Following up on my post about Laurie Gilkenson a couple of weeks ago. I visited her in the hospital last weekend and she's doing much better and may be moved out and into rehab soon. On behalf of Nina and her father, I'd like to thank everyone for their kind words and donations. If you haven't seen it already, we'll be having a benefit for Laurie. It's a little overwhelming to see so many people generously donating their time for this.
Happy Birthday, Frankie!
What else is there to say? This is from Frankie's 88th Birthday Celebration in 2002.
My favorite DC memory of him where he took us to school. In the midst of an improvised Big Apple during a jam, he jumps up out of his chair from the sidelines, stops the presses and shows the kids how its done.
And my favorite "new" video of him with his son Chazz Young. I don't get tired of watching this.
Learn more about him at his official website: www.FrankieManning.com
Frankie95 Thanks
It's a shame a more formal Thank You didn't go out after the Frankie Manning 95th Birthday Festival, so I'll repost the one I did on my own on June 3, 2009.
The following list is by no means complete, and it’s not the official list. I only had a small part in this event, so I’m sure there are quite a few other unsung heroes of Frankie95 out there. However, I wanted to thank everyone that I came in contact with over the weekend or otherwise helped out that I can remember.
Frankie95 Propilogue
Next to last stop on my Frankie Manning 95th Birthday Festival Retrospective. I actually wrote this note first before the others and went back and forth between re-posting it or not, and whether it should go at the beginning or the end. A few weeks ago I thought it was appropriate to end, but reading it now makes me think it should have gone first. Oh well. This note was originally posted on May 31, 2009.
Video Highlights: Stockholm Tap Festival 2010
building on last week's Manzari Brothers videos, here are some nice videos from the 2010 Stockholm Tap Festival. Videos courtesy of lindyhopporto.
First up is tap bad ass, Jason Samuels Smith.
Finally, A very loose Big Apple performed to live music. Dancers include Isabella Gregorio, Vincenzo Fesi, Mikaela Hellsten, Oskar Markusson, Frida Borg, Rikard Ekstrand, Hanna Zetterman, and Mattias Lundmark.
Frankie95 Highlights and Observations Pt. IX
I’d like to say I decompressed on the ride back, but I just sat on the train and stewed, making myself angrier. I started writing a summary of my weekend experiences, but that turned into a litany of threats, culminating in a step by step plan to take on everyone I held responsible for pissing me off. I was pretty much prepared never to step into another Lindy Hop dance again, but fortunately a few people stepped in to pull me from the edge.
The Important Things
Nina Gilkenson is an incredible storyteller. One of the things I marvel at, no matter where we are, is how she’s able to captivate friends and strangers alike by talking about anything, up to and including paint dry. I was reminded of this even as she told stories about a week I wouldn’t wish on anyone. The waiting room of an Intensive Care Unit is not normally a very festive place, but it felt that way last Friday. I brought dinner from my favorite place to eat in the city. No one was in the mood to make a decision about food when I called earlier, so I used that as an excuse to get everything on the menu that looked good to me. We were all pretty hungry anyway by the time I got to the hospital.
Frankie95 Highlights and Observations Pt. VIII
I think I got the most sleep all weekend on Monday morning; about 4 hours worth. Then it was back to 424 W 34th street. We cleared that space of regular workshops and decided to schedule the rest of our presentations there.
Frankie95 Highlights and Observations Pt VII
The rest of Sunday evening went pretty smoothly.
Sitting through the Jack & Jill semi-finals reminded me why these things are usually scheduled in the afternoon of most events. We were originally supposed to do it right after the show and before the bands took the stage to give people time to go eat dinner or otherwise freshen up. Unless you’re in it, prelims and semi-final dance contest rounds aren’t the most riveting things to watch. Thanks to Joel Domoe, Aurelie & Tony Tye and our DJ, Ryan Swift for moving things along as quickly as possible.
Weekly Video Highlights: The Manzari Brothers
A little something different this week as I'm trying to find time to sort all the awesome Lindy videos from the past couple of months. The Washington Post recently did a wonderful spotlight on up and coming DC tap talent, John and Leo Manzari.
The two brothers are both in high school but are currently in a local production of Sophisticated Ladies, a musical based on the music of another DC native, Duke Ellington. The show is headlined by Maurice Hines, the brother of the late great tapper Gregory Hines. Here is is talking about discovering the two brothers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhxi4JrTiwY
And a couple more videos of the guys dancing. Here's John by himself.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KepwUib39to
Battle
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QepHEMGUzvY