Just another party at Desert Stomp
Credit: Andrew Miller

I was lucky enough to be at the first ever Lindy Hop festival that took place in the middle of a desert – Desert Stomp, and it was right here in Israel!

A 3 hour drive through towns that turned into hills of sand spotted with tin-roofed shacks, goats and camels led us to an eco-village by the name of Adama. It was a spacious venue with plenty of chill out spots and a laid back vibe.

The majority of the attendees were Israelis from our local scene, but it was different seeing everyone in this setting. It was a festive ambiance and it felt like we were somewhere abroad and just happened to run into each other. Click to continue reading…

Me and the divas
Credit: Julia Sorin

Last week was Valentine’s day and we had a Valentine’s swing ball at Holy Lindy Land. Having always disliked how single people are excluded on this day whether I'm part of a couple or not, I wanted us to have something especially for our unattached attendees.

The first thing that popped into my mind was Beyoncé. Single Ladies is still awesome 5 years after it came out and it’s the ultimate “I’m single and I’m proud” anthem. Then I remembered the Saturday Night Live skit she did with Justin Timberlake in a black leotard. This inspired me to beg HLL’s most eligible bachelors to perform the routine, but only 2 of them were free to take on the project. They had to twist my arm a bit, but I agreed to be a part of it as well. And by “a bit” I mean not at all.

We only had a week to prepare for the show, and you wouldn’t believe how much work goes into breaking down and learning a 2:30 minute choreography. Barak, Ilya and I met whenever the three of us had time and worked our booties off, much to the amusement of my roommates and  innocent visitors of Dizengoff center.

In order to give the guys a grand entrance, we added a short intro where I started with Sharon Davis’s routine “Got Nobody to Love”. I added a bit of my own choreography too, inspired by miss Davis. This dramatic and melancholy piece served as a contrast to what followed. Click to continue reading…

I believe that we can learn a lot from our 5-year-old selves. Children keep things simple – they have big dreams without worrying about them being too difficult to achieve, they live in the moment and don’t get hung up on the past or the future and they’re honest about how they feel about people. In short, little homies keep it real, yo.