I just finished volunteering all weekend for another Frankie Mannng workshop. He's 93 now and is slowing down a bit but still looks the same. Judy Pritchett gave an interesting presentation of the history of The Big Apple (the dance, not the city) in which she included a film clip of Frankie teaching at the Herrang Dance Camp about 10 years ago. He looked like a 30 year old and was demonstrating some jazz steps with the agility of a teenager. We all had to blink to recall he was 83 at the time. Since his knee surgury a few years ago, he moves much more conservitively now. Still, I'd like to move that well when I'm 93.

Blues Dance Stories

Blues Dancing is gaining popularity in the swing dance community and it's about time. A street dance, like Lindy, it never was considered a "real" dance as far as the studios are concerned, but it's always been one of my favorites. Close and sexy, it's been around in one form or another for decades. My favorite eavesdrop story was overheard just before a Steven Mitchell workshop. One of the greatest and most innovative jazz dancers of all time, Steven was teaching a blues class as part of this weekend workshop. A friend of his dropped by and was having a conversation that I overheard. "Blues dancing?" said the friend, "What's that?" "You know," said Steven, with enough of a demonstration to get the idea. "You have to teach that?" said the friend. "Evidently," said Steven.

A Perfect Day

Here it is the end of January and I'm falling down on the blog. One of the great things about dancing in Golden Gate Park on Sundays is being so close to the new DeYoung museum. I'm on the side of the controversy that likes the new building. I mentioned to a fellow dancer that I still hadn't seen the Ruth Azawa exhibit and it closed that day. "I'm a member," he said. "I'll take you in." So I got to see the show, and it was one of the best exhibits I've ever seen, and with company as well. AND I danced, and had lunch with fellow dancers afterwards and the weather was perfect. A perfect day.