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Archive for February, 2012

C’mon Y’all!

by Dianne Vapnek Posted: Monday, 2/20/2012

 I was a cheerleader  all through jr. high and high school.  Basketball and football  fans admired my high split jumps, as did I.  I did my best to entertain and rally the crowds at games, even though I probably understood about 25% of the action. I loved the excitement. If truth be told, I also enjoyed showing off.  

After hunting for an hour on the internet, I just uncovered this photo.  It gave me quite a jolt to look back at the reality of my supposed “glamour.” My husband just quipped that we look like a bunch of cheerleading Catholic nuns !  Not far from the truth. Hey, Holyoke was a small New England Irish Catholic city in the repressive 1950′s.  It’s amazing the skirts weren’t down to our ankles.  

 

ok, that’s me, back row, 4th from the left.  Check out the cool two tone chevy in the background.

Our cheers were pretty mundane.  Spelling out the word H-O-L-Y-O-K-E was the mainstay of our repertoire as I remember. This little video gets it right. 

Fast forward to 2012.  I want YOU to join us at the Lobero Theatre on March 6, 6-8PM .  All welcome.  Open Call for anyone who would like to be a part of a community dance created by Brian Brooks.

WE NEED YOUR PARTICIPATION TO MAKE THIS COMMUNITY PROJECT A SUCCESS.

YOU’LL BE THANKING ME FOR CHEERING YOU ON, after your exhilarating performances at THE LOBERO ON MARCH 30 AND 31.

If I could wear another little jumper and do a cheer for everyone to participate in Brian Brooks’ Open Call on March 6, I would do it in a second.  No jumpers left in the wardrobe, fortunately.  However I still can do a pretty mean, very square cheer.  Here IS AN NEW ONE I CREATED JUST FOR THIS OCCATION:

Hey Santa Barbara, Do you hear my call?

Yo!  Santa Barbara,  We want you All.

So get your butts to the theatre on

March the sixth

and you’ll be sure to 

GET YOUR FIX!!

(and here’s an old style one for Brian:)

Brian Brooks, he’s our man

If he can’t do it, no one can.

Give me a B-R-I-A-N!

BRIAN, BRIAN BRIAN!!

  (IMAGINE culminating split leap.)  Please note: My leap was much better than this poor girl’s.  I would not have needed a boy to help me get off the ground and my ankles would have touched my hands.  E.Z.

 

for more info and to pre-register, go to:  info@sbdanceworks.com

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DANCEworks 2012 Open Call

by Dianne Vapnek Posted: Tuesday, 2/7/2012

Open Call!  Do those words set your heart racing?  Compel you to try out your latest moves?  Make you give your brightest smile to your handsome mirrored self?  You might just have show business in your blood, although we don’t have a blood test to confirm that.  But YOU know who YOU are.

  DANCEworks 2012 is putting out an OPEN CALL to anyone in the community who would like to learn a group dance choreographed by Brian Brooks, our 2012 choreographer- in- residence during the month of March.  The dance will be performed on the Lobero Theatre stage along with Brian Brooks Moving Company performances of their company’s new work, Big City, on March 30 & 31!

The best part is you don’t have to audition.  Just show up to meet Brian and begin work!!  Brian’s eager to take everyone as long as you can attend rehearsals.  No dance experience necessary.  

Where:  Lobero Theatre

Date:  Tuesday, March 6

Time:  6-8PM

There will most likely be another 2-3 rehearsals per week until performance time.   You’ll need and want to be available for the rehearsals as well as the performances on March 30 and 31. Come to the first meeting on March 6 and get all the info.

Those who’ve participated in past DANCEworks community projects go around smiling for weeks afterwards. It’s great fun.

If you missed Doug Elkins’ Flashmob and Larry Keigwin’s, Bolero Santa Barbara, now’s your chance to climb on board.  If you performed in either of these pieces, welcome back!

Here are a few quotes and videos to get you revved up:

  “There’s no business like show business.”  wrote author,  Irving Berlin.    Ethel Merman made this song a classic from the 1946  Broadway musical Annie Get Your Gun.  We broadway musical freaks have been belting it out ever since.  Check out Ethel Merman still giving it her all in the 70′s.  Even better, look at the good time Ethel, Judy Garland and an outclassed Barbra Streisand are doing with it from a 1963 TV special.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Part of show business is magic. You don’t know how it happens. ”   said author Sammy Davis Jr.  Sammy Davis Jr. was not only a singer, but was a hell of a dancer too and definitely “made it happen.”  Check out the link above to see how right I am.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are two reasons why I’m in show business and I’m standing on both of them.  quipped author, Betty Grable.  Not much else to say about that other than sooo 1940″s!  

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 WE STRONGLY URGE THAT YOU PRE-REGISTER BELOW!  

Let me know if you have any ?’s or if you’d like to give us your name, and email address send it to:

info@sbdanceworks.com

What are you waiting for????  If not now, when????

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Whoosh!

by Dianne Vapnek Posted: Wednesday, 2/1/2012

Whooooosh.

 

That was the sound of January flying by.  Soon to be followed by an equivalent sound of February taking flight.

All of which signals to me that March 4, 2012 will arrive before I think it should.  Our 4th season.

Time to start rallying the troops!

Here’s What I Want You to Know:

Brian Brooks Moving Company arrives for their month long residency at the Lobero Theatre on March 4.  

While in residence, Brian has decided to  set a work on any members of our community who want to be in on the fun of working with a NYC choreographer and his company members. Dancers and non dancers are alike are welcome to participate.  Remember what fun was had with Larry Keigwin in 2010 when he created Bolero Santa Barbara?!!

Bolero Rehearsal, DANCEworks 2010

Community participants have to be available for rehearsals and both performances.  We’re figuring out those logistics now.  Most importantly, this work will be performed at the Lobero Theatre on March 30 and 31 when Brian premieres the work Big City, which he’ll be setting on his company while here.  If you’re a part of the community project, we’ll happily award you with a free ticket to each performance so that you can share your talent with a Significant Other! Brian and his dancers are eager to get here and begin the creative process. Each time I speak with him he tells me, “I’m so excited!”  Me, too.

It’s a rare event  to be taught a new work by a professional choreographer unless you’re in college, or in another professional dance company. A charming, witty and fun-loving choreographer too.  It’s even rarer to be a part of the company’s formal performance dates!  Within the next few days, we will be setting up a time and date to meet with Brian to begin rehearsals. Stay tuned.

Brian’s career is taking off.  He’s gotten NDP (National Dance Project) funding to tour Big City nationally, after it leaves Santa Barbara.  That’s a BD (Big Deal.)  It insures that the work created here will be seen by thousands.  This is a wonderful opportunity to experience the fun, hard work and excitement that is a part of making dance and of preparing for performance.

 Please help us spread the word.  Post this, and email the link to friends you think might be interested.  According to Brian, the more the merrier!!  FYI, He thrives on challenges.

 

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