NEWSLETTER: swirl

Peace & Time Y'all,

It's a full moon full of energy to get on the One, if you so choose, or at least go out and enjoy yourself IMMENSELY. There is a vertiable SWIRL of activity in the City of Lost Angels, defying demographics, grant makers and rush hours alike. Get your hover crafts ready because there is a Ben and Jerry's-esque palette of artistic offerings this weekend and the next. Time to call the sitter, get in a car pool, and hit the city with eyes and hearts wide open.


Afrologics...afroism, afronaut, afrolicious, Afrologica...how big is your 'fro?


BLOWING BACK THE 'FRO
Well, the FESTIVAL of course! The Republic of Santa Monica brings an overnight festival to the US this weekend and the REDCAT brings back artist from its local season for a two weekend extravaganza, and most likely, a neighborhood near you is throwing their own shindig; go investigate!

TONIGHT:
REDCAT
Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater
631 W. 2nd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
http://www.redcat.org
NOW Festival 2008, Series One
BUY TWO TICKETS, GET THE THIRD FREE (deal available through the box office only - not the web).
213-237-2800 and this is with purchase of either series , into a mix n match

The bill is nicely streamlined, while still covering a lot of LA artsoup. This festival will remind why it is so important to go and see each other's work: it takes momentum to propel an object, and the same is true for art of any ilk. In addition to being your duty, attending this festival is just going to be fun. It's the REDCAT, darn it! They can produce an event! Go Hassan, Edgar and George!
Of Afrological interest: Baker & Tarpanga Dance Project is up TONIGHT with "Sira Kan/ON the Road." They are also appearing at the Ford in a bit.

Free beer tonight, if that appeals to you.
Baker & Tarpaga Dance Project: Sira Kan / On the Road
Performed by three captivating male dancer-musicians and directed by Olivier Tarpaga, Wilfried Souly and Esther Baker-Tarpaga, On the Road layers movement, music, and personal and oral histories as it journeys through the physical dangers and political realities of West African men seeking new opportunities across borders.
Cloud Eye Control: Final Space and Subterranean Heart
With an ingenious blend of projected animation, live theater and upbeat music, Cloud Eye Control generates hyper-live performances of technological fancy.
Theatre Movement Bazaar: Model Behavior
In Model Behavior, the acclaimed team of Tina Kronis and Richard Alger shred the story of Jekyll and Hyde into a collage of movement, theater and song that careens through cultural obsessions with mesmerism, CSI, the modeling industry, and more.


THE UNKNOWN THEATRE
1110 North Seward Street, LA, CA 90038
"An Attic, An Exit" Lean to Productions San Francisco
July 17 - 27, 2008 Thursday, Friday, Saturday @ 8 PM; Sunday @ 6PM
Free parking at Lexington and Seward
$18 online at www.unknowntheater.com
$24 at the door or by phone (323) 466-7781

I just went for the first time ever last weekend to see Meg's show, and I am LOVING the vibe of this production collective. The stage is a wee wacky in its relationship to the audience, but make no mistake, these folks LOVE them some dance. Street parking was easy on that Sunday, but I wonder how it is on Fridays: there are three other theatre spots within a one block radius. Definitely a part of town to watch.
Lean to Productions San Francisco slams into Hollywood like a meteor. Check out the press here. If I survive the GLOW Festival, I will go to this show on Sunday.

FORD AMPHITHEATRE
2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, Hollywood, CA 90068
26th Los Angles Gay & Lesbian Film Festival: OUTFEST!
Started on Wednesday, but they go through July 20th
$18 each day at 8:30 PM, but the 20th, which includes award ceremony, is $30 and starts at 7:30 PM

Under the stars and a full moon, this should be a pretty amazing night of film for those celluloid junkies out there. Come early and picnic...and avoid the traffic trying to get to the Hollywood Bowl. Tickets here.

GRAND PERFORMANCES
300-350 S. Grand Avenue in the California Plaza
Parking $7.50, and precious...
Friday, July 18th, 8 PM
TCHEKA
My fav free concert series has an afrolicious afternoon of Cape Verdean music for you! This music verges on the easy-listening, but in classic Cabo Verde style, is infused with deep soul and will instill a longing for more tropical climes without all the hustle--yeah we got to hustle a bit too hard here to remember to enjoy the beauty of where we live, but we are letting that go, right? Bring your lunch.

TEMPLE BAR - SANTA MONICA, CA
July 18th, 10 PM; $12 in advance, $15 at the door which open at 9 PM
AFRO-FUNK FESTIVAL 2008!!
1026 Wilshire Blvd. 323-391-6611
SAMBADA with SILA & The Afrofunk Experience
Plus DJ Jeremiah & The Afrobeat Nation
http://www.templebarlive.com
Not much to say other than, SHAKE IT!

SANTA MONICA PIER
GLOW Festival
Perhaps the public event of the summer, the GLOW Festival runs from 7 pm Saturday July 19 to 7 AM July 20th and boasts an international exhibition of art and performance. It launches by a performance by SHINE at Palisades park. Then during the night, you want to make sure to check out TAGTOOL and Sasas with DUBLAB. Sunday morning the festival is closed by a procession by Viver Brasil, leaving from Palisades Park down to the ocean. You just can't miss this. Pack your white clothing in your day pack so you can help gift the event to Mother Sea and get your groove on with the fabulous Viver Brasil.

THE MUSIC CENTER
135 North Grand Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90012
213-972-7211
Fly to the Sky
July 25th, 8 PM
OMIGAWD!! if you know me well, you know that I have this goal of going to Seoul and dancing for 48 hours traight through various funk, soul, and hip hop clubs. So here comes a duet almost to my door. This is one of those scooby-head double takes, but don't sleep! The Soul is alive and well in Korea, and has been since 5th Century BC, yup, BC suckas! This particular crew used to come harder back in 2006, but lately, they have been crooning like lovesick puppies. Not sure what to expect, but it is worth checking out.

THE JAZZ BAKERY
Talita, Jazz Vocalist with special guest Maia, hosted by Nia Long
3233 Helms Ave, Los Angeles, CA
July 27th, 4 PM; $25/$15 for students
A sultry afternoon of avant-garde black 'oman music. Maia is a MUST SEE. You can check out a video I posted on Afrologica of a composition of hers. You must call to reserve your spot. 310-291-9039. Goodness, I'm gonna need me a press pass soon, lol!


Mercy!!! That's a lot in the next two weeks! I have not even included all the visiting artists and dance camps...


AFRICAN DANCE CAMPS
Fareta is a wrap, but the season has just begun with Alumuta here in LA launched and ready to take us through the rest of the month; Brazilian Dance on the platter this weekend. The Nate Holden hosts Yassinanga right now, literally, for $7 at 7 PM. Congolese Drum and Dance Workshop starts next weekend in Pike, CA July 25 - Aug 3rd. I think you can still pay online. And Chicago is home to Le Bagatae's dance camp in August 7 - 10, a very intense line up of master dancers. If you were unable to get it together to join Viver Brail's tour to Bahia, here is some late-breaking news for you:

Afro-Brazilian Dance workshop with Dandha of SambaDa!!! Friday July 18th, 4:30 - 6:00 hosted by
The Blankinship Ballet in Venice, at the corner of Brooks and Main, 132 Brooks AVe, Venice, 90291. $15 gets you in the door, and then you need to rinse off and head to SambaDa's show at the Temple Bar. Dandha throw down Ilê Aiyê stylee, so the funk will definitely be in da house. Bring a towel to wipe your sweat...

Oakland just launched Its 2nd Annual African Diaspora Arts & Culture Day last night, Wednesday July 16! Events will continue through the 20th. Covering everything from dance to film, to theatre and performance art, programmers show why Oakland continues to be a Chocolate City. For more info, contact organizers: [a Caribelinq intiative...510-451-6100]

ONGOING CLASSES
Even while traveling, classes will continue on Tuesday night for Viver Brasil at the Dance Arts Academy at 8th & Wilshire in LA. The line up:
July 22 Gracy Ferreguetti- from San Diego, combining Afro-Brazilian dance and capoeira.
July 29 Vida Vierra spirited orixa movement and samba
August 5 Badaró!! Back by popular demand with his brand of orixa dance movement and samba reggae.
August 12 Samantha Goodman- elements of Silvestre and orixa dance movement.
August 19 Badaró
August 26 Dani Lunn- back from Bahia full of energy and new movement
Live music by Viver Brasil drummers, Badaró, Mario and Sandie and guests.
Dance Arts Academy, 731 S. La Brea Ave,. Los Angeles, CA 90036
8-9:30pm

Sarita Louise Moore has also moved on from Shakti's Elements and is offering her class in Ozone Park, donation based. Class begins on July 20th.

Shelby Williams is on a much deserved vacation.

Rae Shaolan Blum is holding it down on Mondays at Katnap with an intermediate/advanced Modern class.
7:30 - 9:30 PM, 12932 Venice BLVD (between Walgroove and Beethoven)
She danced beautifully in 11 Missing Days and her class has been recommended to me by Ilaan Mazzini. This one we need to get to. She is also offering a special workshop FIELD: Improvisation Workshop:
Where: Farmlab and Under Spring
1745 N. Spring Street #4 LA, CA 90012
near the chinatown stop on the goldline
When: 8/2 & 8/3 11am-2pm
Cost: $40- both days (encouraged); $25- single day
registration and payments are appreciated in advanced. Please send checks (payable to Meg Wolfe) to
1631 Barry Ave., #10 LA, CA 90025

LA Contemporary Dance is offering the following:
PILATES FOR DANCERS!!! Wednesday, July 16th at 5:45pm- 7:00pm
Diavalo Dance Space, 618 B Moulton Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90031
Are you interested in improving your core strength, flexibility, balance, turn out, leg extensions, foot/ankle strength and much more? Taught by LACDC company member and BASI certified Pilates instructor, Nichol Mason.
Come July 16th and take the class for only $8! Each additional class will be $15.
Please bring a mat if you have one or a towel. Therabands will be provided.
Please respond to Nichol Mason at nikida1163@yahoo.com to let us know if you will be attending.


The DANCEbank and SHOWBOX summer session courses are in full swing. The dance NInja, Meg Wolfe, continues to move us onward to our highest high. Go check out the schedule on her MySpace Page.

LOVELY!
The Watermelon Relay Race part one was very revealing! Just short of a full team, we managed to pull off a very amusing one hour of antics on Wilshire. Plans are in the work to do the full ethnic slur food olympics sometime in August on Hollywood BLVD. Video of our antics with the "time travel device" aka the watermelon, will be posted soon on YouTube. The NEST hosted by Pat Payne last Saturday was a real hoot. Please sign up at VISCERA on FaceBook to get details on how you can become a part of Pat Payne's NEST and work with me on future performance instigations through VISCERA. Meg Wolfe's show, "11 MIssing Days" was full, very very full. Unlike early work of hers which tends towards sparse staging and dense soundscapes, "11 Missing Days" was epic, and ultimately too large for the stage at The Unknown Theatre, which was shocking. It felt simultaneously too crowded and missing people! The themes were immense, and so was Rae Shaolan Blum's dancing. Jeremy Hahn needed some space to cut loose with his innate loveliness (I think he should play the femme fatale in the dress next time to see what happens). Mikki Delmonico surprised with her lust for performance, and her incredible abs (yikes!). The soundscape took up a lot of space, adding to the whir of images--both live and projected. Meg's solo was rapid and full of data, buzzing like those missing bees and already-dead divas. Perhaps in heels, it will take a different turn (Yes, I LOVE seeing Meg Wolfe in heels). All the makings of a masterwork are there. So Meg, can't wait to see the full, big blowout that this piece portends! Also on the bill, Caseboldt and Smith turned in a smoking, intense performance, though I was wondering what was gonna happen to the men on the floor. Meg's other guest punk rocked, leaving the 'fro stiff and a wee bored. A more complete review of these events and others will post at Afrologica just as soon as I manage to stop "relaxing" so hard. All in all, 11 Missing Days should be put up for a MAP grant so that our dear Dance Ninja can stop hustling so hard and deliver her masterpiece.

It's been great running into folks at shows! Let's stay connected. Send me your upcoming events! Missing you all dearly.

in love,
-Anna