The Track 009 - Caitlin Wellman

Caitlin Wellman & Alain Fragman at ILHC 2014

This month, I am joined by an amazing dancer, singer, and instructor from Toronto, Caitlin Wellman.  A native of Ithaca, NY, Caitlin made a splash with the rest of Minnie’s Moochers in 1998. Starting as a teen, Caitlin was a traveling instructor for the better part of a decade, partnering with Dan Amores & Peter Strom, before she stepped away from the scene in 2006.  She has since returned, teaching on her own in Toronto and at dance events in Canada & the USA.

In our conversation, we talk about regional dance “accents,” why her height had her turn to Leon James for inspiration, and the struggle with the chronic illness that led her to step away from dancing at the top of her game. We also discuss what it’s like managing that illness, gender roles in partner dance, and challenging the glass ceiling as a female headlining instructor.

The Track 008 - Jonathan Stout

Jonathan Stout at ILHC 2015

This month I am joined by one of the top bandleaders for swing dancers today, Jonathan Stout.  Jonathan began dancing as a teenager in 1995, and started his first band, the Campus Five, in 2002.  Since that inception, his bands have played regularly throughout his native Los Angeles, and he has grown into a giant of the swing world. He has released 3 albums with the Campus Five, and led bands at the National Jitterbug Championships at Camp Hollywood, the Frankie 95 festival, the International Lindy Hop Championships and repeat engagements at Lincoln Center’s Midsummer Night Swing.

In our conversation, we discuss what makes a good song for swing dancing, whether DJs are a valuable asset to swing dancers, and his relentless pursuit of ‘the real deal’ - an obsession with the authentic and how that translates to his role as a swing dancer and bandleader. 

We also talk about starting on guitar as a bedroom metalhead, discuss the differences between the Mount Rushmore of band leaders he paid tribute to at the last Lindy Focus (Basie, Shaw, Goodman & Ellington) and uncover what it took for him to get past the cliche and rediscover the joy in Benny Goodman’s "Sing, Sing, Sing."

The Track 007 - Ramona Staffeld

Ramona Staffeld & Nalla Kim at ILHC 2014

Transcripts:

This month I am joined for a very important conversation with instructor & back-to-back ILHC Pro Classic champion, Ramona Staffeld.  Ramona has already been teaching for half of her young life, starting at age 14 and spanning two decades. In that time she’s taught alongside legends Frankie Manning and Chazz Young, and has brought crowds to their feet at international events while performing with Minnie’s Moochers, the Silver Shadows, and recent partners Todd Yannacone and Remy Kouakou Kouame.

In our conversation, we talk about her experience starting at such a young age, how music and rhythm are her most important influences, the joy she brings to and receives from dance, and what it’s like putting together routines with different partners.  

About an hour-fifteen into our conversation, we get into a heavy topic that may be difficult to listen to. Ramona shares her experience of surviving sexual abuse as a young person and how she is coming to terms with that abuse today.  This is an incredibly important discussion and I am grateful Ramona has come forward with her story.

The Track 006 - Dawn Hampton

Dawn Hampton performs with John Dokes at Frankie100

9/27/16 - Listen to Remembering Dawn Hampton for an updated episode.

I have the honor and privilege to be joined this month by the one-and-only Dawn Hampton. It is no exaggeration to recognize Dawn as a national treasure - her amazing life began traveling from town to town in the American South with a carnival, singing and playing saxophone with the Hampton Family Band, followed by stints at Carnegie Hall, the Apollo Theater, and the Savoy Ballroom in New York City. Dawn became a legend of the Greenwich Village cabaret in the 60s, 70s, and 80s, coaching the likes of Bette Midler and singing along side Barry Manilow at the infamous Continental Baths. Only decades later did Dawn become a legend of another kind to swing dancers the world over, sharing her story and wisdom from Sweden to South Korea, and everywhere in between.

Dawn needs little introduction - her family has been the subject of an Emmy winning documentary for PBS, her cabaret act was lauded by the New York Times, and she stole the show in front of thousands of swing dancers during the Frankie 100 revue at the Apollo in 2014.

Dawn and I sat down in New York City and talked about her early memories of a lynch mob coming for her family during her carnival days, making gowns for Big Maybelle, performing in the off-Broadway show “Greenwich Village, USA,” the surgery that cost her her singing voice, and what she has to offer the swing dance world today.

The Track 005 - Naomi Uyama

I am joined on this episode by Naomi Uyama, who is not only an accomplished international Lindy Hop instructor and competitor, but also a singer and bandleader. Since discovering Lindy Hop in the late 90s at age 16, Naomi has won titles at such prestigious competitions as the American Lindy Hop Championships, the Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown, International Lindy Hop Championships, and the U.S. Open Swing Dance Championships. She has performed with her band, Naomi & Her Handsome Devils, at dance events all over the world, including Snowball in Stockholm, the London Swing Festival, and events across the US.

Finding a break between classes at LindyFest in Houston TX, we talk about her time in New York City starting down the path as a singer and band leader, and about Lindy Hop as a living art form, tracing the thread that connects Count Basie’s "Jumpin’ at the Woodside" & Usher's club hit "Yeah!"

We dove right into our conversation, quickly getting into a little controversy around teacher's pay rates and how they relate to the greater picture of having a career as a traveling swing dance instructor.

Note: We had a small sound issue just as we got started, so please bear with it as it clears up after the first few minutes.