Seattle’s Dance Scene

Tuesday October 21, 2008
Day 13
Seattle, Washington

My visit in Seattle was quite memorable. Lindsay and Andrea hosted me and we got to spend a lot of time together. They were such wonderful people to be around with, I enjoyed all my time with them as they took care of each other and the people who were important around them. Dancing, dinners, house parties and walks around town made it a place where the people made my stay so wonderful. I got to meet a whole bunch of new people, saw some old Waterloo dancers who now live here. Connected with other old friends I’ve met traveling and of course admired a new dance crush here. I got to visit Pike’s market, ate at one of the best restaurants in the world (Metropolitan Grill) and of course dance within the blues and lindy hop scene.

My experience in Seattle will not soon be forgotten. The dancing, the caring people and the great fun had makes it a great place to live and play. This is one place I wouldn’t mind spending some time exploring a great community and or perhaps moving here for a short time.

First Leg Of My Trip

British Columbia, Canada
October 7th – 14th, 2008

My visit to Vancouver and surrounding area was a lot of fun and very rewarding. I got to spend time with some amazing people with great spirit and a sense of adventure. Claudia, Monica, Sara, Thanh, Louann, Aaron, Tessa, Myles & Becky were all people I wanted to see and catch up with during my visit. However, I met more incredible people during my stay and made many more acquaintances.

I became Claudia and Monica’s roommate for one week, I cooked and baked during the day and shared many meals and good cheer with them. I learn to navigate the city using public transit and got out dancing almost every night of the week.

I really got a sense of what it was like to be a part of their lives day to day. Understanding how each one of them treat one another with respect and love, a theme I have become more and more sensitive to during my travels amongst dancers.

Getting to know the Vancouver Swing scene wasn’t difficult because they have regular dances weekly. Darren, owner and operator of Jungle Swing puts on a Saturday evening dance weekly. The scene is made up with a small handful of experience dancers and instructors. I interacted and engaged with many beginners and intermediate dancers while there. This is a scene which is growing and transitioning.

As I travel, I think about what it would be like to live there. The people seem to be one of the important points after the basics such as living arrangements, food and health is stabilized. Furthermore, the warmer climates I’ve experienced in Hawaii also has a place for me too. Perhaps being a snow bird in Canada can possibly be arranged as I do enjoy south western Ontario too, I think it is due to the familiarity and all the people I have come to know. My love for nature, the mountains and people makes Vancouver a good place to live and work.

Traveling Back To Malaysia

The stories I’ve been told when I was a child still resonates in me when my grandmother, uncles, aunts and parents rehashed the boat trip they took one night from the harbours of Rach Gia, Vietnam.

On June 7, 1979, my family of 30 plus landed on the shores of Maylasia after a 3 day boat trip across the open ocean from Vietnam. Hungry, dehydrated and scared to death, we were taken in by the United Nations High Commissioner For Refugees. Placed in the city of Kota Bharu, Malaysia we lived there for almost six months awaiting for sponsorship.

This December, I hope to revisit this place of where I once lived with my family. Although at the age of one, I knew nothing of this ordeal the “Vietnamese Boat People” experienced. I hope to see, read and talk to the people in the area to get an understanding of the feelings my family described as we fled for freedom from the communist government of Vietnam.

Oberlin’s Swing Scene

A few months ago, Elizabeth and Orville contacted me and asked me to work with their swing scene. Specifically with their DJs and performance team members. As the summer rolled through and everyone started getting back into the school term, the swing society determined that swing DJ’ing was the most important aspect to concentrate on.

This past weekend, Andrew D. and I taught a one day intensive DJ workshop. A practical guide on how to DJ an evening dance. Subjects such as understanding how to identify a professional sound system’s component, furthermore how to equalize the music coming from those monster speakers. Fundamentals such as room shaping and bringing the energy to the centre of the dance floor. Andrew worked on the concept of cataloging their music library and building energy on the dance floor. After lunch, we covered MC techniques and how to command attention with the microphone. The emphasis on customer service and dressing professionaly when attending an evening event like a monthly dance.

Jack & Jill music selection and MC introductions was another component of the workshop. How to select music for this activity and how to introduce it to the guests and dancers. Finally, how to extend a song on the fly when a jam breaks out and how to build the energy on the floor through the art of beat mixing.

Each and everyone of the DJs who attended the full day session developed a small library and were able to showcase this at the evening dance. Bryne MC’ed the event and guided the guests through an evening of activities while making announcements at appropriate times.

The late night blues house party, (first one in Oberlin) was a huge success which lasted until 4 am in the morning. Overall, the organizers and instructors within the Oberlin Swing scene were happy and satisfied with the results of the DJ training. An important part that is typically not focused on when a new scene is developing. Both Andrew and I were very happy and felt a sense of accomplishment to have facilitated this learning experience to these young DJs. We are both very proud of how well each person grasped the concept and were able to apply almost instantly.

Travel Bag

On Saturday, the idea of traveling for six months really hit me. Ashely N. and I went to Adventure Guide to look at some kind of travel bag. I picked up a 70L backpack with a day pack. This new bag will be my new home for the next six months, a shell of sort that will be strapped to me as I hop countries. Two weeks as of today before I leave Kitchener-Waterloo and begin my tour. I can say I’m a bit excited, however with a busy day schedule at the office and a weekend workshop around the corner in Oberlin, Ohio this Friday. I am distracted from the actual through of departing Kitchener’s airport.

I do have to say that the back packs these days are so well thoughtout, there are so many neat gadgets and accessories built into it to make your travels more pleasant. All I really need is some clothes for this trip and my laptop and video camera. I’m looking forward to an exciting and well deserved adventure.

Working with Buffalo’s New Swing Scene

Rob and I met two Januarys ago in the south pacific islands. We were both attending the Hawaii Lindy Balboa Exchange. After being hosted at the same place for one weekend, we got a chance hang out a little bit at the park Saturday afternoon.

Last September, we met at the Albany Chill Exchange where we exchanged information as he just moved from Sante Fe, New Mexico to Buffalo, New York. His mission was to build a Lindy hop scene as there only existed a small one at the Univerity of Buffalo.

Soon after I came home from Herrang, with the introduction of the some of the core Buffalo swing dancers. Rob and I reconnected and talked about how Waterloo and Buffalo can help each other. Waterloo has been known to be one of the friendliest and cooperative Lindy community in south western Ontario. Everyone works, supports and encourages each other in all aspect of scene building. We thought we could help Buffalo and share what we have learn in the last several years of teaching classes, running social events, an evening social dance and of course, Waterloo’s famous after hours blues party.

After a successful weekend, the beginner and intermediate dancers had a chance to perform together with the Waterloo Swing Crew after taking a two hour workshop in the afternoon. New dancers were bitten by the Lindy Hop bug, new friends were made and two swing communities just shared their experience and knowledge with each other to promote swing dancing. Such a fabulous way to spend life I think, sharing knowledge and experience and having fun while doing it.

As time goes on, I find new inspiration in different aspects of this International Lindy Hop community. From the Arctic Circle to New Zealand, there are wonderful people everywhere willing to share their passion. I hope to further take in more of the world’s positive swing energy and give back where I can.

Like Dawn Hampton once said in in an interview, “When I die, I don’t want to go to heaven, I want to go to where all the Lindy Hoppers are!”.

Week Three in Herrang, Sweden

July 15, 2008

The social dancing is quite better this week since there are no beginners class offered. This is where the intermediate to advance dancers stay and dance all night long

Tonight is blues night and the last night before I head back to Canada. It will be good to get dressed up, go dancing and have a fun time with my international friends. Furthermore, it will give me a chance to say my goodbyes and thank yous for another fun year. What a wonderful place to be at, it truly has made the world smaller for me and has given me a sense of connection and security in life.

My Little Brother Is Growing Up!

John came by this evening for dinner. I made his favourite, chicken pot pie before he leaves for several months. He announce his engagement to a young gal in southern Arizona when he was driving me to the airport to Herrang this past June. He’s building a house with Jannet and her daughter Zee. He will be living with her in the next few months and I believe the wedding is to be next fall if I recall correctly. He’s off onto his next big adventure and I am happy to still be a part of his life.

I’m happy he’s building a new life for himself and going off to do his thing. It is needed as I am sure mom is driving him crazy at the house.

I wished him the best of luck, gave him a big brother hug, slapped him on the ass and saw him off to Arizona. I little brother is growing up!

Supporting local Children’s Theatre

My good friend Michael asked me if he could use my theatre lighting fixtures for his show this week. Michael is the director of the M@SA, a children’s theatre group here in Waterloo. They have two performances at the Community Arts Centre and I hope their shows go well.

The K-W Children’s Drama Workshop is dedicated to providing an excellent learning experience for children aged six to 15 years of age, which will enhance self-confidence, self-discipline, poise, interaction, creative thought, and other essential skills that will help throughout a lifetime

Michael pours his heart into his productions and I am happy to support his work. It isn’t easy being a cast and crew director for children between the ages of 6 – 15! Nonetheless, he does with patience and a smile even though he can get quite frustrated at times.

My hat goes off to this guy!

What’s my title?

While working in Herrang, Sweden at the dance camp. One of the staff members asked me what my title was. I told her I didn’t know because I did all sorts of technical things. I began a very long thinking process and after Herrang and the Toronto Open Swing Dance Championships, I formulated my thoughts into a few words. Dee from Studio 88 in Montreal introduced me as the “Lead Technical Artist” for the Toronto event.

I’ve decided that I am an “Audio Visual Technical Artist”, that really does sum up what I’ve been doing the last 15 years of my life through media, computers, sound, lighting, stage rigging and props mastering.

Funny how it all started when I decided to attend “The School of Performing Arts and Visual Technical Arts” at the Centre in the Square about 13 years ago. It was there when I received my formal training under masters of technical theatre arts.

Being a professional Disc Jockey is just one form of this technical art. At one time, I considered making a career out in the field. However, software and systems design led me towards computer science at the University of Waterloo. This is how I spend my days, working in corporate software design for the Regional Municipality of Waterloo.

I believe Herrang Dance Camp played a very important role in shaping this idea. I now have an even more clearer focus on role as an “Audio Visual Technical Artist”.