<![CDATA[Mike the Girl - Blog]]>Wed, 16 May 2012 19:49:21 -0800Weebly<![CDATA[The Importance of Non-Evil]]>Mon, 14 Nov 2011 07:40:21 -0800http://www.mikethegirl.com/1/post/2011/11/the-importance-of-non-evil.htmlA few times a year, I hire my fiance to restrain my hands so I don't rip out my eyeballs.  Before you ask whether that happens every 28 days or so, let me tell you: it's not.  It's generally 2x per year.  And if more organizers were good about sharing feedback on workshops, it'd be more often (hint, hint, organizers).  

Boy, that's a weird start to a blog.  Is it just me, or am I getting weirder?

Back to the topic at hand.  I think you (yes, you- person who has a love of dancing, or of me) need to know something.  When I get feedback, I read every single word written by every single person.  Every. Single. Word.  I don't send the results to some identity-less person working for a corporation they hate, to compile meaningless data and pass it back.  I read every glowing compliment, every outraged indignity, every "nice job."  And it's a painful, awful, crucial process.  And for every dance-event survey you fill out, someone (probably several someones) goes through that same process- probably a few times.  

I need every one of you to know this: the people who read the surveys are the people who have poured blood, sweat, and many tears into running these events.  They may or may not make a dime.  They might make $1.60/hr when all is calculated.  But none of that matters- they do it out of love for dance, and love for the scene, so I have a very serious request: fill out surveys with love.

I don't mean you have to be all "everything was perfect" if it was a seriously flawed event.  But when you fill out surveys, I need you to remember who you're writing to.  For EtB and Blues Muse, you're writing to every organizer and every instructor: they will know what you said about their classes- and that's a great thing!  That's how we make better events!  But tell me what worked or didn't, and how I can improve.  Here are some more and less effective examples (all made up by me, right now):

"The award ceremony was ridiculously terrible!  I was supposed to be dancing, and spending so much time watching other people win awards ruined my weekend!"  Less helpful- I have to fight the urge not to react emotionally.  Here's a better way: "I was troubled by the length of the awards ceremony.  Perhaps simple announcements could be used next year to allow more time for dancing."  Helpful, clear, and seperating between the feelings of the writer and the issue at hand.  

"I learned nothing in the classes."  That will pretty much just ruin my day, and doesn't help me improve anything.  Don't be evil like that.  How about this: "Classes were so crowded that I was unable to focus on learning, so I only took 2 classes- that was disappointing."  Your emotional reaction is conveyed, along with information about what we could do to improve (more class space!).  

"Your awesome!"  Mixed feelings here. 1. Your grammar is wrong.  2. In with all the rage, I love me some happiness- yay! 3. What did we do right?  Try this: "What a great event!  You created a great vibe, and totally allowed us to manage our needs, while still providing a full schedule!  Plus, you're very charming!"  Much better!

Also, there are a few things you should know:
1. Organizers are probably aware of glaring errors.  For instance, if classes ran late all day, chances are good that the organizers are (painfully) aware.  Mention things like this if they matter, but keep it brief.  They get it.

2. Positive feedback is every bit as informative as negative feedback, and keeps us from stabbing out our eyeballs.  

3. Believe it or not, professional dance instructors are generally good at knowing how you dance, how much control you have over your body, and YES, how your connection FEELS by watching.  I have an entire blog on Auditions from a few years ago, and you should truly read it if you haven't.  We do make mistakes, but that's what an appeals process is for- and those mistakes are pretty few.  We see what's wrong in class, we see what's happening in privates, we recognize tone levels in prelims, and we have a pretty darned good idea what your connection feels like in auditions.  I promise.

4. DJs need feedback, too!  Pay attention to who is DJing when you're having fun, and when you're not.  Even just information like "I had great dances all weekend" tells us that the DJs did their job well, so let us know!  

5. Painfully low ratings on a class make me desperate to know what I did wrong.  Pretty please, if you give an extreme high or low rating to something, give a comment if you can.  That's helping!

So remember- every time you write a survey response, make it calm, rational, specific, helpful, and most important, write it so that a human who loves the dance scene can do an even better job next time.  

Much love,
Mike t.G.

************************Addendum!**************************************
For EtB this year, I'm going to do something which will keep my fiance employed for days or weeks.  I'm going to respond to anyone who wants it.  You can either fill out the survey anonymously, or you can include your email address.  If I see something that I would like to explain, or thank you for, or if you have any questions, I will answer you.  That will take time, because we're expecting about 150 people, which means about 60 surveys (plus frequent eyeball-protection breaks), but I will answer anyone who wants an answer, for the dual purposes of better customer service, and better survey filler-outers in the future.  Also, all of my teachers will get their feedback, and all of my DJs will get their feedback.  So write meaningful stuff, y'all!


Picture

XKCD said it better than I could.
http://xkcd.com/438/
]]><![CDATA[Protips for Poverty (Or, How to Travel All the Time and Not Die)]]>Fri, 09 Sep 2011 18:22:58 -0800http://www.mikethegirl.com/1/post/2011/09/protips-for-poverty-or-how-to-travel-all-the-time-and-not-die.htmlAs most of you probably know already, I walk on the wild side; I live on the edge; I laugh in the face of danger!  All of which refers not to my bravery, but my destitution (to to be confused with other -stitutions, which would make me not poor).  Since people often ask me advice on becoming a full time dance teacher, I thought I'd write some of my top tips for being desperately poor, or traveling for really-really cheap- so those of you who are just totally addicted can also reap the benefit of my extensive knowledge.  (And, I'm humble!)

1. This Is My Health Care Provider.  No really- many self-employed, unemployed, or under-empoyed peeps will tell you that being without health insurance is scary as heck.  However, if you do get sick, and don't want to declare bankruptcy just yet, simply find yourself a free health clinic.  Protip one: take a friend- it will not be in a nice neighborhood.  Protip two: take a book- there's a good possibility that you'll need to wait for quite a while before being seen.  But in some places (like CA), you'll get a free or discounted visit, and even free meds, if you need them.   Picture
2.  These things are better than caffeine on the road.  No, really!  Expensive coffee that's full of sugar is not a good thing- these guys are between a buck and a buck-fiddy, and are spicy enough to wake you up.  Plus, what's cuter than being a good co-pilot, and feeding your driver pretzel bits?  Not that I go for that, or anything.  Plus, you can finish them the next day, share them with friends, and shake them without wearing them.  Awe. Some.
3. If you're going to have to get a shuttle to/from the airport, it is often cheaper to get a rental car- under a few conditions.  First, you must already have good insurance, so you can decline theirs.  Two, get a small car that will not be a guzzler.  Three, wait until the last minute, do a name-your-own price, and try $12/day.  Yes, really.  There will be a boatload of fees tacked on, but if your visit is quick, and especially if you can find a coupon, it might be a better option than the $35-$40 you'll often pay for a one-way shuttle when public transit won't do you right.  And if you can split it, then (obviously) it's even cheaper yet.  

4. Burger King has a legitimate vegetarian option: an actual veggie burger.  Taco bell also has veggie options.  Also, burritos.  Otherise, vegetarians go hungry, and get grumpy, and slowly start considering homicide.  That's all I need to say about that, right?

5.  MEGABUS!  (Or BoltBus).  Travel by bus has a reputation for being slow, sketchy, and expensive- and all three of those stereotypes apply to Greyhound.  I'm not bitter, but I am blunt.  However, neither Megabus nor Boltbus is overpriced, full of scary (possibly insane) people, or prone to running on time.  So if you have a 3-hour window before you need to be somewhere, busing can be cheaper than the cost of gas, especially if you're planning far in advance.  

6. If you must travel by plane, pick a favorite airline, and have a little loyalty.  Your miles will add up far too slowly to get used if you rotate between 7 different airlines.  But if you're flying the same airline all the time, and you're flying a round-trip per month, that can do you some good lickety-split (or maybe lickety-sundae?).  

7. If you must travel by plane, buy your tickets so that your travel is flexible, and volunteer to be bumped.  What do I mean, exaclty?  Simple: airlines will oversell their planes, so that when (not if) people don't show up, they still fly with a full plane.  If more people show up than they'd hoped, they ask for volunteers to get bumped to a different flight, and give those volunteers a new booking, plus compensation.  You can get all sorts of vouchers in exchange for a slight inconvenience.  Protip 1: Evening flights seem to have the best shot of overselling.  Protip 2: Don't check a bag.  It costs you more money, and might get lost when you get bumped.

8. Take me with you!  Food you can make at any host's house, that can sit in your car for 12 hours before you get there: 
-Can of Tuna, ziploc of rice, with seasoning salt added.  Rice and tuna is delicious, salty, and stupidly cheap.
-Raman- not as good as you'd think, because it's very low in protein.  But it is salty, delicious, and cheap.
-Bread, peanut butter, bananas, honey, marshamallow fluff: ok, pick one of the sweet things.  Proteiny goodness.
-Really hard cheese, and a loaf of tasty, hearty bread.  Soft cheeses will go bad pretty fast, but hard cheeses are tough.
-Liquor!  Despite what your instructors may imply, you can't actually live off liquor.  Don't try.
-Clif bars- all flavors.  They go on sale occasionally for $1.  Stock up.  Protein and fiber.  

9. Goodwill and Ebay are your friends.  Yes, you will wear out your clothes, leave a trail of lost (never heard-from again) items, and your wardrobe will shrink alarmingly.  Dancing like a maniac is rough on your clothing collection, but thrift stores and ebay are awesome.  Note:  "vintage" shops and consignment stores are not thrift stores.  To count, you must dig though heaps of slightly questionable material to find a great pear of jeans for $6, or a dress or $3.99.  $25 is not appropriate for the impoverished.  If you can pay $60 for an item, leave this blog immediately.  (Ok, you can stay...)

10. Gas Buddy is your... well.. buddy.  You can map out prices using the heat map, to determine whether you should fill-er-up in New Jersy, Pennsylvania, or New York.  You can also search for the cheapest gas close to where you are now.  Also, you should report gas prices- help other travelers looking to short-change the oil companies, eh?

Ok!  If that doesn't save you some cash... then you're probably poorer than me.  Come over, and I'll make you a sandwich.  No, really! 

If that did help, then yay!  Less money on unnecessary things like food, clothing, and shelter means more money for the important things... like private lessons.

Love,
-Mike
]]><![CDATA[Swing Culture (Or, Part 1 of What Makes a Good Scene)]]>Mon, 13 Jun 2011 15:53:40 -0800http://www.mikethegirl.com/1/post/2011/06/swing-culture-or-part-1-of-what-makes-a-good-scene.htmlOften, I am asked by students or colleagues, "What city do you think has the best blues/lindy scene?"  This is, of course, a complicated question, for the obvious reason that 'best' is vague, broad, and personal.  I think that most people can agree on several of the factors that would need to be measured: size of the scene, skill of the dancers, the quality of the music, the number of weekly events, the presence and skill of the instructors... but of course, there are probably many more.  One of the most under-rated qualities of a scene, however, is its culture.  I think it would be hard to argue that self-selecting groups of people, spending a good deal of time and money together don't have (or form) a culture of their own.  Compare, for instance, the social undertones at a business meeting to a tango dance to an east-coast swing dance to a lindy dance.  One of my favorite over-all scenes in the US for both lindy and blues is Philadelphia.  Thanks to the values and policies of their scene leaders, their scene has grown from a handful of dancers just a few years ago, to a scene so special that there were (at my last count) 160 people swinging out at their weekly dance each week.  Not 150 east-coasters, and 10 lindy hoppers.  160 people who could, at the minimum, swing out.  Based on their model and success, I'm dedicated this post to Lindy and Blues, the Philly umbrella group.

For those of you who travel regularly to dance events, and also go out to 'normal' social engagements, have you ever marveled at the difference in the average IQ level?  Sure, IQ is a questionable measure, blah blah blah.  But really- swing dancers (especially hard-core traveling dancers) are darned smart.  Much, much smarter than average.  I'd love to do a study comparing various social group meetings' IQ averages.  I have a feeling we rank pretty high (although I'm sure that Mensa would win that competition).  Interestingly, the same is not necessarily true of all scenes nationally.  Likewise, some scenes are populated by jazz aficionados, while others ask for more Cherry Poppin Daddies.  Here are a few of the factors I value most highly:

Intellectualism
Case study: I'm pretty geeky, and I enjoy describing things accurately.  So when I teach a swingout class, I talk about the fake-physics of following.  People who are math-science types catch it, and enjoy an atmosphere that welcomes academic discussion.  So now you have an instructor who's talking about physics, and students talking about brainy things on the side- often math/science/wordgames.  So people who walk in the door are subjected to nerd-culture; people who like the culture stick around, and people who would rather talk about The View will get less pleasure out of their visit.  Next thing you know, the social activities are things like sci-fi movie night, boggle night, etc.  Personally, I thrive in that sort of environment.  Don't bother asking me about football.  I can tell you that Michael Vick and Ben Rothlisberger are bad people, and that's about it.  So when I like the intellectual atmosphere in a scene, be prepare for a high IQ, and mad engineering skills.

Humility
This is so difficult, and my hats of to scenes like Philly that can manage it.  My favorite scenes have leaders (instructors, djs, organizers) who practice what they preach.  The teachers are students, the DJs are obsessed with learning about and finding new music... everyone who teaches or DJs seeks regular, honest feedback.  Whether it's in the form of private lessons, workshops (DJ or dancing), DJ battles, practice sessions, or just asking other community members for feedback, the major players in the scene are constantly learning.  Believe-you-me, I've seen firsthand the hunger that this inspires in students.  Not to mention, of course, that if your instructors are constantly learning, your scene is always getting better instructors.

Good Music
I can't be the only dancer whose primary determinant for a good night (or not) is the music.  And I just have to be brutally honest, here: I've heard the excuse that beginners will only dance to non-swing music, and I've seen proof that it simply isn't true.  Yes, a DJ must choose their music wisely to cater to beginners.  But that does not mean restricting yourself to pop and rock'n'roll.  If you give beginners good music from the beginning, they learn the music, just like they're learning the dance.  If you hold your scene DJs to high standards, I truly believe that this lets your students become more sophisticated dancers- and truly, more fun dancers.  Musical dances are more fun, and venues which play good music are more fun.  Combine the two, and... you get it.

Friendliness
Every scene has an overall personality.  Some are reserved to the point of being cold; some are as friendly and overeager as a 2-yr-old golden retriever; some are just plain schizophrenic.  To maintain growth, a scene must be welcoming, friendly, and positive- and this must come from the top down, with consistency.  After all- being a beginner is scary, and sometimes you need to go where everybody knows your name.

Solid Technique
Everyone has heard the complaint at least once- such and such dancer will rip out your arm.  No fun.  Now, no beginner starts off amazing.  (If your beginners are amazing, call me- I'm coming to learn from you!)  But what your instructors teach in that first hour sets the course for a dancers career- or at least, the rest of the night.  If your instructors are good, your beginners will feel nice to dance with.  And if your beginners feel nice, the friendliness is just a little easier.  Advanced and intermediates will enjoy dancing with your newbies, and as a result, your newbies will get better faster.  Additionally, your big events will be more fun if your out-of-towners aren't your only dancers who are fun to dance with.  And of course, good technique extends to more than just your beginners.  If your dancers go out and give your city a good name by being fun to dance with, more dancers will come to your events, when have exchanges or workshops.  Not to mention, your weekly dances are just way more fun!

Community
Ok, this one is pretty easy once you have humility and friendliness.  But it's so important that I wanted it to get its own heading.  How do you show your students you value the dance community as more than a source of income?  1. Welcoming new dancers explicitly- things like having a dedicated host, making it a policy to ask your beginner students to dance, having a new-dancer snowball at the end of a novice series, etc. 2. Supporting other facets of the scene- a bal event announcing a lindy workshop, a weekly dance announcing the exchange, etc. 3. Making individuals feel recognized- announcing when a community member wins at an out-of-town competition, jamming birthday people, etc.  4. 4. If your venue has announcements, make sure that they are respected, and tolerable- like parents making their kids sit down and turn off the tv at dinner, having announcements be a recognized, important ritual helps your students bond with you as an organizer. 

There are more things that an organizer can do to create a good scene, but if you establish the right sort of culture, your dance scene is guaranteed to get better.  Not only that, but it will have its own momentum to improve, even if you pass the reigns, or take a hiatus.  This is the sort of culture that retains better potential students, produces better students, and establishes its own growth.  This is the sort of culture that will draw dancers from all over the country to be teachers, DJs, or just happy participants. 

Cheers to all the scenes who are actively working towards a better dance future, and especially those who directly teach their staff to embrace these ideals.  You know who you are!

TL;DR: Want me to like your scene?  Promote nerdiness, have awesome music, be friendly, have good technique, and put the community first.  That's all.


]]><![CDATA[Solo Blues Competitions]]>Wed, 20 Apr 2011 07:32:25 -0800http://www.mikethegirl.com/1/post/2011/04/solo-blues-competitions.htmlI really, really enjoy solo blues.  I love to teach it, I love to put it in my partner dancing, and I love choreographing it.  However, you may have noticed that solo blues competitions are, shall we say, not my thing.  For one thing, I'm a follower- improvising a dance just isn't my strong suit.  But there's another reason I stay out of solo blues competitions: they're usually not solo blues competitions.

There exists, in other street dance forms, a type of competition called a cutting contest.  In case you haven't seen them done, picture break dancers or hip-hop dancers.  The idea is straightforward: you watch your opponent dance, then you respond, building or improving on what they did.  Essentially, you're trying to one-up your opponent.  

Allow me to give a ridiculous example (I'm assuming their dancing is interpretive- I'm just un-interpreting):

Dancer 1: "I'm awesome.  I ride a unicorn, and fire a bow and arrow."
Dancer 2: "Oh yeah?  I ride not a unicorn, but a pegasus, and I rain snakes down on you!"
Dancer 1: "Nice- I think you've wounded me...  Too bad for you I have a snake slingshot, and launch them back at you!"

Clearly, dancer 1 has won.  How do you come back against snake slingshots?  

Seeing the potential for interesting, entertaining, and challenging competitions, blues organizers have latched on to the idea of cutting comps.  But I'm afraid I simply have to say it: we, as a community, just aren't mature enough to play that game.  What usually happens?  Here, let me interpret again:

Dancer 1: "I'm awesome.  I ride a unicorn."
Dancer 2: "Well, I'm humping your unicorn with infinite sexiness."
Dancer 1: "Well, I'm in your face, and I have infinite sexiness plus 1."
Dancer 2: "Well, I have infinite sexiness plus 2, and I'm even more in your face!"
And so on.

There are a few notable exceptions- people who can make the game more interesting by (this is rare) yielding in a fun way, or paying attention to their opponents, and answering their movements.  But most of our competitors, most of the time, don't have that particular skill; they go for intimidation, rather than cleverness; they wind up with frantic shouting for attention, instead of musically appropriate phrasing.  So rather than good cutting, or even just good solo dancing in its own right, we get a competition of who can be the most ridiculous and aggressive.  Our only entrance, it seems, is to get in our competitors faces.  Or, failing that, wander up right behind them and shadow them until they notice it.   Why?  Because a cool entrance would never get noticed, or get the floor.

Interestingly, charleston competitions- which are never called cutting comps, and have structured solo time- often still result in cutting.  Go watch for the interplay in top-level competitors; I like to think that when our community is ready, we'll get there.    But until our solo dance competitors more experience, confidence, and flexibility under their belts, I just don't think they're ready to add another layer.  So for now, let's just focus on good dancing.  Let's build a community of awesome solo dancers, and see where they take things.

]]><![CDATA[The Incurable Educator: Stretching]]>Thu, 10 Mar 2011 08:14:13 -0800http://www.mikethegirl.com/1/post/2011/03/the-incurable-educator-stretching.htmlFor those of you who haven't heard, I've picked up a part-time job at my local Curves (a gym designed for women, and especially women who don't like gyms- I love it!).  My job title is "Circuit Coach."  That means that in addition to handling any sales and phone calls, I hang out with the members, and act as a group personal trainer.  Since that's not enough, apparently, I've picked up a new educational outlet.  I've started posting science pop-news sheets.  All the information is based on current scientific studies, and are designed to bring people relevant science info, in a (hopefully) fun, easy-to-swallow format.  This one isn't on dancing, but it's on something that's particularly important to dancers: Stretching.  Most people believe all sorts of myths about stretching, and don't know a lot of interesting truth about stretching.  
Stretching: True or False? (Repeated with answers at bottom)

1. Stretching regularly improves muscle strength
2. Stretching before exercising reduces the risk of injury
3. Bouncing when you stretch is recommended by experts
4. Focusing on even, relaxed breaths will improve your stretch
5. To improve flexibility, you must hold a stretch for 60s
6. It’s good to stretch before warming up
7. Still stretches (holding a pose to stretch) are called static stretches
8. It’s best to stretch to mild discomfort, not farther
9. The first 25s of a stretch are the most efficient
10. Muscles are slightly weaker for 30m after static stretching

So what’s up with stretching?

There are actually several ways to stretch.  The most common type of stretching, where we hold a pose, is called static stretching.  For years, people have been told that static stretching should be part of your warm up to prevent injury.  Recent studies, however, suggest that while warming up is crucial, static stretching doesn’t help.  But there’s good news- stretching regularly not only improves your flexibility, it makes you stronger!  The best time to stretch is when you’re already warmed up- so after your workout is the perfect time.  How long you hold a pose is up to you; research suggests that 30s per pose is the best way to improve flexibility, but even a 15-20s stretch will help keep you loose, give you time to cool down, and help you get more out of your workout!

Try This:

Next time you stretch, focus on breathing deeply and evenly.  Your muscles will relax, giving you a better stretch.  Your mind might also get to relax!Stretching Quiz with Answers:1. Stretching regularly improves muscle strength.......................................................True
2. Stretching before exercising reduces the risk of injury…………………………….False
3. Bouncing when you stretch is recommended by experts…………………………..False
4. Focusing on even, relaxed breaths will improve your stretch….……………...……True
5. To improve flexibility, you must hold a stretch for 60s…………….…………….......False
6. It’s good to stretch before warming up……………………………….………….....….False
7. Still stretches (holding a pose to stretch) are called static stretches….……....…….True
8. It’s best to stretch to mild discomfort, not farther……………………….……......…….True
9. The first 25s of a stretch are the most efficient………………………………....……..True
10. Muscles are slightly weaker for 30m after static stretching……………………….True



]]><![CDATA[Intro to Big Band (a flirtation with Chick Webb)]]>Fri, 12 Nov 2010 11:54:44 -0800http://www.mikethegirl.com/1/post/2010/11/intro-to-big-band-a-flirtation-with-chick-webb.htmlLet's suppose for a moment that you take a random look at my music collection- we'll look at my "all jazz" playlist, to avoid too much dance-style bias.  Suppose, then, that you search for songs with a trombone and a clarinet in them, and then sort by playcount (what?  I don't know why you'd do it, but suppose.).  If you look at the top 17 most-played tracks, you will find 17 that are new-orleans style jazz.  Messy, polymelodic, hard-swinging. You will find exactly 0 neatly-arranged, larger-than-life big band tunes.  At a quick glance, I'd estimate about 8 songs in the top 50... and several of those are choreographies (which bumps the playcount up).  

There was a time in my life (the first few years of swing dancing, in fact), when I liked swing dancing despite the music.  Before you gasp aloud, let me remind you that this was a mix of neo-swing, non-swing, and- most insidious of all- "Top Hits of the Big Band" type music.  Oh yes- "In the Mood," "Sing Sing Sing," "Begin the Beguine"... songs that, as far as I'm concerned, suck.  Now, in case you weren't at the Eastern Balboa Championships, or you were, but you missed Kyle Smith's fantastic lecture, let it be known that there may be non-sucking recorded versions of these so called sucky-songs.  But these were not those versions.  

Now, whether my distaste for big band music comes from early swinghood trauma, or from the fact that I grew up listening to the music of New Orleans, or from a natural inclination to move in ways that are stretchy and gushy and imprecise, I never learned to love the big band stuff, only the dance.  But in 2005, my dance life changed forever, when I went to Herrang (giant month-long dance camp in Sweden)- because that's where I met Sidney Bechet, and his version of "Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives to Me."  That song, for many of us, is magic.  That was the first legitimately jazz song to make me feel desperate to dance IN 
the music, instead of just dancing during the music.  

My love of New Orleans jazz, and the many, many bands who make me swoon, is a story for another day, but this past weekend, I really appreciated the aural aesthetic of the classic big band sound.  Not the sucky recordings mentioned above, but the good stuff.  So what changed?  My movement, for the most part.  Many, many people disagree with me on this (that's the joy of personal preference), but songs like Jubilee Swing don't make me want to swing out.  They do, however, inspire me to balboa.  In fact, they inspire me enough that today, I went looking for big band music, which brings me to today's gem.  Before I tell you the title of the album, you have to promise not to write it off before you listen (or read on.)

No really, promise me...

Ok.  The album is by Chick Webb, and it's called (yes, really) Strictly Jive.  For me, at least, this brings two images to mind: 
-There Are No New Steps!  [Strictly Ballroom]
- Jive: This dance. 

But wait!  The album is neither of those things.  Remember Jubilee Swing, above?  That tune is on there.  In fact, there are 26 tracks on the album, and at least 12 made me want to do bal.  (After hearing 12 songs I wanted, I went ahead and bought the album.  Chances are good there are many more than 12).

Obviously, if you're looking to build a library of awesome bal songs, and someday aspire towards DJing bal, you need to read Kyle's blog, go to a bunch of bal events, and do your research.  But if you're looking for one album to be a good starting place, this is a great one to pick up.

And, because I adore Emusic, I have to point out that on Emusic, you can get the 26 tracks for 12 credits... which is pretty darned cheap. [If you don't use emusic yet, you should send me an email, and I'll send you a referral email.  I highly encourage everyone you to use them- they're cheap, but still legal.]

If you want to take a look and and a listen, you can preview the album on allmusic.com: Strictly Jive by Chick Webb.

Much love and many toss-outs,
-Mike

ps- yes, I wasted a lot of time looking for Strictly Ballroom and Jive clips.  And yes, I enjoyed it.  

pps- for those of you who aren't into balboa yet, and you want to see a good clip, check out the battle between Jeremy and Laura and Adam and Nelle- epic goodness.  ]]><![CDATA[Puppies and Playtime and How (Not) to Ask Someone To Dance]]>Thu, 02 Sep 2010 16:12:50 -0800http://www.mikethegirl.com/1/post/2010/09/puppies-and-flowers-and-how-not-to-ask-someone-to-dance.htmlAlright.  Before you read this, I want you to go look at something adorable.  Maybe this.  Also, remember that I LOVE the dance scene, and thus dancers- that probably means you!  My goal is to make people happier on the whole.  And for the last few years, I've watched something that makes a lot of dancers unhappy- the act of asking other people to dance.  


Now, at LaB (the weekly Philly dance), we often give a little demo at the end of the novice class about how to ask people to dance.  Here are some of the ways to avoid:


1. The Panhandler: no words, thrusting your hand into your target's space and waiting expectantly- usually the eyebrows are also up.  
-Why it's no good: there's no polite way to say no thank you in your own terms.  Should the other person push your hand away?  That would seem terribly rude.  Also, like I said in the description, you're invading their space before you've made a social contract.
-But what if... there's a language barrier?  Attain eye contact, motion to the dance floor, and make it clear that it's a question.  There's much better body language than "gimme".


2. The Tap-In: from behind, tapping the person on the shoulder.  Especially when your target is being sought by another dancer who seems to be using eye contact.  Touched'em first! Possession is 9/10ths, loser!
-Why it's no good: humans are super-visual creatures.  We use our eyes and non-verbal visual cues to communicate.  Which means you don't give the person a chance to seek you out, or avoid you.  This way of asking makes for a lot of awkwardness.
-But what if... you're asking someone you're intimidated by?  Glad you asked!  Practice asking on people who don't scare you.  I'll tell you a secret- I don't usually ask people I'm intimidated by.  Too much stress!  I look for people who seem fun and approachable, or look left out, or who I already know.  Sometimes those "scary" people ask me, and then I'm flattered, and have more fun that I would if I'd stressed myself out working my way up to dance with them.  True story.


3. The Tag Champion: also from behind, making a leaping grab for the nearest available body part of the target, and grabbing hold.  Tag!  You have to dance with me!
-Why it's no good: agreeing to dance should be consensual.  This isn't a competition, where the first one to touch a person wins.  It's a decision to make art together for 3-6 minutes.  Don't you want them to say yes by choice?
-But what if... there are a zillion other people lunging after your target?  Pick a better target!  Everyone wants to get to dance, and aggressive dance-seeking is an arms race- aggression is leading to aggression.  If everyone backs off, we can be a lot more civil.  


4. The Scavenger: there are a few versions of this:
-The Moment-Crasher- asking a person to dance when they haven't finished their post-dance moment with their previous partner.  Let it settle, folks.
-The Hide-and-Seeker- asking people who are not in the dance hall, or (in the case of one very large room) are way back from the dance floor, often deep in conversation.
-Why they're no good: the body language of these people says, "I'm not looking to dance with you right now," but you're not reading it.  No one likes turning people down, but everyone needs to rest, or wants to enjoy a moment (or multiple songs) with an old friend/new dance partner/potential flirtation/dance crush/whatever.  Even if they dance with you, some part of them is unhappy about it.
-But what if... there's no one left to dance with?  If there's really, truly no one else you could dance with, take a break!  Wipe the sweat off, go cool down, get a drink, or (my personal favorite) watch other people dance!  Enjoy your three minutes of chill time.


5. The Pushy Salesman: you've made your move, acquired your target and you've... been turned down.  Never one to take no for an answer, you argue, beg, plead, and attempt to convince your target that they should dance with you.
-Why they're no good: turning someone down for a dance is hard- as hard as asking someone to dance.  Fact is, no one likes to be disliked.  So chances are that you're making someone feel uncomfortable, and they're probably resenting you.
-But what if... you really wanted to dance with that person?  Then ask for a rain check!  Cheerfully say something like, "Maybe later," and let it go.


Enough of the bad ways.  What's a good way to ask people to dance?  Simple- they same way you'd start a conversation.  
1. Get within a reasonable distance, and within sight range.
2. Make eye contact.  Make mutual eye contact.
3.  Ask the other person to dance.  
4. Accept their answer graciously.  Whatever it may be.


Notice the themes here: what I'm saying, really, is let people turn you down.  That's contrary to what we normally teach.  Normally, we teach, "never turn someone down without a really good reason."  But from the other side, read people- if they look sweaty and exhausted, and are beelining for the bar/bathroom/fan, think twice before you tackle them.  If someone looks like they're eagerly approaching another dancer, don't intercept.  Be less aggressive, and let's ramp-down the arms race.  Stop and look around for people who look like they want to be asked to dance, and enjoy the results!


ps- don't forget-  Be happy with this happy puppy! ]]><![CDATA[Hey, Mr. DJ! (Pay for and) Play My Song! (Or, Because I love music)]]>Wed, 30 Jun 2010 19:07:09 -0800http://www.mikethegirl.com/1/post/2010/06/hey-mr-dj-pay-for-and-play-my-song-or-because-i-love-music.html--Before I start this note, I need to own up to something. I am a hypocrite. I am weak- I'm inclined to steal. I watch pirated TV/movies on the internet. I feel bad about it, but I do it. I'm cutting back, because I recognize that it's outside of my moral code. I am, of course, quitting.--

I've long had a problem DJs who trade libraries. It's a common thing- new DJs are starting out, they're looking to build a library. Another DJ "helps out" by giving them their hard-drive full of music. DJs who admire each others music will swap gigs of music at a time. Even I used to accept a mixed-CD as a gift, and not re-download the music. 

The longer I've been aware of it, though, the more uncomfortable I've become with this practice. There are several blatant problems with it. First off, you're stealing. What if the artist is dead? Well, the record company isn't, and if it's remastered, those guys probably aren't. And then off course there's the possibility of an estate of the deceased, possibly doing something nice for the world of music. Additionally, when you pay for blues and jazz, you create an economic statement of "Blues and Jazz will sell! Support them!" Second off, you're stealing- and selling those stolen goods for money or admission to a dance. You're asking to get paid to play stolen music. Even from a DJ-quality point of view, will you really get familiar with a 20gig library that they got over a 2-week period? I know a lot of DJs who don't have good notes, bpms, etc, because they're overwhelmed by their massive libraries. There's nothing like the joy of nurturing your library- getting an album or two at a time, and making notes, learning the songs, and then adding more. Yes, it takes time, work, and money. Life is hard. Try bing a composer/arranger/studiomusician/remasteringtechnician/etc.

But at least it's honest work- both building a real collection, and being an artist.

I came across a composer's blog recently (link below- read it!), and while I've said this privately in the past, I'm saying it publicly now: I'm not ok with pirate DJs. I'm totally ok with helping out new DJs- rather than copies of the music, give them lists of musicians/songs/albums to look up! Teach a DJ training class! I'm calling on DJs to re-acquire paid-for versions of their songs, and quit wholesale swapping of music. Think of this as an opportunity to build a collection from scratch, and manage your library as you go, instead of getting overwhelmed. And I'm calling on organizers to support DJs who care about their music, and the music industry, and shy away from pirate DJs. 

Here's the link, in case you want to read a better argument:
http://www.jasonrobertbrown.com/weblog/2010/06/fighting_with_teenagers_a_copy.php

Because music, musicians, jazz, and blues matter,
-m.]]><![CDATA[Fusion. Yes, Really.]]>Sat, 27 Feb 2010 10:32:45 -0800http://www.mikethegirl.com/1/post/2010/02/fusion-yes-really.htmlI've recently had several independent conversations about what I think fusion is, or what I think of fusion, etc.  There's a big muckety-muck of a debate raging on forums (ok, all debates rage into muckety-mucks on forums), so I decided to do this here, where instead of jumping into a philosophical mosh pit, I can simply make a statement about what I think.  No beehive-poking intended.  (I'm going to focus on tango-into-blues influences here, since that's the easiest place for me to draw examples, and I suspect that's the easiest thing for most of you to relate to).


First off, what is fusion?  
I think fusion can have a couple of meanings.  The first meaning is essentially just crosstraining- for instance, at Buenos Aires Blues this year, the idea was that people would work on blues skills, and tango skills, and walk away stronger dancers.  I think the same can be said for a lot of cross-over events.  My thoughts on this?  I think it's fantastic.  There's a biological term for this: hybrid vigor.  One purebred dog may be susceptible to some recessive deleterious genes, while another purebred of another breed may be susceptible to other recessive deleterious genes.  However, when you cross them, the first generation offspring, possessing one copy of each gene, will not show either of the weaknesses of the purebreds.  The metaphor would get weird after that, so I'll stop there.  Likewise, a purebred beg/int blues student may have a really great embrace, but have pretty weak balance (generally, I don't see blues students start drilling balance hard-core until pretty late in the game).  They go to a tango workshop, and the 2nd thing of the day is balance and rotation.  The student walks away with a better understanding of the importance of balance, hopefully practices, and splits weight less often.  Everyone wins.  


The second thing that happens under the name of fusion is basically move-stealing.  Students go to a fusion/crossover/different-dance workshop, and find things to add to their primary dance.  The most common example here is ochos, although other elements like parallel systems, volcadas, and calecitas have also been seen from time to time.  It's pretty much a guarantee that if a blues scene has any tango influence, it also has ochos.  More on my personal feelings on this further down the page.


The third thing that happens under fusion is the mixing of many dances.  I have strong feelings about this, both encouraging and cautionary.  There is a lot of music out there that tells me to move.  And some of doesn't say, "move like  a _____ dancer;" it just says move.  So I'm perfectly fine with taking the elements that I have in my mind/body, and combining them in a way that I think makes sense to that song.  Am I creating a new dance?  Sure.  A dance that will be well-formed, and get passed from dancer to dancer?  Nope.  I'm just dancing, in the moment, in a way that feels good.  Maybe you've heard a jaded old dancer like me snicker about playing a non-blues song at a blues event (Sweat, Fire, songs like that), and thought, "but that song makes me want to dance!"  Sure- but that doesn't make them blues songs, and what most of us crusty old-timers have found is that they don't make us want to dance in a blues way.  So next time you hear it played, dance if you want- just don't label it blues, and I've got no issues.


For those of you who were at DIY last weekend, and heard my "What IS (and isn't) Blues" lecture, you already know the punchline.  But I'll fill the rest of you in.  Defining a dance is not about defining the steps of the dance.  You can watch Rumba, Foxtrot, Tango, and Blues, and define each of them simply by watching them walk down a line.  Defining a dance is entirely about the way the dance is done- the place where the dance spends most of its time on continuums like rotation/liner, expansive/contracted, relaxed/engaged, etc.  Which means that to me, there are very few elements that you can't steal, and make legitimate.  The key, of course, is making it legitimate.  One of my favorite blues couples has a video on youtube (I'm not posting it, because I don't want to throw them under the forum-troll bus), where they do 3 historically tango moves in a row, but the sequence is unquestionably blues- they're blues dancers, do a blues dance, with moves that started off as tango.  


So here I've said that you can take elements, mix them up, and make new compounds- here we have the ultimate dance lab.  So I'm a fusionist, right?  Well, I think the key to successful fusion is this: keep your reagent stock clean.  In order to pull elements into blues (or any dance) successfully, you must be able to define your home dance.  You need to know that your base is blues.  You need to know what makes that dance what it is- the history, the music, the traditional moves, and most importantly, the elements that define it.  What I'm not ok with is the idea that everything is legitimate.  Ok, that's not true- all dance is legitimate on its own.  But not all dancing is legitimate blues dancing.  And that's not my call to make- it's a combination of a personal decision for you, and a collective decision by the blues community as a whole.  So in this sense, I'm a purist.  


So I'm a purist/fusionist lindy/balboa/blues/tango dancer.  Anyone else confused?


Much love and many swingouts/ochos/fishtails/sugar-pushes/wagon-wheels/up-holds/tuck-turns/volcadas/circles......
-m.









]]><![CDATA[Choreography: Tackling Terror 8 Counts at a Time]]>Thu, 11 Feb 2010 21:07:45 -0800http://www.mikethegirl.com/1/post/2010/02/choreography-tackling-terror-8-counts-at-a-time.htmlThis weekend, those of you who are clever enough to be at GirlJam will get a peek at something very frightening for me- a bonified genuine original Mike-the-Girl choreography.  Sure, I've done choreography for big events before, but they've always been shared endeavors- which is to say that I had someone else to hind behind.  But for this choreography, I decided to bite off a pretty hefty bite.  I recruited 4 of my favorite lady performers from the region, picked  a song I that had wit and style, and committed.  While that part felt good, I've had to wrestle with a lot of nervousness along the way:

Source of Fear #1: My under-played, interesting, perfectly-tempoed song had apparently caught the ears of some very talented dancers.  At Lindy Focus, Juan and Kevin did a fantastic Strutting routine to the very same song.  WAIT!!  Don't go look it up!  If you haven't seen it yet, wait until after you've seen mine.  Look it up on Monday.  I can't follow that act!  I decided to stick with my guns (and song), though.  While following Kevin's choreographic interpretation of a song is pretty terrifying, I totally believe that this song is the right one to use for this choreography.  And these ladies are not only bewitchingly beautiful, they're also charismatic.  Which means watching them perform is delightful- to say nothing of their mad dancing skills.  So I have faith in the song, and faith in my performers, which means that I'll have to override any lack of faith in myself.

Source of Fear #2: My dancers don't live within a hundred miles- of me, or each other.   Representing the NE this weekend, we'll have Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Baltimore, and Rochester.  This has made rehearsing a little tricky, to say the least.  We had one weekend when we were all in the same city, but since I'm a slow learner, I thought we'd be able to make a decent amount of rehearsal time.  Fortunately, we live in a time of cheap and easy... technology (you thought I was going to make a joke about your mom, didn't you?).  I used a google document to make a spreadsheet of the choreography itself.  Then, over the course of several afternoons, 37 additions to my playcount, and several shots of scotch (that's not actually true), I filmed each section of the choreography for each dancer.  Needless to say, I know everyone else's parts... 


Source of Fear #3: The real deal.  There's a great deal of vulnerability in art, and while this piece is not exactly a statement on the human condition (if you're happy and you know it clap your hands?), it's nevertheless a submitted, prepared piece.  If you guys don't agree with my kinesthetic opinion of this song, there's no blaming it on a conversational mishap- no siree.  This isn't raising your hand in class- this is submitting your thesis!  


The good news: Proportion.  Ok, this isn't a thesis.  It's more like a 10-page paper in a class with the "writing intensive" label on it.  If the choreography turns out to be boring, or weird, or generally unpleasant, it's just another weak choreography, and there will be others.  And, more importantly, it's a chance to watch 5 ladies doing silly things on a stage.  How bad can it possibly be?  And that's the real issue- that's what keeps me from turning into someone who lives in their mom's basement and never goes out for fear of embarrassing herself.  An embarrassment is simply a moment.  A more or less forgettable moment.  Chances of great success are slim, chances of moderate success are very high, chances of epic failure are practically none.  


So while there are some very real reasons for reservation, logic tells me that fear here should be totally overridden.  Maybe the choreography will be great, maybe not- either way, the world won't end.  


Who knows- maybe I'll start tackling other irrational fears next- pronouncing foreign words in front of knowledgeable people, singing when sober, starting a conversation with a stranger, or even asking a balboa rockstar to dance (yes, that's a fear of mine.  Someday I'll finish that blog post... ).  At the end of the day, fear has a useful biological function, but logic should decide whether the fear is justified.  So look out, stage, here I come!]]>