Hartel Dance Group - What's Love Got to Do with It?

HARTEL DANCE GROUP
PRESENTS "WHAT'S LOVE
GOT TO DO WITH IT?"
8TH AND 9TH

Hartel Dance Group presents its 2013 Fall Season "What's Love Got To Do With It?" this weekend at Oklahoma Contemporary. With the collaboration of choreographer Chris Castleberry, composer Aaron Robinson, actress Tonia Sina and poet Skip Largent, Hartel will bring His vision for “What’s love got to do with it?” to life,  weaving together many facets of connections and rituals that define our lives. Journeying through life, we inherently create relationships—some lasting, some passing, and some that impact us in the most transformative of ways. We have more means to access human connection than any generation past. Yet for some reason, there remains a cold undercurrent of isolation, loneliness, and separation that bridles many of our experiences—whether we are aware of it or not. All humanity craves acceptance and love, but Hartel poses the well-known question, “What’s love got to do with it?” Curtain is 8 p.m. at Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Foundation, 3000 General Pershing Blvd.  Tickets are $20 at the door, or $15 in advance online at www.harteldancegroup.org/new , or by calling 405.919.9331.

MELODY OF CHINA BRINGS
TRADITIONAL AND NEW
CHINESE MUSIC TO 
METRO LIBRARIES

Image provided

  Hong Wang, who is the Artistic Director of the musical ensemble Melody of China, thinks that young people in the west have little knowledge of China beyond egg rolls, Jackie Chan and Kung Fu Panda and his goal is to expand their horizons.

Helping him with that goal, the Metropolitan Library System is sponsoring a series of concerts by Melody of China.  The ten concerts will be presented at ten MLS locations November 3-8.

Melody of China began in the San Francisco Bay area in 1993 to promote Chinese classical, folk and contemporary music, and also to entertain through a blend of the ancient musical tradition of China and the youthful, multi-colored culture of contemporary America.

“You can use words to express thoughts,” Hong Wang said, “but through music, I can do the same thing. Tradition is the most useful source for creative music. The things we do now are based on tradition. ... If we don’t have a past, we don’t have a future.”

Melody of China’s performances at MLS are co-sponsored by Friends of the Metropolitan Library System, Oklahoma Arts Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Schedule of Melody of China presentations:

Sunday, November 3 at 2pm = Downtown Library, 300 Park Avenue
Monday, November 4 at 1pm = Capitol Hill Library, 334 SW 26th
Monday, November 4 at 7pm = Bethany Library, 3510 N. Mueller
Tuesday, November 5 at 7pm – Midwest City Library, 8143 E. Reno
Wednesday, November 6 at 10am = Edmond Library, 10 S. Boulevard
Wednesday, November 6 at 2pm = Northwest Library, 5600 NW 122nd
Thursday, November 7 at 1pm = Southern Oaks Library, 6900 S. Walker
Thursday, November 7 at 7pm = Belle Isle Library, 5501 N. Villa
Friday, November 8 at 10am = The Village Library, 10307 N. Pennsylvania
Friday, November 8 at 2:30pm = Del City Library, 4509 SE 15^th

For more information about this or any Metropolitan Library System program, visit the

MLS website, www.metrolibrary.org.

PERPETUAL MOTION
DANCE CLASSES

Image provided

 Classes

Beginning/Intermediate Modern Dance - Monday 6:00-7:00

Beginning/ Intermediate Aerial Dance - Wednesday 6:30-7:30

• home / 
• classes  / 

www.perpetualmotiondance.org

Drop in Rate: 10.00
5 and 10 Class Cards Available

All classes held at-
Oklahoma Contemporary
3000 General Pershing Blvd.
Oklahoma City, OK 73107

HARTEL DANCE GROUP TO PERFORM
 WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT

Highlights include the world premiere of “PopArt” by Austin Hartel in collaboration with visual Artist Marwin Begaye, as well a collaborative dance theater piece with Tonia Ellis set to music by composer Aaron Robinson with poems by local artist Skip Largent. When:      November, 8th & 9th    at 8pm Where:    Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center                           3000 General Pershing Blvd. OKC 73107  Hartel Dance Group, Oklahoma City ‘s internationally acclaimed modern dance company, is pleased to announce the program for its fall season.  This season will include a rich variety to of collaborations between local Oklahoma artists.  Artistic Director, Austin Hartel is an award winning, internationally acclaimed choreographer who has been presenting his unique brand of dance on stages worldwide for over 25 years, is pleased to announce the lineup for this show. His vision for “What’s love got to do with it?” will weave together many facets of connections, networks, and rituals that define our lives. Journeying through life, we inherently create relationships—some lasting, some passing, and some that impact us in the most transformative of ways. We have more means to access human connection than any generation past. Yet for some reason, there remains a cold undercurrent of isolation, loneliness, and separation that bridles many of our experiences—whether we are aware of it or not. All humanity craves acceptance and love, but Hartel poses the well-known question, “What’s love got to do with it?” While love is a powerful, deep-seated emotion, active relationships do not flourish on love alone.   Hartel’s World Premiere PopArt, with the help of Visual Artist Marwin Begaye will also include original music by Aaron Robinson. In this piece, the choreographer is exploring the possibilities that lay between performing arts, the artist and the result of that interaction by tracking the movements of dancers Becca Schmedt, Karen Boyd Bethel, Thyrsa Da Rosa, Nicolette Battle, Kira Blazik, and Maggie Boyett, musician Aaron Robinson and the concept of visual arts. “Dance is an ethereal form of art, it is experienced the moment it happens. You can take home a painting, a sculpture, a piece of music, but dancers and choreographers, give you sensations and feelings.    With PopArt, I am looking for ways to give the dance a more permanent visual record, to create unique pieces of art each night that can be taken home and hung on the wall as a way to recall the visceral experience of the performance”. says Hartel.   Choreographer Chris Castleberry will present his hilarious “Delicious," a study of some of the absurdities presented by the dating rituals of human beings.   SleepWalkers, a poem written by local artist Skip Largent, will also be presented in this evening of  “WLGTDWI”.  Choreographed in collaboration with Austin Hartel and Tonia Sina Ellis and original score by Aaron Robinson, this piece will take us through a journey of a couple, that’s walking through someone else’s dream, or not. Additional works to be presented to round out this performance are Tears for Maria, choreographed by Hartel and exquisitely performed by Karen Boyd Bethel. Searching For… a US premiere by Austin Hartel danced by Nicolette Battle and Maggie Boyett. This duet was originally commissioned for the Momentum Dance Company in Guatemala City. Kira Blazik’s  Banksy My Warhol, a street dance layered onto contemporary movement solo that pokes fun at the artist’s ego and the adoration that inflates it.  Love Me Tender, a suite of short pieces choreographed by Hartel, representing three aspects of the evenings theme “ What’s Love got to do with it?” Tickets, purchased in advance are $15.00 Those purchased at the door are $20.00 Students Tickets are $10.00 Advance purchases and additional information about the Hartel Dance Group can be found on-line at www.harteldancegroup.org/new Performances are on Friday November 8th        8:00 pm. Saturday November 9th    8:00pm.  Where: Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center 3000 General Pershing Blvd. OKC 73107 (Due to construction, enter at Gate 5, which is Gordon Cooper Boulevard, and head west. Once you reach Land Rush Street, you will need to turn right (north) and head until you see the Arts Center).

THE MAGIC LANTERN 
CELEBRATION FOR 
CHILDREN OF ALL AGES
THIS SUNDAY ON THE
PASEO

From a recent Magic Lantern Celebration. Image provided.

“We are all Magic Lanterns, lit by the light of imagination.”   Inspired by this verse, the artists of Paseo are opening their studios to the creativity of children on Sunday, October 27 from 3:00 to 7:30 PM.   A time of light instead of fright, children are invited to descend upon the streets of the Paseo Arts District to celebrate their creativity by bringing to life characters of their own making.  On Paseo, children can jump into their own imaginations and have fun doing it with a different twist to the Halloween tradition  through visual art, dance, and song.  Community artists are offering children of all ages hands-on costume-making workshops from 3:00 to 6:30 p.m., followed by a “Spin and Sparkle ” where children can parade in their costumes from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

All that children need to do to prepare for the event is to have an active imagination, wear their everyday clothing to Paseo, and be ready to make wonder from paper and little bits of collected possibilities.  Discovering and doing are the main ingredients needed to make the most of this event.   Awaiting children are all kinds of paper that can be twisted, crumpled, folded, ruffled, and embellished into fantastic sculptures to be worn over their clothing.  Their imaginings can inspire an endless variety of characters. Children and parents can walk from studio to studio to build original hats, add a touch of shimmer to their faces, and find a pumpkin friend in twigs, leaves, and flower petals.  This is an engaging opportunity for parents to be involved in the problem solving aspects of their child’s constructions.  Helping hands and brainstorming are an important part of this creative process.

           

The celebration will culminate in twilight when children can display their costumes.   A giant winding pathway painted on the street in the shape of a Pumpkin Jack ‘O Lantern by artist, Elizabeth Muller, provides the setting for the spectacle of costumes.  The StarDanceSwan dancers and Steve McLinn of Ojas Music, join children in generating a spinning, sparkling dance of light and energy. 

“This is a unique experience for children, not only are they making wearable art, they are also moving into the realms of theatrical expression and creative dance.  I am delighted to watch the children become immersed in the creative process; they embody the wonder of the Magic Lantern verse, their faces seem to glow, ” says Lorrie Keller of Theatre Upon a StarDanceSwan who designs the celebration.   “Halloween is full of sweets, but the real treat of the Magic Lantern Celebration is in the authenticity each child brings into their own creations.” 

The Magic Lantern Celebration is organized to happen whether the weather is rainy or sunny.  Costume Making is from 3:00 to 6:30 PM.  Plan your day to stay for the Spin and Sparkle Parade from 6:30 to 7:30 PM.  All children must be accompanied by an adult.  Activities are held at the north end of Paseo at NW 30^th and Dewy.

The studios participating are Rainbow Fleet, Paseo Art Space, StarDanceSwan, ArtScape, and Paseo Pottery.  All activities are free to the public. Donations are appreciated to help with the costs of the event. The Magic Lantern is made possible through the support of the State Arts Council of Oklahoma, the Paseo Arts Association and Theatre Upon a StarDanceSwan.  For information call the Paseo Arts Association at 525-2688 or go to www.thepaseo.com.

From the press release

HARTEL DANCE GROUP
PART OF PASEO FEAST
THIS TUESDAY AT
FARMERS MARKET

PASEO FEAST! Tuesday, October 15 6 - 8pm Farmer’s Public Market 311 S. Klein, OKC, OK Paseo FEAST (Funding Emerging Art with Sustainable Tactics), the unique micro-funding program for artists of all disciplines, proudly announces the artists for its next event: The Garden Project, Ghostlight Theater Club, Hartel Dance Studio, Erin Latham, and Rhia Winkleman. At each FEAST event, five artists are selected to present a project to a group of diners who each have a ballot. The artist with the most votes earns a grant based on the evening’s ticket sales. Previous grant amounts have ranged from $800-$1900 per event. Our next event will take place on October 15, 2013, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Old Farmers Market, 300 S. Klein, Oklahoma City. Tickets are $10 or $35 and can be purchased through www.thepaseo.com. Ghostlight Theatre Club hopes to launch a fourth annual run of its popular irreverent holiday tradtion, Screw the Eggnog, Pass the Rum. Ghostlight describes the play as a hilarious annual holiday revue consisting of original sketch comedy and live music. This play is written and performed entirely by Oklahoma artists, the only holiday theatrical event of its kind in the city. Hartel Dance presents their multidisciplinary dance performance “What’s Love Got to Do With It?” As Artistic Director Austin Hartel describes, this work will explore “the many facets of relationship, connection, networks, and rituals that define our lives,” This performance will be a part of Hartel Dance Group’s 4th Season of performances in Oklahoma City, and this group is proud to continually present cutting edge, collaborative dance pieces to the Oklahoma City community. FEAST funds would go towards production costs, costumes and set construction. Erin Latham, visual artist, presents work that introduces Oklahomans to the Scottish law known as “Right to Roam.”  According to this law, the public has the right to travel freely about the countryside regardless of who owns the land, as long as they follow three basic guidelines: respect the interests and privacy of landowners, care for the environment, take responsibility for your own actions.” Latham plans, if chosen for the FEAST grant, to present an exhibition in Oklahoma encouraging the public to roam and learn more about the land around us. The artists of The Garden Project- Adrienne Wright and Lisa McIlroy- seek to create a constructed landscape meant for public interaction. The artists describe the project in their proposal: “The purpose of The Garden Project is.. to create a space that the public can experience and enjoy [and] to help raise awareness of the positive impact that a beautiful, functional space can have on a community.” Balance: Art + Design proposes a curated group art exhibition titled “Balance: Art + Design,” to open at Norman’s Mainsite Gallery in early 2014. This exhibition would focus solely on artists who are also graphic designers. As Winkelman describes, “Behind Oklahoma’s rising fame is its interconnected graphic design community, because we use it… to communicate a social message, to tell the story about ourselves, or to promote Oklahoma.” If you’d like to hear more from any of these artists, please make plans to attend FEAST on October 15! For more information, please call Jennifer at 405-525-2688.

THE ART OF THE COMIC OPENS
TONIGHT AT ISTVAN GALLERY 
WITH ARTISTS' RECEPTION

Image provided TONIGHT! "The Art of the Comic Book" Opening and Artists Reception at Istvan Gallery 1218 N. Western Friday October 11, 2013 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Istvan Gallery celebrates an installation based on Comic Books and Graphic Novels - COSTUMES/COSPLY ENCOURAGED! Illustrated storytelling stretches back in history far beyond the printing press as artists spun yarns about super humans, heroism, love, and everyday life. Though comics might still be associated with pulp fiction and silliness like Tin Tin and Archie or superheroes like Batman and the Shadow, the art form dates back as early as Rome in 113 AD. This exhibit promotes a deeper understanding and appreciation of the art and culture of comic books that morphed from cheap, newsstand “funny books” to a driving force behind a multibillion dollar industry spanning the entire entertainment industry from critically heralded graphic novels to video games and blockbuster summer movies. Artists of varying mediums and styles have been invited by Istvan Gallery owner Stephen Kovash as well as comic creator Charles Martin to participate in The Art of the Comic Book, a celebration of the comic book style as well as the genre’s rich variety of heroes and villains. Image provided In addition to the art, the opening will feature costumed superheroes as well as members of the Oklahoma Comic Creators (OCC). Oklahomans play a huge role in the international comic book world and many will be represented at the opening which will feature work from traditional fine artists as well as illustrated storytellers. Some work will be inspired by comic book icons and imagery and other work will be actual pages from original comic books. Featured artists include: Eli Casiano, Clint Stone, Eric Gorman, Jerry Bennet, Jack Fowler, Trent Lawson, Dustin Oswald, Nathan Lee, Suzanne Thomas, Marilyn Artus, Michael Adams, Nathan Evans, Zachary Presley, Kevin Stark, Michael Wilson and M. Paul Kirby. Writers Charles Martin, Don Rosencrans, and Jackson Compton will be among the comic book creators in attendance.  Artists will also be on hand to do caricatures of attendees.  “Comics possess accessibility for both the audience and the creator that you don’t get with any other storytelling device,” said Charles Martin, member of OCC and founder of Literati Press. “They are an active art from, like a novel. You have to put in some work to consume a comic book, but they are much more immediate and approachable. Unlike a movie or a play, the creator is unrestrained by budget. Whatever the artist can draw, can exist. Hollywood is just now approaching the visual scale that comic book artists have been working with for decades.” As always, Gallery Owner and Curator Stephen Kovash is delighted to use innovative formats to showcase the incredible talent offered by Oklahoma artists.  “I am always excited to work with Oklahoma artists and being able to curate work you might not see in another commercial gallery. The gallery’s comic book show will continue through Oct. 27. From the mailer