JR's List - This weekend in DC

Hey there,

Just thought I'd provide a list of things that are on my Facebook radar, which either friends are involved with or I'm generally interested in, and happening in the District (and surrounding area) this weekend!

On/beginning Friday for the weekend:

Fire Festival, Peculiarity Productions at Old City Farm & Guild

"To celebrate our last weekend of the 8 Bit Circus S*it performance series at Old City Farm [see below] we will have several local vendors at Old City Farm. Come by to meet local artisans and get yourself some amazing products before enjoying the show! Enjoy goods from Eat 170 Catering, natural products, jewelry, clothing, and more! The festival is free."

Fri 7/21 @ 6:30 PM

RSVP here: eventbrite.com/e/fire-festival-tickets-35977936978

On Facebook here: fb.com/events/1879455952303210

The Kind of Thing That Would Happen, Agora Dance at Gallaudet's Elstad Auditorium, presented as part of Capital Fringe

In a post-truth world, what makes a good story? Does it matter whether it’s true? Monologue, dance and an original score weave a narrative exploring elusive memory, love and how truth and untruth affects how we perceive the world.

Fri 7/21 @ 5:45 PM

Tickets here: capitalfringe.org/events/1073-the-kind-of-thing-that-would-happen

On Facebook here: fb.com/events/1889031831418254

Exit Carolyn, Nu Sass at Caos on F, presented as part of Capital Fringe

After the loss of their mutual best friend, Lorna and Julie are forced to find a new roommate to fill the space Carolyn left behind. Amidst a tangle of forbidden love, a bizarre new friend, and a sea of grief, can Lorna and Julie's friendship survive?

Fri 7/21 @ 7 PM, Sat 7/22 @ 3 PM & 7 PM, Sun 7/23 @ 3 PM & 7 PM

Tickets here: capitalfringe.org/events/1096-exit-carolyn

On Facebook here: fb.com/events/398522523880915

Lady Day, at Emerson's Bar and Grill

Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, a play with music by Lanie Robertson, takes place in South Philadelphia in March 1959. Billie Holiday is performing in a run-down bar, during one of her last performances four months before her death in July 1959. She sings, accompanied by Jimmy Powers on the piano, and tells stories about her life.

Fri 7/21 @ 8 PM, Sat 7/22 @ 3 PM & 8 PM, Sun 7/23 @ 3 PM

Tickets here: anacostiaplayhouse.com/calendar

On Facebook here: fb.com/events/118838902061053

To tell my story: a hamlet fanfic, The Welders at Silver Spring Black Box

“to tell my story” takes the story of Hamlet into the one place even more dangerous than medieval Denmark: the mind of a teenage girl. In a world where political backstabbing plays out on Facebook and Teen Vogue is helping lead the progressive resistance, this is the reimagining of Shakespeare’s Danish detective story that we need.

Fri 7/21 @ 8 PM, Sat 7/22 @ 3 PM & 8 PM, Sun 7/23 @ 2 PM & 7:30 PM

Tickets here: brownpapertickets.com

On Facebook here: fb.com/events/308494469592897

Things You Shouldn't Say, The Kinsey Sicks at Theater J

The ladies of The Kinsey Sicks are throwing down their sequined gloves and itching for a fight in Things You Shouldn’t Say, their most personal--and political--show ever. Full of their signature panache, hilarity and perfect harmonies, this all new show takes a searing journey into Trumpism, racism, AIDS, giraffes, Bette Midler, oblong vegetables, and much, much more. The Kinsey Sicks are the Dragapella Beautyshop Quartet that The San Francisco Chronicle has deemed “high-camp, unafraid, subversive and astonishing.”

Fri 7/21 @ 8 PM, Sat 7/22 @ 2 PM & 8 PM, Sun 7/23 @ 2 PM & 7:30 PM

Tickets here: edcjcc.org/center-for-arts/theater-j

On Facebook here: fb.com/events/1905836789657522

8 Bit Circus Sh*t, Peculiarity Productions at Old  City Farm & Guild, presented as part of Capital Fringe

This is a live stage performance designed to bring video games to life through fire and circus arts. Through two acts, the audience will be immersed in an alternate reality of two video games: Alessa's Nightmare and Pyro fighters.

Fri 7/21 @ 8:30 PM, Sat 7/22 @ 8:30 PM

Tickets here: peculiarityproductions.tix.com

On Facebook here: fb.com/events/127955381117663

DJ Dan with Proxxy & Lantern, at U Street Music Hall

The legendary DJ Dan has become a master of his craft throughout his career of over two decades. His music has been repeatedly praised by some of the all-time biggest house artists like Carl Cox and DJ Sneak for its funky, boundary-breaking sound known as "West Coast House." Catch this celebrated artist when he returns to U Street Music Hall this summer!

Fri 7/21 @ 10:30 PM

Tickets here: ticketfly.com/purchase/event/1494208

On Facebook here: fb.com/events/1499153886781519

The Changeling Child, The Coil Project at Atlas Performing Arts Center, presented as part of Capital Fringe

Thirty years after a fateful midsummer’s night, discord brews once more. The changeling child at the center of that infamous custody battle lives caught between two worlds, while the heir to Athens' dukedom would rather read poetry than lead armies.

Fri 7/21 @ 11 PM & Sat 7/21 @ 1:45 PM

Tickets here: capitalfringe.org/events/1069-the-changeling-child

On Facebook here: fb.com/events/1849558405364152

On/beginning Saturday for the weekend:

River Otters Pirate Booze Cruise, Otter Den DC leaving from Georgetown Waterfront Park

A 2-hour booze cruise on the Potomac with otter pal DJ Jeff Prior (CTRL, Trade). Departing from Georgetown. Tickets only $20. A full bar is available on board and it accepts cash and credit caaaaaaarrrr-ds (you knew that was coming).

Sat 7/22, 4:30 PM -6:30 PM

Tickets here: eventbrite.com

On Facebook here: fb.com/events/460125044346813

Arden Now, Rude Mechanicals at Gallaudet's Eastman Studio Theatre, presented as part of Capital Fringe

Using William Shakespeare's As You Like It as a framework, this play celebrates the diversity of love using modern concepts of romance, relationships, gender, and sexuality.

Sat 7/22 @ 2:30 PM

Tickets here: capitalfringe.org/events/1075-arden-now

On Facebook here: fb.com/events/1086271564838767

A Glorious Evening with Octo Octa, The NeedlExchange

Spend a glorious evening with us on the district's most flagrant patio as we welcome Octo Octa for her Washington, DC debut!

Sat 7/22 at 6 PM to 3 AM

Tickets here: residentadvisor.net

On Facebook here: fb.com/events/1259735457486912

DJ Rap, 3D and Fun & Bass! at Zeba Bar

Charissa Saverio, a.k.a. DJ RAP, has been the undisputed queen of the turntables and voted the number one female DJ in the world for the last 10 years! DJ Rap has infiltrated the music industry with her arsenal of talent. She has established herself as the CEO of her labels: Propa and Impropa Talent, developed her creative direction as a full-fledged producer, and remains to be the recording artist and DJ that everyone has come to love and love dance to!

Sat 7/22 at 10 PM to 3 AM

Tickets here: ticketfly.com

On Facebook here: fb.com/events/1556181787734556

On Sunday:

Storytellers' Brunch, Story District

[Disclaimer, I'm a current Story District board member]

Spend Sunday morning with Story District at this morning mixer for storytellers. Eat, drink, shmooze, and swap stories with fellow storytellers. Also, Artistic Executive Director, Amy Saidman, will share a brief presentation and Q&A about the vision for Story District for the next few years based on our strategic planning process and community input. Plus, bring your story ideas and Amy will give feedback to as many people as possible on making a strong pitch.

Sun 7/23 at 11 AM to 1 PM

Tickets here: storydistrict.secure.force.com

On Facebook here: fb.com/events/299592020512906

That's it!

Hope you're able to make at least one of these awesome shows or parties. If you do, make sure to check in, share on Facebook or Twitter, and even let me know about it in the comments here!

- JR

Modern dancing with the pop stars

Hey there,

So as someone who majored in modern dance (which isn't always what some people think it is), I love seeing contemporary choreography in the music videos of pop stars.

While I used contemporary and modern somewhat interchangeably, here is a definition of modern dance, from Wikipedia:

Modern dance is a style of western concert dance which began loosely in the late 19th century and early 20th-century. Modern dance, which has birthplaces in the United States as well as Germany, was a direct response to ballet as the primary form of concert dance. Modern dance refused aspects of classical ballet and broke away from codified movements and balletic narrative structures. Because of early pioneers like Martha Graham, modern dance now encompasses a wide range of styles, many of which are associated with renowned schools and masters. There are over a thousand Types of Modern Dance including the Graham and Horton techniques. Eventually, postmodern dance would reject the formalism of modern dance and include elements such as performance art, contact improvisation, floor work, release-technique, and improvisation.

So for me, the choreography in these videos stands out from other music video choreography because it's less literal and more abstract in it's movement vocabulary and motifs. It's less of a direct visualization of the music, and rather works in conjunction with the song to create meaning, rather than being dictated by rhythm, melody, and lyrics.

That being said (and I share this with the caveat that I don't watch many music videos to begin with), here are three that have stood out in the past several years. And, weirdly enough, I'm going to share them in the order of the Choreography track at UMD's Dance program, three semester long classes, choreographing for solo, duet, then group.

So first up, a solo. It's the music video for Sia's Chandelier:

The  choreography is by Ryan Heffington, and the dancer is Maddie Ziegler (who was born in 2002!!). If you haven't seen the video, you might've seen a Saturday Night Live skit referencing it this past Halloween. And this year, it won the MTV Music Video Award for Best Choreography.

The second video is a duet, the music video for Pink's Try.

The choreography is a collaboration by the Golden Boyz and stunt choreographer, Sebastien Stella. The dancer/love interest is Colte Prattes, who is on the faculty of the Broadway Dance Center. Colte is actually touring with Pink, but as soon as he's back I think I'm going to be planning a road trip up to NYC.

Third and not least is a group piece, the music video for Carrie Underwood's Something in the Water.

The choreography is by Travis Wall, a former So You Think You Can Dance competitor, and the dancers are company members of his dance company, Shaping Sound.

What's HUGE about this is the challenges dance has as an art form, in the south. And the majority of pop music videos tend not to help. You can check out the comments on YouTube for a clear example of this. I remember talking about it in undergrad, and how in many parts of the U.S. south, dance had to be coded as physical activity, just to even be considered as programming, particularly in educational settings.

Which it is, very intense and strenuous physical activity, don't get me wrong. But that's the subject for a whole other post.

What I thought was interesting was that the three pop artist who came to mind were all female. And I wonder how many male pop artists incorporate contemporary and modern dance into any of their music videos.

That being said, if you have any music videos which features modern choreography, please share them in the comments,

JR

Artists and members and dues, oh my!!

Hey there,

So after procrastinating for a bit, I finally renewed my Theatre Communications Group membership today. I had an individual membership, which had lapsed, and which you can find more information here.

And how much was it? $35.

Part of my impetus to renew was personal, as theatre artist in general. But part of it had to do with my role as a Grant Manager at the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, handling the individual fellowships for the performing arts and literary arts. And so in addition to wanting to take advantage of resources for myself, but I also want to be a resource for the individual artists who will apply and eventually be awarded.

So that means staying involved and informed in the artistic disciplines I and the fellows are trained and work in.

And that took me to sign up for an individual membership with Dance/USA. Again, just as much for myself, as I received my B.A. in Dance from the University of Maryland.

Membership due for a year? $100. But as the membership year begins in July, the due which is..."due" when you sign-up is prorated quarterly, so it only cost me $50.

And in case you were wondering, yes, I am a bit of a triple threat. I sing with Gay Men's Chorus of Washington, and it was actually the performing art I started out with soonest. I was a Washington National Cathedral chorister, singing soprano in 5th grade.

And so of all the music membership organizations that are out there, it seemed to make the most sense to sign up for an individual membership with Chorus America.

To be a singer member? $20.

In case you would like to see what other service organizations there are, if you're involved in the performing arts, check out the Performing Arts Alliance Member Organizations.

And last, but definitely not least, I updated my Fractured Atlas membership. And while the Individual rate is definitely affordable, at $9.50 a month, if you don't need to take advantage of their fiscal sponsorship or insurance, the community level membership provides you all the other benefits of the individual one, and for free!!

Sooo...all my membership dues at the end of the night? $105.

And let's say I did take advantage of the full individual ones for Fractured Atlas and Chorus America, as well as signed up at the beginning of the year for Dance/USA? That would still only be, let's see... $95 (CA) + $100 (DUSA) + $95 (FA) + $35 (TCG) = $325 total. Less than $1 a day.

Me with contact staff

Anyway, I say all this to suggest that no matter how busy working arts professionals get, that they maintain connected, informed, etc. with their discipline's service organization(s), whether it's local, regional, or national. Make the time, budget the money.

Side note: I'm going to see if, as an added benefit to being awarded our fellowship grant, we (at the local arts agency level) can actually take care of the fees for each artist's respective service organization and offer them a membership for the duration of the grant cycle.

We shall see.

Anyway, that's it. Just thought I'd share. Anyone have thoughts to share? Other tips for other artists? Challenges and/or solutions to taking advantage or even just finding resources like these?

Any questions?

Please leave a comment,

JR

New friends from Maryland Arts Day

Hey there,

So I thought I'd just share one of the highlights of Maryland Arts Day, which if you didn't check out my Tweet Cheat Sheet for it, you should.

But other than connecting with legislators and public officials, I love the chance to catch up with colleagues in the arts you might not have seen in a while, as well as meeting new friends. So this blog's dedicated to several of them.

The first was actually someone I'd cross paths with before, but we didn't formally meet at that time. It was at the Creative MoCo's Arts & Economic Prosperity IV - Summit.

I remembered her because during one of the opportunities for discussion, she mentioned how she pays for her child to go to Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC because there isn't a comprable high school of the arts in Montgomery County. Granted, this isn't to say that there aren't MC high schools with good and quality arts programs, but I digress.

While waiting to meet with our district's delegates, all the arts advocates continued to get to know each other better, and she started telling her story. One of her current projects, if I remember correctly, is to provide a comprehensive resource for high school students and young adults, to know what their options for professional education, training, and development are, in the arts.

I thought this was admirable, and definitely hope to take more soon!!

The next new friend I made was actually a pair of gents involved with the Veteran Artist Program. Here's just an excerpt for the about page on their website.

The arts have been a powerful, therapeutic tool in the healing process for many combat veterans reintegrating back into society and transitioning back into civilian life. The arts, however, also represent something else. Hope. Dreams. A Future.

Whether it is painting, writing, performing on stage, acting in a movie, or singing opera, the possibilities are limitless. VAP exists to provide other veterans the encouragement, motivation, and means to follow their passion in unchartered territory. Through networking, collaborations, mentorship, and actual productions veterans can realize it is not too late to pursue their dreams.

They debuted this phenomenal PSA at Maryland Arts Day, "Art is an Option".

What's funny is that I'd actually connected with them earlier in the day, thanks to the #MDArtsDay2013 hashtag, so it was great meeting in real life. Definitely recommend you Like the organization on Facebook, and follow them on Twitter.

And a third new friend I made was Paula Ross, Director of Development at the Metropolitan Ballet Theatre & Academy. They've got a lot of amazing things going on and coming up, but one thing in particular she shared was how they started experimenting with Kickstarter, by way of doing a fundraiser for their upcoming production of Thumbelina. And the video was adorable!!

Plus, they made their goal, and then some!! They have one day left, and if you've worked in the arts, you know that there is always a need for more funding, so if you can afford to give any amount, I recommend you do.

Anyway, that's that. Just thought I'd share, because the DC area arts community just keeps getting smaller and smaller.

And I love it!!

JR

A day at Mazatlan's Professional School for Dance

Hey there,

So it's Day 2 in Mazatlan. It was Nico's final day of classes before they got off for Carnaval, so I went with him to class at the Escuela Profesional de Danza de Mazatlán, the Mazatlán Professional School of Dance.

As I mentioned in a previous post, with the support of the Municipal Government of Mazatlan, through the Institute of Culture, Tourism and Art, the school was founded by the Delfos Contemporary Dance Company. All the company members teach classes, and the maestro of the class I got to sit in on was Omar Carrum.

The class was great. Particularly because despite not having studied spanish in over a decade, whatever I didn't understand verbally, I could still pick up through body language. Definitely inspired me to move again, once I get back to the states.

Fun fact, if you attended the Bates Dance Festival, in '07 or '10, you probably recognized the teacher's name, as Omar was one of the international visiting artists, those years.

Anyway, after class, we grabbed a quick snack.

And we returned in time to watch a Delfos Danza rehearsal, in one of the studios.

Afterward, the company members received feedback from a couple of people, including a guest choreographer.

Then Nico showed me other parts of the school. We got to the art studio in time to watch Delfos Danza company members working on some pieces, as part of an open class.

And then we made it up to the cinema room, for a presentation by students taking a music class. They demonstrated and shared what they learned about equalizing sound, and different tools to do so, from programs on a laptop to actual knobs on a monitor.

Then we stopped for a bite to eat, on the way back to Nico's place for the afternoon.

And that was day 2 in Mazatlan. Now I'm resting and relaxing before we go out for Carnaval festivities tonight!!

- JR

• Click here, for the previous post from this trip.
• Click here, for the next post from this trip.

Mazatlan day 1: walking around before Carnival

Hey there,

Decided to walk around while Nico was in class. First goal was breakfast, so I found a place along the beach to head to. I actually got lost at first, but after quick check with Google Maps, found my way again.

This was confirmed visually as I began to see Carnival signs and decor.

What was neat with the theme of La Linterna Mágica, was the incorporation of film in the design of some of the materials.

So I made it to the beach, finally.

And walked along it 'til I found the breakfast place, in the lobby of the Hotel Posada Freeman. The buffet was worth every peso.

The tables were all set and ready to go, for Carnival.

But there were places to eat all along the beach, and I definitely want to try a different one as often as possible.

Walking along, local stagehands were still setting up.

Which just reinforces my own experience from working at the patriot center, in that stagehands make the world go 'round!!

Kept walking along the beach and came across this mermaid statue.

And then I made my way back inland. I was on the hunt for museums near the Plaza Machado, and on my way discovered that while i was in time for carnival, I was a week late for a First Friday artwalk!!

Now I know, for my next visit. Anyway, I finally made it to the Plaza Machado.

Walking through the plaza, I came across this bust of Romana de la Pena de Careaga, in memory of this member of the local rotary club.

Not going to lie, until this, I didn't know Rotary Clubs were International. You learn something new every day, right?

Which holds especially true for the next bit of public art I came across, a statue of Al Jolson.

Al Jolson was a white American jazz singer who performed in blackface, at least this was the only Al Jolson I could immediately find. The only thing is the discrepancy of the instrument in the statue, but I'll try to dig around some more later on.

Glad I kept walking around, because I ended up right at Nico's school, the Professional Dance School of Mazatlan, in the Municipal Arts Center. I actually noticed Nico's roommate, Karen, sitting at a cafe, first. Then I saw students dancing to a band that was promoting their performance at the carnival. Finally I saw Nico standing there.

I got to meet more of his classmates, as well as the founder of a relatively new company he's a part of. What's neat is that the school was started by the Delfos Contemporary Dance Company, with the support of Mazatlan's municipal government, through its Institute of Culture, Tourism, and Art, and the company is the resident one of the Angela Peralta Theater.

The timing was perfect, as they were finished early for the day, so we headed back to his place to get out of the sun and relax before tonight's festivities!!

On a tangential note, I'm not sure how other browsers are, but Google Chrome has a great translate extension. Some of the pages do offer an english version, otherwise, if you don't speak spanish, I apologize if some of the links aren't useful for you.

That's it for now. More to come later. Happy Carnival!!

JR

Stairmaster...for Dancers

Hey,

So I've got another stairmaster post. My initial one was examining the Fatburner program, but this one is looking at using a stair machine through a dancer's lens.

Disclaimer: I received my B.A. from the University of Maryland in Dance.

So besides the calorie burn, I wanted to highlight three things I love to work on as a dancer, when on a stair machine:

1. Turnout - Because you are constantly in motion, it does not give one the chance to do what some dancers do, and force their turnout. So rotating from your hip and then spiraling down and through the leg, where your foot is placed when it hits the stair is where your turnout is. Sometimes, I'll even alternate between turnout and parallel.
   
2. Slow Extension - Imagine you're doing one-legged Pliés...each step up is just the recovery portion of it. One of my sub-goals is not to step up in bursts of energy, so I'm bobbing, but rather to do a slow press so that the movement is even. This speaks to my goal of good "form", from my post about the Four "F"s which sum up my workout objectives, as a dancer. One thing that helps me with this, with the slow press, is to imagine a space-hold with my torso, particularly with my head.
   
3. Through the Toe - At the end of each step, roll through your foot, before disengaging it to step up. So yes, an Elevé, or rise, in English, for those with technique. This will help strengthen those calves and help prep for jumps, particularly if you do it consistently with each step, during your entire time on the stair machine.

And then rinse and repeat with the other leg. :-)

So, it didn't click until the third point, that I could've just described using the stairmaster as a series of single-legged Relevés. Just in case, a Relevé is just an Elevé from a Plié position.

 

Anyway, that's that, just my thoughts about using stair machines as a dancer. And I'm sure I'm not the first one. Curious as to who else does this, as well as other training thoughts dancers have had when using stair machines.

Let me know in the comments,

JR

Dancer workout goals: My Four F's

Hey there,

So I wanted to write a piece about my four goals working out as a dancer. To put this into context, it's been forever since I've worked out...at a gym...with weights...regularly. It's been since running Varisty Track in high school at St. Albans. And I graduated from high school in '99...

Anyway, thanks to an awesome roommate, I had the opportunity to work out again regularly, beginning this past November, at Vida Fitness. As a dancer, though, I had certain goals in mind, and so wanted to share them. And yay for alliteration, as I will share them as my Four F's!! Check 'em out, let me know what you think.

Visuals are thanks completely to Autumn Mist Belk, a colleague and friend from our overlapping tenure in UMD's Dance Program, and Artistic/Executive Director of Code f.a.d. Company, based in NC, who responded to a request for photos to compliment this piece.

Indulge, choreo Autumn Mist Belk

Photographer Stephen Aubuchon

Performer Kelley Y. Murphy

• Flexibility - This is probably my highest priority. While flexibility speaks directly to range of motion, on a philosophical level it addresses my desire to have more options for movement, a wider range of choices for articulation.
  
  Regardless of whatever else I do, I will not work out at the expense of limiting my ability to move. I don't want to work out just to look good, but for my body to work well. At the least I want to maintain my current range of motion, but at best I want to consistently increase it.

Yves Saint Laurent: Fashion Manifesto

choreo by Autumn Mist Belk

Performer: Brooks Owens

Photographer: Mike Harten

• Force - This is probably my lowest priority, but still a priority. Force addresses my goal to increase my strength, particularly upper body.
  
  It also relates to flexibility, though. I can stretch all I want, in mostly static grounded positions, but then I need the muscles to be able to take advantage of that as well.
  
  Force also relates to just moving through space in general, particularly vertically, as the photo Autumn selected for this element so wonderfully depicts.

Coiffure, choreo by Autumn Mist Belk
Performer: Jill Bradley Hall
Photographer: Jameka Autry

• Function - Function is the larger context for my workout goals. I want to do things that are functional as a dancer.
  
  This means that I keep in mind how a muscle group I'm working on applies to movement vocabulary I know, and affects it. Or if I'm doing cardio, how it is prepping me for extended choreographic pieces. Even with lifting weights, it's not a matter of how much I want to lift, but how much I need to lift, specifically my own limbs, my own body weight (particularly with inversion work as pictured), as well as partnering.

Dancer: Autumn Mist Belk
Photographer: Bridget Daily

• Form - And finally form. Form, as I'm defining it for my purposes, relates to the form of the movement. What comes immediately to mind is working with weights. I don't just want to be able to lift a certain amount, but I want to be able to lift it well, in control and fluid, fulfilling the movement as well as keeping my muscles engaged.
  
  I notice some people lift weights with a large amount of immediate force, but then the returning motion is often sloppy and unengaged. A specific example might be a bicep curl, how the initial burst will provide momentum to complete flexion and then the extension is completely released.
  
  And I know it's a choice or a preference, and I'm not saying it's wrong. However, as a dancer, I suppose I treat my lifting the way I treat my plies, that the movement is sustained & even, and the muscles engaged in both flexion and extension.
  
  Because as dancers, it's not just about completing the movement, but often being able to give tempo and rhythm to it. It's about the aesthetic of it, not just getting there, but how we get there. So I treat my workout the same way, often times using the music playing and lifting in time to it.

Anyway, so there's that. Many thanks to Autumn, for providing the wonderful photos!! Make sure to check out her company, Code f.a.d. Company. And the "f.a.d." stands for "film. art. dance.". You can also like them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter, and subscribe to their YouTube.

And in terms other dancers working out, let me know what goals you keep in mind. How and why do you work out? How do you apply your dance training to your gym routine and how do your workouts affect and impact your dance? Have you ever switched up what you did based on the demands of a particular piece?

Would love to hear all about it in the comments, especially if it relates to any work coming up!!

JR

Holiday Flash Mobs

Hey there,

So I have to thank Azie for this post. I was inspired after she shared a vocal holiday flash mob and thought I'd look up some others.

I'm personally fascinated by flash mobs as an artist and arts administrator because, there's just something delightful to see these community (and sometimes commercial) acts of art in public spaces.

That being said, here are 12 videos to help count down the 12 days of Christmas.

And of course the first one I find is a dance one. Lovin' it.

And here's another dancing one, which happened at an airport I flew into this summer!!

And now something more song and less dance.

But now back to some more dance.

Did you see those kids rockin' the sprinkler? And now some adults doing a flash mob for their students.

And here's a flash mob that happened somewhere near my own stomping grounds of DC, at a mall in Columbia, MD.

And now a litte more song, again. This one's just adorable.

Back to more dance.

this one's from a dance and fitness studio.

and one in central park, another marketing one.

This one, a friend shared and it's pretty phenomenal, a Hanukkah flash mob in Israel.

Finally the one that started me on this journey, which Azie shared on Facebook:

So that's that. Do you have a favorite? Have you seen any others that you like?

Share 'em in the comments, and happy holidays!!

- JR

Laura Edwards, I'm in love :-)

Hey,

One thing about the subject, it is definitely a virtuous and platonic love from one dancer/choreographer to another, although Laura's work is of a caliber I am currently aspiring to.

But now you might be wondering why the declaration of love? So one of my favorite dancers to keep track of (who's actually from the DC/MD/VA area), Jojo Diggs, tweeted a video this morning:

INCREDIBLE!! youtube.com/watch?v=otWSiw…
— jojo mf diggs (@dodojiggs) March 11, 2012 

Of course I had to watch.

And there's not anything I could say that isn't more or less summed up by another viewer's comments. Michelle Provacia said:

Things I like about this video:
1. The leading guy has charisma - not attitude
2. The leading girl isn't your 'typical' skinny bombshell dancer
3. The leading guy and girl actually have a connection when dancing
4. That Laura Edwards made a CRAZY good choreography, superbly executed, and well put-together... without putting herself in front and center in the video....
A bunch of great dancers, doing a great feel-good video together, no attitudes... Love it!

 You can catch Michelle's YouTube channel here.

And back to Laura. Thank you for making what was threatening to be a morning struggling to adjust to the time change, a delightful one that I can't wait to get started.

I know, you and the rest of us have little control over when things are shared and viewed, but timing aside, I'm grateful that you created such a beautiful piece. Looking forward to keeping up with your work.

And thank you to Jojo for sharing it this morning.

With Peace, Love, Understanding, and Respect from DC,

JR

Remembering Willi Ninja

Hey there,

3 years ago, today, Willi Ninja passed away. At the age of 45, he died in NYC of AIDS-related heart failure.

I was watching America's Best Dance Crew a week or so ago, and hadn't really thought about Willi Ninja recently, until I saw one of the teams, Vogue Evolution, continue to make it to the next round of competition.

Now Voguing is definitely not my personal preferred style, and I'll admit I didn't care too much for it for a while but that had more to do with a lack of understanding, or not seeing it done in the spirit of where it come from. I also wonder how much of that had to do with my own personal journey in terms of identity in the LGBT community as well as understanding myself in terms of gender expression, but that's a post for another day.

For now, while I still don't do it myself, I love watching those who do, and do it it well. I've also been fortunate enough to personally know and be friends with some of those people, in the DC area. And I definitely appreciate it for what it is and where it came from.

So, as I was watching the ABDC episode I couldn't help but think not only how long vogue dancing has been around, as Willi Ninja is credited as having contributed to inspiring Madonna with her hit song "Vogue", but also how only recently has it really surfaced in the main stream. I've even known some B-boy friends who've incorporated voguing into their battle vocabulary.

You may have heard of a film called Paris is Burning, in which Willi Ninja was featured. You've probably also seen members of his house, the House of Ninja, in music videos and movies, like Danielle Polanco (formerly of the House of Ninja).

Anyway, I had the fortune of meeting Willi Ninja during 2005's Winter Music Conference.

Barbara Tucker, one of house music's divas, hosts an event called, "Let the Singer Be Heard", to pay tribute to vocalists in the electronic music subgenre, and give them a chance to sing their latest hits.

A friend at the time was close to both of them and I was introduced at this event, and had a chance to see him dance in person. Needless to say, it was a memory which the weight of didn't quite sink in at first.

I'd actually come across his name before, not just through LGBT culture, but in academia. I came across a book called "Microphone Friends: Youth Music & Youth Culture" in doing a research paper on dance, community, and identity. He wrote a chapter called "Not a Mutant Turtle".

This quote from a People article:

"He was tall man, about 6 ft. 3 in.," Sally Sommer, a professor of dance at Florida State University, tells The New York Times, "and God gave him the biggest, broadest dance shoulders in the world, so when he would do those things with his arms it was just so impressive."

For further reading on Voguing and Willi Ninja, I recommend checking out, Voguing: Madonna and Cyclical Reappropriation. Also wanted to link an piece that inspired me to revisit this post, after a friend tagged me in his post on Facebook, Welcome to the Ballroom, where Voguing is always in style.

But I digress.

Meeting Willi Ninja in Miami at the Winter Music Conference...I value this memory more as time goes on, and having met this icon in person continues to be both humbling and inspiring. So I write this note in memory of him. As a dancer and a person, honoring someone who truly had his own style and technique, and lived to unconditionally share his joy with the world.

JR

Updated 3/6/13