slow dancing at the music center plaza

I am really looking forward to my trip to Germany, but this is just one of the many things going on Downtown that I hate to miss.


Photo by Dance at the Music Center

"Dance at the Music Center proudly presents the West Coast premiere of Slow Dancing, an outdoor video installation of larger-than-life, hyper-slow-motion video portraits of extraordinary dance artists from around the world. Projected on 16-foot screens, Slow Dancing features over 40 master choreographers and dancers representing a broad range of styles, ages and cultures including the works of ballet, modern dance, Hip-Hop, Flamenco, and Javanese court dance."

This sounds amazing. Approximately five seconds of each dancer's movement was shot with a super-high-speed, high-definition camera, resulting in ten minutes of extreme slow movement. Dancers participating in this video installation include artists as diverse as "krump" artist Christopher "Lil C" Toler, Balanchine's ballerina Allegra Kent, and American Ballet Theatre's Herman Cornejo.

Did I mention the cost to see this video installation? It's FREE.

September 18-26, 2007 6:00PM - 12:00AM
FREE Public Exhibition
Optimal viewing after 7:30 PM

a taste of dance

Every year around my birthday, the Music Center hosts A Taste of Dance, a day full of dance classes ($1 each lesson!) on the Music Center Plaza. So even though I may be in denial about getting older, the classes remind my body that it's been a long time since I was a theater arts/dance major in college. This year, A Taste of Dance takes place this Saturday, March 24th, from 10:30am to 4pm. Who wants to join me in a few dance classes this Saturday?

It all starts with a free 60's warm up at 11am, then 20-minute classes will be offered in:

Clogging
Dance Team
Hustle
Modern Jazz
Ragtime Dances

Then from 1:30-3:30pm, these 20-minute classes open up:

Jitterbug
Native American Dance
Steppin'
Tap
Texas Two-Step

At 3:30pm, they wind it up with free line dancing classes for all. I can't promise I'll participate in the line dancing. I'm very line dancing-averse. I can't explain why, but sometimes at my family gatherings, they line dance. I try to break it up with karaoke, but sometimes it doesn't work and they continue to line dance.

Truthfully, I'm not that excited about the choices in dance classes this year. One year I was able to take hula, capoeira, bhangra, african, and ballet folklorico classes. I loved the bhangra and the african dance classes, they were energizing and fun. I tried, but I felt like a clodhopper during the ballet folklorico class and probably looked worse. The capeoeira class was my least favorite. I almost kicked myself in the head during one maneuver. And no, I wasn't trying to kick my head.

I'll probably feel like I was hit by a truck the next morning, but I'm going to do it. Seriously, if anyone wants to join me, email me or leave a comment. If we get enough people maybe we should get t-shirts.

WHEN: Saturday, March 24, 2007
11:00 AM - 4:00 PM
WHERE: Music Center Plaza
ADMISSION: $1 per 20-minute lesson
First come, first served.
Tickets available for purchase starting at 10:30AM (cash only).

Limited class sizes,
Dress in comfortable clothes/shoes, some classes are danced barefoot.
No prior dance experience necessary.