June 23 2012

Rehearsal for SDB's Firebird 2010. Photographer: Manny Rotenburg. During our summer hiatus, I decided to post some pics from the archives.

Daily Stuff - Zoot Suit rehearsal. Set the movement for a number called Marijuana Boogie. Had to talk to the director and musical director to decide what purpose the number served in the show. Unlike the other numbers in the show that move the plot forward, this number pretty much serves as a "charm" number as far as the audiences perception of it. So it was important to know why we were taking the time out of moving the story forward to sing about pot. In the end, it was decided that it was a statement about social perception about mexicans and drugs. 

Finished the Saturday Night Dance. The piece in three sections. Each section has an identical introduction, which then spins into a specific dance, which then spins into a scene. 

For the identical intros, I decided I wanted to repeat the same physical motifs every time and to just present them in different spacial relataions. That would allow the audience to pay attention to the slight variations in the sung lyric being sung by the lead upstage. Also, sometimes people are afraid of repetition. But repetition is a great tool when you are trying to get the audience to get a point. 

The first section is a swing number. Since there is so much swing dancing in the show, I wanted to differentiate it a bit (and also differentiate it from the upcoming sections). I knew that section two had to be slow and sensual, and that section three was going to be wild and fast, so I needed contrast. That being the case, the swing number ended up being very bouncy and slightly athletic. It finishes in a straddle lift.

The second section is a danzon, which (for all intents and purposes) a rhumba rhythm. Slow-Quick-Quick. It features the guys pulling the girls around them and gettting all wrapped up, finishing in a big dramatic dip (that echoes the straddle lift in the first section). 

The third section is a mambo. It was important to me that the choreography stressed the off beat. I have seen too many "mambos" staged on the down beat that it drives me crazy.

Anyhow it all ends up turning into a fight (don't all musicals about gangs) and then they dance a big finale.

June 22 2012

Rehearsal for SDB's Firebird 2010. Photographer: Manny Rotenburg. During our summer hiatus, I decided to post some pics from the archives.

Daily Stuff - Zoot Suit rehearsal. Finished Zoot Suit Boogie by teaching it to the cast members who hadn't had enough time on it. Still have to finesse the choreography for the leads.

Started the Saturday Night Dance, which is a big sequence that alternates between a sort of saturday Night Dance Theme and swing dancing and then danzon (which is really a rhumba) and mambo. Should be able to finish it tomorrow. I'll talk a little about it then.

June 21 2012

Rehearsal for SDB's Firebird 2010. Photographer: Manny Rotenburg. During our summer hiatus, I decided to post some pics from the archives.

Daily Stuff - Worked on Zoot Suit Boogie at rehearsal. Sort of finished it, in that I got the Pachuco and his back up girls worked in. Also, totally finished the rival gang's choreography and pretty much blocked out the choreography for the leads. Although it has been set, some of the leads haven't had time to learn it. Luckily, I have a very good dance captain, Spencer Smith. Not only did he do the show 15 years ago, in a different part, but he played my nephew in the Nutcracker at SDB when he was a kid.

Also did a sort of one step quadrille dance for some couples while the lead character is in prison. It is called a paso doble in the script, but I have always seen it as a bit lower class. It is meant to be satiric. So even the last time I staged it, I made it pretty raunchy as far as looking like a dance someone would do in a bar in Tijuana.

June 20 2012

Rehearsal for SDB's Firebird 2010. Photographer: Manny Rotenburg. During our summer hiatus, I decided to post some pics from the archives.

Daily Stuff - Had a rehearsal with the SCPA students for Zoot Suit this morning. We sketched out an interior section of the Zoot Suit Boogie, the number which opens the show. And I am pretty happy with it as a start.

Then zoomed over to dance Place to meet my final rotation of the kids from Dewey Elementary. Chasse. Chasse. Chasse.

Then zoomed back to Zoot Suit rehearsals to work on Zoot Suit Boogie with most of the cast. Its a big complicated number with different groups of people doing different things onstage. I would guess I did about two thirds with the group I had.  But it will take a bunch of layering even once I finish it. Still, it is fine so far. :)

June 19 2012

Rehearsal for SDB's Firebird 2010. Photographer: Manny Rotenburg. During our summer hiatus, I decided to post some pics from the archives.

Daily Stuff - First Zoot Suit rehearsal. Great cast and creative staff. The SCPA student got to show the jitterbug steps we have been working on for the past few weeks. The performed with flying colors. Read through the show and "Meet and Greet." Then watched a couple of videos on the "Zoot Suit" riots in LA in the 40's.

Looking forward to a wonderful few weeks of rehearsal.

June 18 2012

Rehearsal for SDB's Firebird 2010. Photographer: Manny Rotenburg. During our summer hiatus, I decided to post some pics from the archives.

Daily Stuff - Meeting at Moxie today for my Creative Catalyst grant and then a meeting at the San Diego Foundation.

June 17 2012

Rehearsal for SDB's Firebird 2010. Photographer: Manny Rotenburg. During our summer hiatus, I decided to post some pics from the archives.

Daily Stuff -  Second day off in a row! Happy Father's Day. Took mine to his version of Nirvana. The Swap Meet. And then out for burgers.

June 16 2012

Rehearsal for SDB's Firebird 2010. Photographer: Manny Rotenburg. During our summer hiatus, I decided to post some pics from the archives.

Daily Stuff -  Day off from ballet. Went to see friends performing the play Dirty Blonde at Cygnet Theatre. Congrats to all!

June 15 2012

Rehearsal for SDB's Firebird 2010. Photographer: Manny Rotenburg. During our summer hiatus, I decided to post some pics from the archives.

Daily Stuff -  Robin and Karen left this morning to go see Chelsy dance the lead in the NAtional Ballet of canada's production of Chroma. So I covered Robin's ballet class in the afternoon and both of Karen's jazz classes. The ballet class was nice as I had a live piano player (Natalia). I usually work with a cd, but Natalia was wonderful. Its nice to be able to speed up tempos as we do exercises or to have the dancers repeat without restarting the music.

The 2nd jazz class was also fun as I ended up giving the girls a master class in 60's fad dances. The Twist. The Pony. The Fly. The Jerk. Etc.

June 14 2012

Rehearsal for SDB's Firebird 2010. Photographer: Manny Rotenburg. During our summer hiatus, I decided to post some pics from the archives.

Daily Stuff -  Met with our representative from Young Audiences of San Diego today to go over plans of what we will be offering next year. For the most part, it will be unchanged as we are in the second year of a cycle. We like to do things the same for two years and then switch things out.

Afterwards, met with graham Blair, who produced the images of SDB danccers around San Diego two years back. We set a date for the dancer photo shoot for the upcoming season.

June 13 2012

Rehearsal for SDB's Firebird 2010. Photographer: Manny Rotenburg. During our summer hiatus, I decided to post some pics from the archives.

Daily Stuff -  Robin and Karen are taking a group of students from SDSB to the Fair today, where once again my little Scarborough Fair piece will be performed again. Since Karen and Robin are gone today, I will be holding down the fort. So teaching my Dewey classes, then a 4/5/6 class, then an adult ballet class.

Had a very nice meeting with a volunteer today. Think she will be a nice addition to to our happy little family.

June 12 2012

Rehearsal for SDB's Firebird 2010. Photographer: Manny Rotenburg. During our summer hiatus, I decided to post some pics from the archives.

Daily Stuff -  Day off. A day at the San Diego County Fair. I was good. Only 4 battered Australian Potatoe slices and one Bubblegum flavored Hawaiian Shave Ice. Did the pilgrimage to Swifty Swine Pig Races. It never changes from year to year and thats fine by me.

June 11 2012

Rehearsal for SDB's Firebird 2010. Photographer: Manny Rotenburg. During our summer hiatus, I decided to post some pics from the archives.

Daily Stuff -  Today I made some packets for Robin to give to the county supervisors when she makes her speech. Always have to rethink, blue folders or black folders. I made a bold move today and went with white :) Filed them with educational outreach materials and testimonials and off they went.

June 10 2012

Rehearsal for SDB's Firebird 2010. Photographer: Manny Rotenburg. During our summer hiatus, I decided to post some pics from the archives.

Daily Stuff -  Went to visit my first dance teacher, Jack Tygett today. Had a very nice time with his wife Joyce and two friends from the old days, Pola Allen and Holly Simonette.

The San Diego School of Ballet had its end of year recital today at Coronado. Best wishes to all the students, whether it be their first time on stage or they are old pros. The students will be performing that piece that I choreographed for our fundraiser back in March, set to Simon and Garfunkel tunes.

Now, I have to write a speech for Robin to give to the County Board of Supervisiors tomorrow.

June 9 2012

Rehearsal for SDB's Firebird 2010. Photographer: Manny Rotenburg. During our summer hiatus, I decided to post some pics from the archives.

Daily Stuff -  Had the last board strategy meeting today, but I couldn't attend. Bad sinus headache. I get them when the weather changes. started with sniffles yesterday and it just got worse overnight. Hopefully things got finalized a bit and I can get caught up to speed with Robin later.

June 8 2012

Rehearsal for SDB's Firebird 2010. Photographer: Manny Rotenburg. During our summer hiatus, I decided to post some pics from the archives.

Daily Stuff -  Bought a new file cabinet today. Such glamor and excitement.

June 7 2012

Rehearsal for SDB's Firebird 2010. Photographer: Manny Rotenburg. During our summer hiatus, I decided to post some pics from the archives.

Daily Stuff -  Office work. I promise things will start getting interesting soon. :)

June 6 2012

Rehearsal for SDB's Firebird 2010. Photographer: Manny Rotenburg. During our summer hiatus, I decided to post some pics from the archives.

Daily Stuff -  Not much today. Got some more submissions from dancers for next season.