Kinetic Sculpture Meets Dance: Chunky Move (Mar. 30 & 31)

Chunky Move: Connected.
Pictured: Alisdair Macindoe and Marnie Palomares.
Photo: Jeff Busby

Center for the Arts Director Pamela Tatge discusses Australian dance company Chunky Move, who present the Connecticut premiere of their hour-long work "Connected" on March 30 and 31, in this entry from the CFA blog.

The Center for the Arts has never hosted a dance company from Australia before, and it’s high time that we do, considering the strength of contemporary dance that is touring the world from down under. And I can guarantee you’ve never seen anything like it.

Beginning with simple movements and hundreds of tiny pieces, the dancers build their performance while they construct a kinetic sculpture in real time. During the performance, these basic elements and simple physical connections quickly evolve into complex structures and relationships. The work, Connected, is the brainchild of Chunky Move’s Artistic Director Gideon Obarzanek and California artist Reuben Margolin. The two met at PopTech, the renowned conference that brings great minds together to focus on social change through current innovations in science, art and economics. The result is thrilling: athletic and agile dancers’ bodies twisting and hurtling through space, alongside movements from everyday life. As Aldous Huxley wrote: “All gods are homemade, and it is we who pull their strings, and so, give them the power to pull ours."

Suzanne Sadler, the CFA’s Assistant Technical Director, said they’ve created two line sets that work in tandem, each with a truss, and the sculpture is attached with a circular pipe. 220 strings are suspended from there: “I can’t wait to see it in the space. It’s going to look really beautiful.”

Chunky Move, along with Australian Dance Theater and Lucy Guerin’s company, have garnered great acclaim as they have toured the world. The Dance Department and CFA were interested in bringing Connected because of its interdisciplinary nature. When I was speaking with Kristy Edmunds, a faculty member in Wesleyan’s Institute for Curatorial Practice in Performance, and the Director of UCLA Live (formerly the director of the Melbourne Festival), she said: “What is particularly intriguing about Gideon is his fascination and willingness to explore and collaborate with design and technologies. Increasingly, he is able to forge unique collaborations with artists from other fields, and orchestrate that discourse into a work of art where dance is the central vehicle.”

So we invite you to experience Chunky Move at the CFA this weekend - and if you come at 7:15pm on Friday in the CFA Hall, you’ll have a chance to hear dance scholar Debra Cash contextualize their work, and give you some things to look out for. Join us!

Chunky Move: Connected
Connecticut Premiere
Friday, March 30 and Saturday, March 31, 2012 at 8pm
CFA Theater
Pre-performance talk by dance scholar Debra Cash on Friday at 7:15pm in CFA Hall
Tickets: $21 general public; $18 senior citizens, Wesleyan faculty/staff, non-Wesleyan students, $6 Wesleyan students

Vigil Held at Wesleyan for Disability Rights

Disability Community Remembers George Hodgins

and Other Disabled Victims of Domestic Violence

Middletown, CT – Local disability rights advocates will be holding a vigil to honor

the lives of disabled people murdered by their families and caretakers. This is part of a nation-

wide Day of Mourning, during which disability rights activists in cities across America will hold

events to remember members of the disability community whose lives were lost to domestic

violence.

On March 6, George Hodgins, a 22-year-old autistic man, was murdered by his mother in

Sunnyvale, California. In response, the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network (ASAN) held a vigil in

Sunnyvale on March 16th. During the vigil, mourners read a list of names, beginning with Tracy

Latimer, a disabled teenager killed by her father in 1993. At the same time as ASAN’s vigil was

being held, Tracy’s father was speaking on a television panel for the Canadian Global News,

arguing for legalizing the killing of disabled people - in the name of "mercy."

When disabled people are murdered by caretakers or family members, many people justify these

murders as “understandable,” or talk about the “burden” of caring for someone with a disability.

This is the view that was aired on Canadian Global News, and in many news articles covering

the murder of George Hodgins. Many people are quick to justify the murder of a disabled person,

when they would offer no such justification if the murder victim were not disabled. Therefore,

the national Day of Mourning is meant to demonstrate to the community that the lives of

disabled people have value.

The vigil will be held at Wesleyan University, Usdan Courtyard, Saturday March 31rst, 6pm to 8pm.

South Fire Stuff a Truck a Success!

SOUTH DISTRICT FIREFIGHTERS TO HOLD STUFF-A-TRUCK FOOD DRIVE FOR AMAZING GRACE FOOD PANTRY

On March 24, 2012, members of the International Association of Firefighters, Local 3918 (South District firefighters) will sponsor their bi-annual Stuff-a-Truck, for the Amazing Grace Food Pantry.

Firefighters from South District and their families will volunteer their time from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the parking lot of Stop & Shop on East Main Street in Middletown, soliciting donations from shoppers for Amazing Grace Food Pantry. The effort in November of 2011 garnered 3900 pounds of donations from shoppers and raised $600 in cash donations.

South District Firefighters hold the Stuff-a-Truck event twice a year, once in November, once in April. The firefighters thank all who donated last year and hope to make their springtime effort as successful, so if you are out and about stop by and say hello.

Relay For Life Kick Off

The Kickoff Celebration for Relay for Life of Greater Middletown “Celebrations” was held on March 1st. The event Chair Amy Hughes & Co-Chair Becky Godwin were introduced. Committee Members, team captains, volunteers and cancer survivors were in attendance. Relay is an overnight event full of entertainment, activities, and moving ceremonies to celebrate cancer survivors, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against cancer. The American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Greater Middletown will be held on Saturday June 9-10, 2012 at Woodrow Wilson Track on Hunting Hill Avenue in Middletown. The Greater Middletown Area includes Middletown, Durham, Middlefield, Rockfall, Portland, East Hampton & Cromwell. Wanted: Community Volunteers, Team Captains, Team Members, Local Business Sponsors, and anyone who wants to be a part of the American Cancer Society Relay. The meeting schedule is on Wednesdays at Woodrow Wilson Middle School Cafeteria. Committee meets at 6:00 pm and Team Captains with team members at 7:15 pm with Dates: April 4, April 18, May 2, May 16 & May 30. For additional information email

middletowncochairs@yahoo.com Please check our website at www.relayforlife.org/middletownct

Attached photo taken by Patti Nettis Deegan

(Left to right)

American Society Staff Partner, Lynn Kipphut,

Amy Hughes Chair

Becky Godwin Co-Chair

Wesleyan Thinks Big!

"Wesleyan Thinks Big" is an event that will take place on Thursday, March 29th at 8pm at Wesleyans' Memorial Chapel and will feature nine-minute lectures from six of Wesleyan's most exciting professors. Inspired by TED talks, the event is open to the public

No slides. No handouts. No Moodle. Just the most exciting professors at Wesleyan, talking about the ideas they can’t stop thinking about. Last semester, hundreds of students nominated their favorite professors. Now, six of those professors have been brought together to deliver nine-minute lectures on a topic that excites and inspires them—even if it’s not something they talk about in class. Especially if it’s not something they talk about in class.

Inspired by TED Talks, Wesleyan Thinks Big will show you the professors you love like you’ve never seen them before. Bring your open mind, and prepare to have it blown.

Wesleyan Thinks Big features:

“Asceticosmologies: Modern Science as Religious Practice” by Mary-Jane Rubenstein

“Nature vs. Nurture: the Example of Psychosis” by Matthew Kurtz

“States Without Romance” by Richard Adelstein

“The Death of Affirmative Action: Rethinking the Debate” by Leah Wright

“Poor Joshua: Private Space & the Constitution” by John Finn

“Can You Teach Creativity?” by Jeanine Basinger

Middletown High School Music Fundraiser

The Middletown High School Music Department is hosting a benefit concert at the Middletown HighPerforming Arts Center to raise much needed funds for continuing music education in their school. This event “Help Keep Music Alive” was developed by Louise Harrison in honor of her late brother George Harrison. The concert features “Liverpool Legends” the number one Beatles tribute show in America. The “Liverpool Legends”, who were handpicked by Louise Harrison, headline their own production five nights a week in Branson, Missouri and have been voted Branson’s Best Show since 2006.

Louise Harrison and the Liverpool Legends were nominated this year for a Grammy in the spoken word category for a CD titled “Fab Fans Memories” which was narrated by Louise Harrison. This is a collection of interviews with Beatles fans across the globe telling personal stories about how the band affected their lives. The Liverpool Legends recorded all the songs for the CD.

Members of the Middletown High School band, wind ensemble, orchestra, jazz ensemble, and choir will be performing live with the “Liverpool Legends” during the concert on some songs.

“This event is both educational and a fun way for the Middletown High School Music Department to raise money for a great cause.” “My brother knew the importance of music education and the arts in our schools and how much it can help a young mind develop,” stated Harrison.

The concert is scheduled for May 5, 2012 at 7:30 P.M. The proceeds will be used to support the Middletown High School Music Department that enrolls students in the marching band, wind ensemble, concert band, orchestra, chorus, and jazz ensemble. The Middletown High School Music Department has over 350 students enrolled in the school music program.

“You never know who will be the next John, Paul, George or Ringo or in fact the next number one hit group,” stated Harrison.

Tickets for the show are on line at www.brownpaperticket.com or by calling 800-838-3006.

You may also purchase tickets at the Seasons Federal Credit Union in Middletown and Cromwell.

Middlesex Community College Students Deliver Free Eye Care to 75 Middletown Residents

Seventy-five area residents are enjoying free eyeglasses, thanks to Ophthalmic Design and Dispensing (OD&D) students at Middlesex Community College (MxCC).  These students held their 19^th annual Community Eye Care Day at the on-campus Eye Clinic, which included free eye consultations and exams, courtesy of Dr. Duane F. Austin, M.D. (pictured, right), ophthalmologist from the Connecticut Eye Center in West Hartford and Avon.

MxCC students completed patient history interviews and visual assessments, checked for glaucoma, and took measurements prior to the free eye exam.  Following the exam, students manufactured and dispensed free eyewear to patients using optical lenses and frames that were donated by Precision Optical of East Hartford, Encore Optical of South Windsor, McLeod Optical Company of Warwick, RI, and HOYA Vision Care of South Windsor. Free refreshments for patients waiting to see Dr. Austin were donated by the Connecticut Opticians Association and John’s Café and Deli in Middletown.

The program was coordinated by MxCC students Amy Beckwith of Canterbury and Christine Same of Cromwell, and was under the direction of MxCC’s OD&D Professor René “Skip” Rivard and Jim Susco, MxCC’s OD&D lab assistant.  The students contacted Middletown-area social and human services organizations, secured lens and frame donations, and worked at the event alongside other OD&D second-year students.

“Every student who worked at the clinic was able to apply skills learned in the classroom while helping the community,” Beckwith said.  “We received a lot of support from so many groups on and off campus as well as local businesses.  It was just a fantastic experience.”

The free Community Eye Care Day event was started 19 years ago by Rivard as an opportunity to show students that being a health care provider is not strictly for financial benefits – and that they have a responsibility to use their education to provide a service within their community.   

“It is estimated that 5,000 people in Connecticut do not receive the eye care they need each year because they have no insurance or no way to pay for it,” he explained.  “Our Community Eye Care Day program helps meet some of that need, and gives MxCC OD&D students and invaluable opportunity to fully run an eye care clinic.  It’s rewarding on many different levels.”  

The OD&D students, who are training at MxCC to become nationally certified and state-licensed opticians, will ultimately be qualified to design and fit people to eyewear and contact lenses based on the prescription of an ophthalmologist or optometrist.  The two-year program at MxCC is one of only two nationally accredited Ophthalmic programs in all of New England, and graduates have a 100 percent pass rate of the national exam and a 100 percent employment rate.

Founded in 1966, Middlesex Community College (mxcc.edu) is part of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities Board of Regents for Higher Education. The school offers more than 50 degree or certificate programs at its three locations:  the main, 38-acre campus in Middletown, the downtown Meriden Center, and the shoreline in Old Saybrook.  The college promotes understanding, learning, ethics, and self-discipline by encouraging critical thinking.  Current enrollment exceeds 2,875 full and part-time students, and 1,600 continuing education students.

Buttonwood Hosts Rare Mandolin Talent Tonight !

Wednesday, March 28th

7:30 pm $15.

Join the Matt Flinner Trio for a night of some of the best modern string band music you're likely to hear, plus music so fresh it's not even a day old!

“Flinner continues his reign as perhaps the most exciting and creative mandolin player on the scene today.”—Jazz Times

“(Flinner) blurs the lines between jazz and bluegrass, traditional and avant-garde.”—Associated Press

Multi-instrumentalist Matt Flinner has made a career out of playing acoustic music in new ways. Starting out as a banjo prodigy who was playing bluegrass festivals before he entered his teens, Flinner later took up the mandolin, won the National Banjo Contest at Winfield Kansas in 1990, and took the mandolin award there the following year. Since then, he has become recognized as one of the premiere mandolinists as well as one of the finest new acoustic/roots music composers today. He has toured and recorded with a wide variety of bluegrass, new acoustic, classical and jazz artists, including Tim O’Brien, Frank Vignola, Steve Martin, Darrell Scott, the Modern Mandolin Quartet, Dave Douglas, Leftover Salmon, Alison Brown, The Ying Quartet, Tony Trischka, Darol Anger, and the Nashville Chamber Orchestra.

Matt Flinner, mandolin
Ross Martin, guitar
Eric Thorin, bass

The Matt Flinner Trio celebrates the release of their new Compass Records CD, “Winter Harvest.” In addition to performing bluegrass and modern string band music, each member of the trio will write a new tune the day of the show, and all three new tunes will be performed on that evening’s concert as part of their continuing their “Music du Jour” project.

This show is held at The Buttonwood Tree Performing Arts & Cultural Center
605 Main Street (next to It's Only Natural market, where you can park for free after 6 pm and on weekends)

FRIDAY - Singer/Songwriters Tiff Jimber, Jen Vanderlyn & Luis Narino
SAT - Riverwood Poetry hosts Stephen Campiglio and poetry open mic

Only CASH / CHECK accepted at the door. CREDIT CARD payments for seats online at:
www.buttonwood.org

www.mattflinner.com/trio listen: www.youtube.com/mattflinnertrio

Men's Health Day April 14th

From Middlesex Hospital's eVita Newsletter:

Annual special event focuses on men's health needs

Often, men are less likely than women to seek out healthcare services on a regular basis. This especially holds true for those men who may have limited or no access to these types of services.

Dorothy Carvalho, R.N., O.C.N., the urology nurse navigator at the Middlesex Hospital Cancer Center, identified a need in the local community last year for the underserved population of men in the local area. Her response to this need was to hold the first annual "Men's Health Day" in downtown Middletown. The event is free and run entirely by volunteers. The day-long event allows participants to discuss health issues with a variety of physicians, nurses and radiologists. In addition, a dietitian is available to talk about nutrition. A social worker is also available. The men can also receive foot care and be screened for prostate cancer and blood pressure, and can talk with a fitness trainer. They are also treated to chair massage and reflexology. A hot luncheon is served and gift cards to the local supermarket are provided to the first 100 attendees.

As a result of developing this special program, Carvalho was chosen as one of the 2010 Connecticut Hospital Association's "Healthcare Heroes," for her contributions to the community.This year's event will take place on April 14, 2012, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., at the First United Methodist Church in Middletown. For more information, call (860) 358-2043

Education vs Incarceration: The Real Cost of Failing our Kids

Middletown CPTV Flyer

For the first time in recent history, five states (including Connecticut) now spend more money on incarceration than education.  In response, CPTV has filmed a documentary, Education vs. Incarceration: The Real Cost of Failing Our Kids, which examines this alarming trend by detailing the critical topics of early childhood education, diversion of teenagers from the Juvenile Justice system, and the economic, social, and human costs of providing children with an inadequate education. The film also investigates how socioeconomic factors, geography, and race affect those who come into contact with the Justice system and explores the effectiveness of intervening in children's lives to get them the help they need in order to succeed in school and in life.  After making the documentary, CPTV partnered with the Connecticut Juvenile Justice Alliance to organize forums around the state to help communities understand and address the issue. The Alliance has spearheaded major juvenile justice reforms that have improved public safety while reducing the number of youths sent to the state's most expensive juvenile justice programs.

Middletown Mayor Daniel T. Drew, Middletown Youth Services Bureau, Local Interagency Services Team(local juvenile justice collaborative), and the Wesleyan Center for Prison Education invite you to join them on April 24, 2012 at 6:00pm to watch the documentary and engage in a discussion about how this issue affects your community.  The documentary will be shown in the Daniel Family Commons located in the university's Usdan Center (77 Wyllys Ave) and parking is available in parking lot E located directly across the street. Refreshments will be served at 5:30pm. Please RSVP for this free event with the Middletown Mayor's Office at 860-344-3401.

1950s Stars to Perform in Middletown--April 21st

Fifties Sound Featured in

JAZZIN' with the STARS!

A Concert at First Church Middletown on Saturday
April 21st, with

The Heartbeat Jazz Band

Ronnie Spector. Does that name sound familiar? Or, like me, do you have only a vague idea of who she might be? Let's try, "Be my, be my baby, My one and only baby, Be my, be my baby--be my baby now! whoa! whoa! whoa!".... Now do we remember?

Get ready for a fine afternoon's entertainment, Jazzin' with the Stars, on Saturday, April 21, a bright and balmy afternoon (we hope). A stroll down Middletown's most beautiful Main Street. Maybe you'll tune up your vintage car and arrive in style. A bite to eat beforehand in one of Middletown's many eateries. Then wander over to Court Street and First Church, where the seats are comfy, the acoustics are great, and the music will stoke cheer and good times. Is there any better way to spend a Saturday afternoon? And for two good causes.

Ronnie Spector, the Heartbeat Dixieland Jazz Band (and more!) will be featured in Jazzin' with the Stars, a benefit show and concert, on stage at First Church, on Court Street in Middletown, April 21st, starting at 2 p.m.

Conceived and arranged by Mr. Bill Logozzo, founder of Connecticut's Heartbeat Dixieland Jazz Band, the concert's proceeds will benefit the Hole In The Wall Gang Camp, founded by the late Paul Newman, and the regional Channel 3 Kids Camp, sponsored by WFSB-TV3.

Order Tickets Here! 

Tickets for the Jazzin’ with the Stars benefit concert are $30 if ordered before April 6th; or $35 on or after April 6th. For tickets, visit heartbeatjazzband.net, or click on link below the image (at left).

Heartbeat Dixieland Jazz Band founder, drummer, and philanthropist, Mr. Logozzo, performs regularly with the Heartbeat Dixieland Jazz Band. The concert is presented under the auspices of Mr. Logozzo’s Musical Dreams for Human Harmony Foundation, whose mission is to earn funds through musical productions and programs for the purpose of helping people with specific medical needs or handicaps.

Mr. Logozzo speaks for all of us, testifying how important it is for all kids to receive our love and support, and he works through "the wonderful world of music" to involve as many people as possible and to reach out to young people and let them know we care about them.

Scenes From the Day - Sunday Nostalgia

Strolling around town on a quiet, gray Sunday morning, it's nice to crop out the noise of modern life. Middletown, in the right light, is still very reminiscent of decades past.

Scenes From the Day is an occasional photojournalistic feature.

Rachel is a Middletown based photographer. Her work can be seen at rachelgaryphotography.wordpress.com