A room with a door...

Not just a great thing to have in a instructor contract, it's also a great thing to have in the swing dance scene as a whole.

In part 2 of 2, instructor, MC, and Lindy Focus meeting co-host LAUREL RYAN shares with us how the standards of Black Excellence give a warped door for Black instructors to enter the Instructor room, how the swing scene is designed like FaceBook, and how the women's bathroom is the secret to good allyship.      

0:00 The standard of Black excellence 

5:30 Every bad experience leads to a better rider

11:00 Lindy Hop is a folk dance

19:00 There's a huge difference in how Black men are treated in the scene, and how Black women are treated in the scene

22:00 Promoters and their Black teachers and follower privilege and leader privilege and children

28:00 The threat of marginalized people being edged out

33:00 The intersection of opposing ideas

39:00 How FB and the Swing Scene are designed similarly

45:30 Awkward Allyship

49:00 Women's bathrooms: The secret to Allyship

1:00:00 What do I like about the way that I dance?

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Welcome to Integrated Rhythm! Two Swing Dancing besties (Chisomo Selemani & Bobby White) navigate race and the Black Experience in the world of Jazz Dance and other Afro-centric social dancing. Our goal is comfortable conversations about uncomfortable things.

Special in this episode, our starting music is Barron Ryan. All other music is by Laurel Ryan & Michelle Stokes.

Find us at your local podcast ap, or at: https://anchor.fm/integratedrhythm 

Please donate to help keep us in business:

Patreon: patreoncom/integratedrhythm

PayPal: [email protected]

Venmo: @bobbyswungover

(Where applicable, lease put the note "IR" in it, so that we know it's for the podcast.)

A Sprinkle of White Supremacy...

In part 1 of 2, instructor, MC, and Lindy Focus meeting co-host LAUREL RYAN shares with us the fascinating tales of learning Lindy Hop, confronting its harmful teaching practices, and how Black people are constantly battling between being undervalued and tokenized. 

**Music in this episode by Barron Ryan! Go to barronryan.com and firstofitskind.net to learn more and get his incredible, new rights free album!**

0:00 Laurel grew up surrounded by exceptional people 

7:00 How Laurel got into Lindy Hop (in Tulsa, Oklahoma) 

17:00 The "path" to international teaching 

21:00 When the Black folks made space for Laurel in her home scene 

25:00 A trained teacher and creative artist takes a Lindy class... 

30:00 Polite gaslighting? 

34:00 Lindy classes: "It's not working for enough people" 

37:00 Neuro-diverse people are attracted to Swing dancing... 

40:00 "I started telling people, I don't want to hear about..." 

42:00 The danger of erasing difference in order to make people feel better 

45:00 The physical elitism of today's Lindy Hop contests  

47:30 Look at the gateway to international instruction 

49:00 "The times I have won competitions..." and imposture syndrome

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Welcome to Integrated Rhythm! Two Swing Dancing besties (Chisomo Selemani & Bobby White) navigate race and the Black Experience in the world of Jazz Dance and other Afro-centric social dancing. Our goal is comfortable conversations about uncomfortable things.

Our music is by Laurel Ryan & Michelle Stokes, our "We're back! song" was an improvisation by Steffanie AK Schilling, and the background drumming is by Bobby White

Find us at your local podcast ap, or at: https://anchor.fm/integratedrhythm 

Please donate to help keep us in business:

Patreon: patreoncom/integratedrhythm

PayPal: [email protected]

Venmo: @bobbyswungover

(Where applicable, lease put the note "IR" in it, so that we know it's for the podcast.)

Pretend I'm Not Bouncing.   

Dancer BRANDON BARKER has his dance passion in three worlds --- the academy of a university where he is currently finishing up a BFA in concert dance, the legendary company of Black American dance Alvin Ailey where he has worked and trained, and the swing scene where he is a Lindy Hopper and Jazz dancer, performer, and teacher. See how those worlds criss-cross and collide in today's episode.

0:00 Brandon breaks down his dancing life for the discussion

6:00 Working with Clyde Wilder

8:00 What's it like being a student in your dance forms compared to each other

14:00 Bobby learns jazz and tap from a Ballerina

16:00 Performance and competitions background approaches

20:00 The art of throwing yourself into things

24:00 What's it like teaching those in the swing scene, especially with your background in concert dance training?

35:00 What are some of the things its hard to get concert dancers to do in jazz dance movement?

37:00 What happens when Hip Hop and House dancers swing?

45:00 Being a Choreography-trained dancer, what was it like when you started trying out improvisation?   

54:00 In all your dance places, are you treated differently? Anything you want to share about being a Black Man in those spaces?

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Welcome to Integrated Rhythm! Two Swing Dancing besties (Chisomo Selemani & Bobby White) navigate race and the Black Experience in the world of Jazz Dance and other Afro-centric social dancing. Our goal is comfortable conversations about uncomfortable things.

Our music is by Laurel Ryan & Michelle Stokes, and the background drumming is by Bobby White

Find us at your local podcast ap, or at: https://anchor.fm/integratedrhythm 

Please donate to help keep us in business:

Patreon: patreoncom/integratedrhythm

PayPal: [email protected] (Where applicable, lease put the note "IR" in it, so that we know it's for the podcast.)

Venmo: @bobbyswungover (Where applicable, lease put the note "IR" in it, so that we know it's for the podcast.)

It's a Chisomo & Bobby episode, where we discuss a few topics.  

0:00 A possible guest politely declined to be on our show, and we talk about it. It's all good, but we wanted to explore some things that brings up.  

12:30 The art of not talking over Follower teachers, and what that tells us about inclusion.  

28:30 We discuss Odysseus Bailer's great "How to Apologize" post, recently published on his professional FB page.

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Welcome to Integrated Rhythm! Two Swing Dancing besties (Chisomo Selemani & Bobby White) navigate race and the Black Experience in the world of Jazz Dance and other Afro-centric social dancing. Our goal is comfortable conversations about uncomfortable things. 

Our music is by Laurel Ryan & Michelle Stokes.  

Find us at your local podcast app, or at: https://anchor.fm/integratedrhythm   

Please donate to help keep us in business:  

Patreon: patreoncom/integratedrhythm  

PayPal: [email protected]  

Venmo: @bobbyswungover   

(Where applicable, lease put the note "IR" in it, so that we know it's for the podcast.)

This is part 2 of 2 of our second Block Party. We are honored to have with us, MC and instructor MICHELLE STOKES, MC and instructor LAUREL RYAN --- both of which do the amazing music for our podcast, by the way --- we also have incredible swing dance researcher and history lover LEWIS ORCHARD, and 1972 Harvest Moon Ball champion and Mama Lou Parks Dancer CRYSTAL JOHNSON.

Buzz Words

1:00 Question #2:  "When we come back together, it's not important that the swing scene simply be a space that is welcoming to Black people, but that it be more of a Black space." To you, what are some of the things that make it a Black space?"

3:00 It's easy to define a white space…

6:00 The heart of the question…

11:30 White spaces vs Black spaces

15:00 Generations and how much they wanted to Lindy Hop

17:00 Everyone should work together

21:30 Scarcity mindset in the scene

24:30 The dance is not a prescribed thing

26:30 On allies and each person's power

29:30 Question #3: What app do you wish existed?

30:30 Crystal's thumbs down app

31:00 Michelle's Buzzer app

36:00 Laurel's ADHD Priority app

39:00 Lewis's TV Is-it-worth-it app

43:30 The gang's answer app

45:30 "How to keep a man"

48:00 "How to split up with someone"

49:30 Single people in churches

54:00 Crystal's tips

60:00 Norma Miller, Darleen Gist, and Crystal all get into an elevator…

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Welcome to Integrated Rhythm! Two Swing Dancing besties (Chisomo Selemani & Bobby White) navigate race and the Black Experience in the world of Jazz Dance and other Afro-centric social dancing. Our goal is comfortable conversations about uncomfortable things. In this episode...

Our music is by Laurel Ryan & Michelle Stokes, and the background drumming is by Bobby White

Find us at your local podcast ap, or at: https://anchor.fm/integratedrhythm 

Please donate to help keep us in business:

Patreon: patreoncom/integratedrhythm

PayPal: [email protected]

Venmo: @bobbyswungover

(Where applicable, lease put the note "IR" in it, so that we know it's for the podcast.)

Chocolate & Peanut Butter --- how do you feel about the combination? The discussion at Integrated Rhythm gets serious. In this BLOCK PARTY episode (Part 1 of 2), we discuss Duke Ellington, peanut butter & chocolate, tea & coffee, and high fantasy. Guests include MICHELLE STOKES, LAUREL RYAN, LEWIS ORCHARD, and CRYSTAL JOHNSON.  

2:00 -- Crystal meets Duke Ellington 

7:30 -- Michelle wears a shirt with tassels 

10:30 -- How Michelle & Laurel live in Oklahoma 

11:00 -- Crystal discusses the term "poor" 

20:00 -- Michelle asks "How do you get a voice?" 

29:30 -- Question: "What's an unpopular opinion that you might hold?" / Peanut Butter & Chocolate 

37:30 -- High Fantasy 

45:30 -- Tea opinions, followed by coffee opinions, followed by sweet tea opinions

Our music is by Laurel Ryan & Michelle Stokes!  Please donate to help keep us in business:  Patreon: patreoncom/integratedrhythm  PayPal: [email protected]  Venmo: @bobbyswungover   (Where applicable, lease put the note "IR" in it, so that we know it's for the podcast.)

My Exodus for Me to Begin.

In Part II of a two-part conversation with Harvest Moon Ball champion and Mama Lou Parks dancer CRYSTAL JOHNSON, we cover her father, Whitey's Lindy Hopper Thomas "Tops" Lee, her coming back into the swing dance world, and her thoughts on how racism has changed since she was younger.

1:30 Thomas Lee, Mr. Showbiz

6:00 Maya Angelou and swing dancing

10:0 you have to feel the music

13:30 Mama Lou Parks before a show

14:30 Crystal's sign

20:30 Don't let anyone stop you from dancing

24:00 The importance of family in training

25:30 Less hating

33:00 More on Mama Lou

36:00 Show business is a rude business

39:00 Question: How are the Civil Rights battles coming along?

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Our music is by Laurel Ryan & Michelle Stokes.

Find us at your local podcast ap, or at: https://anchor.fm/integratedrhythm 

Please donate to help keep us in business:

Patreon: patreon.com/integratedrhythm

PayPal: [email protected]

Venmo: @bobbyswungover

(Where applicable, lease put the note "IR" in it, so that we know it's for the podcast.)

Don't be stingy with it. 

We're talking about gifts, and the gift of dance that was given to our guest this week, the legendary CRYSTAL JOHNSON --- Harvest Moon Ball champion, Mama Lou Parks dancer, and the daughter of Whitey's Lindy Hopper Thomas "Tops" Lee, Jr. 

In part 1 of this 2-part conversation, we discuss her early dancing life, her Harvest Moon Ball experience, and working with Mama Lou Parks and her peers. In part 2, we cover her father, Whitey's Lindy Hopper Thomas "Tops" Lee, her coming back into the swing dance world, and her thoughts on how racism has changed since she was younger.  

3:00 Meeting Mama Lou Parks 

8:30 "I'm supposed to be there" 

10:30 "I want to say this so bad…" 

15:00 Go to you elders 

19:30 On doing stuff or posting stuff from others 

21:30 Training with Gorge Sullivan and Lee Moates 

24:30 The 1972 Harvest Moon Ball 

33:30 The time I fell 

41:30 Crystal's legends both on and off the dance floor 

46:30 On names of dance steps

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Welcome to Integrated Rhythm! Two Swing Dancing besties (Chisomo Selemani & Bobby White) navigate race and the Black Experience in the world of Jazz Dance and other Afro-centric social dancing. Our goal is comfortable conversations about uncomfortable things. In this episode...

Our music is by Laurel Ryan & Michelle Stokes, our "We're back! song" was an improvisation by Steffanie AK Schilling, and the background drumming is by Bobby White

Find us at your local podcast ap, or at: https://anchor.fm/integratedrhythm 

Please donate to help keep us in business:

Patreon: patreoncom/integratedrhythm

PayPal: [email protected]

Venmo: @bobbyswungover

(Where applicable, lease put the note "IR" in it, so that we know it's for the podcast.)

In part 2 of our interview with emcee, jazz dance instructor, and Lindy Focus Meeting co-host, MICHELLE STOKES, we discuss nicknames, Michelle's philosophy of emceeing and teaching, the problems of Black-based imposture syndrome, and Michelle's ideal scene.  

1:00 "Stoked to be here," White people and puns, nicknames in general 

7:50 Michelle accidentally fell into Emceeing 

10:30 Have fun with your audience 

11:45 The importance of making people feel welcome in emceeing and teaching 

20:00 Imposture syndrome: Did they hire me because I'm Black or because I'm good? 

24:00 Lindy Focus meetings and how they approached that project 

34:30 Michelle's ideal scene

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Welcome to Integrated Rhythm! Two Swing Dancing besties (Chisomo Selemani & Bobby White) navigate race and the Black Experience in the world of Jazz Dance and other Afro-centric social dancing. Our goal is comfortable conversations about uncomfortable things. In this episode...

Our music is by Laurel Ryan & Michelle Stokes, our "We're back! song" was an improvisation by Steffanie AK Schilling, and the background drumming is by Bobby White

Find us at your local podcast ap, or at: https://anchor.fm/integratedrhythm 

Please donate to help keep us in business:

Patreon: patreoncom/integratedrhythm

PayPal: [email protected]

Venmo: @bobbyswungover

(Where applicable, lease put the note "IR" in it, so that we know it's for the podcast.)

To Be Black and Snatched.

Hair --- it's not only a cultural part of Black living, it's also a practical one. You might be surprised all the ways it plays a role in a Black person existing in a mostly Non-Black America, and specifically in a Non-Black swing dancing space. It's only one of the topics we discuss in today's action-packed episode. 

In part I of this 2-part conversation, we talk to the renown event emcee, jazz dance instructor, and Lindy Focus meeting co-host MICHELLE STOKES about hair, how she first came into the dance, the swing scene as Michelle saw it through the lenses of being a Black woman, body types, the problems with  most modern swing dance classes, and the nature of swing dancing in the modern scene.  Next week, part II of this interview will cover her philosophy as an Emcee, and what an ideal scene looks like to her.

2:00 The realities of hair, and what it has to do with Black Women, dating, and the swing scene. 

14:00 Going to dances searching for romantic partners

 21:30 Walking into a swing dance as a Black person 

25:00 Lindy Hop Body 

33:30 Michelle's heavily-curated dance education 

40:00 We naturally look to teachers, and ignore our prior knowledge, when introduced to something new 

44:00 On teaching problems in the scene 

52:00 Following a bunch of different leaders vs dancing for yourself  

58:00 Collaboration and pretending to dance rather than actually dancing 

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Welcome to Integrated Rhythm! Two Swing Dancing besties (Chisomo Selemani & Bobby White) navigate race and the Black Experience in the world of Jazz Dance and other Afro-centric social dancing. Our goal is comfortable conversations about uncomfortable things. In this episode...

Our music is by Laurel Ryan & Michelle Stokes, our "We're back! song" was an improvisation by Steffanie AK Schilling, and the background drumming is by Bobby White

Find us at your local podcast ap, or at: https://anchor.fm/integratedrhythm 

Please donate to help keep us in business:

Patreon: patreoncom/integratedrhythm

PayPal: [email protected]

Venmo: @bobbyswungover

(Where applicable, lease put the note "IR" in it, so that we know it's for the podcast.)