November 23rd was my birthday and while I seem to be going back each year to ClaimJumpers for happy hour with close friends. Last year Ken lit his hand on fire in glory that hasn't been seen since Rick shot off a fireball in San Fransisco one year and showed us all that you should never douse your hand in lighter fluid and then set it ablaze.
Thanks to Dustin and Ashley, Ken, Tony, and Tanya who came by for drinks etc.
Recently I've been given tickets to many ballets in the area, and have been able to sit center orchestra in some expensive venues.
Dracula at the Sacramento Community Center Theatre was excellent although I enjoyed The Illuminations and The Four Temperaments better then the main event. Thanks to Tiana for going with me, almost wasted a great seat!
Ballet Hispanico at the Davis Mondavi Center was excellent and I have to say that their performance of Nightclub was incredible. I've never seen a ballet-modern mix like that and probably some of the greatest dancing I've ever seen. The use of smoke and lighting stands out in my mind, although I preferred the 1920s and 40s scenes much more then the last 'modern' act.
Alonzo King Lines Ballet in San Francisco's Yuba Buena Center for the Arts. What can I say? Alonzo King creates the most unique choreography you can ever see. Each movement and pose you can grasp, but the movements and speed make everything an artistic blur that really shows the skill of the dancers and strength of the choreography. Thanks to Tim who I convinced to go down to SF with me under the promise of stopping by the pier and getting a bread bowl of chowder. Clear, warm, and light crowds made it an excellent day in the bay.
So far I've gone through three of the six performances I have for Placer Theatre Ballet's Nutcracker, and with a cast of over 100 dancers, it really is amazing. I'm lucky enough to have my makeup applied by my fellow Arabian Victor who did makeup for Star Wars and many other high profile studios in the bay area and around the world which is neat.
Next year I hope to do Placer Theatre again with a small role in Sac Ballet as well as doing cavalier and choreography for Roseville School of Dance which is now something like 'Lines' or a name with the word 'Line' in it. Hopefully I can start teaching there again after Christmas break as well as gain my weekends back to rejoin my group at Dean's Dance Center which is potentially Sac Ballet's dance school, but for now only a type of 'partnership' exists between the two entities.
