I just got back from a whirlwind tour to Seoul Korea, for Camp Swing It! A million thanks to Kang Seok for bringing Juan and I out, it was an amazing experience! We can’t wait to go back, it was agony being there for such a short time (only 4 days!!!).  Here are a few fun facts from my trip:

1. Seoul has, to my estimation, the biggest swing dance scene in the world, with guesses at more than a thousand regular Lindy Hoppers in the city!
2. There are 15 swing bars in Seoul – that’s 15 dance venues, devoted ENTIRELY to swing dancing, 7 days a week!
3. For 10 hours of classes at Camp Swing It, I was in flight for 34 hours (to and from the USA). Totally worth it.
4. Heated floors are the GREATEST THING EVER.
5. Kimchi is yummy.  It is rumoured Kimchi is the reason why the Koreans never got SARS or bird flu. I’m more interested in bringing some to Herrang and seeing if it will prevent Herrang flu.
6. The Jack & Jill at Camp Swing It involved taking a shot of Soju (which is a Korean distilled rice wine, which reminded me vaguely of Japanese Sake) before and after each partner rotation. To prove you had finished the shot, you had to turn the glass upside down on your head. When dancers were refusing to drop out, the challenge increased to half a bottle per partner rotation! How was this possible? Camp Swing It was sponsored by a Soju company!!! Yeehah! Soju is yummy and dangerously easy to drink…
7. Korean dancers are amazing! The need for translation slowed down classes, and STILL we taught twice as much material as we normally get through. (Our translators by the way were all beautiful and wonderful, we love you, thank you so much!!).  The Koreans are amazing students – like sponges!! Social dancing was also a pure joy, the level is so high there! If you get a chance to visit, do it do it do it!
8. Korean girls have MAD STYLE! I would have stolen their clothes right off their backs, but they were too tiny. I was a giant in Korea. “Sharon, how you swing out so fast? You so big!”
9. Whilst filming our class reviews for the Camp DVD Juan and I discovered a costume room full of kimonos and sumo suits, wigs and giant fans. Interviews were thus conducted in costume, with props. Jo, Kevin and Shesha performed the Al & Leon Shim Sham for the camera, whilst wearing sumo suits. Keep eyes peeled on youTube for that one…
10. Camp Swing It was the first official collaboration of The Killer Dillers with fab Los Angeles’ group, Hot Club Stomp. That’s Laura Keat, Jeremy Otth, Mikey Pedroza, Nikki Marvin & Shesha Marvin. Awesome dancers, brilliant performers, real professionals. It was a pleasure and an honour! Here’s to many more…
11. All the instructors were challenged to a battle by a single Korean B-boy. We were beaten. Badly.
12. On the final night, after the camp had finished, I fell asleep at the dinner table (Korean BBQ), my Korean metal chopsticks still in my hand.

Here are the Killer Diller performances from the weekend:

And here’s the B-boy challenge:

Oh and look, I found it: