I'm excited to report that from August 24-26 I will be in Washington DC to host a live internet broadcast of the International Lindy Hop Championships, along with my awesome co-hosts Nicole Zuckerman and Manu Smith. This is the first time an international swing competition of this kind has been live broadcast in this way. So we are super honored to be invited by the organizers of ILHC to produce this with them.
This is a natural step in the impressive growth of the international lindy hop movement from small pockets of dancers in a handful of countries to tens of thousands of lindy enthusiasts from all over the world. The Herrang Swing Dance Camp in Sweden boasts attendance from people from more than 50 countries, from Estonia to South Africa.
While several hundred people will travel to ILHC to compete and participate, there are thousands more that wish they could be there. So hopefully our internet broadcast will help them to feel the excitement of the competitions, pitting the best dancers from around the world against each other in a variety of divisions and formats.
I just returned from Camp Hollywood, one of the largest and longest-running swing dance camps in the world. It was an awesome weekend, held at the conveniently located and not-horribly-expensive LAX Marriott Hotel.
There was lots of amazing dancing on display during the competitions, including balboa, shag, lindy hop, and the grab-bag that is the "showcase" division. During showcase along, I saw tap, the twist, and ballet being performed, along with more traditional swing dancing.
But the clear highlight of the weekend for me was Soo Chan Lee and Hyun Jung Choi of Korea performing to the quirkly Caravan Palace electro-swing song "Bambous." So much to like here: the clever choreography, the shameless mugging, the cool tricks, and the fusion of swing and hip-hop movement. The only problem with this clip is that the crowd is cheering so loudly you can barely hear the music!
Soo Chan and Hyun Jung won the Camp Hollywood "Golden Budgie" award for dancers who exemplify the "spirit of jitterbug." These two definitely have that in spades.
If this is the new wave of lindy hop coming to us from Korea, I welcome it!
FYI electro-swing has been used for other notable swing performances, including:
Yesterday I went to the reliably hokey Alameda County Fair in my hometown of Pleasanton, California. There is always a lot of fun and odd signage there.
My favorite this year was a concession stand that featured a picture of a pig cooking a corn dog. As a friend pointed out, the pig could be cooking a chicken-based corndog, which is I guess slightly less disturbing. But not really.
Watching these scientists from many disciplines dive deep into the ocean, hike deep into the rainforest, climb tall trees, and root out insects and spiders in the middle of night is a great reminder of what a fantastic adventure science can be. They got to see parts of the Philippines that I have dreamt of visiting, and other areas that were totally remote and intimidating.
And I learned that these scientists are made of sterner stuff than me. You see one arachnologist get bit by a gigantic spider as he is putting it in the a bag for collection. "I'm pretty sure they aren't poisonous," he says, examining the bite. He then resumes searching for more spiders. WOAH.
I also appreciated how much the scientists were connecting with local researchers, teachers, and towns folk, to educate, exchange ideas and collaborate on ways to preserve the local environment, for themselves and succeeding generations of Filipinos. Makes me proud to work at the Academy. And a bit more hopeful about the Philippines, seeing locals stand up for the environment.
My only regret is that this expedition happened before I was at the Academy! But I get to see the fruits of it every day that I'm on the public floor.
Tteokbokki is one of the most popular street snacks in Seoul, often being vended by older women in street carts everywhere you go, particularly late at night. Tteokbokki is essentially little cylindrical rice cakes that are cooked in a spicy red sauce, and served on plates with toothpicks for about $2-3. I don't really care for them, personally -- too gummy and too spicy and not much else.
Pictured above is a tteokbokki-like snack sold in 7-Elevens all over Seoul, and presumably Korea. They are sort of the cheap chip-equivalent of the already cheap spicy rice cakes.
So how are they, you ask? They are surprisingly sweet upon first taste, with a nice crunchiness, like a Dorito. After the second or third one, the heat catches up to the sweet and becomes the main aftertaste. While I don't like tteokbokki rice cakes, I do like the tteokbokki chips. Something about the sweet followed by the spicy just works for me.
If I drank beer, I bet they would go good with one.
I just got home from a fantastic quick trip to Seoul, Korea. Seoul has long been on my "bucket list" of places to visit in the world, but I admit I didn't have many preconceptions going into the trip.
Here are the neatest things I experienced in the Korean capital. (Sorry, I have been busy traveling, so this is one long post, instead of a bunch of shorter ones.)
Walking back home after a lovely dinner with Juan of Global Kids and our new friend in Korea, Gabe, we stumbled upon this magical walk along the Cheonggyecheon creek in Seoul. Surrounded by the hustle and traffic of downtown Seoul, the stream is a peaceful respite from the urban hustle.
By day Cheonggyecheon is very pleasant. But at night, it's extra charming with the lights of the city around you reflecting off the water. Couples meander arm in arm amidst the tree-lined walkways.
Tickets are booked and plans are being made, so I guess it's really happening. I'm headed to Seoul, Korea in May! Korea is very high on my bucket list of places to visit in the world, for its rich culture, delicious food, and amazing dance communities, from hip-hop to lindy hop.
I'll be there for a too-brief work trip to produce a training using virtual tools, which should be really exciting and fun. Then I'll have a couple of days afterwards to hang out in Seoul. If you have any favorite spots to visit or things to do, please mention them in the comments!
