Most Popular Lindy Hop Videos of 2011

This post is the part where I decided to do a not very easy search for the most viewed Lindy Hop related videos on YouTube. It wasn’t easy because the search filter on YouTube doesn’t allow you to search a specific date range. Plus, people like tagging their random crap with the words “Lindy Hop.” I have a feeling that is how stuff gets tons of views because users will tag their videos with all kinds of unrelated words to get suckers like me to pull them up in searches.

But you probably don’t care about details, so here’s the list. More details after.

DC in 24 Hours

Lots of people like to make lists of places to go/things to do in DC*, but the problem is that a lot of them aren’t feasible in the short time that most people have to visit because more than a couple things need a lot of time like museums, are places where you need to wait for tickets, or you need to contact your Senator or Representative to get a special tour. There’s plenty to do in DC, but lists are easy. I’m going to give you a plan. A crazysexycool tour of the city as if you only had 24 hours to do it.

The Mobtown Ballroom Grand Opening: A Baltimore Homecoming

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At the end of her second encore of the night, after playing for five hours, an exhausted Meschiya Lake motioned for everyone to kneel as she drew out her final chorus. She then joined them on the ground, genuflecting to them as much as they were to her, and drew out a final breathless coda that brought everyone back to their feet, arms outstretched, and thanking her for helping them open this new house of a different kind of worship.

Back in the Day

Over at Bug’s Question of the Day, someone asked for people’s favorite competition videos from 2000-2004. No one answered seriously, so I whipped out a post I wrote on Yehoodi a few years ago when they asked for the top American Lindy Hop Championship moments through 2006. I was just going to cut out the excess years and post that to Bug’s question, but then in a fit of late night random productiveness, I added a whole bunch of stuff I could remember.

ILHC 2011: Hurri-Quake Edition

Any event would murder to have any one of these people in charge. We have so many of them on staff that there are seasoned organizers just keeping an eye on the doors. Rather than a clash of approaches and personalities, everyone understands of how they fit in the greater whole. They made my job 5 million times easier. It’s embarrassing to even admit that some of these people answer to me because most of the time they run themselves.

The common thread that unites everyone is simply a willingness to be a part of something worthwhile.

That something is this forum for creative ideas. It takes place in the form of competitions of all levels and formats for dancers from all over the world to show everyone else what they’re about; To show the world what Lindy Hop is about.

ILHC 2011: The Secret of The Plot

But one of the things that I’ve always appreciated about Naomi is the sense of class she brings to her dancing. It’s a big reason why I’ve come to believe that Lindy Hop can be used to legitimately express a much wider array of emotions than what most people typically associate with it (Raw, Bad ass, silliness, etc.) Her Frenesi routine is still one of my favorites.

ILHC 2011: Frida & Skye Déjà Vu

When I asked Skye if he was doing anything over ILHC weekend, he said he was hoping to, but didn’t have anything prepared. This was last Thursday. Classic division was on Friday, which was the same night that Frida was flying in.

AIR pt. 16: Not Really The End

So the last part of this paper got posted about a year and a half ago. The whole thing has actually been done for almost four years now, but in posting it here on this blog, the plan was for me to revise it as I went along because I actually don't agree with some of the original conclusions. However, as time goes on, it is becoming apparent that I'm just not going to have the time to do a full scale revision. I'm also not close to finishing any other posts anytime soon, so in the interest of completion and just to post something this is the thrilling finale of Artistry in Rhythm. Astute readers will note that some elements from the previous parts are included here because I was taking the paper apart and reassembling it as part of the revisions. I kept some of those things in this post since it just makes the whole thing easier to read. And let's face it, it's been a year and a half, you probably don't remember those parts anyway. However, I will admit that I have cannibalized quite a bit of this paper for other posts so the likelihood of deja vu is very high.

The State of the Lindy Online Disunion

Dear Jerry,

I have never been this into facebook stalking someone I don't even know. Thank you for all of the amazing posts.

Sincerely,

Miranda

Wandering & Pondering - JSAlmonte

You're welcome. Now you know how I feel stalking an entire community.

DCLX 2011: Encore! Encore! Encore!

I also took a number of videos this weekend. I’m posting three of them here with a little back ground. These videos are of the last band of the weekend, The Boilermaker Jazz Band. Despite the heavy hitter line up that preceeded them, including bands led by Glenn Crytzer, Jonathan Stout, Gordon Webster, Craig Gildner, and Stacy Brooks; the Boilermakers were still able to rally the near exhausted DCLX-ites to such a frenzy that they held them hostage onstage for THREE encores. You would think batting clean up behind one of the most exciting musical nights in modern Lindy Hop history would be tough, but BMJB hit one out of the park.