21: A Sprinkle of White Supremacy (w/ LAUREL RYAN)

Integrated Rhythm

A Sprinkle of White Supremacy...

In part 1 of 2, instructor, MC, and Lindy Focus meeting co-host LAUREL RYAN shares with us the fascinating tales of learning Lindy Hop, confronting its harmful teaching practices, and how Black people are constantly battling between being undervalued and tokenized.

**Music in this episode by Barron Ryan! Go to barronryan.com and firstofitskind.net to learn more and get his incredible, new rights free album!**

0:00 Laurel grew up surrounded by exceptional people

7:00 How Laurel got into Lindy Hop (in Tulsa, Oklahoma)

17:00 The "path" to international teaching

21:00 When the Black folks made space for Laurel in her home scene

25:00 A trained teacher and creative artist takes a Lindy class...

30:00 Polite gaslighting?

34:00 Lindy classes: "It's not working for enough people"

37:00 Neuro-diverse people are attracted to Swing dancing...

40:00 "I started telling people, I don't want to hear about..."

42:00 The danger of erasing difference in order to make people feel better

45:00 The physical elitism of today's Lindy Hop contests

47:30 Look at the gateway to international instruction

49:00 "The times I have won competitions..." and imposture syndrome

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Welcome to Integrated Rhythm! Two Swing Dancing besties (Chisomo Selemani & Bobby White) navigate race and the Black Experience in the world of Jazz Dance and other Afro-centric social dancing. Our goal is comfortable conversations about uncomfortable things.

Our music is by Laurel Ryan & Michelle Stokes, our "We're back! song" was an improvisation by Steffanie AK Schilling, and the background drumming is by Bobby White

Find us at your local podcast ap, or at: https://anchor.fm/integratedrhythm

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