Embrace Dance

**StreetDancer**
**Project**

Dance Of, By and For the People

The #StreetDancerProject has allowed me to work an impressive array of talent across so many different genres of dance. I've lost track of the times that people have said that they enjoy their dance because of the creative opportunities or the sense of connection they have discovered with another person or a greater community. I look forward to further exploring this interesting little facet of human creativity.

You can my follow my work through:

Website: http://jsalmonteproductions.com/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/JSAlmonteWandering
Instagram: https://instagram.com/j_s_almonte/
Tumblr: http://streetdancerproject.tumblr.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/j_s_almonte
Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jsalmonte/

Boston Tea Party 2012: What’s Your Name?

Reflecting on Boston Tea Party 2012 and where Lindy Hop has come in its relationship to the West Coast Swing community/

WCS Futureshock

Tatiana Mollman and Jordan Frisbee unveiled their new routine at the USA Grand Nationals over Memorial Day weekend, and now their performance from the Liberty Swing Dance Championships a few weeks ago has been circulating the webs. I swear, given their popularity, I think they could build a whole dance event just around that and make a killing. It would be like Lebron’s “Decision” except with more integrity.

Weekend Video Highlights: Sylvia Sykes Sunday! Sunday! Sunday!

As you can see, Sylvia has been all kinds of awesome for a long time. She still has it too, which is how she still gets to teach and perform with the best out there. Life is rough sometimes.

A New Day for a New Theme, New Videos, and a New Social Media Account

Just needed a change in scenery as you can tell. Besides the light background is less conspicuous when viewing from work. Not that I would ever do such a thing. Also for your Sunday viewing pleasure, a beautiful and inspirational video created by a dancer from Seattle named Cheryl Crow which I found through the magic of Facebook. She created this for the 2010 Swing/Jazz Dancing Video Contest. Watch it and share with others.

And because sometimes you can't let the Man keep you down, I got an account on Dailymotion.com. I probably won't post there very often, unless its stuff like this that won't go down the YouTubes properly.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xczmwb_tatianna-mollman-skye-humphries-nad_creation

Decade of Domination

While we’re on the topic of Jordan and Tatiana, can I say that after watching tons of footage of them this week that I can’t be more impressed by a pair of dancers who can be so good yet get even better over time? I’ll wrap up this week's side trip through West Coast Swing territory with an overview of probably one of the most dominant couples in any partnered dance genre.

WCS OCD: Jordan and Tatiana in 2009

I made a few offhanded observations in my US Open post about Tatiana Mollman and Jordan Frisbee’s winning performance in the Classic division this year to Coldplay’s “Viva LaVida.” They took the unorthodox (for West Coast Swing at least) approach of performing a routine they’ve been doing for most of the year instead of performing a new one. I thought I’d put those theories to the test by watching every YouTube example of this routine that I could find. See what I do for you?

US Open Swing Dance Championships 2009 Reactions

Yet another event I didn’t go to that I can comment thanks to the generosity of the interwebs. First off, I'm impressed. Leave it to the westies to get results and videos online the very next morning after the this year's US Open Swing Dance Championships ended.

We didn’t send any Lindy Hoppers this year, but DC still represented big time with the DC Hand Dancers winning the Strictly Swing Challenge. That contest caps the entire event, pitting the winners of all the Strictly divisions (West Coast Swing, Lindy Hop, Hand Dance, and Shag) up against each other.

AIR pt. 9: NADC Fallout

2001 was a pivotal year. Sensing the various trends I have outlined, many instructors and dancers were beginning to make serious efforts to actively influence the overall dance style of the community.

Ryan Francois and Jenny Thomas returned to active teaching after their long hiatus from the community for their run on the Broadway musical “Swing!” In the aftermath of the 1999 WLHC debate Ryan talked of forming a “united front” to address the issues that came up in that original debate[1]. Nothing formal ever happened after that, but he was clearly dismayed at the state of dancing when he returned in 2001 and was not shy about making his thoughts known.[2]

AIR pt. 8: Competition Concerns

“[I]t is obvious that artists reflect their times and backgrounds and their art works are oftentimes more eloquent than any politician’s speech or sociological study.”[1] Marco Pignataro

Also at the ALHC 2000, Ben Furnas and Lucy Dunne performed one of the competition’s most infamous routines where they lampooned the general state of competitions in both the Lindy Hop and West Coast Swing worlds.