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FEATURES
23 DancEstrella returns to the stage with new show
BY WEST VALLEY VIEW STAFF
For the fi rst time in two years, Estrella Mountain Community College’s student dance company, DancEstrella, will perform live.
Students, employees and community members are invited to “And the Heart Beats On” Friday, Dec. 3, and Saturday, Dec. 4, in the Performing Arts Center on campus, 3000 N. Dysart Road, Avondale.
“After such a diffi cult period in everyone’s life, we are thrilled to have DancEstrella back onstage for the fi rst time since December 2019,” said Professor Janaea Lyn McAlee, residential dance faculty.
The performances are 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. on both days. Admission is free and audience members can participate in a brief discussion with the dancers after the shows.
“The discussion is a regular feature at the end of every DancEstrella show,” McAlee said. “The dancers take questions and compliments from the audience so they can have an exchange and understand how their work was experienced. It’s an extension of the feedback process that is part of creating the dances in our classes.”
The performance features practicum dances by Assistant Directors Carissa Salgado-Garcia and Jade Teller; duets by choreography 2 dance majors Denise Lopez and Audrey Richards; collaborative choreography by students in performance classes; and a full company work by McAlee.
Teller’s piece is called “Distractions.”
“In life, we have our distractions, whether we want them or not,” she said. “And depending on what the distraction is, it could be good or bad. My piece is about showing those distractions and how we can get tangled in them.”
Salgado-Garcia’s dance, “A Piece of You,” is about losing loved ones and coming to terms with it
“It’s very emotionally driven,” she said. “I lost my grandmother in December of last year and not long after, I lost a great aunt who I was close to. This helped me grieve and honor their memory.”
Neither Teller nor Salgado-Garcia will perform in the dances they choreographed. They will appear in several pieces throughout the show.
“I’m very stoked to be able to perform in person,” Teller said. “Having shows virtually was great because it meant we still had shows, but I feel like you should experience something this intimate in person.”
Salgado-Garcia couldn’t agree more.
“I’m so excited to be able to perform in person again,” she said. “This is what I have loved the most — being able to perform and connect with the audience.”
McAlee said the dances are based on the students’ experience of loss and personal struggle but also unexpected gifts and self-determination that have all been a part of the pandemic.
“Now that we are back in person and able to dance and create together, students have wanted to express both the diffi culties they have been through and a newfound commitment to living the life they truly want,” she said.
Masks are required while indoors on campus and seating is limited. Seating is available on a fi rst-come, fi rst-served basis at the door.
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WEST VALLEY VIEW NEWS | NOVEMBER 25, 2021
Orpheus Male Chorus presents holiday performance
BY WEST VALLEY VIEW STAFF
The Orpheus Male Chorus of Phoenix, the state’s longest-standing, continuously performing choral arts organization, will hold its fi rst live holiday performances in two years with “Holidays with Orpheus.”
The series of four concerts are: • 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 5, The Church at Litchfi eld Park, 300 N. Old Litchfi eld Road, Litchfi eld Park • 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 7, Velda Rose United Methodist Church, 5540 E. Main Street, Mesa • 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 12, Camelback Bible Church, 3900 E. Stanford Drive, Paradise Valley.
During this year’s “Holidays with Orpheus” concerts, the chorus will offer arrangements of classic songs such as “O Holy Night,” “We Three Kings” and “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.” Orpheus’ annual scholarship raffl e, to provide fi nancial support to qualifi ed music students, will be held at the end of the last concert. Raffl e tickets will be available for sale at the venues and orpheus.org.
Because of the pandemic, singers and audience members will be required to wear masks. Orpheus is following the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and continually evaluating its procedures to make sure the performances will be as safe as possible. The concerts will be abbreviated for safety reasons.
The Orpheus Male Chorus of Phoenix debuted on Christmas morning 1929 on KTAR-AM. Throughout its 92-year history, the chorus has toured in the United States and internationally, been featured in radio and TV broadcasts, and has sung the National Anthem at professional sporting events and for dignitaries, including John F. Kennedy.
Orpheus was honored to be selected by the Western Conference of the American Choral Directors Association (WCACDA) to perform at its biennial meeting in March 2020 in Salt Lake City.
For event and ticket information, call 602-271-9396 or visit orpheus.org.
Spirit...continued from page 22
entire room of their house into a winter wonderland. Not only do they decorate. They have to prepare their home for guests. Hudec said people comment on more than the Christmas decorations, and it’s a little bit of a boost to have people impressed with their house.
“God bless these people because it’s a lot of work, but afterwards, every single time, without a doubt, they always say that it was so much fun and thank you for letting us do that,” Milhous said. “They’re so happy to have participated. So, I know it’s work, but it’s so worth it afterwards.”
Milhous said not only does the event bring the community together, but it has been a successful fundraising event. Over the years, Milhous said they have donated more than $30,000 to nonprofi ts that partner with the Verrado Giving Tree Program. This year’s funds will go to the Homeless Youth Connection, which helps provide for basic needs of homeless youth ages 13 to 21. Currently, there are over 1,000 kids in Maricopa and Coconino counties who fall into that category.
The park and home tours are independent, so people can come and go as they please and take in the views at their own pace. Day parks are best viewed from 3 to 5 p.m., the evening parks are from 5 to 8 p.m. and houses are open from 5 to 8 p.m. Dec. 12. Live music will also be provided by The Collective, Gabe Sobarzo, at both events.
Wristbands can be purchased beforehand through the HOT Community Foundation, at The Vic patio on the day of or at any of the homes on the day of. A map will be provided at the parks with a barcode for donations. More information can be found on Verrado’s Annual Christmas Home Tour Facebook, facebook.com/verradohometour
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ROMAN’S COUNTY LINE
ANSWERS ON PAGE 27
King Crossword
ACROSS
1 Paid (up) 6 Tennis star Graf 12 False 13 Sounded content 14 Warm, as leftovers 15 Not certain 16 Cruise stop 17 Farm unit 19 Garten of Food Network 20 Austen novel 22 Perched 24 Recede 27 Force 29 Pleasing 32 Symbolic first step toward getting hired 35 Cab 36 British noble 37 Eggy quaff 38 Existed 40 Squabble 42 Past 44 Furnace fuel 46 Volcanic flow 50 Cheered (for) 52 Ogled 54 Topical antiseptic 55 Builds 56 Strong points 57 “Midnight Cowboy” role
DOWN
1 Grieg’s “-- Death” 2 Actress Patricia 3 Private pupil 4 Sch. URL ender 5 “Feel-good” brain chemical 6 Incite 7 Jukebox picks 8 Hosp. areas 9 Fulfillment 10 Office plant 11 Notion 12 Greek consonant 18 Bach’s “Coffee --” 21 1501, in Roman numerals 23 Moreover 24 Newt 25 Large snake 26 Ornamental garden trees 28 Best-selling Michael Jackson album 30 Bill’s partner 31 Work unit 33 Spanish aunt 34 Sprite 39 Potpourri output 41 Swift 42 Met melody 43 Sticky substances 45 Praiseful pieces 47 Curved lines 48 Presidential power 49 TV spots 51 Dead heat 53 Epoch
by Linda Thistle
The idea of Go Figure is to arrive at the figures given at the bottom and right-hand columns of the diagram by following the arithmetic signs in the order they are given (that is, from left to right and top to bottom). Use only the numbers below the diagram to complete its blank squares and use each of the nine numbers only once.
DIFFICULTY THIS WEEK H
H Moderate HH Challenging HHH HOO BOY!
Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each small 9-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine.
DIFFICULTY THIS WEEK H H
H Moderate HH Challenging HHH HOO BOY!
EVEN EXCHANGE
by Donna Pettman
Each numbered row contains two clues and two answers. The two answers differ from each other by only one letter, which has already been inserted. For example, if you exchange the A from MASTER for an I, you get MISTER. Do not change the order of the letters.
SCRAMBLERS
Unscramble the letters within each rectangle to form four ordinary words. Then rearrange the boxed letters to form the mystery word, which will complete the gag!
WestValleyView.com /WestValleyView For more youth visit westvalleyview.com
Desert Edge sophomore wins essay contest
Desert Edge High School sophomore Isabell Wilson was honored during the annual Phoenix Veterans Day Parade on Nov. 11 .
(Submitted Photo)
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BY LAUREN SERRATO
West Valley View Staff Writer
Four Arizona high school students won the 2021 “Waving the Flag of Freedom” High School Essay Competition sponsored by Honoring America’s Veterans, the nonprofit organization behind the Phoenix Veterans Day Parade.
Among the winners is Desert Edge High School sophomore Isabell Wilson for her essay on what she has learned from her parents’ service in the military.
“Because it was a statewide contest, I didn’t think that I would win but when I got the email it was really cool and it was an awesome experience,” Wilson said. “I was really excited. My essay was pretty much what the flag represents for me. I wrote that it does have the general kind of concept that everybody thinks about but for me, it’s a little more personal as both of my parents have served, and I have lived the military lifestyle for a while with my parents.”
Students received a $250 cash prize and their teachers earned $150 to use in their classroom. The high schoolers were also honored at and participated in the 25th anniversary parade on Nov. 11 in central Phoenix.
The teenager said the parade was her favorite part of the experience, as she and the other three essay winners rode on a firetruck during the ceremony.
“I loved the experience,” Wilson said. “I got to wave and smile at everyone for a couple hours and it was awesome. It was so fun to watch the kids clapping and just looking at us and looking so happy. I think my favorite part was watching the little kids salute. It was so cute.”
All essay submissions were judged on focus, theme, creative writing, grammar, originality and content.
Paula Pedene, Phoenix Veterans Day Parade coordinator, said it was special having the essay winners in the 25th annual parade. She added that it helps achieve the parade’s purpose of educating youth about those who have served our country.
“We want to educate the youth of today as to who our veterans are and what they have done to safeguard our nation,” Wilson said. “That’s one of our goals. Another goal is to honor and recognize those who have served our country in order to safeguard our freedoms.”
Pedene said this year’s crowd was one of the largest she’d seen in years.
“We change the theme each year,” Pedene said. “They write an essay of 300 to 500 words every year based on a different theme. They have the option of interviewing a veteran or military member and really talking to them and then for some of them, it’s given them a chance to ask their grandpa, grandmother, brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers questions that they may not have asked before. So, if we can get them thinking about what these men and women give, to help us safeguard our freedoms, that’s what we want to do. We want them to have that broader understanding.”
Wilson did just that. In her essay, she wrote that her parents are her heroes. Her dad, Louis Wilson, is a master sergeant in the Air Force and has been serving for almost 20 years. Her mom, Tiffany Wilson, is a registered nurse, working to become a nurse practitioner.
“Obviously they’re my heroes because they serve but not just because of that,” she said.
“My mom is so resilient. She doesn’t just go for the bare minimum. She keeps going and has the mindset of I got this, but I need to work harder to do better. And my dad, he’s been in the
