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Divine Rhythm News >
Divine Rhythm News
Divine Rhythm News
Feb 29, 2008
*DRP ARTISTS*
NEWS UPDATES & EVENTS
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Chloe Arnold -
Master Class in LA
Monday, March 3
Monday, March 17
(limited engagement)
When: Monday, March 3rd, and 17th
Adv. Beg/Int. - 6:30 - 7:30 - $15
Adv. Int/Adv. - 7:30 - 9:30 - $20
What: Technique, Choreography, Improvisation
Who: All ages are welcome.
Where: Debbie Allen Dance Academy
3623 Hayden Ave. Culver City, CA 90232
Space is limited!
Please RSVP to chloearnold@gmail.com
Get your Chloe Tap Couture - New styles available!!
For more information on Chloe:
www.chloearnold.com
=================================
MAUI REVIEWS!
"RESPECT THE DANCE"
By LOLLIE GROTH, For The Maui News
DANCE REVIEW
October 30, 2007
Last November I came to see the Masters of Rhythm at the
Castle
Theater at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center. I was so blown
away by the
riveting percussive performances of New Yorker Jason
Samuels Smith and
L.A.'s Chloe Arnold that I decided I had to start tapping.
At 51, I
began weekly classes from Becky Pelissero in her dance
studio on the
slopes of Haleakala.
With tap, I was learning a totally new language, the
language of
"flap heel heel brush back toe heel." I was learning to
count and
recall routines. Becky was generous with her knowledge; she
loaned me
DVDs of the Nicholas Brothers and of Gregory Hines. At work
I'd
practice cramp rolls behind the counter.
This past weekend I began to realize just how lucky I am,
how lucky
we are, that this Upcountry couple – Becky and her husband,
GJ
Pelissero – are willing to dedicate their time, energy and
funds to
create the Maui Tap Experience, and to bring to Maui this
incredible
lineup of internationally acclaimed tap dancers to teach
us, inspire
us and entertain us.
In conjunction with Saturday's Masters of Rhythm concert,
the
Pelisseros arranged a Hawaiian Islands Tap Dance Festival
at the
MACC's Omori Studios. The festival ran four days and
offered 34 master
classes for all levels and ages as well as a Participant's
Showcase.
There were close to 100 participants, and people came from
as far as
Tokyo and Canada, and as close as Hilo, Honolulu, and
Haiku. There
were students from the UH Manoa Dance Program as well as
students from
Maui Academy of Performing Arts.
Braving a beginning class from Tre Dumas, a tap dancer
from Chicago,
I was impressed with his credentials – including a
three-year tour of
"Riverdance" – but also his altruism – Dumas helped build a
thriving
tap school in inner city Chicago. A Chicago Bears fan, Tre
looks big
enough to play ball. With his shaved head, a tap shoe
tattoo on his
biceps, and a gold hoop in his ear, Tre is the epitome of
cool. At the
end of class, Tre had us gather in a circle and put one
hand on top of
another's – like you see sports teams do. He said, "Look
around at
these faces, we're white, Asian, black, Polynesian, we're
young, we're
old, there's an 81-year-old and an 8-year-old here. You're
with people
that under normal circumstances you'd never encounter, and
yet in this
class, through tap, you've shared an experience together.
Honor that.
OK, on three, say it loud: Respect the dance!"
At the Masters of Rhythm Hana Hou! concert, Kathy "Tita"
Collins of
Mana'o Radio emceed the event and opened with some tap
dance hula in
her rubbah slippahs, "fast kine dance I learn in Baldwin
High School
Marching Band."
Then, like magic, the musicians, backlit behind the scrim,
appeared
in colored silhouette: Sal Godinez on green keyboards;
David Choy on
sax busted out in yellow; Michael Buono on drums, all
midnight blue;
and Marcus Johnson on bass glowed in red. While the band
played "You'd
Be So Nice to Come Home To," off to the right behind a
large spot-lit
disc of white light, you could see this huge shadow of a
guy in dreds,
"the Moses of tap," Jason Samuels Smith, and he was just
burning up
the floor.
Chloe Arnold also shared Jason's spotlight. "The closer we
danced to
the scrim," Chloe explained, "the smaller our silhouettes
got, but the
farther away from the scrim, the bigger we got." The effect
was
prophetic: What the audience was about to experience would
feel larger
than life.
Outside the scrim, there was a lot of smoldering going on:
Tokyo's
Yukiko Misumi fluttered and floated across the stage in
orange sequins
like a delicate firefly. Chicago's Dumas, in a red shirt,
black
pinstripe slacks and vest, danced cool and precise as a
burning ember.
John Kloss, in a black suit, struck the delicious line
between passion
and restraint. Dianne "Lady Di" Walker, in a silk
kimonolike top and
flowing pants, graced the stage with her refined demeanor
and elegant
musicality, ever carrying the torch of tap, passed to her
by her
teacher Leon Collins.
Each number was pure virtuosity, some spontaneous, some
set: Dumas'
improvised solo to Mile Davis; Yukiko's homage to Henry Le
Tang;
Kloss' amazing a cappella piece that ripped and slid and
scuffed and
glided; Arnold's intimate, euphoric duo with Choy on sax
doing "In A
Sentimental Mood; Walker's classy rhythmic precision to
"Autumn
Leaves."
And then there's Smith, always pushing the tap envelope,
creating new sounds.
One of the highlights was a "conversation," an improvised
piece
between Smith, Arnold and Dumas. As Tre explains, "We all
have riffs,
pet steps, steps that are in our pocket. In a conversation,
you're
riding that line between something you have in your pocket
– your
comfort zone – and something new and unexpected.
"And as for Jason," Tre grins, "he has a much bigger
pocket than most."
Lollie Groth is a freelance writer. She can be reached at
surfloll@mauigateway.com.
http://www.mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/35534.html?nav=15
………………………………….
Maui Weekly
Thursday, March 08, 2007
The Maui Tap Experience
Starr Tendo
Local couple brings tap masters from across the world to
Maui.
Most Mauians remember when the biggest musical-type
production of the
year was always Peter and the Wolf at the Baldwin
Auditorium. Not that
Peter and the Wolf was a bad gig. I greatly enjoyed it
every year—for
a decade. But growing up, I always wanted more.
I'm sure I wasn't the only Maui keiki that wanted to expand
my
horizons in the performing arts department. I lapped up
everything
that came my way—ballet classes in the fourth grade, drama
class at
Maui Community College, a really bad audition for South
Pacific (can
you say "tone-deaf?"). I even helped set up the 'Iao
theater for an
all male-review in my late teens. Yes, that's right, an All
Male
Review. Ah, good times, good times. Desperate? Who me?
Thankfully, times have changed. Today's kids have it all.
And I'm not
just talking Lunchables, Heelies and the Xbox 360. I'm
talking art,
music and dance. In the past 10 years or so, Maui has
become a hot
spot of multicultural activity. The Maui Arts & Cultural
Center has
certainly played a huge role in this, but we can't forget
the
individuals behind the scenes who have the vision to bring
us magic
like the Maui Tap Experience.
The Maui Tap Experience began in 2002 with the little dream
of
bringing some big Mainland tap dance to our island. Over
the next few
years, Maui went from a whisper in the world of tap dance
to a hot
spot. Tap masters from across the globe are eager to
clippity-clop on
stage on Maui.
Tap dance enthusiast Becky Pelissero and her husband, GJ,
of Kula,
created the Maui Tap Experience after attending a tap
festival on the
Mainland. At these festivals, professional tap dancers from
various
backgrounds teach and perform.
"We had been to several of these festivals over the years,"
said
Pelissero, "and I knew that this was something that I
wanted to bring
to Maui."
Pelissero asked festival attendee Mark Yonally from
Chicago, a
renowned tap performer and instructor, if he would like to
come to
Maui and teach out of her Ha'iku studio. Yonally accepted
the offer,
and it went well—The Maui Tap Experience was born.
"The students really loved Mark," said Pelissero. "The
outcome of the
first year was encouraging, and it gave me the confidence
to seek out
more professionals for the next year."
So in 2003, Pelissero added another instructor to the Maui
Tap
Experience, and held a show at the McCoy Theater, which
boasted 65
tappers who had participated in the classes offered.
In 2004, everything went wrong. "We did three days of
classes, and
another show at the McCoy," said Pelissero. "The turnout
wasn't what
we hoped for, because there was a big tropical storm going
on then,
and The MACC brought in Tap Dogs Rebooted just two weeks
before our
performance."
Discouraged but not defeated, the Pelisseros attended the
Vancouver
International Tap festival, where Becky met tap sensation
and Emmy
Award winner Jason Samuels Smith.
"I took his class and loved his vibe," said Pelissero. "I
introduced
myself, and he was like, 'You're the lady doing the thing
on Maui!' It
was awesome that he had heard about the Maui Tap
Experience. I asked
him if he would like to be a guest artist along with return
instructor
Mark Yonally, and he told me that Maui was his dream."
Smith introduced Pelissero to Chloe Arnold out of Los
Angeles. Arnold
is the managing producer of the Debbie Allen Dance Academy
in Los
Angeles, and is co-director of the L.A. Tap Festival with
Jason
Samuels Smith. She has toured the U.S. as a guest artist
and
choreographer.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Over the next year, Pelissero was contacted by numerous
professional
tap dancers who wanted to join Jason, Chloe and Mark.
"I think that it was the draw of working with tappers like
Jason,
Chloe and Mark, plus the added bonus of Maui," said
Pelissero. She and
her husband spent a year organizing the event... and it
paid off.
"We had seven world-class tappers come to Maui," said
Pelissero. "The
classes were a huge success—people came from all over the
world to
participate." The event was so huge that they decided to
call it the
"2006 Hawaiian Islands International Tap Festival."
The festival took place in early November and closed with
The Masters
of Rhythm tap show at the Castle Theater. The Castle seats
1,500
people, and the house was packed. Seven awesome tappers
from around
the world put on an amazing performance that earned a
roaring standing
ovation from the crowd.
What's in store for the Maui Tap Experience? Pelissero
said, "More
tap, of course! Jason and Chloe said that they'd come back
to Maui
anytime... even if they had to cancel something to get
here."
So there you go, Maui. Your very own international tap
festival. Makes
me want to dance.
For more information on the Maui Tap Experience, visit
www.MauiTapExperience.org.
http://www.mauiweekly.com/features/story3806.aspx
=================================
*EAST COAST*
NEWS UPDATES & EVENTS
------------------------------------------------------------
The Tap City Youth Ensemble performed Harold Cromer's Opus
One at the Apollo Theater's Amateur Night on Wednesday and
made it into the Top 4!!
They need your help to advance to the next round...
Get out those cell phones and text the words "STAR4" to
276556. To verify your vote you will receive a message in
which you text "YES" back. Be advised that there is a $1.00
charge; but if you want to vote, the kids would really
appreciate it!
For more details and to see a clip of their performance go
to the Apollo website!
Now go VOTE...you have until midnight on Sunday!
Thanks for your support!!
=================================
Samba Percussion Course
Instructor: Philip Galinsky, Ph.D.
Mondays, March 10, 17, 24 & 31
Beginning Section:
6:30 - 8:00 PM
Course fee: all 4 classes for $90 (includes $10 donation to
Frederick
Douglass for use of the instruments)
$25 per individual class
Advanced Section:
8:00 - 9:30 PM
Course fee: all 4 classes for $90 (includes $10 donation
to Frederick
Douglass for use of the instruments)
$25 per individual class
Frederick Douglass Academy
2581 Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., Boulevard
Corner of 149th Street
New York City
The Samba Percussion Course is an intensive workshop
designed to
train students in the fundamentals of samba percussion,
drawing on
Samba New York!'s original arrangements and the styles of
some of
Rio's top samba schools. There is no other course like this
one being
offered in New York City!
The Beginning Section focuses on the basics of the samba
school
Bateria (percussion ensemble). Students will learn
technique, the
rhythmic structure of samba, and how to play with swing.
The class
will work on simple arrangements for samba-enredos (theme
sambas) and
will be asked to practice their instruments and to do
listening
exercises on a weekly basis. Students are encouraged to
master the
basics as quickly as possible and to move to the Advanced
Section when
they are ready. Beginning students may stay and participate
in the
Advanced Section for no additional charge.
The Advanced Section serves as training for performances
of the Samba
New York! Bateria. Students will learn more advanced
techniques and
arrangements and will be expected to focus on one
instrument. Advanced
students may arrive early and participate in the Beginning
Section for
no additional charge.
To register for either section, send us an email with your
name,
telephone number, and experience with samba percussion. The
instructor
will determine your level based on the information you
provide and
possibly an audition. Instruments will be provided.
Directions: By subway, take the 3 train to the last stop
(148th
Street). The building is directly above the station. By
car, take the
Harlem River Drive to the 155th Street Exit. At the exit
ramp, turn
left onto Frederick Douglass Boulevard and another left
onto 150th
Street to Adam Clayton Powell. Cross Adam Clayton Powell
and drive up
the ramp to the school's free parking lot.
For more information:
http://www.sambanewyork.com/workshops
917.684.9447
www.sambanewyork.com
=================================
Auction Mania
Are you dying to escape to the tranquility of a 70-acre
upstate New York farm?
Would you be proud to give a beloved newborn the unique
gift of a
personalized baby sign?
Is there an ABBA fan in your life who'd flip for tickets to
Mamma Mia
with a VIP backstage tour?
How about the amazing opportunity to study tap dance
one-on-one from
an Emmy Award Winning Choreographer?
Then check out the 43rd Street Kids Preschool on-line
auction to bid
on these hot items—you have a chance to make them YOURS for
a fraction
of the real value! Go to www.43rdstreet.cmarket.com
It's easy to bid...just log on at
www.43rdstreet.cmarket.com, choose
fabulous items that suit your style, whether it's tickets
to the Met
or the Knicks, a zipcar or Junior Engineer costume, then
name your
price—it's like eBaying for charity.
You'll be a winner two ways—you'll enjoy getting a top
prize at a top
price while feeling good about supporting our
not-for-profit, parent
cooperative preschool whose mission is to provide excellent
early
childhood education to Hell's Kitchen Kids (and beyond!).
Help 43rd Street Kids parents help ourselves by supporting
this jewel
of a school. And you may just walk away with the luxurious
spa
package, the commissioned watercolor portrait or the
rockin'-smooth
wedding band of your dreams!
=================================
UPDATE on Crystal's class at STEPS!
Hi Everyone!
Due to my tech/dress rehearsals for "Seesaw" I will be
starting my
class at Steps one week later than originally announced.
Please join
me at 10 am starting Wednesday, March 12 and by all means,
bring your
coffee. And, come see "Seesaw"!
xoxo
Crystal
=================================
A Message from Ben Rauch:
Hey all! How are you? I did this show in November and
December and
and I've brought it back for two more performances. I
would love to
see you there! I wrote it with my sister, Melissa Rauch,
of "Best
Week Ever" and Winston Beigel ("The Misseducation of Jenna
Bush.")
I hope you all are well!
Best wishes,
BEN RAUCH
www.benrauchsite.com
This show is about a musical theatre obsessed community
theatre
outcast from NJ named Horace Vanderveer who's one dream is
to be on
Broadway. The only problem is he has one credit to his name
and very
little training. Come hear him act, sing, dance, and play
the
xylophone in this musical theatre comedy romp. This guy
probably has
the worst teeth to hit the theatre scene since ... well no
one has
worse teeth. This show is appropriate for families and any
big name
people in the industry who want to give Horace his first
job. HORACE
is an original character in the vein
of Napoleon Dynamite and Pee-Wee Herman.
If you can't read the image at the top. The show is called
"An
Evening With Horace Vanderveer" at the Laurie Beechman
Theatre (inside
the West Bank Cafe) 407 West 42nd Street (between 9th and
10th aves.)
In New York, NY. Cover Charge $15 (+$15 food and.or drink
minimum)
There are discounts for students, MAC, Cabaret Hotline,
SAG, AFTRA,
and AEA. Reservations strongly recommended 212-695-6909
Showtimes: Mon., March 3rd @ 7pm and Tues., March 4th @
7pm
Ben Rauch
Brauch1010@aol.com
New York, New York 10036
=================================
RENT
on Broadway
Final Performance June 1
On June 1, this groundbreaking musical phenomenon will
reach the end
of its journey.
See RENT for only:
$55* (Front Mezzanine)
or
$65* (Orchestra)
Reg. $110 - save up to 50%
SiteForRent.com
Schedule:
Mon, Tues, Thu, Fri at 8,
Sat at 2 & 8,
Sun at 2 & 7
*Conditions: Offer valid for all performances except
Saturday evenings
from 2/25/08 - 3/23/08. Limit 8 tickets per order. All
sales are final
- no refunds or exchanges. Blackout dates may apply. Offer
is subject
to availability and prior sale. Not valid in combination
with any
other offers. Offer may be revoked at any time. Offer
Expires
03/23/2008
=================================
Ever want to know what a Producer thinks?
Because you are a member of the Entertainment Industry, we
thought you
might like to know that Ken Davenport, featured
Entertainment Industry
Expo panelist from "The Business Behind the Show: Knowledge
is Power,"
is now writing a daily blog!
This is a great opportunity to ask questions about the
industry and
learn the inside scoop on producing theatre and what
happens behind
the curtain. Each day you will receive new information and
tips to
help you become a more knowledgeable performer, business
person,
theatre lover, etc.
Visit www.TheProducersPerspective.com today!
In case you missed the panel, Ken Davenport was recently
hailed as
the "P.T. Barnum of Off-Broadway" in the New York Times and
featured
on a national commercial for the iPhone. Ken is the only
independent producer to have three shows running
simultaneously
Off-Broadway: ALTAR BOYZ, THE AWESOME 80S PROM and
MY FIRST
TIME.
Ken's current projects include adapting the novel and film
SOMEWHERE
IN TIME into a Broadway musical and developing a new social
networking
site for the Broadway community called BroadwaySpace.com.
=================================
*MID-WEST*
NEWS UPDATES & EVENTS
------------------------------------------------------------
Hip Hop ConnXion proudly presents....
THE ONE
Saturday, March 15, 2008
FEATURING
Hip Hop ConnXion
HHC Chicago - Downtown
Culture Shock Chicago
Dance 2XS Chicago
CODA
M.A.D.D. Rhythms
ReDefinition
Footworkingz
Nonstop Productions
Hip Hop Force
Phaze II - Crosstown Crew
HHC Michigan - Rhythmic Soul Project
HHC Indiana - Sequel
And Special Guests
Dramatic Crew (San Diego)
Athenaeum Theatre
2936 N. Southport
Chicago, IL. 60657
$16 General Admission/$9 Children under 10
Doors open at 7pm/Show starts at 7:30pm
=================================
Check out Bril Barrett & Viola Elkins on YouTube.com!
A Message from Bril Barrett:
Viola Elkins invited me to be a part of her show late last
year and we
continued our "Interpretation Of Rhythm"
Check the conversation on youtube.............
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dOl7Qx_7nE
=================================
OPPORTUNITY: Job opening with Boone Elementary School
Hello everyone!
I am in need of a dance educator to cover my maternity
leave. I am seven
weeks from my due date, which is April 12th. We have ISAT
testing the
first two weeks of March, then spring break, so I am
feeling the time
crunch!!
I would like the person to have a dance background, and it
is fine if they
don't have a dance endorsement as long as they get
substitute teacher
certification from Chicago Public Schools. I want the
chance to train my
sub so that there is a smooth transition, and my school
will hire the
person as soon as his/her certification is complete.
There is one person who would be willing to sub but only
on Monday,
Wednesday and Friday. I would prefer a full time person,
because my
schedule is very tricky to teach and I have several big
events at the end
of the school year which I would expect my sub to assist
with. However,
if I can find someone who wants to teach on Tuesdays and
Thursdays only, I
would be willing to split the position.
If you know of anyone who might be interested in helping
me out, please
forward this email or my email address to him or her.
Interested
candidates can send an email with a resume attached. I am
eager to get my
replacement trained and prepared for my position, and
would like to do so
as soon as possible.
Thanks so much for your help!
Gina Spears
luv2dance@ameritech.net
Dance Teacher
Boone Elementary School
Chicago IL
=================================
*WORLD-WIDE*
NEWS UPDATES & EVENTS
------------------------------------------------------------
NEW TRAVEL WEBSITE!
www.NothingPlaneAboutUs.com
Check prices as well as book their own air fare, hotels,
car rentals,
cruises, as well as vacation packages and other things.
=================================
www.divinerhythmproductions.com
EMPOWER YOUR SOLE!
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