NEWSLETTER: full stop

A glorious good evening to you!

I should be in Roanoke right now. But I am home, in Venice, marveling at how the universe can make the tough decisions for you. In the midst of a grand mamma week-long scramble for childcare to cover a trip to a conference, I have been having lively conversations about art making, politics and making plans around all of it. Not to mention, I have been performing as well. My ass is right where it should be: preparing, playing and making reality out of dreams. I got word yesterday that flights were turned back, and many who tried to attend the conference could not. I would have been among them. This week we should give thanks for those odd obstacles, the ones that should not be there or are "never an issue," because these events/moments/laws are calling us to really be about what/who/when we are. One such obstacle is Prop 8. I will be at City Hall on Saturday, staking a claim for civil rights, joining in with a NATIONWIDE call to end the legislation of hate. This obstacle is choreographing some amazing netroots and grassroots power. But let's not forget, that such an amendment is really about false faces, about pretending to be about one thing when really feeling another. It is personal. Though boycotts appear to be vindictive, they are the correct response in the absence of dialogue. But truly, we should seize this "missed flight" as it were and get down to having those conversations that make us all uncomfortable. There is only so much an Obama can do, and if his administration picks thus far are any indication, there is only so much he is being allowed to do by his party. The battle to repeal Prop 8 is not about fighting "the power," this is about revealing your heart, choosing love and respecting yourself--even if you are not gay, especially if you are not. We are all being called to confront our beliefs that we hide from our "Others:" our words that we speak when "they" aren't around; actions we take mistakenly thinking we are protecting ourselves when we are just abusing someone else; our desire to avoid confrontation by foreclosing debate through inhumane rules, regulations, ordinances, laws, and propositions. We are the light and the change that we thought we had elected. We gots ta BE it at all times. So mobilize your smile and open your heart and stand for love.

Afrolicious. Afrologia. Afrodelic. Afropoesia. Afrologica. How big is your 'fro?
Fractal, improvisational, polemical, but always moving with spirit and in service to lifting us all up!
That's the Logic of the Afro--sign up, read up, be up--you can move mountains, now make it beautiful


BLOWIN BACK THE 'FRO this week are some items on the East Coast, Repeal Prop 8 Protest, and business as usual. Really. The fact that most of are behaving as if the dollar has not become a relic is blowin back my 'fro. This is a great time to be an artist and a fantastic time to watch what they come up with.


TONIGHT
VELASLAVASAY PANORAMA (at the Japan American Museum)
1122 W. 24th St. Los Angeles, CA 90007
Vaudeville Night
Friday, November 14, 2008; FREE
Some of the amazing local artists that you know and love will be on this bill or worked on the project: Scoli Acosta, John Fleck, Todd Gray, Harry Dodge and Stanya Kahn, and Michael Sakamoto. Curated by Kris Kuramitsu and Rita Gonzalez, produced by Meg Wolfe. And its all free! Hope you made your reservation because seating is limited. I will see you there!
reservations: events@panoramaonview.org
http://www.janm.org/django/exhibits/20years/programs/
www.panoramaonview.org


HIGHWAYS
1651 18th St, Santa Monica, CA
Farid Mercury
Friday, November 14th - Saturday 15th; 8:30- 10:30PM $20
This is a must see show as well. The set up is such a confabulation that I want to go just to witness this actor work this all out in under 2 hours. Don't miss this show.


UC RIVERSIDE, UNIVERSITY THEATRE
Friday, November 14th; 8:00, $34/$17
Urban Bush Women & Jant Bi perform The Scales of Memory
If you don't have tickets, this ship has sailed...but it's next port of call is UC San Diego, tomorrow.


"Now, where was that other thingamabob I wanted to see last week?" Check the Archives, search by location or artist, or just re-live the bright moments by reading older entries!



LACMA, directions
Wilshire, between Fairfax a& Curson
Machine Project
Saturday, November 15, 12 noon - 10 PM; $12/$8/FREE under 17
Echo Park-based gallery collective takes over Los Angeles County Museum of Art for the entire day! This is your post-protest destination. There are over 60 projects in the house, including in the elevators. The price for admission is the same as regular. TIP: if you go with kids, you get in free and so do the kids! Here's a lot more info on the day, including participating artists. Highly recommended that you take public transportation. Like FREEWAVES Festival last month, folks will talk about this for years to come. Be among them.


and out in NYC, cause I know some of y'all bicoastal and all

WILMER JENNINGS GALLERY @ KENKELEBA
214 East 2nd St, New York, NY 10009
SquareRoots: A Quilted Manifesto, a John Sims Project
Opening Reception, November 16th, 3 - 6 PM
If you are ANYWHERE within 100 miles of this gallery, you MUST go see this show. I'm thinkin of trying to get a plane ticket to head out and check this before it closes. A black mathartist who works with Amish quilters in Sarasota, Florida based on visualizations of Pi, John Sims' exhibit will be accompanied by his video doppleganger, Johannes-Curtis Scharwazenstein presenting "SquareRootPoetics." Mr. Sims has also concocted a sound installation (he wants to get you in just about every orifice on your head) "Pi Notes: Sonic Mathematics." He will be in NYC with the exhibit through Turkey Day. Artist talk on November 20th. Show closes on Feb 14, 2009. Next big project: linching the Confederate flag in Tampa, FL. NO, I'm not making this up. One to watch...


UNKNOWN THEATRE
1110 Seward Street, Los Angeles, CA
2009 Dance Series Benefit Party and Performance
Wednesday, November 19, 2008, 8:00pm - 11:00 PM; $15 gen/$12 in advance; $20 CASH at the door
One of my fav places to hang out with the dance scene is having a party to launch its upcoming Dance Season! Go and mingle and support this years recipients of their seed grant: Heidi Duckler of Collage Dance Theatre; Kitty McNamee and Ryan Heffington of Hysterica Dance Company, Samantha Giron Dance Project, and Kingsley Irons. DJ, mini-performances, dancing, community.


DIAVOLO DANCE SPACE
616 Moulton Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90031.
California Touring Project
Friday and Saturday, November 21 – 22 at 8pm Sunday, November 23 at 6pm; $20/$16 in advance, cash at door
This evening promises a night of thought provoking choreography, texts et al. My colleague Susan Rose will have you on the edge of your seat as she pushes an entirely improvised duet. Take class with her when she's in the DANCEbox. Caseboldt & Smith, the evenings hosts, continue to show why attention to detail always pays off, in ways you least expect it. The bill is fleshed out with Cid Pearlman and Yolande Snaith. From the looks of the press release, you should come prepared to dance... GO SEE on Friday.



UCLA's GLORIA KAUFMAN DANCE THEATER, directions
120 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA
Sheetal Gandhi and Krenly Guzman in Concert
Friday and Saturday November 21st and 22nd, 2008; $15/$8 or call 310-825-2101
You just have to give thanks for the fantastic artists that come into LA via the World Arts & Culture Program. In fact, all the MFA programs in the area really sustain the dance community here. Caseboldt&SMith are UCR MFAs and hold it down. But this is the time of year I look forward to, when the MFA concerts @ WAC begin sprout all over the place. This double bill will delve into the contemporary reality of so-called traditional cultures. Two fantastic artists, breaking into their own kinestic banks and making off like bandits. GO SEE on Saturday.




ONGOING CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS
A birdie told me that Rae Shaolin Blum is starting up her contemporary dance class on Jan 9th at the Dance Arts Academy! Dance mapping....

I also have word that a six week course called Rising Star is about to kick off here on the West Side. This project includes, yoga, meditation and dance as well as a look at your finances! Whaat?! Better not sleep, everything is choreography. And that's on the Real. Check out their web page, Rise2Manifest, and sign up.


i'ma call it...

LOVELY!
This edition is conference-style late, many apologies. I want to let you know how you can hook up with the repeal Prop 8 work. Here is a national, yes NATIONAL movement to not only address Prop 8 here, but the anti-gay laws that passed in Florida, Arizona, and Arkansas. The site is called jointheimpact.wetpaint.com, and is a clearing house for all planned actions. This is everyone's fight. Like I said last week, I want my Obamaforia free and clear. I want to be jumping up and down, having a good time, being moved deep in my soul without wanting to throw up from grief because only some of us are free now. Please join in and move this mountain. Now we know that we can do that. Right? How to move this one? Love love love. Can't just blame "unenlightened colored folks" for this one. If you were not personally having heart-felt conversations with people about Prop 8, you dropped the ball. So, now that we've got the blame thing out of the way, let's forgive ourselves for assuming that we all have the same puzzle-pieces that spell p r o g r e s s i v e when you put them together. We don't. Let's get busy with that necessary coalition building.

in love,
-Anna