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HEEEEEY!! June is almost gone, and summer is blasting us not only with heat (and some unfortunate smog) but with wonderful music, exceptional dance events, street fairs and just a sensibility, almost fragrant, that there is still so much possible here, even with the economy tanking, even with the price of gasoline, even if...Every cloud has its silver lining and I am thinking that our windfall will be each other. Take and make every opportunity to get to know your fellow travelers!Here is one, and maybe the last for a bit as the summer takes me to conferences, workshops, and family reunions:West African Dance with Anna Scott, 1:30- 3:30Shakti's Elements, 717 Broadway @ Lincoln, Santa Monica.$12 cash love offering; $10 if you ride the bus. children welcomed!Best place to park is in the 7th ST public lot. 1st Two hours free!Afrologic. Afrological. Afrologica. How big is your 'fro?
Multiple, fractal, improvisational, polemical but always moving with spirit and in the service of lifting it/us all up. That's the logic of the Afro.
BLOWIN BACK THE 'FRO this week is serendipity! As you may recall, back in April Mami Wata swam into the Fowler Museum, where she is still holding court, btw. Viver Brasil helped celebrate her, Marcus Quiland-Nazario brought buckets and buckets of walking ponds to honor her in a parade, the LA Tap project launched, I had my students do water actions at UCR, the Governor declared a drought, and then the LA River was declared not really a river, and my neighbor, editor of the La La Times, George Wolfe made the LA Times when he commuted to work in a kayak and suite and now we have a fantastic series of water-based performances washing into town this week!!! I know, that was a run on sentence, but it was fun. But before I dive in, Ms. Pat Payne has this to say:WHAT RECESSION?! The NEST presents a SILENT ART AUCTION, Sat. June 29th, 2-6pm3025 Exposition Place #2 Los Angeles, CA 90018-4015 (323) 292-3375http://www.mapquest.com/mq/8-FOi_LA4oI-10 to Crenshaw exit, southThe NEST'S SILENT AUCTION will feature original fine art/photography, art books, performance artifacts and custom home furnishings created by yours truly and other talented So-Cal artisans, with prices to fit every budget. Payment plans and/or deliveries can be arranged for large purchases. Light refreshments will be served.Previews will be online at myspace.com/spunkyxipe Now, if you have never seen the lovely Ms. Payne in action, you are so sad. But see, she forgives you and is inviting you to her Live/Work space for a delightful afternoon of art, friends, tea, and your money getting placed into her cash register. I got a preview, and the work is quite interesting and stirring. I really dug it. Stay tuned for her upcoming Salon in July.REDCATJune 29-July 6 STEPHAN KOPLOWITZ: TASKFORCE This week-long series of site specific performances responds to unusual, inspiring and challenging sites connected by water--from the Farmers Market at The Grove, to The Water Court at California Plaza, the Los Angeles River and beyond. Bessie and Alpert award-winning choreographer Stephan Koplowitz and his new TaskForce -- a collaborative team of dancers, performers and composers -- explore an enduringly important and controversial resource in Southern California. redcat.org/season/0708/dan/taskforce.phpCatch what you can, before it floats away. (ok, that one was yucky) Hassan Christopher of the Open Space worked as one of the producers. He is VERY excited about this work, and so am I!GRAND PERFORMANCESThe next event that I'll recommend of this fantastic series is part of the event sponsored by the REDCAT06/30 - 5:00 PM: Stephan Koplowitz: TaskForce perform Liquid LandscapesThis area has some of the most beautiful, yet wasteful uses of water in the city. Not to be missed. If you missed Seun Kuti, you missed a great moment in LA civic history. My pics did not turn out (boohoo), but I'll still post one of revelers jammin in the moat on Afrologica. It's as if they knew that the TaskForce was coming to do just that.VENICE BOARDWALKVenice Eco FestSaturday June 28th, 10 AM - 7 PM1800 Oceanfront Walk, Venice, CA 90291It's as if Mami Wata is determined to make a point! Eco Fest comes late to Venice, but that's great for you if you did not make any of the other festivals hosted by Earth Day LA back in April. This one co-hosted by Venice Chamber of Commerce. Vegetarian fare, music, school dance teams, and a world premiere by Blankenship Ballet! Free! But parking is not and will likely make you go into convulsions, so, please take the bus, Metro 33 or 333 will get you right there. There's a Culver City bus, that gets close, too (don't know the number) and the Big Blue Bus #1 will take you to Lincoln & Venice where you can catch the 33 or 333 OR BBB #2 will take right by Venice Main post office. Bring the kids! I'm coming after my class.SKIRBALL2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd, LA, CA 90049OPENING THIS WEEKEND: Tere O'Connor and Rammed Earth.June 26 & 27 8 PM; Sat 7 & 9 PM; Sun June 28 7PM$20 gen, $18 mem, $15 studentGet tickets now for %15 off using the following code for on-line pre-sale 99522No late comers will be seated, so get up there early and hang at the café! This is guaranteed to be one of those dance community reunions, so get yo' hair did, yo' toenails done and your clothes perfectly LA frumpy! Oh, and accessorize. Free parking or go Metro Rapid #761CULVER CITY HIGH SCHOOL GYMNASIUM4401 Elenda Street, Culver City, CAFriday 6/27 & Saturday 6/28 at 8pm; Gen Admin $15, kids $5,Pop RocksThis comes recommended by Grover Dale. The LA Dance Company presents two evenings of pop-music driven choreographies accompanied by a live DJ in a setting like a rock concert. Looks like a really fantastic event on the very broad LA Dance scene! Choreography by Jolieba Jackson, Kate Hutter, Leslie Scott and many others.UNKNOWN THEATER110 Seward ST, LA, CA 9003811 Missing Days, Meg Wolfe/Show BoxJuly 3 - 13, two weekends, different bill each oneThe mystery will unfold soon, but you won't get to solve it if you don't have tickets...SANTA MONICA PIEROcean Blvd @ BroadwayThe Thursday night music series begins tonight! The schedule is a tad ho-hum until mid-July, but there may be something of interest to you. The 4th of July has a Hawai'ian theme, which, to be honest, turned my stomach a bit as there is right now a very intense lobbying effort to free this island nation from US control. But, it looks like a good line up. So if you like hula and ukelele, check it out on the 3rd of July. The GLOW Festival will be here, more to come on that. Parking is a NIGHTMARE. Please take the bus, or better yet, if you're local, ride your bike. The city provides valet parking right there on the beach.SUNSET STRIP MUSIC FESTIVALThursday June 26th - Saturday June 28thThis famous section of the boulevard launches its own festival this year with a very ecclectic mix of bands. This is a venue-based festival, kinda like the music festival in Austin, but waaay smaller. If you're over 42 yrs old with a significant amount of burned out brain cells, most of this will be heaven for you. I recommend checking out Dialated Peeples (whaat?!) for all the Gen X Hip Hop heads on Friday, June 27th at the House of Blues. But get ready for Sunset Junction, the mother of all urban music street festivals in LA, in August.FORD AMPHITHEATER2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East Los Angeles, CAViver Brasil, "Omi Odara/The Gift on the Water"July 5th, 8:00 PM, $28/ $5 for kidsOh yes, more water, more water, more water! please get your tickets. This show will sell out soon. It's a great venue for families, especially since Target has underwritten $5 for children! The open dance class was a blast--thanks to all who showed for that. Let's sit together! Hit me up if you are going and we'll plan a section.SUMMER INTENSIVESHere comes the DanceBank summer intensive, accompanied by a workshop from the SHOWBOX, both Dance Ninja (aka Meg Wolfe) inventions. Please go to her MySpace page for many more details, esp. pricing as it varies by the number of classes purchased.DANCE BANKSat/Sun 11am-2pm*:
8/2 & 8/3 - Rae Shao-Lan Blum (at Farmlab)
8/9 & 8/10 - Mira Kingsley (at Farmlab)
8/16 & 8/17 - Sara Wookey
8/23 & 8/24 - Olivier Tarpaga *(5-8pm on 8/24)
8/30 & 8/31 - Liz Casebolt & Joel Smith
Tuesday/Thursdays 11am-1pm:
8/5 & 8/7 - Simone Forti (at Farmlab)
8/12 & 8/14 – Liz Maxwell
8/19 & 8/21 - Rebecca Alson-Milkman
8/26 & 8/28 - Taisha Paggett
Thursday nights, 7-9pm:
8/14 - Hana van der Kolk
8/21 - Hana van der Kolk
8/28 - Meg Wolfe
SHOW BOX presents the July Guest Artist Series
July 5th: Faye Driscoll (NYC)
July 12th: Sam Kim (NYC)
July 19th: lean to productions - Leslie Seiters (San Diego) and Rachael Lincoln
July 26th: Modern Garage Movement (NYC)
These classes will be held from 11am-1pm, at
Farmlab and Under Spring
1745 N. Spring Street #4, LA, CA 90012
Phone: 323.226.1158
Handicapped Accessible
Free & plentiful street parkingAFRICAN DANCE FESTIVALS/CAMPS/WORKSHOPSFareta has closed early registration, but you can still get in on the action and even pay with Pay Pal. This camp is hosted by Youssef Koumbassa July 6 - 13 at Camp Hye Sierra, Dunlap CA and features an All-Star line up of dancers from Mali & Guinea, with a few reps from Senegal. Yousseff has such good energy, if you can, check this out.Alamuta at the Lacy Studio Lofts (OMG, they look so beautiful) in LA, July 11 - Aug 3, is set to kick off coming soon to LA in July, tickets still available. The line up includes not just dances from West Africa, but throughout the African Diaspora. let's thank them for organizing this by turning up and paying in full in advance...Travel north to the Congolese Dance and Drum Workshop hosted by the Kongo dance community of Oakland, CA. Not to be missed! Held in Pike, CA near Nevada City, this camp truly transports you to the essence of the musidance. Their children's camp is worth its weight in gold. July 25 - August 3rd, but you can purchase by the day!Le Bagatae in Chicago has announced a summer dance festival. Won Na Won Malan, by the lake in beautiful South South Shore district. August 7 - 10; Pay before July 24th $195 buys all 12 classes, concert and camp t-shirt. THE LINE UP IS HOT!!!! I will upload the registration form in Afrologica as it came as a PDF file. Youssouf Koumbassa, Djenaba Sako, Biza Sompa--just to give you an idea. This will be fierce.Papa N'Diaye in Boston invites you out to the NDAJE FestivalJune 26-29, 2008The line up is AMAZING!!! For more details, please check http://www.papendiaye.com/ndajefestivalFor more information about West African dance in the Boston area, please visit www.WADaBo.com! Questions? Send an email to: ndajefestival@ papendiaye. comRASANBLE! A Hatian dance camp in Oakland!!July 11- 14th, in two locations so check out Rara Tou Limen's MySpace page for complete line-ups, fee schedules and events. You can also request info at raratoulimen@gmail.comYou can still travel to Salvador- Bahia, Brasil with Viver Brasil Aug 1 - 16! Just a few spots left. This is one of those relaxing, yet intense dance workshops. Linda Yudin and her staff have quite a time planned for you. $3395 includes double occupancy, all classes and airfare. This is a great way to go the Land of Magic if you have never been.ONGOING CLASSESsection will be back next week after a foraging round. who is teaching what and where?! here are few items that are one time eventsZé Ricardo at the Dance Arts Academy Tuesday Nights,July 1 & 8, 8:00 PM, guest of Viver Brasil $15Rosangela SIlvestre at Electric Lodge in Venice Sat at 10 AM, guest of Kimberly Mullen (unconfirmed) Lovely!So, I'll see you in class this Saturday, no? Consider it the warm up for a very exciting weekend.in love, -Anna
Oh my! How are You?The longest day and shortest night is upon us! What a perfect time to throw a party. School is out and nights are hot in most parts of the city, perfect for getting out and walking around a bit. But since this is SO. Cal, of course, we drive there first, then we get out and walk around! Take the bus if you can and enjoy some of the City's delicious free events. This weekend I'm back at Shakti's, so come party with me!West African Dance with Anna Scott, 1:30- 3:30Shakti's Elements, 717 Broadway @ Lincoln, Santa Monica.$12 cash love offering; $10 if you ride the bus. children welcomed!Best place to park is in the 7th ST public lot. 1st Two hours free!Afrologic. Afrological. Afrologica. How big is your 'fro?Multiple, fractal, improvisational, polemical but always moving with spirit and in the service of lifting it/us all up. That's the logic of the Afro.The summer solstice is BLOWIN BACK THE 'FRO this weekend. A few events to marvel at the stars also caught my attention.GRAND PERFORMANCESIf you like your groove thick, long and honeybuttah sweeet, you do not want to miss this FREE concert downtown tomorrow night! Fela Kuti's youngest son brings it like daddy, but knows he is his own man. Me and kiddies will be there, gettin our afrofunk on. Text WATA to 41411 on Friday night to find out where we are sitting and join us. Right now, if you are reading this on Thursday, you are missing Garth trinidad rippin up the 1s & 2s (turntables).
06/20 - 8:00 PM: Seun Kuti & Egypt 80BRAUDE CENTER PLAZA6262 Van Nuys Blvd. Van Nuys 91401DanceCamera West: VideodanzaSaturday, June 21, 8 pm, 10 films, 70:00FREE - bring blanket or lawn chairsThe Plaza is behind the Van Nuys City Hall street parking or undergroundparking is located off of Sylvan St.This lineup looks so interesting. Dancefilm from across Latin America--with a very strong Brazilian presences--are presented in this 70 minute show. Too bad I have a gig at the same time...SANTA MONICA ART STUDIOS3026 Airport AVE, Santa Monica, CA 90405; 310-397-7449Kong Pao Carnival : Deliciously UncivilizedJune 21 - June 28, 2008 a series of completely invigorating unstable art makers and works!Saturday, June 21 6 - 10 PMOpening Reception Performance ART by Jeremy Hahn at 8:45 PM; followed by Lucent Dossier Circus ArtJeremy has invited a boat load of us fellow crazy-makers to join in him creating an event. Please come and check us out! I'll be howling at the moon...FARM LAB is hosting a very interesting artist next week, and Meg Wolf would likely say "you should go."Visiting from Berlin, Yuko Kaseki, is doing a 2-day workshop. Participation in the workshop is limited, so make a reservation right away. June 23,24 7:00-10 pm.Butoh Dance Improvisation Workshop taught by: Yuko Kasekiat Farmlab + Studio for Social Sculpture1745 N. Spring Street #4, LA, CA 90012$50 for both days 323-226-1158 or email: studioforsocialsculpture.ignite@gmail.com REMINDERS: SKIRBALL2701 N. Sepulveda BLVD, LA, CA 90049"Rammed Earth," Tere O'Connor DanceThu- Fri, June 26th & 27, 8PM; Sat June 28th 7 & 9 PM; Sun June 29th, 7 PM$20, general; $18 members; $15 full time studentsenter 99522 at on-line purchase and get %15 discountTHE UNKNOWN THEATEREleven Missing DaysMeg Wolfe/Show Boxwith Faye Driscoll & Arianne Hoffman July 3 - 6; with Sam Kim and casebolt & smith July 10 -13thJOHN ANSON FORD AMPHITHEATER"The Gift on the Water"Viver Brasil, July 5thSANTA MONICA PIERGLOW, dusk to dawn festivalJuly 19thONGOING CLASSESViver BrasilThe Water Series continues through September with an extravagant line up of guest teachers! Class packages are available. Dance Arts Academy, 8 PM. $15/classModern Roots with Sarita Moore @ Shakti's Elements a fusion of Modern,Yoga and Afridance!Saturdays, 11-12:30, Shakti's Elements, 717 Broadway in Santa Monica (btw Lincoln & 7th)$12 or 4 classes for $40Kimberly Mullen throws down at Electric Lodge at 10:30 AM every Saturday, don't sleep! Afro-Caribbean..Shelby Williams and 27Juncture Dance has class at 8PM @ THE DANCER'S STUDIO5772 W. PICO BLVD @ OGDEN!!! Afro-Brazilian and release techniqueDANCEbank, Thursdays 7:00 - 9:00 at The Open Space, $10 for Bankers, $12 drop in209 S. Garey St., 2nd Floor. LA, CA 90012 (3 blocks east of Alameda off 2nd St. Ample street parking is available!)Mira Kingsley up this week! (Her class merges release-based phrase work with structured improvisations to create a wildly physical forum where an imaginative body can engage rigorous, personal investigation within a consciously communal setting.)Go to Meg Wolf's MySpace page to get on the list...Christophe is offering a Roots Dance Class@ the Pacific Arts Center in Westwood. Tues @7:30-9:00. pacificartscenter.com for address and info on other classes offered there.And don't miss...Anna Scott and my Afrologic West African Dance @ 1:30- 3:00 PM on Saturdays @ Shakti's Elements. Come get elevated and free, really. Sometimes a little structure is liberating.717 Broadway in Santa Monica$12 drop in; $10 bus rider; $40 4 class seriesPERFORMANCE OPP (this does not pay in money, but is flush with good vibes!)Viver Brasil invites you to become a pre-show procession for Its 6th season at the Ford Amphitheatre on Saturday, July 5. This same processional will join them again on July 20 at 7am (yes a.m.) at the Glow Festival in Santa Monica to march down to Mama's hemline and dance on the beach! The final event in the Water Series will be the World Festival of Sacred Music on September 28 with "Honoring the Sea" preparation workshops prior to the event. Dates and location to be announced. Viver Brasil thanks Swing Brazil for the collaborative vibrations!! Let it FLOW!!!AFROLOGICAThanks to those of you who have signed up! Look soon for a BEATIN" THE BUSH podcast with Pat Payne! We just went to the African American Museum, and found ourselves wondering, "what for?" You'll be able to listen to our discussion on Afrologica sometime on Friday. Become a member of my free on-line community, AFROLOGICA, to hear this and other madcap adventures. I love the 'net, but nothing beats hanging out at a show, or even making one! It is housed at www.ning.com, so you will need to sign up and sign in. Reviews, podcasts, YouTube recommendations, live calendar with eventual push to hand held device written by YOU and me...working smarter, not harder to connect artists and their audience.LOVELY!So normally, I sign off right here, but below you will find the beginning of my African Dance class Inventory. please help me out and tell me all about your favorite class! Best place to do that is either by friending me on Face Book, or joining up to Afrologica. Soak up the sun, but remember to kiss and thank the moon.in love, -AnnaAfrican Dance Classes, an ongoing projectWhy am I doing this? Well, I would love to be able to dance much more in the idiom of my first love, Senegalese/Mali dance. There has lately been a surge in Guinea classes around the US, driven mainly by drum masters coming to stage drum camps with very loyal students across the US. Here in LA, we have a gathering of drummers from all over the Songhai Empire, who drum for classes from just about any heritage. In addition to this, there is a group of very loyal African-American drummers and dancers who came into African Dance and Music through Olatunnji and early tours of Les Ballets Africain from Senegal. Needless to say, this makes for a very INTENSE 'community' of meaning makers. As someone who was trained in Oakland during the 1990s by a former Ballets Africain drummer and dancer, I am often intrigued by the shifts in emphasis in the body and rhythm as time marches on. So it is my goal to get to EVERYBODY"S dance class that I find, to learn more about how "African" dance resonates in Southern California. It is also my goal to get more of you to more of OUR classes. To receive, you have to give.Lula Washington StudioLula employs Roshada to teach a teen class on Saturdays 3:30-4:30 . Lula also hosts on Tuesdays from 6:30 - 8 and Saturdays 4:30 Marieme Faye; live drumming can get a wee chaotic due to sheer number of drummers and breaks are not played for the students. LOTS of folks, highly competitive, very advanced. Not for beginners.Your Neighborhood StudioNiancho gives a class Wednesdays 7:30 - 9:00. I've never made this class because of my teaching schedule in Riverside. If you have been and are a regular, please let us know what the class is like. I do know that he is recently back form a visit home and has a big fan in the African Beat moderator.Long BeachI KNOW there are classes jumping off in Long Beach, but I am not finding a schedule. People to look for: Khaleah London (OMG can sustah DANCE!); Jeffrey (he goes to Senegal regularly); Nzinga Camara is on the faculty of CSULB as a lecturer. Cabrillo College hosts special workshops all the time--who is teaching there regularly?Debbie Allen Dance AcademySo...their website is not the friendliest, but the studios are lovely. Currently Titus Fotso is no longer at DADA, but Nzinga Camara continues on Thursdays 7:45 - 9:15 PM. On Wednesdays a person by last name Mack is teaching 7:45 - 8:45. Mama Camara's class is very intense and advanced. I do not know much about the other class.Dance Arts AcademyOn Sundays 1 - 2:30 PM you can find a sauna-of-a-class taught by Aziz Faye. This is a Sabar class and is full of very loyal students, many who began dancing with Aziz. It's a party! But an advanced one at this point.Shakti's ElementsThis studio hosts my class, Saturday 1:30 - 3:30. I would have to say that the level of the class is open and it varies depending on who shows up as the class is more focused on instruction and learning. The goal is to learn and respect the dance-rhythms, express joy, and enjoy one another. Sarita Moore teaches a African dace fusion class earlier in the day at 11:0-12:30 that leans more towards a Caribbean style of movement.SO, if you have info, especially on Pasadena and Long Beach, please let me know ASAP. Next installment I'll look in Fontana, San Bernadino and Riverside.
Alafia!June gloom covers Venice with the sun breaking through ever so often for a peek. I'm loving the clatch of wild parakeets that have established residence in a large eucalyptus tree on my way to the library--mostly because it is not on my street! Boy are they loud! But AI did want to talk to birds and trees last, which I accomplished and in the process, got a listen to my own body. And it said: we (the billions and trillions of cells) love you, but the mass of us in what you call a lower back need a break.And so it is.In the meantime while I heal--it actually even hurts to stand and do the dishes--I continue to search for a studio with a floor that springs a bit. If you have any leads, please pass them my way! it is summer, so I have a bit more time.Something exciting coming up: if you are in the market for an unusual sumer vacation, I am teaching 4 days/week for 5 weeks at UCR beginning in late July for Summer Session. It is an Intro to Dance course which I will offer as an Intro to African Dance. Should be hot. really really really hot. Class is in the AM, so that leaves plenty of time to wander the air conditioned halls of the mall. That's how we do in the 909! well, 951 now.I'm still cranking the newsletter and thought I would give a shout out to a series of new newsletters, blogs and listings that have come my way and BLOWIN' BACK THE 'FRO. Dance in SO. CAL is POPPIN!!! SO thank yourselves for keepin the torch lit.Afrologic. Afrological. Afrologica. How big is your 'fro?
Multiple, fractal, improvisational, polemical but always moving with spirit and in the service of lifting it/us all up. That's the logic of the Afro.Meg Wolfe is gettin chatty y'all! The Dance Ninja is dangerously close to putting out a newsletter herself, in addition to being one of the masterminds behind...ITCH. If you have not checked out this 'zine, you simply must. Do it now. The link will take you to their MySpace page, but you can find copies all about town, LA that is. #8 PORNOCRACY is open for submissions. They editors ask: "When have you felt like a whore for hire, little more than meat for the choreographer to beat?" These gals is SERIOUS, and really funny at the same time. SUBMIT!Joel Smith of Caseboldt & Smith has just launched a blog Political Moves, that is bracing in its humor and spot on in its analysis. Go, baby! His first post, a review of Christine Suarez' (wait, do I put an s there?) wetspots left me wondering if us critic types bought up all the tickets. This first post points to a great blog in the making, and you gotta love his deconstructed goatee.An Earful of Dance is a smart little idea that I am hoping gets more juices flowin soon. Please check out their posts, or better yet, offer to join them in conversation about a dance performance coming into town. There are several interesting offerings this summer, so join them around the microphone.If you don't get it and you gig on the industrial scene, you are really missing out by not having a subscription to Grover Dale's Dance Blast. You can sign up on his web emporium, Answers4Dancers. Sometimes he has some very amazing labor analysis goin on. Yes, there are dancer walk outs, Virginia!Now, you ask, "this is all cute, Anna, but is there something for me to actually leave my house and go and see?" Well, yes, yes there is. Freebies first?GRAND PERFORMANCES300-350 S. GRAND AVENUE, LOS ANGELESSaturday, JUNE 14th 8:30 PM, FREEThe New Socrates WannabeDavid Rousseve is at the California Plaza Saturday night! Get there early, carpool or take the bus. And bring your own snacks.THE MUSIC CENTER135 North Grand AvenueLos Angeles, CA 90012213-972-7211Dance DowntownWHERE: Music Center PlazaWHEN: 6:30pm - 10:00pmADMISSION: FREE First come, first served.DJ/LIVE MUSIC from 7:15pm to 10:00pmBEGINNER DANCE LESSON at 6:30PMDance floor provided. Dancers of all levels are encouraged to attend.JUNE 13 Cumbia featuring Grupo ModernoFORD AMPHITHEATER"The Groove Divine," J.A.M. SessionsJune 17th, 7 - 8:30, FREE DANCE CLASSDance with Viver Brasil in one of LA's hidden treasures. I LOVE the Ford. Great vibe, and we have discovered that the stage is built over a creek! Now how is that for water dances?The fantastic teaching team will be there to get you into the bahia groove and special guests José Ricardo and Rosangela Silvestre will be there too! I hope they dance for Oxossi and Logum Ede--could not be a better locale for dancing for the divine hunter and his mermaid warrior child. Oh, and parking is free, too! Y'all bettah pack that stage...TOMORROW NIGHT, I said TOMORROW NIGHT,DJAVAN plays the Ford..and it appears that there are still tickets. If you are looking for some seriously sexy and groovy Brazilian music, romantic even without speaking the language--no, i am not making that up--you MUST go see this show. Get the early with your own picnic and really be in the mood by the time he takes the stage with that mellow voice of his. Careful, you are likely to leave with a complete stranger.and now, something quirky, because you know how I am, by now at least ;->REDCATToys and adult themes, can you say, 'Hasbro Nation?' Move over Transformers.June 14, 2008TOY THEATER FESTIVAL (FOR ADULTS)When the world's most remarkable practitioners of the art of toy theater and miniature puppetry come together in Los Angeles, expect clever manipulation of objects and brilliant table-top theatrical epics. Featuring Alejandro Benitez, Laura Heit, Great Small Works, and new work by collaborators Paul Zaloom and Lynn Jeffries. redcat.org/season/0708/the/toy.phpComing a bit later this month...SKIRBALL2701 N. Sepulveda BLVD, LA, CA 90049"Rammed Earth," Tere O'Connor DanceThu- Fri, June 26th & 27, 8PM; Sat June 28th 7 & 9 PM; Sun June 29th, 7 PM$20, general; $18 members; $15 full time studentsenter 99522 at on-line purchase and get %15 discountBy all accounts, this choreographer is a must see. You must, however, get on the road "way early" to make sure you can get into your seat because there is a no late seating policy in strict effect at the Skirball. So maybe they should provide a Helicopter shuttle. I do hear that they have a parking lot shuttle, though. Meg Wolfe said, "Go see this show." Told you she was getting chatty.Look for a DISPATACH on:RELAY:RACEDance Picnic at Ozone ParkAfrican Dance ClassesSummer Intensives: Fareta is open for early registration! Kongo Camp; DANCEbank has listed instructors;ALUMETA is coming to LA; Regina Kleinjoski starts in a few weeks--much to talk about, needs its own blog entry. Check for it on Afrologica and my Face Book page.Looking into July, so you can get the tickets as some of these will sell out SOONTHE UNKNOWN THEATEREleven Missing DaysMeg Wolfe/Show Boxwith Faye Driscoll & Arianne Hoffman July 3 - 6; with Sam Kim and casebolt & smith July 10 -13thMore from Meg Wolfe: Faye Driscoll ( July 3-6th) and Sam Kim (July 10-13th) come to town. Driscoll has been hailed as “1 of 25 to watch out for in 2008” by Dance Magazine; Kim's solo Avatar "is part of an ongoing challenge to question deeply rooted assumptions in dance culture, which includes kicking the hegemony of recognizable techniques and systems". ; ; ; They will be presenting work at the Unknown Theater, on a shared program with me and L.A.-based artists casebolt and smith, and Arianne Hoffmann. I am super excited about these shows and know you will be too.I am very excited. I will buy tickets with my "Stimulus package." Stimulate LA Dance!JOHN ANSON FORD AMPHITHEATER"The Gift on the Water"Viver Brasil, July 5thIn their 6th season, Viver Brasil pulls out the stops and offers a program full of unusual and provocative pairings and collaborations: cellos with atabaques (drums); capoeira with release technique; African deities with trap drums--this show demonstrates the power of water to create the perfect solution. Pun intended. Get your tickets now!! This show always sells out and with gas prices as they are, this is a great way to "travel" somewhere for the July 4th weekend. I will be there, hosting in the VIP section. Wanna join me? We are always looking for some wonderful donors. (i am on the board)SANTA MONICA PIERGLOW, dusk to dawn festivalJuly 19thI have to say, that I am saddened to have missed this open call, but really excited to stay up all night participating in this very lovely event as a spectator-maker. BUT! If you connect with Viver Brasil and their Water Series, you, too can perform at the Glow festival!AFROLOGICAso...if it so pleases you, become a member of my on-line community, AFROLOGICA, so we can connect off-line. I love the 'net, but nothing beats hanging out at a show, or even making one! It is housed at www.ning.com, so you will need to sign up and sign in. Reviews, podcasts, YouTube recommendations, live calendar with eventual push to hand held device written by YOU and me...working smarter, not harder to connect artists and their audience.LOVELY!SO the dance class and summer intensive section will be back next time with a listing of African Dance classes--still in compilation mode--My class will be back in a week or so, right after my back is liberated from the car seat. Be expansive and beautiful in your deeds and words this week.in love,-Anna
