Grupo Corpo, after the drive home

Parabelo, Grupo Corpo

The secod act sizzled away my distate for the first. It was like watching a completely different cast. Parabelo (1997) began with similar irritating floor work as act one, but it quickly was erased by, springing, engaged bodies. The overwrought arabesques in ímã (the first act) were definitely missing in action as the dancers exerted intense control over their limbs in the most precarious transitions. 

It was breathtaking.

The ghost of Lenny Dale continued to appear on the stage, but by now, some of his famous bossa nova "backward samba" breaks were turned into choreographic kernels: extrapolated, refined, deconstructed, muddled, refined again, then shifted to another plane. 

To find out more about Lennie Dale and his troupe Dzi Croquettes, check out this movie trailer! The film is coming back to LA soon in the Brazilian Film Festival!

There was quite a bit of partner work, affording the choreography opportunities to repeat a phrase at a 90 degree angle to the floor on a dancer's body 45 degrees to another.

Both pieces were built into the music, but there was more space in its orchestration for the second piece than for the 2009 Ímã, just as there was more space on the stage. I realized sitting there in the first act that what Susan Rose had once told me was true: "Any thing looks good if you have enough of them lined up next to each other." Thankfully, the second act showed us why there are so many dancers in this company; each one of them is a virtuoso and can hold an entire 40 foot stage on their own.

Great recovery in Parabelo, but it is a shame that the company has not settled into Ímã yet; there are a few gems hidden in that work that they have yet to excavate.

 

Opening of Ímã, Grupo Corpo.

Grupo Corpo Thoughts

It's intermission. I found the first piece with its seams showing. I could count down the transitions, anticipate the pattern of the pick up. But then, there was this incredible allusion to Lenny Dale.

One of the more portly male dancers was channeling him! My goodness, it was enjoyable. There was an entire section of a twisted Bissau nova which all but screamed Lenny

Sent from my Verizon Wireless Phone

Grupo Corpo

It is 8 minutes to show time and there are far too many empty seats. I do not know if they do rush tickets here synthesis Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, but it is worth your to investigate.

AFROLOGICAL NEWSLETTER: doing the black bottom

AFRONAUTS have you figured it out? The big puzzler of a State of the Union Speech given by the O? Well, I am NOT going to jump into that fray. Suffice it to say, brother can throw down some verbiage! Good grief. But what does have me annoyed, are the lefty-lefties who want our president to behave like Emperor George. If we are to restore order, rule of law, then we, um, gotta actually play by our national handbook. Now, it is evident that said book is in DIRE need of an overhaul/simplification, but that is a completely different issue. If you don't like our laws, change them. We are too busy being too busy. I was noticing the food in my freezer is all packaged. This means that it is precooked by someone else, packed in garbage, and awaiting a reheat because I am too busy to actually be bothered with cooking from scratch. You can read this as being sensible--I did plan out when said 'food' would be dispensed--or being overwhelmed. In this state, it is easy to find rules and regulations "just changing" out of the blue. It doesn't help that our system of governance is so bankrupt of love for humans that our civil servants have learned to time their work on "change" in such a way that most of us don't notice it until it's too late. Two things exemplify this strategy this week: Gov. Jerry brown is proposing to eradicate Redevelopment Agencies in the State of California (most public art funding is tied to development dollars and check out what the Broads got right after the announcement) and in Ohio, a single black mother went to jail for sending her daughters to a school district other than the one in which SHE lived, even though the children's father lived in the mostly white district and had joint custody (just looking for a link on this made me cry).  I'll have more to say about these two things later in the week, but to me they exemplify, each in their own way, how rules meant to enable civil society are often easily corrupted by unconscious behavior. I guess I need to plan my meals better. Change starts at home. What short cuts are you taking that helps along 'accidental' punishment in your community? How you gonna change that rhythm?

 

Afrolicious. Afrodelic. Afronautical. Afrologica. Fractal, improvisational, polemical, pedagogical, neurochemical, inspirational... that's the Logic of the Afro. Sign up, read up, be up. How big is your 'fro?

 

BLOWIN BACK THE 'FRO this weekend? My own reticence in promotion exceptionalism. Truly. IABD is da bomb and I know it exists because the racism in the dance world is putrid. Get this, in what other industry is a "style" actually a racial category? But I just had a very unsavory "raced" experience myself, and shoot, have had more than a boatful throughout my career, so I know how excruciatingly important it is to create safe spaces for exploration and affirmation. I just have to wonder what happens to development ad efficacy when we hunker down in our "communities." I am feeling the paradigm shift, but having a nostalgia for a future that has not yet arrived. Here are some mighty examples that you should go see to take a tour of my worlds.

 

 

TONIGHT

DOROTHY CHANDLER PAVILION

135 North Grand Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90012

Grupo Corpo

Friday & Saturday, January 28th, 29th 7:30 PM; Sunday 3 pm; tickets begin at $25

This company is crazy mad fresh. Intensely athletic and daring, they bring that Brazilian resolve to celebrate eros in our lives no matter what. Go check them. I'll be there tonight.

 

BILTMORE HOTEL

International Association of  Blacks in Dance

The conference continues with master classes being offered across the day and a few showcases. Those of you on the ball have laready made your reservation for a few auditions. I do not have the sense that LA is really making a good show of itself here. Lula Washingto, though fierce, can only represent so much. But this association is fundamentally NOT about African-descended dance, just black people who dance The Dance. Still the ferocity of the performances will leave you feeling both blessed to have witnessed and inadequate in your own endeavors. Get a day pass.

 

HIGHWAYS

1651 18th Street, Santa Monica, CA, 90404

Los Angeles Poverty Department presents... State of Incarceration

Fridays & Saturdays, January 28, 29 & February 5, 6 8:30 PM; online tickets $15/$20

My Face Book feed was practically aflame last night with people urging folks to go and see this remarkable show. The Los Angeles Poverty Department brings it HARD, every time. Collaborative, community pieces, they make work of the work of living. This installment takes you into the world of the incarcerated. They get the MORE COWBELL AWARD this week. Get there. You have two weekends, but don't bank on easy tickets. BUY NOW.

 

coming up

CHINESE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF LOS ANGELES

Broadway & Hill, Chinatown, Los Angeles, CA

112th Golden Dragon Parade & Festival; route map

Saturday, February 5th,  1PM Parade; additional Festivities on Sunday February 6th.

Whew! The year for me is finally over! That's right, I follow the lunar calendar, babee! But it gets kinda confusing because February will be FULL of various Asian Lunar New Years. When I lived in Oakland, I just stayed in the street and in red for all of February--when I was not a Black History Month event! If you have never been, GO! This is amazing fun. You can do it on the cheap, or you can roll out your own red carpet and buy yourself confetti cannons, horns, bells, ribbons and other assorted party makers. The have a food court, but be adventurous and go into one of the shops. When you need a break, the LA Public Library China Town Branch is perfect! Put some money in a red envelope and say your wishes for The Year of the Metal Rabbit and put it in the mouth of a dragon. If you are really lucky, ACTA artist Chris Low will be dancing your chosen dragon in the Los Angeles’ Awakened Blessing Lion Dance Troupe.

GETTY VILLA

17985 Pacific Coast Highway, Pacific Palisades, California 90272

Poor Dog Group presents a work in progress, Satyr Atlas

Friday, February 4th, 8 PM; $7 tickets online

I already have my ticket for this! And likely, the show is already sold out. But go check. If you have never seen these weirdos do their thing, you might be happy, but it is likely that you have missed something. Reminiscent of the Monty Python stew of oddballs, scatology and jump cuts, Poor Dog Group keeps you on the edge of your seat because you just can't believe you are even still sitting. Interpret that as you will. I love them and well, I might be a frenemy! But they are a local DIY troupe that is not afraid to drop their pants to see what will happen performing at the Villa and dammit, that deserves to be celebrated!

 

get ready for

Feb 12th: Contra -Tiempo Gala Fundraiser! Tickets are already on sale now!

Feb 18th: Fourth Annual Pasadena Dance Festival, presented by Lineage Dance. Newly on my radar! Looks exciting with Mark Morris featured. Tickets on sale already!

 

THE UNKNOWN THEATER

Nope! Not quite yet, but Chris Covics, director of this infamous performance space wrote me a fantastic response describing what the production team for this space is up to. If you didn't know, or have never heard of them, The Unknown Theater was a great stage space with only a 75 seat house in the theater district in Hollywood, next to the comedy clubs around Seward. Well, they were tossed out on their ear, but have regrouped and are putting together a September multidisciplinary show (as they are wont to do) which sounds like the bees knees. Stay alert for this production. As far as getting another great dance stage back in action, they are taking their time finding the sweet spot. If you know of one, their website is still up and they do respond to inquiries.

 

ONGOING CLASSES & WORKSHOPS

This Pasadena Dance Festival (Feb 17 -19) is looking like a real inclusive winner. Check out their line up of workshops on their website.

In Oakland, Conceição Damaçeno hosts a Iemanjá Festival! Very exciting. February 12th. Look for an AFRO ALERT with the details.

Many dance camps have announced themselves for the summer season, but the majestic Congolese Drum & Dance Camp is about to kick off in MAUI on Feb 25th - March 5th. Get yourself there.

Then save up some cash for Camp Fareta. Right now is the time to get on the volunteer list, which will get you a reduction in registration fees. July 10-16, 2011, at their usual beautiful location in central California! Led of course by Youssouf Koumbassa. 

 

Baker & Tarpanga will be taking another group to Burkina Faso this summer August 7 - 11. Flyer available on the bottom of their homepage.

Makeda Thomas of Roots & Wings has announced her Dance & Performance Institute in Port of Spain Trinidad. This one has an application deadline of April 11, so get crackin! Looks rather amazing.

Viver Brasil has been blessing us with special workshops by their new Brazilian company members, so much so that you might have forgotten that you can go with them to Brasil in August. Their trip is August. Expect AFRO ALERTS on upcoming visiting artists.

 

 

Lovely!

Oh my dears, my fingers are going numb with all the good news! There are some incredible changes ahead for all of us dance artists, why wait for them to happen? Get into the front of the line of this shift happening in Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan, Yemen. Solidarity marches by youth the world over have begun. It would be wonderful to exert some of your craftiness and love for beauty to ensure that when the feet stop kicking up dust, the paradigm would have shifted. No more revolutions--they just dump you back on a different place on the wheel. Let's get fractal, like the roots of a tree, like patterns of star dust.

in love, 

-Anna

Which Word is Easier to Read?

Yummy

 

People

 

Dance

 

Better

Every

 

Time

 

Let me know in the response box below. 

AFROLOGICAL NEWSLETTER: pas de cat

AFRONAUTS! First off, PAPA DOC?!?! I had to say that, just like that. Yes, Papa Doc Duvalier got somebody in France to let him on a plane so he could rush home to his, ahem, beloved Haiti and do...what exactly? Who had the brilliant idea to let this man back on the island? And during the one year anniversary of the earthquake no less. Makin my heart hurt. He is allegedly under arrest for some money thang, but Aristide remains in exile in South Africa which kinda makes you wonder if some bureaucrat somewhere has a formula to determine when a former exiled ruler gets to go home and under what circumstances. I know many of you have been working to help out Haiti through your art. I especially want to give a More Cow Bell Award to Maia and Congo Square West for their innovative use of their artistic gifts to assist in the recovery of Haiti. It is disheartening to see so little progress in clearing the ruble, and alarming that UN aid workers brought cholera onto the island. Please don't give up hope. This is one of those moments where we cannot let talk radio feedback loops distract us from true progress and healing. Yeah, Tea Bagging Republicans voted to roll back the Health Care Reform, but what a symbolic waste of time while our pledged aid dollars and people power are not getting to Haiti, while our own schools are shortening the instructional year and using consumeristic hoarding tendencies to raise funds. I could go on and on about the fact that the Tea Party is a DISTRACTION and a FABRICATION of the Koch Brothers. But since the brothers Koch have a very strong mesmer and a few Supreme Court Justices partying with them out in the desert while they establish "think tanks" to force the rest of us to do things like compete for every little thing, including surgery apparently, they cannot be ignored any more than a Duvalier in a motorcade in Port-au-Prince. Instead, I want to cajole, instigate, badger,okay, I'll even ask those of you who are convinced you can't make that new piece cause you didn't get that grant, or didn't get into the show, or can't make your art because you have no space, those of you who reside, either occasionally or permanently in the land of Yeahbut to rehearse in parking lots and parks, make work for intersections, corners, roundabouts, and bus stops. Please do this to reclaim the Commons. When asked what you are doing feel free to talk about just about anything at all, but talk, engage. Be prepared! Have your facts straight, but make that art, make that connection, generate some public space.

BLOWIN BACK DA FRO are calls for security in the schools when what we need is humanity and last time I heard, that is generated by belonging to something greater than one's self, like, say, a dance company, a theater club, a woodworking crew. You get my drift. This week we got some surprises headed our way and a few repeat

 FELA! continues to screen live from London in movie theaters near you! For only $20!

International Association of Blacks in Dance come to LA for their annual meeting, hosted by Lula Washington Dance Theater. A la carte tickets are available for master classes at $20 each; conference day rate is $150. There are likely some spaces left!

Check for AFRO ALERTS since there are many things just popping up left and right. Not worth it to aggregate in one big list, Gotta pick out da 'Fro each time! Got an alert? Send a notice to [editor] at afrological dot com.

ONGOING  CLASSES & WORKSHOP

Drum and Dance report: well, my preliminry findings suggest that racism can be a mutha when you're trying to make money giving a traditional dance class! So can faux authenticity. Bottom line, it is time to innovate! So far, innovation is being expressed in classes like Katí Hernandez's Afro-Cuban (Universal Dance Design in Mid City) by combining special workshops on focused repertoire and bringing in master teachers to share her class while offering opportunity to top students to gig with her. Oh, and it helps that she is a loving fireball on the floor.  In Venice, Dani Lunn gives you a chance to dance to a live band that is playing with you in her 7:30 PM samba funk class (Electric Lodge). Viver Brasil is turing up the heat for all of February to get you ready for Big Fatty, a Santa Monica based Mardi Gras/Carnaval. Go to their Tuesday night, 8 PM,  class (Dance Arts Academy) with Badaró and you will learn a Muzenza choreography for performance! I am in talks with Barron Lightner and Fatou Diouf to celebrate the Year of People of African Descent in high style, but until then, you can check out Barron's Monday 8 PM night Guinea  class in Torrance (Hype Studios) and get yourself a drum over at DEUNEU, Fatou's new spot in Leimert Park. Or, if you are in the mood to connect in a Senegalese funk, take my Monday night class in Venice (Studio Moon).

 

LOVELY!

So this is a post from my personal wayback machine ;->  Definitely keep your eyes open for AFRO ALERTS. And look forward to a few series on arts and politics. I hope to read your comments soon.

in love, 

-Anna

Admission to MOCA: A discussion with The Phantom Street Artist

At the end of last year, Italian street artist Blu had a mural censored by the very person who had comissioned it; Jeffrey Deitch, director at MOCA. There was a significant amount of back and forth about whether or not it was censorship or a curatorial move in the global art scene press. Now we find ourselves requiring better understanding of just what it means when we say "street art," exhibition," "curatorial decision," "censorship."

This week on the Afrological Investigation News Feed we have few streams going: one on drum and dance sites; one on dance and competition; one on reality TV and LAUSD green space; and yet another on public art performance and exhibition. These all interconnect, usually somewhere downtown on Hope or Flower, but also through a number of the aforementioned terms. We shall see.

Take a listen to my unedited discussion with the Phantom. He and other street artists--all of whom, interestingly enough, were not slated to be in the Street Art MOCA show--launched protests of support for Blu's work that are ongoing. He contacted me just as I was reading the press release outlining Shepard Fairey's resolution with AP Newswire over the Obama HOPE photo appropriation. The Phantom has a lot to say about that, too. Stay tuned for more of these talks. We are just getting started.

   (19350 KB)
Listen on posterous

AFRO ALERT: The Biotechnic Opera ((lecture series, Novum, biotech, futurism, Fallen Fruit, Avenue 50 Studio))

Kingdom Day Festival

See the full gallery on posterous

Kingdom Day Parade 2011

See the full gallery on posterous

Wrap up with Mud Baron

Hear the final, chaotic part of my encounter with the man of mud. I like this guy. It is so rare to meet someone on a mission, clearly on that mission, and having a great time doing it. The Mud Baron gets the More Cowbell award this week!

  
Download now or listen on posterous

Butterflies with Baron.amr (508 KB)

Makin boxes

  
Download now or listen on posterous

part 2 with Mud Baron.amr (580 KB)

Need more people ovah here.

Building boxes at 28th St. Elementary

  
Download now or listen on posterous

building with Mud Baron.amr (585 KB)

Stanford Elementary School Pop-up Garden

I came to plant and found a DEEP story. The Jamie Oliver Show wreaks a bit if havoc on the greening programs of LAUSD.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

AFRO ALERT: be GOOD and green for MLK

AFRONAUTS! Yes, the Kingdom Come Parade is tomorrow, Monday, January 17th, HOWEVER, if you would like to participate in the National Day of Service, one of First Lady MIchelle Obama's many initiatives, then I suggest you pull some fractal math and instead of hoeing a long row while keeping your eye on the prize and hoping the chariot swings low to take you to the promised land down by the river, get yourself to the 28th Street Elementary School in downtown LA to help plant their modular garden that GOOD folks installed on Friday, January 15th.

This is an exciting, useful, and energizing way to spend MLK Day.  It is also a great example of the type of work that we are being called to do in this millennium: super smart, very creative, humble, effective, entertaining, self-sustaining, collaborative and communal. GOOD and LAUSD have more of these in the pipeline, so get on the one y'all!

8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
28th Street Elementary School
2807 Stanford Avenue, Los Angeles, 90011

<br /><small>View Larger Map</small>

See you tomorrow.

ps: there are MANY other opportunities to work tomorrow, wherever you are. Use the locator to find a project for you to honor the Dream....

 

AFRO ALERT: or cp-timed listings

Hey beautiful Afronauts! I got some calls and emails asking me to let y'all know about some marvelous goings on that just never got the PR thang together, but would love an audience and/or participants. And then of course I got some calls about a dinner event I am helping to organize and had to handle that, then what?! The kids are hungry and oh my goodness my Kongo class is in 45 minutes, but listen! There is a dance festival cum fundraiser for Chester Whitmore, a phenomenal tap dancer. http://www.atlantajazzdance.org/images/chester-slideshow.jpg He is presenting/producing a show, "The History of Black Dance in America" on Feb 12. The word from the Crier is that it is a big production but  on 1/15/2011, (that would be tomorrow, Saturday) they are doing a fundraiser for it. THERE WILL BE DANCING ALL DAY LONG!  

Here are the details we could pull together for you fanatics:

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica}

Vermont Square United Methodist Church Community Center

4410 S. Budlong, LA, CA

<br /><small>View Larger Map</small>

 

First class is at 12:15 PM and will be taught by the legendary

 

Nzinga Camara, price is $12

 

 

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica}

Tap

Line Dancing

and much more!

and, now, Mr. Whitmore in action:

 

And just in case you did not hear, Swing Brazil will perform a the California African American Museum, 39th & Figueroa in LA,  on Sunday, January 16, 2011 at 3 PM as part of the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration program. The full program begins at 1 PM. Lula Washington's dance school will be in the house, too. Those kids are FIERCE!

Though there will be parades all over So Cal, The Kingdom Come Parade will likely be the largest. The sad truth about all this celebrating/reminiscing and dream having/deferring, black people have been disappearing from Los Angeles since the last millennium, down to 9% of the population. And perhaps, numerically speaking, there has not been a true exodus, rather a ballooning of other populations, while black folks headed east to San Bernadino or South to Atlanta. Now theres a story!

 

 

AFROLOGICAL NEWSLETER: doin the swim

AFRONAUTS! You have probably noticed a very weird series of entries from my other blog on No Impact Day. Try as I may, I cannot get the glitch worked out that is sending you that link: it's not in the feedblitz! However, since you have been getting it, I hope you take some time to check out at least the podcasts as I struggle through an attempt at a "carbon cleanse." Yes, delving deeply into our daily environmental impact is vitally important for us dance artists. Those of you who are true independent contractors and handle your business well can tell me exactly how many miles you clock behind the wheel each week, getting from one class to the next, one audition to a workshop, and on and on. Have you ever thought that this might not be the most sustainable way to live? Other than the fact that you likely have a very thin margin for error (especially this week with gas prices approaching $3.50), perhaps all your kvetching about not having enough time to make new work has more to do with your cabon impact than your time mismanagement. What if you set out to accept work that was only on major bus lines or what if you formed a car pool...okay, I hear you laughing. As an INDEPENDENT contractor, you have no set schedule really, and when you do--think adjunct faculty--you are expected to show up by yourself, unless you carpool with someone in another department (drama). That was exactly my response to the leaders of this week: yeah, if I were in NYC, I would have an easier go at getting around low impact stylee! But I would have a terrible time eating locally, or saving fuel on heating. We have our benefits to the rat race out here. But really, what if we decided not to race? not to compete? What if we formed cooperatives? What would we cooperate on? What are some of the major issues around sustainability affecting dance and performance artists in LA? Today I am reducing my water consumption but I wound up thinking about my conflict mineral consumption because I was thinking about all those birds and fish and crab dying off, in unison: creepy choreography! Choreography, cultural choreo started the whole thought line. I wanted to spend a week checking out "traditional drum and dance" classes. These choreographies are based on/ describe and analyze the environment in which they emerge. Each dying animal is a bit of choreo gone missing. Each major die-off is likely a direct result of our carbon and water footprints. We are killing the dance for many around the world (ourselves included) and setting terms for the global get down that are just outrageous. Time for a dance of disruption.

 

 

 <span>Robokop - We move at midnight preview ( FORTHCOMING ON MWM recordings) by Robokop</span> 

 

 

BLOWIN BACK DA 'FRO this week, other than the amount of trash my food is packed in (really, think about it) is the monster dance extravaganza, The A.W.A.R.D. Show and the fact that African Dance is somehow more commercially viable than po-mo and experimental dance thus, forever insuring that it ("African" Dance) is never quite considered an "art" form by ahem, certain sectors *cough*NEA *cough*. Conflict kinesiology? Okay, on the positive? AFRO PICK and the MORE COW BELL AWARD are going to the DCA & The REDCAT, respectively.

 

MORE COW BELL

THE REDCAT!  don't stop get it get it! With the Unknown Theater closed, there is currently no place else developing adventurous dance-based arts in. If I'm lyin', misinformed, or that ticks you off, holla! Just be forewarned, I am serious about that "adventurous" part, and if the dance floor is only reserved for you and your students, then "it don't count."

 

AFRO PICK

Okay, now, The Department of Cultural Affairs doth obfucate, placate and otherwise delve into the art of prestidigitation, but y'all, they are the Monty Python knight of city departments! "Chop off me arm, that's just a flesh wound! I'll switch my grip! No arm? I'll kick you to death!" They are still there, sending out calls for participation and applications, and awarding grants and pulling down big national ones for themselves. Now if we could just get them some help getting the Controller's office to CUT them checks in 10 - 14 days, things would be nice.

 

on to the listings, finally!

 

CHINESE MANN THEATER

 

6925 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood CA

 National Theatre Live presents FELA!, the film of the show, Live from London

Thursday, January 13, 2011, 7 PM, tickets are $20 only available online

I am not making this up. Too bad it conflicts with one of the nights of The A.W.A.R.D. Show. Fela! is coming to LA at the end of this year, live, but this film is supposed to be incredible. But no worries! There are several other So. Cal showings, but make your plans with a quickness! Just because the LA Times did not advertise this does not mean the Examiner dropped the ball. Thanks to Selimah for the tip! BLOWOUT COMB!

 

REDCAT

631 West Second Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012

The A.W.A.R.D. Show!

January 13 - 17, all shows at 8:30 except Sunday the 17th at 7 pm, different program each night; $18, no festival package.

Well, it is finally here, and of course, there are some tough choices to be made for some of us with many fingers in lots of different flavored pies. Geez, my gurls are on night one and three, but all the evenings offer something worth your while. The dance Ninja, Meg Wolf, is on night 3. BLOWOUT COMB!

check back for some updates...

ONGOING CLASSES & WORKSHOPS

Well, I am still looking for more folks to respond to my questionnaire--even if you KNOW that I know about your class. I am up to something BIG, hehehe! This week two new West side classes launch and I have a spotlight.

Crenshaw Yoga & Dance, 5426 Crenshaw Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90043-2408 great studio, chill vibe, and an awesome place to have a dance-centered event! I've been here once before for just such an occasion and finally got a chance to take a class, my feature. BABACAR N'Daiye. Sundays 3 - 4:30 PM, $15, live percussion. There is finally a seriously profesisonal level West African dance class in LA. For those of us who are older and former company members of Les Ballets African inspired companies, we mostly have been dancing for the fun of it, challenging ourselves to keep the choreographies alive in our muscles. Well, now there is a teacher able to challenge us with new choreography, too. This is NOT a beginner's class. Babacar is rhythmically challenging, even for those who know the repertoire. His funk works your junk. I highly recommend you arrive early and loosen your neck and shoulders on your own.

 

Burlesque Ballet, MECCA Vazie is back! And this time her inimitable class is down in Crenshaw. Check out this Collage Dance member's work. She's fierce. I am not sure if she is still runnning movement movement, but make sure you get a chance to see her perform: exquisite.

Electric Lodge, 1416 Electric Avenue, CA 90291-3734 has just added Economic Dance Relief, a workshop with ALEXANDRIA Yalj, another new class for the dance professional! January 15th, 2:30 - 4:30 PM. This one is for the hardcore modern dancers who are looking to be ready for the next pick-up company gig. Working through Limon, Horton, Cunningham, Graham, and Simonson techniques, Yalj has created an energetic style that will get you up, out and ready to book. Only $12.

Ongoing at the Lodge, DANI Lund gives a wild samba funk class to live arkestra (I'm not kidding) Wednesdays, 7:30 PM, $15. KIMBERLY Miguel Mullen gives her oriccha-inspired Afro-Caribe class on Saturdays at 10:30 AM, $20. Sundays, VITA Vierra brings the axê of Afro-Brazilian drum and dance at 12:30 PM, $15.

InFocus Wellness Institute, 717 Broadway in Santa Monica, CA, just announced LUNGUSU Malonga from Fua dia Congo is in town!!! CONGO IN DA HOUSE! Okay y'all, you must come. get your samba on with Vita, then roll on over and work dem hips some mo! Gusi is second generation fierceness, her father, Malonga, being one of my dance masters. This is HOT! Sunday January 16th @ 3 - 4:30 PM. Call 310-576-2008 to register, cost is $30. 

Also at the Institute, Friday nights 7:30 PM, PATRICK Senvosu & ANNA B Scott (that's me) give a wicked Congo class, one hour of hip grooves, smiles and sweat, by donation.

My  Soular System Senegalese class continues at Studio Moon in Venice, 1327 1/2 Abbot Kinney, Mondays, 7 PM. The studio door is on the parking lot in back, off Electric Avenue, next to Intelligentsia. Here's my flyer, spread the word and come and dance! 

Other spots to check out: Universal Dance Studios, where the maestra throws down a killer Cuban class; Dance Arts Academy, where Bahia and Sabar live and Your Neighborhood Dance Studio, where experimental West African dance thrives. More to come on that one ;->

 

Please please answer the questionnaire! I am looking for drum and dance classes, no matter the tradition. We have some responses, but need several more to augment the daily feature, yes DAILY!

 

LOVELY!

So, as I said, I am choosing good. We can get wallow in the muck of political grandstanding and environmental ignorance, or we can accept responsibility and begin to make the necessary changes to have the life we want to live and love. LOVE. LOVE! LOVE! Yes, send your vibes (and letters to your reps) out to end gun violence in the US and the world. Get inspired, not mired. Be the love y'all. See you on the dance floor.