Arts reviews, restaurant profiles, events, news and fun stuff to do in Boulder Colorado and Boulder County Colorado from Boulder Magazine.
Monday, September 27, 2010
What would 10 minutes of dance at 10:00 a.m. each day in October look like?
Who: Dancer Mary Wohl Haan
What: HAAN Dances: 10 @ 10 throughout 10 / 2010
When: Every morning throughout the month of October, 2010 at 10:00 a.m.
Where: 1100 block of the Pearl Street Mall, east of the split stone sculptures, just east of Boulder Bookstore, Boulder, CO
Why: A dance offering to the community.
FREE!
For the entire month of October, dancer Mary Wohl Haan will be found in downtown Boulder dancing at 10:00 a.m. for ten minutes. As a member of the Boulder dance community for the past twenty years, Haan has wanted to take her dancing to-the-streets in recent months and was inspired by a Canadian dancer who spent 30 minutes dancing in a public place for 30 days this past summer in New York City. With a few adjustments, she decided on a variation that felt like a good starting point - something manageable and not too obtrusive, thoughtful, yet hopefully enough to pique some interest. Wanting to jump right in and with October being the beautiful, if volatile month we know it to be; she's decided to inaugurate this project with ten minutes each day.
Passers-by will find her on the 110 block of the Pearl Street Mall just east of the split rock sculptures, east of Boulder Bookstore each day in October. Rain or shine, snow or wind, this daily dance for the community will be part ritual and part spectacle as she explores the changes that might occur over an extended period of time. Without recorded musical accompaniment, she looks forward to the ambient sounds of people talking and going about their business. Haan says, “I will choreograph a loose structure as a starting point to be repeated each day with whatever variations happen. I’m also bringing a small white wooded pedestal to help ground where I am and delineate the area. Dancing out-of-doors or producing site-specific work is not new, but it’s always a little risky. That variable often brings a new excitement to how we look at artists and art making.”
Haan will be dancing for herself as well as the community, and has set up a day-to-day diary online to document the process. People are encouraged to bring their cameras, cell phones or other recording devices and post what they see to You tube, then forward the links to her www.HAANdances.com site. Her Web site will also have a place for people to log comments if interested.
Photos: Mary Wohl Haan / HAAN Dances from her recent performances in the Boulder Fringe Festival
Photos by Heather Gray Photography
*****
ABOUT MARY WOHL HANN
Mary Wohl Haan, modern dance choreographer, teacher and performer, took her first dance class as a sophomore at the University of Toledo with Elaine Valois. After receiving an Master of Fine Arts degree in choreography from the University of Utah, she spent nine years in Chicago as faculty at Columbia College Dance Center and principal dancer with Mordine & Company Dance Theater. Performing in New York City, across the Midwest and at the World Expo in Brisbane, Australia, she won Chicago’s 1989 Ruth Page Award for Outstanding Dancer of the Year. Since moving to Colorado, she has taught and produced concerts across the country.
As Artistic Director of HAAN Dances in Boulder, she creates original solos and group dances and commissions solo work for herself from other artists. Haan has been an integral part of the Boulder dance community for 20 years, and is currently coordinator of the Boulder Arts Commission’s dance resource project, Dance Bridge.
Growing up as one in a family of twelve children, her choreographic work stems from a belief that one-among-the-many can speak of our human condition and commonality, and still develop a uniquely individual voice. She continues to be excited about the possibilities for dance and performance, collaboration and experimentation. Mary teaches in the local community and is also a competitive master’s swimmer.
Friday, September 24, 2010
2nd Annual ROCK THE HOUSE! Event is Oct. 22
Safe Shelter of St. Vrain Valley is excited to present its 2nd annual ROCK THE HOUSE! event, to be held on Oct. 22 from 6:30-11pm. It will be an evening of rock n’ roll, good food, door prizes and a silent auction.
Sponsors, including Amgen, First MainStreet Insurance, Longmont United Hospital, Guaranty Bank and Longmont Dairy Farm, are helping to raise funds in support of Safe Shelter’s domestic violence programs. Join them for this concert by Wendy Woo at the Loyal Order of Moose Lodge 1548 in Longmont – where there is more room to get your move on! Tickets are $35 in advance and $50 at the door. Please RSVP to Liz@safeshelterofstvrain.org or call 303-772-0432 ext 104.
Safe Shelter provides safety, support and resources to individuals affected by domestic abuse. It promotes empowerment through direct services and community education, advocating for the right of every individual to live a life free of intimidation, exploitation and abuse.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Dance Theater Review: “Tap Dogs” — Just See It!
“Tap Dogs” at the Buell Theatre
Denver Center for the Performing Arts
Through September 26
An Australian steelyard comes to life in a muscularly beautiful cacophony of sound
By Carolyn Oakley
“Tap Dogs” opened Wednesday night at the Buell Theatre in Denver to a thrilled audience. The hoots and whistles began early as the packed house let the Dogs know "We're here for you, we recognize your talent." The Dogs responded with a knockout show.
Pre-concert house music blasting AC/DC and a program note mentioning the Blundstone Australian work boots worn by the dancers let the audience know immediately that this would not be your Golden Age of Hollywood tap-dancing show.
Fade to black.
An innovative set made of corrugated sheet metal, pipes, ropes, beams and pulleys plunges the audience into the industrial world of the Australian steel town where “Tap Dogs” was born. Strong backlighting that casts the dancers into silhouettes, rhythmic switching on and off of industrial flashlights and the flying sparks of steel grinding steel create a gritty mood of constant motion. Six male dancers in T-shirts, jeans, cutoffs and flannel shirts evoke a world when men work hard, play hard and dream passionately.
These men are strong. They dance on steel beams and ladders, and pulling on ropes while dancing on the moving set. One puts on climbing gear and tap dances upside down. These dancers are athletic and powerful.
These men have dreams. Breakout solos, and duets of grace and ease, suggest nights of introspection and moments of waking fantasy when a steelworker might dream of being on Broadway some day.
These men have passion. Nothing is done halfway. The pounding rhythms of a well-composed and well-paced, shifting score highlight the interplay between the tap rhythms, recorded sounds of deep basso sine waves, the bells and clangs of the steelyards, and a skillfully played array of live percussion. (The percussionist is clearly part of the ensemble here, playing rhythms with his hands while the dancers play rhythms with their feet.) Soft repetitive loops create a hypnotic background. Unaccompanied "a cappella" pieces are woven throughout the performance.
These men have humor. Oh, there is loads of that. Good-old-boy humor, musical-jokes humor, dance jokes, street humor, and that special brand of Aussie humor that’s quirky, goofy and heartfelt all at once.
These men are clearly individuals. Each has his own unique style, yet what is unusual about the Dogs, as opposed to, say, Radio City's Rockettes, is how that individuality is fostered and encouraged. My companions and I came away with nicknames for each dancer: "The Boss," The Kid," "Happy," "Cool Man," "Tough Guy (NOT)" and "Joe." You will come away with your own. Each "character" has his story, and the love and affection between them, in the rough, ribald way of men, is clear. The lead dancer "owns" the show with strength and charm, but without hubris (a feat “Riverdance” lead dancers struggle to accomplish). Yet the Dogs are a company, and their ensemble work is extraordinary. It’s precise and intuitive, with interlocking rhythms that are spot-on (one man using his left foot, the other his right in perfect counterpoint), and tempo changes accomplished with no music track except their own tap sounds interwoven with the rhythms of basketballs being bounced and tossed. Even the taping of microphones to a dancer's feet is accomplished in rhythm.
For this reviewer, one of the most powerful themes of “Tap Dogs” is the beauty of sound found in the ordinary world. As the dancers arrange and rearrange the Erector set-like staging, they drop beams and move pipes in rhythm to the music and to the interplay of their own taps. The clink-thump-tong-thwat of the steelyard comes to life as a beautiful and exciting cacophony of sound with a life of its own. One can imagine Dein Perry, the creator and choreographer of “Tap Dogs,” standing in the midst of the yards one day as the "noise" of the yards resolved itself into the soundtrack of his future international hit. I personally will never hear a metal saw or listen to the sounds of construction (ever present in Boulder, it seems) the same way again.
Do yourself a favor. Go see “Tap Dogs.” Bring people you love to see “Tap Dogs.” Bring people who need a reminder that everyday life is full of creativity, possibility and joy. And today, as you wait in traffic or queue up at the bank, stop for a moment, listen, find the rhythm and tap in.
SHOW TIMES:
Tuesday–Saturday, 8pm
Saturday & Sunday, 2pm
Sunday, 7:30pm
TO PURCHASE TICKETS:
Single tickets for "Tap Dogs" start at just $20. To charge by phone, call Denver Center Ticket Services at 303-893-4100. TTY (for Deaf and hard-of-hearing patrons): 303-893-9582. Groups of 15 or more, please call 303-446-4829. Tickets may also be purchased at the Denver Center Ticket Office, located at the Helen Bonfils Theatre Complex Lobby, or at TicketsWest outlets, located in all King Soopers stores. Buy and print online at www.denvercenter.org.
For more information on "Tap Dogs," visit the Tap Dogs website.
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A special “bravo” goes out to Denver’s own young Tap Pups, who joined the Dogs for an encore. Tap Pups was established by Dein Perry to ensure the continuation of the unique Tap Dogs style. More than 180 Tap Pups kids are currently enrolled in the program.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Left Hand Brewing to hold "Fire Fundraiser" September 22
Longmont's Left Hand Brewing Company is hosting a fundraising event for victims of the Fourmile Canyon Fire.
Left Hand's ‘Fire Fundraiser’ will be held Wednesday, September 22, from 6-9pm, at 1265 Boston Avenue in Longmont.
Local musicians Kort McCumber, Tom Cornwell, and Travis Bush will perform that evening, even donating their tips that night to the cause. Kort McCumber and his family are canyon residents who were evacuated as a result of the fire.
A silent auction will also be held that evening, featuring authentic local artwork and crafts, local handmade quilts and paintings, gift certificates for Longmont businesses, Left Hand Brewing beer and merchandise, and a “Brew Day at Left Hand Brewing.”
“We personally know several people who were chased out by the fire and are now homeless,” says Eric Wallace, President of Left Hand Brewing, “and we want to help anyway that we can.”
All donations, cover charges, earnings from the silent auction, tips for the band, and $1 per pint sold will go directly to the Foothills United Way Fourmile Canyon Fire Relief Fund, which is designed to address unmet immediate needs, as well as provide for long-term recovery for fire victims and the community.
For more information about the event contact, please contact Joshua Goldberg at Left Hand Brewing Company, or Pat Monacelli at Foothills United Way.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Aloha With an Altitude - Colorado Aloha Festival runs September 17-19
September 17-19, 2010
Get a taste of Hawaii without setting foot on a plane. The Colorado Aloha Festival kicks off on Friday, September 17, summoning the island spirit with a hula concert featuring modern and ancient traditional dances and chants at Macky Auditorium on the CU campus. Performers include Grammy Award winner Daniel Ho, hula master Loea Hewitt, and adult and child dancers from the Mauna Pohaku Hula School. The event begins at 7pm.
The following day, the hula continues at halftime during the football game between the CU Buffaloes and the University of Hawaii Warriors.
On both Saturday and Sunday, head for Twenty Ninth Street to learn all about Pacific Island culture with free workshops and even more music and performances. Make sure to stroll through the sea of Hawaiian vendors while dining on delicious island food—from refreshing tropical smoothies to the much-revered Spam sushi.
For details and ticket information, visit the Colorado Aloha Festival website.
Ho'ike Hula Concert
Friday, September 17, 2010, 7:00 PM
Macky Auditorium, Boulder CO
Ticket prices range from $15 - $65
— Rebecca Schneider
Photo of Hoike Show by Glenn Asakawa
Whole Foods Fundraisers for the United Way Fourmile Canyon Fire Relief Fund
1. A 5% Community Day benefiting the Foothills United Way’s Fourmile Canyon Fire Relief Fund.
2. An outdoor grilling event in front of the beautiful Flatirons from 4-7 pm:
- a. The Baseline team members will be grilling hotdogs and veggie dogs, plus providing 365 teas, for a donation request of $3 per meal. Please note: We will not be requesting donations from evacuees, firefighters, and volunteers.
- b. Rocky Mountain Bakehouse is donating 288 5” Berry Explosion pies and Cherry pies (donation request: 1 for $3 or 2 for $5, retails $5.99)
- c. Colorado’s Performing Arts Publications donated 2 sets of performance tickets for to be auctioned in a drawing (amount TBD)
- i. One pair is to the Arvada Center for the performance of “Sunset Boulevard”
- ii. Second pair is to the Colorado Symphony Orchestra
- d. For those in need, Baseline’s Whole Body Team will be handing out New Chapter’s Super Critical Antioxidants, originally named Smoke Shield, as a gift from New Chapter’s President Tom Newmark. This formula is noted for its ability to rid the body of toxins accumulated from extensive smoke exposure.
*100% of proceeds will support local victims.
One week ago, in response to the worst wildfire in Boulder County’s history, Foothills United Way established the Fourmile Canyon Fire Relief Fund. The response from the community has been tremendous, and today donations made to the fund are already being put to work in the community.
Administered by Foothills United Way working in collaboration with service providers in the community, the Fund is designed to help with unmet immediate needs, and to provide for long term recovery for victims of the fire and the community.
Applications for assistance from the Fund for unmet immediate needs are being processed by Boulder County Housing and Human Services caseworkers. An example of such needs: a family whose home-based business was destroyed - along with their home – was able to get funds to purchase basic, necessary items to get their business operating again.
Long-term recovery needs addressed by the fund will include such items as temporary and transitional housing and medical and health needs. Additional long-term recovery items will be included, as the eventual scope of the fire is revealed.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Boulder Mountain Fire Relief Fund Established at The Community Foundation
Boulder County (September 10, 2010) – The Community Foundation Serving Boulder today established a new emergency fund to support community members directly affected by the Fourmile Canyon Fire. The fund will support the local volunteer fire departments who courageously fought this fire and the mountain residents whose lives were directly impacted by this disaster and are in critical need of financial support.
The Greenlee Family Foundation has generously offered to match, dollar for dollar, every donation made to the fund, up to $10,000. The decision was personal, said Rob Greenlee, who worked for a local ambulance company before becoming Executive Director of his family’s foundation.
“Emergency services are still near and dear to my heart,” Greenlee said. “This was just a perfect opportunity for us to give back to the community.”
Volunteer Fire Departments provide emergency response services as well as battling fires like the one that we are experiencing now. This fund will financially support ALL Fire Departments that are working so hard to protect us.
The full extent of the devastation caused by this fire is yet unknown. We DO know that over 172 families have lost their homes and will be in need of help. We want to be certain that there are funds available locally that can be dispersed quickly to those with the greatest needs.
To donate online, visit the Fourmile Canyon Fire page on the Community Foundation website, click “Donate Now,” and be sure to designate your gift to the “Boulder Mountain Fire Relief Fund.”
Or write a check to "Boulder Mountain Fire Relief Fund" and mail it to: The Community Foundation, 1123 Spruce St., Boulder, CO 80302.
For more information, or to make a gift involving a stock or wire transfer, please call us at 303-442-0436.
Purpose of The Community Foundation
The Community Foundation’s mission is to improve the quality of life in Boulder County, now and forever, and to build a culture of giving. The Foundation is the place where giving is informed and inspired to have the greatest impact on the vision of a better Boulder County. To learn more or make a gift, please visit the Community Foundation website or call 303-442-0436.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
In the face of fire - taking steps to mitigate the effects of smoke on our health
By Jody K. Shevins
September 7, 2010 - As some of you know, I live in southwest Longmont. This morning there is ash on my garden vegetables. It is painful, even though it is “natural” to see our beautiful foothills in flames. For all of us living in and along the Front Range here, we see the clouds of smoke moving in different directions with the winds. I am writing to you this morning as a reminder: even if the darker parts of the clouds are not right over your area, the particulates are everywhere in the air right now.
Of course people with cardiovascular disease, asthma, or vulnerability to sinus or bronchial infections should be especially cautious. There are a number of things to be done to mitigate the effects of the smoke on us. But before I list those things, I want to emphasize that it’s not just those of us who suffer from asthma or other infections who need to take some proactive measures. Obviously our friends and neighbors who fled the fire and the firefighters and their support teams have had enormous stress and smoke exposure. But everyone else in the Front Range needs to take care.
So today I am asking you please to take action. Use your air purifiers and air conditioners and (clean) humidifiers. Don’t exercise outside until this has passed. Minimize exposure to the smoke. I think it would be best to use your glasses and skip wearing contact lenses till the air has cleared. Breathing steam and using nasal saline can help move the particulates off of the airways.
Nutritionally, the basics help. By basics, I mean include generous amounts of deeply colored fruits and vegetables for the anti-oxidant properties. All the deeply colored berries are terrific as are fruits such as cherries and pomegranates. Supplements such as N-Acetyl-Cystein (NAC) can help fortify the linings of the respiratory tract and keep mucus thin.
Hydration...always hydration is so important. Besides keeping airway surfaces moist, liquids help the body with detoxification. Wildfires contain toxic gasses as well as particulates. One might consider using gentle detoxifying strategies like milk thistle or fiber if this is an issue for you. If you know that certain strategies really support you, like sleep, resveratrol, Laughter Yoga, or probiotics, make sure you use them now.
For people with cardiovascular disease, asthma, or vulnerability to sinus and bronchial infections, anti-inflammatory preparations like Zyflammend, herbal teas for coughs, simple supplementation including essential fatty acids, Vitamin C and zinc and carotenoids can be helpful now.
Please remember to be mindful, take good care of yourself and your family so that these days of smoke in the air don’t leave any more lasting effects beyond the present.
Our thoughts turn toward our brave fire fighters, the women and men who walk right up to the fire to make sure our families and pets survive. To those of you who have lost homes, are dealing with evacuation and are directly involved in the fire, our hearts go out to you.
Jody K. Shevins, ND, DHANP, CCH
www.jodykshevins.com
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Jody K. Shevins is a doctor of naturopathic medicine practicing in Boulder, Colorado since 1984. She is a Diplomate of the Homeopathic Academy of Naturopathic Physicians (DHANP) and is Certified in Classical Homeopathy (CCH).
Photos by Carolyn Oakley.
District to Launch Three-Day BVSD Fire Assistance Center for Affected School Families and Staff
Assistance center to operate September 8-10 from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM in BVSD Education Center at 6500 E. Arapahoe Rd. in Boulder.
The Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) announced Tuesday afternoon that it would operate an assistance center for BVSD families and staff impacted by the Fourmile Canyon wildfire. The assistance center will be open from 8:00 AM until 3:00 PM beginning Wednesday, September 8 through Friday, September 10. It will held in the Board Meeting Room of the BVSD Education Center located at 6500 E. Arapahoe Rd. in east Boulder. The center will be under the direction of BVSD Executive Director of Student Success Karen Daly.
“The purpose of this center is to provide resources and services to our BVSD students, families and employees in the aftermath of the Fourmile Canyon wildfire,” stated Ms. Daly.
Meant to serve as much as possible as a “one stop shop” for impacted BVSD community members, the assistance center will address:
- BVSD Transportation Services
- McKinney-Vento Act federal benefits for displaced students
- BVSD Human Resources
- Assistance Services for Coping with the Effects of Crisis
- Local Red Cross Personnel
- School Supplies Provided by Impact on Education through the “Crayons to Calculators” Program
- School Representatives
- BVSD Community Schools (Kindergarten Enrichment & After School Care)
Ms. Daly thanked both Impact on Education and the Red Cross for joining in this three-day effort to ease the burdens of those BVSD community members suffering from the effects of this terrible incident.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Intercambio’s English Classes for Adults Begin September 13 and 14
Intercambio de Comunidades, una organización independiente sin fines de lucro cuya misión es crear puentes de entendimiento entre culturas y crear una comunidad más integrada, empezará un nuevo trimestre de clases de inglés para adultos el 14 de Septiembre en Boulder y el 13 de Septiembre en Lafayette. Las clases son dos días a la semana por la tardes, duran nueve semanas y la tarifa para registrarse es de $35 por la inscripción y los materiales. Hay becas disponibles para aquellos que lo necesiten. Intercambio también ofrece talleres de trabajo sobre recursos comunitarios y eventos interculturales. Los servicios de intercambio están disponibles para cualquier adulto interesado en mejorar su inglés. Si desea recibir más información póngase en contacto con Maria Velasco 303-996-0275 extensión 3.
About Intercambio de Comunidades
Founded in 2000 in Boulder, Colorado, the mission of Intercambio de Comunidades is to build bridges of understanding across cultures, increase opportunities and independence for immigrants, and create a stronger, more integrated Boulder County. For a decade, Intercambio has provided no-cost/low-cost English classes and resource education to 700 immigrants in Boulder County each year thanks to the help of 300 wonderful volunteer teachers. Intercambio also provides intercultural events such as potlucks, fiestas, park clean-ups and camping trips to bring people from different cultures together to create a more integrated community. Intercambio is a 501 (C)(3) not-for-profit organization supported by the generous donations from the community.
For more information about Intercambio de Comunidades, visit www.intercambioweb.org
Food, Fun, Dancing, Silent Auction
Save the date: October 23, 7pm to 1am
Boulder Elks Lodge
Thursday, September 2, 2010
"Stable of Terror" - Halloween with Horses Fall Festival Returns Oct. 16
Halloween with Horses, Powered by Radio Disney, held at The Colorado Horse Park, returns October 16, 2010. The fall festival offers more fun than ever before, including horse entertainment and favorites such as the Stable of Terror and the horse costume contest. The only fall festival of its kind, Halloween with Horses, Powered by Radio Disney, features a day of fun for the whole family, and has become one of the largest one-day events in Douglas County. The event has been recognized nationwide as a unique Halloween celebration, and attracts the support of the local community, including the Town of Parker, and hundreds of volunteers.
"We are very excited to host Halloween with Horses again this year," says Helen Krieble, The Colorado Horse Park's founder and president. "It is very rewarding to see how the community responds to this fun event."
Halloween with Horses, Powered by Radio Disney, is ideal for families and horse lovers alike. A safe trick-or-treat barn, pony and horse rides, Stable of Terror, pumpkin patch, face painting and the petting zoo are just a few of the ways little ghosts and goblins can have fun. Radio Disney will provide music and games from 12:00-2:00 p.m. Grown-ups will enjoy the crafters, and of course, the food vendors bringing everything from funnel cakes to gourmet sandwiches and sides. To top it all off, horse entertainment runs throughout the day, including the famous Westernaires.
One of the highlights of the event is the horse costume contest. Entrants must design a costume for their horse and themselves and the sky is the limit. Creativity abounds, with horses arriving dressed as crayon boxes, pirate ships, dragons, elephants and fantastical creatures. The overall grand prize winner will receive $1,000.
Explains Krieble, "We are always amazed by the amount of effort that the entrants put into these costumes. It is clear that many spend hundreds of hours on the details." Many contestants return every year, and the elaborate designs are always a fun surprise for the audience.
That special connection between horses and humans makes Halloween with Horses an event like no other. Horse lovers of all ages have many opportunities to interact with beautiful, wonderful equines. Youngsters will enjoy the breed barn where black, noble Friesians, cute, fluffy miniature horses and others will be available for pets and photos. The youngest riders can be introduced to horses via pony rides, while teens and adults can experience partnership with these special animals on the rides in one of the park's many arenas.
This access to horses plus all of the Halloween festivities has made Halloween with Horses a must-do fall activity. Continues Krieble, "It has become a family and community favorite. We get calls from around the country!"
The one-day festival has received nationwide publicity, and has been featured in magazines such as Woman's Day and television shows including the Martha Stewart show. Approximately 10,000 kids and adults are expected. "It is such a privilege hosting such a popular event," says Krieble. "We are thrilled that Halloween with Horses has been so warmly embraced by families and the community."
Halloween with Horses, Powered by Radio Disney, runs from 10:00-6:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 16 at The Colorado Horse Park, 7522 S. Pinery Drive. Everyone is encouraged to come in costume. Tickets are $14 per person and include all of the activities (with the exception of food, drink and the purchase items from the vendors). Children under two years of age are free. Bring a can of food for the SECOR food bank and receive $1 off one admission. Parking is free. Visit The Colorado Horse Park website or Halloween with Horses on Facebook for more information, or call 303-841-5550.