Howdy FDFs,
Here we are plowing deeper into the heart of February, where cold reality and hot New Year’s Eve resolutions collide; where the weather will either be unseasonably hot, unreasonably cold, or just plain weird; where hearts and hopes are either smashed, dashed, or reinforced via cash on the day that effectively splits the month in half; and where you start pining for summer’s WIACAIG dances because they seem so very far away. In terms of age, 2010 is still a zygote, but it will age and wither faster than you can say, Jiminy Christmas, is it time to start decorating trees again!? So to assist with planning the rest of this year, here’s my wish list for the next few months, and if anybody has a spare Arabian lamp hanging about the house and want to rub out a few miracles, please have at it.
The DWDr’s 2010 Wish List (though not all are necessarily dance related)
- That dancers will start supporting live music venues as much as they do the wonderful DJ only spots. Canned music is fun and you can shift gears in the blink of the eye, but there’s nothing like the magic of dancing to people who are playing their hearts and souls out for you, and most of the time for peanuts, and the day that a CD can look over a crowd, spot a dancer and dedicate a song to him or her (which may not be too far ahead if technology holds) then I’ll amend this statement.
- That venues will start paying as much attention to the state of their dance floors as they do their bottom line. Can’t tell you how many spots I love have let this detail slip (sometimes to the point of gross terror) and are one slip, trip or edge induced tumble away from a date with the attorneys of Larry Parker.
- That dance teachers also start teaching proper dance etiquette so that I’ll at least get an acknowledgment, if not an apology, after that newbie sends my last little piggy to the morgue.
- That my dryer stops shrinking my pants (yes I know that’s not what’s really happening. I know it’s the fact that when I was 35 even though I had a sedentary office job, I had the metabolism of a pygmy shrew and I’d go dancing almost every night, and now that I’m the high side of the half century mark, I’ve still got a sedentary job, but I only get out dancing twice a week if I’m lucky and my metabolism has slowed to the point where I think it’s running backwards, thus the pants issue, which I’m not quite prepared to admit yet.).
- That I see at least five movies this year that are wildly popular, don’t insult my intellect, and absolutely nobody gets killed, or at least the film isn’t set up to try to elicit applause if the antagonist is offed. And a really good dance-themed movie that doesn’t look like it was made for the Lifetime Network, wouldn’t hurt either.
- A pony.
- That this summer’s WIACAIG al fresco dance season is even better than last year’s, though that’s going to be darned tough because we had some doozies last year!
- That everybody who loves dancing gets at least one “Wow!” moment from an appreciative audience after performing a perfect move. (Ego boo can be good for the soul.)
- A swing/blues/soul/jazz/salsa/hip-hop/country/west coast/tango/bossa nova mash-up fusion dance venue/event starts up and takes the dance world by storm as form and function give way to fun and exploration and the creativity of it all invites more dancers than gets turned off by rigid adherence to ‘rules.’
- That three new live dance venues open with floors bigger than a breadbox; that Allison Marie Shepard finally forgets about what happened at the Francis Marion Elementary School sixth grade sock-hop; that computer game-makers take a break from trying to turn an entire generation into murderous assassins and mercenaries, and find a more creative outlet for our recreations that don’t involve killing sentient beings for fun; that I learn a proper kick serve and finally give in to Tango; that we go at least three years without so major a disaster that we’ll all be able to recall where we were when it happened; that the next round of “Dancing with the Stars” gets it right or I am so outta’ there; that you all have a great year and get to dance as much as you want and have shoes that never give out.
Okay , that’s it for now. If you’re of a mind to, send me your wishes for 2010 and maybe if I get enough of them I’ll publish them in the next DWDr (which will save me from having to come up with a new essay!) In the meanwhile, here are a few places where you go make your own dance wishes come true from Thursday, February 4, 2010 through Sunday, February 14, 2010. See you on the dance floor.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2010
Big bad bona fide blues from Blind Pig recording artist ARTHUR ADAMS makes you feel like it’s a good hot night in 1965 tonight at HARVELLES SANTA MONICA- 1432 4th Street (near Broadway) Santa Monica http://www.harvelles.com. (Say, what happened to the pig?) Hear there’s a group going, so save me a square of dancefloor.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2010
If you like your dance music like you like your lovin’ then come get down to all the things that get done to a harmonica and a saxophone when you join the tribe and do a dance with JIMMY Z AND Z-TRIBE tonight at HARVELLES SANTA MONICA- 1432 4th Street (near Broadway) Santa Monica http://www.harvelles.com.
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain, and even less attention to what any other dancers’ newsletter may be telling you. I am the real Oz and I know for a fact that THE DAVE WIDDOW BAND is playing this evening at the LANGHAM-HUNTINGTON HOTEL. (RJ MISCHO was there last week, and apparently that other guy can’t read a frakking calendar!) Apparently this WIACAIG venue is becoming quite the place to dance if you’re east of downtown LA. The venue has a thing for blues artists and so far hasn’t put the kibosh on dancing there. But it’s a carpeted floor and still best to BYOP unless you know a bunch of folks will be headed there. THE DAVE WIDDOW BAND at the LANGHAM-HUNTINGTON HOTEL (formerly the Ritz-Carlton). 1401 South Oak Knoll Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91106, (626) 568-3900 www.pasadena.langhamhotels.com
THE SHIM SHAM ROOM kicks off 2010 with another helping of DJ Chris (swing and exotica from the mind of the master) and DJ Kristin (blues you can use to get rid of your blues). The party starts with a dance lesson for the Newbies at 7:30pm while you’re out getting a latte and finding parking. So you can comfortably arrive at 8pm then party on till 12am at which time they will unceremoniously dump our asses out on Ventura Blvd and tell us to go home. THE SHIM SHAM ROOM, like Brigadoon, reappears tonight at NADIA’S RHYTHM ROOM – 14261 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, CA 91423-2714 www.nadiasrhythmroom.com/events.php P.S. The Shim Sham Room is looking for a few good volunteers. If you’d like a free night of dancing and want help make Shim Sham a happening dance space, you can be a volunteer! Experience and ability to solve quadratic equations is not required (really, despite what they drilled into our heads in high school, when was the last time you had a real life need to solve a quadratic equation? David, shhhh. Engineering is different!) so you can be a regular or a one-timer. Contact Fiona for more info at shimshamroom@gmail.com.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2010
I heard on NPR today that the great atomic physicist Niels Bohr had a fascination with western movies, so much so that he spent time proving a theorem that in a fast draw gunfight, it’s better to react than to act, proving that the good guys who didn’t draw first, actually had a greater statistical probability of survival. And now other scientists have picked up that research and followed up on it, proving the same thing again, but I don’t know what that means for Han Solo and Greedo in Mos Eisley. You ask what the frell does this have to do with dancing? Wait for it.. Wait for it.. Okay, since it’s Western Swing night at Joes, but their website still has no band listing, I had to give you something western to chew on before I hit you with the disappointment. No Band Listed Yet for WESTERN SWING NIGHT at JOE’S GREAT AMERICAN BAR & GRILL – 4311 W. Magnolia Blvd, http://www.danceatjoes.com (Now that was worth it, wasn’t it? Fine then, be a heathen.)
But there will be amazing Blues, Soul and R&B from the equally amazing KIRK FLETCHER at HARVELLES SANTA MONICA- 1432 4th Street (near Broadway) Santa Monica http://www.harvelles.com.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010
There’s also no listing yet for who’s swinging it up tonight at Joe’s. Mark, did you get sucked into a gunfight with Niels Bohr, and try to draw first? Sucker. MYSTERY Swings tonight at JOE’S GREAT AMERICAN BAR & GRILL – 4311 W. Magnolia Blvd, http://www.danceatjoes.com
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2010
No listing yet for who’s providing the Blues and whatnot at HARVELLES SANTA MONICA- 1432 4th Street (near Broadway) Santa Monica http://www.harvelles.com. (this is a fun evening, trust me!)
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2010
Big daddy DENNIS JONES plays Chicago Blues with an attitude tonight at HARVELLES SANTA MONICA- 1432 4th Street (near Broadway) Santa Monica http://www.harvelles.com. (Say, what happened to the pig?) Hear there’s a group going, so save me a square of dancefloor.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2010
If you like your blues singers like you like your coffee, then CAFÉ R&B will certainly wake you up tonight at HARVELLES SANTA MONICA- 1432 4th Street (near Broadway) Santa Monica http://www.harvelles.com.
Get your pre-V-Day grind on aplenty as one of our favorite blues venues, THE JUKE returns to NADIA’S RHYTHM ROOM in Sherman Oaks. They start off the first hour of with their own dance class/seminar called The Blues Muse at 9:00pm. Then from 10pm till 2am, it’s time to get down to the music for the rest of the night. You get all this for $8! THE JUKE at NADIA’S RHYTHM ROOM – 14261 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, CA 91423-2714. http://heptothejive.com and/or www.nadiasrhythmroom.com
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2010
If you wake up this morning and you’ve not prepared for this day, may the gods help you. If you don’t feel like making an impromptu sacrifice of Mittens to Hera, Athena and Aphrodite, then I may have a few options to pull your fat out of the fire at the last minute.
This is going to be a day of education, celebration, and dance exultation. If you’re in a learning mood and want to do so with your sweetie, here are a couple of options for a different kind of Valentine’s Day gift.
If your lover is a leggy leaner, and you’re a likely learner, then let your bodies do the talking tango style with a lesson from Ilona (Glinarsky that is). She’s offering her TANGO FOR TWO! WORKSHOP where you can share your passion with your sweetheart while learning to dance Tango even if you have two left feet (which probably makes shoe shopping a real hassle). The special workshop for couples will set you back $50 but it includes a free Tango CD to practice your new moves to. ILONA GLINARSKY’S TANGO FOR TWO! WORKSHOP , 5:00 -6:30pm-8:00pm at The Studio Art of Dance, 113 Main Street (very close to Hacienda Hotel)., El Segundo, CA . Dancing shoes required. Free parking along the street, behind the studio and at Chevron. (And if you really want to surprise your sweetie, you can come a day ahead of time to her SINGLE MINGLE TANGO WORKSHOP on Saturday, February 13 from 4:30-6:00 pm where you can get a foot up [quite literally] on the game for only $20 at the same location.) For more info visit http://LivingTango.com
And after you’re finished with all your lessons, you can show off your new moves with THE INCOMPARABLE BARBARA MORRISON during her CLASSY JAZZY VALENTINE’S DAY CONCERT featuring BARBARA MORRISON & EVAN’S MIXED BAG JAZZ ORCHESTRA. It’s going to be a festive evening of fun and dancing for lovers on that special day during a great evening out with that special someone and experience a great combination Barbara and The Mixed Bag Orchestra. CLASSY JAZZY VALENTINE’S DAY CONCERT featuring BARBARA MORRISON & EVAN’S MIXED BAG JAZZ ORCHESTRA at The Savoy Entertainment Center – 128 S. La Brea Ave. Inglewood, CA Doors Open @ 4:PM Showtime 5 – 8:30PM – Cover: Adv. Tix $35 / $45 @ door Tix can be purchased @ www.barbaramorrison.com or for half price at www.goldstar.com
You can stop reading now..
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Now, for the acronymically impaired, here’s this week’s glossary:
BYOP = Bring Yer Own Partner
DWDr = Darrell’s Weekly Dance Report
PBDA = Pasadena Ballroom Dance Association
TSCoCM@LG =The Sweet Cacophony of Canned Music at LindyGroove
WIACAIG = Free (Which Is As Cheap As It Gets)
The DWDr Final Quote
Y’all better have that candy come next Sunday or there will be hell to pay.
DLH
DWDR was another Mamakehimstophe’sdoingitagain Production
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