Brush Up: Dance Meets Calligraphy in Heidi Duckler's Latest Show

We've been a fan of the Heidi Duckler Dance Theatre--formerly known as the Collage Dance Theatre--for years. (Check out our 2004 post on the troupe's performance at the old Perino's restaurant here, and our 2003 post on the troupe's show at the old Ambassador Hotel here.)

We've always loved the idea of Duckler bringing her performers to unusual spots, and this weekend the troupe was in our neck of the woods: the Brand Library and Art Center. "Brush Up" was not only a dance performance, it was a showcase of live art. Here's how Duckler describes it:

A small, kimono-clad woman pushes a gigantic brush around a gallery floor-sized canvas, beautiful calligraphy materializes in her wake. Around her, hip-hop dancers break, pop, lock and krump their way around the floor, led by the visual language of the calligraphy and meeting it with their physical expression. Heidi Duckler Dance Theatre will be joined by Isa Hirano, Japan’s top calligrapher to perform Brush Up in Glendale’s Brand Library & Art Center.

Best of all, the show was FREE. A highlight was the elaborate but stripped-down music, composed and performed by Chris Garcia. Dancers Teresa "Toogie" Barcelo, Deidra "Krucial" Cooper, Nick Heitzeberg and Ja-Young Kim kept composed and dignified, even in the art gallery's humidity (and even as they were covered in paint). Some photos:

Celebrate the End of Breaking Bad and "Dance B!tch"

Can't wait for tonight's series finale of "Breaking Bad"? Neither can I. My dream this morning even involved Walter White and Jesse Pinkman. But as we wait, here's something to tide us over: Aaron Paul lends a few vocals to this hard-driving dance track. Naturally, it involves the word "Bitch!"

Retro Friday: The Ambassador Hotel in Its Glory Edition

From 1961: A silent newsreel of Robert Wagner, Natalie Wood, Jerry Lewis and others at a party being held at the late, great Ambassador Hotel. Below, a special treat: In 2003, a few years before the Ambassador was torn down, the Collage Dance Theatre held a performance throughout the hotel. We attended one of the performances, and it was a stunning event, made all the more interesting because it gave us a chance to tour the building. You can read the New York Times article about the event here. And below, here is someone's video highlights of the show:



Here's what Maria wrote about "Sleeping With the Ambassador" for Franklin Avenue in June 2003:

Last night, we attended Collage Dance Theatre's performance at the Ambassador Hotel. When Mike first told me about this event, I thought he said there was a dance at the Ambassador Hotel. He said we should try to go to it since this may be the only chance we could see the interior of this historic hotel (which shut down in 1989).

We weren't expecting much from the evening save for the chance to check out the hotel and maybe take a few pictures. Turns out, the performance was entertaining. A combination of haunting music, athletic dancing and circus-like performances filled the whole night. Everything seemed nostalgic and I was constantly reminded of how grand the Ambassador was in its heyday.

Part of the performance (which took place throughout the hotel) was held at the famed Cocoanut Grove, but it looked nothing like the old glamorous place it once was. The interior is black, much like any stage you would see if you were seeing a small play. It was a little spooky thinking that RFK was shot just next door from that room, as someone from the show told us later.

The evening concluded in the great lobby where the elegance was still evident. This was where Mike turned loco.

I stood, amused, as he turned into a photo maniac trying to get all he can into our little digital camera. The same digital camera that was full of pictures, which we weren't quite sure if we downloaded them yet or not. We quickly deleted photos to make room for some cool Ambassador shots.

As we were leaving the hotel, we followed a group of people going towards the bungalows. Alas, we were quickly turned away by some guy who said that those areas are hazardous. Upon further probing, he said that whoever goes in will get something worse than SARS.

"Asbestos," I said to Mike. Sure enough, the hazard-nazi did admit that there was asbestos in those buildings -- to which we laughed over his dramatics.

FREE L.A.: Post-Modern Dance at the Brand

Metblogs L.A. fills us in on a free show at the Brand Library in Glendale this Sunday at 2 p.m. The Brand itself is always worth a visit; if you're not checking out the Heritage Day event, here's another free option:

If you like free form, modern/post-modern dance you need to stop by the Brand in Glendale this Sunday at 2PM. Sarah Swenson, founder of the Vox Dance Theatre will be performing. I’ve managed to catch a performance a couple of years back, nicely done, very unusual and definitely not “dancing with the stars” (that’s a good thing folks). Of course with FREE ADMISSION this is a pretty easy one to attend and simply enjoy.

Brand Library & Art Center
1601 West Mountain Street
Glendale, CA 91201
818-548-2051

Dance Radio to Return to Los Angeles' Airwaves

The company behind New York's dance radio station Pulse 87 is prepping to launch a similar outlet here in Los Angeles.

Mega Media Group announced on Monday that it plans to lease frequencies from Venture Technologies in both L.A. and Chicago to turn Pulse 87 into a national radio brand.

That could be good news for dance fans, who have gone without a radio station in L.A. since "103.1 KDL" flipped to "Indie 103.1" at the end of 2003. (Past L.A. dance stations also include "Groove Radio 103.1," "B100.3" and the original incarnation of "Power 106.")

Here's the odd part of what Venture Technologies does: "Pulse 87" isn't officially a radio station -- and its station in L.A. won't be, either. Nope, Venture actually owns low-power TV stations that broadcast on Channel 6. The audio of Channel 6 broadcasts on the 87.75 FM frequency -- which happens to be available on most car radios.

That's why, up until a few years ago, L.A. motorists were able to listen to the audio of San Diego Fox affiliate XETV, Channel 6, on their car radios.

But then KSFV-CA ("Class A") Channel 6 launched in the San Fernando Valley in 2001, and that's what radio listeners tuning into 87.7 have heard since then. Venture currently leases the TV station to Hombre Nuevo, which utilizes the signal as a radio station, broadcasting Spanish-language Catholic religious programming (branded as "Guadalupe Radio").

The FCC allows such TV station-posing-as-radio station setups, as long as the stations still broadcast some sort of visuals along with audio. Arbitron won't recognize them as traditional radio stations -- but Mega Media has been ordering special ratings from Arbitron in order to have something to show advertisers.

The new deal with Mega Media, expected to be signed by the end of the month, means the Spanish religious programming will be replaced by dance music by June 1:

Commenting on the announcement, Alex Shvarts, CEO of Mega Media Group, stated, "Los Angeles and Chicago would be ideal for the expansion of Pulse 87 and make us a national radio brand covering the 3 top billing markets which generate in excess of $1.8 billion dollars of advertising revenue a year."

Other low-power Channel 6 TV stations that operate as radio stations include Kauai's 87.7 Coast FM and Anchorage's KOAN.

KSFV-CA transmits from Mt. Harvard in San Gabriel.

Retro Friday: Breakin' Hawaii

You know what's missing from TV these days? Super cheesy local dance shows. Here's one from the early 1980s in Hawaii: "Breakin' Hawaii." I post it partly because you gotta love what host Kamasami Kong is wearing -- hey, that Michael Jackson-inspired outfit I'm sure seemed like a good idea at the time.

The dancing's actually edited out of the clip above, so here you go:



Take that, "So You Think You Can Dance"!

And OK, one more goofy clip from Hawaii. Low-budget, cheesy local ads are also in short supply these days. I remember this one especially fondly -- white bread local DJ Michael W. Perry rapping about ice cream treats. They sure don't make 'em like this anymore: