Monthly Archives: November 2017

Wortham Ctr, Houston, Hit Hard by Hurricane Harvey

The Hedgehog is sorry to report great damage to Houston’s Wortham Theater Center due to the terrible force of Hurricane Harvey. Wortham is the home for the Houston Grand Opera and the Houston Ballet. The Hedgehog reported on the many contemporary dance events of the Dance Salad Festival held there in March, 2016.

More than a month after the Hurricane, the stage floor was still damp. Storage spaces below the orchestra pit had housed costumes, shoes, and other stage properties. These items, ruined by water, added toxicity and bad odors to the space as they mouldered away . Dressing rooms for the corps de ballet were in ruins with broken mirrors and furniture as well as ruined floors. Dyes used for costumes also added to the dangerous chemical soup. Air conditioning, electrical and mechanical systems were wrecked.

Nevertheless, the show went on: the Ballet opened in the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, September, and the Opera had its season opening in the George R. Brown Convention Center, October. Predictions for the return to the Wortham Theater Center range from May, 2018, to October, 2018. Living in San Francisco where rebuilding and repairs to venues including the Opera House, Veterans Building, and City Hall from the 1984 earthquake continued for years, the Hedgehog wishes Houston a speedier recovery.

REGISTER NOW FOR IDF@SV 2018!

EARLY BIRDS get the best price! You CAN register now for the Workshops & Classes of International Dance Festival@Silicon Valley, 2018. It’s the 7th season for the Best Dance Experience On This Planet –or on any other. Here are your Early Bird deals for Physical Comedy, Full Day of Dance©, Choreography Workshop, Festival Concert.

PHYSICAL COMEDY, Sunday, June 10, 2 – 4 p.m. $30 for one person; $45 for two

Megan Ivey, Ringling Bros. professional clown, will perform & teach Physical Comedy in IDF@SV 2018

FULL DAY OF DANCE©, Saturday, June 16, 10 a.m. -5 p.m. $60 for all five classes, $20 for single class, $36 for two, $48 for three, $56 for four: BEST DEAL & MOST FUN=TAKE THEM ALL

Etta Walton (L) & Audreyanne Covarrubias (R) perform & teach Electric Line Dances & Tap Dance

CHOREOGRAPHY WORKSHOP (THE CHOREO-CUBATOR©): Tues/Thurs/Fri, June 12, 14, 15, 19, 21, 22, each time from 6 -7:30 p.m., ALL six sessions of space & time to develop your own creative project AND perform on the Showcase Concert (not required), ALL this for $115.

All dance styles welcome in Choreo-Cubator 2018; Take a bow in the Showcase concert; finally have time for your own creating and rehearsing!

TICKETS !!! FOR THE FESTIVAL CONCERT 2018 are available. June 23, 3 p.m. $20 general admission; $12 for over 65 & under 10; group tix also available. $30 SPONSOR TICKET gives you reserved, best seating and a tax deduction for helping The Lively Foundation keep the IDF@SV dancing with the stars!!! Mail your check to The Lively Foundation, 550 Mountain View Ave., Mountain View, CA 94041 THANK YOU!

International Dance Festival@Silicon Valley:2018 Dates

International Dance Festival@Silicon Valley announces its dates for June, 2018. Now is the time to get it on your calendar! The Holiday Season sweeps in soon; your visions of sugar plums, candied yams, turkey, pies…may take your attention away from planning the Greatest Possible Dance Adventure: IDF@SV Season 7.

Workshops, classes, performance opportunities are available for advanced/professional dancers, for those who want to try a class or two, & for beginners.

Remember: a great ballerina may still be a beginner at tap dance. She could take Audreyanne Covarrubias’ tap class and have the most amazing time.

Choreography workshop, technique workshops, Physical Comedy, and the Full Day of Dance©; all this AND performances by the gifted artists who will bring the best in dance to our ever growing audience. Don’t miss this!

All events and classes take place at the Mountain View Masonic Center, 890 Church Street, Mountain View, CA 94041

Here are the dates:

Sunday, June 10, 2:00-4:00 p.m. Physical Comedy with Megan Ivey--she’s the professional clown from Ringling Bros. This is more fun than anyone can describe. Fall down, spit water, walk into walls–see what I mean? You have to be there.

Megan Ivey leads Physical Comedy

Choreo-Cubator© Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, June 12, 14, 15, 19, 21, 22, from 6:00 p.m. -7:30 p.m. Supportive atmosphere, chance to work on something new or polish a work in progress. Perform your work on June 22 (performance not required).

Guest artist from Berlin, Germany, Elisabeth Kindler-Abali, performing the premiere of Letters Like Feathers, Festival Concert 2016, choreographed by Leslie Friedman

Saturday, June 16, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Full Day of Dance© Take your pick of 5 different dance/movement techniques. Tap, Pilates mat, Etta’s Electric Line Dances, contemporary, and a special surprise. Price of classes reduces with each added class: Best deal & most fun: TAKE THEM ALL!

(L to R) Audreyanne Delgado Covarrubias teaches Tap; Etta Walton teaches LIne Dances; both perform in the Festival Concert

Sunday, June 23, 3 p.m., FESTIVAL CONCERT, the gala closing event of Season 7. Watch the artists you’ve worked with in class–and maybe perform yourself. This is always a stunning performance featuring premiere works and thrilling dancing. CELEBRATE! IT’S TIME TO DANCE! SAVE YOURSELF THIS TIME TO DANCE; THE SKY’S THE LIMIT. For more information, contact The Lively Foundation, watch this blog, friend the Festival on Facebook at facebook/international dance festival silicon valley

Lively Foundation Artistic Director Leslie Friedman