Description
In this episode, Bobby & Chisomo talk with swing historians and history lovers LEWIS ORCHARD (a White British man) and SHANI BROWN (a Black American woman) about not being Black and researching Black people in history. Specifically, they will tell the story of researching the great Whitey's Lindy Hopper John Wesley "Tiny" Bunch, and discuss the process.
(1:30) It all began when…, (3:00) A really interesting sentence to read, (4:30) Lewis takes on the investigation, (8:00) Using draft cards, yearbooks, family records, and the American census, to find out John Bunch's story…, (18:30) How the way you say "Wilkes barre" might have something to do with the great migration. (22:00) John Bunch and Northern Racism, (26:00) What makes researching a Black dancer different than researching a White dancer. (30:00) Draft card skin color listings, (37:00) White newspapers and Black newspapers and Swing dancers, (42:00) How are we to know?, (46:00) Non-Black dancers researching Black dancers, (50:00) On Black bodies in jazz dance and Black culture, (55:00) lifting something up but then getting out of the way, (58:00) Stories change
From Herrang 2024 comes a conversation with modern-era swing dancing legend SYLVIA SYKES! We discuss Balboa, old timers, judging, and so much more.
** Please note, due to recording conditions we did the best we could with the audio. Some of our software that cleans echoes and normalizes volume...
Published 10/09/24
Chisomo & Bobby break down breakdancing at the 2024 Olympics and what Lindy Hoppers can take away from it. The answers are often just more questions. But some of the topics they hit upon are... accessibility in sports/arts, doo rags and zoot suits, trying to take politics out of a political...
Published 08/28/24