Movmnt Magazine | Issue 6 | Keep it real - Spring 2008

J o h n Wat e r s ’ C ry- B a by S h a k e s u p B roa d way

Fashion, Dance, MUSIC & Pop Culture as a Lifestyle

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t i t p i p e e e Ke

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On Newsstands Until MAY 08

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6 | SPRING 08 | movmnt.com - $5.95

l a e R TheNewAdage “ Dance Sells ”

Next Pop & RnB Hits

Kevin Michael Cheri Dennis

cover story

o ur

reality

of f

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rea l

tv

SABRA JOHNSON DANNY TIDWELL NEIL HASKELL exclusive interview and fashion story caught between fantasy and reality

Page 36

contents 12

18

23

INTERVIEW WITH KEVIN MICHAEL

CRY-BABY, CRY...

fashion

dance

GREASE ISN’T THE WORD - 12 A sneak-peek at the new John Waters musical Cry-Baby RETRO SOUL - 16 Portrait of Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings A DAY AT THE OPERA GALLERY - 18 Kevin Michael talks to Mario Spinetti VIP: MISTY COPELAND - 22 INSIDE OUT - 23 Spring eyewear selection photographed by Lou Mora

INSIDE OUT SPRING EYEWEAR

music

the new AdAge of Dance

pop culture

casting a shadow - 54 Injuries and life ideas worth spreading - 58 TED: where thoughts meet action bad boy’s new “it” girl - 63 Interview with Cheri Dennis ANTI- CONFORMITY - 66 Review of the label where indie legends found a new home

from björk to ballet - 28 Profile of composer Nico Muhly

MUSIC REVIEWS - 68 Beirut, A Fine Frenzy, Ror-Shak, The Pizzas, DBR, Honorary Title, Paper Rival

reality hits center stage too - 30 DanceLife alum Kenny Wormald

hits from left field - 71 Unexpected gems that broke all the rules

THE NEW ADAGE OF DANCE - 31 Advertisers finally realize that dance sells

go west - 72 A life-changing educational experience at Deep Springs

the trailblazer - 34 PJ Harvey leads the way

MEXICAN CONTRASTS - 76 Maeva through the lens of Jeanette Prather

KEEP IT REAL - 35 Discover movmnt’s non-profit effort in an exclusive poster featuring Sabra Johnson and Danny Tidwell

MIA MICHAELS - 79 Confession of a choreographer

duet: ARI GOLD VS. DAVE KOZ - 48 Conversation without boundaries wake up call - 52 What you may not know about...

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Contributors - 8 Letter From The Editor - 10 Affecting movmnt - 80 Directory - 80 Subscribe - 81 Next Issue - 82

On the cover: Danny Tidwell and Sabra Johnson Photography by Gary Land.

Style by Paloma Perez.

Total look by American Apparel.

THEIR REALITY - 36 From fantasy to reality, Sabra Johnson, Danny Tidwell, and Neil Haskell in an intimate conversation and exclusive fashion story

contributors

GARY LAND

Gary shot the cover story of this issue as well as the performance piece by Danny Tidwell and Sabra Johnson in pink paint for the “Keep it Real” campaign.

For David Benaym, Editor in Chief of movmnt, “working with Gary was the perfect adventure. From the creative process to the post production, he is just the perfect photogtapher to work and interact with.”

Gary Land has developed a photographic style he calls hyper-realism.

It is characterized as reality idealized. This style was developed through years of work on photoshop as well as years behind the camera.

Gary started his career by shooting surfing, and quickly moved to snowboarding. Once he had his first son he looked for a more steady job where he eventually found himself shooting full time for Reebok. While there he shot for campaigns such as the “I Am What I Am” campaign.

After spending eight years there, and countless hours spent on personal work, he was ready to be unleashed on the advertising world. That was about a year and half ago. He has worked on a number of different advertising and editorial projects since then. Most notably a Nike campaign that took him around the US and Europe for two and half months shooting elite athletes from around the world. He lives on the south shore of Boston where he can still go to the beach with his wife and four kids. garylandphotography.com

Taylor trained at Boston Ballet School before moving away from home at age fourteen to attend the boarding academic program at The Rock School of Pennsylvania Ballet on scholarship.

RDON

Some may say his addiction to Peanut Butter Puffins is a problem, but Murphy claims the delicious cereal fuels his artistic life. How else could he explore so many ventures with so much success?

After graduating high school at sixteen and discovering her love of writing, she moved to NYC to continue dancing at Ballet Academy East and to study Communication Arts at Marymount Manhattan College, where she was the Features Editor of the school paper, The Monitor. She graduated magna cum laude at age nineteen in January 2008 with a head start in pursuing a Master’s Degree in Magazine Publishing at Pace University, on top of dancing professionally.

She has performed as a student with Boston Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, and professionally with the Albano Ballet Company.

His blog is read by hundreds, his dancing seen by thousands. He does it all with a sense of humor. Now if only he could get that Star Wars ballet off the ground. For movmnt, Matthew approached two different aspects of the dance world with his portraits of Kenny Wormald, soon to be seen in Center Stage 2, and a look at music composer Nico Muhly, who’s latest piece was featured by American Ballet Theatre. www.rantingdetails.com

Seizing every opportunity while juggling a dance career and college, she has interned at various magazines, most recently The New Yorker, and has written for a number of publications and websites. She enjoys giving a voice to an otherwise non-verbal art form through her writing. In this issue, Taylor explore the ups and downs of being injured as a performer. taylorgordononline.com

MATTHEW MU

RPHY

Matthew Murphy has been dancing ever since he choreographed a Star Wars ballet in his basement as a kid. He has since moved on to dancing with American Ballet Theatre, but he still dreams of one day bringing a corps of dancing Stormtroopers to the stage.

In the meantime, he’s got a camera glued to his face as he tries shooting everything around him. Between dancing, choreographing, writing and taking pictures, he’s got his hands full of artistic projects.

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TAYLOR GO

PALOM

A PER

EZ www.movmnt.com

Based in New York City, Paloma still enjoys being a ‘Cali-girl’ by nature: she loves gays, recycling, and being outside in inappropriate dress. Paloma worked with photographer and longtime friend Gary Land to create our fashion story with dancers Neil, Danny and Sabra. It was a real task creating functional looks that allowed the artistry of dancer bodies, freedom... Just fitting into couture samples is effortful, but add jump splits and crazy extensions into the mix… “We split a lot of butt seams, I’ll tell you that.”

Paloma considers the act of dancing to be one of the most easily accessible and inclusive forms of meditation. If you are passing through Manhattan, she can be found any given evening at a Suzanne Bartsch or Roxy Cottontail party, researching what is left of “the true club kid” and “stealing their ideas and calling it inspiration.” hellastyle.com

LOU

RA

MO

Co-founders

David Benaym & Danny Tidwell

_______________________________ Editor in Chief | Publisher David Benaym Artistic Advisor Danny Tidwell Production Manager Rami Ramirez Senior Music Editor: Lauren Adams Senior Society Editor: D. Michael Taylor Copy Editor: Jeanette Prather Associate Editors: Jeff Vicente, Bruce Scott Columnists: Mia Michaels, Mario Spinetti Contributing Writers Max Berlinger, Taylor Gordon, Matthew Murphy Jayzel Samonte, Serena Sanford Contributing Photographers Jean-Claude Figenwald, Gary Land, Lou Mora, Eduardo Patino Contributing Stylist: Paloma Perez Contributing Graphic Designer: Dan Cacioppo Intern: Anjuli Bhattacharyya Advertising

advertise@movmnt.com - Tel: +1 646 486 1128 www.movmnt.com/movmntmediakit.pdf

Board of Advisors Debbie Allen, MichaelAnthony, Kenneth Easter, Roger Moenks, Denise Roberts-Hurlin, Denise Wall Special thanks for their help and support Eric Allouche at the Opera Gallery, April Cook, Alexander Dubé, Arlette Emch, Ari Gold, Neil Haskell, Sabra Johnson, Matt Helstein, Ivan Koumaev, Misty Copeland, Nick Lotuaco, Dan Martinez, Caterina Mercante, Rich Overton, Alisan Porter, Abe Sands, Kristin Sloan, Yael Sapir, Amy Sato, Gil Stroming, Travis Wall Lou Mora is a down-to-earth mellow guy who loves to shoot portraits. Based in Southern California, he lives the lifestyle that he shoots. Raised primarily in Florida, he discovered photography while briefly living in Sweden. He began his career shooting skateboard photography for various international publications and websites, which led to his passion for portraits. “I really enjoy moving in close and capturing the essence of who people are.” That, along with an amazing sense of balance, is what Lou Mora Photography is about.

Lou has recently started a personal photo project which is not titled yet but aims to capture the innocence of people through a surreal and ethereal perspective. loumora.com

magazine is an e-maprod Inc. Publication 139 Fulton Street - Suite 709 - New York, NY 10038 - USA Tel: +1 646 486 1128 - Fax: +1 646 290 9196

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To subscribe please call Rami: +1 646 486 1128 Circulation customers: please call Disticor: +1 631 587 1160 All rights reserved. Reproduction in part or in full is prohibited without

permission of the publisher. movmnt magazine welcomes new contributors but cannot be responsible for unsolicited materials. movmnt magazine

assumes no responsibility for content of advertisements.

The views expressed

in movmnt magazine by contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher.

Issue 6 - Spring 2008 Printed in the USA on 30% Recycled Paper

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letter from the editor

I

interpretation

Realization

“A warrior of light [...] is someone capable of understanding the miracle of life, of fighting to the last for something he believes in – and of hearing the bells that the waves set ringing on the seabed. [...]

Everyone is capable of these things. And, though no one thinks of themselves as a warrior of light, we all are.”

Paulo Coelho, The Manual of the Warrior of Light

accomplishment accomplishment accomplishment

At eight years old I was introduced to Antoine de Saint Exupery’s The Little Prince. I am from the south of France, where Saint Exupery is a local hero. The prince’s quest is very similar to Dorothy’s adventure in The Wizard of Oz, but with philosophical elements very much like those found in Lewis Carroll’s Alice In Wonderland.

At age fourteen, I realized that real life personalities also had amazing stories to tell. I neglected fiction and turned my attention to hard news. However, I also discovered Messiada, a political novel that dealt with the Middle East. With an extremely well-handled imagination, author André Soussan wove real news-making personalities into the story, and gave it a certain credibility and almost prophetic feeling.

The line between fantasy and reality seemed thinner than ever to me.

It was only a few years ago when literature hit my reality in the gut. I discovered The Manual of the Warrior of Light

by Paulo Coelho. I couldn’t believe it; it was literally as if someone had analyzed me for years and wrote about my personality, mentality, sensibilities, goals and demons.

Then last summer I encountered a brand new phenomenon: when some of the real life people around me became part of a television storyline. It is never easy to write about people you know very well and interact with on a daily basis. So when we decided to dedicate this issue’s cover to Sabra Johnson, Neil Haskell, and Danny Tidwell (with whom I cofounded movmnt), we reached into fantasy to tease out a certain reality that many have not seen from them yet. The result is a magical photo shoot, as well as an in-depth conversation with all three filled with elements that TV viewers, journalists, bloggers, forums, and the rumor mill may have missed. Or shall I say, misinterpreted.

Just as all of these stories and characters taught me about the wonder and beauty of life, movmnt hopes to bring the worlds of pop culture and the performing arts alive for our readers. This is why movmnt is launching Keep It Real, a nonprofit initiative designed to give back to the community in various ways. Look for much more about this in future issues and at movmnt.com.

David Benaym

Warrior of Light Editor in Chief, movmnt magazine

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fantasy light fiction

never fell for once-upon-a-time’s and happily-everafter’s. I demanded a certain messy humanity even in the fictional characters that drew me into their worlds.

When I was growing up, Disney had already evolved their fairy tale style into more contemporary films like Pete’s Dragon and The Rescuers. These socially conscious movies set some sort of foundation for me; their heroes dealt with war and peace, poverty, and other social issues. Fantasia also moved me when it was re-released for its 40th anniversary. It succeeded in conveying classical music to my curious mind, and beautifully interpreted sounds and melodies into magical dreams. Mickey and hundreds of new characters showed me ballet and rhythm in ways I had never experienced before. I will always remember the hippos taking a bath while dancing on La Gioconda’s Dance of the Hours.

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Broadway

g

WHEN CRY-BABY HITS BROADWAY THIS SPRING

When

isn ' t the word

the bright lights of the

By Jayzel Samonte - Photography by Gary Land

Great White Way

shine upon the glossy slicked hair of dancers

1950s soda shop, don’t be surprised when ‘grease’ isn’t the word. With the upcoming Broadway premiere of the highly anticipated stage adaptation of John Waters’ movie-musical Cry-Baby, even the theater novice can surmise that the nostalgic doo-wop beats from the jukebox era will sing a slightly different song. The show will raise its curtains for Manhattan theatergoers this spring, although it already premiered at the La Jolla Playhouse in California last November.

I

f Rent was dubbed “the musical for people who hate musicals,” then CryBaby is the musical for people who love to hate musicals.

What sets Cry-Baby apart is not so much the content as it is the brash context. The story is simple: star-crossed lovers find a connection that defies the sub-cultural taboos of their society. It is Baltimore in 1954, when rock’n’roll began, where the similarities of the tired and trite musical theater formula end, and where Cry-Baby begins. It is here that the parody starts.

It is a battle of the Squares and Drapes. The good and the rebellious. The rich and the poor.

Allison Vernon Williams (played

by Elizabeth Stanley from the Tony Award-winning revival of Company) is a Square born

with a silver spoon and poodle skirt. She’s enticed by the leather-clad charms of Wade “CryBaby” Walker, who is played

by James Snyder. What follows next is a jailhouse rock extravaganza. The Drapes clash with the Squares and chaos ensues as both sides try preventing the lovers from continuing their affair; an attempt to convince each of them to return to their own side of the tracks. The musical’s production team heralds the show as a “riotous, trashwith-flash spoof” and “a testament to teenage rebellion.”

You can expect the unexpected with John Waters’ culty flair at the helm. And in Cry-Baby’s efforts to parody Danny Zuko’s “Summer Lovin’,” the show manages to capture a human candor lost in Grease. It gives the rebel his true voice and, essentially, his heart.

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adorned in sleek black leather jackets ubiquitous to a

John Waters, writer and director of the original Cry-Baby featuring Johnny Depp

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Riotous, trash-with-flash spoof, Cry-Baby is a testament to teenage rebellion.

It’s no wonder that John Waters eventually found the welcoming arms of the Broadway box-office with a previous Blockbuster hit like Hairspray. The Broadway scene has always provided a bastion of heightened eccentrics. This show is a Mecca for the artistically inclined and a safe haven for the dancers who fought adversity, dance straps, ridicule, and name-calling for the chance to someday earn their way to artistic acclaim. Waters, who is artful and empathic in portraying characters who defy the status quo, ones who simply cannot mentally or physically tolerate convention, in many ways possesses the same nurturing lore of the Broadway marquee. He sets the stage to showcase the voices of the underdog and the socially dismissed, crowning them in the hearts of a captivated audience as heroes of the modern world.

This adaptation is written by Tony Award-winners Mark O’Donnel and Thomas

Meehan, whose finesse in turning a movie-musical into a Broadway hit dazzles the stage of Hairspray. It is due time for Waters, whose style for the boldly avant-garde juxtaposed with his empathy for the oppressed garnered him icon status on the silver screen. But with his new Broadway entrée, his appeal has been revitalized into a commercial success.

With a show that combines the era of the 1950s and the edginess of a new millennium, one might question the production’s choice choreographer. Rob Ashford, whose credentials include a foray of more traditional Broadway shows like Kiss Me Kate and Guys and Dolls, injects a Jerome Robbinsinspired style that moves the large ensemble with a toetapping, finger-snapping, head-bopping bravado, giving even the most jaded theater cynics the sheer exhilaration of a Broadway showstopper.

The inside scoop from the pro-

duction staff testifies a true work in progress. They are utilizing the out-of-town trial for refining and polishing the show in preparation for its Grand Premier in New York this March.

With Waters’ sharp shock of non-conformity mixed with a fine grasp on the elusive ability to capture a poignant moment, he has managed to recall the past while keeping the direction ahead of his time. Broadway is just now finally catching up.

JS crybabyonbroadway.com

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Prevalent to our times - when Perez Hilton society embraces and marvels at the rulebreakers - this show too finds a protagonist in the rebel: a juvenile delinquent with enough tears to collect in a jar. Director Mark Brokaw says, “Just as Waters’ films often sympathetically treat outsiders who resist society’s conventions, Cry-Baby too is a celebration of nonconformity.”

Retro soul

Profile

Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings

l

isten to any track off of Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings’ latest effort, 100 Days, 100 Nights, and you’d swear it was some long-lost Motown recording, dripping with the kind of soul we’ve come to equate with that era. But Jones and Co. are here to tell you that 2007 brought soul back; slick producers and Pro Tools advocates need not apply. With a production so dead-on it sounds as if it were pulled from a time machine, Jones and the Dap-Kings lead the pack in the old-school soul revival.

Sharon Jones got off to a late start in the business. After working jobs as a prison guard at Rikers Island and an armored car guard for Wells Fargo Bank, Jones finally got her big break in the music business at age 40. Asked to sing backup in 1996 for ´70s soul legend Lee Fields, Jones left a lasting impression on everyone at Fields’ label, Desco Records, and by 1999 was already being dubbed “The Queen of Funk.”

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From a group of musicians originally called “The Soul Providers,“ the birth of a band named The Dap-Kings, and the eventual release of Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings’ first LP, the band came to be. Titled Dap-Dipping with Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, the LP was rushed to have something to sell during a summer-long nightclub gig in Barcelona. It was around this time that the group was quickly earning their title as frontrunners of oldschool soul and funk music. It was also around this time that saxophonist Neal Sugarman and Gabriel Roth, former head-engineer at Desco Records, combined forces to form Daptone Records.

Now three albums in, Jones and the Kings’ popularity is growing by the day, and their influence has spread far beyond the Daptone label. Producer Mark Ronson recently employed the Dap-Kings (sans Sharon) to perform on Amy Winehouse’s mammoth success tour Back to Black, where the Dap-Tones signature sound can be heard on such notable hits as “Rehab” and “You Know I’m No Good.” They were also recently booked as the opening act for Winehouse’s US tour. But when asked whom they’d rather tour with, the answer was easy: “Playing with Amy is cool, but playing with Sharon is an experience. There is a lot of spontaneous stuff going on with Sharon. You never know where she is going with a tune, so the band has to be right with her all the time. That is what makes Sharon Jones and the DapKings one of the greatest touring bands out there.”

Bruce Scott

myspace.com/sharonjonesandthedapkings daptonrecords.com

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Interview

a day at the Opera Gallery i n t e r v i e w

w i t h

k e v i n

m i c h a e l

By Mario Spinetti* - Photography by David Benaym His press photos are angry, dangerous even. I entertain the notion that his hair may destroy me and prepare for the worst as I scale the walls of the Opera Gallery in SoHo. Degas, Dali, and Rembrandt look on, David Benaym films, and Atlantic label rep-of-the-moment Marisa Bianco supervises. Enter: Kevin Michael. He paces into the spectacular arena of the gallery, dragging his suitcase and his afro. Not angry, not dangerous, just plain adorable actually. To his label, he’s “Kevin Michael: Lifestyle Artist,” but just ask: they don’t even know what that means really.

It comes as no surprise to find Kevin Michael more endearing than his image. He’s a 22-year old kid who Here’s to getting to know a fine young artist in a clueless scene. has booked his own ticket and wardrobed his own shoot.

Mario Spinetti: This is the magazine! [Mario hands Kevin movmnt issue #5] Kevin Michael: “Get to know real talent!” [reading the cover].

MS: Which is exactly what you are.

KM: Thank you!

MS: I saw you on the French TV show Taratata.

KM: Oh yeah! We’re doing that again … and then we’re doing… What’s the other one called? [To Atlantic Label rep, Marisa Bianco].

[Blank, silence] … It’s like American Idol in France?

[More silence]

“I love some songs so much that I wish I could live inside them.” k e v i n m i c h a e l

MS: X Factor?

David Benaym: Star Academy!

KM: Yeah!

DB: Star Academy is American Idol but way bigger. Approximately 60% of the people

watching TV in France watch that show.

KM: Wow. I’m nervous now!

MS: No need to worry! Your last performance in France was great. You really live up to the record you’ve made.

KM: Thank you!

MS: One thing I’ve noticed about your live show is the partnership between you and guitarist/beat-boxer Akil Dasan. How did that duo come about?

KM: My label, Downtown Records. The head of the label, Josh Deutsch said, “there’s this dude that beat-boxes while he plays guitar. You’ve gotta check him out!” At first I was a little scared, but when we met, we just vibed and clicked.

MS: You mentioned Downtown Records. For everyone who doesn’t know, Downtown is a start-up label affiliated with Atlantic Records. How does it feel to be a young artist on a young label?

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*Mario Spinetti is a performer and songwritter.

He released his first EP album [1/1] last fall.

Mario contributes to movmnt as a columnist and guest interviewer.

Featured Artwork at the Opera Gallery: Sculpture of Dancer in Alumnium

by Mauro Corda Heart scultpure and other paintings

by Romero Britto

KM: It feels really good. Especially for me, because I was the first person to sign with them. They’re very forwardthinking. Very “out of the box.” I think that’s what we’re going to be known for, and I’m glad to be a part of it.

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MS: Do you feel like Downtown is preparing you for the long haul?

KM: Oh yeah. Not only Downtown, but Atlantic too.

They have these things. What do they call those?

[To Marisa] You know how I’m, “Kevin Michael, Lifestyle Artist” [Mario and Kevin crack up].

You know how Atlantic has those sheets?

[To Marisa, again] [Blank, silence] Well, anyways. Apparently I’m a “lifestyle artist.”

MS: Wow. What does that mean?

KM: What does that mean?

[To Marisa] [Blank, silence, fumbling].

MS: You know, I might venture a guess as to what it means, listening to your record. A track like “Difference” talks about race issues a lot. Take for example the lyric “Love ain’t got no color.” I noticed that’s a theme throughout your work. That might qualify you as a lifestyle artist. Because you talk about race and social issues?

KM: Not really. I just write so that people can get a glimpse into my world. People look at me and they’re like, “What the hell is he? He’s got a fro. Is he black? Is he white?

Is he latino?” I wanted to tell people who I was right off the bat so they would know.

When I was growing up, Mariah Carey was everything to me. She was mixed too. I kinda wanted to be the voice for the up-and-coming mixed generation.

KM: Yeah!

MS: I think you do it really well. You mentioned Mariah Carey. Are there any other artists that you looked up to while growing up?

MS: Good enough! Moving on… Was there any specific event in your life that inspired you to write more socially aware music?

KM: I love Alicia Keys. She’s very cool. Lenny [Kravitz] is God to me. A lot of different people like that, but especially mixed artists.

KM: It wasn’t always great because you’re recording every day—day in, day out—for nine months. I was recording in New York, LA, Atlanta. We went to Sweden, we were in Philly for a little bit.

You get tired of it, but at the end of the day we had over 30-something songs to choose from, and we narrowed it down.

Recording an album was a journey. Trying to say everything you’ve wanted to say your entire life, in nine months.

The nerves start to act on you.

But it’s great. It’s a great process, and I can’t wait to start the second album, believe it or not.

People are hearing these songs for the first time. But you know, “We All Want The Same Thing,” I actually wrote that in 2004! “Difference” we wrote

in 2005. “Vicky’s Secrets” was also written in 2005. People don’t realize that I’ve been hearing these songs for the past three or four years.

MS: Do you find it difficult to write out on the road? Or has it been more productive for you creatively?

KM: I think I have more to draw from now because I’ve seen more places. I’m a vibe person. I’m going to Paris on Friday and it’s so beautiful. I may be inspired to write something different.

I take my writing and songwriting very seriously. I love publishing checks. I hope to be one of those artists who is regarded not only as a great singer, but as a great songwriter as well.

MS: In the Old Testament, Samson’s hair is synonymous with his power. I was wondering if you attach a sense of power to your hair?

KM: Actually, as a teenager my hair was my mask. It was my shield away from everybody. I used to be very, very shy. I used to wear my bangs way down so nobody could see my eyes. As I got older, I started to get more confident and it became the thing that set me apart.

MS: Some musicians dream of playing Shea Stadium, others of an HBO Special. Do you have a professional dream?

KM: A Grammy would be so lovely on a shelf somewhere in my Mom’s house. But outside of music … acting, fashion, and I love to cook. I want to have my own restaurant, probably in my 30s. I have a lot of stuff to do. I don’t sleep; I work. I’ll rest when I’m dead.

been done in my life by having my own family.

MS: What are you trying to correct?

KM: Well, I grew up in a singleparent home. My mom and dad split up when I was very young. and my mom was always working. I have two younger brothers that I helped out a lot when I was younger.

I didn’t have the freedoms of a normal teenager because I was in the house taking care of my little brothers. Stuff like that, and other deep stuff that we won’t get into right now.

MS: Thank you for sharing that.

KM: No problem.

MS

kevinmichael.com

MS: How about personal goals?

KM: Family is the ultimate.

There’s this weird thing inside of me that feels like I can correct the wrongs that have

S tranded on a desert island with an i - pod “ super - nano ” * Here’s what Kevin Michael calls his Superplaylist.

“That’s off the top of my head. I love some songs so much that I wish I could live inside them.”

Stereolab – The Flower Called Nowhere T h e V e r v e - B i tt e r s w e e t S y m p h o n y Michael Jackson - Human Nature Prince - Darling Nikki Kim Burrell - Over and Over Again N o t o r i o u s B.I.G. - J u i c y N o D o u bt - D o n ’ t S p e a k Tina Turner - River Deep, Mountain High Stevie Wonder - As J i m i H e n d r i x - [A n y t h i n g ] * The super-nano has an eternal charge (for extended listening), but only fits one playlist!

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MS: What was it like making your debut album with such heavy-hitters? I mean, you worked with WyClef!

VIP

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Misty Copela nd

sh Sa n fo r om o. c ot op h ep at in Š ot o Ph

Da n c i n g h a s always been m y fo r m o f e x p re s s i o n .

I do it becau se I truly love it.

If you belie v i n y o u r d re a e they will com ms e true.

a

Misty Copeland | Ballet Dancer American Ballet Theatre

Selection

out inside

Photography

P h o t o A s s i s t a n t : M a t t L opm a n | S t y l i s t : S t e p h A s h mo r e | M a k e - up : D a v i a M a t s o n Models: Sarah Yates | Athena Toner | Melanie Tornroth | Phill Tornroth

by

L ou M o r a

l oum o ra .c o m

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Orange (vintage) | Jet Rag | $10

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Marc Jacobs | $360

Chanel | $325

T om F o r d | “C a r y ” | $ 3 2 0

Vintage Red

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Giorgio Armani | $240

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Gucci | $275

Chloe | $275

Celestina Maynila | $390

Giorgio Armani | $240

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D&G | $290

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Talent

from Bjรถrk to Ballet

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i

c

o

mu

h

l

y

“There is no possible way in which learning about music will make you a worse dancer.

It’s not like learning the Dark Arts.” n i c o mu h l y

A COMPOSER’S journey

By Matthew Murphy

The 26-year-old Muhly began composing at 12, and later polished his craft at Juilliard. It was there that he cultivated his sound, which has an atmospheric quality that escapes into Stravinsky-inspired layering for the 21-st century.

After years of writing his own chamber pieces, working with Björk, and scoring films, Muhly was eager to explore other facets of composition. He has an expressive physicality when he speaks, but it took meeting New York City Ballet Principal Dancer Benjamin Millipied to channel that energy into a composition for ballet.

Photo: Samanta West

The collaboration started in Paris in 2006, when Millepied was choreographing a ballet to Philip Glass’ music. Muhly was conducting, and the two men were drawn to each other. For Muhly, finding a ballet dancer with as rich an understanding of music as Millepied had was a surprise. “There is no possible way in which learning about music will make you a worse dancer.

It’s not like learning the Dark Arts,” Muhly joked.

He discovered that musical naiveté is common in the ballet world. “If you’re composing, you don’t actually deal with the vocabulary of dance,” he confessed. “But as a dancer, it’s appalling that people don’t know the different instruments that are being played.”

Muhly is building an understanding of the craft.

“If I’m doing something that involves a collaboration, I want to know everything I can,” he admits. “I want to learn the names of all of the steps. If you go somewhere, you want to learn the language so you don’t make a fool of yourself.”

Millepied invited Muhly to compose music for a ballet he was choreographing on American Ballet Theatre, the first new work of its kind in 11 years. Muhly gladly accepted and the collaboration was a fruitful one.

“He’s never telling me what to do. We agree on things. Structurally, it’s more of a conversation of what will work,” he said with a smile. He realized that the typical one movement structure of his chamber pieces didn’t work for the stage because it lost energy. So they separated it into three sections to keep the audience and dancers engaged. “From Here On Out” debuted in October 2007 and garnered favorable reviews.

At the moment, Muhly is preparing to buckle down on his next project, which is set to debut at the famed Paris Opera Ballet in fall 2008.

The work, part of a tribute to Jerome Robbins, will be more intimate than his last. Muhly will play piano with two trombones placed in the balcony of the theater, and three dancers, as compared to the 12 at ABT. Muhly is excited to build on his prior experience: “I think I know a little bit more about the formal structure of a ballet company,” he said with confidence.

“So I think I should be able to really tailor something for that space and for those dancers and musicians.”

Ballet isn’t the only thing on his plate. Before he heads to Paris again, he’ll travel to Iceland to put the finishing touches on his second album produced by Björk musician Valgeir Sigurosson.

A hybrid of classical music and hints of folk, the album marks yet another adventure in Muhly’s sonic escapades.

No matter the context, it’s clear that Nico Muhly is constantly evolving. There are few young composers today as accomplished. If the past few years are any indication, his ambitions have no limits.

MM nicomuhly.com

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“I

felt really weird because I was the only one wearing clothes.” This was the first thing that composer Nico Muhly noticed when he entered the room. “Everyone else was wearing these ridiculous warm-up outfits, and there I was in the corner in my jeans.”

For a man who spends his time behind a piano or a computer screen, sitting in a dance studio was a departure from the usual. Getting used to scantily clad bodies would take time, but watching dancers move to his composition was something he was fully prepared for.

Portrait

hits

Photo: Ron Carino

Reality Center Stagetoo

Feeling the swell of 15,000 cheering fans rush over you is something most people can only dream of. For Kenny Wormald, it’s reality. “There’s nothing like [dancing] on stage with the world’s biggest artist,” he confesses. After touring with Justin Timberlake, Wormald is riding high and it’s just the beginning.

s

aying 2007 was a pretty good year for Kenny Wormald is an understatement. At the age of 23 he’s tackled enough to fill an entire career. He helped bring “SexyBack” around the globe, danced in videos for Nelly Furtado and Christina Aguilera, and made hearts throb on the MTV reality hit, DanceLife. Blessed with his charismatic Boston accent and All-American good looks, the big screen is the next logical step.

“Center Stage 2 will allow me to show off my skills in ballet, hip-hop and even a little tango.”

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kennywormald

This summer Wormald will make the leap to leading man status in Center Stage 2. For fans of the versatile dancer, best known for his hip-hop skills, seeing him in tights might be quite the departure. For Wormald, it’s just another side of his talent.

The movie pairs him up with original Center Stage stars and American Ballet Theatre principals Ethan Stiefel and Peter Gallagher, which he calls a “dream

come true.” Years of training in all types of dance have left him equipped to handle anything thrown at him, even acting.

Anyone who watched DanceLife knows his movement has a softness around the edges. He glides and melts into one moment only to attack and harden the next. He’s as much at home pirouetting as he is popping and locking. Fortunately Center Stage 2 will allow him to show off his skills in “ballet, hip-hop and even a little tango.”

No matter what he’s doing, Wormald maintains a level head.

For starters, he made it through reality TV alive. “I said I’d never do a reality show,” he admits, “and there I was booking one. I was concerned it would be the type of show that made me look stupid and I’d be stuck as ‘that kid from the reality show.’” Due to his staggering talent, Wormald is anything but stuck.

Even though he can be spotted in endless music videos, it was his stint on DanceLife that propelled

him to celebrity status. “The good thing about DanceLife was that they weren’t following us around all the time. It was fun. I was so glad they didn’t just film drama, they captured a lot of amazing dance footage.” He had built a solid career before the show, but MTV brought him legions of new fans.

Whenever Wormald can find the time, he’s traveling around the globe teaching those admirers.

“Now that I’ve had some success in the dance world I feel like by going around the world and connecting with students it shows them that if they put their mind and energy towards something, anything is possible!”

That type of optimism has made Wormald a driving force in the dance world. His star is on the rise, and if the buzz is any indication, Center Stage 2 is sure to take him even higher. Who knows? Maybe by this time next year he’ll have 15,000 screaming fans of his own.

Matthew Murphy kennywormald.net

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.net

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expressive power of dance has been a hallmark of human com-

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performances.

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emotion of the physical form has always been an undeniable aspect of

who we are as people. In the modern consumer landscape, advertising executives around the world

are finally realizing this simple truth; dance sells! It has the ability to invade our souls and push us to higher

places of consciousness, and our corporate kindred are hoping it will lure us to their newest products.

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ith the exception of obvious technological advancements, the essential differences between the papyrus pamphlets scattered throughout ancient Cairo and the rush of lights and colors in Times Square are slight and trivial. The main purpose of both scenarios remains the persuasion and expanded knowledge of a product or idea.

However, modern advertising bears the unique problem of constant competition for the eyes and ears of an increasingly fickle population. Casting a net wide enough to cover a diverse range of demographics in a fragmented media landscape has proven to be a daunting task and an art form in and of itself.

Advertising executives around the world are finally realizing this simple truth; dance sells

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Dancers and their own tremendous talents have rarely been utilized as a commercial commodity until recently. With the advent of hit dance shows filling the airwaves and renewing interest in the craft, companies and their ad agencies are discovering the rich resources that dancers possess. This subsequent increase in publicity for dance on television and on the internet has forced consumers to take stock in their awareness of celebrities in the dance community (Jamie King, The Winger’s Kristin Sloan, and the dance company Pilobolus, among others).

a Displaying a level of sophistication far surpassing most typical spots on television, advertisements featuring dancers have taken on an almost cinematic quality and flair. One cannot help but witness Johnnie Walker’s “Human” spot and not fall prey to its sweeping beauty and lush landscapes. Despite being makers of a world-class Scotch whiskey, this campaign was not only about the actual product - it was also about creating a groundbreaking visual experience. Utilizing the talents of Mr. Aaron Cash, an Australian dancer and actor playing an android in the not-so-distant future, Johnnie Walker created a poignant vision for its product.

“I am faster than you, stronger than you. Certainly I will last much longer than you. You

may think that I am the future.

But you’re wrong. You are.

If I had a wish, I wish to be human.” The irony of having a dancer speak these words as an indestructible machine is brilliant. However, this was not the original intention of the casting directors.

“It was this simply incredible, beautiful monologue,” Mr. Cash remembers. “And I auditioned in London, New York and LA against about 400 guys, mostly models. They weren’t sure what they wanted but I ended up getting the gig although they didn’t know I was a dancer at first.

It turned out to be an essential bonus for them because the CGI work as the android required a lot of reference points, and if you have someone who knows their body

“I am faster than you, stronger than you. Certainly I will last much longer than you.

Taking a cue from the past success of their “Khakis Swing” ad campaign of the late 90’s, Gap, Inc. recently infused movement and celebrity into their “Boyfriend’s Trousers” commercial.

Utilizing the talent and appeal of Claire Danes and Patrick Wilson, the clothing company turned what could have been a static retail spot into a witty, tongue-in-cheek use of bodies in motion. The company, tarnished by declining sales and a fading public image, realizes that the intrinsic appeal of dance can help bring to life the Gap’s relevance and sustainability in our collective consciousness.

Obviously, it is simply not enough anymore to stand in front of a camera and hawk your latest product. Even major celebrity endorsements (once a vital and almost necessary way to sell products) have proven to be stale and formulaic. Now dancers have become a go-to talent because of the many forms they’re able to create due to their expansive minds and bodies. Hyundai and Pilobolus recently teamed up for a fascinating tour-deforce exploring the human body and the numerous shapes and structures it can form. Beginning as an unidentifiable mound of bodies, the talented Pilobolus dancers seamlessly create a music-hall scenario, the sparking embers of a campfire, and

Shadows from the dance company Pilobolus featured in many ads including Hyundai in 2007 and more recently for Bidvest.

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very well, it really helps a lot.”

However, dance was not always personally embraced by the performer. Despite now educating young artists at the American Dance Projekt studios based in North Carolina, Mr. Cash was reluctant to explore his full range of talents. “My breakthrough … you know, all my life I said I was never a dancer. I treated it as a bastard child. I was an actor and a singer and everything else, but I never labeled myself a dancer. But then I embraced the fact that my core as an artist was as a dancer.

I realized that how I viewed the world was through dance.

And that’s when all the doors finally opened for me.”

After working with iconic performers like Twyla Tharp, Mikhail Baryshnikov and Cher,

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Mr. Cash has reached a point in his illustrious career where he is extremely sought after.

The recent Johnnie Walker campaign has led him to the development of a wide-range of television pilots and film work. It seems that although he might not be an immortal android, his career is far from its expiration.

“I love that dance is so au courant right now. The new generation of dancers like Danny Tidwell and Travis Wall are taking it another step further. Each generation takes it another step further. I can’t do what these kids are doing now. I’m 38, I’m on the back end of my dance career. But it’s inspiring to watch people’s passions develop and take it to the next level.”

You may think that I am the future. But you’re wrong. You are. If I had a wish, I wish to be human.”

Aaron Cash as the android in the Johnnie Walker “Human” campaign

Other experimental dance companies are being called upon for their possible translation into the commercial world. Puma recently partnered with Tony Award-winning New York dance troupe Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company for their Urban Mobility Collection. The print campaign (named “I’m Going”) captures snapshots in time imbued with the energy and elegance that only a dancer could personify. In another spot, the kinetic energy of breakdancing was used by Visa to embody the flexibility of their check card. Set in a futuristic urban convenience store, the kids are brought to a stand-still the

moment a checkbook is taken out and toiled over, only to burst into motion once the card returns.

As the fickle tastes of mainstream society shift and ebb, and interest in dance continues to rise, dancers are no longer relegated to perform backup in an MTV video or overshadowed by the leads that they are supporting. Dancers are finally being sought after for their innumerable talents and receiving the attention, acclaim and respect in the industry that they deserve.

Perhaps this is only a fad and interest in dance, despite being one of the oldest art forms in history, will fade. But as long as the talent is razor-sharp and ever-present, dancers will continue to be used in print, television, and internet advertising for decades to come. Gone are the days of the static housewife simply holding up her cleaning products and beauty remedies and blankly telling us about them – dancers are ready to kick through the screen to show us what movement is all about.

JV

Videos of dance related ads at

. com 33 - movmnt magazine - 6 - SPRING 2008

finally the Hyundai Santa Fe – culminating in the vibrating tagline “flexible, agile, for whatever shape life takes.” Acknowledging the public’s fatigue of the old car on the road scenario, the ad and tagline is an impeccable depiction of the car itself and an impressive example of the power of dance. The subsequent success of the “Life Shapes” campaign raised further public awareness of the legendary dance company. Shortly after appearing in the ads, Pilobolus displayed their immense talents on the Ellen DeGeneres Show and the 79th Annual Academy Awards in 2007, proving that dance as a visual art has found a renewed relevance in new and exciting arenas.

Profile

r e z a l b l i a The Tr

Demure in stature but enormous in sound, Polly Jean Harvey is one of the most singular voices of our generation. Over the course of her fifteen-year career, Harvey has become known for her raw, minimalist sound and her visceral take on the blues. But perhaps most thrilling is her ever-changing voice, which is chameleon-like in its ability to transform into a variety of characters. Harvey has become equally known for never making the same album twice. Her latest effort, White Chalk, finds Harvey once again treading new ground. But this time she has traded in her guitar for a piano.

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rom the onset of her career, which began in 1991 in a small town in South West England called Dorset, Harvey (then with a three-piece band also known as PJ Harvey) was raising quite a ruckus. Her first two singles, “Dress” and “SheelaNa-Gig,” both released on the label Too Pure, were a swift kick to the ribs; all lacerating guitars and airtight rhythm sections. Her lyrics were both funny and frightening, her time signatures often unconventional, and her voice forceful yet vulnerable, untrained yet in control. It wasn’t long before Too Pure gave her a record deal, and the result was Dry.

Hailed by critics and fans alike, a major-label bidding war soon took place. Harvey opted for Island Records. Harvey’s success was so instantaneous that she suffered a mild breakdown and began to see a therapist. It was around this time that the songs for her first major-label release, Rid of Me, began.

Produced by indie-legend Steve Albini, Rid of Me is a cataclysmic thunderbolt of sound. If Dry was a mudslide, Rid of Me was an avalanche. It was also to be the final album by PJ Harvey, the band. Enter PJ Harvey, the solo artist.

To Bring You My Love marked a distinct change in sound and image. Gone was the bombastic assault of Dry and Rid of Me’s threepiece line up. In it’s place is the slow burn of swamp-tinged Delta blues, featuring an entire new group of musicians, with Harvey herself on organ and guitar. She also adapted a larger-than-life look complete

pj har vey

with hair-extensions, a red satin dress, and heavily exaggerated facial features (a look Polly herself has described as “Joan Crawford on acid”).

In 1998 Harvey explored even murkier territory with the electronicatinged funeral dirges of Is This Desire? But she wouldn’t achieve the success of To Bring You My Love again until 2000’s Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea. Upbeat, lush, and melodic, Stories was again a massive departure for Harvey. One for which she won the Mercury Music Prize in 2001.

Harvey followed Stories with 2004’s Uh Huh Her, which she recorded, performed, and produced entirely herself (with the exception of Rob Ellis on drums). She embarked on another world tour and soon began to lay plans for 2007’s White Chalk.

Haunting, ethereal, Victorian in it’s aesthetics but timeless in sound, White Chalk is Harvey’s first fully idealized masterpiece since 1995’s To Bring You My Love. Embedded deep within the tapestry of White Chalk is a haunting narrative of epic proportions, one that demands close attention to decode. But that is the nature of an artist as uncompromising as Polly Harvey. For every drop of blood, sweat, and tears she pours into her carefully planned albums, she demands nearly as much out of her listeners. This is a game of give-andtake that fans have grown to look forward to.

Bruce Scott pjharvey.net

presents

magazine

KEEP IT REAL

a non-profit effort in the spirit of movmnt, an awareness inititative designed to help community organizations. With the help and support of many members of the movmnt family including

Sabra Johnson and Neil Haskell, together we can make a difference.

www.movmnt.com

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Danny Tidwell & David Benaym, co-founders of movmnt magazine

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Dancers stand out, even while simply walking. The fluidity of movement, the effortless grace, the confident and physically assertive gait, sets a dancer apart from the crowd. This is why everyone looked at them as they made their way through the restaurant. They make a strong impression.

I can honestly say that I had no idea what to expect, and they certainly surprised me.

They made me, themselves and each other laugh a lot. They playfully bickered with one another the way brothers and sisters do. They would turn the interview around on me and ask me questions, and to my surprise, they were genuinely interested in what I had to say. Just visualize for an instant the scene: it is the end of November in Los Angeles, a few days before the end of the So You Think You Can Dance National Tour. Sitting around a candle-lit table with me are Sabra Johnson, Danny Tidwell, and Neil Haskell, the top three contestants in the third season of FOX’s hit TV show, Kameron Blink - another performer from Season 3 - and Travis Wall, who was the runner-up last season, just like his brother Danny was this season.

Text by Max Berlinger | Photography by Gary Land Styling by Paloma | Hair Stylist: Noel | Makeup Artist: Mario Dedivanovic

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Sabra Johnson Velvet opera hat, Philip Treacy, textured leather jacket, Izzy Camilleri, satin bustier, Dolce & Gabbana, silk evening gown, Jason Wu Danny Tidwell Puff sleeve bolero, John Galliano, skinny suspender, Dior Homme, leather 他 glove, Gucci

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ell

john

From left to right: Neil Haskell High collar coat, Cloak, Obi waist tie, Yohji Yamamoto, Leather trouser, Versace

h

ere they are outside Nic’s Martini Lounge in Beverly Hills, sharing stories of the many experiences and people that have led them to this point in their lives. These performers naturally made the evening fly, filled with inside jokes, mischievous anecdotes and priceless stories about their emotions, aspirations, goals and hopes.

Sabra Johnson was named “America’s favorite dancer” on the finale of summer’s wildly popular reality program So You Think You Can Dance. Danny Tidwell was first runner-up, and Neil Haskell rounded out the top three as they competed for the coveted $250,000 prize and title of “America’s favorite dancer.”

They competed over a nine-week period that challenged them in a variety of dance styles while the country dialed in each week to decide who would continue and who would be voted off.

As if the experience of competing week after week for the American audience’s approval wasn’t exhausting enough, immediately after the show’s finale, the dancers began rehearsals for an extensive US tour covering 49 cities across the country.

When I met with them, they were preparing to perform a sold out show at LA’s newest venue, the Nokia Theatre.

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“It’s bittersweet,” Sabra remarked of the tour coming to an end in Reno a week or so later. “We all auditioned in New York, so since that day, since the callback, since going to Vegas, that’s been my life …we were here the longest; from the very first audition till the very last day of the whole show, the tour and everything. Since this has been our life for that long, it’s so weird to just wake up in December and be like ‘Oh nobody is here to tell me what to do.’”

Sabra, who has had the least formal dance training of the top three, suddenly got a mischievous gleam in her eye and added, “I’m ready. I hate these people,” before exploding into infectious laughter. It should be noted that she has the distinction of being the first female winner of SYTYCD. Neil Haskell, with his messy, flaxen hair and boy-next-door charm, appeared a bit shy and withdrawn at first, but then quickly opened up. He affirmed, “I love what we’re doing right now and for the past six months it’s been my life, but I just can’t wait to move on and do the next thing because the next thing will be just as good as this.” Neil, who began dance and gymnastics training at age five, mentioned that he has his next project already lined up. He will be working on the MTV-produced movie The American Mall that will showcase his dancing and acting skills.

Taking the show to 49 cities across the country in less than three months created challenging issues for the dancers. The responsibility of keeping each show fresh combined with the constant demands of relentless traveling pushed them to their physical limits and was emotionally draining. They admitted to having personal tactics that kept them motivated to perform their best during each show. Danny approaches his work with playfulness.

“We’re always ready to have fun and go onstage and move our bodies, you know,” he says, grinning. Neil admits that “little jokes” are sometimes what help him keep his performance energized and fresh. “When I’m on stage I want to make the audience have as much fun as possible,” he remarked. “One time I tripped over Danny and I was like ‘Oh! Oh! Let’s dance harder!’” Neil, who has danced on Broadway in Twyla Tharp’s The Times They Are A-Changin’, made it clear that he is not a fan of the unpredictability that comes with live performance. “I don’t like it when things can go wrong,” he stated candidly.

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Cropped mini trench Proenza Schouler Stretch bodysuit, Wolford Sheer pleated ball gown, Chanel Pearl earring, Chanel

Right: Tattered sweater, Lagerfeld Gallery Equestrian blouse, Versace Crop pant, Raf Simmons Patent belt, Gucci Patent ankle boot, Giuseppe Zanotti

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Left: Scarf, Marc Jacobs Cardigan tank, The Breed Three piece suit, Hugo Boss Dress shoe, Paul Smith

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Neil(s) in black High collar poncho, Jean Paul Gaultier Ruffle tank, Charles Chang Lima Vintage matador jumpsuit, Flamenco Export Leather boot, Salvatore Ferragamo Neil Haskell Wool ¾ bolero, Valentino Plum shiny pant, D&G Neil(s) in White Open knit tank, Alexander Wang Stretch tuxedo pant, Dior Homme Tuxedo vest, Armani Waist belt, Celine Riding pant, Operations Leather boot, Diesel Style Lab

After ordering a round of drinks and appetizers, the three began to talk about the fan base they´ve accrued over the past six months. For them, it was hard to comprehend how many people the show reached until they were actually out on to the road meeting their fans face to face. “It’s cool that we get to meet [the fans] because obviously they are the people that put us so high up on this pedestal, so it’s definitely nice to meet them and say thank you,” Sabra acknowledged. Neil was humbled by the fans but admitted that he sometimes felt overwhelmed by the sheer number of people waiting by the stage door after each performance. “When you’ve got 400 people standing in line that you have to meet in the next 40 minutes, you can’t take seven pictures with each person, but it’s hard to say no to them. I don’t want to miss other people at the end of the line,” he confessed.

Danny Tidwell, whose ballet training at the Kirov Academy lead him to perform at age 20 with American Ballet Theatre, has a strong opinion on choreography: “It is a full-time job. If you’re a choreographer, you spend all day working on choreography.

You devote all your time thinking, creating, working about it. And then, you go to sleep thinking about that. I’ve just been reflecting about dance, you know? How to make myself better as a performer for a choreographer. A really great one I love is Roger C. Jeffrey. I really hope to work with some great choreographers.

Hopefully I can help some young choreographers. I’d love to do that, too.” Neil chimed in again to clarify why dancing was so important to him, “My favorite thing to do, dance-wise, is to take someone’s vision or choreography and make it … even better.

If somebody allows me to push it and make it better in my mind, that’s my favorite thing, because you get to make it your own.”

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All three seemed hopeful that, with the tour ending and having had the exposure that comes along with dancing on a hit television program, 2008 will welcome many new and exciting opportunities. I asked them if choreography was anything they would be interested in and I was surprised when they said that was not something they saw in their immediate futures. “There is a difference between being a great dancer and a great choreographer,” Neil explained. “Personally, I don’t have anything to give to somebody that somebody else can´t give them, and more. There are other people out there who are going to be able to say ‘this is why you are doing this passé, this is how you are going to put it there, these are the muscles you are going to be using, and here is the choreography to go along with it.’ I’d rather be dancing.”

At this point, I could tell that Danny, Neil, and Sabra were starting to tire of talking about their professional lives, and everybody was getting hungry. So after we ordered entrees, our conversation shifted to how they filled their down time while on tour. “We slept a lot!” Danny laughed. “That’s a lie!” Sabra teased. Danny continued in all seriousness, “We didn’t go to the movies. We ate, we went to the mall.” Sabra agreed, “We went to the mall way too much. In a lot of the cities there’s not much to do, so we went to the mall.”

They also made sure to go out and sample the food specialties of each city. Sabra told me that Georgia has the best peach cobbler in the country. They also raved that Dallas, one of their favorite cities on the tour, had the best barbecue ribs. And while on the subject of food, I have to admit that I was surprised by how much they ate and wholly enjoyed their food. People generally stereotype dancers as weight-obsessed calorie-counting waifs, starving themselves to achieve the perfect dancer’s physique. I hate to dispel any myths, but nothing could be further from the truth when it came to my dinner with these dancers. They all had abundantly healthy appetites for food and for life. They were not afraid to devour whatever was placed in front of them as we went through a variety of appetizers and hearty entrees. Sabra, who had the most voracious appetite at the table, even ordered a gooey flourless chocolate cake at the end of her meal. It was clear to see that with all the dancing and traveling , they had definitely worked up a well-deserved appetite.

With all that travel and the variety of cities they visited, having settled on New York as their favorite city was a suprise to me. Although each had a few cities that they enjoyed (Sabra especially liked Seattle and Portland, and all three agreed that San Diego was great), it was clear to see that the Big Apple provided them with endless amounts of pleasure. They described their favorite spots: Neil for Hell’s Kitchen, Danny for Soho and Tribeca, and Sabra eagerly nodding her head in agreement with every location.

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After the dinner plates had been cleared away and Sabra awaited her dessert, the conversation turned back to dance and the effect it has had on their lives. We discussed how today’s pop-culture focus has shifted to television and the Internet, and how it seems that people are becoming less and less aware of the visceral power of live performance. To see live dance or theater is no longer how modern Americans choose to entertain themselves, yet the paradox is that television shows like Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance sell out almost every date on tour.

We also discussed each of their interests other than dance and performance. Before SYTYCD, Sabra had an interest in fashion.

“Who doesn’t love clothes?” she gushed. Danny proudly discussed his involvement with movmnt and his hopes of bringing performing arts back into the general public´s living room and inspiring people to give live performance a chance again. He explained what prompted him to co-create the magazine with publisher David Benaym; “I’ve always had an interest in dance and music and fashion and society. You know, the whole lifestyle.”

Neil admitted to enjoying video games and basketball on his leisure time. It was then that everybody called him out on his love to sing, or rap rather. Neil blushed and put up a bit of a fight at first, but the others pleaded until he gave in and rapped a couple verses from one of his favorite rap songs, with Kameron and Travis doing backup.

Danny Tidwell Sleeveless dress shirt, Prada Wrap cape, Fendi Shiny legging, American Apparel Patent ankle boot, Giuseppe Zanotti

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Neil Haskell Long sleeve cape, Pringle Scoop neck sweater, Balenciaga Peasant top, Raf Simmons Shiny pant, Energie Suspender cross wrap, Dior Homme Patent boot, Giuseppe Zanotti

From left to right

I was surprised by the diversity of their musical tastes. Danny admitted to listening to anything from classical to electronic.

His dark eyes were thoughtful for a moment before he listed off some more music that inspires him. “I like the song ‘Bittersweet Symphony.’ I listen to the old Cranberries CD.” Sabra looked up from her decadent dessert and squealed, “I love them!” with a mouthful of cake. Danny continued by mentioning one artist he does not listen to; “No Britney Spears!” he quipped.

“We listen to music all day. From the moment we wake up to the moment we go to sleep” he continued. “That’s the first thing I do when I wake up,” Sabra agreed. She listed her favorite artists as being Coldplay, Kanye West, Jay-Z and Naz. “Neil listens to Dave Matthews and Eminem,” Danny answered for Neil, who nodded in agreement. It was clear that they spend a lot of time together. “We finally got the surround sound in the bus working,” Neil exclaimed with a grin. But apparently not everybody got to play what they wanted to. Neil proudly established the situation; “No, no. Me and Danny are the DJs.” According to Sabra, if you tried to request something, you ended up with Neil’s retaliation of, “excuse me, excuse me, are you allowed in the DJ booth?”

Danny Tidwell Puff sleeve bolero, John Galliano Skinny suspender, Dior Homme Leather ¾ glove, Gucci Crop pant, Alexandre Herchcovitch Patent boot, Cesare Paciotti Sabra Johnson Velvet opera hat, Philip Treacy Textured leather jacket, Izzy Camelleri Satin bustier, Dolce & Gabbana Slk evening gown, Jason Wu Patform pump, Ralph Lauren Neil Haskell High collar coat, Cloak Obi waist tie, Yohji Yamamoto Leather trouser, Versace

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So what set these three apart from the sea of hundreds of other gifted dancers that auditioned with for SYTYCD? Danny asserted; “The New York audition was really good. We killed it. We owned the stage. When the curtain came up, we were just there.” Neil continued, “We were on it, and that’s it.”

When I asked them what guidance they had for other aspiring dancers, the three seemed to agree on one simple piece of advice; just dance. Neil had some additional counsel. “You have to come out with something that is going to separate you. There are a lot of people who can dance really, really well, but what did the three of us have that was different?” Sabra sang out loud, “A back split leap. I have a great layout.” While they were all speculating on the stereotypical roles they might have filled for the sake of television, Neil joked, “Sure, it had nothing to do with our talent...”

By this time, we looked around the table as the waiter cleared the last of our plates. It was almost 11:30 before we realized in amazement that we had been there since 7:15 and hadn’t stopped talking. I could tell they were ready to head back to their hotel and rest for the next night’s performance. As we settled the bill, one of the waiters approached the table timidly with a piece of blank paper. He knelt down and looked around the table, telling the dancers that his daughters were huge fans of the show and that it would mean a great deal to them if the SYTYCD veterans would autograph something for them. He seemed embarrassed to ask and apologized for any inconvenience, but as I looked around the table at Sabra, Danny, Neil, Kameron and Travis, they were all sincerely touched by the man’s request. Each wrote a short, personal message filled with notes of encouragement to the waiter’s daughters and handed back the paper. They were gracious and appreciative of the man’s gesture, and wished him the best before we said our good-nights. The valet brought my car first and I waved goodbye before getting behind the wheel and driving away. I noticed something in my rearview mirror as I drove away: all of them gracefully dancing with one another on a sidewalk in Beverly Hills while waiting for their car. I smiled as I turned the corner and lost sight of them. Dancing is what they love, and they don’t need camera crews or sold out arenas to perform. All they need is an empty strip of sidewalk and each other’s company to put on a show.

MB

Behind the scenes pictures and videos at

. com

Fashion credits Photography by Gary Land at John Kenney , assisted by Abe Sands & Jeff Douglass jkand.com Style by Paloma, assisted by David Allen Williams hellastyle.com Makeup by Mario Dedivanovic at The Artist Loft using Makeup Forever makeupbymario.com Hair Style by Noël at Paul Labrecque Salon & Spa for Kiehls stylesbynoel.com Special thanks to Yael Sapir at YES Production.

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Conversation

duet

Ari Gold vs. Dave Koz

Their collaboration on the song “Love Wasn’t Built In A Day” from Ari Gold’s new album Transport Systems just won the 2007 Independent Music Award for Best R&B Song. Enduring stars from two generations of the music industry exchange their differences and discover their common ground. One of them is a contemporary jazz saxophone legend whose latest album At The Movies is nominated for two 2008 Grammys. The other one is a pop sensation with a sweet voice, an even sweeter mug, and a hot new album. Meet Dave Koz and Ari Gold , and join them for a conversation about music and breaking the rules.

Photography

by

David Benaym,

at the

Beacon Theatre, New York

Ari Gold: What’s happening?

Dave Koz: Everything ...

Where are you?

I’m in the greater Reading, Pennsylvania locale. You can’t stop me from being here.

Why would I want to stop you?

I dunno, because I’m here in Reading, Pennsylvania.

[Laughs] Are you doing a Christmas concert there?

Yes. Cool. I am coming to see it in New York at the Beacon.

I’m very excited. How are you?

I’m great! Just here at the office of movmnt. This issue is supposed to be about contrasts, and I think in some ways we’re alike and in some ways very different.

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Well, you have a lot more gold clothing than I do.

Right, a lot more Jew-bling! We are both Jewish and we are both gay. I guess that’s not a contrast, that makes us alike. You are a featured guest on my song “Love Wasn’t Built In a Day,” and I get a lot of statements from interviewers saying, “It’s such an unlikely collaboration.” I don’t know if its something about me or something about you, or the kind of music I make, or the kind of music you make. I mean, to me, the kind of music you do is classified as smooth jazz but I don’t see it as all that different. I mean, it’s soul music, it’s got that R&B thing to it. So I wanted to hear your thoughts about that.

For me, generally speaking, you are perceived as the epiphany of being hip and cutting edge and controversial, right? You push boundaries, and that’s what your whole thing is about. I’m so not that. I’m so safe and comfortable and older... very few gays typically like smooth jazz. Your music is more in the sweet spot of what stereotypically would be considered music that gay people enjoy, although I say that and it sounds funny coming out of my mouth to begin with because everybody has their own musical tastes.

Ari Gold

If the world ran at the speed of musicians, I think we would have a lot more peace because musicians have this certain quality of finding a common ground that other people can’t find. You put two musicians together (I’ve seen it so many times at so many places) and you would never expect there to be harmony between two people coming from completely different areas. Yet they somehow find a way to communicate. This is just another example of two musicians from completely different areas able to make music. And you know what? For me it was the easiest thing in the world because you’re so musical. You’re incredibly gifted and I can relate to you on many levels, other than just music, too. So, it was a very natural thing for me to just go in there and play because I just thought this music was great and I liked the guy who was singing.

Well thanks, Dave! [Laughs] When one has such a high level of musicianship as you do, you really can play any genre. I’ve been to your concerts and you get quite a hip crowd. People are totally psyched to hear your music. I think it’s about misconceptions in a lot of ways. People have misconceptions of what smooth jazz is or what gay music is. How about I’ll give you some of my gays and you give some of your soul sisters and then we’ll have the best audience ever!

Deal! Also, I play an instrument. You sing, and that’s very different. It’s all about mood enhancement. There are times when people just want to have that musical accompaniment without lyrics coming at them. That’s one of the biggest compliments people say about my music; that it gives them an empty canvas, the blank canvas in which they can paint their own picture. Some of the music is really melancholy and brings up a lot of memories, and the other music is very jubilant. My favorite comment from one person is, “I will not vacuum up my house unless I am listening to your music.” So now I am America’s favorite vacuuming music. Thank you very much.

That’s hilarious. I’m not even gonna ask what people do while they listen to my music! [Laughs] I think if people just sat down and really listened to the music, they’d be able to let go of, “Oh, well this is gay music, and its supposed to be in this box. And this is instrumental music, and it’s supposed to be in that box.” I remember reading your coming-out article in the Advocate when you talked about being gay and doing smooth jazz.

The fact that I’m gay plays no role whatsoever in my music. I think it plays more of a role in your music than it does in mine.

Well absolutely!

I can’t imagine that you would say you are a gay artist versus an artist who happens to be gay. I would say that the latter is more how you would refer to yourself, rather than the former. Is that correct?

Actually, I always talk about exactly that issue because I don’t care if people call me a gay artist. I don’t really think that I just happen to be gay. Being gay is a huge part of who I am. It influences all the other parts of my identity and what I want to say as an artist. It’s not all of me by any means, but when I hear the I-just-happen-to-be-gay thing my back goes up as if there is something shameful about being gay. I make a specific point to write about gay stuff.

And I’m working with lyrics, while you are not. In my music there are stories that I’m telling that are sometimes very literal. You might be telling stories with your music, but they are more figurative.

Your experience drives your music certainly more than my gay experience drives my music, so it’s just a different point of view. I’ve never come from that point of view, personally, although who I am obviously goes into who I am on record and in concert. But it’s not so much in the forefront.

Right. You have been signed to Capitol Records for 20 years. Who is signed to a major label for 20 years? Not many people.

There have been a lot of people on Capitol. Just keep your head down, don’t make any sudden movements, and hope for the best.

I don’t think anyone in smooth jazz has come out of the closet before, right?

Not that I know of.

There are gay jazz musicians—one is a big hero of mine. His name is Gary Burton. He is one of the best vibraphonists and jazz educators in the world, and he is a wonderful guy. He is the Dean of Students at the Berklee College of Music. He has also played with everybody and is probably most known for his work with Pat Matheny. I talked to him before coming out.

Do you think that anything has changed for you since you came out? Do you think anything has changed for the smooth jazz community?

Dave Koz

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I’ve always loved smooth jazz. I am that gay that loved Madonna growing up! Anita Baker, Sade, George Benson—I love those artists too! And you of course. People think gay people only like thump-de-thump dance music but that’s not really true. That’s not the kind of music I make, except for a remix perhaps, or an occasional house treat I’ll put on my album.

Ari, everything has changed, although on the surface nothing has changed. It was a blip on the screen, a nonevent. If anything, everything got better, sweeter. Only from my perspective, I could be a complete person for the first time. All my worlds became one. And I was able to play for the first time in my life with a full deck of cards.

It’s allowed me to be much more confident, much more relaxed, much more appreciative of all the sweet moments. It’s more of an internal thing that everything has changed, as opposed to an external thing. There was a very large possibility of my career being over as I knew it.

Even though I didn’t think that would happen, it was a possibility, so I had to be prepared to say goodbye. That did not happen, and in fact that year, I was riding high on an album called Soxophonic. It produced the most successful year I’ve ever had on radio. I had the biggest concert ticket sales of my career. Everything just became bigger and better. I don’t know why. I don’t know if the two had anything to with it. For me, it was just proof that when you show up in your life as who you are, there are only rewards that come. That doesn’t necessarily mean just about being gay, but about whomever the person is. Why hold back on any aspect of all the great things that you are. Put it all out there, step fully into your shoes, and then go ahead and walk, baby!

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Do you think I’m putting it all out there, Dave?

I think you are. [Laughs] You are definitely doing that.

That’s one of the reasons I have so much respect for you as a person. You are making up your own rules to this establishment. You´re saying, I don’t need to do it your way; I don’t wanna do it your way. And especially now, it’s the perfect time for someone like you because you don’t need a major label. Nobody needs a major label now.

Music is more democratic than it ever has been before.

Artists like Alicia Keys are selling three-quarters a million in a week, and it’s great to know people are still buying music. That’s a certain type of artist; mass appeal, big record company, lots of money, swinging for the fences.

There’s this huge gaping hole between those artists and d a v e ko z everybody else. I think that is where the excitement in the music business is with artists such as yourself (and me to a certain extent); super serving our core fans and giving them the experience of enjoying the music on a more personal level.

“When you show up in your life as who you are, there are only rewards that come.”

I totally hear you, and I agree. I’m just wondering if you think that one of the reasons why Alicia Keys is so universal and on such a big scale is because of the amount

In my experience as an artist and a human being, there is one thing that I can boil it all down to. If we can master this concept, then we can take a lot of pressure off of ourselves. That concept is timing. Who’s to say that you’re not gonna have your moment when you’re gonna swing to the fences and hit a home run. It will happen. Maybe it’ll happen next week, but it’s really about timing. The time for Alicia Keys is now. It’s her message and the way that all the entities are conspiring around her to get her message out. I’ve had base hits, I’ve had doubles, but I’ve never had a home run. But that doesn’t mean it can’t happen for me in the future. So what are you gonna do?

You don’t just give up, you just do what you do. And what I do is to keep on. Just keep going. The whole thing will slowly but surely come.

A manager of mine (not my current one, but the one I started with) said, “Hey man, it would be great to have the icing on the cake, sell a million copies, have this and that. But we’re building a great cake, and a cake is a lot better than the vast majority of people out there.” Maybe one day that icing will come. You really have to be driven to be an artist of any kind in the US. You can’t just wait for other people to make it happen for you.

I learned that lesson!

I am significantly older than you, Ari, although I’m not gonna tell the folks how much older!

Well I guess there’s another contrast. [Laughs] I’ve never met anybody quite as driven as you.

You always say that! That’s so not true!

It’s so true.

You make me feel like I’m some crazy machine or something. I don’t think of myself like that! By the way, I’m building up my cookies, not my cake.

Ok, cookies are good.

You mean my cookies are good? [Laughs] I hear what you’re saying about the timing thing. I definitely feel like sometimes because I’m trying to, in certain ways, blaze a trail that hasn’t been done before, it creates more challenges. It can be very rewarding in that way though.

I mean you take these things that happen for you, like being included as one of the 100 most influential people in gay culture. I would think that you would take that in and say, “Wow, look at what I’ve done on my own (of course with the help of my friends and my support team).

I took this outside of the system and look at this reward I’ve gotten.” I mean that’s huge, and I hope that you reflect for a moment on the fact that you did that.

I appreciate you saying that Dave. I do reflect on it. And my theory on why certain people like, say Britney Spears, go crazy is because they lose the connection between what they’re doing, the process, and the outcome of the process. They become these huge stars and they don’t really know how that happened because there’s so much going on behind them that they’re not even privy to. But I do appreciate the fact that every award or reward I’ve received, I know how it happened and the work that went into getting it. Not to take the credit away from the spirits, or God, or whatever you wanna call it, but it’s very gratifying when you get that because you know it’s from your own hard work and not because some corporation may have put lots of money into you.

I just got a call from the USA Songwriting Competition to tell me that I won the grand prize for my song, “Where the Music Takes You.” I specifically remember submitting for it and saying, “Well, if I don’t get something this is the last time I am doing one of these competitions!” And then the song not only won first prize in the pop category, but the grand prize through the entire competition of over 33,000 people! Denzel Washington was just on Oprah saying that an award is what man gives, and a reward is what god gives. Isn’t that cool?

That’s so cool. arigold.com davekoz.com

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of money that is put into her promotion? I’m not trying to take away from her obvious talent, but she is a black woman who’s speaking from that experience. Why is that more universal then what I sing about? I know historically there is definitely a bigger precedent for black female singers to be popular than “out” gay ones. But I still wonder why certain things are deemed universal and other things not.

Wake up call

N E E S T O N

V T N O

What you may not know about...

The Bible Belt

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Having forged itself into a formidable player in U.S. politics over the past several decades, the Evangelical Christian movement trades heavily on its moral political capital with issues such as abortion and the sanctity of marriage. However, the Barna Group uncovered some surprising results in its survey of divorce statistics. Born-again Christians have a 35% divorce rate – the exact same amount as every other denomination in the country, including atheists and agnostics. Furthermore, 23% of the born-again demographic has had multiple divorces, making its claims of superiority in this realm less than convincing.

China

The vast land ruled by the proudly godless Communist party since 1949 may officially seem a barren spiritual wasteland

by Western standards. But in a society so large and complex, spirituality thrives with surprising regularity, as outlaw organizations such as the Falun Gong have become standard-bearers for religious freedom in the country. Christianity continues to make its mark on the region as well with a second Vatican-approved bishop recently ordained by the staterun Catholic church. Christianity in China represents the third largest Christian population in the world, with some surmising that it may become the largest Christian population in the world.

India In the past decade, the persistent problem of undernourishment in the developing world has been matched by the ironic emergence of a global obesity pandemic. Areas once known for severe famine now also battle the spectre of obesity caused by high fat and sugar in the foods available. In America, where many children still go to sleep hungry, one in four people deal with the problem of obesity. Much of the developed Western world, in areas such as Finland, Germany, Scotland and Australia, have obesity figures close to 20% of their populations. Food alone is clearly not the answer to the problem of malnutrition.

Iran

The Bush administration has been talking tough about Iran for years concerning their ability to produce nuclear weapons with many pundits suspecting the potential for war on the horizon. Yet 16 U.S. intelligence agencies recently concluded that any Iranian covert programs to develop nuclear warheads ceased in 2003. The tough lessons from Iraq will undoubtedly make any further acts of aggression on our part more difficult to pass through Congress and the American people. Mending the international wounds that now exist between Iran and America will require some masterful diplomacy from the next administration, which will have to understand and balance the threat that Iran still poses to the region.

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Obesity/Malnutrition

India’s success in becoming a global economic power in recent years, with oil barons such as Mukesh Ambani constructing a billion dollar 60-story home in Mumbai, has not yet addressed the problem of extreme poverty in the country.

35% of the Indian population survives on no more than one dollar a day.

With a rising middle class in the oil and technology sectors, the public face of India has been one of cautious optimism. Yet 10% of the population still earns a third of the total income in the country, and the widening gap between rich and poor will have to be bridged in order for a true economic transformation.

REPORT

casting

w o d a a sh

By Taylor Gordon

injuries andlife

“O

h my god, I’m going to get fired!” was the first thought in Kenneth Easter’s mind. “I fell and I remember thinking on the way down, ‘I’m a dancer. I’ve got great legs. I’ll go through my plié. I’ll really absorb the shock.’ I hit the ground and the first thing I heard was this buzzing in my ear, which is a sign of going into shock. I thought ‘Ouch!

Wow, that hurt a lot more than I thought.’ I looked down and there was a bone, and it was the size of a grapefruit. I remember thinking ‘I have to start work in a week.’”

The American Ballet Theatre corps de ballet dancer was home on vacation when he experienced his first major injury; a fall of 14 feet from the roof of his cabin. Just a day after, ABT principal Carlos Lopez broke the fifth metatarsal in his

foot while taking class in his native Spain. However they happen, injuries are inevitable for a dancer. “Our body is our tool, and it’s very fragile and delicate,” says Easter, who is recovering from two shattered wrists and broken arms stemming from the fall.

Without a doubt such physical hindrances inhibit the body, but how much of an impact does an injury actually have on a dancer’s life?

“It’s hard. There’s a lot of ups and downs and you’re very fragile in that state,” says former New York City Ballet dancer Kristin Sloan, a sufferer of torn cartilage in her hip.

“When you’re so engrossed in what you’re doing, your profession kind of identifies you.”

Being forced to take time off from a performing career raises a lot of insecurity. “It was

Photo: Doug Jaeger

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Carlos Lopez American Ballet Theatre

Photo: Jesus Vallinas

ED

R INJU

Kristin Sloan New York City Ballet

Lacey Schwimmer So You Think You Can Dance

Suzi Taylor Broadway Dance Center

Even the brightest of stars, some just launching their careers, are darkened by the prospect of surgery. “I cried in the doctor’s office,” says Lacey Schwimmer, who tackled arthroscopic surgery on her torn meniscus while on tour with So You Think You Can Dance. “I don’t think anyone wants to hear they have to have surgery, and at this time in my life, being on tour, ‘surgery’ is not something you want to hear.”

The first week she was hurt, she was only performing a few of

the group numbers and her solo, but she still “begged and begged and begged to do more.” The big dances were some of her favorites.

Luckily the operation didn’t appear to be too severe, with only a three to six week recovery period. “The doctor said it’s a simple but scary surgery, and I’ll be back dancing better than before,” says Schwimmer. Many others on the tour struggle with injuries as well. “I didn’t realize how breakable our bodies are until this happened. Some people just sit in a straddle for five minutes and that’s it, but it’s so important to warm up.”

After the initial smack of reality, dancers have to find a way to cope with their limitations. When the cast for his metatarsal was removed after a month, Lopez didn’t waste

«Oh my god, I'm going to get fired!»

I was really shocked by the staff of ABT. They treat everyone differently, and I’ve never really had an issue with the company. I’ve always been there. I’ve always done my job.

I’ve always been ready. They come to expect certain behaviors of people. And when this happened to me, because it’s a company of so many dancers, I kind of was expecting them to just brush me to the side.

The staff all called me personally and said, ‘This will not have an effect on you artistically. We want you back as soon as you can get back.’ They sent flowers and balloons and stuffed animals. That really got me emotional the first two or three weeks after the surgery because I never expected it.

I was getting calls from people that I never would have thought would call me. I don’t know where they got my number but that was really awesome. It really helped, knowing that I really have a second family here and it wasn’t just about, ‘I hope my career is going to be fine and I hope I can continue my life.’ Sometimes you don’t know how much people really care until you’re in a tough situation and find out that the people I thought were just coworkers and acquaintances took time out of their busy New York schedules to go somewhere and find my number and call and say they’re thinking of me…that really moved me.

Kenny Easter American Ballet Theatre

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“One concern was obviously my livelihood. [Dancing is] what I’ve done my whole life.

I don’t know how to do anything else, and I have a child to support,” she says. “It’s also something that’s kind of been my source of sanity my entire life.” Every recovery seemed optimistic except one; the torn hamstring. Onstage, battling exhaustion, a penché tore not only muscles and nerves, but also her heart’s passion. “It was a long road home,” she says.

“I’ll admit I was in a severe depression over that one.”

The fear of not being able to return to dance was unthinkable. “Devastating is kind of a mild term. Of course every doctor was saying, ‘There’s no way you can dance anymore.’

But I’ve had so many injuries.

It’s kind of comical. I’ve been dancing for 30 years so it’s expected,” says Taylor, amused in retrospect.

Photo: Roger Moenks

horrifying,” says jazz teacher Suzi Taylor, recalling the news that both her hips had to be replaced three years ago. No stranger to injuries, she had previously dealt with a torn hamstring, six ankle sprains, two ankle operations, tendinitis in both knees, and a partially dislocated shoulder.

time getting the rest of his body in shape. “To get back from an injury is like a full time job,” he says, listing off his intense routine of therapy, swimming, and Pilates.

For those that are further incapacitated there are other ways to pass the time not spent in the studio. “To have the art that you do taken away, when you can’t physically do it, is crazy,” says Sloan. She decided to take up drumming as a new creative outlet. “It was a mixture of loving music so much and also hitting things, which isn’t a bad thing when you’re kind of frustrated,” she laughs.

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Her hip problems also bred a new career. She created the communal blog The Winger while recovering in 2005, and she founded THE (INTER) MISSION, a private social network for dancers, in October 2007. Her efforts outside of the studio led to her retirement from dancing to accept the

position of New Media Director at New York City Ballet last November. “I decided I could do more for the company in my new capacity than as a dancer with hip issues,” she says.

Such a widening of perspective is a positive byproduct of injuries. Some, like Easter, turn to teaching. Others find varied interests outside ballet. “One of the things that I learned when I was out for a long time was that you need to have friends outside of the ballet world,” says Lopez. Before her knee prevented it, Schwimmer was in almost every other number on the tour, but now, she says, “I get to see everyone perform and experience it in a different way. It’s sad to see everyone out there having a good time but I’m enjoying myself.”

Despite their temporary loss of ability for creative expression, the injured try to stay positive.

“To get back from an injury is like getting ready for the next

show,” says Lopez. “At the end of the day you’re investing in your body. That’s what you have. This career is not that long as a performer. I think if I can invest as much as I can right now, then I have time later to recover from the damage that we’re doing all these years.” Dancers face these inherent problems daily, but like life, the show must go on.

TG

Finally, a book that brings together the emotions of fashion, photography, and dance

David Benaym Presents A Book of PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROGER MOENKS*

FEATURING: DANNY TIDWELL Travis Wall CINDY WELIK JASON PARSONS KENNETH EASTER ALEXANDRE HAMMOUDI CJ TYSON

Moving Still a life performance

www.movingstill.net

*with Laurent Alfieri - Dancer featured: Kenneth Easter and Cindy Welik

CHOREOGRAPHY

BY LAUREN ADAMS

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Pop Culture

i DEAS WORTH SPREADING

By D. Michael Taylor Imagine sitting in an audience of one thousand people, a large majority of which have names such as Peter Gabriel, Bill Clinton, or Bono. A simple stage with a screen and some Macs awaits the next 18-minute speech from the likes of Al Gore (who did not actually invent the internet) or Larry Page from Google (who actually did reinvent it.) At the end of a long day of speeches, you wander the halls discussing things like poverty in Africa with attendees such as famed linguist Steven Pinker, one of the members of Pilobolus, or maybe Cameron Diaz.

“...creating a dialogue between those with the ideas that could reshape the world and those who have the means and celebrity to make them happen.” allure of the bold-named political figures, making them even more droll and lifeless.

In general, the international conference circuit has taken a huge financial hit in recent years, as people find that more pressing matters fill their time

and fewer institutions have the budget to participate in these back-slapping festivities.

Yet one conference continues to shine a powerful light into this wilderness. Eschewing stuffy attitudes for heady dialogue, eager participants shell out $6,000 more than a year in advance to attend this meeting of powerful minds. Everyone knows one another by first name, the most powerful of which may be the meeting’s name itself: TED. The annual Technology, Entertainment, and Design conference, held in Monterey, CA each February, has been drawing a fascinating mix of global leaders in their respective fields with the purpose of creating a dialogue between those with the ideas that could reshape the world and those who have the means and celebrity to make them happen.

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t

he conference circuit can be a dull, lifeless landscape. Rich, cultural elitists jet to exotic locales such as Davos, Switzerland for a week of hobnobbing with other business and political giants.

Fancy dinners, self-important speeches and a general aura of snobbery tends to fill the air. In the tech world, a wideranging series of conferences of this nature only lack the

OliverWendelHolmes,Jr.

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“A mind once stretched by a new idea never regains its original dimension.”

Created in 1984 by Richard Saul Wurman and Harry Marks, the conference had a slow start and didn’t become annual until 1990. Designed to bring together the best and brightest minds from the design and tech sectors, it didn’t achieve the stature it now has until it was taken over in 2002

by Chris Anderson’s Sapling Foundation. Anderson made his millions launching one of the most successful tech publishing companies in the world, putting out titles such as MacAddict, PC Gamer and Business 2.0. He left the publishing world to take on TED fulltime, quickly developing it into the star-studded event of the year. Attendees come with a passion for being ahead of the curve when it comes to ideas that could change the world.

Its massive star-power allows TED to charge an outrageous fee, and important people from all

over the globe wait breathlessly for the much-coveted invite each year.

Recently, the TED organizers decided that these ideas deserved an even wider audience - one that doesn’t necessarily deserve an invitation, but could benefit from the insights and ideas that the conference covers. TED.com was launched in 2007 and is easy to get lost in for hours at a time. Intuitive navigation leads you to videos of Peter Gabriel discussing important work documenting human rights abuses. Theo Jansen displays his “Strandbeests” (graceful tubular machines that lope across the beaches of Holland using only solar and wind power to evolve their survival instincts independent of human interference). Steven Pinker gives an

eye-opening talk about how humanity is actually less violent now than ever before, despite popular perception to the contrary. Each talk is compact and originally delivered to an audience of powerful peers, so you never feel as if you are being talked down to.

One soon gets the idea that these people are not only interested in world-changing ideas, they have the power, creativity, and money to actually bring them to life. This realization led to the 2005 addition of the TED Prize. Consisting of an initial monetary award of $100,000, the Prize more importantly grants each recipient “one wish.” One idea that might change the world, along with the connec-

stronger and more influential each year, with a wide swath of international heavyweights granting it a cult-like status, this is one conference that puts action and results behind its lofty rhetoric. The website continues to grow in popularity, with a blog and active comments attached to each video presentation. A separate series of semi-annual meetings have been started in developing areas like Tanzania, drawing crowds of international dogooders and generous donors.

The idea, as TED would tell you, is certainly worth spreading.

TED clearly involves more than rubber chicken dinners and celebrity sightings. Growing

DMT ted.com

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tions and resources to give it a fighting chance. Bono, one of the first winners, led the charge with a wish to “empower Americans to fight stupid, crushing poverty in Africa and AIDS by making a big noise.” This led to the One campaign, which signed up more than two million people online in less than a year. An anonymous TED donor gave $10 million to the organization, and more than a billion press impressions have made the cause of Africa top priority on a global scale. Not a bad way to launch the Prize.

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Interview

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new girl

She brought a hip-hop god to his knees and ended up landing an on-the-spot record deal as a result of her unwavering self-belief. On a road paved by the likes of Bad Boy cougars Faith Evans and Mary J. Blige, she is no stranger to divine intervention. Meet Cheri Dennis.

Interview by Lauren Adams getting the chance to hear the music. I’m on a radio tour right now, so I’m just kinda in motion… promoting the album and everything. I’m excited. It’s been a long time coming.

Thank you so much, I appreciate it. I’m just happy that people are finally

About two years, right?

Yeah, yeah a long time. It’s just going to be exciting to see how people feel about the music. Up until now I’ve really just had a song here and there so I’m really curious to see how they like this album.

I love your “Portrait of Love” video. I actually know one of your dancers, Deja Riley. I got in touch with her yesterday and she had such sweet things to say about you.

Yep! Aw, yeah we had a lot of fun on the video shoot, it was really cool. All the girls were really nice and they did their thing. They came and they represented so it was really nice.

Have you always been a dancer?

I haven’t always been; I mean I’ve danced.

I’m not afraid to dance, but in terms of being a choreographed dancer, I can but it’s been definitely more about the vocals. I can dance, and I would like to do more in the future.

I was curious about that because it’s one thing growing up as a singer and cultivating your gifts as a vocalist, and it’s quite another to be thrown in front of a camera having to be the leading lady in a video.

Were you comfortable with all of that?

I was really comfortable actually. I’m not nervous at all. I just wish I had more time. All the dancing in “Portrait of Love” I learned the day before. I got one day to rehearse, and I learned it all that day. I think for the future I definitely will be doing more dancing, but I’ll have to have more days of rehearsal.

Who was the choreographer for the shoot?

His name is Sean. He’s phenomenal too; young boy, like 18. He’s really, really, really, really dope. He did his thing.

When I tell you that he’s really good, he’s really good. And to be so young and to be so focused, I was just really happy they picked him. We got along well, and worked together well.

It was really good.

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I was shopping at the iTunes store the other day and I saw your album cover under “WHAT’S HOT!” Congratulations! What else have you been up to?

“ T.J. Maxx retail was NOT my forte.”

So I know you’ve probably been asked this question 5 million times, and I’m sorry but I think it’s an important question with a (potentially - you can´t predict the future) inspiring answer. How did your record deal come to fruition?

Well, I’m actually signed to a production company called Cozy Music run by a guy named Jimmy Cozier. A friend of his actually worked at Bad Boy and invited Puffy and Kim Porter to a party. I just sat down next to Puffy at the party and started free-styling over the music that was playing; I can’t even remember what was playing. But that’s kinda how my deal got rolling.

I love that!

You know when the opportunity is there you have to take advantage of it!

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No kidding. And then your song “Ooh La La” became the theme song for “Making the Band 3.” Was that good exposure for you?

I think it was great exposure, even though for a long time no one knew it was me. But once people realized, I think it was great exposure.

I guess it sort of planted the seed.

Yeah, Definitely. And the voice because that’s really what it’s about at the end of the day; it’s just the music and the voice. So just the fact

cheridennis

“ I don’t think if I was doing something else I’d be truly fulfilled, so I think I’m in the right place.”

So what have you been doing over the past two years? What was your process like?

A lot of it was recording. A lot of it was re-grouping. It wasn’t just about the recording process for me. I definitely had some other issues going on.

You know, with management.

It’s a business so I had to really get business-straight. Lately it’s just been promotion for this single, the iTunes release, and the in-store release. There’s a lot of promotion going on.

In between all of the promotion and travels, where is home for you?

Oh gosh, New York has been home for me for a while. I am from Cleveland, Ohio, and my family and my friends live in Cleveland. And then my mom lives in Tampa. I’m kinda back and forth between New York and Tampa because I visit my mom and my sister a lot. And then for work I’m in New York.

You have a sister? Is she younger or older?

I have three sisters! I’m 1 of 4.

My sister in Tampa is younger.

One of your next stops is in your hometown. Are you excited to get to play for old friends and family?

Yep! Very soon I’ll get to see my friends and my dad. My

dad’s one of my biggest supporters. He’s sort of been my best friend, so I know he’s been really excited. My friends are excited too but my dad most of all.

I read you grew up singing in church with your grandma. Is that where music first got under your skin?

Yeah, everybody sang in the church choir, and then I was in a singing group from 12 to 16. I’ve always been involved in music. When I was younger it wasn’t as professional as it is now, but I’ve definitely always been involved in music in some way.

So you always knew?

Always! It was a no-brainer for me. It’s my passion. I don’t think if I was doing something else I’d be truly fulfilled, so I think I’m in the right place.

It’s not always easy to follow your passion. Did you have any odd jobs to sustain you along the way?

I worked at T.J. Maxx when I was 18. That was pretty much the only job I ever really had.

I got fired from that job, but that’s a whole other can of worms. I guess that was my cue; T.J. Maxx retail was not my forte!

Is fashion a forte of yours? I’m always curious about what goes into building an artist´s image. It’s more important than I would like to think. Was

it difficult figuring out how you wanted to present yourself?

Definitely, I think when you’re dealing with a label (unless there’s just this clear-cut image of who you are), a lot of times there’s creative differences in terms of imaging and musical direction. But you know we´ve got it together, although it took a while for me. Because I’m kind of a carefree, havetattoos-everywhere kind of girl, they definitely had to figure out what direction they wanted to take me. You know, it’s like a box that people want to put you into. I guess if you don’t fit into a box that people can figure out, it leaves room for confusion. But we got it; it finally came together and I’m pleased with the direction it’s going in. Of course it’s not totally 100 percent where I wanted to be creatively or where I wanted to be image-wise, but I think we have room to grow.

And I’m looking forward to seeing just where it takes me.

Do you have any big plans for your release in February?

Aw, I’m not sure yet. I’m sure we’ll do something special.

These are all new surprises for me, so I’m taking every day as it comes. Right now I’m just dealing with this iTunes release.

Hopefully we’ll speak again and I’ll be on my second, or third video and we’ll be doing some more detailed dancing.

I look forward to having even more to talk about!

LA cheridennis.com

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that subconsciously they were planting that seed, that was cool.

Intended to be a home for recording artists with a punk sensibility that isn’t necessarily punk, ANTI- Records (a division of punk-label Epitaph) plays host to a seriously stellar collection of artists intent on making music on their own terms. Here, movmnt invites you to get to know three legendary artists releasing vital material through ANTI- right now: Marianne Faithfull, Tom Waits, and Neko Case.

Label Review

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By Bruce Scott

three artists unafraid to make noise on their own terms all under one label : anti -

T o m W a i t s tomwaits.com

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You may know his voice, rooted in gravel, whiskey, and nicotine. It is as distinctive as the sonic landscapes its possessor contrives. He’s taken us through carnivals, world wars, literary tales, crime scenes, jailhouses, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. To know the music of Tom Waits is to experience inner enrichment, much like reading the works of Dostoyevsky or Hemingway, or experiencing theater via Shakespeare or Ibsen. A man of many talents, from songwriter to actor, player to performer, Waits is perhaps best described as a master storyteller. Dive into the streetwise, junkyard dirges and dins of Rain Dogs, where prisoners are transported in paddy wagons dubbed “Big Black Mariahs,” and dogs lose their scent of home in the rain and drink rum and dance aboard shipwrecked trains.

Or venture off to “Alice,” where Waits vividly narrates Lewis Carroll’s obsession for the girl he immortalized in his books. Or hear the tale of poor Edward Mandrake, the man with the woman’s face on the back of his head that would whisper things to him in the night.

Born in 1949, Waits landed a record deal by the ripe age of 21, and had released his first album, Closing Time, by 1973. Since then, he has amassed a cult audience rivaled by few, and is a key source of inspiration for notable recording artists like Bruce Springsteen, Bob Seger, The Eagles, and Rod Stewart. Uncompromising in his vision, Waits also has a history of dropping labels that grew too steeped in big business. Waits left his first label Asylum when Elektra and Warner Brothers bought them out. In 1999, Waits ditched Island Records and joined forces with ANTI-, releasing his first album through them, Mule Variations, that year. The move proved successful when Waits won his second Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Album. His most recent release through ANTI- is a three-disc collection of b-sides, rarities, and unreleased tracks titled Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers, and Bastards. As good work should be acknowledged, it was the highest rated album of 2006, according to metacritic.com.

N e k o C a s e nekocase.com

The story reads like rock´n´roll mythology; a well-told tale embedded into the collective memory of those who’ve been paying attention all these years. A tale of high-society rock´n´roll romance, drugs, and a beautiful young girl caught in the throes of addiction only to rise from the ruins of her life a changed woman, older and wiser. The woman is Marianne Faithfull, a living, breathing phoenix, risen from the ashes, with tales of her own to tell.

Photo: Victoria Renard

Everyone seems to remember Marianne Faithfull for her highly publicized relationship with Mick Jagger in the late ´60s. And then there was her 20-year drug addiction that left her in a six-day coma, homeless, and without custody of her only son. But what people often fail to point out when discussing Marianne Faithfull is the extraordinary body of work she has amassed since the release of her first record, Come My Way, well over 40 years ago in 1965. While Marianne has penned some startling original compositions, most notably “Sister Morphine,” a song about addiction co-written with Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, her back-catalogue of covers is unrivaled. From voices as distinctive and legendary as Tom Waits, John Lennon, and Leonard Cohen (she’s even done her own recording of Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht’s Seven Deadly Sins), Marianne has taken each song and made it her own. Perhaps even more impressive than her cannon of covers are her many collaborators over the years: Beck, Angelo Badalementi, Roger Waters, Emmylou Harris, Jarvis Cocker, the list goes on.

Most recently, Marianne left Virgin Records and made the move to ANTI- in search of more artistic freedom.

She collaborated with PJ Harvey, Nick Cave, Damon Albarn, and Jon Brion for 2004’s critically acclaimed Before the Poison.

M a r i a n n e

F a i t h f u l l mariannefaithfull.org.uk

Everyone seems to remember Marianne Faithfull for her highly publicized relationship with Mick Jagger in the late ´60s. And then there was her 20-year drug addiction that left her in a six-day coma, homeless, and without custody of her only son. But what people often fail to point out when discussing Marianne Faithfull is the extraordinary body of work she has amassed since the release of her first record, Come My Way, well over 40 years ago in 1965. While Marianne has penned some startling original compositions, most notably “Sister Morphine,” a song about addiction co-written with Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, her back-catalogue of covers is unrivaled. From voices as distinctive and legendary as Tom Waits, John Lennon, and Leonard Cohen (she’s even done her own recording of Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht’s Seven Deadly Sins), Marianne has taken each song and made it her own. Perhaps even more impressive than her cannon of covers are her many collaborators over the years: Beck, Angelo Badalementi, Roger Waters, Emmylou Harris, Jarvis Cocker, the list goes on.

Most recently, Marianne left Virgin Records and made the move to ANTI- in search of more artistic freedom. She collaborated with PJ Harvey, Nick Cave, Damon Albarn, and Jon Brion for 2004’s critically acclaimed Before the Poison.

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The story reads like rock´n´roll mythology; a well-told tale embedded into the collective memory of those who’ve been paying attention all these years. A tale of high-society rock´n´roll romance, drugs, and a beautiful young girl caught in the throes of addiction only to rise from the ruins of her life a changed woman, older and wiser. The woman is Marianne Faithfull, a living, breathing phoenix, risen from the ashes, with tales of her own to tell.

AM lbums usic Review

By Serena Sanford

Ror-Shak

deep

Ror-Shak (a phonetic take on the psychological Rorschach illustrations) is a drum ‘n’ bass creation starring DB (of New York’s record shop Breakbeat Science) and Stakka (of DJ and production team Stakka and Skynet). DB and Stakka are certainly an exception in the nearly played-out drum ‘n’ bass scene.

On Deep, amalgamated vocals and mellow beats meld into an orchestral background.

The debut record is still a drum ‘n’ bass production, but it sounds like electronica with strong elements of drum ‘n’ bass throughout. These signature elements, however, have been reinvented and reassigned, bringing an uncharted quality to the album.

The Honorary Title

scream & light up the sky

With their latest effort, The Honorary Title proves they are hipper than the average my-mommy-neverloved-me indie pop band. Scream & Light Up the Sky offers a subtle melancholy. The bones of the album are its deft lyrics and contagious hooks. It’s hard to believe that Title was once just vocalist/guitarist Jarrod Gorbel’s and bassist Aaron Kamstra’s two-man crew.

The tracks “Stay Away” and “Radiate” showcase Gorbel’s not-afraid-to-scream-it voice. Lucky for the listener, emotion gets the best of him in that universal way all us wannabe pop stars can relate to. Gui-

Paper Rival

tar lines provided by Kamstra as well as guitarist/ keyboardist Jon Wiley highlight both songs. The repetitious chords become a permanent fixture in your hum-along memory.

“Stuck at Sea” is quite possibly the most impressive song on the album - and the most rockin’. Arena-sized riffs set the stage for a been-there tale of heartbreak over lost love. Gorbel admits, “I keep burning my fingers in an attempt to rekindle the flame.” Such inconsolable lyrics are impossible to deny.

“Far More” is a slower, folksier tune with an acoustic guitar and mournful vocals. Refreshingly un-indie tracks like this one leave you wondering what Title has in common with their much beloved Jeff Buckley and Elvis Costello. Perhaps the band was encouraged more than influenced by these too-cool-for-mainstream legends. Whatever the case, these guys deliver a unique sound needed in this decade. thehonorarytitle.com

paper rival

Charming and easy melodies flow freely on Paper Rival’s self-titled EP. The instrumentals are maintained with a clean and simple sound that serves to pinpoint Jake Rolleston’s vocals. Rolleston’s gossamer-like voice is balanced with solid rhythms and choruses that steadily climb to a crescendo then gracefully melt away on each track.

With producer Patrick Damphier (guitars, keyboards, drums, and vocals) at the helm, the young band was able to collaborate with a veterans’ ease.

The romance of the track “Alabama” is defined by Rolleston’s candescent whispers, which harken back to such timeless rockers as Bob Dylan and Bruce Cockburn. The booming guitars and bob-your-head melodies of “Fox In The Garden,” provided by bassist Cody McCall and guitarist/cellist Brent Coleman, call for a more Broken Social Scene sensibility.

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The most definitively drum ‘n’ base track is “Fate Or Faith,” which features double-time rhythms. The song, “Be There,” brings an unexpected degree of soulfulness, which is complimented by the sultry vocals of Lisa Shaw in “Lisa’s Song.”

The album’s strongest track, “Rescue Me,” featuring the tough-as-nails vocals of Wendy Starland, is sure to be a tubthumping underground smash.

A sizzling break-beat intro climbs to an assaulting bass all held together by Starland’s granular voice.

Deep signifies the occupation of this all-star drum ‘n’ bass duo, but also exhibits the hard-hitting charms of heavy bass drops and progressive vocal stylings. After a decade of drum ‘n’ bass, RorShak has successfully created a new variety of the music that moves their audience. myspace.com/r0rshak

This EP is a rarity: Rival was able to echo the artists that inspired their sound while giving the listener fresh, eerily frail indie pop with a soft side. paperrival.com

The Pizzas

the pizzas

The Pizzas are the sauciest tribe this side of the Hudson.

The band’s name pays homage to their borough of residence, Brooklyn.

The true identities in this sextet are Magin Scantz and Drae Campell on vocals; Jeff Lorenz on theramin and computer effects; Mike Iannantuono on electric guitar; Peter Lettre on electric bass; and Dave Treut on drums. But when they unite as The Pizzas, they are transformed into Saucy Macdaniels, Draeregano, Dr. Anchovie, Fresh Mozz, Jesus Crust and Bob Aganush.

Anyone familiar with the lesbian-punk spoken word duo, Bitch and Animal, should try adding The Pizzas self-titled deubt to their repertoire. Spice things up. The Pizzas roll it all into one with tracks like “Vampires” and “Goo Goo Ga Ga.” Rocky Horror theatrics, forget-me-not cryptic lyrics, suicide vocals, and tons of feedback are all included in their bag of tricks. I think I was told tocatch cancer somewhere in there too. Yum.

Daniel Bernard Roumain

etudes4violin&electronix

Daniel Bernard Roumain is a violinist whose strokes tell a compelling narrative. He guides ballerinas with his lightest, most fluid touch, yet the next instant he is relentless, treating his classical instrument like a homemade fiddle. The continuity of Etudes4violin&electronix is this collaborative album’s exceptional quality. When Roumain’s violin meets the heavy grinding of DJ Spooky and Peter Gordon’s sampling mix, the result is more like a conversation rather than combat.

On “Black Man Singing,” the echo of female voices disguises the lead of the violin. The instrument instead operates parallel to the voice line. The production value of the track gives the impression of being in a forest; pleasant sounds swoop in from every angle.

The simple elegance of Ryuichi Sakamoto’s piano on “The Need To Be” and “The Need To Follow,” is the foreground for Roumain’s most powerful display. He attaches meaning to the melody of the keys and allows it to resonate.

For “The La La Song,” household objects like a bathtub and a drum are used to create something close to a spiritual or hymn. dbrmusic.com

A Fine Frenzy

The opening track, “Come On, Come Out” creates dreamscapes with its electronic pulses and unwavering keys: “Watching the sky, you’re watching a painting / coming to life, shifting and shaping / staying inside, it all goes all goes by.” This is followed by the topsy-turvy piano and biting strings of “The Minnow & the Trout”, which plays like some nihilist musical: “Please, I know that we’re different / but we were one cell in the sea in the beginning / and what we’re made of was all the same once / we’re not that different after all.” “You Picked Me” is a fully developed pop-infused orchestra with apt chord progressions and a fluttering melody seemingly taken from a nursery rhyme: “Like an apple on a tree / hiding out behind the leaves / I was difficult to reach / but you picked me.”

“Rangers” has more of a Macomb sensibility: “And the rangers stream / out of their cabins / they are the hunters, / we are the rabbits / but maybe we don’t want to be found.”

“Almost Lover,” the album’s hit single, is a perfectly paced eerie and bluesy ballad: “Well, I’d never want to see you unhappy / I thought you’d want the same for me.”

Beirut

flying cup club

Flying Cup Club is the newest album from solo artist Beirut, a.k.a. Zack Condon.

The album reveals itself as a treasure trove of Condon’s many musical gifts.

The song “Nantes” sounds temptingly obscure, restrained, and not preoccupied by any particular reference or feeling. “A Sunday Smile,” though about specified people and places, has a refrain in the ether. The track “Guyamas Sonora” showcases Condon’s propensity towards delightful piano ballads. Not meaning to save the best for last, the song begins with a ukulele and heavy accordion to mesh with Condon’s layered vocals.

“In the Mausoleum” encompasses a trance-inducing violin arrangement

by Final Fantasy’s Owen Pallett (with Beirut’s violinist Kristin Ferebee). The violins are some of the album’s many highlights, providing the perfect stringy juxtaposition to Condon’s more tightly packed instrumentals.

The album is brought to life with “Near to You,” another swaying piano ballad with unabashedly blatant lyrics: “Though he’s gone / and you are wonderful / it’s hard to move on / yet, I’m better near to you.”

Condon’s intricate and organic vocals are omnipresent on every track.

There is the sensation of weariness throughout the album, as if the singer has further to go on his already long journey. His vocals are able to tell the stories his melodies create. On “Cliquot,” his voice is so hopelessly romantic that the song teeters blissfully on the edge of ‘whimsical.’

Sudol is a self-taught piano player with a sympathetic and lyrical yet precise and clean style. In the nuances of her key playing, you might hear hints of Phillip Glass, who she cites as a major influence. afinefrenzy.com

The Flying Cup Club, with all its intangible obscurity and sometimes hapless lyrics about “spent-cigarettes,” is actually destined for some common familiar place gotten to by way of muck and mire. beirutband.com

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A Fine Frenzy is 22-year-old Alison Sudol, a gently melancholy songstress who offers whispered pleas for mercy on her debut album, One Cell in the Sea. The album is comprised of 14 tracks ranging from alternative pop to indie soul. Accompanied by her piano, Sudol gives the listener a faintof-heart account of her trials thus far in life.

Photo: Danelle Manthey

one cell in the sea

music reviews

hitsLeftfield

Playlist

from

By Bruce Scott

In a world where popular songs can be broken down to a science, these ten unlikely hits broke the mold by gaining chart success while remaining uncompromising as ever.

Sure, Aerosmith and RunDMC had the novel idea of merging hip-hop and rock and roll, but let’s not forget when British acid house group The KLF employed the talent of “country’s first lady” Tammy Wynette for their hit “Justified and Ancient.” As a nod to Wynette’s signature song “Stand By Your Man,” The KLF subtitled their song “Stand By The Jam,” a line Wynette can also be heard singing.

Hurt Johnny Cash 2002

Country legend Johnny Cash resurged back into the mainstream late into his fifty-year career with his six part American Recordings series. But no song left quite an impression on the mainstream as his harrowing cover of NIN’s “Hurt.”

Recorded with producer Rick Rubin shortly before Cash’s death in 2003, the song also came with a heartrending video that many fans now regard as Cash’s epitaph.

The video would later receive a Grammy in the Best Video of the Year category.

Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia) US3 1993

Rock Lobster The B-52’s 1979

Named after a bouffant hair-do, The B-52’s seemed to shoot out of left field with their surf-guitar licks, towering wigs, and chic thrift store get-up. But perhaps the strangest thing they’ve ever done was their first single, “Rock Lobster.” Telling the tale of a beach party gone awry, sea-robins, narwhals, and bikini whales all come with their own sound effect, courtesy of Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson.

Rumor has it that John Lennon heard “Rock Lobster” at a Bermuda Disco and was so inspired by it that he came out of a five-year recording hiatus.

Tom’s Diner Suzanne Vega and DNA 1990

Originally an a cappella track featured on Suzanne Vega’s 1987 sophomore release, Solitude Standing, “Tom’s Diner” became an accidental hit when British production team DNA added some beats to it and released it as a bootleg. Vega’s record label quickly caught wind of this and officially released it as a single in 1990, where it shot to #5.

The actual location of Tom’s Diner (now better known as the Seinfeld restaurant) is 112th Street and Broadway in New York City.

Rarely does jazz penetrate the Billboard Hot 100, especially talent as authentic as legend Herbie Hancock.

In this case, British jazz-rap group US3 had the novel idea of sampling one of Hancock’s signature tunes, “Cantaloupe Island,” over their own beats, thus resulting in a top ten hit. US3 also gave Blue Note Records their first platinum album.

Tiptoe Through the Tulips Tiny Tim 1968

Written in 1926 and a hit for several artists in 1929, “Tiptoe Through the Tulips” received a second-coming in 1968 thanks to a certain six-foot-one tall man playing a tiny ukulele and singing in a high-falsetto voice named Tiny Tim. Originally intended as a gag on Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In, Tiny Tim left enough of an impression to develop a cult following, leading him to release his debut album, God Bless Tiny Tim, with “Tiptoe Through the Tulips” as the single, charting at #17.

Whip It Devo 1980

Devo’s biggest hit, “Whip It” peaked at #14 on the Billboard Hot 100. Thought by many to be about masturbation and sadomasochism, the lyrics to “Whip It” actually had nothing to do with sex at all.

Written by Mark Mothersbaugh as a mock upbeat, self-help poem, “Whip It” is a funny take on a working class man giving himself a pep talk.

Bohemian Rhapsody Queen 1975

Epic in length, completely chorus-less, and with lyrics lifted from the Koran, Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” should have been a recipe for disaster in the land of radio, yet it climbed to #9 in the US charts, and indubitably etched it’s way into the memories of rock enthusiasts everywhere. Interestingly, this track of murder and redemption climbed it’s way back up the Billboard charts in 1992, peaking at #2, when it was re-released to coincide with the success of Wayne’s World.

Rapture Blondie 1980

The first #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 to include a rap was actually performed by a white woman.

That’s right, Blondie scored a number one hit with their song “Rapture,” which featured Debbie Harry rapping about a “man from Mars” who “eats up cars.”

“Rapture” is also regarded as the first rap song with original music set to it. Fun fact: If you get a chance to check out the video, keep an eye out for Andy Warhol disciple Jean-Michel Basquiat as well as Yo! MTV Raps alumni Fab 5 Freddie.

I Touch Myself The Divinyls 1991

Both provocative and funny, Aussie pop group The Divinyls scored their only stateside hit with this saucy little number about, um… loving one’s self. While The Divinyls’ two core members, singer Chrissy Amphlett and guitarist Mark McEntee, generally wrote their own material, they enlisted the help of songwriting duo Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg for “I Touch Myself.”

Steinberg and Kelly had previously penned such hits as Madonna’s “Like A Virgin” and The Bangles “Eternal Flame.” While the song is clearly about masturbation, it’s lighthearted tone and romantic verses aided in helping it climb to #4 on the Billboard Top 100.

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Justified and Ancient - The K.L.F. featuring Tammy Wynette 1991

Journey

t s we

a life - changing educational experience at Deep Springs Undergraduate schools can mean many things to students. Often a place to stretch one’s wings and revel in new-found freedoms, college life can take on a bacchanalian tone. Meeting friends, partying, and exploring sexual limits can be just as much a part of the experience as books and lectures. Many people believe that this is just another part of the growing up process necessary for future generations. But a select few yearn for something more.

Report by D. Michael Taylor | Photography by Jean-Claude Figenwald

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j

We are attracted here both by the abandon of the desert and by the intentionality of the Deep Springs community.

To live outside the law you must be honest.

ust north of Death Valley National Park, in a depression on the border of California and Nevada, lies a small and isolated ranch named Deep Springs. A place where a small group of young men manage cattle herds and alfalfa hay production, and live in a somewhat bizarrely self-governed and educational experiment project operational since 1917. It would be hard to ask for a more vivid example of rough and tumble Western living. “Cowboy” duty means something quite literal to the approximately 26 students that attend Deep Springs for two years. Whether it’s branding the cattle with an upside-down “T,” or sitting on the student committee that chooses both new students

and faculty, John Wayne would even find the self-reliant conditions that these young men face a bit bracing.

L.L. Nunn accumulated his fortune by expanding AC electric power into places like Telluride, CO and other Western states. The hydroelectric plants he helped build required complex engineering knowledge, but Nunn soon realized that the highly-educated Eastern engineers he needed weren’t particularly suited to the harsh conditions of the American West. A firm believer in the selfreliant ethics of his surroundings, Nunn decided to start his own educational institution, and eventually ended up in Deep Springs where he could train an elite corps of

With a completely self-sufficient ranch to run, including the generation of their own electricity, there isn’t much time to worry about the everyday trivialities that fill up most of our modern lives [this sentence doesn´t make much sense to me, but I´m reluctant to change anything for fear of altering info]. Extremely limited access to the outside world forces an intense bond of cooperation. One currently en-

rolled student, Eli, explains that “the daily trials, tribulations, and successes of life in the valley become our world. The extent to which others are depending on you begins to define your actions. Small things, like punctuality or thoroughness become more important because one has no choice but to be mindful of them.”

But these are still headstrong young men, as he notes that “there is often some sort of political tension between members of the Student Body, as we are perpetually in the business of defining ourselves as a group by way of our group decision-making. Contention can arise quite quickly in these situations.” It is this friction, coupled with the absolute necessity of resolving the conflicts in

order to survive on the ranch, that seems to breed the rich character that Nunn had in mind for his disciples.

But isn’t there something to be said for the more traditional structure of the undergraduate experience? It can’t be all bad to melt into a modern setting of one’s peers, socializing and studying the patterns of group behavior. Certainly a large majority of students crave exactly that. But for the select few like Eli who find the college experience “orgiastic, insincere, and undignified,” Deep Springs offers a chance to be “confronted with yourself, and people often have difficulty reconciling their expectations for themselves and the expectations of the com-

munity with the way they perceive themselves to be actually.” There’s a loneliness correlated to the Deep Springs experience that seems to start even before they arrive at the ranch: A sense that something is missing from the everyday route to success, plus a desire to confront the challenges of life in a way that sets them well apart from the pack.

There also seems to be a sense of fatigue with fractured modern life inherent in those drawn to this place. Andrew, also a current student, feels that at Deep Springs “we clarify who we are to ourselves and to one another. Unlike in broader society, relationships at Deep Springs cannot be relegated to public, professional, or per-

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young men to develop intellectually and personally within the rough isolation of a ranch setting. After Nunn’s death in 1926, the school continued to thrive as his ideas about public service and individual responsibility had taken root in the fertile soil of Deep Springs.

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sonal spheres. Differences are proximate; they cannot be pushed to the periphery. Instead, we come to know each other and ourselves across self-governance, labor, academics, and close living. And as we do so, we confuse our public and personal selves, often emerging with a more unified, consistent self.”

Ironically enough, it is this smashing together of the personal and the public, and the ability to handle those proximate differences, that makes these men ideal for the urban jungles of cities like New York once they leave. Andrew notes that “if something is awry in our valley, there are few or no others to blame but ourselves. And so the expectation of every individual to identify and effect positive change is greater here than in institutions elsewhere, where often every anonymous individual can shirk responsibility and pass it on to someone or something else.” In their isolation, strangely enough, the

ability and the responsibility to be a true maverick as well as a leader of men is bred. In Andrew’s words, “many of us simultaneously desire being the outlaw and the official. We are attracted here both by the abandon of the desert and by the intentionality of the Deep Springs community.”

It is this intentionality, this wellhoned sense of responsibility, that creates alumni such as Walter Isaacson who went on to become Chairman and CEO of CNN as well as the Managing Editor of TIME. Or, Benjamin Kunkel, one of the founding editors of n+1, a highly-regarded New York literary magazine.

Or, geophysicist Raymond Jeanloz, or Congressman Jim Olin from Virginia, or neurologist Robert Aird. With a quarter of all students moving on to attend Harvard, and over half of whom eventually receive doctorates, there is clearly something magical happening in Deep Springs. One might even call it a bit of a utopian vision for education. But Andrew is

quick to point out that “utopias don’t exist; Deep Springs does. As much as Deep Springs is about ideals, it is also about concrete action. I imagine that as we continue elsewhere we will negotiate the application of the general to the specific with similar imperfection, but also similar commitment and determination.”

Learning to recognize one’s weaknesses while understanding the necessity to push past them and develop the strength to get things done seems to be the correct formula for turning these highly intelligent boys into extremely successful men.

That it happens at a place as uniquely American as Deep Springs is an inspiring antidote to the constant criticism the rest of our educational system receives. A return to the land, and the ideals that got us this far, seems to be a recipe for real success in this modern wilderness of ours.

DMT deepsprings.edu

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Triton is conspicuous in the corner. Attention to detail and color has left this restaurant popular and attractive. Looking up and seeing the King of the Sea emerging from a dusty little building an earshot beyond the crashing waves.

Aside from averaging over 80 degrees everyday, there are usually a minimal set of clouds drifting through the sky. This particular day it threatened rain and chaos only to deliver an interesting yet calm sky

Amidst the of Mexico

dust and poverty along the southwestern coast lies a large beach city called Manzanillo, and there stands a deliciously bright paradise oasis known as Club Maeva. There is contrast everywhere: between the resort and its surroundings; between the 15-hour days under the smoldering sun and the nights filled with glitter and sequins; and in the lifelong bonds established between vastly different cultures.

Journey

The resort lives in a gloriously uncharted portion of the 125,000-person Manzanillo, far from the huge navel base

and slew of popular resorts inhabiting the city that oozes tropical beauty in the day and sensual fantasy illusion at night. The rainbow beaches often backdrop deserted hotels and ravaged, vacant lots. Where there was once a booming family fiesta in the backyard of a nice house, there is now weeds and distant memories. But vibrant within the destroyed shack next door is a block party laden with true friends. Club Maeva is the shimmering gem along the varied and kaleidoscopic coast of Manzanillo. The Maevamigos (the incredibly talented sports and entertainment team at the resort) are the charm of pretty little Club Maeva in Manzanillo, and I am the assistant choreographer among them.

When it comes to animation, Jonas is master. Everything from mounds of sequin, to fake breasts, to fake eyelashes, this supple Maevamigo is a unanimous favorite.

These showmen are not trained to perform but are expected to deliver.

Mexican

Contrasts Photo-report by Jeanette Prather

Ironically, the smooth lines and graceful presence of this elegant white bird does not depict the chaotic atmosphere of the resort accurately. This deception is a mask created by us Maevamigos as an Arcadia illusion for the guest to enjoy their vacation. Tranquil are the green palms peeking through the window of the bird.

Casa Tequila is the epitome of the small town Mexican restaurant. This restaurant/ bar is a humble little hideaway where everybody knows your name.

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This is the valediction upon driving out of the resort. It looks as though a downpour is about to occur over tropical Maeva.

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Each culture holds a negative stereotype, and Mexicans are no exception with a not-sofriendly depiction of being gun- wielding dirty drunks. Jonathan is a true Mexican with a pure heart and mind. Stereoptypes shatter negative misconceptions through obviously natural instincts.

Mexico is infused with a splash of rainbow at each glance, but upon closer inspection a hint of decay is detected. However, that´s what makes this place beautiful, human and real; it´s an organic territory of beauty meshed with reality.

Here is Club Maeva´s infamous logo of the aesthetic white bird with a deteriorating tail. This is the figure and symbol of our resort; a beautiful yet truly simple and glorious diamond in the rough. I find it ironic that this particular bird happens to be the first of hundreds outlining the wall of this massive-acraged resort. This is what you may see as you exit.

Column

ired and divinely Everyone being w eir ferently has th programmed dif and lid va is h ut y tr own truth. Ever site po e complete op perhaps it’s th of others’. s wrong?

Does it mean it’ or wrong…

Nothing is right ely or wrong is mer t n.

It just is. Righ tio ep rc pe d dgment an just ur own ju own n right and my Creating my ow or e ty on a stag reality, and beau My h at this time. ut tr y Screen is m t ha w e ar s instinct own vision and e. m e… m makes

c o n f e s s i o n

of a choreo grapher

By Mia Michaels

My reality is my perception of my existence... I’m not sure if my reality is exactly where I would like it to be... I wish I could see all the blessings i have in my life at every minute of every day.

Why is it always so difficult to perceive reality with positivity?

Always inadequacy... I want to devour the true reality of my life I no longer want to be numb to my wondrous journey anymore seems like all I concentrate on is what I haven’t achieved yet in my life or what I’ve not become as a woman or artist... What about all I have become and achieved?

of sing, and choice My timing, phra corny is t ha W . y right vocabulary is m t os could be the m or false to me ? se el r someone I believe there is another way of brilliant thing fo ng uth. Stand stro tr existing and its my fantasy of the n ow Seek your Follow your perfect life. The funny thing is... it. n w O it. ow in it. Kn n. Your I’ve dreamt of the life im living as tio es qu r ve ne d gut instincts an is a fantasy... Now it is my reality... and your reality s ur yo is ity al re My goal and treasure is to learn perfect! to pat myself on my back, smile e tl lit n writing is my ow and exhale... And most of all to Remember, my h ut tr e open my eyes to the beautiful my own littl perception, of ld of billions blessed life i have been given. or w st va g bi inside this MM hs. of individual trut miamichaels.com Perfect.

79 - movmnt magazine - 6 - SPRING 2008

your reality.

Your reality is n. is your perceptio n tio Your percep . is it , is truth Whatever your nce tand the differe rs de un to g Tryin h ut tr uth and the between your tr in ed dd be em has been of others that a is ing be d an sness your consciou nestly How do we ho e. ng le al ch great rence? know the diffe urself… yo Go inside of there. s lie er The answ arriors. types of life w There are two Being s. er w the follo The leaders and of ing ek se nt ta ns s co a leader require er w h. Being a follo one’s own trut g lieving and ownin be is simply just truth. someone else’s auty?

What is your be What are you? fat? is t ha liness? W What is your ug t? ec rf pe is What What is happy? t is? hat is art? Wha W ? ve lo is What h n of your trut Your perceptio is moment, th is what is, at d most likely in this time, an ever changing.

...Affecting movmnt lessons learned The Ailey School The Joan Weil Center of Dance 405 W. 55th Street New York, NY 10019 Tel: (212) 405-9000 alvinailey.org Broadway Dance Center 221 W 57th St - 5th Floor New York, NY 10019 Tel: (212) 582-9304 bwydance.com

Jump - Break the Floor Through May 10, 2008!

Tel: (212) 397-3600 breakthefloor.com Lava 524 Bergen St Brooklyn, NY 11217 lavalove.org Mark Morris Dance Center 3 Lafayette Ave Brooklyn, NY 11217 Tel: (718) 624-8400 markmorrisdancegroup.org

Dance New Amsterdam 280 Broadway – 2nd Floor New York, NY 10007 Tel: (212-625-8369) dnadance.org Debbie Allen Dance Academy 3623 Hayden Ave Culver City, CA 90230 Tel: (310) 280-9145 debbieallendanceacademy. com Denise Wall’s Dance Energy 4020 Bonney Road – Suite 116 Virginia Beach, VA 23452 Tel: (757)431-9645 denisewall.com

on stage

blogosphere

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago January 11 – March 4 Dates scheduled nationwide 30th Anniversary Spring Series March 24 – April 5, Chicago hubbardstreetdance.org

A Time To Dance atimetodance.wordpress.com

The (Inter) Mission the-inter-mission.com

Blogging SYTYCD bloggingsytycd.blogspot.com

Ranting Details rantingdetails.com

Buddy TV buddytv.com

Reality Dancing realitydancing.contentquake. com

Paul Taylor Dance Company January 11 – May 10 ptdc.org Pilobolus February 6 – March 30 Dates scheduled nationwide pilobolus.com

Nuvo - Break the Floor Through July, 2008!

Tel: (212) 397-3600 gonuvo.com

Lineage Dance Pasadena Dance Festival 2008 February 23, Pasadena, CA lineagedance.org

The Pulse on Tour February 16-17, Denver February 23-24, Sacramento March 8-9, Toronto March 29-30, Nashville thepulseontour.com

American Ballet Theatre March 13 – 16, Miami March 27 – 30, Los Angeles April 9 – 13, Chicago abt.org

Steps on Broadway 2121 Broadway New York, NY 10023 Tel: (212) 874-2410 stepsnyc.com

ODC Dance Downtown 2008 March 13 – 30 San Francisco odcdance.org

Dance Outlook danceoutlook.blogspot.com Dance Watcher dancewatcher.com

Rickey rickey.org Swan Lake Samba Girl tonyaplank.com/tonyaplank/ swan_lake_samba_girl

Dancing Perfectly Free dancingperfectlyfree. wordpress.com

Taylor Gordon taylorgordononline.com

Danciti (NYC Dance Blog) danciti.com

Television Without Pity televisionwithoutpity.com

Explore Dance exploredance.com

The Arts Et Al theartsetal.wordpress.com

Fame or Famine fameorfamine.com

The Winger thewinger.com

Great Dance greatdance.com

...Directory 2(x)ist 1411 Broadway - 8th fl.

New York, NY 10018 Tel: (212) 741-7731 2xist.com Alexander Wang www.alexanderwang. com Alexandre Herchcovitch herchcovitch.uol.com.br American Apparel Tel: (213) 488-0226 americanapparel.net Armani www.giorgioarmani.com Balenciaga 542 West 22 Street NY 10011 New York Tel: (212) 206 0872 balenciaga.com

80 - movmnt magazine - 6 - SPRING 2008

The Breed 213 West 35th St New York, NY 10001 Tel: (212) 868-5883 thebreedlife.com Capezio capeziodance.com

Celestina Maynila celestinamaynilanewyork.com Celine 667 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10022 (212) 486-9700 celine.com Cesare Paciotti Tel: (212) 249-1394 cesare-paciotti.com Chanel chanel.com Charles Chang Lima 215 W 40th St New York, NY 10018 Tel: (212) 302-3121 Chloe chloe.com Cloak 10 Greene St New York, NY 10013 (212) 625-2828 Dance Outfitters 109 Volvo Pkwy, Ste 14 Chesapeake, VA 23320 Tel: (757)548-6688 danceoutfitters.com

The Dancewear Place 53 6th Ave Brooklyn, NY 11217 Tel: (718) 623-3262 thedancewearplace. com Diesel Style Lab diesel.com Dior Homme diorhomme.com Discount Dance Supply discountdancesupply. com

Gucci 685 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10022 (212) 826-2600 gucci.com Guiseppe Zanotti giuseppe-zanotti-design. com Hugo Boss Tel: (212) 965-1300 hugoboss.de Izzy Camilleri izzycamilleri.com

Dolce & Gabbana eng.dolcegabbana.it

Jason Wu jasonwustudio.com

Fendi 677 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10022 (212) 759-4646 fendi.com

Jean Paul Gaultier jeanpaulgaultier.com

Flamenco Export flamencoexport.com Frontline Tel: (888) 233-2623 frontlinedance.com

Jet Rag 825 N La Brea Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90038 Tel: (323) 939-0528

Marc Jacobs marcjacobs.com Opera Gallery 115 Sprinig Street New York, NY 10012 Tel: (212) 966-6675 operagallery.com Operations 60 Mercer Street New York, NY 10013 Tel: (212) 334-4950 operationswear.com Paul Smith Tel: (800) 023-4006 paulsmith.co.uk

Salvatore Ferragamo ferragamo.neimanmarcus.com Stella McCartney stellamccartney.com Tom Ford 845 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10021 Tel: (212) 359-0300 tomford.com Wolford wolfordmelbourne.com

Philip Treacy philiptreacy.co.uk

Yohji Yamamoto 103 Grand St. New York, NY 10013 Tel: (212) 966-9066 yohjiyamamoto.co.jp

Prada prada.com

Yumiko yumiko-world.com

Pringle pringlescotland.com

Yves Saint-Laurent ysl.com

John Galliano johngalliano.com

Proenza Schouler proenzaschouler.com

Lagerfeld Gallery karllagerfeld.com

Raf Simons rafsimons.com

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