The Dance Primer

I know. I’ve had them too. Those nights where you plan on doing everything right but you still end up fighting a difficult internal self-esteem battle. You start to tell yourself things like: ‘I’ve totally got the wrong shoes, when can I afford another pair?’ ‘I’m a better than her… so why is she getting […]

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We’ve looked at motivation before. As you know, I dance because I think it’s fun. Recently though, I’ve posted about some struggles I’ve faced in my dancing. Gretchen Rubin, who authors The Happiness Project, has once again posted an article that I think can relate to us as dancers. She titles the post “Six questions […]

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I can’t help myself. I have to promote a national event happening right here in my lovely home of Portland:

The event is actually our Lindy Exchange, which happens every other year. Most non-swing dancers have no idea what an exchange is, though, so it has a second name of Swing Fest.
If YOU don’t know […]

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I took the challenge and looked for a place where a cartwheel might be appropriate in ballet. (Thanks, YouTube.) This isn’t the highest professional performance… but I would say that this character in The Nutcracker should be allowed to do cartwheels.

This is obviously a relative video taping their young dancer. I always cringed at the […]

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I’m the fifth of six children in my family. My parents were teachers, so our income was not the kind that a family of 8 (plus a live-in Grandma and usually an exchange student to boot) could live on with luxury. My parents did have an appreciation for extra-curricular activities, but there was a budget […]

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Here’s a closer look at some more links in the blog roll. I hope this helps you navigate through which sites you will be interested in. I will periodically post “closer looks” until I’ve covered all 100+ of them…
If you are an author on one of these blogs, I’d love for you add a […]

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You may not think you have a Valentine. You may not have the man/woman of your dreams to shower with romance this holiday. You’re wrong. YOU have a love that challenges you, that strengthens you, that lifts you up when you’re down, that makes you laugh, that always asks you to be a better person, […]

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Now that you’re read a bit of what Jojo has to say, why not check out her dancing? This is her and Dax Hock demonstrating the Tranky Doo - a dance loaded with classic vernacular jazz steps. How many can you name?

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Jojo Jackson and I caught up through email a while back, and she was gracious enough to answer a few questions for you. Enjoy the read!
Also, you should check out her new instructional DVD, “Solo Jazz & Charleston: Level One,” available on her website.
BASIC STATS:
lead/follow– Follow, although sometimes I lead for fun and […]

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When I learned my first competition cha-cha routine, there was a move I struggled with more than any other. It involved spinning quickly from one side of my partner to the other, back and forth. I had to move fast, keep my feet moving in rhythm, direct my body to the right place, and keep […]

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