The Naked Truth: Real Talk About West Coast Swing

The current public health crisis has caused the cancellation of weekend dance events, but it is also causing changes to the way event directors plan for and design their events. To better understand the thinking and decision-making of event directors, Eric sat down with three of them. First, Eric chatted with Lauren Wood, Event Director of All Star SwingJam, which was one of the first events to cancel in March. They talked about Lauren’s decision to cancel and her thoughts about changes for the future. Next, Eric spoke with Dirk Haage, Event Director for the Bavarian Open, Berlin Swing Revolution, and Municorn Swing, about how he’s planning for his events in the future. And finally, Eric sat down with Andy Bouman, co-Event Director for Boogie by the Bay, which attracts dancers from around the world. They discussed Andy’s current thoughts about this year’s event and his considerations for the event in the future. Take a look inside the planning and the considerations that event directors are undertaking in this time of crisis.

footnotes
All Star Swing Jam
The Bavarian Open
Berlin Swing Revolution
Municorn Swing
Boogie by the Bay

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At a time when dance professionals are unable to do in person what they do best – dance, perform, and teach others – our champions have been forced to think about how to sustain their livelihoods. Eric spoke with two professionals who are using Patreon to share their art and their wisdom and stay connected to our community. First, Eric spoke with Alyssa Glanville, who shared her emotional response to the outbreak as well as her approach to providing her followers with an inside look at her process. She also discussed how she’s spending her time and how she’s pursuing another line of work to survive this pandemic. Then he spoke with Christopher Dumond about how the outbreak has impacted his personal life and his academic life, and how Chris is using Patreon to take an inside look at his own dancing and share his love of sound editing. Both of them are taking creative, thoughtful approaches to their involvement in our dance community, so take a listen and learn more!

footnotes
Alyssa Marie Glanville
Alyssa’s Patreon
Christopher Dumond
Chris’s Patreon

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The current public health crisis has left many of us with a whole mix of emotions, sometimes all in one day. We are experiencing a global shift in our day-to-day lives, our understanding of the world, and our thoughts about the future – not to mention the uncertainty of both what is happening now and what is yet to come. To help us grapple with our thoughts and feelings during this stressful time, Eric invited Dr. Divy Ravindranath back to the show. They talked about Divy’s experience during this time, and how people are responding to the pandemic. Divy described this event as one of many different stresses but also of loss, and he explained how people may be going through the various stages of grief. He mentioned how this is an unprecedented time with a great deal of uncertainty, and he shared some strategies for dealing with the anxiety that comes with that. And they discussed how people can take care of themselves, what society can do to support people who are having a difficult time, and how dancers can manage their relationship with dance during this time. To leave you on a positive note, they end with a reflection of some of the good that is happening now and some optimism for the future.

footnotes
That Discomfort You’re Feeling Is Grief (Harvard Business Review)
On Grief & Grieving: Finding the Meaning of Grief Through the Five Stages of Loss (Amazon.com)
Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change (Amazon.com)
Transitions: Making Sense of Life’s Changes (Amazon.com)

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When the outbreak first took off in the United States, Eric sat down with Dr. John Blaska to discuss what we knew then about the virus and its spread. Several weeks later, Eric and Dr. Blaska chat again about the public health crisis and what we have learned since then. In this discussion, Eric asks John about his own experience during the crisis, and what he is seeing in the populations he treats through his clinic. They also talk about the issue of testing – the extent of testing, the importance of testing, and the need for more. They chatted about the different information coming out of the news, where more information is needed, and how people can be smart consumers of the news. And they explored what it will take – and how long it might take – for dancing to resume. Finally, John offered some hope and an opportunity for all of you listeners. So listen to this interview and stay informed and safe.

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With the coronavirus pandemic continuing to spread around the world, we are getting more information and perspective about the severity of the problem and what it will take to resolve it. In this episode, Eric shares his own experience – his situation, his feelings about the outbreak, his relationship with dance – and he shares his own reflections on how this may affect our dance community. He talks about a timeline for a return to social dancing and to weekend events (warning: it isn’t optimistic), and he discusses the changes he hopes we will see in our community moving forward. Then he sits down with friend of the show Tom Paderna to hear his feelings and experience, and his thoughts on how this will affect local and regional dancing in the short- and long-term. He discusses the risks and personal considerations of social dancing, and reflects on how our community has dealt with situations like 9/11 and the economic recession of 2008. Tom brings his perspective as a dancer and as a psychologist, looking at how this situation will affect us all as fellow human beings and as a community. And he leaves us all with a message of hope while we continue to live through this public health crisis.

footnotes
The 4 plans to end social distancing, explained (Vox)

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