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Album:2010:05-20 Thessaloniki Greece
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Ursi and I went to Greece to teach a small Lindy and Blues workshop.
I went expecting that I'd find the architecture interesting and the
city not very exciting. It was exactly the opposite. Lots of concrete block
buildings, and a really great lifestyle, laid back and late to everything,
with good food and people everywhere. Hallelujah!
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The event was Swingalonica.
Our ball on fire? Ahem. ( comments)
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Of which our workshop was a part of.
( comments)
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The view from Christina's porch
( comments)
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Fantastic.
( comments)
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The fist night,
dancing at Sp!timou, to a really good Gypsy Jazz band (not too fast!) ( comments)
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Dancing
[photo Grace] ( comments)
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I meet Christina,
one of the school's teachers. ( comments)
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Matthias and Ursi
( comments)
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Christina took me for a ride
on her moped. This is moments before she ran over this poor lady. ( comments)
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Christina plays "Kill The Teacher"
and takes me out into insane Greek traffic on her scooter. [Video] ( comments)
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These are greek ruins.
More brick than I expected. ( comments)
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My tour guide for the day.
( comments)
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And cats.
Not as many as Istanbul, though. ( comments)
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Alx and Maria
magically looking graceful and hysterical at the same time. [photo Grace] ( comments)
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Christos and Stella
[photo Grace] ( comments)
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I dance with Maria,
and a beach toy. Their theme for the party was Tiki or Beach or something, and I am not entirely sure why. ( comments)
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Ursi and I
discover new tools for keeping our frame [photo Grace] ( comments)
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Though mine barely fits
[photo Grace] ( comments)
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Grace (originally from Phoenix,
now Greece) and Maria [photo Grace] ( comments)
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Alx, Maria and Dave
at the party [photo Grace] ( comments)
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Dave picks on a Maria
[photo Grace] ( comments)
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Alx,
my host, one of the teachers and organizers. ( comments)
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Maria takes control,..
( comments)
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..time for a slideshow..
( comments)
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..on the history of
(contemporary) Greek Lindy Hop.. ( comments)
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Since the weekend we're teaching
is a third birthday party for Lindy Hop in Greece ( comments)
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Slideshow time
[photo Grace] ( comments)
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They sing happy birthday
in every language possible [photo Grace] ( comments)
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Back to dancing
[photo Grace] ( comments)
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Class at the Tango Bar
( comments)
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Doing the Blues.
( comments)
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Ursi does some Solo Charleston
( comments)
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Teaching blues,
talking about the wrist connection, and making a stupid face. ( comments)
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Party on Sunday(Sat?)
ends up with a Charleston jam to Zoot Suit Riot. That cracks me up. [Video, 90° off] ( comments)
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Dancing in the Lindy Jam
w/ Ursi ( comments)
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And then, wonderfully and inexplicably,
it's time for a cowboy party at a Greek mini dude ranch. [photo Grace] ( comments)
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Where we find the farm cats.
( comments)
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And cowboy Ian
from Georgia (country, not state) brings a snake for Eleni ( comments)
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And cowboy Ian
from Georgia (country, not state) brings a snake for Eleni [photo Grace] ( comments)
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A very sturdy horse
[photo Grace] ( comments)
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Lindy Hoppers,
back on the ranch. [photo Grace] ( comments)
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And the head honcho
comes and gives us a talk about thinking like a horse. ( comments)
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I tell them I want to ride fast,
so they give me Molena. ( comments)
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I think they meant it as a joke.
She's very fast and wants to run non-stop, but I have a great time riding her, and they get a kick out of it. ( comments)
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Getting ready to ride out.
( comments)
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On the ride,
Ian and I head to the front so we can gallop a few times. ( comments)
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Following Ian riding Larry.
( comments)
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Cowboy teachers
( comments)
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We have a grillout.
( comments)
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I help cook
[photo Grace] ( comments)
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Maria works on her 'cowgirl' look
[photo Grace] ( comments)
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A perfect day.
A cat and a backrub [photo Grace] ( comments)
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And a swing style hoe-down.
( comments)
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Hoe-down!
[photo Grace] ( comments)
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And I capture another cat
( comments)
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The nightlife in Greece,
is endless. Alx went to New York once and was disappointed with how much was closed. ( comments)
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After the dance winds down
on Sunday night. ( comments)
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Christina taking a breather.
( comments)
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And of course,
then we get food (at Munchies!). Christina, Maria, Eiphnh, and Christos.. ( comments)
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..and Alx as well
( comments)
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The next day I hit the beach!
( comments)
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Which is beautiful,
ignoring the small jellyfish which stung me a few times. ( comments)
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Eiphnh at the beach
( comments)
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Dave and Eiphnh
( comments)
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My name with a bunch of Greek symbols.
I think it talks about a special late night Stealing workshop we did, but they could just be making fun of me in Greek. ( comments)
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Maria makes some table art.
( comments)
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And the group starts singing,
back at Munchies for some late night food [Video, 5.2M] ( comments)
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Eiphnh and Christina laughing
at terrible jokes ( comments)
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Eiphnh
( comments)
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We go to the Tango Bar
in the middle of the night, as they are closing, and the owner "Panaghiotis"? gives us a free and amazing lesson, talking about the universal rules of Tango, something I've been looking for for years. ( comments)
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Eiphnh and Thodoris dance
[Video, 7.5M] ( comments)
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Back at, of course, Munchies!
Damn good pita chicken veggie sauce sandwich things. ( comments)
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Cleanup crew
( comments)
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My last day,
so we of course meet for food. I don't know why Greek people are thinner than Americans. ( comments)
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Michael (the other main teacher/organizer)
and Christina, and the partial remains of the most incredible grilled red peppers I've ever tasted. ( comments)
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Christina and I feed the stray cats.
( comments)
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