Thursday, September 9, 2010

Hearts for Haiti


Fri, September 3, 2010 5:39:50 PMThe Resurrection Dance Theater of Haiti - Coming to a stage near you!
Check the schedule at: Hearts with Haiti
This post has been forwarded by Dance-On.net

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Hearts with Haiti




Presenting The Resurrection Dance Theater of Haiti

Resurrection from the Rubble




September 7 - October 3, 2010

Washington, DC | Rockville, MD | Towson, MD | Richmond, VA |New Bern, NC Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill, NC | Greensboro, NC | Charlotte, NC










Drums Beating.

Dancers Soaring.

Spirits Lifted.

The Resurrection Dance Theater of Haiti, an internationally recognized dance troupe of orphans, former street children and child slaves in Haiti, will be performing in the U.S. from September 7 through October 3. Local performance schedules are available at www.heartswithhaiti.org. The troupe uses drumming and dance to vibrantly tell their story and lift up hearts, as they have done all over the United States and Canada, dancing in venues such as the Brooklyn Academy of Music for Dance Africa and for the Pope at World Youth Day in Canada.

About The St. Joseph Family of Haiti

The dancers are part of the St. Joseph Family, formed from very humble beginnings under the leadership of Michael Geilenfeld 25 years ago to bring street children from Port-au-Prince, Haiti into a family setting. The family now occupies three homes in Haiti – two for former street children and one for boys and girls with disabilities. Transformed from being the rejected ones in Haiti to being among the very best of servant-leaders, members of the St. Joseph Family have reached out and changed the lives of countless other Haitian boys and girls to be the best they can be.

On January 12, 2010, two of the three homes were severely damaged in the earthquake and are no longer habitable. Although their homes were lost and their lives changed irrevocably, these young dancers did not lose their determination to make a difference in the lives of others. They have sewn new costumes, repaired damaged drums and are now ready to dance the good news of their story once again.

Join Them!

We present this event as a testimony to the children and as a plea to help us lift up the St. Joseph Family from the rubble. Come join us in this dance of new life. Offer these young men your encouragement, your helping hands and your financial resources. By our raising up the St. Joseph Family to be better than before, we will also be raising up Haiti.

About Hearts with Haiti

Hearts with Haiti, established in 2001 and based in Raleigh, NC, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose primary mission is to support the vision and ministry of the St. Joseph Family in Haiti, which includes the St. Joseph’s Home for Boys in Port-au Prince, Wings of Hope in Fermathe, and Trinity House in Jacmel. Additional information is available at www.heartswithhaiti.org.


This message was sent from Hearts with Haiti to la@lesleeames.com. It was sent from: Hearts With Haiti, 27 Horne St., Raleigh, NC 27607. You can modify/update your subscription via the link below. Email Marketing by

Monday, October 26, 2009

Dance from human doing to human being

Saw Tarantella, which featured performances by Alessandra Belloni, Antonio Fini and Joe Deninzon, at the College of Charleston's Italian Fest. I had been rushing about on a Friday afternoon, finishing my work, running to the bank, and arguing over getting everyone to his/her event and what order, then running too late to ride with my friend to the show.

"The Tarantella Dance music is one of the most recognized songs of all the Italian folklore music." Belloni, known as one of the greatest of percussionsists uses her own signature series of Italian tambourines - wonderfully large and some hand-painted to represent Ava Maria. Masks, live flowing music and changing costumes and characters made for a rich experience and step back in time. The lively dance is characterized by light, quick steps and teasing, flirtatious behavior between partners and even the dancers and musicians. And in the tradition of the Greek stage, gender and role playing becomes irrelevant. The stories were short tales from Greek mythology which require us to get involved in the magic.

My resistance and focus on the obstacles of my daily struggles began to recede. I became present to my senses and was made lighter... much more open to experiencing the evening and my companions. Once I relaxed I was transported back to myself.

It seems rare today to get beyond our "Doing" and our lists. (If you don't know what that means, you might really be in trouble.) But there is hope in Art, Music, and Dance. Dance is a unique expression of the Human Experience - one that we can't grasp in 6 seconds or have flash thru our GPhones.... I was reminded of the importance of these forms in keeping us connected to our cultures and each other in a PROCESS or JOURNEY...Thanks and gratitude to Belloni and her troupe of artists for their devotion.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Dance-On Celebrates Patrick Swayze


Dance-On Celebrates the Life and Dance Magic of Patrick Swayze, who died courageously today.

Swayze's Unique Style and Smile was a gift to all of us in the memorable movie,"Dirty Dancing." The title says it all about a time when an uptight society tried to stifle the Joy of Dance and often stereo-type (non-classical) dancers as "Sleezy" outcasts.

Swayze's and Jennifer Grey's ARTISTRY and BEAUTY shine in the portrayal of two people, from different walks of life, that come together and break free with Dance and for Dance.... Check out this great YouTube Video and pass it on!

Dance-On Patrick Swayze

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVNTPJKuVQg

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

LesLee Ames interviews Stephaney Robinson, Nia black-belt teacher, trainer and artist residing on Sullivan's Island, SC, about her experience with Nia for www.dance-on.net

Dance is a way of being human.

“It is healing. Learning movement for the purpose for self-healing that is what the white belt is." Stephaney Robinson, is talking about Nia.)
The Reason why this teacher extraordinaire chooses Nia to dance dance dance out of many modalities and forms is TOOLS...lots of tools for healing at the deepest levels.


Although dance is a very physical activity, for many, dance tends to reside in the emotional body. Nia allows us to bring our focus back to our body, putting emphasis on the physical body as sensation. Sensation based on pleasure, this is known as Joy in the body as sensation! And when we learn to be in the physical - we don’t have to be run by the emotions. We can utilize and release emotions and ENERGY. There are actually the 4 Realms: spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical.
We can get hurt in physical body if we are not aware of that. If we get lost in our emotional sphere, our body isn’t able to take that kind of movement, speed, or energy. "When we know that the physical container is present by using the structure that Nia provides, then we can say okay,,, I am here. Now I can pump the emotional expression into the dance and blow the roof off the place…."

That leads to the Joy, which founders of Nia, Carlos Rosas and Debbie Rosas-Stewart, believe to be the Core of the Technique. Dance brings joy because, believe it or not, we are Joy and the dance connects us naturally with our humanity where we remember Joy on a cellular level.

“You need to know that when you step into that room, Joy will be available for you. Everything is rooted in joy. When I first started to move my body this way and create the sensation of Joy, I thought, wow, this is what I have been looking for a long time." As long as Nia stays rooted in Joy, more people will gravitate toward that.

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

The Dance Magic of Michael Jackson






Dance-On pays tribute to the Magic and Creativity of the Music and Dance of Michael Jackson.

I was asking my mom today, where would I be without the songs that the Jackson 5 brought to the radio in the backseat of the car that I grew up in? I spent hours choreographing dances to Rockin' Robin and the new beat being ushered in.

Later in high school I remember being mesmerized as a girl Moonwalked, and I tried to the dance this imaginary way that MJ had brought to life. This "trying" raised new possibilities that brought dance to a new level for so many, and raised awareness of "street dance" and the people it belonged to.

The Killer "Thriller" blew the doors off the new medium of video, which was just being born...MTV. My friends and I got tickets to see Michael and his brothers rock the world with revolutionary entertainment, smokin'hot sensation. I felt energized watching him bring life so powerfully to a movement with a gesture or sound that was, to me like lightening striking over and over.

As a survivor of childhood sexual assault, I feel obliged to acknowledge the scandal that surrounded the star,...and I do feel both skeptical and sad about these things without knowing the truth.

However the Dancer in me pays Homage and Celebrates the hours of sweat and many gifts that Michael Jackson gave to me and certainly the Dance World with his time here on the planet.

1958 August 29 - 2009 June 25 - Dance-On, Michael!


Friday, May 22, 2009

Archive

May 20, 2009, NYC DanceParade 2009
Dance-On Founder, LesLee Ames, was present with the NIA Dancers at the fabulous DanceParade, down Broadway, NYC 2009. Here are some random pics from the parade and festival at Tompkins Square Park. (If you have any photos that you would like me to post, Contact Us.)









The Mayor declared the Day a City-Wide day of Dance, and the crowds were enthusiastic and oh-so-cheerful. If you love to watch or participate, I highly suggest you make it to next year's extravaganza. To find out about more about the many dancers and companies that participate and have offerings, visit www.danceparade.org



















May 20, 2009, Different Kinds of Dance for Different People



Interested In Different Kinds of Dance ... Look here to find a Fab Resource Guide.

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May 14, 2009, NYC DANCE PARADE

In case you haven't heard: Announcing a Huge Dance Parade in NYC, Saturday May 16, 2009, and Dance-On will be there. This weekend!


Every kind of Dance will be represented as we shimmy our way down Broadway to Tompkins Square Park. Then there will be workshops, performances, and demos galore. And there is still time to sign up if you can make it to the Big Apple!


Click for more info




May 14, 2009, Benefits of dance movement therapy and healing are revealed here.


benefits of dance movement therapy as an innovative approach to healing Post Traumatic Stress



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May 1, 2009, LesLee Ames

Take this Cyber Exit To Learn about LesLee Ames

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Apr 30, 2009, LesLee Ames

Take this Cyber Exit for LesLee Ames Yogo Classes

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Apr 16, 2009, Contra Dance - What it is and How to Enjoy It?

Contra Dance - Come here to find out about this Social Dance and Who Likes it.

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Apr 10, 2009, Teen Dance

Stop here to find Teen Dance Inspiration

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Apr 2, 2009, Top Dance Music Now

Top Dance Music: How to choose your Dance Music and What is Hot on the Dance Floor Now

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Apr 2, 2009, Dances for Peace

Global WarmingRaging WarsChild Abuse.....What can we do?
Get in the House with Dance for Peace!Gabrielle Roth calls it "Sweating your Prayers!"

Where I live, in Charleston, SC, we have an active group that meets monthly. Check in with these dancers or your local churches to find out what might be available to you!
Dances of Universal Peace(also known as Sufi Dancing)

Saturday April 47:00-9:00 pm4 Archdale Street Gage Hall Downtown Charleston( free parking behind Gage Hall)

The Dances of Universal Peace, or Sufi Dancing, area modern synthesis of ancient sacred chants fromdiverse wisdon trations, inspired music and prayerful movements.Each song is drawn from a moving chantto cultivate compassion, tolerance, diversity and peace,and is taught in the moment. Let’s renew our friendships and expand our hearts.

Visiting Dance Leaders are accompanied by live musicwith local musician David Sarnoff and other guest musicians.

No experience necessary *** $10 donation gratefully accepted For more information: Gaile Sickel 843.641-0447

www.southerndup.org

www.dancesofuniversalpeace.org