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ALAFIA!!! Ola!!! Hello and how do?Bless that ocean, will ya? Not too hot, just enough breeze coming on shore, beautiful waves. This is why we lived so jammed packed out here on the West Side. But we often miss the adventure and thoroughly jagged edges of art in the City. So here's to the time disruption torn map known as "El Lay." This weekend there is no class as I get ready to hit the road and embark on a series of local projects. AFROLOGICS West African Dance Class will return, but in a different location and time.Afrologic. Afrological. Afrologica. How big is your '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.BLOWIN' BACK THE FROMy goodness, there is a A LOT happening in these next 73 hours, so this edition of the newsletter will feel more like a dispatch, cause I'm tryin' to get one of the events tonight, so that I can make the rest over the weekend!OPENING TONIGHT:Task FORCE11 Missing DaysActually TaskForce has been dancing on/in water for a few days now, but they go on tonight in San Pedro. Last night they were at the OPEN SPACE. They continue through the weekend.Meg Wolfe's "11 Missing Days" starts its first weekend at the Unknown Theatre. I think you can still book tickets right now to get the $18 price. It is $25 at the door.THE BIG BLOW OUT COMBViver Brasil takes the stage on Saturday, July 5th at 8:30 PM. There are still tickets. So get some asap. I'll be there. Shall we meet?So my recommendations:STEPHAN KOPLOWITZ: TASKFORCE tonight11 Missing Days on Friday "Omi Odara/The Gift on the Water" Viver Brasil on SaturdayTASK FORCE Sunday Afternoon11 Missing Days Sunday nightThere is still the Hawai'ian Fourth of July right now at the Santa Monica Pier. It is free. They are planning on breaking a world Hula record. Show is underway.You can do this!UPCOMING:July 11th on Wilshire BLVD, there will be watermelons...July 12th at the NEST, Pat Payne hosts a salon, myspace.com/spunkyxipe OKAY my dears, I must away. I've just been told that I must go take a master dance class, so no Task Force for me tonight.There will be a dispatch with further show info...there are so many splendid things happening for children and families this weekend, too!Look to the Dark for all the light you need...in love, -Anna
HEEEEEY!! June is almost gone, and summer is blasting us not only with heat (and some unfortunate smog) but with wonderful music, exceptional dance events, street fairs and just a sensibility, almost fragrant, that there is still so much possible here, even with the economy tanking, even with the price of gasoline, even if...Every cloud has its silver lining and I am thinking that our windfall will be each other. Take and make every opportunity to get to know your fellow travelers!Here is one, and maybe the last for a bit as the summer takes me to conferences, workshops, and family reunions:West African Dance with Anna Scott, 1:30- 3:30Shakti's Elements, 717 Broadway @ Lincoln, Santa Monica.$12 cash love offering; $10 if you ride the bus. children welcomed!Best place to park is in the 7th ST public lot. 1st Two hours free!Afrologic. Afrological. Afrologica. How big is your '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.
BLOWIN BACK THE 'FRO this week is serendipity! As you may recall, back in April Mami Wata swam into the Fowler Museum, where she is still holding court, btw. Viver Brasil helped celebrate her, Marcus Quiland-Nazario brought buckets and buckets of walking ponds to honor her in a parade, the LA Tap project launched, I had my students do water actions at UCR, the Governor declared a drought, and then the LA River was declared not really a river, and my neighbor, editor of the La La Times, George Wolfe made the LA Times when he commuted to work in a kayak and suite and now we have a fantastic series of water-based performances washing into town this week!!! I know, that was a run on sentence, but it was fun. But before I dive in, Ms. Pat Payne has this to say:WHAT RECESSION?! The NEST presents a SILENT ART AUCTION, Sat. June 29th, 2-6pm3025 Exposition Place #2 Los Angeles, CA 90018-4015 (323) 292-3375http://www.mapquest.com/mq/8-FOi_LA4oI-10 to Crenshaw exit, southThe NEST'S SILENT AUCTION will feature original fine art/photography, art books, performance artifacts and custom home furnishings created by yours truly and other talented So-Cal artisans, with prices to fit every budget. Payment plans and/or deliveries can be arranged for large purchases. Light refreshments will be served.Previews will be online at myspace.com/spunkyxipe Now, if you have never seen the lovely Ms. Payne in action, you are so sad. But see, she forgives you and is inviting you to her Live/Work space for a delightful afternoon of art, friends, tea, and your money getting placed into her cash register. I got a preview, and the work is quite interesting and stirring. I really dug it. Stay tuned for her upcoming Salon in July.REDCATJune 29-July 6 STEPHAN KOPLOWITZ: TASKFORCE This week-long series of site specific performances responds to unusual, inspiring and challenging sites connected by water--from the Farmers Market at The Grove, to The Water Court at California Plaza, the Los Angeles River and beyond. Bessie and Alpert award-winning choreographer Stephan Koplowitz and his new TaskForce -- a collaborative team of dancers, performers and composers -- explore an enduringly important and controversial resource in Southern California. redcat.org/season/0708/dan/taskforce.phpCatch what you can, before it floats away. (ok, that one was yucky) Hassan Christopher of the Open Space worked as one of the producers. He is VERY excited about this work, and so am I!GRAND PERFORMANCESThe next event that I'll recommend of this fantastic series is part of the event sponsored by the REDCAT06/30 - 5:00 PM: Stephan Koplowitz: TaskForce perform Liquid LandscapesThis area has some of the most beautiful, yet wasteful uses of water in the city. Not to be missed. If you missed Seun Kuti, you missed a great moment in LA civic history. My pics did not turn out (boohoo), but I'll still post one of revelers jammin in the moat on Afrologica. It's as if they knew that the TaskForce was coming to do just that.VENICE BOARDWALKVenice Eco FestSaturday June 28th, 10 AM - 7 PM1800 Oceanfront Walk, Venice, CA 90291It's as if Mami Wata is determined to make a point! Eco Fest comes late to Venice, but that's great for you if you did not make any of the other festivals hosted by Earth Day LA back in April. This one co-hosted by Venice Chamber of Commerce. Vegetarian fare, music, school dance teams, and a world premiere by Blankenship Ballet! Free! But parking is not and will likely make you go into convulsions, so, please take the bus, Metro 33 or 333 will get you right there. There's a Culver City bus, that gets close, too (don't know the number) and the Big Blue Bus #1 will take you to Lincoln & Venice where you can catch the 33 or 333 OR BBB #2 will take right by Venice Main post office. Bring the kids! I'm coming after my class.SKIRBALL2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd, LA, CA 90049OPENING THIS WEEKEND: Tere O'Connor and Rammed Earth.June 26 & 27 8 PM; Sat 7 & 9 PM; Sun June 28 7PM$20 gen, $18 mem, $15 studentGet tickets now for %15 off using the following code for on-line pre-sale 99522No late comers will be seated, so get up there early and hang at the café! This is guaranteed to be one of those dance community reunions, so get yo' hair did, yo' toenails done and your clothes perfectly LA frumpy! Oh, and accessorize. Free parking or go Metro Rapid #761CULVER CITY HIGH SCHOOL GYMNASIUM4401 Elenda Street, Culver City, CAFriday 6/27 & Saturday 6/28 at 8pm; Gen Admin $15, kids $5,Pop RocksThis comes recommended by Grover Dale. The LA Dance Company presents two evenings of pop-music driven choreographies accompanied by a live DJ in a setting like a rock concert. Looks like a really fantastic event on the very broad LA Dance scene! Choreography by Jolieba Jackson, Kate Hutter, Leslie Scott and many others.UNKNOWN THEATER110 Seward ST, LA, CA 9003811 Missing Days, Meg Wolfe/Show BoxJuly 3 - 13, two weekends, different bill each oneThe mystery will unfold soon, but you won't get to solve it if you don't have tickets...SANTA MONICA PIEROcean Blvd @ BroadwayThe Thursday night music series begins tonight! The schedule is a tad ho-hum until mid-July, but there may be something of interest to you. The 4th of July has a Hawai'ian theme, which, to be honest, turned my stomach a bit as there is right now a very intense lobbying effort to free this island nation from US control. But, it looks like a good line up. So if you like hula and ukelele, check it out on the 3rd of July. The GLOW Festival will be here, more to come on that. Parking is a NIGHTMARE. Please take the bus, or better yet, if you're local, ride your bike. The city provides valet parking right there on the beach.SUNSET STRIP MUSIC FESTIVALThursday June 26th - Saturday June 28thThis famous section of the boulevard launches its own festival this year with a very ecclectic mix of bands. This is a venue-based festival, kinda like the music festival in Austin, but waaay smaller. If you're over 42 yrs old with a significant amount of burned out brain cells, most of this will be heaven for you. I recommend checking out Dialated Peeples (whaat?!) for all the Gen X Hip Hop heads on Friday, June 27th at the House of Blues. But get ready for Sunset Junction, the mother of all urban music street festivals in LA, in August.FORD AMPHITHEATER2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East Los Angeles, CAViver Brasil, "Omi Odara/The Gift on the Water"July 5th, 8:00 PM, $28/ $5 for kidsOh yes, more water, more water, more water! please get your tickets. This show will sell out soon. It's a great venue for families, especially since Target has underwritten $5 for children! The open dance class was a blast--thanks to all who showed for that. Let's sit together! Hit me up if you are going and we'll plan a section.SUMMER INTENSIVESHere comes the DanceBank summer intensive, accompanied by a workshop from the SHOWBOX, both Dance Ninja (aka Meg Wolfe) inventions. Please go to her MySpace page for many more details, esp. pricing as it varies by the number of classes purchased.DANCE BANKSat/Sun 11am-2pm*:
8/2 & 8/3 - Rae Shao-Lan Blum (at Farmlab)
8/9 & 8/10 - Mira Kingsley (at Farmlab)
8/16 & 8/17 - Sara Wookey
8/23 & 8/24 - Olivier Tarpaga *(5-8pm on 8/24)
8/30 & 8/31 - Liz Casebolt & Joel Smith
Tuesday/Thursdays 11am-1pm:
8/5 & 8/7 - Simone Forti (at Farmlab)
8/12 & 8/14 – Liz Maxwell
8/19 & 8/21 - Rebecca Alson-Milkman
8/26 & 8/28 - Taisha Paggett
Thursday nights, 7-9pm:
8/14 - Hana van der Kolk
8/21 - Hana van der Kolk
8/28 - Meg Wolfe
SHOW BOX presents the July Guest Artist Series
July 5th: Faye Driscoll (NYC)
July 12th: Sam Kim (NYC)
July 19th: lean to productions - Leslie Seiters (San Diego) and Rachael Lincoln
July 26th: Modern Garage Movement (NYC)
These classes will be held from 11am-1pm, at
Farmlab and Under Spring
1745 N. Spring Street #4, LA, CA 90012
Phone: 323.226.1158
Handicapped Accessible
Free & plentiful street parkingAFRICAN DANCE FESTIVALS/CAMPS/WORKSHOPSFareta has closed early registration, but you can still get in on the action and even pay with Pay Pal. This camp is hosted by Youssef Koumbassa July 6 - 13 at Camp Hye Sierra, Dunlap CA and features an All-Star line up of dancers from Mali & Guinea, with a few reps from Senegal. Yousseff has such good energy, if you can, check this out.Alamuta at the Lacy Studio Lofts (OMG, they look so beautiful) in LA, July 11 - Aug 3, is set to kick off coming soon to LA in July, tickets still available. The line up includes not just dances from West Africa, but throughout the African Diaspora. let's thank them for organizing this by turning up and paying in full in advance...Travel north to the Congolese Dance and Drum Workshop hosted by the Kongo dance community of Oakland, CA. Not to be missed! Held in Pike, CA near Nevada City, this camp truly transports you to the essence of the musidance. Their children's camp is worth its weight in gold. July 25 - August 3rd, but you can purchase by the day!Le Bagatae in Chicago has announced a summer dance festival. Won Na Won Malan, by the lake in beautiful South South Shore district. August 7 - 10; Pay before July 24th $195 buys all 12 classes, concert and camp t-shirt. THE LINE UP IS HOT!!!! I will upload the registration form in Afrologica as it came as a PDF file. Youssouf Koumbassa, Djenaba Sako, Biza Sompa--just to give you an idea. This will be fierce.Papa N'Diaye in Boston invites you out to the NDAJE FestivalJune 26-29, 2008The line up is AMAZING!!! For more details, please check http://www.papendiaye.com/ndajefestivalFor more information about West African dance in the Boston area, please visit www.WADaBo.com! Questions? Send an email to: ndajefestival@ papendiaye. comRASANBLE! A Hatian dance camp in Oakland!!July 11- 14th, in two locations so check out Rara Tou Limen's MySpace page for complete line-ups, fee schedules and events. You can also request info at raratoulimen@gmail.comYou can still travel to Salvador- Bahia, Brasil with Viver Brasil Aug 1 - 16! Just a few spots left. This is one of those relaxing, yet intense dance workshops. Linda Yudin and her staff have quite a time planned for you. $3395 includes double occupancy, all classes and airfare. This is a great way to go the Land of Magic if you have never been.ONGOING CLASSESsection will be back next week after a foraging round. who is teaching what and where?! here are few items that are one time eventsZé Ricardo at the Dance Arts Academy Tuesday Nights,July 1 & 8, 8:00 PM, guest of Viver Brasil $15Rosangela SIlvestre at Electric Lodge in Venice Sat at 10 AM, guest of Kimberly Mullen (unconfirmed) Lovely!So, I'll see you in class this Saturday, no? Consider it the warm up for a very exciting weekend.in love, -Anna
