San Fran

Äventyr i San Fransisco.
Hälsar på hos god vänner och ska få möjlighet att träffa representanter i Idle No More-rörelsen. Kanske hinner jag kika på en bandlös banjo också.
Med jetlag och mycket att bearbeta hade jag en helt fantastisk dröm inatt. Med en dröm i drömmen.
Cirklar ska slutas.
Nu börjar det!

#peaceisthenoblecause
#SanFran

Blues dance happening now

Let me introduce you to......
Our lovely teachers at The Blues Garden, Vicci & Adamo and Alba & Gaston.






Dance for dance sake.
Make new art all the time.




What a weekend we had!
Springtime in Gotheburg.

Water is served.

Prep for late nighe live music.

Happy dancers.

The ballon-exercise.

Saving bees for the garden.

Dance with new dancers.

Have a look at this beautiful blog if you like to see more pics: Kristin Ladström

Eva

Ambidancetrous at the Blues Garden 2014

The enchanted forest.
Where dancers grow.

The dance hall decor by Elin Ruist. You rock Elin!

"Disbelief in magic can force a poor soul into believing in government and business..."
Tom Robbins

"......everyone feels equally welcome; dark or fair, short or tall, lead or follow or ambidancetrous; where everyone feels comfortable dancing with everyone; where we can all enjoy each other’s company in a relaxed atmosphere, share a meal or a drink, chat about things inconsequential or world-changing, then celebrate it all with a dance...."
The gardeners of the blues garden at WCJ, Gothenburg.

This is how spring is made. My kind of spring :-)
Eva

Lindy in the djungle

After work lindy tonight. Bring out the child in you, it's said :-)

Watch this lovely gem: 



Have a lovely weekend!
Eva

Involving every guest in the room

Advent calendar #15
Tell a friend how much you appreciate him or her.


Yesterday evening was one of a kind.
After some bus adventures in rain and darkness we headed out on the ferry to the islands outside Göteborg. We finally got to the atelier/gallery where this evening's party was going to take place. A fire basket welcomed us, and already in the garden I knew here is a place for diverse creativity.
  
The sweet couple Lena and Mats, artist and musician, invited friends for a christmas singing evening. Gunnar Eriksson is among their friends for years and years, so they asked him to bring along some of his singers and musicians who could guide through an improvised free happening of old songs, new experiences. It was not a christmas concert as we know it since before.
Anders Jormin on double base was there too, what pure joy to hear him improvise and add his musical colors to all the voices. He's professeur in jazz in both in Göteborg University and Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. Outstanding musician touring the world.
I was asked to come with and I felt I could not miss out this new approach to making christmas music. High expectations but it turned out even more fun and unpredictable.

This was an evening when we sang for eachother and with eachother, weaving music, having no sheets of music, just singing from the heart. Gunnar inventing new patterns in music instantly, and involving every guest in the room.

Nice food and wine, many a good story and laughter. Storytelling at it's sweet form developed among local jazz musicians, and Gunnar's many anecdotes from his travelling.

After midnight my friend Gabriella and me danced lindy hop to live music. I had brought my dance shoes, you never know when the opportunity comes.

Eva

Ever turning dance of life

The follow-and-lead dance is ever turning, changing positions and roles. Giving and recieveng. I hear. I listen. I take it in, transform and get an impulse to send out.

Eva

Dance - is to rise. Idel No More

Everyday I follow the development of Idel No More in Canada. It's powerful to see a grassroot movement rise up like this. Many human rights organisations has now shown support for Chief Theresa Spence who are on hunger strike for the cause.

What is the cause? It's to establish a nation-to-nation meeting between First Nations leaders and Canadas Prime Minister Stephen Harper. To secure a true democratic meeting with a proper respect for the rights of First Nations people in Canada who has so far been grossly set back in numerous ways. Put an end to broken treaties and abolish new laws where the First Nations people had no chance to take part in decisions concerning their own land and water-rights. "Enough is enough".

News reports on Canada television CBC.ca

OKT group of laywers (specialists in aboriginal treaty rights and litigations) give a breif explanation of what grassroot movements Idel No More is about and why Chief Theresa Spence is on hunger strike: OKT Law.

Idle No More started with four ladies; Nina Wilson, Sylvia McAdam, Jessica Gordon & Sheelah McLean, and today it has grown large on social media.

Flash mobs is happening now in both Canada and the US, and very often it's singing, dancing, drumming. I found this especially interesting. It's again the type of fuel that comes from dancing and singing. It's so powerful, it's non-violent, it's unites people. And it scares the oppressing powers a lot when grassroot people do this. Remember South Africa, the singing revolution. You can kill the singer, but you can never kill the song. Remember Victor Jara.

Dancing has always been a bit frightening to some. One of my family members, Elisabet Jansson, has researched and written a book, "Den kära leken - våra nordiska cirkel- och kedjedansrötter" on the history of such dance in Sweden. She found remarkable history that dance was looked upon as something dangerous and therefore should be marginalised and rejected. As soon as we form a circle and dance together, it seems like authorities feel threatened.

I use the power of dancing for my own well-being. I dance lindy hop, balboa, boogie woogie, and I just love it. It is joy, it is play, it makes me more balanced, more grounded, it releases stress.

Dance is to live with your balance over your both feet.

To dance is to live fully.

Partner dancing is to give and take and care for the other,
listen and respond,
cooperation it it's most beautiful poetic form.

All around the world men and women are now preparing for the greatest flash mob I've ever heard of. It's organized by locals everywhere, and it's called One Billion Rising. It's a grassroot movement to end violence against women and girls. On the 14th of February, just a little bit more than a month ahead, people will gather and dance together, put the light on the cause and raise awareness and restore dignity.
If you want to join and make a dance meeting on the 14th of Feb, please visit onebillionrising.org and you can get the "toolkit" and share your rising.

Alice Walker on One million rising:







Pina - dance dance otherwise we are lost. A tribute to Pina Bausch, film made by Wim Wenders. Thank you Daniel for introducing me to this beautiful trailer. I can't wait to see the full length film!



Eva

Balboa class in Göteborg

Great fun in the balboa FK dance class with our wonderful teachers Anni and Gasper!
This week I had my first glögg drink (swedish variation of glüwein) of the year in a very special way. During balboa dance class we all went to the other class (lindy) on the dance floor next to ours. Holding a tiny glass of glögg in one hand we actually danced balboa while having glögg in the middle of the lindy-class, like a little flash mob.
One of the very best things with balboa is that you have to work with your own upright posture in a very relaxed way. If there is the slightest tensions you are totally lost.
Anni and Gasper are also photo models in my book. Their photo session was magic, the way they danced there.

Now we see the very darkest season of the year, and the darkest day is today! Winter solstice, when the north pole is turned most far away from the sun.
Winter can be so beautiful. And dancing helps a lot. Plus being out in the nature. Here's some winter images from my home town:

On this lake I go skating when the ice is perfect. Here too much snow.

Arne Weisse in a candle holder:

What does balboa look like? Here's a nice clip from International Lindy Hop Championships 2010, Strictly Balboa Finals. So theese awesome people are the pro's. On the social dancefloor balboa can be more relaxed and danced in closed position, while this is obviously created to win a competition.

Dancing the night away.

Right now I'm doing both a balboa course and a lindy hop course. Great teachers, I enjoy their classes so much. Anni and Gasper are great dancers who teach balboa, they also feature as photo models in my song book! Claudia and Davis are guest teachers from Canada and they teach lindy hop, super nice and so skilled dancers.

It's like trying to make up for all the weeks I didn't dance at all this autumn. Due to book release, cd recording, touring and working irregular times, a wounded shoulder. It's just been too little space for dancing. But I know how much energy it gives me to dance!

To plan for future dance events can be real fun.
Here's a good site where you can plan when and where to go to dance: http://www.swingplanit.com/

Some days....it's time to try something new I've never done before.
To give myself an energy boost I tried out how to make soft finger waves, hairstyle from the 1920's and 30's.

Here's a vidoe showing the technique:





Yesterday....Swedish Lucia for dummies, now spreading fast on the social networks....


Did you see any stars falling yesterday? Our earth is now passing through the Perseid comet tail. We saw a number of falling stars!

Eva

Rock this Christmas

Christmas and rock n roll.
Enviken in my heart!
Fanny Mae plus John Lindberg Trio are booked to Tängergården on the 25th of Dec.


Here's some pics from 2010.

Poster 2010.

DJ-ing old style.

A little bit too cold for the invasion of vintage cars
that we usually see in summertime.

Music from one of the many local bands.

On this beautiful day of 121212 I will go to Ljungskile to meet friends in music, talk a future possibility of brand new music that is in the pipeline of creation. Leo the teenage dog will go with me, perfect for learning to follow his person on her work-meetings. It's -16° so I guess I will have to dress him in both a knit-wear AND a jacket, poor little dog, he doesn't like his clothes. Well, he doesn't like the cold either. I do like the cold. It's breathtaking beautiful with all this snow and frost, and the air is fresh. Woke up this morning with a clear star sky, now seing the yeallow tones in the sunrise above the dark green-blue horizon line of forrest.

Why is the sky so beautiful in winter? Every day I marvel at the colours of the sky.


All the best wishes to you out there! Eva

Late night dancing in town

Danced after midnight to some absolutely awesome blues music. So fine dances.

Crooked Still: Come on in my kitchen



Nina Simone: Ain't no use



Evening started with crayfish party. I say: sea crayfish is da thing! The group who organized the evening had made perfect choice of sea food, high quality. Better tasting, better for nature too.

You who put this evening together, you are amazing!

Eva

Soon off to Herräng!

Soon, very soon, we're off to Herräng. I will not post bloggs frequently from now but totally disappear into the world of dance. My time will for the next week be from midnight til morning. Happily my daugther got a spot at the swing kids course this week, she's so much looking forward to this! Swing kids are like a camp of it's own and I will not be needed there daytime as a parent.



So at daytime I will sleep, hang out on the Herräng beach, meditate about summer and let my subconsious work on preparations for the concert with Bengt Hallberg wich is coming closer. Yes, I've brought my song book to keep the lyrics close at heart, for this special occasion.




It will be Leo's first Herräng, our little dog. He's a young one and I have good hope he will charm people around us. He's learning so quickly, like youngsters, and he will fall into the rythm. If you have any experiences you would like to share about how to camp in tent with a dog, I'm eager to hear!

Stay well everybody! Let the summer take over, and nothing can stop the international openminded crazy creative Herräng spirit!

Eva

Songs of love, love of songs. Photo session 1 and 2

I heard on Finnish radio program about Suzuki's thoughts about how children grow and learn. They are like flowers, and they cannot be forced to grow and learn quicker because grown ups want that. We cannot determine if the flower will be red or blue, we can only support their growing and see how they unfold into what they are meant to be. We can support them to go their own way. We can in some times give them something to lean on, and then the support will one day not be needed anymore. But all the time, through all phases, they need light, water and nourishing.

The book we are working on is growing in it's own time. It has indeed been a process of 17 years, and I'm happy I didn't force anything.
The past weekend was the first photo session, for two whole days with the full crew. Photographer Jan Mellqvist, stylist Eva Petrén, graphic designer Gabriella Persson. Models has been this weekend Anni Skoglund and Gasper Hrovat, Rebecca Järdmo, Vera Åström Rune and myself.


It has been intense, very beautiful, fun and laughter, tears of joy when Anni and Gasper danced so beautiful, strong coffé, focused work, a pure joy to see the team giving everything! Afterwards everybody was quite exhausted.

I'm blessed to have so good people around me in this book-creation.

Eva

Going home from Windjammers Ball

Thank you Sofia Enros and Daniel Johansson and all in your crew. Fantastic!
Imagine how much happiness that is spread around now when we all go back home to our home towns, filled with all these happy memories from dancing on ship Pommern, great dance classes, awesome dance parties. Yesterday dance jam was like a fire work exploding.
So today is the day of transition, getting from holiday mood into first day of work after vacation. And I love it. I've been longing to get started again, in all my projects I have up and running. Isn't that a priviledge? Dancing might cause tired legs, but ideas flood. Dancing is a good stress relief, and a good mindfulness keeper. (You can't actually focus of something else but dancing when you dance, and it's very much a bodywisdom-thing, not only brain as in many other activities) So this week will for sure contain lots of inspiration. Irmelin rehersal plus concert next weekend with Pers Nils Johansson. Here we go!

Eva

Fasten seatbelts, last day of Windjammers Ball

Good morning to the new bright day, amazing I woke up before the alarmclock...it happens sometimes after a real late dance night.

Entrance to dance party area:

Today there will be classes and after that the final Tea-dance. I hope I will still have strong legs, because yesterday everything speeded up, and most probably I'm not the only one with sore legs today. And now it's the last days and it's just to give it all, so fasten seatbelts!

Sofia and Daniel are the main organizers of the whole Windjammer event, and they are the most caring and passionate people, who has started the lindy hop on Åland only one year ago. Yesterday at the dance night there was a big Thank you and they were called up on stage. We were all very moved and they also, tears on cheeks, and the whole big dance crowd clapped hands like mad. Because Windjammers Ball is such an amazing event, so throughly worked in every piece. Perfectly done to be the first year up and running. Thank you Sofia and Daniel and all people who is/has been in the crew. Now, Sofia and Daniel lived in Göteborg up til recently, so we göteborgers are of course a bit extra proud.
Sofia and Daniel under cover.....Friday ceremony on ship Pommern, we were welcomed by the king and queen of the sea.

So next year, we keep our fingers crossed that there will be a new Windjammers Ball.... so everybody, come on board!
More dance-greetings from Eva

Yes! Sunshine and more dance

Sunshine on the ship yesterday, and Yes! Sunshine today too. We started this morning with auditions for the advanced levels of courses and I got into the advanced class. I'm so happy!
Yesterday opening ceremony at ship Pommern. It's a ship, not a boat, I've learned.

Today classes:


And Ålands club for VW had a nice summer meeting in the park. Fancy midsummer decoration behind the cars too.

Tonight will be more party!
I'll dance as long as my legs let me do it.
Eva

Windjammer Pommern

Today it has been more and more hellos to dancers from all over Sweden. Some sightseeing around Mariehamn as well, and it's a nice and sunny day. Svarta Katten, café at Norragatan 15 in Mariehamn. Home made bread, nice sandwich for lunch.This boat is where we will be during the opening ceremony for Windjammers Ball today.


Harbour of Mariehamn. View from the watertower.

Tip top, lindy hop!
Eva

Energy boost weekend of Windjammers Ball

Strawberries in Rättvik. Remember to see the small beauties in every day.
Small is big.
Every day is my favourite.

There's gonna be lots of dance this weekend. So that's for sure promising. There are about 200 people who signed up for Windjammers Ball on Åland, and then there's the crew and the voluonteers. Lindy hop mostly, but also Balboa, I've heard. Good friends and good dancers from Göteborg are with me now on the train up to Stockholm, and then we take the ferry.

http://mildredsswingskola.ax/wb/

Let's dance!
Eva

Upstart after summers peak, and swingout to Åland

Dear all readers here on the blogg. It's time to start create new blog-entries after this maxi-galactic summer that is still all around. For a change I'll write in english. During summer I've spend less time at the computer, wich is good to do sometimes. And my holidays has been so good, so much holydays. I have refilled my batteries and have lots of new ideas to explore and put into motion and reality.

My summer was full of music and tours, and still more concerts to do. Maybe I didn't have so much time in advertising, and that I would like to do better next time. Musicaly everything has been flowing and so rich, in meetings with the most generous and welcoming crowds/audience, and the improvisational dialogue between us musicians on stage. An ongoing dialogue in many directions that reaches deep as the ocean sometimes.

Now, August is my favourite month of the year :-) I've celebrated I'm one year older, and for sure, this time so much has happened along the road that makes my heart sing. Can't believe how much has happened in only one year. Happenings, happiness...new roads to walk.

Windjammers Ball, here we come!
This upcoming weekend it's time to have a crazy lindy hop party weekend. Windjammers Ball will take place in Mariehamn, Åland. For the first time this year, and hopefully for many years to come. We will dance on boats, so we're told to not bring our best leathersole danceshoes, there might be sticky pitch on the deck of the boat. I'll be packing tonight, some older danceshoes, and flowers for my hair will do.

More dance earlier this summer.
Jitterbuggar, both known as crazy dancers like me, and cookies, wich I had the pleasure to enjoy at Nyfiken ecological café in Rättvik. Yes, the people in the kitchen are also into lindy hop and we danced a few swing outs in the bakery. I like!

At home again.
On the savannah of Storås:

What beauties, the horses and cows, and sometimes wild deer we see here. August in it's lovely light, a little darker than the other summer month, but so much like a tale by Tove Jansson. Have you heard the news, there's some good rocking tonight!
Warmest august-greetings.
Eva

Herräng vecka 1

Hej hej från Herräng!
En helt underbar vecka har vi, om än något kall. Tur att det finns hur mycket bra second hand här som helst, jag har bunkrat upp med extra kofta, halsduk, träningskläder mm som kan behövas när det hänger regn i luften var och varannan dag. Men vi har väldigt kul ändå!

Danslektioner i Herräng, här i ett av de många danstälten. Utanför finns små minidansgolv för egen övning. Två av mina kurskompisar övar.

Passport control, det gäller att ha sitt kurs-kort till hands på varje lektion. Det är så många människor i omlopp här och Herräng Dancecamp behöver hålla koll på att det är rätt personer på rätt plats....




Pimp my bike....det finns många cyklar i uthyrningen och det är bra att ha kännetecken på sin så man hittar den bland alla andra.



Herräng-galna hälsningar från Eva