Do you believe in Fairies?

This year at Herrang Dance Camp I was involved in so many different activities that half of all of that has already fallen out of my windy head. One of the most random things was this...


Don't know how I wandered from Astrology to Fairies... It must be like everything in my reality... unexpected matches and twists of the story...

 

 

 

Another day in New York City

As I wake up in the room full of daylight surrounded by street sounds in Upper West side, Manhattan, I wonder, what am I really doing here. I'm in bed that is standing in the middle of the tiny room on the 5th floor and is actually the production office of the movie that is being made by my friends here in NYC. This same bed is also in the opening scene in the movie. It's going to be a good one...

In the big cities like NY sometimes I really feel like I have a cloak of invisibility and I'm just starting to take an advantage of it. Speaking of which... my latest dream is to work in the costume department for a movie like Lord of the Rings. I think now is the right time to dream big again, no matter how scary that sounds.

I came up with this idea in the dark of the empty movie theater while watching a latest fairy tale movie. It was poor, but man how I enjoyed the idea of behind the scenes! I remembered when Robin Hood series were filmed in the forest by the summer house and how exciting that was for us kids.

I've been also thinking about Herrang and planning for the 70's party. I lucked out with the theme in terms of difficulty and fun level. I went looking for inspiration at the famous Chelsea Flea Market garages yesterday and got a bunch of good stuff for Lindy Hop Shop and myself :) I reimbursed myself with Damasquinado brooch, similar to the one I've lost at Frankie 95 three years ago (http://giedruma.blogspot.com/2009/08/damasko-plienas-is-sendaikciu.html). Here it is and the squirrel!

Giedre & Mindaugas at Herrang Dance Camp 2012 weeks 1-4

The famous, worlds biggest swing dance camp is about to start in 20 days form today and this year we will be celebrating 30th anniversary of this annual festivity!

I love this place so much and I am super happy to take part in it for the 8th time (it took me several minutes to count how many Julys I've spent there...) So this year I will contribute to Herrang by organizing the Friday party of week 1 - "Back to the 70s" and teaching together with my partner Mindaugas "Deeb" Bikauskas on week 2. We will be spending the whole month in Herrang and will be available for all sorts of festivities and activities, including private classes.

If you are interested in one, find us in the camp, on facebook or email us: giedre@lindyhop.lt, mindaugas@deeb.lt, www.deeb.lt.

foto: Mania Zyzak

http://www.bobbybonsey.com/

Learn to fly

I've been learning a lot about myself lately, mostly what I like working on at and how can I use that in life. I've known a lot by meditating over the works that I was lucky to have time for past few days...
Listening to the Foo Fighters - Learn to Fly as I look at my latest remake: 3 J's shirt (Before, collar already cut off and After) turned into my BM and Herrang Friday party outfit:

Serious ponderings about freakin' craziest summer in my life [part 1]

When I got my ticket to US in mid June I didn't know how far this whole book in one paper sheet will take me. My life was calm like an ocean before the storm, there sure was a volcano spark roasting the fruit of adventure in the deepest corner of my windy brain. The imagination never sleeps so I flew away to Herrang with a backpack. Taking it easy in Sweden I was getting ready for the craziest and most adventurous summer I ever had in my life which in all means extended into late autumn and doesn't seem to end even now when I write on October 20 th, 2011.

To those who know Herrang Dance Camp I will tell that there where ups and downs as it could be when you stay in an adult playground for 7 weeks plus. There were best dances and best talks, best new experiences and rediscovered joy of being absolutely independent on any circumstances or people. There was a lot of sincere emotions, love and laughter. There were friendships, commitments, confessions, "once in a lifetime" moments, tears... In the beginning there was plenty of my favorite volunteer work, the nights were short, the days were hot. All girl Honolulu dance performance led by Jo on the week two Friday party is my favorite memory of the week.



In the middle of the camp there was a mind blowing, body releasing African dance experience topped with a crazy late night early morning drum jam. It was wild. That night was one of the first times I was ever surprised what my body can do. That night opened a whole new world of my own body movement which I was embarrassed and happy about at the same time. Live drums where beating the hell out of me and other crazy dancers in the bar downstairs. The crowd was steaming, the dawn was dawning and the spirit was high as can be. Then the jam circle spread out after a half hour intense craziness, I swayed out to catch a breath of fresh air and I couldn't walk, but when I walked, I left steaming marks of my bare feet on the concrete in front of folkets hus. I was depleted and it was time to pass out. It was six or seven in the morning when I crawled into my bunk bed and I erased myself from this life for many hours.



Another ultimate Swedish experience was a performance with The Carling Family band. They are the greatest musicians and the warmest family I know. Dancing at their festival was great pleasure and big achievement to my dear troupe friends (or my other family, after a number of years together) and me. We crossed the country and couldn't believe our eyes when we saw a huge white red and blue circus tent in the middle of a field spread with hay. We had a nice lunch in a kitchen with the whole family swingin' around and went upstairs to get ready for our ultimate experience. This was a complete improv and I loved it. The band was playing the song I never heard before but I bravely went on stage when asked and did my best to shake that thing. And then we did Big Apple in the mud, stomping as if we were black bottoming. And more! Great fun! We want more!



It's 11:20 am in Riga Airport right now but it seems that the day will not dawn today and I miss Santa Monica sun.

[to be continued]

Herrängo muzikinis kosmosas

Kaip ir sakiau, keletas iliustracijų. Čia Milda, Meschyia ir Mia traukia "sugimimodiena" Mixui. Toliau jam'ų akimirkos... enjoyed...




Pasiskolinau keletą foto iš Emilijos (linkėjimai miegančiai gražuolei:)

Gotham + Avalon = Herräng*

Liepos mėnesį Herrängo šokių stovykloje (Herrang Dance Camp) gyvavęs Lindyhop.lt klubas su gaiviais pajūrio vėjais ir naujomis idėjomis vėl skrieja į Vilnių, kad su dar didesniu džiaugsmu pradėtų ruoštis artėjančiam pamokų sezonui.

Tradicija tapusioje lietuvių stovyklavietėje, simboliškai vadinamoje Vilnius street, šiemet, kaip ir pernai, netilo tapo batų kaukšėjimas ir ūžė įvairaus (ne)rimtumo pokalbiai, tačiau nė vienas užsukęs į Vilnius Street nepaneigs, kad įsimintiniausias HDC'09 reiškinys buvo MUZIKA. Iš visų pasaulio užkampių susirinkę džiazo muzikantai sukėlė perversmą. Ne tik grojantys, bet ir besiklausantys ne vieną vakaro susirinkimą iškeitė į improvizuotus koncertus, vykstančius tarp palapinių ir uodų. O šokių salėms gerokai ištuštėjus visi, kas su instrumentais, rinkosi Bar Bedlam. Net ir dabar klausant "After You've Gone" ar "St. Louis Blues" kūnu nubėga šiurpuliukai, o išgirdus "My Blue Heaven" prisimena savyje paskendusių ir gal jau kažkiek tansliuojančių Tomo, Mindaugo, Andy, Logginso, Mimi veidai, mėlynai, geltonai ir raudonai nuspalvinti baro vitražų. Nė karto neskaičiavau, bet įvairiais instrumentais grojančių lindyhoperių stovykloje nuolat būdavo visas tas dvi savaites. Gal ir ne kartu, bet grojo: 6 gitaros, 4 trimitai, wahsboardas (iš viso buvo 3 vnt.) ir solinukas, 2 bandžos, 2 ukulėlės (uGai :), 4 klarnetai, 3 trombonai, kontrabosas, akordeonas (2 vnt.), 2 smuikai, pianinas, mandolina, kazoo (prisimenu nerišliai). Jaučiu tikrai keleta veikėjų praleidau, bet ir be jų orkestras atrodo galingai. Visą šitą profesionalų ir pradedančiųjų orkestrą sustiprino charizmatiškoji New Orleano gatvių giesmininkė Meschyia Lake (ex "The Loose Marbles", dabar "Too Dumb To Die"), nežemiškoji būtybė Tamar Korn (iš "The Cangelosi Cards"), Mimi Terris, Mia Goldsmith ir Milda, mūsų gatvės pasididžiavimas ir „Rhythm Junkies“ balsas.

Herrange visada turi būti gyvas, nes atrodo, kad kiekvieną akimirką vyksta dalykai, kurie gali niekada nepasikartoti. Nuo to pastovaus gyvumo įvykiai tampa dar ypatingesni, kol pradedi nebesuprasti kur realybė, o kur sapnas. Kai paryčiais girgždančiu dviračiu skrieji namo pro kvepiančias liepas ir eidamas į virtuve vos ne lipi kuosoms ant uodegų, supranti, koks nerealus (toks, kokio nebūna niekur kitur) yra herrangas. Ir šitoj suaugusių žmonių žaidimų aikštelėj gali daryti ką nori, kol tai netrukdo kitiems žaidžiantiems šalia. Vieniem herrangas yra marios muzikos ir improvizuotas tatuiruočių salonas, kitiems jūra, vėjas ir įkvepiančios pamokos, dar kitiems - metų įvykis, kur susitinki draugus ir atsisveikindamas jau lauki kitų metų, kai sugrįžęs vėl juoksies iš švediškų Lennarto juokų, gersi arbatą iš to paties puodelio, avėsi tuos pačius batus ir gersi žalias 9-erias prie Reception.

Kol kas tiek, bus daugiau. Ir iliustracijų

*Vienas Meschyios muzikantas, belgas, jo vardo taip ir nesužinojau, sakė, kad yra iš Gothamo miesto. Kaip tyčia tą vakarą buvo penktadieninis superherojų sąskrydis. Tuo tarpu kitas, graikijoj užaugęs prancūzas Loran pareiškė, kad jis iš Avalono (taip vadinasi vienas jazzo gabalas, kurį bernai dažnai grojo HDC). Avalonas pats savaime yra mitologinė sala, kurią mielai prisiečiau kito penktadienio vakarėlio temai - Mitai ir Legendos.