As the sun sets and through a mid-episode coughing bout, we (Aly and Jim) return with a pretty substantive and no doubt controversial episode focusing on why we don't vote. Can that be justified when there's an actual authoritarian fascist running for office? Obviously, we believe so and fall in the line of anarchists, such as Emma Goldman, who have traditionally refused to vote. So, if we don't vote, what do we do? The conversation morphs into a discussion of feelings about various tactics, and that morphs further into discussing the tension anarchism has always had between respecting the autonomy of the individual while honoring justice for the entire community. In that line, we talk about individual anarchism and anarcho communism, but go deeper into beliefs about what is possible. Pascal's Wager makes a surprise feature appearance throughout the episode. And we discuss Peter Kropotkin at various times both for the better and for the worse.

The police don't protect you
The government doesn't serve you
Change isn't made in a ballot box
You better get together with the people in your neighborhood
And learn how to save yourselves

Connection is the loose thread in this episode, where Aly and I (Jim) explore my recent magical trip to South Florida, where I talk about the beautiful things I took from ecstatic dancing in a beautifully held environment, the most spectacular drum circle I have ever been, and a little into my experience in a tantric massage class.  Then, Aly talks about her experiences in dumpster diving and a brief discussion of freganism and the unexpected creative opportunity that arises from it. Finally, Aly explores her own personal discovery into her queerness in light of her exciting new exploration with a non-binary person.

I want to give a special shout out to Ecstatic Dance Florida (https://www.facebook.com/groups/EcstaticDanceFlorida/), Jaistar Studios (https://www.jaistar.com/), and also to Michelle Alva (https://michellealva.com/) and Tantra Studios (https://www.tantra-studios.com/) who all helped make my trip to South Florida so special.

And as always, you can find us at https://www.bozemanantifadance.org. Note that we are dancing now every Sunday at 1 PM at Soroptimist Park (Main and Rouse in downtown Bozeman).  All dancing is good dancing! You are welcome to join us!

The police don't protect you
The government doesn't serve you
Change isn't made in a ballot box
You better get together with the people in your neighborhood
And learn how to save yourselves

This podcast is best seen on YouTube! - https://youtu.be/vlYPjuuy7m0

This is the podcast to watch and dance to (not simply to listen to). Aly and I (Jim) show an hour of us dancing in public so you can see what it looks and feels like. Between sets, we talk about dancing, how you can dance with us, and just what goes on in the Bozeman streets. We are dancing Wednesday, January 10, 2024 at Soroptomist Park (at Main and Rouse) in Bozeman from 5-6 PM (and probably again on January 17 same time and place). If you are watching this after those dates and want to dance, find us at https://www.bozemanantifadance.org or by email at [email protected].

We had so much fun dancing (and had a dancer join us briefly). Please consider getting out of your chair and dancing along with us (which again is not possible on this audio-only version of the podcast)!

We'd love for you to check out the musical artists that make up the playlist we were dancing to. For the entire playlist in order (and a half dozen bonus tunes), check out our podcast playlist on Spotify . 

The police don't protect you
The government doesn't serve you
Change isn't made in a ballot box
You better get together with the people in your neighborhood
And learn how to save yourselves

Aly and Jim talk about love, particularly how Aly defines it and how many of the deepest aspects of it can apply to people who are not our romantic partners. Indeed, much of the discussion is not about romance but rather the practice of love in non-traditional ways and how we can reapply those ideas back into some of our more traditionally defined relationships. However, some of us still want romantic love, and Aly screens some of Jim's dating prospects as they discuss why Jim doesn't have a ton of hope in his current foray into dating and why he finds it challenging. Finally, the two loving comrades share their passionate feelings about the travesty of war throughout the world, with special attention to Palestine. They share the uneasy place they find themselves as anarchists who don't believe in nation states yearning to find solidarity with the suffering of people often made harder by the acts of loveless state actors poisoning the situation and using the suffering of others for their own purposes

 If you are a lover or a hater of what you hear or want to know more about us, check us out at at https://www.bozemanantifadance.org.

The police don't protect you
The government doesn't serve you
Change isn't made in a ballot box
You better get together with the people in your neighborhood
And learn how to save yourselves

Episode 13 (the third one on video) is up, and we have a guest. Recorded in the home of Aly and Jim's most creative friend Phaidra, she shares her vision for opening up her home as a community space for theater, dance, and other expression. Phaidra shares how she and her partner Ryan have multipurposed his skate ramp as a backyard stage. We go deep from there discussing the nature of community. Then, the three do a short reading related to community of the play "Metamorphoses" by Mary Zimmerman, adapted from Ovid's classical poem. That play is about hospitality and proved a good lead in to Aly's sharing of recent frustrations with landlords, or as Jim's slip of the tongue aptly said, "Landhordes." You can guess their thoughts about that, but the discussion moves soulfully into a more radical and community approach to sharing space. After Phaidra answers rapid fire questions, Jim and Aly share what it has been like to do street dancing outside of the Montana town they live in. Is it so different to dance on Venice Beach in Los Angeles?  The answer may surprise you.  We hope you enjoy our guest.

The police don't protect you
The government doesn't serve you
Change isn't made in a ballot box
You better get together with the people in your neighborhood
And learn how to save yourselves

Lots of feels in this one as Jim and Aly get very personal sharing a wide range of emotions, first on some of the beautiful events of Jim's 50th birthday week, including a redemption story involving the Talking Heads and dance. Then, Aly speaks of a suicide that touched her recently and about her own journey into embracing life. Between, and with a little "andropomorphizing," they take some shots at men, among them the owner of Sidewinders. We were due for a reprise of the anti-ad against Sidewinders, a restaurant that we believe stands against women and workers. We share a lot of laughter and a lot of tears, and we hope you all find something with which you can relate.

The police don't protect you
The government doesn't serve you
Change isn't made in a ballot box
You better get together with the people in your neighborhood
And learn how to save yourselves

Our very first podcast that includes video! Aly and Jim return to discuss Aly's recent essay on the https://www.bozemanantifadance.org website about her experience on a dating app and how these apps play into a commodifying of individuals into sellable traits. We also perform some improv for you and discuss the relationship between the practice of improv with anarchism. Finally, we talk about Viewpoints theory, first articulated by Mary Overlie and how that applies to theater but also to how we approach life. It turns out there are many tie-ins in this long but adventurous and rambunctious episode. 

If seeing us is too much. You can find an audio version of our podcast on our website, on Spotify, or whatever platform you prefer to listen to your podcasts.

The police don't protect you
The government doesn't serve you
Change isn't made in a ballot box
You better get together with the people in your neighborhood
And learn how to save yourselves

This is our 10th episode, and we (Aly and Jim) go into our roots as an antifa dance (& theatre) collective, discussing why we believe what we do in street dancing, art, and theater are revolutionary antifascist activities just as vital to a revolutionary movement as other forms of direct action. We play around with surrealism, too, but we also discuss our broader interests. As full humans, movement and expression is vital to us, but just as we rebel against limiting forms of activist expression, we do not limit our activism to art. In that light, we discuss a recent essay that Jim wrote against an urban camping ordinance proposed here and the general lack of respect people who don't have homes receive. The thread of all our discussion is breaking patterns of conformity in all aspects of our existence.

If you want to reach us, please check out https://www.bozemanantifadance.org . If you listen to this episode in the week it is published, we invite you to a public street dance (no cost, no dancing experience, no fascists) at Bozeman's Soroptomist Park on Saturday, September 16, 2023, at 11 AM. If you can't make it, contact us, at [email protected] and suggest times that may work for you (or organize a dance and invite us!) 

The police don't protect you
The government doesn't serve you
Change isn't made in a ballot box
You better get together with the people in your neighborhood
And learn how to save yourselves

No one needs to understand anarchist history to be an anarchist, but we find inspiration, cautionary tales, and fun in learning. Our hearts are stirred and minds provoked by this rich tapestry of people in action. In this episode, Aly and Jim share our studies of anarchist history, including the roots of anarchism in prehistoric humanity, which found its modern expression among social revolutionaries in a rapidly industrializing Europe. We also share beautiful anecdotes of anarchy in action during the Spanish Civil War, in Oaxaca, Mexico,  East London's Big Flame, and more. We hopscotch to the 1871 Paris Commune, anarchism in Manchuria in the 1920s, and the remarkable figures of Louise Michel and Errico Malatesta. Throughout, we return to ground in our own experience as anarchists and personal (perhaps, social, too) understanding of revolution. We would love to hear from you; if you want to hear from us, please visit https://www.bozemanantifadance.org or email us at [email protected]!

The police don't protect you
The government doesn't serve you
Change isn't made in a ballot box
You better get together with the people in your neighborhood
And learn how to save yourselves

Aly and I (Jim) didn't record a podcast in over a year, but we're back, and we plan to stick around awhile. Our friendship was and is as strong as ever, and we focus here on what it means to embrace our erotic nature and embrace living and community. Focused in this episode less of what we are not (not hierarchical, not capitalist, not fascist) and much more of what we are - erotic, artistic beings working at creating the sparks of community. We focus a lot early on with dancing and our experiences connecting with people in public dance spaces, transitioning to mutual aid and community. We also talk a bit about tantra, and many other topics focused on how to embrace living in this world.

The police don't protect you
The government doesn't serve you
Change isn't made in a ballot box
You better get together with the people in your neighborhood
And learn how to save yourselves