Support #HellaBlackLindyHop at ISDC in Houston
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The International Swing Dance Championships is an annual meet-up and competition for the urban ballroom dances popular in African-American communities today, including Houston Two-Step, Dallas/Fort Worth Swingout, Chicago Steppin’ and Detroit Ballroom. It takes place Memorial Day weekend, May 24-27 in Houston, Texas. This year, there's an effort to bring lindy hop, the granddaddy of all the swing dances, to ISDC, performed by African-American lindy hoppers.
Called affectionately "Hella Black Lindy Hop," the project involves a group of Black lindy hoppers leading a dance program and performance at ISDC. The dancers Joshua McLean, Latasha Barnes, Sara Deckard, Manu Smith, Ana Lisa Sutherland, AJ Howard, Cyle Dixon Jr., and Alexis Davila plan to demonstrate the excitement of the Lindy Hop to affirm its rightful place among other African-American dance traditions. Damn, that is a powerful team of dancers!
Here's how Joshua McClean describes the motivation behind the project:
“Our goal with #HellaBlackLindyHop is to showcase Lindy Hop done by black dancers to a mostly Black/POC audience. In doing this performance, we reject the status quo of cultural appropriation that is perpetuated in the global swing-era dance community. Lindy Hop is already an inspirational and exciting dance, but for it to be a truly inclusive and inviting community, prospective members must be greeted with performers, organizers and leaders that match their identities.”
This project needs your help if its going to happen. If you would like to support , you can contribute three ways:
- Donate online at the Frankie Manning Foundation website, marking it for "HellaBlackLindyHop"
- Donate via PayPal to info@frankiemanningfoundation.org
- Send a check to the Frankie Manning Foundation, at 2320 Blue Bonnet Blvd, Houston TX 77030 USA
All donations are tax deductible. See this flyer for more information.
