ULHS Around the Bend

ULHS starts tomorrow night with the Riverboat and will most likely run until the wee hours of Monday morning before people ship off to the airport.

Last year I wrote a quite extensive review of ULHS 07 in a series of posts (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) which gathered quite a bit of traffic.  This year I hope to bring that traffic to Lindybloggers.com with a more pointed review, but also stay tuned for key footage from the event and perhaps an interview with one of the organizers.

I think this will be an interesting event for me since last year I approached it as just a dancer and competitor and this year I have the angle of a journalist/blogger in addition to those roles. To come back to an event the following year after having reviewed it once, I look forward to seeing what changes are in store (there are definitely some large ones relating to some of the competitions) and how they’ll affect the event.

If you’re going to ULHS this year and see me walking around with a camera, a notepad and a ridiculous hat (okay maybe not the hat) say “Hi”, introduce yourself, get a snapshot, give me a comment, and let me know what you think about Lindybloggers, this blog, and/or ULHS.

Stay tuned for the ULHS review and if you’ve got something to add, post it up in our comments on Lindybloggers.

Making Changes

This is probably one of the most personal posts I have ever put up here.  Take it as you will.

Recently I have had some interesting twists added into my life.  My regular work week fell from five days a week, working more than 45 hours, to three days a week, averaging 24-30 hours.  At first it hit pretty hard.  I was taking about a 40% paycut on really short notice.  I cut back on expenditures that I could and stressed over it.  So much so that I was in physical pain for almost three days.

Then as the time has rolled by, I have realized it is a sort of blessing in disguise.  It has given me the space in my life to reevaluate what is important, how I want to live, and what I really take as valuable.  I am not made for the office life or the desk job.  I am an artist and that takes commitment; to no longer being afraid of freeing oneself from normal expectations.

I have added a tap class to my weekly schedule on Mondays at Steps alongside practicing tap with Maggie twice a week.  I am commiting more time and energy into my collaborative news project with Alain Wong, Lindybloggers.  I spent eleven days in a row either going out dancing or working on dancing, my body was tired but it felt great.

I have projects planned to choreograph with other dancers.  I am checking in on gigs for the new year and building prospects for the future which enable my artistic side to be sustainable.

I am building the life I want to live.

Lindybloggers.com

Lindybloggers.com is live!

On Hold

Jazz Dance Blog will be on hold for a while.

Currently in the works is a joint blog project with Alain Wong, that is being designed by our mutual friend Patrick Beland.  This blog project will cover many of the same aspects but with more featured articles, event reviews and interviews from more contributors and authors.

If you are interested in potentially contributing articles, reviews, interviews, video footage, or photography on the lindy hop scene and lindy hop events please feel free to contact me at ferrix (at) gmail (dot) com.

In the meantime, go dance.

Dance Movie Blogathon – May 4th to 10th

Here is an interesting initiative I stumbled upon over on greatdance.com for all of us dance bloggers.

 Ferdy on Films, etc. is proud to host the Invitation to the Dance Movie Blogathon, May 4 through May 10. The last day of the blogathon just happens to be the birthday of one of the greatest dancers ever to grace the silver screen–Fred Astaire. Contributions on that date that discuss Astaire are particularly welcome. Please RSVP to ferdyonfilms@comcaust.net. Link to this page before the event and to Ferdy on Films, etc. during the week of the blogathon.

So, during that week I will showcase some of lindy hop and jazz dances most revered clips from film and movies.

Were it not for Hollywood there would be no Hellzapoppin’, no Day at the Races, and no Stormy Weather.  What a sad world it would be.

Are you going to particpate in the Dance Movie Blogathon or have any suggestions for vintage jazz or lindy hop clips that should be included?  Let me know and comment.