From the Top

By NPRArts Music Performing Arts

From the Top episodes

November 26, 2016 Swing dance: art or what?
Swing dance isn't usually classified as art. This title is normally applied to ballet, tango, folk dance or contemporary dance. But is this fair? And does swing dance need to be on a par with these well-established and recognised dance genres? Is swing dance perhaps just a form of entertainment - or even a niche specialism? This and more in an episode packed with insight both from within and outside the swing community.
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Contributors to this episode:
Marina Losin, dancer, choreographer and researcher at ImPulsTanz, one of the largest contemporary dance festivals in the world
www.impulstanz.com
Gaby Cook, noted U.S. jazz dance performer and instructor
www.gabycook.com
Anaïs Sékiné, swing dance performer and instructor based in Montreal; PhD researcher of modern swing dance culture
Peter Loggins, one of the pioneers of the swing dance revival, veteran performer and instructor
www.jassdancer.blogspot.com
Camille A. Brown, award-winning U.S. dancer and choreographer and champion of black rights
www.camilleabrown.org
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Produced and presented by Alexei Korolyov
www.alexei-korolyov.com
From the Top theme song by Alexander Forstner, Nina Jukić and Alexei Korolyov
22 min
October 18, 2016 Dave King: loving irony
Drummer and composer Dave King is perhaps best-known as a co-founder and one-third of the U.S. jazz trio The Bad Plus. He has also co-founded a number of other groups, including Happy Apple and Halloween, Alaska. He has played with more than 30 artists and appeared on over 50 recordings.
In this third of our special series, we talk to Dave about his relationship with music and about his hit postmodern YouTube show Rational Funk.
Cover photograph by Christopher Herndler
12 min
July 07, 2016 Travel and swing dance
In this our summer-minded episode, we look at something that binds us all together: travel. Man's deep-rooted desire to travel and explore, coupled with the increasing globalisation of the swing dance market, has produced a generation of dancers, DJs and musicians that is almost constantly on the go. We meet some of them.
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Contributors to this episode:
Diana Geisler, Vienna-based dancer, performer and instructor who travels almost every weekend to competitions and events
Simon Bressanelli, British-Italian dancer who travels and teaches full-time
www.simonbressanelli.co.uk
Adrian Cunningham, Australian-born travelling musician and bandleader based in NYC
www.adriancunningham.com
Meghan Gilmore, Canadian DJ and dancer, head of DJs at Herrang Dance Camp, citizen of the world
Marcus Nutzinger, From the Top co-editor
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Produced and presented by Alexei Korolyov
www.alexei-korolyov.com
From the Top theme song by Alexander Forstner, Nina Jukić and Alexei Korolyov
12 min
May 19, 2016 Alina Sokulska: Rebel Rebel
In this second of our special features, we hear from Alina Sokulska about how she sees herself in the world of swing and jazz dance.
Originally from Kiev, Ukraine, Alina is IG HOP's Dancer in Residence this spring and an aspiring anthropologist. Check out her latest dance video here:
www.vimeo.com/164904299
You can hear more of Alina in our latest episode, Video and swing dance.
5 min
May 08, 2016 Video and swing dance
Modern swing dancing has been deeply influenced by the rapid dissemination of video content and the corresponding revolution in video recording technology: videos have become much easier to get and create, and that has turned them into a powerful learning tool, especially in remote communities.
On the other hand, the march of technology has resulted in oversaturation: every major event now spews forth dozens of videos; all competitions are thoroughly documented, all participants logged: it's getting increasingly difficult to choose what and who to watch. Questions are also being asked about whether video uniformity is killing individual styles.
We get down to the real nitty-gritty.
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Contributors to this episode:
Jeannie Elliott, hardened swing dancer&instructor and leader of Cape Town Swing
www.capetownswing.co.za
Alain Wong, key swing dance videographer, organiser of Montreal Swing Riot
www.youtube.com/user/alainkinwong
www.montrealswingriot.com
Alina Sokulska, jazz dancer based in Kiev and St. Petersburg, IG HOP's Dancer in Residence#5
www.facebook.com/jazzworkshopsalina
Jerry Almonte, veteran swing dancer and author of popular blog Wandering&Pondering
www.facebook.com/JSAlmonteWandering
For more, please visit www.fromthetoppodcast.com/episodes/10
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Produced and presented by Alexei Korolyov
www.alexei-korolyov.com
From the Top theme song by Alexander Forstner, Nina Jukić and Alexei Korolyov
Cover photo courtesy of the Dutch Nationaal Archief
15 min
March 29, 2016 Take Five: the other side of the story
Jean-Charles Zambo, a.k.a. Joyss, shot to overnight fame after this video of his Take Five routine at Montreal Swing Riot 2015 went viral.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5iMNzDG_g4
In a preview of our forthcoming episode, we hear from Alain Wong, the maker of that and many other famous videos.
For Joyss' side of the story, listen here: www.fromthetoppodcast.com/episodes/8
4 min
March 17, 2016 Beginner dancing
We look at the trials and tribulations of being a beginner dancer, with personal stories and anecdotes mixed in with some professional advice as well as insights from Alexei and Marcus.
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Contributors to this episode:
Joana Köstlich, Stefan Schmeiser and Susanne Veil in Vienna; Vincent Pettavel in Leeds; Bryony Whitehead in Barcelona; Stine Thougaard in Copenhagen; Amira Selim in NYC; Myeong-hyeon Kim and Kyle Ahn in Seoul
Sanna Nordin-Bates, researcher and senior lecturer in sport and dance psychology at the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences in Stockholm
www.gih.se/Personal/Sanna-Nordin-Bates
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Produced and presented by Alexei Korolyov
www.alexei-korolyov.com
From the Top theme song by Alexander Forstner, Nina Jukić and Alexei Korolyov
Cover photo courtesy of the Dutch Nationaal Archief
23 min
January 22, 2016 The limits of swing dance
Swing dance can be many things, but where exactly does it begin and end? We ask four swing dancers who push it to the limit.
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Contributors to this episode:
Ksenia Parkhatskaya, Russian-born dancer, singer and performer
www.kseniaparkhatskaya.com
Jean-Charles Zambo aka Joyss, swing and hip-hop dancer and composer from Paris
www.facebook.com/dancerjoyss
Ann Mony, San Fransisco-based dancer and instructor, and partner of...
Ryan Calloway, dancer, instructor and visual artist
www.ryanandann.com
www.ryancallowayart.com
For more, please visit www.fromthetoppodcast.com/episodes/8
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Produced and presented by Alexei Korolyov
www.alexei-korolyov.com
From the Top theme song by Alexander Forstner, Nina Jukić and Alexei Korolyov
Cover photo courtesy of the Dutch Nationaal Archief
21 min
December 04, 2015 Teaching the Lindy Hop
In this special episode recorded live at Lindy Shock University 2015, From the Top sits down with eight swing dance instructors to talk shop.
We ask what it's like to start out as a Lindy Hop teacher - emotionally, psychologically and practically - and look at some of the challenges presented by the job.
Kindly supported by Lindy Shock University
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Contributors to this episode:
Katja Završnik (Hrastar), Gaston Fernandez, Cat Foley, Felipe Braga, Remy Kouakou Kouame, Laura Keat, Alex Parker and Natalia Eristavi
For additional materials and some suggested reading, please visit www.fromthetoppodcast.com/episodes/7
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Produced and presented by Alexei Korolyov
www.alexei-korolyov.com
From the Top theme song by Alexander Forstner, Nina Jukić and Alexei Korolyov
38 min
October 29, 2015 Fashion and swing dance
The Lindy Hop does not necessarily involve dressing up, retro or otherwise - indeed, when a group of Swedish pioneers revived swing dancing in the 1980s, they did it in true 1980s style. Even so, more and more swing dancers begin to fashion up their look. We explore why.
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Contributors to this episode:
Voon Chew, New York-based ambi-dancer/DJ and vintage dress enthusiast and collector
Dr. Elisabeth Frottier, head of the costume and fashion collection of Vienna’s University of Applied Arts
www.dieangewandte.at
Yana Sanamyants, Moscow-based swing dancer with a background in textile design
Laura Windley, frontwoman of the North Carolina-based Mint Julep Jazz Band, main contributor to Lindy Shopper, the popular blog about swing dance clothing
www.laurawindley.com
Rani-Patricia Dirnhofer, founder and owner of shoemaking company Saint Savoy
www.saintsavoy.com
For additional materials and some suggested reading, please visit www.fromthetoppodcast.com/episodes/6
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Produced and presented by Alexei Korolyov
www.alexei-korolyov.com
From the Top theme song by Alexander Forstner, Nina Jukić and Alexei Korolyov
20 min