After shout I can’t help but noticed the difference between cultural spaces. As the Black community within the blues dance community find each other, the thing I’ve always felt, becomes overwhelmingly apparent. The difference is stark. Also it’s about more than just bringing in people of a different culture: it’s also about understanding the implicit …
Once upon a time a group of young adults met the new kid at school and his name was DeShawn. To welcome him into their group they wanted to go out to the movies. In this group of friends everyone had permission except for DeShawn. But DeShawn really wanted to go and he tells his …
Are you confused about this new term you’ve heard in the community? IDIOM DANCE?! Well, today we’re going to break down what exactly that means and how it fits into blues dancing, how the term has come about, and what the future looks like. Right now, there are a lot of debates in the community …
Occasionally I’m told I’m arrogant. That always makes me chuckle because I have literally no self confidence and it’s all a facade. That’s why it only takes a few tough days, some people’s anxiety causing me to feel imposter syndrome and being called names/misunderstood for me to totally collapse. I’m self conscious about my own …
Who do you think you are?! [about the main author] Read More »
During the last year I’ve noticed a trend within the Blues community that’s been happening on the back end of things. As we focus so much on all the things that we wish to see within the world, within ourselves, and within our community in general, we seem to have lost sight of the love …
When I was a child I heard a lot of mixed ideas about Africa and our heritage. On the one hand Black Americans understood the fact that we’re stuck here, regardless of if we wanted to be here or not. We accepted that we would never really know much about of families and heritage and …
Black Panther and Why it Matters: back to Africa Read More »
I feel like I’m constantly promoting this book but I can’t suggest it enough. Are you a non- Black person hoping to understand Black folks more? Do you want to make a Black friend without embarrassing yourself? are you doing dances from Black culture and don’t know no Black people? You wanna know why Black …
Do you know the name James Baldwin? I sure didn’t until about a year ago when me and the best friend went to watch this movie in a nearly empty theater. All the few guests were Black. After that night, several debate videos, and readings of his later and I was shocked that such a …
In our scene, Black women are avoided. There is a reason why Black women are among the lowest demographic in the blues/swing dancing communities. And yet, thus far it’s something we’ve refused to talk about because we fear getting pushback for discussing it. So these discussions take place in small group chats and behind the …
I was recently on the Blues Dance World podcast in a conversation about Blackness in blues. Although, we didn’t get as far as I would’ve hoped we didn’t talk a lot about some common experiences of what it maybe like in the scene for community member. I think sometimes people don’t understand if you’re not …
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