News stories tagged with "dance"

(04/12/12) Participants in a series of dance workshops tomorrow and Saturday will help create the mood for a final dance concert Saturday night in Potsdam. The St. Lawrence County Arts Council has invited the Sasha Soreff Dance Theater to bring their interactive dance piece, titled "The Shoelace Project," to the North Country this weekend.

Director Sasha Soreff told Todd Moe that audiences will participate by writing their hopes and fears on wide shoelaces before the show, and during the performance the company's dancers will use the shoelaces and translate the thoughts into movement. She says the workshops will be open to people of all abilities.

(02/29/12) Saratoga Springs is known for its mineral springs, race track and Revolutionary War battles, but it's also a popular gathering spot for those who love social dancing. Thousands gathered for a "flurry" of dancing and music at the Saratoga City Center earlier this month. The annual Dance Flurry Festival celebrated its 25th anniversary over the Presidents' Day weekend. There were dancers of all ages enjoying everything from African to Zydeco.

Originally, it was a one-day event near Albany back in 1987. Since then, the Flurry, as it's called, has evolved into a three-day winter gathering, drawing musicians, teachers, callers, volunteers, and of course, dancers from across the country. As Todd Moe found out, families have grown up coming to the Flurry and for some it's an annual tradition.

(11/15/11) Over the last few months, a new music and dance club at Sackets Harbor High School has grown from a few students to more than 30. The Glee Club focuses mostly on music, but there's an anti-bullying message, too.

Joanne Heaslip is the leader of Sackets Harbor's Parent Teacher Organization and manager of the Glee Club. She's hoping the arts and music will build self-confidence in students. The TV show Glee has made the club popular and even students from other districts have joined.

Heaslip told Todd Moe that Thursday night rehearsals are fun, but she wants the experience to help students who sometimes feel bullied in school to build self-respect and confidence. For more information about Sackets Harbor's Glee Club: slips824@yahoo.com

(09/06/11) A benefit spaghetti dinner and dance at the Whallonsburg Grange on Saturday night (5:30) will donate all the proceeds to area families in need of help after Irene. The event is dubbed, "Good Night, Irene." Todd Moe talks with Whallonsburg Grange Hall Program Director Mary-Nell Bockman about some of the cleanup efforts in the Champlain Valley and neighbors who lost their homes in the storm's aftermath.

(06/15/11) The 15th Ottawa Fringe Theatre and Arts Festival begins tomorrow and runs for ten days in venues in downtown Ottawa and at various locations throughout the University of Ottawa. Established in 1997, the Ottawa Fringe encourages unrestricted artistic expression and accessibility. Todd Moe spoke with Fringe Festival executive producer Natalie Joy Quesnel who says productions range from theater, comedy, music, dance and everything in-between.

(05/02/11) The dream of a performing arts center at SUNY Potsdam is a step closer to reality. The college broke ground for the new building last Friday. College officials say it's part of their plan for an "arts village" on campus that will offer cutting-edge technology and serve as an arts showcase for the college and community. Todd Moe reports.

(11/10/10) Love and adventure in Manhattan in the 1940s comes to the Snell Music Theatre at SUNY Potsdam this weekend. More than 70 drama, dance and music students are part of the collaborative production of On the Town. The show opens Thursday night (7:30 pm) and continues through Saturday night.

On the Town premiered on Broadway in 1944 and features the music of Leonard Bernstein. It includes numerous dance numbers and memorable songs like "New York, New York" and "I Can Cook Too." Todd Moe spoke with the show's musical director, choreographer and five members of the cast who are from the North Country.

(04/09/10) Songs, poetry and stories that depict pivotal events of the past century are part of An American Journey being presented Saturday night (7:30) in Potsdam. Women's Suffrage, the Great Depression, the civil rights era and the AIDS crisis are included in an evening of musical theater in Clarkson's Snell Auditorium in downtown Potsdam. Admission is free. The show is a nostalgic look at the struggles, tragedies and triumphs in 20th century America. Todd Moe talks with three cast members, Angela Conzone, Sarah Hope and Bernie Mulvaney about their artistic journey through the last century.

(03/24/10) The Crane Latin Ensemble mixes up a selection of classical salsa and Latin jazz tonight (7:30) in Snell Theater in Potsdam. They'll perform favorites like Tito Puente's Frenzy and Eddie Palmieri's Bilongo. Last spring, Todd Moe sat in on a rehearsal and spoke with some of the students and director Marsha Baxter who started the group when she arrived ten years ago with a passion for Latin music.

(03/19/10) The Potsdam Latin/bistro ensemble Piquant joins Todd Moe in the studio to help get us moving into spring. Dance along with the radio!