Carnaval 
Monday, February 13, 2006, 12:28 PM - Dancing
I've never been to Mardi Gras, so my empathy for New Orleans as Fat Tuesday approaches is pretty abstract- but somehow the least I can do to manifest an American pre-Lenten bacchanal is support Brazilian carnaval festivities here in SF. Last night I went to Ara Ketu, one of the most popular blocos from Bahia. The crowd was almost completely Brazilian, and it was so wonderful to be caught up in a little bit of the frenzied abandon. My samba muscles are creaky this morning and my clothes were sprinkled with beer by the end of the night, but I am so happy I went.

Genetic Polymorphisms and Dancing 
Wednesday, February 8, 2006, 08:45 PM - Dancing
Could a journal article more perfectly blend two disparate elements of my personality? AVPR1a and SLC6A4 Gene Polymorphisms Are Associated with Creative Dance Performance describes the correlation observed between two neurochemical components (the serotonin transporter SLC6A4 and the arginine vasopressin receptor AVPR1a) and higher scores on measures of social affiliation, absorption, and spirituality among dancers when compared to athletes or non-athlete, non-dancer controls. The article goes on to speculate about how higher capacity for social affiliation and its physical expression through dance may have fulfilled evolutionary functions and continue to underlay propensity for things like altered states of consciousness among dancers. One has to love the side observations about ecstasy use and the rave scene (researchers are in Israel, as some of you may know at times a huge producer of X for the international market). There is a way in which it's somewhat disconcerting to see components of one's personality type linked to a neurochemical substrate, but I'm sure it's only a matter of time until many of our traits are found to correspond to chemical signatures and genetic quirks. As long as they find something along the way that I can put in the water to increase the average dance capacity of the population, I'll be happy.

Fayard Nicholas  
Thursday, January 26, 2006, 02:17 PM - Dancing
Fayard Nicholas died a couple of days ago - he and his brother were some of the greatest tap dancers, especially in their dancing together. Within the swing scene, there's been some resurgence and interest in the last few years in tap - really one of the great american art innovations, and sadly underappreciated by most. There's a too sweet clip of the young brothers here.

The End of Irony 
Saturday, December 3, 2005, 11:24 PM - Dancing
I swear last night on Mighty's dance floor I saw ironic, detached postmodernism crumble with the bootyshaking bliss of a few hundred multiracial SF club kids. Now we just need a few artists from this generation that can conjure up the same kind of love and soul. Wouldn't THAT be wonderful?

Too Hot For Wigs 
Friday, November 11, 2005, 07:52 PM - Dancing
Is an instant classic. I can't believe Fatass got shut down at the Makeout last night...we could have danced for hours longer. So nice to see the East Coast contingent and both White brothers in one place. And the advance copy of the new CD is always a nice touch...

Green Velvet Line Dancing 
Thursday, November 10, 2005, 01:14 PM - Dancing
I rarely remember my dreams. Obviously evidence of my undeveloped relationship with my unconscious mind. Not so this morning: first I was some sort of hotshot archaeologist, and I discovered this beautiful ancient (greek? trojan maybe?) boat at the edge of an ocean. Then somehow things morphed into a stadium rock concert/ someone's wedding and I was waiting for my high school friend Kevin McMahon (huge guy, my favorite cigarette chicken partner) to show up. Then he came but he was really Andrew Boyd, and he was wearing this forest green with wide gold pinstripe velvet suit, and he was line dancing with a bunch of strangers.

My unconsious is notoriously unsubtle with its symbolism - do you think I need to rediscover my core value and inherent worth/ beauty? And that I'd really like to have a great relationship/ fantabulous party wedding?? At least I save money on analysis this way.

Google submission oracular powers 
Monday, November 7, 2005, 01:43 PM - Dancing, Technology
So it has to be a good sign that the auto-generated word that came up when I submitted this little project to google was "ravers", right? Oh, if I had only taken a screen shot. I guess it's possible they've gotten much farther ahead than I would have imagined with profiling my innermost characteristics....

Susie Helfrey's wedding mosh pit 
Monday, November 7, 2005, 01:28 PM - Dancing, Friends
Made me very very happy. Who would have thought those Stanford GSB folks had it in them?? Susie, apparently, is a punk rocker now.

Crutchmaster 
Monday, November 7, 2005, 12:57 PM - Dancing
Yesterday went to see Bill Shannon perform at Headlands. Truly amazing to see someone developing a new dance lexicon based on creative adaptations of disability, with heavy influence of street dance/ skate culture...
Tragic and wonderful that the form is so specific to his particular flavor of physical problem- inspriring that he's created something so innovative and connected to contemporary american vernacular dance. Nothing better to play with one's internal prejudices about disability when you realize that the crippled guy is hot. (Wonder whatever happened to Melissa's brother??)
Bill Shannon More Bill Shannon


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