The Lindy Focus review will be broken up into two or three separate pieces because there is so much to say about a week long event of such excellence.

Photo courtesy of Terrace Ellis

When it comes to ringing in a New Year for Lindy Hoppers there was no better way this year stateside than going to Lindy Focus in Asheville, NC.

In its seventh year Lindy Focus, once a regional event, has truly cracked the national scene as one of the best camps there is.  With an intensity and camaraderie likened to Herrang without the camping or eternal sunshine Lindy Focus has earned itself an earmark as the camp to kick off a year.

It has earned so much after-event glory from attendees that it has spawned a series of Lindy Focus Favorite Moments/Top Ten notes on Facebook.

To start the organizers of Lindy Focus are Michael Gamble, Jaya Dorf and Sosh Howell and my sincere congratulations and appreciation go out to them.  They ran an exceptionally tight ship, kept it well organized, brought in international talent on both the dance and music front and gave us all a party to remember.

For a taste of Lindy Focus here’s a video from one of our camp meetings.

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Filed Under: Event Reviews | Thursday, January 15th, 2009

Random Notes from The 2008 Frenchie Balboa Festival in Toulouse, France (Dec. 5-7)

By Bobby White  (Photographs by Kate Hedin)

Toulouse France is a small city in Southern France known as “The Pink City” because of the distinct pink bricks and stone that compose many of the older buildings. It’s home to the Pink City Balboa Festival, which is now called the Frenchie Balboa Festival (we tend to say “FBF”, or “Fubuf” if we’ve had more than one glass of wine.)

The Frenchie Balboa Festival has become one of our favorite events to teach at. Aside from being organized incredibly well, many of our European friends attend, and it gives Kate a chance to use all of the French she learned in school, most of which involves finding out where the bathroom is and names of furniture.

Picture by Kate Hedin

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Filed Under: Travel Advice | Wednesday, January 14th, 2009

Lindybloggers is happy to announce our second new weekly column: Tuesday Trivia.

Tuesday Trivia is a weekly trivia question about the history of jazz dance and music.  We encourage everyone and anyone who knows the answer to post it up under the comments section - even if it means googling it or looking it up on Wikipedia.  The first person to post up the correct answer will get a mention in the following Tuesday Trivia.

This Week’s Tuesday Trivia Question

Name the best-known amateur dance competition in the United States in the 1930’s. As a bonus, name what years a Collegiate Shag division was featured in this competition.

Know the answer?  Let everyone know and comment.

Filed Under: Dance Trivia | Tuesday, January 13th, 2009

Lindybloggers is happy to announce the start of a new weekly column: Song of the Week.

Our first Song of the Week is brought to you by DJ Allen Kerr of Washington, D.C.  Allen has DJed such events as Sugarfoot Stomp, Lindy Focus, BalJam, and is a regular DJ at Jam Cellar.  He’s known for rocking my socks anytime he DJs.

Song: Everybody Rock
Artist: Ella Fitzgerald & Her Famous Orchestra
Album: Live at the Savoy 1939-40

Everybody Rock is a track I’ve been playing frequently off of my favorite jazz album. This is Chick Webb’s orchestra shortly after Chick Webb passed away leaving the band  to Ella Fitzgerald.  Ella takes the back seat, shouting encouragement to the band, but never singing. This is swing music at it’s finest. If you don’t own this CD, buy it now (Amazon.com). You will not be disappointed.

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Filed Under: Song of the Week | Monday, January 12th, 2009