Integrated Rhythm

This week we talk with international instructor of Balboa and Lindy, Shani Brown , about learning from the original SoCal swing dancers, the reality of their culture and lives, and the invisibility and visibility of herself as a Black woman in the scene.

We also briefly reflect on and respond to the events that happened at the Capital on Nov 6, 2021. (The day before this podcast was released.) Chisomo mentions a Black woman who stormed the Capital in 2013 and was killed.  Her name was Miriam Carey, check out her story. 

(0:00) Integrated Rhythm's response and reflection on the storming of the Capital, (6:30) Shani's journey in dancing, (9:00) meeting the old timers, (12:00) working with the old timers, (20:00) training the body, not a move, (23:00) how much did the Old Timers think of your identity as a Black Woman?, (26:00) a little bit on Swing-era SoCal Cultural make up, (30:00) spending time with Old Timers, not just learning from them, (34:00) How much were the original SoCal dancers vocal of racist ideas?, (38:00) racism is the water we swim in…, (43:00) some people don't realize Shani is a Black woman…, (46:00) Shani's experiences around the world, (48:30) invisibility and visibility, (51:00) when Chisomo met Shani for the first time.

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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.)

CHECK IT OUT! Short tidbits where we point listeners to awesome things.

In this episode, we briefly tell you why you should watch The Buzz's interview with Soul Train dancer & Breakin' star Adolfo 'Shabba Doo' Quiñone, who recently passed away ahead of his time. 

Here's the link to the interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZFjQSmveA8&  

In this episode, Chisomo & Bobby discuss White people complimenting Black people, and many of the layers involved.

(0:00) The setup. (4:00) compliments & microaggressions. (8:30) talking with the other person? It gets tricky. (10:30) looking at the context. (19:00) Black women's hair. (22:00) The exaggeration of Black people as a tool of oppression. (23:30) Black People and being suspicious of compliments. (28:30) It's just not a Black/White binary. (32:00) Game: Yay or Nay! Chisomo gets compliments and judges them. (35:30) Relationships and context.

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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.)

(Part 2 of 2!)

This is a special holiday episode with the Integrated Rhythm family and all of our guests so far --- LATASHA BARNES, JOEY OTENG, LAUREL RYAN, MICHELLE STOKES, and STEFFANIE AK SCHILLING!

CONTENTS:

(0:00) Question #3: What's a time when you've seen two cultures overlap unexpectedly?

(1:07) Product of an interracial AND international couple

(8:00) Immigrant kids tend to find each other

(12:30) Empire & Art

(16:00) Culture can be invisible

(18:00) How we present these dances

(25:30) The Classic Rock bubble meets Blues and Soul

(29:00) I grew up in an all-Black neighborhood in L.A.…then moved to Arizona.

(37:00) When kids start to learn about race

(42:00) Quick breakdown of Colorism

(45:00) Question #4: What are you grateful for in 2020?

(45:00) Roomates, new friends

(53:00) Introverted time

(56:00) Y'all remember when a lot of people were DMing all the Blacks?

(1:03:00) Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit

(1:07:00) If Black don't Crack, how do you broach that topic in relationships?

(1:15:00) Shout out to Jo!

(1:16:00) A special, reluctant, unprepared treat.

---------------

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.)

Special 2020 Holiday Party Episode! Perfect for being cooped up in your house in a Holiday quarantine! (Part 1 of 2) with LATASHA BARNES, JOEY OTENG, LAUREL RYAN, MICHELLE STOKES, and STEFFANIE AK SCHILLING! (Also check out the visual of the party on YouTube!) 

And if you're a cheesy holiday movie fan, Joey's Hallmark lovefest is a must-listen (at 37:00)

CONTENTS (Approximates, may vary with commercials)

(0:00) Slave talk, or more fun racial things?

(4:00) Introductions

(9:40) "Black Solstice" super powers

(11:30) Question #1: In friendship relationships, what are you easy going about, what are you NOT easy going about?

(12:00) Those who say they'll do something and then don't do it

(13:30) Passion and affirmation

(16:30) I like my sweets

(21:00) Black Hair

(24:00) Healthy marriage via not digging too deep

(27:00) Steffanie & Chisomo met

(28:00) Lauren & Michelle met

(31:00) Collision-based relationships & Tasha

(32:30) Connecting with people

(36:00) Question #2: Favorite Cheesy Holiday Movies

(37:00) Hallmark movies & Joey

(47:00) The Nutcracker

(51:00) Jingle Jangle 

(1:03:00) Pride & Prejudice with Colin Firth

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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.)

This week we talk with Social Justice Educator JOEY OTENG about 2020, academia, immigrant parents, and advice for the scene and the world in general. We also predict 93% of our listeners would happily go on a long walk on the beach with Joey by the end of the episode.

(2:00) Joey's infographics, (7:00) The moving sidewalk of Anti-racism, (10:00) About Joey and the TV show that is 2020, (16:30) Immigrant parents and math, (21:00) Academia and teaching Black American Artforms, (26:00) Shame and learning, (29:00) Chisomo embarasses her mom and skin-toned situations, (33:00) Advice for welcoming people, (39:00) On step 2 (letting go of control) and power hoarding, (41:00) On Allyship, (45:00) Chisomo and personal priveledge, (47:00) Not losing, only gaining

---------------

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.)

CHECK IT OUT! Short tidbits where we point listeners to awesome things.

In this episode, we briefly tell you why you should read "Unbothered," an article by Namwali Serpell for The Yale Review, and some questions to ask yourself after you're done.

In this episode of Integrated Rhythm, we speak with Swing Dancer, instructor, performer, social justice panelist, MC, and Cyber Security Expert STEFFANIE AK SCHILLING. After quite possibly the greatest intro we will ever create, we discuss…

(4:00) Being 80 years old, (6:20) ADHD… (7:30) and medication …(11:30) ADHD in following and leading … (13:00) defining ADHD…(18:00) being a woman with ADHD…(24:00) dancing and choreography with ADHD, (41:00) …Finding care for ADHD, (42:00) Dealing with dancing during The Pandemic, (47:00) Science!, (48:00) Bobby & dancing during the Pandemic, (57:00) advice and counter-advice, (1:00:00) Cool. Cool cool cool.

To contact Steffanie for bookings, please email her at [email protected]. 

---------------

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 this episode, we talk with Champion House and Jazz dancer, and mastered Ethnochoreologist, LaTasha Barnes. 

(0:02) on the phrase "Urban dance," (0:05) on the phrase "Jazz dance," (8:30) on theatrical "jazz" dance vs original jazz dance, (0:11) on the upcoming "Swing Out" production, (0:18) the modern scene connecting more with live music and musicians, (0:27) ADHD and Bobby meeting LaTasha, (0:32) LaTasha's pre-Swing dancing life, (0:43) Competitiveness, (0:52) Hip Hop audience verses Swing scene audience

Welcome! Our goal is comfortable conversations about uncomfortable things. In this episode...

Introductions, laying the groundwork (0:07), imperfect journey, calling in vs calling out, (0:10) elevating counter-narratives, (0:12) virtue signaling and performative allyship, (0:17) Black Woman issues, (0:22) electronic racism and healthcare racism, (0:28) power of a very dominant majority, (0:33) politics in dance, (0:39) COVID and civil rights.