Join us on our maybe-final episode (at least for 2018) as we send up our New Years Bluesolutions. Katie talks about Bo Diddley and his highly influential ‘Bo Diddley’ beat for the Monthly Blues Jam.

We also take a look back on trends during 2017 in the national blues dance scene then look forward and try to ineptly predict the future of blues dance competitions, social dancing, and events.

Finally, we read some really touching letters from the audience and weep gently on each others' Skype shoulders.

Blues Dance World Podcast focuses on topics of blues dance culture. These podcasts will be posted once a month, so keep an eye out for them. If you like what you’re hearing, please let us and the world know! Rate and review us on our iTunes page!

Main Host: Clyde Wright

Co-hosts: Katie Alexa and Aaron Brown

Producer: Andy Lee

On this special holiday episode of Blues Dance World, we are so hyped to have Blues artist Brother Yusef join us on the podcast! Not only are we treated to a special live Monthly Blues Jam, but we also chat with Brother Yusef on Blues History, the Blues Dance Scene, and the future of Blues music. Don’t mind us, we’ll just be fangirling in the background. Happy Holidays Everyone.

You can find more of Brother Yusef’s music here: https://brotheryusef.bandcamp.com/.

Blues Dance World Podcast focuses on topics of blues dance culture. These podcasts will be posted once a month, so keep an eye out for them. If you like what you’re hearing, please let us and the world know! Rate and review us on our iTunes page!

Hosts: Katie Alexa and Aaron Brown,

Producer: Andy Lee,

Special Guests: Brother Yusef,

Photos: Ben Hejkal, Andy Lee

On November’s episode of Blues Dance World, Katie introduces us to Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the godmother of Rock and Roll and someone who’s influence heavily shaped modern music. Then, the regular Blues Dance World crew takes a bit of a backseat this month as we bring on a panel of special guests, Curtis Ellis, Elizabeth Kilrain, Cierra Ruffin, and Kenneth Shipp, to talk about blackness in the blues dance world, a conversation that our community’s been having with itself for a while now. Our discussion ranges from personal experiences to things that the community is doing well to ways that our panelists think we could improve. We also talk about some of the events we’ve been to recently and have a special visit from a very spooky individual at the end of the podcast! Finally, we’ll discuss the Blues events that are coming up.

Blues Dance World Podcast focuses on topics of blues dance culture. These podcasts will be posted once a month, so keep an eye out for them. If you like what you’re hearing, please let us and the world know! Rate and review us on our iTunes page!

Main Host: Clyde Wright,

Co-hosts: Katie Alexa and Aaron Brown,

Producer: Andy Lee,

Special Guests: Curtis Ellis, Elizabeth Kilrain, Cierra Ruffin, Kenneth Shipp,

Photos: Ben Hejkal, Melanie Bert, Devon Rowland, Mashable.com

In our October episode of Blues Dance World, Katie gives us a glimpse into the life of Big Maybelle and her famous song ‘Candy’.

Then, Katie, Clyde, Aaron, and Andy, along with special (repeat!) guest and sociologist extraordinaire Tim O’Neill, have a freewheeling discussion about the value of touch in our society and the ways that touch impacts dancing. We also give a well-deserved shout out that we missed in last month’s episode (get it Sommerville!), hear about the joys of partying with Icelanders, and learn about Clyde’s out of this world retirement plans.

If you want to read Tim’s Thesis Paper from 2005, “Hugs for Sale: The Commercialization of Human Touch”, which is mentioned in this episode, check it out here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TIjLYFSYpfPIrIuFNbg1L7FHGbGh4W8mO5WP6KsjK0U/edit

Blues Dance World Podcast focuses on topics of blues dance culture. These podcasts will be posted once a month, so keep an eye out for them. If you like what you’re hearing, please let us and the world know! Rate and review us on our iTunes page!

Main Host: Clyde Wright, Special Guests: Tim O’Neill, Co-hosts: Katie Alexa and Aaron Brown, Producer: Andy Lee, Photos: Shane Karns

Hey folks. This month for our September edition of Blues Dance World, we have not one but TWO special guests: Laney Barhaugh and Ben Hejkal! First, we’ll start this month’s episode with Clyde, Lanie, and Aaron summarizing their experiences at Southbound Blues, an exchange that happened recently in Nashville. We’ll also briefly discuss other events we’ve been to: Mezzjelly, Sweet Mo. Then, Clyde will take us through our Monthly Blues Jam! This month our featured artist is Jimmy McCracklin, a San Francisco based “texas shuffle” blues musician. McCracklin’s style is influenced by West Coast blues, Jump Blues and RnB. He’s recorded over 30 albums, written almost a thousand songs, and earned four gold records. We will listen to a song by McCracklin, called “The Walk.”

After that, we will dive into our main topic: How to throw an event! Dance events take a lot of meticulous planning, hard work, and coordination. As anyone who’s been involved in organizing knows, it is a thankless, underappreciated job. We’ll share some organizer pro-tips. We’ll discuss everything from how to put together a team to how to fund your event, from making sure registration goes smoothly to finding a vision for your event and staying relevant and innovative. We’ll end with a few organizer horror stories.

Can’t get enough Blues and want to know which events are happening around the world? Check out http://bluescal.com/ and https://www.annettedances.com/blues-in-europe-calendar/

Blues Dance World Podcast focuses on topics of blues dance culture. These podcasts will be posted once a month, so keep an eye out for them. If you like what you’re hearing, please let us and the world know! Rate and review us on our iTunes page!

Main Host: Clyde Wright, Special Guest: Laney Barhaugh and Ben Hejkal, Co-hosts: Aaron Brown, Producer: Andy Lee, Photos: sweetmolassesblues.com, sfgate.com

On August’s episode of Blues Dance World, Katie calls some people out when she takes a look at Little Walter and his song “Mean Old World”. Katie, Clyde, Aaron, and Andy, along with special guest and all-around badass Mike Legenthal, have a discussion about the do’s and don’ts of judging blues competitions. We also get a bit of an inside look into the Blues Experiment, learn some exciting news from Clyde, and reveal our secret love for balboa dancing.

Can’t get enough Blues and want to know which events are happening around the world? Check out http://bluescal.com/ and https://www.annettedances.com/blues-in-europe-calendar/

Blues Dance World Podcast focuses on topics of blues dance culture. These podcasts will be posted once a month, so keep an eye out for them. If you like what you’re hearing, please let us and the world know! Rate and review us on our iTunes page!

Main Host: Clyde Wright, Special Guest: Mike Legenthal, Co-hosts: Katie Alexa and Aaron Brown, Producer: Andy Lee, Photos: Buksil, Ben Hejkal, and Youtube

For July 2017, Blues Dance World looks into the life of Blues singer Alberta Hunter, highlights Man Camp in Colorado, takes another shot at defining the term “Modern Blues”, and investigates the idea of Follow Voice inside of modern vernacular Blues dance with special guest host Ruth Evelyn.

Can’t get enough Blues and want to know which events are happening around the world? Check out http://bluescal.com/ and https://www.annettedances.com/blues-in-europe-calendar/

Blues Dance World Podcast focuses on topics of blues dance culture. These podcasts will be posted once a month, so keep an eye out for them. If you like what you’re hearing, please let us and the world know! Rate and review us on our iTunes page!

Main Host: Clyde Wright, Special Guest: Ruth Evelyn, Co-hosts: Katie Alexa and Aaron Brown, Producer: Andy Lee, Photos: Benoît Guérin

On this episode of Blues Dance World, Katie highlights Piedmont artist Etta Baker during the Monthly Blues Jam. Etta started learning the guitar at a young age and played for over 90 years! She was highly influenced a number of different artists, including Taj Mahal and Bob Dylan. We highlight a few of her songs: her 1956 original field recording of Railroad Bill, her version of Railroad Bill from her 1991 album, as well as “Carolina Breakdown”.

Our main topic this month is all about Blues Idiom Dance. Join guest host Julie Brown and the rest of the BDW crew as we talk about the history of the Blue Idiom Dances, the value they have for our community, as well as the challenges in finding information and figuring out creativity within.

Finally, we’ll discuss the Blues events that are coming up. Can’t get enough Blues and want to know which events are happening around the world? Check out http://bluescal.com/ and https://www.annettedances.com/blues-in-europe-calendar/

Blues Dance World Podcast focuses on topics of blues dance culture. These podcasts will be posted once a month, so keep an eye out for them. If you like what you’re hearing, please let us and the world know! Rate and review us on our iTunes page!

Main Host: Clyde Wright, Special Guest: Julie Brown, Co-hosts: Katie Alexa and Aaron Brown, Producer: Andy Lee, Photos: nicklosseaton.blogspot.com

In this episode of Blues Dance World, Katie kicks it off for our Monthly Blues Jam with modern artist Joe Bonamassa. Joe started learning the guitar at a young age and even opened for B.B. King when he was 12 years old. He advocates for music education and started the “Keeping the Blues Alive” foundation, funding programs and scholarships to help people reach their potential in the music industry. We highlight his song, “You Shook Me”.

Our main topic this month is all about Crosstraining: the study of your body in other contexts besides Blues dancing. Join guest host Ross Blythe as he dissects reasons for crosstraining, the most useful techniques to assist in your cross training, and ways to make sure your Blues movement doesn’t get crowded out by all of the new movements you’re teaching your body.

Read more of Ross’s thoughts here: http://rethinkmundane.blogspot.com/2016/12/on-movement-cross-training.html

Finally, we’ll discuss the national events that are coming up.

Blues Dance World Podcast focuses on topics of blues dance culture. These podcasts will be posted once a month, so keep an eye out for them. If you like what you’re hearing, please let us and the world know! Rate and review us on our iTunes page!

Main Host: Clyde Wright, Co-hosts: Katie Alexa and Ross Blythe, Producer: Andy Lee, Photo: Ben Hejkal

This month, Blues Dance World takes a deep dive into four influential songs that we believe really shaped the modern blues dance scene. We’ll be having an extended Monthly Blues Jam this time around, with each of our hosts focusing on an individual song. Join Clyde Wright, Katie Belsky, Aaron Brown, and Andy Lee, along with our special guest Meghan Mehta, as they talk up a storm and cruise their way through some of the hottest songs in blues dancing.

Can’t get enough Blues and want to know which events are happening around the world? Check out http://bluescal.com/

Blues Dance World Podcast focuses on topics of blues dance culture. These podcasts will be posted once a month, so keep an eye out for them. If you like what you’re hearing, please let us and the world know! Rate and review us on our iTunes page!

Main Host: Clyde Wright, Co-hosts: Katie Alexa and Aaron Brown, Producer: Andy Lee