“New York, New York, it’s a helluva town…” begins the lyrics of a famous song about the Big Apple. We couldn’t agree more. Both Midori and I arrived well over a decade ago with limited budgets, few prospects, but dreams to make a life in the City that Never Sleeps. It’s really hard to believe it, but we did it. We found Lindy Hop, Tap, Charleston, Peabody and many other dances. We found great friends and mentors. We had too many special nights to count from the eras of Elixir and Hi-Life to Bubble Lounge and the Supper Club to Louisiana and Swing 46 to Jack’s and Frim Fram. Most memorably, we found each other and our son was born here—so we now have a native New Yorker in the family. But to pile on the cliches, nothing lasts forever. We had an opportunity to move to Japan and we took it. It is bittersweet. We say goodbye to a place we have called home for 15 years, almost as many as we lived in our childhood homes. But we are also excited to see what life is like in the Land of the Rising Sun. I have always marveled at Tokyo during our annual visits to see Midori’s family and friends. Now I get a chance to experience it as an insider (kind of). It may take awhile to resettle as I will be a high school teacher and Indigo will be starting school. But we are excited to see what dancing in Tokyo will be like.

We wish that things weren’t so hectic. We had only a little more than a month notice that I had been accepted into the national teaching program. We wish we could see all our friends, dance a bit, and enjoy our favorite haunts before heading out. Unfortunately, we didn’t get much time to packed up and gear up for the big move. So we’ll have to save it for a return voyage. So fond farewell, New York. Meanwhile, hello Tokyo!

We will be in touch, once things get settled. And look forward to representing the Big Apple in the Land of the Rising Sun.

Thanks again!

Chad, Midori and Indigo

Posted on July 22nd, 2009 by chad

Another piece of dance history will face the wrecking ball: Fazil’s has closed Thursday to make way for another luxury hotel in New York. (We really need another one?) I called to book the space for a private lesson and learned the terrible news. Personally, Midori and I have great memories of rehearsing at the dance studio over the years. Midori learned from tap legend Chuck Green at Fazil’s. We choreographed some of our best routine and had most of our tap rehearsals there. For those who are not familiar, Fazil’s was the unofficial home of tap and flamenco dancers. You would walk up several flights of stairs from its street access point on Eighth Avenue between 46th and 47th Streets and enter a home of happy feet. In some of its lower level rental studios, the ceiling would quake with the stomping of dancers above. The floor was not as polished as other rental studios. OK, the floor may have last been polished decades ago. But we never got tired on it. Perhaps I reasoned this was because the floor was hardwood layered over years of hardwood. But I also loved to tell folks that the ghosts of the studio’s past lightened the impact of its floor—a version of dancing on the shoulders of giants. While I knew the studio space as Fazil’s, the studio’s story merely ends there. The beginning dates back to the 1920s. A few years ago, the New York Times posted an article on the studio, which touched on this past. They have several other articles from 1989 to 2005. I guess that we drew inspiration from this rich dance history. We felt like rehearsing at Fazil’s carried a story forward that has started long before us. I couldn’t wait for us to start tapping for fun with our son, Indigo, at Fazil’s. Unfortunately, we won’t get the chance. Fazil’s may move on. The staff said they are working on finding a new space. But those ghosts will be lost, however. I’m still in shock. A piece of my neighborhood and my New York will just disappear. I guess that’s life in the Big Apple.

Posted on February 9th, 2008 by chad

When you see the white-haired man in the blue jacket, you know the New York Times is on the prowl. That man in blue is Bill Cunningham, the noted Times photographer. We spotted him at last year’s Hot Jazz Lawn Party on Governor’s Island. The next week, we saw a host of photos make the Times’ Style section. This year, Mr. Cunningham struck again. The Sunday Styles section of the New York Times, June 17, has a great spread that captures the spirit, passion, and wide-legged dancing abandon of the Hot Jazz Lawn Party. We are proudly among the revelers pictured (see low-res version from NY Times site). Unfortunately, the event only happens once a year. Don’t know when next year’s event will be, but don’t miss it. Now, if only I could convince the island to do a whole themed weekend……hmmm that would be cool.

Posted on June 17th, 2007 by chad