NEWSLETTER: breathing through the release

ALOHA!!

OK. I'll admit it, as have just about 60, 000 other people: the gLOW Festival was barely a flicker! That said, I just want to give thanks for the City of Santa Monica having the courage to offer an over night art festival to Southern California. They heard the message form the universe and responded. It is rare that an individual, let alone a civic entity, hears the universe and answers. So many thanks to them showing us just how high we have to take it when we invite everybody to our house!

I'm headed out of town back to Mississippi! I hope to post up some reports of dance and music Dirty South stylee while I'm gone, so send me those notices.

Afrologic. Afrological. Afrologica. How big is you '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--sign up, podcasts are dropping like gum drops out of small child's hand.

BLOWIN' BACK THE FRO this week is a local underground staple, a dance crew from up north, art from Down Under, and part two of the Redcat's New Original Festival. Thankfully, you won't need a pup tent to survive any of these.

OPENING TONIGHT
UNKNOWN THEATER
Lean To Productions San Francisco, "An Attic, An Exit"
Final weekend: Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8pm; Sunday at 6pm
"In this theatrical tour-de-force, Looney-tunes comedy meets magical realist mystery in a single room crammed full with riddles, levitation, baking supplies, and two meticulously explorative characters you will never forget."
$18 online at www.unknowntheater.com
$24 at the door or by phone (323) 466-7781
I am heading out to see this show tonight! I absolutely have fallen in love with this production collective and urge you to apply for their upcoming dance season. I think they are still taking applications.

I saw this show on Thursday and was VERY pleased. Usually, I spend a great deal of time thinking about how much I am paying per hour for the sitter when I go and see a show. I completely forgot that had kids. Go see this show. I actually would not call it looney-tunes as thy have above, it is somehow very French Butoh with feminist analysis of travel and situatedness, but it is superbly crafted, well honed, intricate, meticulous, and full of surprises.

ZANZIBAR
Afro Funké w/ Solsis Fashions!
1301 5th Street @ Arizona, Santa Monica, CA 90401
310.451.2221 / 21+ / $7; doors at 9 PM, fashion show at 10
www.zanzibarlive.com
www.myspace.com/afrofunke
www.rockydawuni.com/afrofunke.html
Time to shake that thang and get on the good foot. A weekly offering, Afro Funké has been around a number of years and tonight, one of us Afrologica members will present her work! Miss thang can certainly move, and her clothes are designed for maximum movement. Check out Stephanie Engel's fashions on MySpace.

REDCAT
Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater
631 W. 2nd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012
NEW ORIGINAL WORKS FESTIVAL 2008
JULY 24-26: PROGRAM TWO
Week two of this home-grown festival kicks off tonight. Next Tuesday, another dubset hits the lobby of the REDCAT. Could they make you want to move downtown any more?

Tonight through Saturday features:

Lionel Popkin's "Your Hand/My Mouth"

Holly Johnston's "Politics of Intimacy"

Poor Dog Group's "Hey. hey, Man. Hey."

redcat.org/season/0708/dan/now2.php


HIGHWAYS
at the 18th Street Arts Center, 1651 18th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90404
Dandelion Dance Theatre, "Testiculish"
Final weekend, Thursday - Saturday 8:30 PM; $20/$15 students
SO, um, I really thought about not even mentioning this work at all, but, and it is a BIG but, maybe a rump, this particular attempt at deconstructing male identity deserves an audience, because finally, a bunch of guys are publicly putting their mess out on the table, sifting through it and hoping to come up with more than, "cause my dick is bigger than yours." MOSTLY NUDITY.

and then hot on their tails...

GRAND PERFORMANCES
Delfos Danza Contemporánea
July 25 & July 26 2008, 8:00 PM
Lovely, aggressive, and athletic dance out of Mexico, for FREE. Get there EARLY because standing up to see a dance show just feels wrong. Unless of course, you are being spontaneously choreographed. Plus, the sight lines are horrific if you don't get the fold-out seats.

BARKER HANGAR
Santa Monica Art Studios
3026 Airport AVE, Santa Monica, 90405
Regina Wilson, contemporary Aboriginal Artist, one woman show
After my fabulous experience dancing for Jeremy Hahn for the art exhibit, "Kung Pao Carnival," I eagerly signed up for the mailing list. The invite for the opening to this event last week came too late to let you all know about it, but the show is still up and it looks to be rather spectacular. Only up until August 3rd, so hustle. This is the FIRST show EVER of aboriginal art in Southern California.

AFRICAN DANCE FESTIVALS
This weekend, Congolese Drum & Dance Workshop gets going in Pike, CA on July 25th while Le Bagatae in Chicago closes its early registration. Classes begin in Chi-town on August 7th and American just announced a mega fare sale, so go! Denver hosts Camp Merveilles with a decidedly Guinea line up, also starting on August 7th. A hot weekend getaway is planned in upstate New York by the Magbana Dance ensemble of NYC for September 12- 14, 2008. Another steamy line up of instructors! Early registration ends on August 15th. here in LA, Alumata is winding down, but you would not know it! Moustapha Bangoura (who runs Le Bagatae in Chi, btw) teaches Friday night at the Debbie Allen Dance Studios, note the change in location; plus there has been a delay on the final finale, as three professors will arrive later. This could be bad, but it is GOOD. There is so much happening this Friday, this gives you a chance to go and take class!

SUMMER INTENSIVES
DANCEBank is a GO! The schedule long and enticing, so go check it out on Meg Wolfe's MySpace Page.

Today is the deadline to get your applications into Regina Klenjoski to apply for her annual dance festival, SOLA. Hustle! Details on her website.

Show Box presents:
Saturdays in July - visiting guest artist series
July 26th: Modern Garage Movement (NYC) 10:30am-1:30pm
class costs $12, and will be held at Farmlab + Under Spring
1745 N. Spring Street #4, LA, CA 90012


You can map it!
ONGOING CLASSES
Guest teachers continue to light up the back studio at the Dance Arts Academy for Viver Brasil. Every Tuesday at 8 PM

Just added!
Viver has a new class at the Dance Garden in Atwater Village, Fridyas 6:30 - 7:30PM . This is one of the funkiest studios I have been in. Should be groovalicious! 3407 Glendale Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90039 (323) 660-4556 $15./single class

Sarita Moore is back in Ozone Park this week. The park is between 7th Avenue in Venice and Ozone ST in Santa Monica. Yeah, confusing. Do you know the Coffee joint on Rose at 7th?, well it is "behind" it by one block of alleys.

Rae Shaolan Blum is at Katnap with her intermediate/advanced modern (she got certificates y'all. don't sleep!)

All of these classes are mapped!

LOVELY!
GLOW festival's biggest disappointment was the lack of roving street performers. There are so many of you who could have shown up and blown people's hair back, I was actually saddened by your absence. The other big error was leaving the sideshow rides open. Who knew that parents would actually allow their tweens out until 2 AM?! Oh yeah, and not having enough art. It must have been tough to get the idea through the legal department. I wish I could write a more cogent review, but I could see most of what I went to see do to the crowds.

Everyday while I'm away, I hope to offer a moving meditation class at the church where I grew up. I"m really looking forward to it. So next issue, I'll post up on the 5 Rhythms work and the Dance as Prayer team, plus a few others that have caught my attention.


in love,
-Anna

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