Rotunda

featuring:
Fiidla on violin, keys, etc
George Braithe on Braithaphon
Marvin bugalu Smith on drums
Tyrone Brown on Bass
Bill Meeks on Keys

more info coming.

Please note: This free event is NOT AT THE ROTUNDA. This will be outdoors, on the 40th Street Field, located on 40th between Walnut and Locust Streets, adjacent to the Walnut West Free Library

Show up on time!

Presented by University City District and The Rotunda
Sponsored by University of Pennsylvania, University City District, The Rotunda, and Nu Millennium Sound

with free water ice from Rita’s Water Ice!

PERFORMANCE INFO:

Project Capoeira, a Celebration of Afro-Brazilian Culture
Project Capoeira performs a colorful, crowd-pleasing repertoire of Afro-Brazilian dances that fuse rhythmic music with high-energy gymnastics and martial arts. The ensemble performs Capoeira, a unique Brazilian form that incorporates acrobatics, dance, percussion and songs in a rhythmic dialogue of body, mind and spirit. Originated centuries ago by Africans slaves in Brazil, Capoeira served as a means to secretely practice fighting techniques and was used effectively as a deadly weapon against the colonizers.

Project Capoeira, Inc is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization devoted to the preservation of Capoeira and offers year-round Capoeira classes for children and adults at The Philadelphia Capoeira Arts Center. www.phillycapoeira.com

Rennie Harris RHAW
Rennie Harris RHAW was conceived in 2007 as a youth organization driven by community outreach and education. Harris’ inspiration for this youth driven company was inspired by the overwhelming interest from teens and young adults to join his internationally renowned company, Rennie Harris Puremovement. RHAW is a company that teaches and performs street dance techniques such as Campbell Locking, Popping & Boogaloo, House and Hip Hop dance. www.rhpm.org

Company Members:
Brandyn Harris
Robert Cohen
Shafeek Westbrook
Davion Brown
Mariah Tlili
Courtney Klinger
Brian Newby
Macca Malik

Featuring Fiidla and Urban Classique

+ very special guests

Last year’s show was a sell out and we want to keep that energy going strong!It will be a great night of Blues and Bluesy music with lots of Soulful Singing, Impossible Violin playing, Tap dancing, and Great Arrangements, and Special appearances by some of the best entertainers around! This year the guest will include Trumpeter Michael Ray (kool and the Gang, Sun Ra), Tap master Robert Burden, Vocalist and Dancer Zen Aura, Violinist and Composer John Blake jr.,and others!!

There will be 2 shows..one at 6:30 and the other at 9pm

Doors open at 8:30pm.

There is an earlier show at 6:30pm (doors open at 6pm)

Admission:

General admission for both shows:
presale: $20
at the door: $30

General admission to one show:
presale: $12
at the door: $16

Student or senior admission to one show:
presale: $8
at the door: $12

Buy tickets HERE

More info: 215-748-5008

More info on Fiidla, John Blake, Jr, Zen Aura, Robert Burden, and Michael Ray —-some of the performers gracing the stage!

*Fiidla (the Urban Virtuoso) ..Vocalist, Violinist, Multi-Instrumentalist
An All-round performer, Fiidla has entertained Millions on Stages throughout the world. Performed and Recorded on every medium, and has been showcased and featured on MTV,VH1, BET, and CNN. Born in London. Fiidla began his musical journey listening to his Mother sing Opera, while his Father played Jazz records over his crib. Compared to Michael Jackson as a youth, Fiidla’s voice was so high that he actually sang to the birds that populated his Grandparents’  yard. His love of Earth, Wind, and Fire, Prince, Michael Jackson and others, .eventually gave way to Al Jarreau, Nat King  Cole, Billy Holiday and other Jazz vocalists, and a love of World music.

From his first  radio performance on Temple University’s WRTI..taking a violin solo over a Jazz record, Fiidla went on to  Performing with The legendary Sun Ra traveling extensively for 7 yrs and in between performing as an opening act for Stanley Clark, Marcus Robert, and McCoy Tyner and others..and managed to study with John Coltrane’s- Mentor Dennis Sandoli and receive advice and encouragement from Max Roach, Billy Taylor, and even Ella Fitzgerald.

“It seemed that I was constantly in the right place to step into history”

While Attending IUP..He toured with Pop Group Surface as a lead Vocalist and violinist ..Graduated with an MA in Jazz  and started recording a project for Sister Soulja that was derailed by the death of Biggie Smalls. Arranged and Performed in a series of musicals, then directed a 25 pc Orchestra as  the Musical Director for the Million Woman March.

This love of supporting social causes led to his Recording with Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Doug E. Fresh and others on Raucus records “Hip Hop 4 Respect”. Soon Recording with Common, Wyclef and others…He earned the title of mentor and voice teacher for Mary J Blige, Mario, Lil Kim and dozens of artist in Hip Hop and R&B. Fiidla’s 4  octave-plus vocal range and his bluesy 5 string violin slides, eventually were joined by dozens of other instruments that he learned along the way.

Fiidla’s music a blend of World Music, Jazz and R&B..He calls “World Soul” speaks to audiences who love passion and intensity of every culture and age. Forming his own orchestra which he calls Urban Classique. He released “The State Of Things” and also recorded and performed with The entire roster of Philadelphia International Records on “Love Train-the Music of the Sound of Philadelphia”…Now in the studio recording a release for 2010…He plans to Release “Renaissance”..a passionate statement of his musical journey and growth.
John Blake —
The Man, The Legend.
John Blake, Jr. has been one of the world’s leading jazz violinists for over four decades.  A four-time winner of the Down Beat Critics’ Poll Violinist Deserving Wider Recognition category he was also one of the top two jazz violinists in the 49th, 50th, and 51st Down Beat Readers’ Poll, Classically trained, Blake first gained recognition on early-’70s recordings he made with Archie Shepp and in the mid-70s became established with a global audience during three years recording and touring as a member of Grover Washington, Jr.’s popular “crossover” jazz band.  He then spent five years working extensively as a member of various ensembles led by pianist McCoy.  Among other artists with whom Blake has performed and/or recorded with are the Duke Ellington Orchestra, Turtle Island String Quartet, Quartet Indigo, the Steve Turre Sextet, the Billy Taylor Trio, Avery Sharpe, Cecil McBee, Jay Hoggard and James Newton. Blake released his recording debut as a leader and composer, Maiden Dance, in 1984, the first of five well-received projects on Gramavision Records including one that teamed him up with fellow jazz violinists Michal Urbaniak and Didier Lockwood. He released his sixth album, Quest that reunited him with Grover Washington and featured Joe Ford, Charles Fambrough, Ben Riley, Omar Hill, Joey Calderazzo, on Sunnyside Records 1992. Blake’s first recording with his current quartet, The Traveler, was released in 2007.

Born in Philadelphia on July 3, 1947, Blake began studying violin in that city’s public school system and at the Settlement Music School. After graduating from West Virginia University he did postgraduate work at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Montreux, Switzerland and received a grant to study studied East Indian music.  In addition to his work as an instrumentalist performing with his quartet and as a featured guest soloist at concerts and on studio sessions, Blake is also an accomplished composer, arranger and producer as well as an author, teacher and lecturer who presents hundreds of workshops annually to musicians at all levels. He co-wrote with Suzuki educator Jody Harmon J.I.M.E., the definitive beginning string jazz method book and CD in use around the world.  In addition to lecturing on campuses throughout the US, Blake is on the faculty of the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and at the Manhattan School of Music in New York City, and has been a guest lecturer at Berklee College of Music in Boston. In 2004 he was appointed to the Basler Chair of Excellence for the winter semester at East Tennessee State University and that year also was awarded a Chamber Music America Jazz Composer Grant.

Zen Aura
A rare mixture of passion and sensitivity, Zen Aura is a favorite on both musical and theatrical stages.  Her liquid soprano coaxes sweet jazz melody while her powerful lower registry belts out the Blues and Rock.  A protégé of Italian Maestro Antonio D’Ambrosino and Jazz Master Owen “Fiidla” Brown, Zen Aura has delivered powerful performance at the Clifford Brown and West Oak Lane Jazz Festivals to name a few.  As a poet she is known for her thought provoking lyrics and stirring delivery and has been the focus of documentaries on HBO and MTV. A multiple Award Winner in athletics and dance, Zen Aura’s social activism garnished her the Ladies of Distinction Award from Lincoln University.

Robert Burden is a native Philadelphian. He received his BFA in jazz dance from the University of the Arts in 1988, having studied with LaVaughn Robinson and Germaine Ingram, two of Philadelphia’s tap masters. Mr. burden has been mentored by Mr. Robinson since 1983 and continues to receive advice from him. He is currently the Executive and Artistic Director of Tap Team Two & Company, Inc. The company is based in Philadelphia and tours the country for Young Audiences. Through Young Audiences, Tap Team Two have traveled nationally working for fourteen of the thirty-two Young Audiences organizations. In 2000, Tap Team Two and Company was awarded The Artist of The Year, the highest honor in the Young Audiences organization. With the company Mr. Burden has created 7 shows “Cyndi-Ella”, “With or Without Shoes”, An Evening of Tap”, “The Fifth Anniversary Concert”, “Steppin Through the Strings” (a collaboration with John Blake Jr.), “Winter Rhythms” (a company collaborative) and “Feet Talk”. In 1992, Mr. Burden completed the work Cyndi –Ella, a tap ballet of the fairytale Cinderella funded by the IPAP award from the Community Education Center, which received rave reviews, and began the company Tap Team Two & Company. Inc. Mr. Burden has been one of the spearheads for National Tap Dance Day in Philadelphia since 1996. Mr. Burden has performed as a solo artist in the Next Move Concert Series “Fifteen minutes at the Annenberg Center”. His performing and teaching skills have taken him abroad to Turkey, Taiwan, Holland, Germany and Czech Republic. Mr. Burden has had the pleasure of teaching the Czech Tap Champions from Prague and being a fly squad member of Riverdance where he studied in the Netherlands with the European Company and performed in Berlin. All of Mr. Burdens’ experiences have allowed him to start long term mentoring projects. He has completed the third year of a project called The New Orleans/ Philadelphia Cultural Exchange Program, which gives 6 children from New Orleans & 5 children from Philadelphia the opportunity to experience each other’s culture and study with some of the Masters of Tap Dance such as Diane Walker, LaVaughn Robinson, Buster Brown, Jimmy Slyde and many more. This project allows Mr. Burden to achieve his artistic mission of keeping tap dance alive and growing through to the next generation.

Michael Ray (Trumpet, keyboards, vocalist, producer, composer)
Ray grew up in Trenton, and began his career in a variety of pop bands, working with everyone from Patti LaBelle to the Delphonics, the Stylistics and Instant Funk. He joined the Sun Ra Arkestra in 1978 and continues to perform and record with them. Ray is also recognized as a member of the front line for Kool and the Gang, the top selling group of the 1980s He danced, sang, played trumpet, and was a member of the award winning writing and production team that produced 7 platinum/gold albums and 7 top ten hits for the group. Ray won 4 American music awards, 5 Ampex golden reel awards, Grammy nomination, and a Narm award. Sun Ra designated Ray his “Intergalactic Tone Research Scientist” Ray appears on Sun Ra albums on Saturn records, and on CDs released on Enja, Hathut, Rounder, Black Saint, Horo, and A&M, Philly Jazz, and ESP labels.  He began leading his own group, The Cosmic Krewe since 1993. Ray combines the best of both his influences, the amazing cosmos-drama and outer space presentations of Sun Ra, and the high energy rock/funk shows of Kool and the Gang. He calls his own music” Jazz funk of the future” The Cosmic Krewe has been voted “best of the fest” every performance at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage festival. The Cosmic Krewe was nominated for “best contemporary jazz” and performed at the 7th Big Easy Entertainment awards. His innovative multi-art collaborations focusing on sound and color utilize avant garde jazz compositions; neon set installations, dance and poetry. The concept earned the group a regional arts award in 1993 funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Rockefeller and Andy Warhol foundations. “Jazz as performance art” theme productions include tribute shows to the Haitian Vibration, the spoken word, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis and Sun Ra. His audiences are interesting mixtures of baby boomers jazz aficionados, neo-hippie jam band fans, alternative rockers, funk and jazz revivalists and folks looking for the creative and experimental. The Cosmic Krewe has performed at several major festivals including Umbria jazz fest, Perugia jazz fest, “Free jazz fest” in Rio, Earshot jazz in Seattle, Boston Globe Fest, multiple years at the Discover Jazz fest in Vermont, Syracuse jazz fest, Kansas City blues and jazz fest, Knitting factory and Texaco jazz fest in NYC, Jacksonville jazz fest in Fla, Cancun jazz fest, San Francisco jazz fest. Ray is highly regarded as a world class jazz player, who has performed and recorded with Phish, Shibusa Sharazu, and Porno for Pyros. The Cosmic Krewe has released their first C.D. on Evidence records entitled the Cosmic Krewe and their second on Monkey Hill records entitled “Funk if I know” His latest C.D. is called “Amazing Universe” containing several tracks thought to be lost in Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. Critics have called this band “The best big little band on the planet” and “Jazz you have to dance to”

*Contact 215 748 5008,Fiidla@yahoo.com or visit Fiidla.com

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Call for Artists! Apply for the 40th Street Artist-in-Residence Program 2010-2011 residency!
Applications are now available!

This program is intended mainly for emerging artists who live in neighborhoods west of the Schuylkill River. All applications are due by May 10, 2010, and residents will be selected by an advisory board comprised of artists, former AIR residents, educators, and community organizations. A more detailed description of the application process can be found here and the application itself here. Please contact 40th.air.app@gmail.com with any questions.

THIRTY-THREE
Conceived and Performed by Greg Romero
Directed by Ken Kaissar

Created and Inspired by:
Alexandra Bassett, Ilana Brownstein, Hugh Craig, GerRee Hinshaw, Kate Houlihan, Deven MacNair, Nancy Mouton and Chester Forest, Dustin Puryear, Greg Romero, Sean Schneyer, Hank Schwemmer, Don Slater, Heidi Taylor, Angela Turner, and Jeff Williams

Additional Gifts by:
Jodi Alonzo; The Burn Ward Theater Company; Deena Gerson; Wanda, Doyle, and Kristi Reeves; and Pat and Johnie Romero

ADMISSION: Bring a gift!

……………………………………………….

From Greg:

Last year I asked every person I knew to give me three dollars. I was trying to create a “patron collective” in an effort to give myself continued time to work on a number of artistic projects.

I have been incredibly moved by the response.

As a return gift, everyone who offered their generosity has their name archived inside the creative works I created last fall. For all time.

The full list of Awesome People is found here

And for people who were especially generous, I promised I would create and perform something, anything, just for them.

And that’s what THIRTY-THREE is (it’s also how old I am).

It is a gift-exchange, a theatrical promise kept, a dare, a rite of passage, a live performance inspired and created by friends originating from a place of generosity and challenge and a sense of fun.

And it will be performed by me, even though I haven’t performed much at all in the past ten years.

At THIRTY-THREE you will see: a wrestler, a thanksgiving dinner, an affair with a turkey, Hideki Matsui, Mou Shou Pork, birth, death, dreams, pear trees, Moonpies, phone calls with love on the other end, a multi-gender prostitute, a ghost, a peacock, an alien, and my mom.

You will see some of the most personal writing I’ve done since The Most Beautiful Lullaby You’ve Ever Heard.

And this all scares me to death (in a good way).

Constant Revolution

Abuse of power is prevalent in our schools, at work, at home, in our house of worship, on the street. Maybe you have seen it, maybe you have done it, or maybe you are a victim, but hopefully you are fed up with it.
That’s why we would like to give you the opportunity to participate in an event around the theme “abuse.” We are looking for artists, members of all communities, anyone who wants to contribute or help out. The culminating event will take place at The Rotunda in April. The plan is to present a series of short pieces and maybe create a joint segment.

This Saturday, March 20, 3:00 PM, we invite those who are interested, to join us to share ideas for performances and/or activities. Our first meeting on March 6 was excellent. We covered two topics, what do we want to tell, and how?
What we want to tell:
- Abuse can lead to abuse (sometimes over many generations.)
- Look for help (and why it is so difficult.)
- Take in account historical and social context, there are different norms.
- Abuse isn’t always violent, nor criminal, especially when we look at bullying and other forms of psychological abuse.
- A difference of power seems to be essential.
- Forgiveness, how to.

How we want to tell it: These are the ideas we had, but please feel free to add suggestions. Also, these are not necessarily stand alone projects, some of them can be combined. - Improv theatre/forum theatre - Movement piece - Audience participation piece - Visual performance (action painting) - Bulletin/ message board - Art installation - Play/reading - Story Telling (impulse.) - Healing Ritual The next step is to think about formulating a proposal: - what do you want to do - what is your message - what to you need It’s important for the event to show different forms and angles. The event it self will take place April 25, time tba.

Join our Facebook group “constant revolution,” for updates.

What we want to do:
Organize an event around the theme of abuse. Invite artists and the general public to contribute. No performance or artistic experienced needed.

Why do we want to do this:
There is one revolution that will never end. Inside our own families, businesses and schools, we often see abuse of power resulting in physical or mental traumas.

What do we want to establish:
Bring the issues some attention, support victims, prevention.

What we expect:
From participants we expect a contribution in the form of exhibition, performance or a combination. It’s not an open mic night, there will be rehearsals and we formulate standards to which the contribution needs to comply. Participants are asked to work through their stories of abuse, whether they are their own personal stories or the stories of others who’ve inspired them.

What we offer:
We have experience, time, and space available; we can help with fundraising if needed.

What do you have to do:
Come to the meeting on March 20, 3:00 PM!

Constant Revolution

Abuse of power is prevalent in our schools, at work, at home, in our house of worship, on the street. Maybe you have seen it, maybe you have done it, or maybe you are a victim, but hopefully you are fed up with it.
That’s why we would like to give you the opportunity to participate in an event around the theme “abuse.” We are looking for artists, members of all communities, anyone who wants to contribute or help out. The culminating event will take place at The Rotunda in April. The plan is to present a series of short pieces and maybe create a joint segment.

This Saturday, March 6, 4:00 PM, we invite those who are interested, to join us to share ideas for performances and/or activities. Tea and snacks will be served.

Join our Facebook group “constant revolution,” for updates.

What we want to do:
Organize an event around the theme of abuse. Invite artists and the general public to contribute. No performance or artistic experienced needed.

Why do we want to do this:
There is one revolution that will never end. Inside our own families, businesses and schools, we often see abuse of power resulting in physical or mental traumas.

What do we want to establish:
Bring the issues some attention, support victims, prevention.

What we expect:
From participants we expect a contribution in the form of exhibition, performance or a combination. It’s not an open mic night, there will be rehearsals and we formulate standards to which the contribution needs to comply. Participants are asked to work through their stories of abuse, whether they are their own personal stories or the stories of others who’ve inspired them.

What we offer:
We have experience, time, and space available; we can help with fundraising if needed.

What do you have to do:
Come to the informational meeting on March 6, 4:00 PM!

Sign-Up for Al Bustan Seeds of Culture Arab Percussion Workshops – Winter Season

*New start date for 7-week percussion workshop series!*

Due to inclement weather this weekend, the new start date for the Arab Percussion Workshops will be February 13th and will run until March 27th

This winter, Al-Bustan is offering percussion workshops taught by Hafez El Ali Kotain* in addition to the Arab Music Ensemble led by Hanna Khoury. Depending on number of sign-ups, there are opportunities for youth and adults.

Arab Percussion Instruction for Youth
Workshops are held Saturday afternoons at The Rotunda

Age: Beginners/Intermediate: 3rd-12th graders & college students

Date: February 6 – March 20, 2010 (seven Saturdays)

Time: 1-2 PM or 2-3 PM, depending on number of students and skill level

Fee: $105 ($15/workshop, limited scholarships available for youth, inquire for application)

To register, click HERE, or call 267-809-3668.

This program is funded in part by grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

———————————————————————-

Arab Percussion Instruction for Adults
Workshops are held Saturday afternoons at The Rotunda

Age: Adults, Beginners & Intermediate

Date: February 6 – March 20, 2010 (seven Saturdays)

Time: 2-3 PM or 3-4 PM

Fee: $140 ($20/workshop)

To register, click HERE, or call 267-809-3668.

*Hafez El Ali Kotain is an accomplished master percussionist, fluent in both Arab and Latin rhythms. Born in Venezuela of Syrian heritage, he grew up in Syria until the age of 16. He began playing the doumbek at the age of seven, made his first stage performance at age nine , and went on to study with master Syrian percussionist Hady Jazan, winning the regional percussion competitions in Syria for five consecutive years. In Venezuela he studied drumming at the TMV Institute for Music in Valencia, where he also taught a percussion style blending Arab and Latino music. Since his residency in Philadelphia, he continues playing Arab percussion, singing maqam, and performing with a variety of musicians. Hafez has taught percussion with Al-Bustan the past three years.

POSTPONED. NEW DATE TBA.

The Shakedown Project presents a Physical Theater workshop with Whit MacLaughlin, Artistic Director of New Paradise Laboratories.

The Shakedown Project is an experimental production company shaking off the established conventions of theatrical performance by means of technically innovative “immersion theater” and audience interaction.

The Shakedown Project (TSP) focuses on the collaboration of film, music, spoken poetry, dance, and physical theater to create enhanced theatrical performance spaces.

Jonathan is the innaugural production and will open on April 1, 2010 at The Rotunda. The show will run through the 2nd and 3rd of April 2010.

TSP is in collaboration with The PDC, Drexel University’s Department of Performing Arts, and
Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design, and The Rotunda in the making of Jonathan.

Please note: This program is not being conducted by The Rotunda. We’re passing along the info as a courtesy to our artist friends and friends at The Center for Emerging Visual Artists.

Open to all Visual Artists: CFEVA’S New Courtland Artist Fellowship

Deadline March 5, 2010: The Center for Emerging Visual Artists (CFEVA), in partnership with NewCourtland, is pleased to offer Philadelphia area artists the opportunity to participate in an exciting, community-based fellowship. Through the NewCourtland Artist Fellowship, eight artists will be selected to bring innovative and engaging art-making to seniors in sites throughout Philadelphia. In order to apply, artists are asked to develop an intergenerational project that brings New Courtland’s residents together with school age children/teens to create a meaningful experience and a high quality artistic project. Work created by residents and their school age partners during the 2010 Fellowship Program will be exhibited with the work of the artist fellows in a large, well publicized exhibition entitled Art is Ageless.

Accepted artists will receive a fellowship award of $2,500. Once artists receive this award they will be responsible for conducting ten 1.5 hour workshops, attending several preliminary and post-workshop meetings, attending one sensitivity training session, and participating in the Art is Ageless exhibition in Spring 2011. Artists will also be separately compensated for purchasing all necessary art supplies and professionally presenting the artwork created in their program for the final exhibition.

For more details and an application please contact Genevieve Coutroubis at 215 546-7775 x11 or Genevieve@cfeva.org.

Naked Feet Theatrical Productions will be holding auditions for our work-in-progress
Workshop performance of:

THE ORPHAN TREE
by Hannah Tsapatoris MacLeod, Vivian Appler, Jackie Ruggerio Jacobson and Makaria Tsapatoris

AUDITIONS WILL BE HELD ON : Wednesday January 20th
AT : The Rotunda - 40th and Walnut Sts.
FROM: 6pm-9pm

One workshop Performance will be held in March

Small stipend for rehearsals and performance.

Contact Hannah at
nakedfeetproductions@verizon.net
for more information or to schedule an audition

CHARACTER BREAK DOWN:

THE GODDESSES
Baba Yaga:     woman 50’s - 80’s The crone of the triple goddess. She gave birth to the sun. Often seen tending                                                         fire, cooking brain stew and giving people menial tasks to accomplish

Dragonlady:     woman 30’s - 50’s Mother aspect of the triple goddess. She gave birth to the moon. She has the                                                     habit of collecting interesting and beautiful things and sometimes people.

Moth Queen:    woman 30’s - 40’s Maiden aspect of the triple goddess. She gave birth to the stars. She is the                                                              patron saint of the righteous suicide

THE ORPHANS
Jennifer Goodwife:     Woman 30’s - 40’s  She is The American Housewife - as perfect as she is shallow. She                                                                     doesn’t know she lost her soul a long time ago.

Sex Slave:                   Woman 20’s - 40’s  Sold into the sex slave trade as a child. She has lost her ability to                                                                         speak

Francis:                        Woman 20’s - 40’s  Tends the tree and gardens. Her lobotomy makes her struggle to                                                                 remember her old life. She has a special relationship with moth queen

Man/Woman                Man 20’s - 50’s  Ze has a gender distinction issue. Ze is trying to discover his soul. Ze is                                                             in search that which will make hem whole

Girl With No Feet        Woman any age - Man/Woman’s alter ego often giving advice, criticism,                                                                                 encouragement and self deprecation as she sees fit. She is a sock puppet.

Diana/ W                 Woman - 30’s - 40’s She is the most famous of the amazons. She fights justice and the                                                                         rights of all orphans. She is every woman’s greatest strength

Hannah Tsapatoris Macleod
Founder/Producing Artistic Director
Naked Feet Theatrical Productions
www.nakedfeetproductions.com
nakedfeetproductions@verizon.net

visit our Flickr to see newly uploaded event photos! Click here.

CANCELED; class resumes 12/28/09

(IMPROV) MOVEMENT CLASSES!

FREE!

most Monday Nights!

7-9 PM Adults (18+) (Starting Sept. 21st)

Learn modern, jazz and ballet technique! AND - Use improvisational movement to create dances! Learn to choreograph!

For those with a lot, a little or no dance experience!
Please dress appropriately - ready to dance!

Class dates for 2009 are 9/21 (adults only), 10/5, 10/19, 10/26, 11/16, 11/23, 11/30, 12/7, 12/14, 12/21, 12/28

CANCELED DUE TO SNOW!!

Open Mic/ Slam Poetry at its finest

“The future will Speak”

Call 215 530 2318 for info/sign ups

Mission Statement
“The Philadelphia Youth Poetry Movement was created to give young people their voice that has been suppressed through over saturation of ignorance and negativity in their surrounding communities. We live in a time where education is not cool. Where being mathematically inclined is not cool. The movement creates opportunities for the young to perform at surrounding events and The movement gives the youth a chance to relay their opinion to not only their peers but generations of all kinds as they express their critical views of societal challenges, such as drug abuse, peer pressure, domestic violence, sexuality, violence, etc. It is a verbal therapy that allows the free will all people are gifted with, but suppress as they get older in age. It provides a safe haven for not only expression, but a chance to build connections with other youth strengthening a community of free thinking young minds that will be productive in society. The PYPM is the perfect place for young people to work on their craft of literal and/or performance poetry. The movement promotes critical thinking, social skills, public speaking, mentorship, community service, positive self esteem, social change, creative writing, cultural and ethnic diversity, closure of the generation gap, individuality and originality, emotional healing, encourages communication between generations, and many more things.”

Admission is $10 ($7 for youth)

Canceled due to snow!!!

music, praise dancing, theatre. $10

Click HERE to visit and follow us on Twitter!

Announcing…
THRILLER-ING IN THE STREETS, Open Call for Dancers! ALL ARE WELCOME!
Saturday evening, October 31, 2009, HALLOWEEN
Choreographed and Co-Directed by Charles Tyson of Underground Dance Works
Part of The Rotunda 10th Anniversary Celebration

Be there for a night of performing a short Thriller-inspired improv dance routine in the streets of West Philly! Celebrate the life of a legend on the most fun holiday of the year to benefit West Philly’s premiere arts venue, The Rotunda.

Full costume and zombie make-up! Four 2-hour rehearsals to be announced. A $20 participation fee includes all four dance classes. Pre-registration is required as space is limited! Must be 18 or older or have a parent or guardian with you.

Dance is for everyone so we especially encourage people of all sizes, shapes, ages, physical abilities and dance levels to join us for a night of terror and fun!

If you would like to reserve a space and get on the mailing list, please send the following info to phillythriller@gmail.com

1. Name
2. Age
3. Are you 18 or over?
4. What kind of zombie you would like to be.
5. Anything else you would like us to know!

Starting November 9th, the Missoula Oblongata presents:

HURRAY FOR THE MYSTERIOUS WONDER BALLOON!
A free workshop in collaborative writing and performance

* WORKSHOP: Nov. 9, 10 & 11, 9am-5pm
* REHEARSE: Nov. 17, 6-pm-9pm
* PERFORM: Nov. 18, 8pm
Please pre-register for the workshop by emailing sarahmlowry@gmail.com.

Are you a performer unaccustomed to collaborative theater making? Are you an actor, director, playwright, or designer uncertain how to overlap these roles? Are you a veteran collaborator who is seeking even more strategies for generating work? Come join the Missoula Oblongata for a focused week of original, collaborative creation! Combining the titles of four previous touring stage productions, company members Donna Sellinger, Madeline ffitch (with a double lower-case “f” that stands in for an otherwise absent capital), and Sarah Lowry, usher participants through a process of trust-building and cooperation that results in the making of a show together for a public performance at The Rotunda on Wednesday, November 18th. Workshop participants must be present for all three workshop days, as well as the dress rehearsal and the performance itself. All are welcome to come see the show. Both the performance and the
workshop are FREE.

For more info, email sarahmlowry@gmail.com

Last week, we found that a number of rooms and cabinets had been broken into and many items had been stolen.
All told, the stolen items are worth over $5,000.00. We need to recoup all of our losses ASAP in order to function.

Please PayPal donations to information@therotunda.org or email us at that address for info on other ways to donate.

Here is a list of what we lost:

$110 in cash
2 DVD players (1 Memorex and 1 Phillips dvp 3980),
5 Sennheiser evolution 835 mics,
1 shure 57 mic,
3 Audio Technica Lav packs with lav and instrument mics-5 of each–one headworn.
The Audio Technica gear is in a black case with chrome hardware, labeled ‘Wireless Packages’ if I recall correctly-
black lettering on white labels-right near the handle. The case is not in great shape-the panel where the handle connects is bowing from use, and is partially detached.
Also in the case: 2 Shure ULX bodypacks, 2 WL 183 and 1 WL 185 lav mikes.

Also Taken: MXL V-67 condenser mic. In the box, mic has green body and gold grille:
http://cachepe.zzounds.com/media/feed/large/MSEV67Q.jpg

The thief also nabbed an Orban 424a compressor (Baby Blue front panel-hard to miss) 2RU, and a CRL Systems Stereo Spectral Energy Processor SEP 800 1RU. The CRL unit is black. Both have lots of lights on the front panel-which I guess makes both look ‘fancy’.

The 424 A is five listings down on the page linked below; a unit similar to the CRL lost is 2nd from the bottom
http://www.mooretronix.com/Category.asp?strCategoryID=17

The Orban is not common in live racks, more studio-has 4 analog meters;

The CRL is not common at all-it was intended for broadcast use-both were over 20 years old.

2009 PHILLY FRINGE CALL FOR ARTISTS
Deadline is April 3rd

Bring your show to the 2009 Philly Fringe! Each year, the Philly Fringe
features thousands of artists performing in theaters, nightclubs, parks, and
churches, giving Philly a blast of creative energy, and thrilling audiences
year after year.

Visit www.livearts-fringe.org to register.

From MillCreek Farm:
Dear Friends of MillCreek Farm,

We are writing to ask for your help ensure that we can continue our work. We are trying to get the land that the MillCreek Farm maintains along with the adjacent community garden, which has been around for over 30 years, put in a land trust with the Neighborhood Gardens Association (NGA) to protect it from future development. In order to do that, we need the support of Councilwoman JannieBlackwell to get the title transferred from the City of Philadelphia, which currently owns the property, to the NGA.

Please take a minute to send a message to Councilwoman Blackwell
To submit your comments online, use this form:
http://www.phila.gov/citycouncil/blackwell/feedback.html
If you prefer to type or handwrite a letter, we will gladly mail it for you. Please drop it off at the farm or contact us to pick it up.

Below is some sample text, but your message is stronger if you personalize it so please edit this and include your personal comments about the food, experience volunteering or visiting, or any other connection you have to the farm. If you send your comments by email and could send us a copy, we’d appreciate it: millcreekfarm@resist.ca.

Please be sure to include your name and address or other contact information and mention if you are a constituent.

Dear Councilwoman Blackwell,
I am writing to express my support of the MillCreek Farm in West Philadelphia. The project is an important resource for healthy food as well and education in the community. I understand that there is an effort under way to preserve the land that the MillCreek Farm maintains as well as the adjacent community garden as open space for food production through the Neighborhood Gardens Association. I hope that you will help support their important work by supporting the transfer of the title from the City to the land trust.
Thank you for your consideration.

MIO 446 North 12th street Philadelphia PA 19123 USA
Contact: Jaime Salm M: 215.681.0909 T: 215.925.9359 E: press@mioculture.com

Philadelphia, October 3, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Philly Loves Design
Philadelphia will host for the second year in a row the most progressive design in Pennsylvania at Philly Heart Design, a show showcasing the work of local, up and coming design talent. Produced and curated by Jaime and Isaac Salm of MIO and Alexandra Schmidt-Ullrich, “Philly Heart Design” is a welcome addition to Philadelphia’s annual design celebration “Design Philadelphia” now in its fourth year.

“Philly Heart Design” is the only exhibition of its kind highlighting new work by Pennsylvania’s growing design community. In an effort to broaden interest in design in Philadelphia, the event is free of charge to participants and the public. The exhibition will feature work selected from hundreds of submissions by local designers, as well as new products by MIO. Isaac Salm (one of the producers) believes that the success of this exhibition relies on its simple goal of getting non-designers involved. His brother Jaime is quick to point out that “The selected pieces are fun and unpretentious in an effort to democratize design and invite everyone to celebrate and enjoy design.”

About Philly Heart Design
Philly Heart Design is a free venue for the exhibition of the freshest designers in Pennsylvania. The selected work will be on display at The Rotunda @ The University of Pennsylvania (http://www.therotunda.org). The show will feature product, graphic and interactive design in an immersive environment.

To learn more about Philly Heart Design visit: www.phillyheartdesign.com
For Images of last years event please access our FTP site:
ftp.phillyheartdesign.com
username: phdftp
Password: ilovephd

About Design Philadelphia
Design Philadelphia is a catalyst for advancing the public’s awareness of design exploration and innovation. From October 16 through 22, 2008, Design Philadelphia will celebrate year four with design activities all around the city. Join us for more than 50 events including gallery tours, public lectures, exhibitions, workshops, and parties highlighting the fields of product design, architecture, fashion, landscape architecture, urban planning, textile design, and graphic design.

To learn more about our upcoming programs, visit our website: www.designphiladelphia.org

About MIO
MIO was founded in 2001 by the Salm brothers (Isaac, the numbers guy and Jaime, the design guy) with the objective of combining business rigor with environmentally and socially progressive design. MIO offers a line of modern sustainable furnishings available worldwide as well as sustainable design consulting services. Based out of Philadelphia, MIO builds on a strong local manufacturing base and a diverse pool of creative individuals. Guided by the company’s philosophy of “Responsible Desire” MIO has introduced innovative design that strategically harnesses the most eco-intelligent aspects of conventional manufacturing, marketing and distribution methods.
To learn more about MIO visit: www.mioculture.com

About Alexandra Schmidt-Ullrich
Alexandra Schmidt-Ullrich has a background in Design with degrees in Architecture and Fine Arts. She currently teaches the studios in the Undergraduate Department of Architecture at the University of Pennsylvania and co-teaches a Furniture Design elective at the graduate school. Each summer, she coordinates and instructs the Architecture studio for the Art & Architecture Summer high school Program at Penn. Currently, she is also at Temple University and co-teaches a summer travel abroad program in Vienna, Austria through Umbau School of Architecture.
In her own work, her interests focus on issues of materiality, precision of craft, joinery and creative exploration. She works in various fields ranging from residential construction, furniture design, and lighting design to professional model building. In these works, she often incorporates her knowledge and obsession of photography, printmaking, experimental drawing and material experimentation. Her works have been exhibited in various shows in
Philadelphia and the surrounding states.

The press is invited to participate in the following events:

The Rotunda / Philadelphia (http://www.therotunda.org)
Philly Heart Design Press Reception
October 18, 2008 6:00PM – 8:00PM
To RSVP please contact Jaime Salm @ press@mioculture.com or call +1 (215) 925.9359

For more information log on to www.phillyheartdesign.com

BUMALIK: Returning, There and Here.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Michelle Posadas
(267) 304-9880
michelleposadas@gmail.com

Back by Popular Demand and For One Night Only

BUMALIK: returning, there and here
Presented by Tatlo Mestiz@s

Inspired by their most recent travels to the Philippines, three local artist/activists will present new work which explores such questions as, “Why does one return to the land of their ancestors?” and “How does one return to their everyday life when the trip is over?” Using a uniquely Pin@y lens, Lovella Calica, L. Capco Lincoln and Michelle Posadas will unpack an evening of film, poetry and performance that weaves together reflections on the intersection of each artist’s personal experience, identity, and the current state of their home countries.

Saturday, October 4, 2008 at 8:00 p.m. at The Rotunda
Doors open at 7:30 p.m.
Sliding-scale admission: $5 to $15

The Rotunda is located at 4014 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104
www.therotunda.org -or- (215) 573 - 3234

For more information, images and video please click HERE.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Lovella Calica - Writer, photographer
Lovella Calica is trying to build a bridge home. Caught between life in Philadelphia and longing to be in the Philippines, she wanders somewhere between. As a writer, she creates stories, poems, quotes and other unnamed words on pages. She also captures candid moments on camera, clicking endlessly at kids, Lolas, leaves, jeepneys and corners. In her latest adventures, she also found a video camera and audio recorder stuck to her hands stealing songs, games, the ocean, history and wisdom from the elders. Trying constantly to make sense of it all, she processes her life through art and friendship.

L. Capco Lincoln - Video artist, performer
L. Capco Lincoln has spent the last ten years trying to articulate the in-between space of being mixed raced, queer and gender non-conformist. Born and raised in Florida, grad school has brought Lincoln to Philadelphia to explore the endless possibilities of the moving image (a.k.a. film and video). In December 2007, Lincoln traveled back to the Philippines for the sixth time in twenty-nine years. This show is another attempt at articulating the journey over the ocean.

Michelle Posadas - Multi-media artist, performer
With the idea that telling stories through creating images is a vital part of social change movements, Michelle Posadas’ current work examines how our personal stories connect to larger issues. This performance celebrates her return to the Philippines and is inspired by her attempts to reconnect with family, meeting local artists, activists and research. She is a storyteller that works with sculpture, photography, puppetry, and as a teacher brings communities together in collective art making. Michelle Posadas is also honored to be a 2008 recipient of the Leeway Foundations Transformation Award.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE please forward far and wide

On Wednesday, August 6 The Rotunda will host consuming culture: a story of halves and have-nots - a multi-media performance of gastronomical proportions!

We live in a time when access to food rests on the power of imbalance. Governments spar with their people and each other as the global climate shifts, fueling violent struggle all over the world, and the collapse of our culinary traditions.

Join Anna Whitehead and Michelle Posadas from Philadelphia as they host an evening of theatre, song, shadow puppetry and antics.

These are the musings of two half-breeds confronting their own oppressor/oppressed identities over coffee table conversations, milk chugging, and a giant refrigerator. As they navigate the rising waters of the global food crisis, the audience is encouraged to consider all of our roles in the current food epidemic and possible steps toward change.

The show begins at 7:30 pm, and audience members are encouraged to bring a dish to share, or $5-$15 sliding scale.

Bon Appetite!

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Make sure to turn up for the after-party that Friday the 8th as well! To be held at the Fancy House, at 50th and Baltimore Ave in West Philadelphia, featuring DJ Buzzard Beatz and Pre Columbian, spinning all your favorite female MC’s, funky do moro, early ’90s hiphop and latin pop! Show up ready to break it down and give up $5 for the Critical Resistance 10 Year Anniversary, to be held Sept 26-28 in Oakland, CA.

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Think you might miss consuming culture in Philly? Show up for one of our performances on the road — and tell your friends!

August 17 — Lubber Run, Arlington, VA

August 18 — Durham, NC

August 19 — Atlanta, GA

August 20 — New Orleans, Louisiana

August 26 — PLAYspace, San Francisco, CA

Anna Whitehead
Anna Whitehead is a writer, painter, and performer who occupies most of her time making music under the guise of Jailbird Thunderheart. She has worked as a teaching artist for the past two years, assisting youth and adults in the puppet and mural arts, co-organizing community parades, and building and playing musical instruments. In the past year she has collaborated with over twenty other artists on four separate performances addressing issues of gentrification, ownership, immigration, history, and female sexuality, and continues to find inspiration in collaboration and public spectacle. She is looking forward to the next step in her life – her big move from the east to the west coast to attend California College of the Arts and work toward her masters in social practice and visual criticism.

*Michelle Posadas *
With the idea that telling stories through creating images is a vital part of social change movements, *Michelle Posadas*’ current work examines how our personal stories connect to larger issues. Her most recent performances celebrate the history of resistance movements in the Philippines in light of the current political climate and woven in between her own family narrative. A fluid practice in her art-making is creating work that directly responds to issues; previous examples are the War in Iraq and Hurricane Katrina. She is a storyteller and teacher that brings communities together in collective art making. *Posadas* is multimedia artist and performer that combines her skills as a visual artist, sculptor, puppeteer, parade-maker, designer, photographer and videographer. She is actively moving towards art making that engages with organizations and becomes a part of activist campaigns.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Universe of Fun Multi Cultural Arts Fest Aug 10

July 21, 2008

Contact:
Karan Rogers
North City Arts
215.514.4135

Gina Renzi
The Rotunda
gina@therotunda.org
A Universe of Fun Multi Cultural Arts Festival at The Rotunda

One-day celebration of cultures from around the world and those in your backyard comes to West Philadelphia in August

PHILADELPHIA, PA - On Sunday, August 10, 2008, North City Arts and A Day of Art will host A Universe of Fun Multi Cultural Festival for families at The Rotunda at 4014 Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA 3:00pm - 7:00 pm. Free for children up to age 14; just $2.00 for ages 15 and up.

Join the cool arts community for an afternoon of culture, activity and fun. North City Arts (NCA) community arts programs are designed to expose different cultures, art, and history to the general public. With that in mind, this NCA arts program is designed to create atmosphere where families interact and bond.

Universe of Fun will be an afternoon of creative arts expression for everyone.

Come on out and bring the family for a Universe of fun and a chance to let your creative side shine. Activities include a collective arts project where all participants (10 years and up) will be able to take part, and unique and inclusive workshops, including: MAMA DONNA’S STORY BOAT - Make’n'take your own shakere at the rhythm instrument table. We particularly encourage all grown-ups who work with programs for kids. Make it, take it, and pass it on!!! MULTICULTURAL BRIDES AND PRINCESSES - Learn about feminine traditions of culture and beauty from your ancestral part of the world. MULTICULTURAL SUPERHEROES - This is your chance to create your own super hero or heroine! Peruse our table of graphic arts books and magazines, then dive into our supply of cool recycled stuff, and create to you heart’s content.

Come check out the Art Gallery, where artists’ work will be displayed for the first time.

Performers include: Simba & Company, Girls on the Move, and Mime’s Ministry of FCBF, plus a short film presentation by students from Village of Arts and Humanities.

Come join us, make new friends, express yourself and sign up for community art classes in the fall.

HURRICANE SEASON: The Hidden Messages in Water

part of the Philadelphia Fringe Festival
a two woman show about unnatural disaster
and a great shift in universal consciousness

Admission is $15

Alixa and Naima, the groundbreaking Brooklyn-based arts duo Climbing PoeTree, are undertaking the most landmark production of their career with a multi-media production and 50-city tour that obliterates the boundaries between performance and activism. This evening is the premiere of their labor of love!

Hurricane Season: The Hidden Messages in Water is a two-woman show that interweaves spoken word poetry, sound collage, shadow art, dance, film and animation to explore critical issues facing humanity through the kaleidoscope of Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath.

Hurricane Season connects global warming, environmental injustice, policing, prisons, militarization, corporate domination, gentrification, and displacement as they manifest from one gulf to another, with a powerful tale of resistance, resilience, creativity and survival.

Hurricane Season will transform spaces into sanctuaries of infinite imagination. Water, the performance’s extended metaphor guides the audience on a vivid journey of unthinkable tragedy and undeniable promise from the eye of a systemic storm.

Rhythmic and uplifting, raw and deeply moving, Hurricane Season seeks not to captivate audiences, but to liberate them. Alixa and Naima arouse the power of our creative consciousness to transform destruction into solutions that already live amongst us.

The objective of Hurricane Season is not only to stir in people the fervor of transformation, but also to channel that energy into immediate, meaningful, and tangible action. A “solutions-cipher” follows every show featuring community leaders and grassroots organizations whose work addresses the issues raised in Hurricane Season on a local level. The aim is to cross-pollinate creative strategies for self-determination, and to turn the passion generated in the show into action manifested in the community.

Hurricane Season will tour the nation beginning on the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina (August 29th, 2008). Alixa and Naima will travel to more than 50 cities in a vehicle converted to run on vegetable oil recycled from America’s fast-food addiction.

Offerings, affirmations, and inquiries can be directed to water@climbingpoetree.com

Philly’s longest running Bboy/Bgirl event returns! DJs, features, open mic for MCs, graf, breakdancing. The most ill. The most raw. The most authentic.

10pm-2am

more info tba

For the first time in nearly a decade, The Rotunda has a fresh new web site. The design change came from the need to keep up with the times and deliver massive amounts of Rotunda information in a simplified format. Check out the dozens of upcoming events! Donate to The Rotunda! Take the survey! Do more! Enjoy!