NEWSLETTER: ride on a fantastic voyage

YES WE DID!
Greetings from Riverside, CA. I am out here at work for the UC Institute for Research in the Arts annual conference, State of the Arts. This year's theme is Demonstration. Last night Buck World 1 opened the proceedings. It was a moving and visceral reminder that now is the time to get to work on those depressing statistics that seem to swarm around poor Black men, or any one poor for that matter. While they got buck to a remix of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I have a Dream Speech," I kept hearing Obama's acceptance speech about getting to work swirling with the radio news reports about the spontaneous protest by gay rights activists in LA yesterday that I listened to for over an hour as I made my way out here. Demonstrations on this fantastic voyage. But we want to go for synergy and not collisions of consciousness. Time to talk this one out, get the church separated from the state once and for all, get the citizenry educated about EVERY ONE's civil rights, not just their own. Last night in the Sweeney Art Gallery my son stood puzzling over a sledge hammer in a glass box. "Mom, what's up with this hammer?" "'Art is a hammer,' Baker," I replied, "That's an old phrase meant to show how it smashes things up." I know it is time to get out the hammers: demolish, demonstrate, drive it on home.


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 DA 'FRO this week is the realization that "Now is the Time!" No more excuses, time to get focused, learn some new communication skills and get to work making the country a safe place again. I can't think of anything more adept at doing "D, all of the above," than fantastic art. "People get ready, there's a train a'comin. You don't need no ticket, just get on board." Well, actually, you better get your tickets now for a lot of these shows!


TODAY
LIFE ARTS CENTER
University & Lime Avenues, Riverside, CA
Demonstration: UCIRA STATE OF THE ARTS ANNUAL CONFERENCE
There are several performances and papers lined up for today to get us started out here on the edge of the desert. Tonight there are several multimedia events happening, but tomorrow, Pat Payne takes to the streets in an art action at noon. Right after her, on campus, I become a digital deity, taking confessions from Bucknell while I dance in Pittsburgh. Great opportunity to network and find your new favorite hammer-wielder. If you can get out here and get a room, come check us out.

REDCAT, directions
Friday & Saturday, November 7 & 8; 8:30 PM; ticket prices vary per day
Jordi Cortés and Damián Muñoz: Ölelés
Co-presented with FITLA (Int'l Latino Theatre Festival of LA), Ölelés is a dance adaptation of a 1942 novel, Embers, that tries to figure out how two men fall out and try to put their friendship back together again 40 years later. The dancing should be riveting.




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. Here is a great opportunity to get "glocalized": take action locally to bring change globally.


JAMES ARMSTRONG THEATRE, directions
3330 Civic Center Drive, Torrance, CA
SOLA 2008
Saturday, November 2008, 8 PM; $18/$16
Regina Kleinjoski has put together an inspiring evening of dance for this annual festival. This festival pairs young dancers with established choreographers. This year, there is a distinct emphasis on technology and meaning. Regina Kleinjoski set "Captured" on dancers from CSLB; Lorin Johnson & So. Cal Ballet Lab present "Study for Common Ground;" Chad Michael Hall presents "Doublespeak" on dancers from Loyola Marymount; Caryn heilman, Karen Safrit & Chris Liu set works on highly accomplished high school performers. Sounds like a good way to fish for dancers...


THE OPEN SPACE
209 S. Garey Street, 2nd floor, LA, CA 90012
Anatomy Riot #28, guest curator: d. Sabela Grimes
Monday, November 10th, 8pm; $10 suggested donation at the door, no reservations.
This installment of Anatomy Riot will be likely riotuous. With d. Sabela at the helm and the recent Obama win, participants in this night of the cipher will rock the bells, drop science, raise da roof, take it all the way out, and free your mind so your ass will follow. Low tech as always but high spirit, Anatomy Riot has hosted over 200 artists since its inception, helping to incubate new projects and audiences through the simple vision of the dance ninja, Meg Wolfe. Come and get you some this Monday.


(right now i am hearing an inspirational report about a free, degreeless program of study that centers art research and economic practices together. this woman is talking about informal exchanges,bartering or even a black market for studio art making, peddling consecration, can we become "hawkers of pedagogy" in our art practice? i'll take this up through viscera. alternative economies are becoming crucial as "disposable cash" becomes the oxymoron that it is.)

"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!



LOST SOULS GALLERY
124 W. 4th Street, Los Angeles (cross street is Main)
Styles Upon Styles, opening night fundraiser
Thursday, November 13, 2008; 6:00pm - 10:00pm
The proceeds from this slamma jamma will benefit Break The Cycle, a non-profit that helps people suffering with domestic violence. Alfie Numeric is a Face Book buddy of mine and she is just wild-ass crazee fresh (that was old school for "scintillating"). Come on out and share your change to bring that mystic change into formal reality. Get your party on, too!
New art work by: Alfie "Numeric" Ebojo, Gina Doran,Tawni Marie Lucero, Mia C. Villanueva
music maestra: DJ Lady Sha


THE VELASLAVASAY PANORAMA
1122 West 24th Street (at Hoover), Los Angeles, CA 90007
Vaudeville Night
Friday, Nov. 14th, 8 PM FREE!
reservations: events@panoramaonview.org
A night of performances and videos by a selection of California Community Foundation fellowship recipients, in conjunction with the "20 Years Ago Today" exhibition (currently on view at the Japanese American National Museum). Curated by Rita Gonzalez and Kris Kuramitsu, this event will take place at the Velaslavasay Panorama, a charming historic theater. Performances, video works, etc by John Fleck, Stanya Kahn, Michael Sakamoto and more. MUST GO.
http://www.janm.org/django/exhibits/20years/programs/
www.panoramaonview.org


UNIVERSITY THEATRE
UC Riverside, Riverside CA 92521
The Scales of Memory/Les écailles de la mémoire, Urban Bushwomen + Jant Bi
Friday, November 14, 8:00 PM: $34 gen/$32 fac & staff/$17 students
Iconic mono-gendered companies team up to create a night of explosive dance that travels through memories of Senegal and the Deep South in the US. if you like your dancing fierce, you MUST go to this, but tickets are likely just about gone. Call, don't book on-line at this point. I tried people, I really did, to bring you a master class, but because they are on a tight touring schedule, I was unable to get them to teach. They head down to San Diego same night, so if you miss this one, look for their dates down there, 15th & 16th.


HIGHWAYS
1651 18th St, Santa Monica, CA
Farid Mercury
Friday & Saturday November 14 & 15, 8:30 - 10:30; $20
And mentioning glocalizing forces...Robert Farid Karimi's one-man show shall take you through a world-win tour of what we call in academia "the extremities of power." At once a tribute to gay rock god Freddy Mercury, a face down of the shame of the Iranian Hostage Crisis, Patriot Act and Iran-Iraq War, and a search for a wrestling champion, Farid Mercury promises to provide a gut busting experience of the New Global South. Take notes. Cause it will be on the post-Market economy final exam. This is a must go. Hit it on Saturday so you can make it to the Free Vaudville night on Friday. I will be performing in Roanoke, VA, alas...


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.


coming up: sheetal ghandi & krenly guzman at ucla and the california touring project at diavolo...




ONGOING CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS
hmmmmmm. I must away back to the conference! Not to mention that I need to run my show for tomorrow afternoon. So remember that DANCEbox courses with Neil Greenberg are half done and meet on Saturdays @ Farm Lab Under Spring. The Haitian Show at Occidental is preceded by an afternoon of workshops. F I E L D with Rae Shaolin Blum is wrapping up and Oguri is launching, also at the Farm Lab, Nov. 7th & 8th. Dance mapping....



LOVELY!
Before I came back to the room to send this off, I heard another talk about the impact of the "creative market" on the environment and Global South. We've got to close our production cycles! The statistics were staggering, but they got me thinking about the fact that very very soon, we will all need to think much more creatively about how we "get the word out" not just about performances, but even fundraisers, or newsletters. "Reduce reuse recycle" is not an option but your new mantra. Just as "Civil rights for all" is your other one. Prop 8 was/is a mistake with the possibility to become an infestation. Rather than sit back and watch the battle drain the state of much needed resources, get active with micro-investment: have a conversation with someone you know voted for it. Try to understand their position while making your own. And when it feels like it is going no where, remind them of the great joy we have in this country because we keep church and state separate. Let them marinate on that. Make this effort with 10 people. Let us know how it goes. We cannot Be the Change, love the O, and let hate get written into our state constitution. I want to enjoy my Obamaforia to the fullest, which means I have to work very hard to repeal Prop 8. Love is boundless and does not discriminate; true creativity makes no trash; true change leaves no one behind.

in love,
-Anna

NEWSLETTER: fire breathing

ALOHA!

"All right already!" Don't you just want to shout that out loud for no particular reason aimed at no one in particular? Sometimes it just bees like dat, but especially right now with the economy eating itself like a maniacal, cannibalistic pacman AND the election right around the corner AND a sudden influx of drivers returning to the road since oil prices are plummeting. (For the last time: the price of a barrel of oil has scant little to do with the price of a gallon of gasoline on the exact same day.) We are all feeling a mix of euphoria, impending doom, and just a touch of hamster. Yes, hamster. You know, running around that wheel for no particular reason, greedily nibbling that kibble in a corner so no other hamster can get at it...There's just enough of that vibe to make everyday discourse damn near disasterous. Advertising companies like Yahoo are starting to fail, large retailers are going belly up (hello, Mervyn's?!) More financial mergers are happening and foreclosures have not been stopped. The UC system just announced no raises as had been planned. The Sant'Ana Winds are broiling even the beach areas. Time to lift it up! If you hold fear in your heart and focus on what you fear, you will help it manifest. Hold delight, grace and forgiveness in your heart, dance A LOT, and focus on a society full of people ready to make a difference for the good of ALL. Every morning, get up and just sit still with a smile on your face and imagine your day amplifying that sensation of smiling. Thankfully, there are lots of offerings out there to smile about, a number of which require some cash, but we are cutting up those cards because we need to become the solution ourselves.


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 are new subscribers! Hellooooo there! Not to mention a li'l sumpthin sumpthin for those SYTYCD freaks out there, some trips down memory lane and a lot of opportunities to DIY, which ain't QED but well worth the effort IMO. yeah, i can't stand texting english either. What should we call it? "Acronize?" "Digitese?" Whatever. You need to check at least one of these out.


THE MUSIC CENTER, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
Night Spot, Miami City Ballet
Thursday October 23rd - Friday 24th 7:30 PM, Sunday October 26th @ 2 PM; $30 - $120
MIAMI CITY BALLET performs the West Coast premiere of NIGHTSPOT, a Twyla Tharp and Elvis Costello collaboration. Big budget, big tour, big names, big ballet. be aware, that Night Spots is not evening length. There are 2 Balanchine pieces, Symphony in # Movements & Tarantella, and a Christopher Wheeldon piece, Liturgy.


ECHOPLEX
1154 Glendale BLVD, Los Angeles CA 90026
Underground Dance Masters: Final History of a Forgotten Era, film by GS Media Group
October 24, Doors @ 8 PM, all ages
This film will likely shake you up if you think you know hip hop. I've seen a few versions, and Thomas Gùzman-Sanchez is adamant about undoing our reliance on easy, sloppy terms and quickly shifting memory. The last bit has gotten him into a whole bunch of trouble. People have the right to forget; does not necessarily make them liars. That said, his reliance on television variety shows to help set a timeline for the evolution of "break dancing" is just sheer genius. The battle for truth still rages on though, so you can expect a lot more films on the topic from a number of "OGs" round the globe. Go check this one out and you will get to see many of the masters in the film, throw down live. Kenny Ortega hosts the jam after the film. No price given for admittance...and I cannot find an actual mention of the event on the Echoplex website; sera que no existera? They sent me a press release directly. For a review copy or to schedule an interview, please contact:
Tom Sachelle, Public Relations (818)727-1979



SEA AND SPACE EXPLORATION
4755 York Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90042
Exchange Rate: 2008 hosted by the Audacity of Desperation Exhibition
Oct. 26, 6-8 pm; then watch the election returns on November 4th alongside performances
Featuring performances by: Danielle Adair, Dorit Cypis, Liz Glynn, Adam Overton and Sara Roberts
I have to admit to not feeling the title of the exhibition, but the concept sounds very wonderful. The event here is one of many around the globe, all focused on the US Presidential election. Elana Mann helms the project. Check out their home page.


AVENUE 50 STUDIO, directions
131 N Avenue 50, Highland Park, CA
The Black/Brown Dialogues: Inspiration House Poetry Choir #4
Saturday October 25th, 7 - 10 PM
Hosted by Peter Harris, this evening of poetry is going to rock you and move you. If you remember his radio show back in the day on KPFK, Inspiration House, you know this will get you lifted. Featuring Music by Maria Elena Gaitan, cello; Robert S. Hilton, slide harp; Curtis Robertson, Jr., acoustic bass & Spoken Word by Peter J. Harris, Amalia Ortiz, Francisco Letelier, Imani Tolliver


THE NEW LOS ANGELES THEATRE CENTER
514 S Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA 90013
Saturday October 25th & 26th, 3 & 8 PM on both days; $35, though discounted tickets may be had
The Limón Dance Company presents: Lament for Ignacio Santos Meijas and The Moors Pavane
Truly, this tour is a dance history course unto itself.


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.



Missing something from a previous newsletter, like all those awesome dance performances happening at 10 AM at the Music Center? Check out the archives. Add a comment while you're at it!



as promised for the So You Think You Can Dance fanatics:
THE EL PORTAL THEATRE
5267 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood
Sonya Tayeh Presents, Battles
Thursday November 6 & Friday the 7th, 8pm, $25 @ www.elportaltheatre.com or call 866-811-4111. Get your tickets now...this show will sell out!
Last year's show was one night only and completely oversold according to Grover Dale. This year a second night has been added. I checked some of the footage: the work has a certain ferociousness that is appealing, the ballet fits some of the time. It was definitely surprising and engaging. Go see it if you can and take class with her at Millennium. She LOVES to move, get others moving and be moved.


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.


UPCOMING
Urban Bushwomen & Compagnie Jant Bi present "The Scales of Memory" at UCR November 14th. get tickets NOW!

Caseboldt & Smith present California Touring Project @ Diavolo Dance Space, November 21-23, tickets are on sale.

UCIRA, State of the Art conference @ UCRiverside, Nov 6 -8. Panels, performances & a party, too. Mission Inn is the conference hotel. Pat Payne is staging an instigation you don't want to miss.



ONGOING CLASSES & WORKSHOPS
Don't forget about the Cuban and Haitian workshops coming up. Cuban song and dance hit this weekend, Haitian follows after Halloween. Check it out in last week's newsletter.

Kinky Stretch with Gregory Barnett has started at The Open Space. Get details on that as well as other ongoing classes on the dance map.

Viver Brasil is still hosting Dona Cici. Study Afro-Brazilian dance at a great depth...


CALLS
itch is looking for submissions. get your subscription if you have not already. The launch party for issue 8 was a good time. Red Cat lounge has just the right levels of swanky and boho geek. itch # 9 is Before/After: a small book of predictions, outcomes, and paradigm shifts
they consider all kinds of writing and images. submit@itchjournal.org. also, respond to issue #8, which can be purchased through their website.





LOVELY!
OH MY GOODNESS. Thank you to all of you who came out to Asphalt Sea this past Saturday. The performances & projections were magical and the Techno Hillbillies laid down some cool acid jazz riffs. Tiffy G burned up the side of the buildings with her VJing. It got me to thinking: perhaps we all need to get ready for the return of the rent party, not that we was raising some rent money (boy did we not) BUT, we did elevate all who came. With purse strings a-tightening, it is more important than ever to make art for the people, by the people and with the people. Art that can literally keep a roof over somebody's head. Art that can help heal the void of consumerism. Art that relieves the symptoms of affluenza and poverty. Art that informs you. Art that makes you laugh & puts a song in your belly. It's time y'all. Get Up Stand Up. Shine your light.

i love you!
-Anna