Roots of Jazz and Social Dance Book Club *Special SatS Edition

A new year, a new special edition! Our guest speaker this month is Anaïs Sékiné, visiting all the way from Montréal! She will be sharing her recent dissertation titled « The worlds of Lindy Hop - Cultural Appropriation and the Politics of Joy ». Please join us for this unique afternoon of discussion and presentation with a contemporary Lindy Hop scholar. Refreshments will be available. An intro to the dissertation from Anaïs: "I’ll be sharing some sociological, philosophical and political thoughts on the subculture surrounding the contemporary practice of Lindy hop and vernacular jazz dances. More specifically how — as the title says — the joyful representation of the dance intersects with/is embedded in issues of appropriation." Bio: Anaïs Sékiné is one of the most influential figures of the Montréal Lindy Hop scene. Her uncompromising focus on improvisation, authentic self-expression and artistry has earned her the respect and recognition of the Lindy Hop community. Watching the old classic musicals and moved by swing music from an early age, she found her true “jam” in the study of the jazz language, tradition and cultural history, both as a dancer and as a scholar. About the Book Club: A monthly meetup and discussion of jazz, the social dances that grew/are growing out of it, and the people and places that made it all happen, in the past, and the present. Amira Selim will choose selections from the Shimmytown library and lead group discussion. Selections will be based on what you (yes, you!) would like to learn about! The readings will be fairly short, so the time commitment outside of meetings isn't huge. New readings will be sent out through a mailing list, one to two weeks before the next upcoming meeting. Subscribe to the mailing list here: http://eepurl.com/c5qNHr