No More!

So- As I mentioned before, the deadline for the submissions due to be booked for this years SF Hip Hop DanceFest are right upon us. Of course that means EVERYONE is sending in their last minute footage. (why do they wait so late? ) grrrrr-

Anyway, I have been receiving footage from all over the world , South Africa, England, Phillipines, Brasil, Costa Rica, Russia, Miami, Philadelphia, New York.. so many places!
I gotta tell ya tho- so many companies look alike! ESPECIALLY form the US! Listen up- if you think that you are really doing something original and special- ---check again, maybe you are not. Maybe you are doing what everyone else is doing.
oh my god. the cloning of dance has invaded hip hop!
scary and sad-
enough said.
with love and respect
Micaya

Another show dedicated to Gary!

If you knew Gary Kendall, you knew that he was loved by many people. Check out this show produced by the people he worked with in Santa Cruz.
Love and Respect
Micaya




GARYFEST: A CELEBRATION OF A HIP HOP SUPERSTAR


GaryFest, a celebration of the life of Gary Kendell and fundraiser for the Santa Cruz AIDS Project (SCAP), will take place on Saturday, September 13th at the Henry J. Mello Center for the Performing Arts (250 East Beach Street, Watsonville). The pre-show festivities, involving free-style dancing on stage, will begin at 6:30 p.m. with performances starting at 7:00 p.m. An admission donation of $10 or more is requested.


Gary Ray Kendell was a local hip hop teacher, choreographer and performer who served for almost two decades as an ambassador of Hip Hop culture to the Santa Cruz area. Born and raised in Seaside, Gary took his dancing from the streets into the studio as an instructor at All The Right Moves in Santa Cruz in 1990. He later went on to teach regularly at Motion Pacific and Scotts Valley Dance Center, led workshops at Dancenter and DanceSynergy, and taught at local public schools and in various after-school recreation programs between 1992 and 2007. Gary also taught at studios and performed at events all over the United States and the world. Most recently, he taught hip hop dance to hundreds of students in the country of Estonia in November 2007. During his career, he was a member/director of numerous professional dance groups including Jughead, Jedi, MindTricks and the reigning champions of MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew, the Jabbawockeez. Gary also spent much of the last ten years producing, directing and traveling around the United States with Monster Shop Bumpin’ and BreakShop, dance productions designed for County and State Fairs. These productions also toured China. Locally, Gary founded the Boom Squad, Boom Boys, City Heat, and the Flava Unit. As a performer, Gary participated in dozens of benefit performances and teaching activities in the Santa Cruz community such as various County Parks & Recreation after-school programs, First Night in Santa Cruz, A Gay Evening in May, Moving Mountains Benefit for Women with Breast Cancer, National Dance Week, AIDS Walk Kick-Off Event, Free Mumia rallies at UCSC, Kwanzaa celebrations, and the Monte Foundation Fireworks Show. In 2001, Gary was a recipient of the esteemed Calabash Award for Excellent in the Ethnic Arts from SCEAN and the Cultural Council of Santa Cruz County for his outstanding contributions to the community through hip hop dance. Gary lost his fight to pneumonia and meningitis on December 14, 2007 in Denver, Colorado but he lived an expressive life as a dancer, teacher, director, producer, and entertainer.


Dancers from his local troupes and others who have been touched by Gary’s teachings are reuniting to present a tribute show in his honor with proceeds benefiting the Santa Cruz AIDS Project. Performances include hip hop by Boom Squad and Flava Unit; street jazz by Santa Cruz Dance Company; bellydance-hip hop fusion with Holi Choli; lyrical by Makayna Charter; aerial dance by The Gravity Girls; Capoeira by Roots of Brazil; breakdancing by Total Chaos; bellydance by Sahar; hip hop by Motion Pacific; and more! The evening kicks off with pre-show onstage free-style dance at 6:30 p.m. followed by performances beginning at 7:00 p.m.

Admission donation of $10 and up is requested. Soon, tickets will be selling in advance, by cash or check, at Dance Odyssey (831-462-4590) and Santa Cruz Dance Company (831-479-4700). For more information about the show, please visit www.dance-odyssey.com (keep checking back if you don't yet see the link to GaryFest, it's coming soon!) or contact GaryMemorial@gmail.com. Checks for tickets/donations can be made payable to Carmela Woll and mailed to: GaryFest, c/o Dance Odyssey Studio, P.O. Box 1462, Soquel, CA 95073.



“To the lives you touched, to the rhythms you followed, to the footsteps you left behind, and to the talent that will never be forgotten. Here’s to a beautiful life lived. We love you, Gee. We will miss you. Dance for us in Heaven.”

Check this out!

Love and Respect-
Micaya

DEADLINE AUG 30th!!!!!!!!

WORLDWIDE CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS & AUDITIONS


10th Annual San Francisco
Hip Hop DanceFest
(Micaya, Founder and Artistic Director)

The San Francisco Hip Hop DanceFest is now booking for their legendary 10th year anniversary show, presented at the prestigious Palace of Fine Arts Theatre, November 21st-23rd 2008!



What we look for:
· Professional Dance Companies from all over the Globe (Any size, from solo to group)
· All styles of Hip Hop and Hip Hop Fusion
· Use of Hip Hop styles in unique and interesting ways
· Use of Hip Hop Dance to tell a story
· Social Content/Commentary
· Artistic Quality
· Extraordinary Technical Skill and Ability
· Representation of all ages, sexes, races, and sexual orientation

IF Hired :
· SFHHDF will provide travel expenses and/or performance fees
· Companies must provide to SFHHDF a URL, BIO and PHOTO
· Companies must submit/audition the same piece that they intend to perform
· Pieces must be between 6-9 minutes long
· Companies will be invited to attend VIP events hosted by the SFHHDF


TO SUBMIT or AUDITION:


SUBMIT- California, National, and International Companies :
Upload footage of the exact piece (6-9 minutes) you intend to perform (full cast and costume) to Youtube.com and send the link to info@sfhiphopdancefest.com
OR
Send DVD or Video footage of the exact piece (6-9 minutes) you intend to perform (full cast and costume) to:

SF Hip Hop DanceFest
PO Box 411492
San Francisco, Ca 94141-1492

*DEADLINE: August 30, 2008 (It is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED that you submit as soon as possible as the show may be booked before the deadline date.)

AUDITION - Bay Area Companies :
Live auditions will be held in September 2008. Please audition the exact piece (6-9 minutes) you intend to perform (full cast and costume).

To schedule an audition, email: auditions@sfhiphopdancefest.com


For more information: email info@sfhiphopdancefest.com OR go to

sfhiphopdancefest.com

ABOUT THE DANCEFEST:
Established in 1999 by Founder and Artistic Director Micaya, the San Francisco Hip Hop DanceFest celebrates both the extraordinary artistry and the growing legacy of Hip Hop dance and culture. Acknowledged as the FIRST festival devoted specifically to Hip Hop dance, the DanceFest is a ground breaking event, hosting companies from all over the globe. The San Francisco Hip Hop DanceFest remains unique for its dedication to presenting the highest quality professional Hip Hop dance companies and for its forward-thinking curatorial focus.

Bang the Drum

Come out and celebrate as we Bang The Drum, and celebrate the anniversary of the longest-running Hip-Hop show in the world: The Drum, at KZSU Stanford, 90.1FM!!!

Check it out --It's Free!
Love and Respect-
Micaya

Bay Area Tap Festival

Hey people check this out-
Love and Respect,
Micaya


2008 Bay Area Tap Festival (www.stepology.com)
August 10 - 17, 2008

Aug. 10th - 17th:
Workshop Classes, Panel Discussion, Tap Jam, and Community Showcase Performance at San Francisco Dance Center

Aug. 15th - 16th:
2 Concert Performances at Herbst Theatre

Featured Artists
Channing Cook-Holmes
John Kloss
Deborah Mitchell
Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards
Sam Weber
and more TBA...
More Information:
Workshop Schedule & Registration Form


Bay Area Tap Festival
Founded in 2003, the Bay Area Tap Festival celebrates the uniquely American art form of tap dance, and features Festival artists in a week of instructional workshop classes and a free panel discussion hosted by San Francisco Dance Center. Festival programming also includes a Tap Jam, Community Showcase performance, and Scholarship Program. The Festival culminates with the Bay Area Rhythm Exchange – a production which features Festival artists in a concert performance with live musical accompaniment at San Francisco’s historic Herbst Theatre.

“...an unrivaled and dazzling array of tap talent that invoked an appreciation of tap's history while inspiring an excitement for tap's present and future.”
-- Linda Ayres-Frederick, San Francisco Bay Times, 8/23/2007

“...the place for dedicated tap dancers to see the greats... Young tappers and old jam together... tappers who click across the stage like butterflies alighting on flowers, and tappers who slam into the beat like a big rig hitting a brick wall. Together they proved there are as many exciting styles in tap as there are rhythmic possibilities in a bar of music...it was also good to see that showmanship never goes out of style.”
“Top Ten Dance Performances of 2006 (Festival Artist Robert L. Reed)”
“Top Ten Dance Performances of 2005”
— Rachel Howard, San Francisco Chronicle

Nominated, Outstanding Individual Performance 2004-2005 (Festival Artist Sam Weber)
— Isadora Duncan Awards
“Although San Francisco is a great dance town, few would think it one of the hot spots of tap dance in the world today. Nevertheless, the 2005 Bay Area Rhythm Exchange Concert, hosted by STEPOLOGY and showcasing our tap virtuosi at the Herbst Theatre August 20th, made us see that tap is looking pretty good around here.”
— Paul Parish, IN DANCE, October 2005

“What was most unforgettable about this subtly structured, non-structured event was the momentary moments between the artists – timing, gesture, the warmth, affection, and genuine respect with which they embraced each other and their art form which splits apart rules and hammers new ones before one’s delighted eyes. STEPOLOGY…, let’s see more of this!”
— Renee Renouf Hall, Ballet.co.uk, 8/23/2005

“What astonished Saturday was the variety of attack and the caliber of musicianship... I haven't seen anything more exciting in a local dance this year.”
— Allan Ulrich, Voice of Dance, 8/22/2005

in memory

Hi Everyone-
Im back ! and dont plan going anywhere anytime soon. I got lots of work to do to get the DanceFest rockin by November.
Todays blog is dedicated to two very talented legends that we lost this past weekend. Isaac hayes and Bernie Mac.

Much Love and Respect
Micaya