45: Dance as Healing (w/ ANTHONY CHEN & LAUREL RYAN)

A special holiday treat for these dark times! (Also parents: Bad language in these here hills!)Join some international instructors for a special game of DnD full of battles, mule-ports, gatekeepers, lin-fected hordes, and the IRLHC Championships! Come with us to the land of Yavos!CASTANTHONY CHEN --- St. Savoy, a DwarfAJ HOWARD --- Big B, a half-orcLAUREL RYAN --- Alayon Trainer / "A-Train," a bardSYLVIA SYKES --- Diminuendo N. Bloo, a fighterCHISOMO SELEMANI --- The Harlem Mistress, a sorceress Slide into these D.Ms:ELLA FINE BOBBY WHITE CHAPTERS03:00 -- Act I -- Mule-Knighited Gate 3720:00 -- Act II -- Through the Klapontooan Forest55:00 -- Act III -- The Hermitage1:13:00 -- Act IV -- Battle at the Gates of Oldest York1:40:00 -- Act V -- IRLHCMUSIC"May You Have" - Bonnie Grace"Battle of the Creek" - Alexander Nakarada"Rising Prophecy" - Solas"Riverdance" - Keys of Moon Music"Adventure" - Alexander Nakarada"Adventure Beyond " - Alexander NakaradaHappy Funk Music Party Royalty Free Mix "Hard Groove" - Afrobeat Library"For Tomorrow" - Savfk"How High The Moon" - The Medieval Jazz Quartet (A fun 1960s jazz-era experiment where jazz musician Bob Durough got a group of musicians to do jazz with medieval instruments.) "Lady Be Good" - The Medieval Jazz Quartet"Dragon Castle" - MakaiADDITIONAL THANKSThanks to Viktor Lillard for sound edit, and to Ella Fine for additional sound editing. Bobby did further sound editing and added special effects, so blame him if those are really annoying. (He tried hard to make sure they weren't.)Additionally, we ran a test of this game with a group of dancers, and wanted to give a huge thanks to Gaby Cook, Tai Chulikavit, Hussain Jaffery, Jonathan Ng, Sean Vitale, and Sylvie Wainright. First off, it was the most fun I've ever had testing out a thing, and second of all, they helped out so much with feedback and just the imagination of their gameplay inspired us in so many ways. They were also such a positive, ready-to-do-whatever group. So thank you ALL! ABOUT THE GAMEThis DnD adventure was created, written, and designed by Bobby and Ella. Ella managed all the systems, including altering rules and simplifying gameplay to allow quicker gameplay and easier onboarding of unfamiliar players. The dance contest system was created by them but only worked because of Ella's input. This idea came about after Ella introduced Bobby to Dimension 20, a fantastic DnD experience done by improvisational comedians on the channel DROPOUT. Bobby heard only two episodes before going to Ella with the idea of doing a one-shot for Lindy Hoppers. PATRONSThanks so much to our Patreon Patrons!Sasha KJustnigelAnn Sofie van EnisKatja AlexandriaJuly BelberRebecca BurWeiDee MathewsBrooks PrumoJessie BrooksAryn KellyAudrey BuiIan DawsonKaren ComposMcCormackAmy SorensonNika JinEmily BenzeAngel JenioNick CruickshankTaylor StenderLeila GassSelena KruseRyan LemarCalTara SliwinskiRebecca HarrisLori TaniguchiChristian FrommeltAllison FreyLucie Q MazzantiGary ChyiLaura WindleyLynn MaslenAriane ProteauStephanie KawalskiTove LundströmCharlotteLaurelRyanPaul GrafCassandra FiliosAnd huge thanks toLawrence Kalantari and Karen ShrieberWho donated big in order to help us pay for the work!

Professor and author of "Between Beats: The Jazz Tradition and Black Vernacular Dance" joined us at our little house at Herrang '25 to discuss Marshall Stearns, jazz academia, teaching history, helping camps do better, ally-ship, and other things. It was so good we had to keep it all.And of course, huge thanks to our patrons! (You can find us on patreon!)Sasha KJustnigelAnn Sofie van EnisKatja AlexandriaJuly BelberRebecca BurWeiDee MathewsBrooks PrumoJessie BrooksAryn KellyAudrey BuiIan DawsonKaren ComposMcCormackAmy SorensonNika JinEmily BenzeAngel JenioNick CruickshankTaylor StenderLeila GassSelena KruseRyan LemarCalTara SliwinskiRebecca HarrisLori TaniguchiChristian FrommeltAllison FreyLucie Q MazzantiGary ChyiLaura WindleyLynn MaslenAriane ProteauStephanie KawalskiTove LundströmCharlotteLaurelRyanPaul GrafCassandra FiliosAnd huge thanks toLawrence Kalantari and Karen ShrieberWho donated big in order to help us pay for the work!

In this episode we talk to two professional Balboa instructors, DOMINIC HANNA and MATT RICHEY. Wediscuss what makes them love Balboa, what their current missions are as instructors in the scene, and what a welcoming dance scene looks like to Dominic (a Black American man) and Matt (a Queer man).   And of course, huge thanks to our patrons! (You can find us on patreon!)Sasha KJustnigelAnn Sofie van EnisKatja AlexandriaJuly BelberRebecca BurWeiDee MathewsBrooks PrumoJessie BrooksAryn KellyAudrey BuiIan DawsonKaren ComposMcCormackAmy SorensonNika JinEmily BenzeAngel JenioNick CruickshankTaylor StenderLeila GassSelena KruseRyan LemarCalTara SliwinskiRebecca HarrisLori TaniguchiChristian FrommeltAllison FreyLucie Q MazzantiGary ChyiLaura WindleyLynn MaslenAriane ProteauStephanie KawalskiTove LundströmCharlotteLaurelRyanPaul GrafCassandra FiliosAnd huge thanks toLawrence Kalantari and Karen ShrieberWho donated big in order to help us pay for the work!

LIVE FROM HERRANG '25! We talk with Black American Lindy Hop instructors DEE DANIELS LOCKE and TYEDRIC HILL about the modern life of a Black Lindy Hop professional. And of course, huge thanks to our patrons! (You can find us on patreon!)Sasha KJustnigelAnn Sofie van EnisKatja AlexandriaJuly BelberRebecca BurWeiDee MathewsBrooks PrumoJessie BrooksAryn KellyAudrey BuiIan DawsonKaren ComposMcCormackAmy SorensonNika JinEmily BenzeAngel JenioNick CruickshankTaylor StenderLeila GassSelena KruseRyan LemarCalTara SliwinskiRebecca HarrisLori TaniguchiChristian FrommeltAllison FreyLucie Q MazzantiGary ChyiLaura WindleyLynn MaslenAriane ProteauStephanie KawalskiTove LundströmCharlotteLaurelRyanPaul GrafCassandra FiliosAnd huge thanks toLawrence Kalantari and Karen ShrieberWho donated big in order to help us pay for the work!

Chi-Chi and Bobby discuss a conundrum that many dancers may face. Layers and layers! (Title has no relation to the actual incredible Black American dancer, singer, and all-around entertainer Mabel Lee. It was something that popped into our heads and we went with it in the episode.)And of course, huge thanks to our patrons! (You can find us on patreon!)Sasha KJustnigelAnn Sofie van EnisKatja AlexandriaJuly BelberRebecca BurWeiDee MathewsBrooks PrumoJessie BrooksAryn KellyAudrey BuiIan DawsonKaren ComposMcCormackAmy SorensonNika JinEmily BenzeAngel JenioNick CruickshankTaylor StenderLeila GassSelena KruseRyan LemarCalTara SliwinskiRebecca HarrisLori TaniguchiChristian FrommeltAllison FreyLucie Q MazzantiGary ChyiLaura WindleyLynn MaslenAriane ProteauStephanie KawalskiTove LundströmCharlotteLaurelRyanPaul GrafCassandra FiliosAnd huge thanks toLawrence Kalantari and Karen ShrieberWho donated big in order to help us pay for the work!

[This is a rerelease of Episode 39! Which we took off neeeding to tackle some editing problems. But it should be good now!]Singer, fashionista, and co-leader of the Mint Julep Jazz Band LAURA WINDLEY loves to make her own clothing. One day she got some African fabric from a friend. As a White American woman, what should she do with it? We call in an expert, DONNA M'SHANGA, co-founder of Zambia's renown ready-to-wear fashion house, Kamanga Wear. Enjoy the convo, video will be up on You Tube as well.Originally released April, 2023.

Chi-Chi and Bobby join fellow instructors LAUREL RYAN, JAVIER JOHNSON, and CARLA HEINEY to discuss a myriad of topics at this LIVE BEANTOWN episode! (...from 2023.) To those who don't know, LAUREL is a Black American woman instructor known for her Lindy Hop, solo jazz, and MCing, JAVIER (pronounced with a "J" as is his preference) is a Black American man instructor best known as a Balboa badass, but also does Lindy and some award-winning soul dancing, and CARLA is a White American woman and a living legend of the modern scene, being one of the most influential Lindy Hop instructors of the modern era. ("The Woodside 5" was because we all stayed together in a "Woodside" dormitory suite and are a crime-fighting team.)HUGE thanks to Beantown Dance Camp for not only allowing us to have a platform, but for helping record the episode and elevate minority voices in the dance. And of course, huge thanks to our patrons! (You can find us on patreon!)Sasha KJustnigelAnn Sofie van EnisKatja AlexandriaJuly BelberRebecca BurWeiDee MathewsBrooks PrumoJessie BrooksAryn KellyAudrey BuiIan DawsonKaren ComposMcCormackAmy SorensonNika JinEmily BenzeAngel JenioNick CruickshankTaylor StenderLeila GassSelena KruseRyan LemarCalTara SliwinskiRebecca HarrisLori TaniguchiChristian FrommeltAllison FreyLucie Q MazzantiGary ChyiLaura WindleyLynn MaslenAriane ProteauStephanie KawalskiTove LundströmCharlotteLaurelRyanPaul GrafCassandra FiliosAnd huge thanks toLawrence Kalantari and Karen ShrieberWho donated big in order to help us pay for the work!

Was this one a good idea? We think so?Following a long red-eye flight and a certain Olympic break dancer's excuse for their performance, Bobby gives Chisomo a theoretical schpeel on values in Lindy Hop, and the problems of choosing one Black American value higher than others. Then they discuss. Shout-out to Shelby Johnson for inspirational posts. We're still learning, keep the conversation going!And of course, huge thanks to our patrons! (You can find us on patreon!)Sasha KJustnigelAnn Sofie van EnisKatja AlexandriaJuly BelberRebecca BurWeiDee MathewsBrooks PrumoJessie BrooksAryn KellyAudrey BuiIan DawsonKaren ComposMcCormackAmy SorensonNika JinEmily BenzeAngel JenioNick CruickshankTaylor StenderLeila GassSelena KruseRyan LemarCalTara SliwinskiRebecca HarrisLori TaniguchiChristian FrommeltAllison FreyLucie Q MazzantiGary ChyiLaura WindleyLynn MaslenAriane ProteauStephanie KawalskiTove LundströmCharlotteLaurelRyanPaul GrafCassandra FiliosAnd huge thanks toLawrence Kalantari and Karen ShrieberWho donated big in order to help us pay for the work!

Happy New Year! Let's celebrate with one of the greatest live episode experiences we have had, a HOT ONES-style panel we did at CALIFORNIA BALBOA CLASSIC in 2024. We've got special guests JENNIFER LEE, ANDREA GORDON, and MATT RICHEY, joining your hosts Chisomo and Bobby, all eating increasingly hotter wings while trying to tackle the hard questions. You get all the talk, all of the bravado, and none of the sound of us eating, hence why the episode is only 35 min. :) (Be on the lookout for the raw footage of the entire panel, on YouTube, coming soon!) Speaking of California! Currently LA Wildfires have destroyed the homes of several dancers, one of which, ROB MORELAND, was the sound tech who set up this five-mic-and-audience-recording panel with very short notice . Please consider donating to the RHYTHM RELIEF FUND! Please search for "Rhythm Relief Fund PSDF" on your favorite browser. We're sorry this episode came to you so late, but our volunteer sound engineer, who tackles these big multi-track projects, has a very busy life. We're just thankful they were able to help us out so well in the first place. However, they have to bow out. WE ARE CURRENTLY LOOKING for a sound engineer to help us tackle another multi-track project we recorded, please contact either Bobby or Chisomo on social medias if you're interested in helping! And of course, huge thanks to our patrons! (You can find us on patreon!) Sasha K Justnigel Ann Sofie van Enis Katja Alexandria July Belber Rebecca BurWei Dee Mathews Brooks Prumo Jessie Brooks Aryn Kelly Audrey Bui Ian Dawson Karen ComposMcCormack Amy Sorenson Nika Jin Emily Benze Angel Jenio Nick Cruickshank Taylor Stender Leila Gass Selena Kruse Ryan Lemar Cal Tara Sliwinski Rebecca Harris Lori Taniguchi Christian Frommelt Allison Frey Lucie Q Mazzanti Gary Chyi Laura Windley Lynn Maslen Ariane Proteau Stephanie Kawalski Tove Lundström Charlotte LaurelRyan Paul Graf Cassandra Filios And huge thanks to Lawrence Kalantari Karen Shrieber Who donated big inorder to help us pay for the work!

50 EPISODES!! Oh, geeze. Recorded at HERRANG 2024. We joined with one of our great friends URSULA HICKS to discuss SO MUCH GOOD STUFF. First, she tells us about Herrang's NEXT GENERATION PROJECT. Then, we play a little game where key words trigger Ursula to share some fun/enlightening/not-so-fun/hilarious dance situations that have taught us some important things. Recently we have been using computer software to cut out background noise and help make the episode clear and easy and professional sounding. Sometimes it might sound weird or garbled, please forgive us as we learn this new skill. THANKS SO MUCH TO OUR PATRONS! (You can find us on patreon!) Sasha K Justnigel Ann Sofie van Enis Katja Alexandria July Belber Rebecca BurWei Dee Mathews Brooks Prumo Jessie Brooks Aryn Kelly Audrey Bui Ian Dawson Karen Compos McCormack Amy Sorenson Nika Jin Emily Benze Angel Jenio Nick Cruickshank Taylor Stender Leila Gass Selena Kruse Ryan Lemar Cal Tara Sliwinski Rebecca Harris Lori Taniguchi Christian Frommelt Allison Frey Lucie Q Mazzanti Gary Chyi Laura Windley Lynn Maslen Ariane Proteau Stephanie Kawalski  Tove Lundström  Charlotte Laurel Ryan Paul Graf Cassandra Filios   And huge thanks to Lawrence Kalantari Karen Shrieber   Who donated big in order to help us pay for the work!