Put on your best 1970's costume and get that Saturday Night Fever, dancing to the greatest hits of the disco era with guest DJ Susan de Guardiola this Saturday, October 29th at Vinnie's Jump & Jive, at 424 Main Street. The dance runs from 8 to 10:30 pm, $8 per person (unless you come in a group of 2 or more people - then it's just $5!)
No registration or experience necessary - it's freestyle dancing plus easy to learn '70's line dances (did someone say "Do the Hustle?").
Prizes for Best Costume in three categories: male, female, couple.
For more info about the dance, contact Susan at susan@lse.org. Vinnie's Jump & Jive is an alcohol-free community dance hall offering all kinds of dance for all kinds of people. Check out the schedule at www.vinniesjumpandjive.com
Vinnies Jump & Jive Halloween Costume Ball Beckham Hall
After staying up late celebrating All Hallow's Eve with the Phantom of the Opera, Phileas will continue to scare up some fun in his final days in Middletown. Look for Phileas tonight to be in costume at Vinnie's Jump and Jive "Swingen Hallowe'en Ball at Beckam Hall, Wesleyan University. Tickets are available and open to all. Everyone will be dancing to the J-Street Band with Josh Fialkoff. Beginners lesson 7-8 pm. Dancing from 8-11 pm. Prizes will be awarded for the best costumes. Phileas is a nod to classic literature will appear at midnight wearing the Mask of the Red Death.
Beginner's Swing Dance Vinnie's Jump and Jive 424 Main Street 7:30 PM
Hop on down to Vinnie's Jump and Jive for a swingin' good time! Like every first Saturday of the month, Vinnie's offers a one hour beginner East Coast style swing lesson to everyone and anyone. No experience or partner is necessary! And if you find yourself having an enjoyable time, stick around for thier monthly swing dance. Featuring a different guest DJ each month, these dances regularly attract expert dancers from all over New England and sometimes beyond!
Dance: 8:30-11:30 PM; Cost: $8 ($6 with valid student ID)
Can you believe Phileas is already (or only - depending on one's particular perspective) halfway through his tour of Middletown? We hope it has been an interesting, informative and diverting experience thus far.
Vinnie's Jump & Jive, Main Street, presents "Barefoot Boogie" Saturday evening at 8 p.m. I can't say it any better than they do: "Come as you are, kick off your shoes and dance the night away to an eclectic blend of music - old, new, world music, dance music, pop and much more. You get t pick what we dance t by signing up for a DJ spot and bringing your favorites on an iPod, mp3 or a CD mix. No rights, no wrongs, moving your own way, as you like, just for the fun of it." Want to know more? Go to www.vinniesjumpandjive.com or call 347-6971, extension 3777.
This missive from Professor Neely Bruce: On Sunday September 27, at 4:00, local artists and enthusiasts will celebrate the memory of Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941), the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. Tagore, a remarkable polyartist and educator, is equally prominent in his native India as a poet, playwright, essayist, composer and political thinker. A farsighted and radical educator, the school he founded in India at Santiniketan still flourishes, and his educational ideas were crucial in the establishment of Dartington College in England and many other schools in the West. Knighted by the British Crown in 1915, he later renounced his knighthood to protest British imperialism. At the age of sixty he took up painting, producing a number of striking images in an original and multifaceted style. Hailed early in the twentieth century as “the finest poet India has produced” and considered a saint in his native Bengal, his reputation in the West is in eclipse.
To remedy this situation, several Tagore enthusiasts in Middletown have organized " A Tribute to Tagore" at South Congregational Church. Soprano Phyllis Bruce, with her husband Neely at the piano, will perform the song cycle "Gitanjali" by John Alden Carpenter—settings of texts taken from the 1912 book of poetry that earned Tagore the Nobel Prize. Edwina Ranganathan, who taught at Santiniketan for three years, will read the poems in English. Stan Scott and Saiyara Fahmi will sing several of Tagore’s own musical compositions in the original Bengali. Six prints of Tagore’s paintings will be on display, and Jennifer Barber will dance. Ushakumari Williams, who was born into an Indian family in Tanzania, will speak on the political, social and spiritual conceptions of Tagore. This unique event will have something for everyone—poetry, music, dance and ideas, all suitable for all ages.
"A Tribute to Rabindranath Tagore" is free and open to the public. An offering will be taken to benefit the new organ stop at South Church. For more information contact Neely Bruce at 347-3003 or by email: nbruce@wesleyan.edu.
Next week, I'll be posting an article about the Wesleyan "creative music" connection and, specifically, 3 graduates who have studied and performed with Professor Anthony Braxton and all of whom are connected with Firehouse 12, the fine recording studio, performance space and bar (hey, got to pay the rent) located at 45 Crown Street in New Haven. The venue's fall 2009 Concert series started last Friday and continues (every Friday save for Thanksgiving weekend) through December 18. Find out more about the series and venue by going to www.firehouse12.com.
In the meantime, tonight (9/25) the Firehouse presents the Matt Wilson Quartet at 8:30 and 10 p.m. (separate admissions.) Wilson, a drummer/composer who has worked with many great musicians, has a great sense of the jazz tradition and a wicked sense of humor. To that end, here's a video of "Martha The Juicer" - it should be self-explanatory.
Singer/songwriter/guitarist Fernando Antonio Ferrer Cruz, whose stage name is Fernandito Ferrer, returns to The Buttonwood Tree on Friday July 3 for a 7:30 p.m. show. Born in Puerto Rico, Ferrer's music blends traditional elements of his native land with modern American folk & folk-rock influences. His guitar work is exemplary, quite percussive at times, and his voice is emotionally expressive. For more information, go to www.myspace.com/fernanditoferrer - for reservations, call 347-4957.
Boney's Music Lounge presents 2 evenings with drummer Liviu Pop. Friday night, his group features organist Jerry Z in a funky, soul-drenched set of music. Saturday, the band includes Warren Byrd (keyboard) and Tim DeHuff (guitar) and the music goes in a bluesier direction but no less soulful. The first set both nights begins at 8:30 p.m. For more information, call 346-6000.
Area dance buffs know that Vinnie's Jump & Jive, 424 Main Street, has classes and events going on all the time. This weekend is no exception - Friday evening is devoted to Salsa Dancing, with the "intro" class at 6:30 p.m., "Beginner" instruction at 7, and "Intermediate" at 8. Saturday, the emphasis shifts to "Swing" with "Beginner" instruction at 7:30 p.m. and the weekly "Swing Dance" (with live music) from 8:30 - 11 p.m. (Author's note - after I posted this, I learned that the July 4th events were canceled.) To find out more, call 347-6971, extension 3777.
Vinnie's Jump & Jive, 424 Main Street, presents "Barefoot Boogie Freestyle Dance" Saturday June 27 to benefit ARTFARM's July production of "The Taming of the Shrew."
The event takes place from 8 - 10:30 p.m. and all ages are welcome. An eclectic blend of music will be provided for your dancing pleasure and you can even sign up for a DJ spot of your own. To take part in the fun and funky stuff, contact Julie Deak at 347-6971, extension 3662 or email her at deakj@chc1.com.
The Center for the Arts at Wesleyan presents the Montreal-based ensemble RubberBanDance Group (2 members pictured above) Friday and Saturday (4/24 & 25) at 8 p.m. in the CFA Theatre. Led by co-Artistic Directors Anne Piamondon and Victor Quijada (also choreographer and breakdancer, RBDG will perform "Punto Ciego." They describe the piece for 6 dancers thusly: "This work is the continuing development of a vocabulary that intermixes contemporary dance with the techniques and textures of various street dance forms. Refined over the last decade, this movement style coils tight and strong in the solar plexus, as arms and legs move freely through space. The three-dimensional surfaces of the body push and carve through the space - taking the body out of the upright position and into horizontal and inverted planes." To find out more about this ground-breaking troupe, go to www.rubberbandance.com/. For tickets, call the Box Office at 685-3355 or online at www.wesleyan.edu/cfa.
The Buttonwood Tree has a slew of events each day this weekend. Friday night, the performance welcomes back the Fran Curley Group for an evening of jazz improvisations. Joining the fine drummer and Waterbury native for the 7:30 p.m. show is Dave Christopolis (bass), Ted Murray (saxophone) and Ben Kohn (piano.) To find out more about the group, go to www.francurleyjazz.com/.
Saturday (4/25), The Buttonwood and the Riverwood Poetry Series presents "TEACHER'S POeT" at 5:30 p.m., a late afternoon and evening of poetry featuring several fine student poets and the teachers that have inspired them. Scheduled to read are students Celeste Kurz, Jordan Hutensky, Brendon Anderson, and Shacoya Harts along with teachers Elizabeth Thomas, Kathryn Kelly, Ginny Lowe Connors and Rafael Oses. To find out more about this event and others in the Riverwood Poetry series, go to www.riverwoodpoetry.org/.
Elizabeth Thomas returns to The Buttonwood on Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. to host the "CT National Youth Poetry Slam Team 2009 Team Practice." The talented young poets are practicing for their participation in "Brave New Voices" taking place this July 15-19 in Chicago. The 12th annual Brave New Voices International Youth Poetry Slam Festival convenes the top young poets and spoken word artists, aged 13-19, from across the United States and beyond. Brave New Voices is a one-of-a-kind festival that truly engages everyone involved; from the participants, to the adult mentors and the audience members. Come give them support and encouragement.
At 5 p.m. on Sunday, Martin Glover will host and facilitate the "Junk Percussion Community Circle." If you wish to take part, bring a bucket, pot, pan or anything you think might sound good when you hit it (no baby brothers or sisters - only inanimate objects), bring a drumstick or suitable mallet, and a set of earplugs and listen to the joyous cacophony. For more information about this and all Buttonwood events, call 347-4957 or go to www.buttonwood.org.
This Saturday at 7 p.m., Vinnie's Jump & Jive moves its monthly "Cheek to Cheek Swing Club Dance" to Beckham Hall on the Wesleyan campus (Wyllys Avenue.) Providing the music will be the Boilermaker Jazz Band and the evening also includes an "East Coast Swing" lesson. For more information, call 347-6971, extension 3777.
The Sunday Salon Series at the Green Street Arts Center welcomes Gina Ulysse and Kerry Kincy at 2 p.m. for a program called "Telling Voices: Movement, Words and Life History." The program features Wesleyan professor and anthropologist Ulysse with Movement Teaching Artist Kincy (Green Street instructor and TA in residence at Children's Home of Cromwell and also a member of choreographer Judy Dworin's Performance Project Inc., Moving Matters!) in a conversation "about the challenges and joys using the arts to tell stories of survival that would otherwise remain untold and explore the healing power of the arts in diverse communities." For more information, call 685-7871.
There are 2 Sunday evening concerts on the Wesleyan campus. At 7 p.m. in the World Music Hall (Wyllys Avenue), the Wesleyan Chinese Music Ensemble, Guowei Wang, music director, will present "Hearing China: Chinese Music Concert", a program of classical and contemporary works. Tickets are available by calling the Box Office at 685-3355 or online at www.wesleyan.edu/cfa.
At 7:30 p.m. in Crowell Concert Hall, "Music for Piano and Cello" features Carolyn Halsted (piano) and Julie Ribchinsky (cello) performing works by Ravel, Rorem, Moeran, and more. The concert is free and open to the public.
Last Night (Saturday the 31st) there was an explosion of music and dance on Main Street. At Javapalooza there was a bluegrass/folk concert featuring members of the River Valley String Band, while at Vinnie's Jump and Jive a dance competition was in full swing. Both events were very well attended. At Javapalooza every seat was taken, even in the back of the store. At Vinnie's, people lined the walls while watching the dancers.
Just thought I'd give you a head start on the New-Year's-Resolution-To-Exercise-More thing.
Vinnie's Jump and Jive has announced their January calendar. If you've never been to Vinnie's, it's the storefront dance hall across Main Street from Amato's Toy & Hobby (in fact, Vinnie's is named for Vinnie Amato...but that's another story.)
Their slogan is "All kinds of dance. All kinds of people." Here's a quick breakdown for January:
On Sundays, you can bellydance. On Mondays, you can do tap or jazz, or bring your toddler to morning dance class. On Tuesdays, you can tap dance early (if you're a senior) or swing dance late (there's a swing class before the dance if you don't know how) On Wednesdays, you can do NIA (you'll have to google that one) or Tap, and teenagers have their own ballroom class. On Thursdays, it's breakdance or waltzing. On Fridays, it's New York Salsa. Except you're still in Middletown. On Saturdays, it's NIA in the morning and a rotating schedule of other stuff, like the "First Saturday of the Month" swing dance which draws dancers from surrounding states.
You don't need a partner and most classes are about $12, with discounts for students (and Tuesday night swing dances are just $5). Learn more about Vinnie's at their website: www.vinniesjumpandjive.com.
