mere idea of him. In class I warned my partners that I had only started learning the dance the week before. Most were pleasant, if not a little put off by my warning. They were patient with me and perhaps surprised by my progress.

Wow! The man at the head of class had this joyful timbre in his voice, like he was on the verge of spilling his laughter over the crowd! He was absolutely not the scary white man that I had imagined. Frankie Manning had an excitement during that class that surely carried over into the way I feel about the dance today. Hundreds of dancers in the room were with him that day and I'm convinced that was merely a drop in the bucket.



That night at the dance, they played the first Lindy Hop clips I ever saw, including Hot Chocolates, still reversed in soundie form. In the film, Frankie was the man wearing the overcoat. It was that night that I first began my quest to find more dance footage, years of wandering through obscure video stores and wading through films and catalogues to find the merest glimpse of Lindy Hop.

If anything could be said about that week, I learned that Lindy Hop wasn't impossible after all. Lindy Hop could be as easy as walking, only filled with exuberance, replete with joy!

So Frankie Manning, I thank you many times over for the love you shared, not just in the dance but in life. You have meant so much to so many people. For me, your laughter lives on in my own teaching. Your joy will live on in the generations to come!

What a difference a day makes!

They told me that packing for the 24 Hour Cancer Dance-a-thon would be something like getting ready for a summer camp. I brought 12 t-shirts, one for every couple of hours and I was gonna leave my laptop at home. The 24 Hour Fitness Ultrasport didn't have wireless, so I would just have to rough it.

Here's the run-down: hundreds of participants volunteer for the weekend to go to a giant party. Before they come to the party, they ask their friends and family for donations, the proceeds of which will go to The City of Hope. In exchange for the donations, the participants promise that they and/or their team members will be on the dance floor for the entire duration. Live bands, contests, dance classes, great company - it's not a bad deal in the least. In past years, the event has raised an annual average of over $100,000 to benefit cancer research. So it's a giant party that helps to make good things happen.

Pictures by Mike Wolfe unless otherwise noted.

I was the leader of Team Old School. The team had originally been made up of dancers who liked classic jazz music and who were inspired by vintage dance footage. This year, I invited some of my students to join the team. The more bodies the better. At the outset of the event, we had over a dozen members. We were planning a bake sale, and I made sure to remind everyone that a bathing suit makes you that much more welcome in the jacuzzi.

About the bake sale, Jen Hollywood is famous for her cupcakes (she'd bring Caramel Mocha and Chai spice, as well as a secret stash just for the team), at least in our friendly circles. I'm a ribbon winning pie-maker (I was experimenting with Kiss my Buttermilk again and had the idea to make Ginger Apple pie, modified from this recipe) and Karin Pleasant would pitch in with cookies and brownies.

When we got there, we pulled a spot between The Cult of the Eye and the Swingin' Clientele. We also had a spot next to the free water and the restroom, so go Team Old School! The other teams made up for our lack of youthful enthusiasm. Most of the folks that I spoke to seemed a little perplexed about the Cult, but they seem like fun folks. I heard that they have a party called Waffles of the Damned, where they get together for waffles and zombie movies.

Moon-faced and starry-pied

Laurinda Steinmeyer brought our tent set-up. I hadn't met her before but she'd been dancing in Orange County since the early 90s. She's one of the Disneyland generation - those dancers who learned at the weekly dance there. She had a ton of supplies, including our tent, chairs and tables. She also made our really cool Team Old School sign, including some required information about skin cancer and the team motto:

Team Old School - It's like New School, but Old.

Tise Chao is a founding member of the team. I believe she dates back to The Derby, like I do. We like to tell the same in-jokes back and forth, about whipped cream and beef & broccoli.

Todd, Tise, Rachel and Jonathan
Thanks to Tise Chao for this pic

One of my favorite bands had the marquis spot for the weekend. Jonathan Stout and his Campus Five with Hilary Alexander. These cats know swing!

Old School members Laurinda Steinmeyer and Mike Lopez
Thanks to Laurinda Steinmeyer for the pic.

Jen Hollywood (yes, that's her real name) drove in from Santa Barbara to participate in the event. She's comes from that late 90s Santa Barbara crowd, I think. I've known her since one of the Laughlin bus trips back in the day. She still comes down to dance in Los Angeles from time to time.


A few of the other members of Team Old School, including some students of mine from my class at LindyGroove: Ashley Mee, Mike Wolfe, Kirsten Welge and Jorge Estrada.

There were a ton of classes scheduled that weekend. It was good having the students on the team, because they were on the floor when we old fogies were restin'. That Jorge was our team madman. I think there was barely a moment when he wasn't on the floor. He was definitely doing a lot of the heavy lifting for our team, being on the floor when everyone else was asleep.


In the meantime, I spent a lot of time conserving my energy. If by conserving my energy I mean hanging out with cute girls.

Photo by Paul Almazon

Do I have a thing for cute blonds with glasses? You decide.

Did I mention dance contests? There were several that weekend.

Video by Roxie1589

This Jack and Jill was the first contest of the weekend. For the non-dancers reading a Jack and Jill is a contest in which dancers are partnered up randomly. In the footage above, I'm dancing with little Morgan, a new dancer from the inland empire who was probably the youngest participant at the event. There were plenty of babies around, but mostly they weren't working too hard.

Wait a second. Matt from the Cult of the Eye was selling a minute worth of holding his baby for a buck. That little cultist had to have been the youngest one there!

Photo by Laurinda Steinmeyer

Bernard of Hollywood and Karin Pleasant represented our team in another contest that night. I didn't see it, but apparently they won a hundred bucks for our team. I think I might have been in the jacuzzi when that happened. Congratulations to Bernard and Karin!

Here's a video with Bernard and Karin in the semi-finals:

video by Matt Jenkins

Here's clip from one of the jams that weekend. I think this is around 1 in the morning, but who can remember?

Video by Matt Jenkins

This is what happens when you dance in the jams: pretty girls spooning. That's just a lesson for you non-dancer folk: dancing is fun and mental.

Photo by Tom Hong

Photo by Tom Hong

The Atomic Cherry Bombs:

Video provided by Shesha Marvin

Event MC Kyle Smith. Photo by Laurinda Steinmeyer

Shaheed Qaasim and Amanda Marchand. Photo by Shane Karns

At 6am I made a parking trip. What our team does is we collect all of the team parking stubs and then send out one person every four hours to re-park and get new tickets. This means that we can park for free at the event and it also gets us out of the building in case someone's feels like getting outside. I always forget that the parking lot is open access after midnight, so we did this for several hours without need. But better than having to explain the plan to someone in the wee hours of the morning.

Photo by Chris Gandhi

Then there was the only class I took that weekend. I hadn't heard of Aubri Siebert before, but she did the annual wake-up class, which had previously been done by Mikey Pedroza. She taught a bright charleston routine and for a non-morning person was pretty much a charmer for the folks in the class. I'd take a class from her again in the future!

By the way, I brought pajamas but forgot to change. I did change between the wake-up class and later, but I haven't found any pics from those hours.

Photo by Paul Almazon

One of the perennial competitions at this event is the t-shirt customization contest. Every participant gets a shirt, but some very creative folks spend most of their time making their shirts their own. This year saw some of the fiercest competition to date, with designers making bringing in heavy equipment to make their elaborate creations.

Where were you at 6:30am on March 14th? This is where I was.

Video by Matt Jenkins

The solo stylings of Danny Maika. Photo by Krystina Torres

One of the surprises of the weekend was a late morning performance by singer/songwriter Danny Maika. I've known Danny since the early Memories days and he's really been putting some great tunes together. He did a set of mostly classic rock covers that were surprisingly danceable. One of the highlights of the weekend was his one man rendition of Don't Worry, Be Happy. He sold a bunch of CDs that day and they're definitely worth a listen.

By the time 2pm rolled around, I had had 15 non-consecutive minutes of sleep. The event raised close to $128,000 for the City of Hope. The Cult of the Eye really did their work, raising over $21,000 by themselves. That baby rental plan really worked out!

The two top team Old School earners were Karin Pleasant with $555 and and Mike Wolfe with $465. If we take into account the $100 that she earned with Bernard in that contest, she's easily past $600. Good work and congratulations to Team Old School!

At the closing ceremony every year I get teary-eyed. Shesha and Nikki presented the ceremonial check. Then, much like summer camp, it was time to clean up and go home.

There's still time to donate to the event, if you're reading this before the end of March 2009. Since the event ended the totals have been upped past $130,000. Please visit www.danceathon.org for more information.