4 | thebellevuescene.com | march 2012
soul
New
Music This son of a preacher man grew up singing in Eastern Washington. Now, he’s making America groove.
“Time of Your Life” by Green Day at his Eighth grade graduation ceremony. PHOTOS BY JASON TANG The pastor’s son grew up singing hymns and gospel songs in his smallThe year is 2012, not 1970, but Allen town church. At night, he stayed up Stone’s get-down-and-get funky music listening to records by Stevie Wonder could have fooled anyone. and Teddy Pendergrass. His Feb. 25 show in Spokane, just an “I had to listen to them after my hour south of his hometown of Chewelah, parents went to bed,” he said. Wash., was just one stop on a national tour. If it were up to Mom and Dad, Stone Stone’s voice spanned the honey tones would probably still be singing Chrisof R&B to Prince-like falsettos – but what tian music. remained constant was his soul style: the He had a spiritual epiphany after kind left over from a socially-conscious era turning 18 when he moved to Spokane. where brothas sang about what’s going on First, he attended community coland, unabashedly, about making love, not lege for a semester, then, following his war. father’s footsteps, he enrolled in Bible But few would have thought the next college. Marvin Gaye would come in the form of a “I had been taught that this was the bespectacled white boy who describes his Bible, this was the Word of God,” he style as “my friends give me free clothes.” said. “When I learned that it had been Pale, blonde stubble protrudes from his written by men, I felt like I had been chin, the same color as his long hair. deceived.” He often wears grandpa sweaters over He’s since walked away from the a Sonics jersey, a variety of hats, and an church. However, growing up in that eclectic collection of jewelry. Bracelets, lifestyle taught him that he doesn’t need watches, rubber bands, and a necklace to curse to get his message across, or shaped like the country of Eritrea adorn sing about “getting it on” like some of his upper body. the forefathers of his genre. “When people offer to give me stuff, I “I’m not really interested in your sex say, ‘You better put it on me or I’m going to life,” he says. lose it,” says Stone, 24. “When it finally falls While his voice alone is enough to off, I keep it off.” make listeners swoon, the lyrics in his On stage, Stone physically surrenders to romance songs are often feel-good, toehis music, sometimes swaying, other times tappers like the upbeat, “Say So.” marching. His hands dangle like a T-rex as ALLEN STONE belts out a tune at the Bumbershoot music festival in Seattle, September 2011. “If you want me to love you / all that a magnificent sound comes roaring past you must do is just say so,” he sings. the gap in his two front teeth. Then, egging on the audience memand R&B/Hip Hop Album charts, respectively. And yet, despite his unexpected appearbers, they shout, “Say so! Say so! Say so!” He blew Conan O’Brien away on national TV ance, the sensuality in Stone’s voice could make Similar to songs of the ’70s, Stone’s lyrics, too, ofwith the song, “Unaware” (“He seemed genuinely women (or men, for that matter) ache with longing. fer socially-conscious messages. pumped about it, but I think I could have done so When he sings a cover of Bob Marley’s “Is This “Well, I will never rest for immunity/’Cause I was much better,” Stone says). Love,” some audience members can’t help but think, born and raised in a Caucasian community,” he sings The musician has done it all without the support yes, Allen – it is. in the song, “Last to Speak. ” of a label, publisher or publicist. Fans across the country, plus national media outIt’s not about pushing a political agenda. While some have wondered about his overnight lets in print, TV and radio, have felt this way about “Even if I can’t change the world massively, I just success, Stone has been hustling his music for years, the singer. want to make people think,” says Stone, pointing to a having taught himself to play acoustic guitar as a In recent years, Stone has shot up the R&B/Soul quote by Yoko Ono, where she said she would rather tween. charts on iTunes, peaking at the number-two spot, have half the people walk out during the middle of The first concert he ever gave was of the song, and hittingt 29 and 62 on the Billboard Heatseekers BY GABRIELLE NOMURA |
[more STONE on page 5]
march 2012 | thebellevuescene.com | 5
Music
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ALLEN STONE in concert at The Wild Buffalo in Bellingham. For more information about Stone’s music, go to www.allenstone.com. [STONE from page 4]
band, plus hiring backup musicians for various shows, is a hefty one. He doesn’t even have his own tour bus. Popular – yes. But successful, not yet, Stone says. This year will be telling of the singer’s career as he prepares to tour parts of Africa and Europe this spring, adding on to the hype he’s generated in the U.S. Wherever he goes, Stone always has the same goal for his audiences, who tend to leave sweaty and breathless. While he decided to sing ballads instead of hymns, he says he wants to make people feel fellowship with their brothers and sisters in the crowd. “I want people to feel like they’re in church,” says Stone, a man who’s spiritual, but not religious. His church is not crisp, clean and proper. As he tells it, his soul is a little bit greasy.
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Soul Music
noun a kind of music incorporating elements of rhythm and blues and gospel music, popularized by African-Americans. Characterized by an emphasis on vocals and an impassioned improvisatory delivery, it is associated with performers such as Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, James Brown and Otis Redding – and now, Allen Stone.
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her show rather than listen to something that doesn’t resonate with them. Stone, too, wants to know he’s genuinely affecting people. “I’m not the smartest guy,” he says. “I’m only 24-years-old, but still, I’m not just going to sit around and write love songs all day.” Love, in general, can’t be a main focus in Stone’s life. He keeps a few clothes and a futon at an apartment he shares with some buddies in Seattle’s Green Lake neighborhood. But most of the year, he’s packed in a van with a suitcase, his guitar and his band. Besides, he hates talking on the phone. And he doesn’t exactly have a private life with 4,980 friends on Facebook. Such is the fate for someone like Stone, who says he is not yet a career musician. The price tag of touring with an entire
the arts
julyl 2011 | thebellevuescene.com | 13
FROM CORPS CHOREOGRAPHER to
Getting ahead in a top ballet company like PNB is no easy task, but Eastsider Sean Rollofson’s initiative and leadership sets him apart. Story by Gabrielle Nomura and photos by Chad Coleman.
W
hile ballet and ’90s grunge may not normally go together, the melody of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” can be heard from the lobby of Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Phelps Center. But there is no greasy hair, Dr. Martens boots or motheaten flannels here – only fresh-faced young women and men with perfect posture. In place of baggy shirts and tattered jeans, clothing is tight against the young ballerinas’ slender forms, from the black Lycra of their leotards, to the satin ribbons tied against their ankles, to their high, coiled hair buns. The sound blasting from the stereo in Studio E. may conjure a dirty mosh pit, but the dancers move with graceful leaps and pirouettes. This is how they do their version of rocking out – not by head-banging, but by throwing themselves into the art of ballet. Eight of the dancers run out to the center of the space with graceful urgency, their fast footwork keeping time to where the chorus goes: “Here we are now. Entertain us.” The fluidity of their arms, their port de bras, never allude to the difficulty and effort of their movement or the lessthan traditional music they’re dancing too. It’s a PNB rehearsal. But instead of Stravinsky or Tchaikovsky, it’s a violin cover of Kurt Cobain. Instead of company dancers, it’s the highest-level students in the PNB school. And instead of a seasoned choreographer, it’s Sean Rollofson, a second-year corps de ballet dancer and Bellevue resident. At 22, Rollofson is hardly older than many of the dancers in the cast of his ballet, “Innertwined,” which includes
Clockwise: (top) PNB corps de ballet dancer Sean Rollofson rehearses with the cast of his ballet, “Innertwined.” (Right) Rollofson and Harrison Monaco support sections with Nirvana and Muse covers. Hannah Wilcox. (center) Rollofson was born in Redmond and lives in Bellevue. “I wanted to use real music that people actually listen to,” he says. Rollofson picked out the music, the outside the corps de ballet – the large ensemble that all costumes (black tights for each dancer, and then a green dancers must start out in. or purple or steely blue leotard), and the professional“I love to create things,” Rollofson says. division students he wanted to work with (his “team,” as His passion for creating applies to more than just chohe calls them). reography. Last year, Rollofson started his own charity, a Athletic, dynamic and with contemporary flair and atlocal version of the Make-a-Wish Foundation called Jojo’s titude – the movement Rollofson creates is similar to how Friends (jojosfriends.com). he dances. Throughout the hour and-a-half rehearsal, He’d love to continue making dances, and perhaps, he drills his team to get each part of the dance, from the even become skilled enough to where he could create new ensemble, to the two soloist couples and main pas de deux works for the company. (dance for two) couple, just as he’d imagined it. “Choreography can definitely give company dancers a “The higher up on her thigh you grab her, the higher chance to stand out if they go about it in the right way,” you’ll be able to flip her up,” says Rollofson as he flings says Nicholas Ade, principal of PNB’s Bellevue school and 20-year-old Hannah Wilcox upside-down; her partner, a former company member. Harrison Monaco, 19, watches and listens. “Now you try.” It certainly has worked wonders for retired principal After setting Wilcox down, Rollofson jumps from the dancers Olivier Wevers, who choreographs work for his male role to demonstrating the ballerina’s part, going “en own company Whim W’Him, and Paul Gibson, who’s pointe” in his Puma sneakers. created “The Piano Dance,” among other pieces, for PNB. After 35 hours of rehearsal time, off and on since DeCorps de ballet member Kiyon Gaines has also gained cember, Rollofson finally got to present his ballet at PNB’s recognition for his ballets, and has been commissioned by end-of-year “Next Step” performance June 18. This rare companies such as Evergreen City Ballet and Spectrum opportunity allows company members to sign up to be Dance Theatre. the ones behind-the-scenes as opposed to on stage. Rollofson admires their accomplishments. He’s eager Volunteering to choreograph for “Next Step” gave the to prove himself, not only as a new dance-maker, but as Eastsider a chance to finally create movement instead of a skilled technician who excels at the small jumps, petite perform it (something he’s always been interested in). But [more PNB on page 14 ] more importantly, it gave him a chance to make his mark
THE scene
14 | thebellevuescene.com | july 2011 [PNB from page 13 ]
allegro, and loves to perform. He’s had featured roles as the Harlequin in “Nutcracker” as well as an Acolyte in Jean-Christophe Maillot’s “Roméo et Juliette.” But some of his dreamcome-true roles would be Puck in “Midsummer Night’s Dream” (which he’s understudied before), as well as roles in “In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated” and “Red Angels.” A challenge to earning these roles, and getting to that level in the company, he says, is proving himself to his coworkers – some of whom have watched him grow up. “I remember when Ariana Lallone (principal dancer who retired in June) was my mom and I played Fritz in ‘Nutcracker,’” Rollofson says. He was 8-years-old at the time and getting paid $300 to be in a professional production was the coolest thing that had ever happened (unfortunately, his mom wouldn’t let him take one of his three $100 bills to school to show off to his friends). Rollofson danced the role of Fritz for three years, as well as practically every other child part there was for a boy within PNB’s repertory. He went through all eight levels of the school and completed the professional division program. He became an apprentice in 2008 and was promoted to the corps de ballet with his buddies Eric Hipolito Jr. (who’s also his roommate) and Andrew Bartee in 2009. Rollofson may still be perceived as that mischievous boy Fritz or the bug he played on both the stage
and 1999 BBC film version of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (“I was just really loud and asked a lot of questions as a kid,” he says.) But he’s come a long way. Last September, he started his charity, Jojo’s Friends, which will provide memorable experiences to children with disabilities and illnesses. He wanted to do something positive in his life. And, as starting a program for children had been an idea of his since he worked as a camp counselor for Redmond Elementary, he figured now was a good time to finally make it happen. Rollofson funded the project with his own money. His two little sisters helped create and design the logo and his handsome mutt Jojo provided some inspiration. He’s been collecting donations through the sale of Jojo’s Friends T-shirts on Facebook, and will throw a fundraiser on the Eastside, either in Bellevue or his hometown of Redmond, this summer. Within five to eight years, he’d like to have Jojo’s Friends evolve into a summer camp for children as well as progress in the dance world. “In a way, the charity is sort of like my choreography. It’s about having an idea and taking the initiative to get it done,” he says. That goes for doing something as avant garde as setting a ballet to a Nirvana cover, taking on the immense task of starting a charity, and having the guts to prove he’s ready to take the stage with other worldclass dancers.
Sean Rollofson, wearing a Jojo’s Friends T-shirt, partners Hannah Wilcox in a rehearsal for“Innertwined” at the Phelps Center.
Uniquely Bellevue WHERE TO GO | WHAT TO DO | WHAT TO SEE | WHERE TO BE “Do what you love and you’ll always love what you do!” comments Jill Dillon, owner of Between Friends Consignment and Gifts. The secret is most definitely out about this modernday consignment store and the great deals (and some steals!) are happening every day.
Burberry and Tory Burch to today’s most popular denims, loungewear and athletic apparel. On any given day, you’ll be sure to find something that is just the right fit! With the addition of women’s workday clothes, pre-teen trends, shelves of accessories and home décor, it’s no wonder Between Friends has quickly become the talk of the town. Consignments are by appointment and browsing the store is highly encouragedJill is excited to see you!
Behind its modest storefront doors, the treasures at Between Friends pack a lot of punch. Jill’s fashion talents are found throughout the shop by way of ensuring the merchandise is not only current in both trends and seasons, but also fresh and ever-changing. You’ll find classic brands such as Coach,
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10 | thebellevuescene.com | july
2011
the cover
july 2011 | thebellevuescene.com | 11
{{PRINCESA PRINCESA DE BELLEVUE } She may be in the Miss Hispanic Seafair Royal Court, but Isabella Figueroa is more than a beauty icon. This Eastsider represents the influence and political power of the fastest-growing U.S. minority. STORY BY GABRIELLE NOMURA | PHOTOS BY CHAD COLEMAN
I
sabella Figueroa has been waiting for 2012 all her life. It’s not simply because the outgoing teenager will finally be spreading her wings, living it up in the dorms of the University of San Francisco. Well, that could be part of it. But the real excitement next year will come with a long-awaited ballot – her first one. The Interlake High School senior will finally be eligible to vote. Figueroa’s December birthday was agonizing last year. “Issy,” as her friends call her, turned 18 just after the November midterm elections. During the midterm elections, it may have been a month before her birthday, but she still jumped at the chance to see President Barack Obama speak at Sen. Patty Murray’s rally at University of Washington. Figueroa idolizes people like Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, and really, any woman who takes the initiative to be in politics. She’s even met a few in the Pacific Northwest: Murray, Gov. Chris Gregoire, Sen. Maria Cantwell and Rep. Phyllis Gutierrez Kenney – who Figueroa says, has been “a great friend and role model.” Figueroa still remembers when she heard that Sotomayor had been appointed as the first Hispanic and third female Supreme Court Justice. Her mom sent her a text at school (“I had asked her to keep me updated in class,” Figueroa says). The teen says was thrilled to see another Hispanic female rise to such a powerful position. But Figueroa was well-informed and passionate about politics long before Sotomayor’s appointment in 2009. She signed up her first person to vote as a middle-school student with a clipboard, volunteering for the Washington State Democrats. At summer festivals in Seattle, the short seventh-grade girl wasn’t shy about asking passersby if they were registered to vote. Giving them bipartisan pamphlets on candidates, she would even fill out their registration forms after asking them to take out
their driver’s licenses. “All they had to do was sign their name,” says Figueroa who remembers how jealous she was. It was frustrating being too young to take part in democracy. A passion for politics may seem like it would more likely lend itself to men who wear suits and ties. However, it’s this passion, including involvement in Junior State of America (JSA); a national, nonpartisan, political debate organization; that’s landed Figueroa in a tiara and sash. As a princess in the Miss Hispanic Seafair Royal Court, and first-runner up to Queen Verónica Quintero’s crown, Figueroa received a $1,000 scholarship, as well as the Highest GPA award for high school students and the People’s Choice $100 award. Not bad for her first pageant, especially considering that as governor of her JSA chapter, which gives teens peer-to-peer education on various facets of the political spectrum, she’s used to being the one behind-thescenes instead of being poised, polished and camera-ready. Michelle Font, director of the scholarship program, says it was hard for the other pageant organizers to believe that a confident, well-spoken woman such as Figueroa was only a high school student. Many of the other contestants, including Queen Quintero, are college-age. Each young woman competing in the Miss Hispanic Seafair Scholarship Program for Women attends workshops in public speaking, performance, modeling, etiquette and grooming before the June coronation. The pageant is meant to help young women become leaders who represent Washington’s Hispanic community. During the royal court’s reign, the princesses and queen attend events, such as the Hispanic Seafair Festival July 31 at Seattle Center, and carry out their platforms in the community. It makes sense that Figueroa would rise up as a fresh face to be admired. Her pageant sash may read “First Alternate” but it should really say “Right Now.” That’s what Figueroa represents – the current times, including a population whose influence cannot be understated now and in the years to come. Bellevue’s Hispanic population of 8,545 people has increased almost 50 percent compared to 10 years ago. On a national scale, Hispanics are the largest minority, accounting for 16 percent of the total population. By 2050, people of Spanish-speaking origin will constitute 30 percent of the U.S. population, nearly doubling in size from today. Why is Spanish such a recommended language to learn? Because of statistics like this (and because young bilingual people like Figueroa are the next generation of leaders). The terms “Hispanic” or “Latino” refer to persons who trace their origin or descent to Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Spanish-speaking Central and South America countries and other Spanish cultures, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Origin can be considered as the heritage, nationality group, lineage, or country of the person or the person’s parents or ancestors before their arrival in the U.S. People who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. Figueroa says the growth of the Hispanic community is not merely through illegal immigration. Her Hispanic neighbors who live near the Microsoft campus and work in many of the Eastside technology industries are proof of that, she says. “You need to know Spanish in a lot of powerful countries these days,” Figueroa says. “Hispanics, who are often bilingual, are hired by big companies such as Boeing and Microsoft because we can relate to different cultures and because of our influence.” But while they may growing as a population, when it comes time to lend
their voices to important decisions regarding the local and national community, Hispanics are underrepresented. It’s something Figueroa feels passionate about changing. “Many Hispanics I know don’t vote,” Figueroa says. “They think it’s just one vote, it doesn’t matter.” But it does. A Pew Hispanic Center survey shows that the number of Latinos eligible to vote went from 13 million in 2000 to 21 million in 2010. However, only 31 percent of Latinos cast a ballot in the midterm elections, compared with nearly 49 percent of whites and 44 percent of blacks. Organizers for the fledgling National Tequila Party Movement, which describes itself as nonpartisan, say they aim to make Hispanics a powerful force in next year’s elections. That specific mission, as well as making Hispanics better-informed and more likely to vote, will surely be carried out if young people like Figueroa have anything to do with it. For her platform, which she’ll put into action this summer, Figueroa will be a guest teacher in King County summer school programs to teach children about understanding their U.S. rights. They’ll learn civic engagement and how the government works with fun projects like getting permission to build a garden in a local park, then doing the planting. In the fall, Figueroa will pursue a dual degree program at the University of San Francisco where she will earn an undergraduate degree in political science and a master’s in teaching. Figueroa says going to college is step one of becoming a role model for other Hispanics and women of color. “It’s about showing them that I can do it, so they can do it, too,” Figueroa says. “I’m so lucky that college was never out of the question for me, but it is for many girls. I hope other people realize it’s not about the crown and the sash, it’s about what I’m doing that matters most.” And what she hopes to do is show other young people like her that they literally can do anything. Figueroa says she’s never felt held back for any reason, certainly not because of her race or gender. “Unstoppable” may be a more accurate way to describe Figueroa by those who know her best. “I’m looking forward to seeing what she does,” Font says. “Perhaps she will one day be our first Presidenta Latina. Even that, would not surprise me.”
El arte y la joyería de créditos: Artists from Bellevue Art Museum’s “The Mysterious Content of Softness” exhibit were featured in this story including Angela Ellsworth’s work “Seer Bonnets: A Continuing Offense” (table of contents) and Lacey Jane Roberts’ “We Couldn’t Get in. We Couldn’t Get Out“ (cover and inside spread). Figueroa’s jewelry is by Beto Yarce, Cintli Fine Mexican Jewelry.
10 | thebellevuescene.com | october 2011
Screa The
Visitors come face-to-face with nightmares at Beaver Lake Park gabrielle nomura At first glance, Dana Young is the last person who would scare you. The stay-at-home mom loves to bake and solve puzzles. She volunteers in her kids’ schools and greets her Microsoft husband at the end of each day. Plus, her 5-foot-2-inch stature is not what you’d call intimidating. But beware – appearances can be deceiving. Each Halloween season, this suburban mom transforms like a werewolf beneath a full moon. Young and 300 other volunteer actors are what make the haunted adventure, Nightmare at Beaver Lake, come alive with gory ghouls and spooky characters each year. Their one mission – scaring you. This is not the typical haunted house with mechanical crows, pop-up monsters and the lackluster finale of a man holding a rubber chain saw. It’s a nightmare come to life, a thrill-seekers paradise. “Our haunt is different because it’s theatrical, actors are coming up and interacting with you,” says Young, who has played every character from lunatics, to half-animal/ half-humans. “There are a lot of ways actors can scare you including startling, staring, sniffing and acting in a way that’s unexpected. Even if you came through the haunt twice, it would be different each time.” This improvised show put on by the actors is an essential part of the haunt, which takes place over three-quarters of a mile of haunted wood in Beaver Lake Park in Sammamish. The path winds through sets with spooky graveyards, carnival kitchens or giant, swirling vortexes with trippy black light and clowns, depending on the theme that year. This October, visitors will face a haunt called “We Know What Scares You.” As usual, Young is looking forward to the adrenaline rush she loves, scaring the wits out of people’s minds – and sometimes, even something wet from people’s pants. “We do have a Pisser Pants Award for whoever can confirm making an adult pee their pants first,” said Young, the proud recipient of last year’s award. Young emerged as the winner when, in character as a ghoul, she went up behind a woman and sniffed, like an animal surveying its prey. That was all it took. Young’s victory was confirmed by a security guard on hand, who happened to be carrying a flashlight. Several of these or similar “little accidents” happen each year. “Instead of trying to keep it a secret, people always seem to throw their hands up in the air and say, ‘Oh my God, I just peed my pants,” Young says. But Young isn’t on a mission to make people pee-their-
am cover
october 2011 | thebellevuescene.com | 11
their worst in Sammamish
pants-scared, per se. “At 5’2,” I don’t mess with anyone who’s shorter than I am,” Young says. “My favorite part is when they scream, and then they laugh.” Bringing the joy of scaring people to Sammamish was originally for the teenagers there, who, between school and home, were fairly bored on the plateau, according to responses from a survey put out by the Sammamish Rotary Club in 2004, asking participants how the city could be improved. That same year, the haunt was born, giving something for teenagers to both attend and participate in. Nearly 4,000 people screamed their way through the
Ghosts, ghouls and gore – oh my! : Dana Young (top left) and Andy Nix (center) in full Nightmare at Beaver Lake makeup. CHAD COLEMAN, Photos. Two scenes from last year’s haunt (above and bottom left), a vortex with clowns and an electric chair, complete with victim. COURTESY PHOTO nightmare over a four-night period. Last year, more than 9,700 people enjoyed the haunt over 11 spooky nights. Teens, as well as community members like Young bring it to the next level each year; adding more elaborate sets, such as a giant trebuchet and organizing an event filled with actors that jump out of nowhere, and somehow, know visitors by name (a sneaky trick). But aside from the customer who pays to get spooked, Nightmare at Beaver Lake benefits people in need by donating food and money to charities. Visitors receive $1 off their ticket if they bring a food donation, and last year, the haunt raked in 2,430 pounds of canned goods and non-perishable items that were donated to Eastside Domestic Violence Program. Additionally, organizers made donations totalling $7,000 to groups that helped out with the haunt, the Issaquah Senior Center and Sammamish Youth Board, among others. The fact that scaring people helps others is what makes Nightmare a perfect volunteer activity for ordained minister, Rev. Shane Mitchell, who’s been involved since the haunt’s early years. Finding a safe, positive and fun environment to let human emotions of hate,
anger or even insanity be channeled in a way that benefits charity is one big “love fest,” as Mitchell puts it. “When I found scare, I found a way to express those things society says we can’t do,” Mitchell says. “That was cathartic for me.” Mitchell, an advanced scarer, once frightened a teenage girl through the haunt, onto the shuttle that takes visitors back to the parking lot, and even jumped into the car with her confused dad, speaking in a deranged voice that he was going to “live under her bed from now on.” The girl was freaked out – but she couldn’t get enough of it, Mitchell says. Scaring is a free, legal high that really does benefit everyone involved, Young says. The visitor gets an unforgettable Halloween, charities receive a donation and the person doing the scaring benefits in many ways, too: finding a passion for set, costume and makeup design, having the time of one’s life each October and finding a community of like-minded individuals. “Many of us are the freaks, the geeks the misfits,” Mitchell says. “We may not have been the kids on cheerleader squads or the football team, but we need something that we can be a part of too, and that’s what we find in scare.”
Schedule and ticket information: Oct. 20, 7-7:45 p.m. Family Scare; 8-10 p.m. Full Scare Oct. 21, 7-7:45 p.m. Family Scare; 8-11 p.m. Full Scare Oct.22, 7-7:45 p.m. Family Scare; 8-11 p.m. Full Scare Oct. 23, 7-7:45 p.m. Family Scare; 8-10 p.m. Full Scare Oct. 24 and Oct. 25, Closed Oct. 26, 7-7:45 p.m. Family Scare; 8-10 p.m. Full Scare Oct. 27, 7-7:45 p.m. Family Scare; 8-10 p.m. Full Scare Oct. 28, 7-7:45 p.m. Family Scare; 8-11pm Full Scare with special guest character Jason Voorhees available for photos and autographs Oct. 29, 7-7:45 p.m. Family Scare; 8-11 p.m. Full Scare with special guest character Jason Voorhees available for photos and autographs Oct.30, 7-7:45 p.m. Family Scare; 8-10 p.m. Full Scare Oct. 31, 7-7:45 p.m. Family Scare; 8-10 p.m. Full Scare Prices: Family Scare, $8; full scare Sunday-Thursday $12; Friday and Saturday, $15. Bring a can of food to donate and save $1 off the ticket price. Beaver Lake Park: 244th Ave. SE, Sammamish; www.nightmareatbeaverlake.com.
10 | thebellevuescene.com | august 2011
Cover Story
Power of
Taiko
Keeping Japanese culture alive through an ancient art form
P
BY GABRIELLE NOMURA
ounding their drums with wooden bachi sticks, some of the drummers in Kaze Daiko may only be in elementary school, but the sound they’re making is powerful; it shakes the dusty walls of Seattle’s Japanese Community and Cultural Center. Each of the nine members and three apprentices in Kaze Daiko, a performing youth troupe, takes a yogalike lunge. From this position, they play the Japanese drum, or taiko. Apprentices include 8-year-old Grady Spors, who looks as if he weighs less than the chudaiko (medium-sized drum) in front of him. The three college-age Matsudaira sisters, the most veteran members, giggle and chat between practicing songs. Next month, the drummers will wear red happi
THE CHU-DAIKO is one of three different types of drums Kaze Daiko uses. CHAD COLEMAN photo
THE BEAT GOES ON: Kaze Daiko youth taiko troupe rehearses. The drummers range in age from 8 to 20 and mostly all come from the Eastside and Seattle. GABRIELLE NOMURA photo
coats and black tabi shoes when they perform at the Aki Matsuri festival on Sept. 10. Today, they rehearse in basketball shorts, sweatpants and T-shirts. Their head instructor, Stan Shikuma, observes from behind his spectacles, arms crossed in front of his slender frame. He approaches one of the young drummers to demonstrate a sequence she’s struggling with. It typically takes a year of weekly practice before new drummers have mastered the entire seven-song repertory. But even before they become polished performers, just watching a rehearsal is exhilarating. Graceful as dancers, powerful as martial arts masters, the young drummers strike their instruments to achieve a sound that, at times, is as thunderous and elemental as rolling thunder. “If you’re close enough, you can literally feel the vibrations,” Shikuma says. Taiko is a synthesis of rhythm, movement and spirit – the spirit stems in part from use in Buddhist temples, Shikuma says. Drums have been used in Japan for centuries, but it’s only within the 20th century that taiko has emerged as a performing art. While benefits of being in a taiko troupe include performing at Mariners games, it also connects youth with Japanese culture – a motivating factor for those of Japanese ancestry. Especially for the group members who commute from the Eastside. With a lack of Japanese temples and community centers in Bellevue or around the plateau area, some of these young people regularly cross the water to practice taiko in Seattle – and to stay connected to their heritage. UNCERTAIN FUTURE Eighteen-year-old Jaymi Matsudaira of Sammamish
is one of them. With her grandparents’ generation, the nisei, dying out, and an increasing number of Japanese Americans marrying people of non-Japanese ancestry, she fears the traditions are slowly fading. That’s one of the reasons it was important for Matsudaira to study Japanese language in high school and commute to Seattle with her two sisters for taiko. “I’m proud of being Japanese,” says Matsudaira, a fourth-generation American. “It gives you an identity and values: Be modest. Be humble. Persevere.” COMMUTE In addition to having more taiko offerings, Seattle is also where most Japanese events, such as the Bon Odori festival, take place. This may be due to a more established community, says Shikuma, who points to historically Japanese neighborhoods such as Seattle’s Beacon Hill, Rainer Valley and the Chinatown International District, once a Japantown before World War II. With the exception of the Eastside Nihon Matsuri Association, the businesses and organizations on the Eastside often cater to Japanese nationals as opposed to Japanese Americans, he says. Take, for example, the Seattle Japanese School on 124th Avenue Northeast in Bellevue. In the U.S. for a limited time, businessmen send their children to the school on Saturdays so that they will be able to reintegrate into Japanese schools. EASTSIDE PRESENCE That’s not to say there are no Eastside Japanese Americans. Somerset resident and lawyer, Yukio Morikubo, along with a dozen or so families in the South Bellevue area, attend Seattle Betsuin Buddhist temple – a hub [more TAIKO on page 11 ]
august 2011 | thebellevuescene.com | 11 [TAIKO from page 10 ]
for the Japanese-American community. But while he regularly visits Seattle, Morikubo says he’s been pleased with the increase of Japanese cultural offerings on the Eastside, including Uwajimaya and the Aki Matsuri festival at Bellevue College, Sept. 10-11, which includes food, crafts, martial arts demonstrations and performances. MULTICULTURAL COMMUNITY Tom Brooke, President of the Eastside Nihon Matsuri Association (ENMA), organizes Aki Matsuri. While Brooke says he may be a “hakujin” (white person), he gained a passion for Japan in his eight years of living in Kobe – where he met his wife. Aside from people of nonJaymi Matsudaira, 18: This Sammamish resident and Japanese ancestry, some “hapas,” University of Washington freshman is proud of her Japanese heritage. CHAD COLEMAN photo mixed-race Asian or Japanese Americans, possess a cultural pride their parents or grandparents never had, due to the pressures to Americanize in the wake of World War II. “There’s a solid core group of people who are very connected to their Japaneseness,” Morikubo says, adding that some of those people are of mixed-race.
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HOPE Today, the Japanese-American community in Greater Seattle includes people of different backgrounds, as well as people from the city and suburbs. In the 11 years of Kaze Daiko, a quarter or more of the young drummers have come from Bellevue, Mercer Island, Issaquah and Sammamish. New generations of taiko performers will help fuel the art form, one that’s already celebrated and listened to internationally. “It’s kind of like jazz, which started off African-American,” Shikuma says. “Today, people all over the world listen to and play both jazz and taiko.” A global appreciation for taiko is one way Japanese culture will live on. The culture isn’t dying, it’s changing – and gaining new demographics of supporters, Shikuma says. Taiko will never shed it’s Japanese roots. But it will continue to grow with help from Germans, South Africans and Americans of all ancestry.
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