Tag: Teaching

Bestival 2012

Even innocuous sounding adventures have a pernicious edge. The hot Swing Patrol topic around May/June was Bestival 2012. It was advertised as an awesome party featuring lots of great music, Stevie Wonder headlining, once in a lifetime opportunity, etc. I would join the Swing Patrol team and enjoy free admission pass for the entire 4 day event.

I focused on the teaching to crowds and once in a lifetime opportunity and forgot the rest. And by rest, I mean I didn’t do my research.  After finally saying yes, I discovered I would be on an island surrounded by 50,000 screaming nutsos, sleeping in a tent (no problem, I’m from Colorado), wearing a wildlife costume (huh?), and unsure about my food situation. Fortunately, someone else was providing the tent and sleeping bag, though they decided to arrive a day later than I (lucky Vogue/Hermes gig dancers), and someone else organized a small group to take the train and ferry together.

Still, what was I thinking? I dislike smelly hippies, temporary toilets, and being surrounded by loud partiers. Well, my Denver friends understand my survival mechanisms. Find good food and pack good books. Go fully charged Kindle!

My group arrived in time to do the first Swing Patrol Friday session. Overall, all the sessions went really well. Loz managed the mic first and Scott Cupit took care of the rest. Swing Patrol brought a lot of good energy to Bestival’s Al Fresco stage. So, we demo’d social dancing, the Shim Sham, the Tranky Doo (boo faulty memory), Charleston, taught hand to hand Charleston, gave free hugs, shared raunchy Aussie-isms and kicked electro-swing ass (even blindfolded).

In the end, I was still managing a smile, albeit a deranged one. It was a long four days, but an enjoyable one. I don’t really follow the current music scene, but I follow food and swing dancing, so I made do with this crazy bunch.

For more pictures, find my album on Facebook. And if you’re interested in the food, that review will come later.

Beantown Dance Camp – what I learned

I was very happy to be at Beantown Dance Camp for the first time this year. Heather Ballew was asked to teach with her partner of choice and she asked me. I happily said yes for a couple reasons – it was a great opportunity and I could cut my Europe trip short. I’m slightly disappointed I could not attend Herrang this year, but I don’t regret attending Beantown and being back in the US.

Here’s what I discovered thanks to Beantown

  1. Week long camps give me enough time to meet people and get to know them better than weekend events
  2. Wear thin socks if you run 4 miles early in the morning with Javier. Otherwise, you’ll get a large blister
  3. Falcons are badass predators
  4. If the word “crossfit” appears anywhere in an Outdoor Fitness description, people will not show up because they’re intimidated
  5. Do not kick immovable objects. But if you do, kick them early in the week so you can recover
  6. William is great to juggle a soccer ball with
  7. Tony and Aurelie run a great event
  8. Engaged students who ask great questions are the best
  9. Spot It is addictive
  10. Jonathan Stout makes great drinks
  11. Dancing to so much live music spoils you.
  12. Heather’s a great partner

Edinburgh Blues

Where should I begin? Michelle Davies at EdinBop is great to work with. Don’t call Scotch “Scotch” when in Scotland. Refer to it as Whisky. Stone buildings are awesome.

Scotland has always been a dream destination of mine. There’s something about the Scottish character portrayed in novels and their archaeological remnants. Day 1 greeted me with lots of rain. Through the haze you could see hills backdropping the city. The day brightened through food pursuits, most notably haggis.

Day 2 started slowly, but finished with a walking tour through the Royal Mile and the National Museum of Scotland. Go there if you can.  Later that day, I planned classes with Michelle, trying to get a better grasp of what I should present to the Edinburgh dancers.

Day 3 was Saturday, workshop day! Dancers came from Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Glasgow, and a few other spots. They were quite enthusiastic and asked many good questions, a skill sometimes lacking. Not only are they enthusiastic about taking class, they’re enthusiastic for the visiting instructor to sample as many Scottish beers and whiskys as possible (9+4=13). Well done, good sir.

Recent News from Zurich, Switzerland

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I’ve been in Zurich, Switzerland for a week. I arrived last Thursday, June 7, to visit a friend and to teach. This was my second time teaching for WestieStage, Zurich’s west coast swing dancing group. They do their lessons in Club X-tra’s main dance hall from 7-9pm and then dance upstairs adjacent to the Zouk room. I taught with Jenny Cooper this time. We covered the regular beginner and intermediate lessons, which are embedded below. We finished the teaching portion with a west coast swing taster for the salsa dancers.

Next up, I’ll be in Barcelona for the European Swing Dance Championships. I’ll be competing in lindy hop and balboa divisions and frequenting my favorite restaurant and bar hidden inside Ohla Boutique Hotel.