Author Archives: Leslie

Butterflies Released! Leslie Friedman’s New Book

The Lively Foundation is proud to announce the release of The Story of Our Butterflies: Mourning Cloaks in Mountain View, the new book by Leslie Friedman. It is a beautiful book with many full color, often full page photographs by Jonathan Clark and Leslie Friedman.

Front cover is a close up of the wing of a Mourning Cloak butterfly. Back cover shows Mourning Cloak caterpillars devouring willow leaves.

The story begins when Mr. Clark and Ms Friedman observe a butterfly lingering on a tiny branch of a pussy willow tree. They see that the butterfly has lain eggs and bring the twig inside to protect the eggs from predators. The story continues through all the stages of life: egg, about five different stages of caterpillar, butterfly. More than 125 butterflies were released in nature preserves. The continual and rapid growth of the caterpillars, their vigorous appetites, the beauty of the butterflies make a suspenseful and engaging tale,

The book explores the relationship of human cultures to butterflies through Chinese legends, Shakespeare’s plays, American pop music. It reveals the desperate plight of all butterflies as the climate changes. There are fascinating Appendices which include an array of butterfly information: how a border wall between the US and Mexico endangers butterfly existence; how to say “butterfly” in many languages; how butterflies symbolize hope for diverse individuals and groups. Questions are answered: does the woolly bear predict weather like an insect version of the groundhog? Did Nathaniel Hawthorne write about butterflies and happiness?

CHRISTMAS IS (always) COMING! Remember books from The Lively Foundation: beautiful to look at, enlightening and entertaining to read. Great for birthdays, Mother’s Day, everyday when you want to read a great book. Be cozy this Christmas: shop from home and let Lively package and send your gifts. Ways to buy this book are listed below this picture.

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The Story of Our Butterflies: Mourning Cloaks in Mountain View is available now from The Lively Foundation. Two ways to order it:

#1) Make your check for $36 to The Lively Foundation and mail it to The Lively Foundation/550 Mountain View Avenue/Mountain View, CA 94041-1941   Price includes postage.

#2) If you prefer to use PayPal instead of a personal check, please add $1.25 for a total of $37.25. Go to the landing page of this site, scroll down to see the DONATE button, click on that, follow PayPal’s directions.   Price includes postage.

#3) Hand-delivered book cost is $29.95.

 

Stanford’s Company of Authors presents Leslie Friedman

Congratulations to Leslie Friedman, Artistic Director of The Lively Foundation!  Stanford University’s distinguished program, Company of Authors, honored her by inviting her to talk about her book, The Dancer’s Garden. Company of Authors presents Stanford related writers to talk about recent publication. The program took place over Zoom on October 24. There were 17 speakers all from a wide variety of fields. Leslie received her Ph.D. in History from Stanford. The event was free and open to the public; only pre-registration was required in order to receive the Zoom code.

The Dancer’s Garden, published in 2019, is available from The Lively Foundation and the Stanford Bookstore.

Response to Leslie’s talk was so positive that she immediately received an invitation to present her new book, The Story of Our Butterflies: Mourning Cloaks in Mountain View, in the next Company of Authors, April 24, 2021. This year’s Company of Authors was originally scheduled for May 2, 2020. It would have been live, in person, and on campus at the Stanford Center for the Humanities. The Stanford campus closed because of the pandemic, the Authors’ program, postponed, became a virtual event. With each author appearing individually from his or her home, the relationship of speaker to listeners became even more personal. The hugely successful event was created by History Professor, Peter Stansky. He serves as the moderator of the program. Professor Stansky gave Leslie an exceptionally generous introduction. Christina Fajardo of Stanford’s Continuing Studies coordinated the program and managed the technical direction.  It was a wonderful experience, and we are looking forward to April 24th next year!

Leslie’s Play, The Panel, Given Reading by Play by Play

Lively’s Artistic Director, Leslie Friedman, wrote The Panel, a one -act play, in 2005. It was accepted for performances at the Marin Festival of New Plays and received awards for Best Play, Best Actor, and Best Director. On September 27, 2020, The Panel was read – online – for an audience, also online, as the September event of Play by Play, an organization based in Oakland that presents readings of new one acts. Play by Play was founded by Judith Offer, herself a playwright and poet.

Please see link below to watch a video of the reading. This will be available for two weeks after the reading, closing, we believe, on October 11.

Originally scheduled for a live presentation in March, 2020, the pandemic forced that date to be canceled. Leslie said, “It was great to receive the invitation from Judith to put The Panel’s reading on Play by Play’s calendar.”  The readers all gave outstanding performances even though they were seen in a small screen instead of on a stage. Here they are:


Readers from top L: Pam Wong (The Young One), Laurie Mokriski (The White Ethnic Dancer), Torey Bookstein (The Great One, and The Jive Person), Paul Harkness (The Old One), Jonathan Clark (The Film Guy), Susannah Wood (The Moderator).

The performances were fantastic. The readers created a theater within the small, electronic box and brought their sometimes troublesome, often funny characters into three dimensional life. It was an exciting event! Some comments from audience: “I loved it!” “I loved it and thought it was perfect!” “We enjoyed it!” “The dialogue is incredibly clever! Thanks for a delightful afternoon.”

Here is a link to the recording of the reading. Please remember that this is a second generation recording and the sound may not be consistent. Thank you for your interest and CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CAST!

Share recording with viewers:
https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/zEGhNdHrWYpgk-5c53CR-vfXODBabO1S8tHpzkT7JoIBgIBf5kkxcr9dqm6bnX6a.qzLPJWjNfcNL_0z3 Passcode: !9PW3upU

 

 

 

Registration Closes August 3 at Midnight

You have been thinking about it and cannot decide. The Full Day of Dance© sounds so good but do you really want to commit the time? Can you decide which classes to take? Maybe you need to think about it some more before you go to the Reg. Form. Nope, you do not need to think about it some more. The classes are all amazing and led by gifted artists who are also gifted teachers. Time’s almost up! Monday night is IT.

 

The time is now. Dance is time made visual. Jump in.  You will be dancing in your home, alone, with no one watching you. You will only be watching the artist teaching. This is ideal. While you are here on the Livelyblog, go to

http://www.livelyfoundation.org/wordpress/?p=3418   There you will find the link to the Registration Form.   Do it now; you will be so delighted with the fun you will have dancing.

Time to Dance! Register NOW!

It’s time! Register for Full Days of Dance©! Do it now. August 8 & 9 are only a couple of weeks away even though they are in another month. Strange how that happens. You have such great classes to choose from; you may just want to sign up for them all. This is a unique opportunity to take classes from wonderful artists who are also wonderful teacher, and it is all for FREE! Unbelievable, but true. For more about the teachers and classes please

Visit http://www.livelyfoundation.org/wordpress/?p=3396

To register for your classes please visit

REGISTRATION FORM FOR FULL DAYS OF DANCE@!!!

OR, just go back to the landing page and click on the posts you will see on your right hand side. This is going to be fun. Come dance with us.

FULL DAY OF DANCE© RETURNS!!!

The Full Day of Dance© a unique, wonderful feature of the International Dance Festival@Silicon Valley will be back this August 8 & 9. Classes will be offered over Zoom.  ALL CLASSES ARE FREE! This is too good to be true, but it really is true. Lively offers an array of artist-teachers who are gifted dance artists who also excel in the art of teaching. PLEASE NOTE: (1)  Teachers will perform at the end of their class. You will want to sign up for the class to see the performance. (2) Classes are free, however you need to register to get the sign in code. Here are the artist teachers of Full Day of Dance© 2020:

Chrystal Bella Chen & Oscar Adrian Rodriguez are champion ballroom dancers. They will teach ballroom dance on Sunday afternoon, August 9. At the end of the class THEY WILL PERFORM!! You do not have to have a partner to learn the dance steps. No worries, you will enjoy it all!! The music is great, and Chrystal Bella and Oscar will help you improve what you already know or quickly learn what is new to you.

Audreyanne Delgado Covarrubias will teach Tap Dance on Saturday, August 8, and Pilates mat on Sunday August 9. Audreyanne is a MASTER of TAP. Do not miss the chance to learn and dance with her. She is an excellent and attentive teacher. After her class, watch AUDREYANNE PERFORM! You will wonder how she taps when it looks like her feet never touch the ground!!

Shambhavi Dandekar, Founder and Director of SISK in India and California will teach Kathak on August 8th. Kathak is a classical dance of India. All levels are welcome, beginners and experienced artists. Kathak tells stories with rhythmic feet, swirling turns, expressive arms. This is a GREAT opportunity to take a master class from one of the foremost Kathak artists. If you are a beginner, remember you will be at home! No need to be shy or worry about missing a step. This is your chance! Try it! By the way, Kathak and Tap can make a great combination. After her class, see SHAMBHAVI DANDEKAR in PERFORMANCE!

She’s back! Megan Ivey Rohrbacher teaches Physical Comedy on Sunday afternoon, August 9th. Last seen, she was given a going away party after a wonderful workshop she led at IDF@SV, 2018. Immediately after the cake and hugs, Megan went to Hawaii to get married. Now, all the way from Hawaii she will join in Full Day of Dance©.  And MEGAN PERFORMS AFTER HER CLASS!

Etta Walton!! Etta will lead her fantastic LIne Dances class on Saturday, August 8. Etta’s class is fun for everyone, even the person writing this post who is also the person facing the back wall while everyone else faces the front. Great dancing for everyone. Terrific music–western and soul and pop–and ETTA WILL PERFORM AFTER THE CLASS.

Annie Wilson has got that JAZZ! She taught and performed in the 2018 Festival, and we are happy she’s back! She will teach Jazz dance on August 8th. All levels welcome. Get ready for Jazz. At the end of the class ANNIE WILL PERFORM!

PLEASE NOTE:  ALL THE CLASSES ARE FREE, BUT YOU STILL NEED TO REGISTER. AFTER YOU REGISTER AND A FEW DAYS BEFORE THE CLASSES, YOU WILL RECEIVE SIGN IN INFORMATION.  FOR REGISTRATION INFORMATION AND SCHEDULE DETAILS WATCH THIS LIVELYBLOG!

SENATOR CORY BOOKER EXPERIENCED POLICE PREJUDICE

Senator Cory Booker, US Senator from New Jersey, wrote a courageous letter to his followers about the search for social justice and the blockades against achieving it. In his letter, he includes the op-ed he wrote for the Stanford Daily, the student newspaper. He was a columnist in the Daily. His op-ed recounts the life threatening situation he endured in Palo Alto while a senior at Stanford. He was an extraordinary student then as he is an extraordinary national leader now. A stellar student, he was also a star athlete on Stanford’s football team. He was a Rhodes Scholar (Queen’s College, Oxford), received an MA at Stanford and his law degree at Yale.

He wrote the article after the Rodney King verdict ignited protests, especially in the Los Angeles area. Please read it. It gives an immediate, personal description of the emotional turmoil felt by this outstanding man as a student and conveys the fear that he was forced to experience as he was surrounded by Palo Alto police holding guns on him.  I will transcribe it below. The italics are from the article.

Cory Booker: “Why have I lost control?”

1992: Cory Booker: Why have I lost control?

How can I write when I have lost control of my emotions. Not Guilty…Not Guilty…Not Guilty…Not Guilty. Not shocked–Why Not?

“TURN OFF THE ENGINE! PUT YOUR KEYS, DRIVER’S LICENSE, REGISTRATION, AND INSURANCE ON THE HOOD. NOW! PUT YOUR HANDS ON THE STEERING WHEEL AND DON’T EVEN THINK OF MOVING!”

Five police cars. Six officers surrounded my car, guns ready. Thirty minutes I sat, praying and shaking, only interrupted by the command, “I SAID, DON’T MOVE!” Finally, “Everything check out, you can go.” Sheepishly, I asked why. “Oh, you fit the description of a car thief.”

Not Guilty…Not Shocked–Why Not?

In the jewelry store, they lock the case when I walk in. In the shoe store, they help the white man who walks in after me. In the shopping mall they follow me — in the Stanford shopping mall. Last month I turned and faced their surreptitious security: “Catch any thieves today?”

Not Guilty…Not Shocked–Why Not?

September 1991, Tressider Union, back patio. A woman was struggling with her bags. “Can I help you, ma’am?” “Oh, yes, please…WAIT! You’re black!” She hurried away.

Not Guilty…Not Shocked.

I’m a black man. I am 6 feet 3 inches tall and 230 pounds, just like King. Do I scare you? am I a threat? Does your fear justify your actions? Twelve people believed it did.

Black male: Guilty until proven innocent.

Reactions to my kind are justified. Scrutiny is justified. Surveillance is justified. Search is justified. Fifty-six blows…Justified.

Justice? Dear God…

I graduated from Stanford last June–I was elated. I was one of four presidents of my class–I was proud. In the fall, I received a Rhodes Scholarship–I approached arrogance. But late one night, as I walked the streets of Palo Alto, as the police car slowed down while passing me, as his steely gaze met me, I realized that to him, and to so many others I am and always may be a Nigger: guilty till proven innocent.

I’m struggling to be articulate, loquacious, positive, constructive, but for the first time in so long, I have lost control of my emotions. Rage, Frustration, Bitterness, Animosity, Exasperation, Sadness. Emotions once suppressed, emotions once channeled, now are let lose. Why?

Not Guilty…Not Shocked.

The violence did not surprise me. If I were the powers that be, it would not have taken me three days to call the National Guard. But maybe when you’re disconnected from reality you move slowly.

Poverty, alienation, estrangement, continuously aggravated by racism, overt and institutional. Can you leave your neighborhood without being stopped? Can you get a loan from your bank? Can you be trusted at your local store?

Can you get an ambulance dispatched to your neighborhood? Can you get the police to come to your house? Can you get an education in your school? Can you get a job? Can you stay alive past 25? Can you get respect? Can you be heard?

NO! Not until someone catches on video one small glimpse of your everyday reality and even then, can you get justice?

Our inner cities are stacks of dry leaves and lumber, waiting for a spark. This is but a mere campfire compared to the potential inferno awaiting us. Conditions are worsening and the Rodney King verdict is certainly not the most egregious injustice in our midst.

Why have I lost control of my emotions? Why do my hands shake as I write? Tonight, I have no answers.

Dear God…help us to help ourselves before we become our own undoing.

 

 

 

BEAUTIFUL BALLET CLASS@HOME

Margot Fonteyn, in the 1960s. After her retirement, she said that she did her barre everyday. It was “like saying my prayers.”

The Lively Foundation meets your needs to keep moving and stay fit during this time of sheltering in place. Our Artistic Director, Leslie Friedman, now offers an Adult Ballet class Tuesdays, 4 – 5 P.M. using the Zoom platform. The class is designed to use little space. It includes a thorough barre plus brief dance phrases which may be done in place or with very little travel through space. Everyone, Pros to Beginners, does barre exercises in ballet. It is the universal language. All ages, all levels of experience do the barre work daily or once a week; it is always the same. It offers so many benefits: work on your core and leg strength, breathe deeply, lift your posture, gain flexibility and self-confidence. And, maybe best of all, it is something you can do all your life.  Price:  $15 per class. Pay for 3 classes; get the 4th one free.  Contact: livelyfoundation@sbcglobal.net

KEEPING QUIET, BY PABLO NERUDA

Now we will count to twelve/and we will all keep still.

For once on the face of the earth,/let’s not speak in any language;/let’s stop for one second,/and not move our arms so much.

It would be an exotic moment/without rush, without engines; we would all be together/in a sudden strangeness.

Fishermen in the cold sea/would not harm whales/and the man gathering salt/would look at his hurt hands.

Those who prepare green wars,/wars with gas, wars with fire,/victories with no survivors,/would put on clean clothes/and walk about with their brothers/in the shade, doing nothing.

What I want should not be confused/with total inactivity./Life is what it is about;/I want no truck with death.

If we were not so single minded/about keeping our lives moving,/and for once could do nothing,/perhaps a huge silence might interrupt this sadness/of never understanding ourselves/and of threatening ourselves with death. /Perhaps the earth can teach us/as when everything seems dead/and later proves to be alive.

Now I’ll count to twelve/and you keep quiet and I will go.

–Pablo Neruda

With thanks to the Center for Biological Diversity which sent this poem by post card with a picture of a red fox.

Pablo Neruda, in Argentina, 1971