NEWSLETTER: step it up

OLA! ALOHA & HOW DO!

Just when I thought I'd overheat from job exhaustion, the natural beauty of living in the moment brought me back to my senses. Pelicans dive bombing for fish while the full tide erased the shore, I was given an experience of potential and effortless grace. You know how trying to clear your mind never works, because you are trying? Well, each time the birds hurtled into the surf, every time I thought I was far enough from the water to not get wet, I was brought back into the present moment, and then just when the fretting started again, it began to rain just for me, over only my and my daughter's head. Big fat, fecund raindrops. Sun rays, rainbows in the waves. Yes we can. Yes we must. Everyday dramas are just excuses to avoid the right now, and right now, we are in a momentous place in the flow of history. So I want to remind you to vote and hold present in your mind the world you want to live in while you vote. There are a series of propositions on the ballot that are vestiges of a now newly-outmoded way of being in community. Educate yourself quickly and thoroughly about these so that you are not tricked by the language (and your adrenaline) while you are in the voting booth. This is the last weekend before election day and The O is bringing it home in high style with his own Keynote slide show. Now we must each do our part to be about democracy with a capital D.

1) Do not wear any t-shirts, buttons, or extra special gear made just for the occasion with any political party or candidate emblazoned on it and in full sight. Pursuant state law, this is considered "electioneering" and is not permitted at the poll site. Make sure your jacket covers it up!

2) Make sure you are actually registered. The link I have provided is for Los Angeles County, but if you click here, you can find other California Counties. You can also call 1-866- OUR-VOTE to verify your registration.

3) Don't forget your valid state picture ID! And it REALLY helps if you take the booklet sent to you in the mail. This will insure that you vote in the correct district, if like me, you have two districts serviced by the same site. It will also speed long your voting if you pre-mark your booklet.

4) Bring snacks and smiles! Likely, you will have a wait ahead of you. And be nice to the polling station staff!

5) Know your rights as a voter. What is a provisional ballot? Did you sign on the roll book? Did the light go green when you submitted your vote into the optical scanner? Here is the voter code for the State of California. The Pew Charitable Trust also has a great non-partisan website with background data on each state's voter laws.

6) Be of service. The print is awfully small on those ballots and the little pin/pencil is hard for elderly and disabled hands. If your fellow citizen in need was not able to arrange for help in the poll (or even to GET to the polls), offer to help them and get permission from the poll worker to assist them. I did this during the primary, and even though she voted in a way I would not have, it was important to me to make sure her vote counted.

7) Hold love and forgiveness in your heart. As they say at home, "too blessed to be stressed!" We have the RIGHT to vote and, wow, what a time to be voting! Emotions will run high. Be the change. Bring tissues.

8) Have the voter hotline number saved into cell phone on speed dial. Yes, be prepared to prevent disenfranchisement. Think of each vote as your vote, regardless of who it is cast for. The national effort is helmed by OUR VOTE Live, that's 1-866-OUR-VOTE. This coalition is sending out poll monitors & lawyers and has volunteers ready to help you with your election day questions. In California, you can call the Secretary of State at 800-345-VOTE.

9) Join in a party or host one yourself on election day! Take EVERYBODY to the polls together! That way your friends have no excuse to "forget to vote." There are also parties to call into swing states to remind voters to get to the polls sponsored by MoveOn.org. If you work with college students, delay your midterm or make your class time a voting party!

10) If you own a business, have a show, or teach a dance class, offer a special discount if a customer comes in with the "I voted" sticker on. My local coffee house is doing that!

Don't forget your camera! And when you are far enough away from the polling place, over 100 feet, flash that shirt and do that chant! BUT do not block the walkways, paths or driveways and DO NOT talk to any potential voters. Now get your Democracy on!


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, get your community on.


BLOWIN BACK DA FRO this week is Halloween feeling like a very vital step towards election day! Get your party on so you can be clear-headed and focused for the last few days of campaigning leading up to the election. Clean out that id closet and let go of fear, lol!


HAMMER MUSEUM
10899 Wilshire Blvd, 310.443.7000
Halloween in Hades
Friday, October 31st 7 - 11 PM; FREE
Good grief, Charlie Brown, it's the great big ole scary group of performance artists who make my sides hurt from too much laughing! A wild night indeed... Glam rockers Discount Cruise to Hell headline, Hecuba screened-dance artist follows and We are the World closes the evening in a multimediated frenzy. Secret horror flick planned in the Billy Wilder Theater. Wear a costume, enter the contest


SHAKTI'S ELEMENTS
717 Broadway, Santa Monica, CA
Halloween Prom of the Un-Dead
Friday, October 31st, 7 - 10 PM; $8 solo/$15 couple, $4 kids
Come let me read your tarot! I will be in da house as Glenda the Good Witch from The Wiz, well, the sluttier version;->This event is pretty laid back and early, so you can go to a rager later if you feel the need.-Crowning of Halloween Prom King & Queen
-Pumpkin Carving Contest
-Tarot Card Readings
-Prom Pictures
-Dance Dance Dance with DJ LADY SHA
-Cuisine provided by Taste Of India


AIR CONDITIONED SUPER CLUB
625 Lincoln Blvd, Venice 310.230.5343
An Evening of Haunted House
Friday, October 31ST, 9 PM doors; $20/$15 with costume
House music that is! This is gonna be a hot party. Reunion party of the DJ Crew, "Funky in the MIddle" featuring Wiseacre, Mr. Caparro, and Deep honcho Marques Wyatt.



HOLLYWOOD FOREVER CEMETERY, directions
6000 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90038
Dia de Los Muertos
Saturday, November 1, 4- 11 PM; To watch the altars going up, October 31st, 6:30 - 10 PM; $5, children under 10 are free, bring exact change or you ain't gettin in...
Woooo. Nothing quite as invigorating as a rager in a cemetery. You absolutely must go to this event at least once in your lifetime if you claim to live in Los Angeles. Parking is catastrophic to say the least, so get your walking shoes on and use a Melrose St. bus. Gate entry on Gower is less busy than on Van Ness. Check out booth #9, my friend Trisha Casasola's spot. Her family turns it out. Bring a warm jacket--it's colder in the cemetery for some reason (spooky!), a flash light, plenty of dinero for drinks and food and a blankie to sit on. This thing is huge. MUST GO.


HIGHWAYS
1651 18th St., Santa Monica, CA
Also has it's own Dia de Los Muertos performances, shrine making and cemetery visitation.
October 31st - Nov 2nd
Calavereando looks like a great time of imaginative theater, Nov 1, 2, $20/$15 on Sat @ 8 PM; $15/$10 on Sun @ 3:30 PM, $5 for Santa MOnica residents. Check the link above for more details.

ECHOPLEX
1154 Glendale BLVD, Echo Park, LA
Nov 1, 9:30 PM until 2 Am Nov 2., $5 before 10 PM, $10 after, 21+
BootieLA! featuring R.A.I.D., special Halloween edition
Learn how to command the dance as you surf mashups from all over the planet. if you have no idea what I am talking about then likely, you should go to get your learn on.


Missing something from a previous newsletter, like Ms Fayeh's show? Check out the archives. They are searchable!


REDCAT, directions
631 W. Second St, LA
Of Volcanoes and Rocks, featuring Sardono W. Kusumo
Monday, November 3 8 PM, $20/$16/$10
Celebrated Javanese choreographer, dancer and filmmaker Sardono W. Kusumo joins with a circle of CalArts master musicians to forge new links across Hindustani, Indonesian and Western performance practices. Kusumo is collaborating this evening with performer-composers Swapan Chaudhuri (tabla), Vinny Golia (winds), Aashish Khan (sarode), Daniel Rosenboom (trumpet), David Rosenboom (keyboards and electronics) and I Nyoman Wenten (Balinese gamelan instruments). This sounds too interesting to miss.


REMY'S ON TEMPLE
2126 W. Temple St., Los Angeles, CA
Election Night with Exchange Rate
Tuesday, November 4th, 7 - 10PM; $5 suggested donation
A party, a performance, the election returns, all live. Something like watching election returns is best done with folks you know really well, or see everyday. So take a crew with you to check this out if you recognize none of the performers! Or host an event of your own. e-mail me to let me know if you go for it, afrologic@gmail.com. The event will feature performances from Danielle Adair, Camlab (Anna Mayer and Jemima Wyman), Chan and Mann (Audrey Chan and Elana Mann), Zackary Drucker, Lora Ivanova, Jason Kunke, Sibyl O’Malley (directed by Caitlin Lainoff ), Emery Martin and Adam Overton. Karen Atkinson will be exhibiting "Conventions and Attitudes" a curated slide show of election themed images from over 100 artists and GYST Ink. will be presenting a special election reception. The evening will also include live coverage of election results. Presented by Trade&Row with additional sponsorship from Company Wide Shut, Side Street Projects, Chesed v'Tov Foundation and GYST Ink. Additional donations from Morning Glory Confections, Home Restaurant and Cafe Tropical. Suggested $5 donation at the door. After party 10:30pm at WILDNESS, the Silver Platter, 2700 W. 7th St., LA, CA 90057.


ARTSBLOCK, UC RIVERSIDE
Downtown Pedestrian Mall @ University Avenue, Riverside CA
State of the Arts, 2008
November 6 -8
This is an annual conference sponsored by the UC Institute for the Arts. This year it's down here in SO. Cal, so avail yourselves! IN addition to the typical talkfest of a conference, this event, with the theme of "Demonstration," will showcase performers from around the area. Not be missed is the piece "Buck World One," a krumping tale by area youths with Rickerby Hinds as director. It will be performed on the downtown mall outside on Thursday evening. Yes! Pat Payne is planning a stirring installation piece-don't want to spoil it. I'll be moderating a performance panel and have a side-performance of my own on campus in the Dance Dept: I am presenting in Pittsburgh at a conference there while still here, Saturday the 8th at 3 PM, ARTS 300. Parties, mixers, and the lovely Mission Inn Hotel. You gotta come check us all out. Registration info can be found here, as well as the updated schedule.


HERRICK INTERFAITH CHAPEL
Occidental College,1600 Campus Road,Los Angeles, CA 90041
N'Ap Kenbe/We're Holding on: Hope in the Eye of the Hurricane
Saturday, November 8, 8 PM $10
Marshall Dance Company and the Occidental College Department of Critical Theory and Social Justice present an evening of performances to benefit Haitians affected by hurricanes Fay, Gustav, Hanna and Ike with Special Guests, Troupe Jaka, straight from Haiti. Elizabeth Chin would love to see you there. So do come and help a great cause.




ONGOING CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS
DANCEbank alert: Neil Greenberg is up next this weekend. A little birdy told me, well actually he told me, that he was hoping to find some dancers to work with now that he is in LA. I'm just sayin...
at Farmlab / Metabolic Studio
1745 North Spring Street, #4
LA, CA 90012, NOV 1, 8, 15; 11 AM - 1:30 PM; check it out on the map with other ongoing classes.

Viver Brasil is soon to bid farewell to Dona Cici. Contact Linda Yudin for further info or join Viver Brasil on Face Book for all the details.



GRANT OPPORTUNITY
The MAP Fund--a very good grant for performing artists!
2009 *NEW* Application Deadline: TUESDAY, JANUARY 20th, 2009

2009 Online Application open for registration beginning Monday, November 10th, 2008 (previously announced as November 3rd, 2008)

*These changes are in response to feedback received in two recent surveys of applicants and grantees, which encouraged us to shorten the time between submission and notification, and make notification earlier in the year. This year notification will be made mid-May, 2009. The other change you'll find in the application is the ability to upload your audio and still-image work samples. Implementing that function is delaying our online application launch.

(The new date leaves you free to vote on November 3rd. Don't forget to vote!)

The MAP Fund 2009 calendar is now available on our website.

We encourage you to apply early!!! Begin your application November 10th, 2008.




LOVELY!
This has been your election special of Afrologica! Pass it along if you feel so moved. If you have resources for the election you would like to share, or are planning an election day party, please make a comment on the blog or e-mail me and I'll send a special dispatch. I'm so excited! See you at the polls.

in love,
-Anna