Summer Info: Camps and
Classes
Students enrolled in
Summer Camps and/or
Classes will be given first priority for
Fall Registration.
Cruise
we need one more couple to go on the cruise. Any takers? Call (925)
447-5299 for more info.
La JAZDANZ Too!
-Professional Dance Company in the East Bay-Inaugural Concert May 10th
Help! Starting a professional dance
company is not easy. There is enough work getting this off the ground for a
team of seasoned veterans! We have reserved the theater in Pleasanton and now
we need to fill it! Typically most professional dance companies rely on
donations from corporations. While we have our fair share of donations, we
still need additional funds to pay for costumes, theater, crew, choreography,
and dancers. Yes! Dancers can actually get PAID to dance!!!
If you would like to help, please send
$25 to La JAZDANZ Too! 4046 East Avenue, Livermore, CA 94550. You will be
given two free tickets to the show on May
10th and be entered into
our drawing for free backstage passes.
The backstage pass allows the winner to hang
out with the professional dancers during dress rehearsal and before the actual
show. They will get to ask questions and learn from dancers who have made a
living dancing.
Please tell all your friends to come to the
show. Tickets are on sale at Tiffany’s Dance
Academy. Call 447-5299 for more details.
Dance show
wows viewers!
by Ann Nicholas
Special to the Times
Now which is it? " While visions
of Girlinghouse danced in their heads..." Or was it "...visions of Vega?"
Regardless,
there wasn't a sugarplum (or tutu) in sight Friday night at the Strand as La
JAZDANZ, Louisiana's only professional jazz dance company, gave its fifth
performance to Shreveport audiences. And no one missed them.
Aaron
Girlinghouse and Frank Vega, creators and artistic directors of the company,
brought local and internationally known dancers and choreographers together for
an amazing evening of dance. Eight performances of varying styles comprised the
La JAZDANZ concert - and the audience was smitten.
The most
interesting offering of the evening was brought by guest artist Eddy Ocampo.
Ocampo, who is director of the Giordano Dance Center in Chicago, gave local
audiences his Black Binasua, a novel work using lights and primitive
music themes in a most unusual piece. The audience was intrigued.
The evening
opened with Brand New Day, in which director Vega set his sensual,
sweeping choreography on eight of his excellent corps members to music by
Sting. This suite of four dances was perfectly fitted to the music, selection
and introduced company artists Katie Currow, Amy Giblin, Curtis Goodman, Steve
Kincade, Elizabeth Mendell, Joey Tarwater, Jessica Touchet and Brian Young.
Recycle
was offered next, with choreography by Girlinghouse and Vega. This work was set
on and featured the Dance Arts Studio company of Amanda Baker, Michelle
Brekelbaum, Sharon Gilgenast, France-Claire Hebert, Cheryl Krause, Erin
Middleton, Kelsey Richter and Karla Sonnier. These young company members wowed
the audience in this intricate techno piece - a study of movement and patterns.
Effective lighting by Rick Mason and minimal costuming aided the success of this
work.
Music by
Prokofiev, Samuel Barber and Evard Grieg combined with choreography by both
Vega and Girlinghouse in Industria, a black-on-black performance piece
with pure interpretation.
The eight
company members met the challenge of "Once more-with no feeling" in this
extremely enjoyable work. Shreveporter Amy Love was featured in the solo piece
Cryin' Shame, with choreography and staging by Frank Vega to music by
Lyle Lovett. Leggy Love's performance of the work set to the bluesy jazz classic
jumped off the stage with attitude.
One of the
audience's favorite works was Ready Set Go. Pattie Obey set amazing
athleticism to music by Woody Herman. The nine-dancer corps was adorable. This
work looked good on all the dancers - male, female, tall and small, wispy and
waspy alike.
5&8,
a work loosely based on Feng Shui - the universal energy that involves all
things - put the company and the apprentice company together in a controlled,
beautiful work from the combined minds of Girlinghouse and Vega. La JAZDANZ puts
on a great show.
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