News-Press – Page 5

American Dance & Music returns after five years, bringing a classic

May 22, 2015July 17, 2015 tedmills Leave a comment

American Dance & Music performance group dancers Melody Collins and Darion Smith perform "Pastorale" to Beethoven's Pastorale Sonata, with live accompaniment by AD&M music director Eric Valinsky during this weekend's "Turkish by Matisse & Other Delights" at The New Vic. David Bazemore — American Dance & Music performance group dancers Melody Collins and Darion Smith perform “Pastorale” to Beethoven’s Pastorale Sonata, with live accompaniment by AD&M music director Eric Valinsky during this weekend’s “Turkish by Matisse & Other Delights” at The New Vic.
David Bazemore

Dancers grow and leave the stage. They become choreographers, some of them, and those who do often pass down their history and heritage to their star pupils. When the American Dance & Music company hits the stage today (and tomorrow) at the New Vic, they are bringing a piece that has been handed down twice, and that gives its name to this collection of four works.

“Turkish by Matisse” was originally created by Mari Sandoval in 1976, then passed down to AD&M founder Carrie Diamond, who was at that time Ms. Sandoval’s student at Santa Monica High School. Now Ms. Diamond is passing it on herself to AD&M’s Nikki Pfeiffer, who dances it this evening.

UCSB Dance Company, José Limón and the lessons of history come to Center Stage

May 22, 2015July 17, 2015 tedmills Leave a comment

From left, Kristina Skrenek, Dante Corpuz and Mason Teichert are among the UCSB Dance Company members performing at Center Stage Theater. Steve Sherrill — From left, Kristina Skrenek, Dante Corpuz and Mason Teichert are among the UCSB Dance Company members performing at Center Stage Theater.
Steve Sherrill

To dance departments have homecoming? For the UCSB Dance Company, two upcoming performances at Center Stage Theater could be seen that way. The company just returned from a two-week, six-city tour of Europe where it performed works both classic — José Limón’s “There Is a Time” — and contemporary works, including Nancy Colahan’s new work for the company, and a Jerry Pearson multimedia work written for Santa Barbara Dance Theatre. Now, they’re returning home to share with dance lovers, feeling triumphant and not the least jet-lagged — they’re in top form.

Director Delila Moseley took stock of her dancers at the beginning of the school year, and — according to her friend, department associate and mentor Alice Condodina — recognized that she had a particularly strong group, adept at solos, all of them. And the dance that came to mind was Limón’s “There Is a Time” from 1956.

Dos Pueblos hosts the 20th annual Young Playwrights’ Fest

May 22, 2015July 17, 2015 tedmills Leave a comment

The Young Playwrights’ Festival celebrates 20 years this weekend of giving early voice to writers, bringing their seven short works to the stage for a full production. Over the years its participants have gone on to became authors, artists and published professional playwrights.

“It’s amazing, this program,” says Gioia Marchese, who is directing all the plays this coming Saturday.

29th annual I Madonnari Italian Street Painting Festival set to open this coming weekend

May 18, 2015July 17, 2015 tedmills Leave a comment

Blair Looker, featured artist of this year's I Madonnari Italian Street Painting Festival, holds one of her sketches that will be created in chalk at the Santa Barbara Mission next weekend. HELENA DAY BREESE/NEWS-PRESS — Blair Looker, featured artist of this year’s I Madonnari Italian Street Painting Festival, holds one of her sketches that will be created in chalk at the Santa Barbara Mission next weekend.
HELENA DAY BREESE/NEWS-PRESS

The black asphalt outside the Santa Barbara Mission will once again bloom with color this coming weekend when it hosts the 29th annual I Madonnari Italian Street Painting Festival.

Artists – from touring professionals in the street-painting scene to first-time volunteers and children – will cover the grounds outside the Mission with a patchwork of chalk paintings of their own design.

Art walk turning 50

May 16, 2015July 17, 2015 tedmills Leave a comment

Tourists take the art walk along Cabrillo Boulevard on a Sunday in December 2007. MICHAEL MORIATIS/NEWS-PRESS — Tourists take the art walk along Cabrillo Boulevard on a Sunday in December 2007.
MICHAEL MORIATIS/NEWS-PRESS

What started as the dreams of an architect wanting to replicate Mexico has turned into a staple of Santa Barbara’s beachside tourism scene.

The Santa Barbara Arts and Crafts Show, which lines Cabrillo Boulevard every weekend, celebrates its 50th anniversary Sunday.

Ellen K. Anderson’s new play returns to her beloved Detroit setting

May 15, 2015July 17, 2015 tedmills Leave a comment

Docents from the Detroit Institute of Arts claim ownership of a Nkisi. "In the Forest of Detroit" stars Leslie Gangl Howe, left, and Lisa Gates. Courtesy photo — Docents from the Detroit Institute of Arts claim ownership of a Nkisi. “In the Forest of Detroit” stars Leslie Gangl Howe, left, and Lisa Gates.
Courtesy photo

Playwright Ellen K. Anderson has been such a part of Santa Barbara’s arts scene for decades, not just writing award-winning plays, but helping found Access Theatre, leading the arts collaborative I.V. Arts and heading Dramatic Women, that one forgets her roots are in Detroit. It’s where she grew up, it’s where she earned her B.S. and M.A. (at Wayne State University). It was the subject of her most recent play, “Bedtime for Detroit,” and now she returns tonight with a second Motor City play, “In the Forest of Detroit.”

“Detroit gave me everything,” she says. “Including the uprisings (aka Detroit race riots in 1967) when I was in junior high. It gave me a damn good college education. I was the first to go to college in my family.”

UCSB’s Launch Pad series celebrates 10 years with ‘The Talented Ones’

May 15, 2015July 17, 2015 tedmills Leave a comment

From left, director Risa Brainin and playwright Yussef El Guindi work with actors Emily Newsome, who plays the older Cindy and Roberto Tolentino, who plays the 30-year-old Omar. David Bazemore — From left, director Risa Brainin and playwright Yussef El Guindi work with actors Emily Newsome, who plays the older Cindy and Roberto Tolentino, who plays the 30-year-old Omar.
David Bazemore

In recognition of its 10th anniversary, UCSB’s Launch Pad series, which gives playwrights the space to create new work for the audience’s benefit, has brought in multiple award-winning playwright Yussef El Guindi, the British transplant whose plays have long documented the immigrant experience both in America and the UK.

“The Talented Ones,” which opens this Thursday for a five-show run, is a play in progress, but this is no table read. Launch Pad gives playwrights much more.

UCSB grad and philanthropist helps in a major L.A. renovation

May 11, 2015July 20, 2015 tedmills Leave a comment

Peter Mullin of the Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard stands with a 1938 Bugatti Dubonnet Hispano-Suiza H6C "Xenia." Mr. Mullin is leading a renovation of the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. HELENA DAY BREESE/NEWS-PRESS — Peter Mullin of the Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard stands with a 1938 Bugatti Dubonnet Hispano-Suiza H6C “Xenia.” Mr. Mullin is leading a renovation of the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.
HELENA DAY BREESE/NEWS-PRESS

Peter Mullin’s love of cars, especially French ones, has already resulted in one beautiful building, the Mullin Automotive Museum, tucked away in an industrial area of Oxnard.

Now the collector, philanthropist and UCSB graduate is about to help another similar space an hour south complete a successful and dazzling remodel.

Westmont graduation features David Brooks

May 10, 2015July 20, 2015 tedmills Leave a comment

Alister Chapman, associate professor of history, gives the invocation Saturday at Westmont College's commencement. KENNETH SONG/NEWS-PRESS — Alister Chapman, associate professor of history, gives the invocation Saturday at Westmont College’s commencement.
KENNETH SONG/NEWS-PRESS

More than 300 member of the Class of 2015 received their diplomas Saturday at Westmont College’s commencement at Russ Carr field.

A small cadre of students and instructors were furthered honored for excellence in their field before the main ceremony, which featured hymns and a commencement speech from New York Times columnist David Brooks, whose new book, “The Road to Character,” is a summation of the course he taught on humility at Yale University (and makes for good advice to grads.)

Teens wow the crowd with rock and soul at AHA! event

May 10, 2015July 20, 2015 tedmills Leave a comment

Students perform at Saturday's AHA! event at Deckers Corporate Rotunda in Goleta. HELENA DAY BREESE/NEWS-PRESS — Students perform at Saturday’s AHA! event at Deckers Corporate Rotunda in Goleta.
HELENA DAY BREESE/NEWS-PRESS

Parents, friends and donors gathered at the Deckers Goleta headquarters Saturday night for an empowering evening of rock music where teens, some of whom had never sung in front of an audience before, performed hits from classic rhythm and blues to the latest by Katy Perry.

The evening, the 12th annual “Sing It Out!” from AHA!, is the culmination of workshops meant to give confidence to kids who may come from a variety of backgrounds that might include economic hardship, deaths in the family, or suffer from bullying, or just feel crushingly shy.