Tag Archives: Classical Chinese dance

Lively Foundation Creates Community: Embarcadero Publishing

This article appeared in Our Neighborhoods: Mountain View and Los Altos, December, 2019, a magazine published by the Embarcadero Publishing Co., which publishes the Mountain View Voice, Palo Alto Weekly, Menlo-Atherton Almanac newspapers. Lively thanks Embarcadero Publishing for recognizing The Lively Foundation as a leader in creating community and selecting us to represent our community.

The first thing Leslie Friedman notices when she enters a room is the floor. Wooden? Concrete? Tiled? Her dancer’s eye is always looking for good floors for dancing. She is also always searching  for ways her work can serve the community. She brings people together to dance, to enjoy dance, to learn about our many cultures, and about each other. Her dance succeeds at building community.
As an internationally touring performer, choreographer, and artistic director of the nonprofit Lively Foundation that operates in Old Mountain View, her deep passion for life and her art energizes her choreography and performances. She is first American dancer or artist of any kind to perform with joint sponsorship of the US State Department and host countries around the world. These “firsts” include performances in Moscow and Leningrad/St. Petersburg, Russia; Beijing, Shenyang, and Shanghai, China; Barcelona and Madrid, Spain; Warsaw, Lodz, Krakow, Poznan, Poland; New Delhi, Bengaluru (Bangalore), Kolkata (Calcutta), Chennai (Madras), India; Bucharest, Romania; Cairo and Alexandria, Egypt; Tunis, Tunisia, and more. Her performances in these cities plus London, Tokyo, Toronto, Seoul, were all given ovations and invitations to return.
She stirs up artistic presence on the Peninsula by inviting renowned dancers to teach and  perform in the annual International Dance Festival@Silicon Valley that she hosts in Mountain View.

Artistic Director, Leslie Friedman
First launched in 2012, the week long festival seeks to create performance opportunities for professional dance artists, offers intensive training for dancers and dance students, and invites the whole community to experience dance in professional performance. “Some audience members would be dance lovers, for some it would be their first time watching, for all we hope to give them the excitement and beauty of dance,” says Leslie. The Festival also attracts adults aged 15 and up to classes in a wide variety of dances and  exposes them to the new choreography created by the teaching artists.  Performances and classes include traditional dances from many cultures flourishing in the Bay Area: Irish set dancing, Salsa, Polish folk dance, Mexican Folclorico, Afro-Haitian, several kinds of classical Indian dances, classical Chinese dance. These are in addition to Ballet, Tap, Line Dances, Contemporary, Jazz, and Ballroom dances.

Crystal Bella Chen and Oscar Adrian Rodriguez perform Ballroom dance in the International Dance Festival@Silicon Valley, 2019

“There is a rich variety of movement styles available for our open Master Classes on the Festival’s Full Day of Dance©,” says Leslie, “We encourage everyone to do what they love and also try something new.” All the classes are mixed levels. That includes beginners and pros.
“A ballerina will have an opportunity to learn Afro-Haitian Dance and love it as a beginner in the class. A complete beginner might have a wonderful time in Line dances or find a gift for Tap,” Friedman explains. “Professional dancers can showcase their work here. It gives them new audiences, a chance  to demonstrate and develop their art.”
Through the IDF@SV, Friedman said she hopes to bring the diversity of arts of different origins while involving the community in dance. She also believes it is possible and important that everyone finds a way to move that they enjoy enough to keep doing.
“Move whatever moves, wiggle whatever wiggles,” she said. “If my work inspires someone to keep moving, wow!”
]ennifer Urmson, a mother of two boys, was happy to endorse the way Leslie Friedman and The Lively Foundation build community. She started taking Friedman’s weekly ballet classes when a friend invited her two years ago. “I had not been dancing for a very long time, and I was nervous about the idea of doing ballet as an adult,” Urmson said, adding that as a child, she was told ballet was for bodies of a certain shape. “But Leslie is wonderful as a teacher, very open and supportive. I was really pleased that after a couple of lessons, I felt myself getting stronger and improving my balance.”
Within Jennifer’s class there was a woman in her early 20s, other moms, and retirees. A few of them were organize activities for their dance class friends outside class, such as going together to attend a ballet performance at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts.
Urmson said whether you attend several classes or take part in a single workshop at the Festival, The Lively Foundation seems to have a way of connecting people.
“Months after the dance Festival, you’ll hear people exchanging highlights from the event when they run into one another around town,” she said. “Even if it’s just one class, you see a different side of people. You feel you know them better.” For more information about the International Dance Festival@Silicon Valley, contact livelyfoundation@sbcglobal.net
­—Esther Young, 2019; photo of Leslie Friedman demonstrating a movement for Julie Van Gelder, private student and Festival participant, by Magali Gauthier

IDF@SV IS “AWESOME!” – DANCERS’ COMMENTS

LF Angel hi-resINTERNATIONAL DANCE FESTIVAL@SILICON VALLEY, 2015 began just two months ago. It was a whirlwind of dance, energy, creativity. Comments keep coming in from participants about how much they loved their experiences. The word most often, and most appropriately, used is AWESOME, awesome teachers, awesome dancers, awesome new friends. Here are just two sent to Dr. Leslie Friedman, founder and director of IDF@SV.

Amity Johnson“Boy, did I have fun taking those classes!  I am glad you offered Pilates because I have always wanted to try it, and I just loved it—and Amity is awesome! What a wonderful, fun experience and I just adore all the people I’ve met at the festival this year and last…Thank you from the bottom of my heart for making all this possible. Love & admire you to pieces!”     C

Ann Woo 12“Leslie, Thank you so much for the wonderful forum to present dance to the Silicon Valley!  Loved the teachers, classes – (yours was awesome!) and beautiful environment you created!  Great to see Ann Woo again too!  Much appreciated, Leianne

COME DANCE WITH US! it really is that wonderful.

Pictures: top to bottom: Artist/teachers Leslie Friedman, Contemporary Dance & Choreo-cubator©; Amity Johnson, Pilates; Ann Woo, Classical Chinese Dance.

 

IDF@SV FESTIVAL CONCERT TODAY!

The International Dance Festival@Silicon Valley presents the FESTIVAL CONCERT, today, Aug. 16, 3 p.m. It is at the Mountain View Masonic Center, 890 Church St., corner of Church & Franklin, in Mountain View, CA, 94041. Don’t miss the beauty and fun of this concert! Dance styles include: Bharatanatyam, choreographed by Shilpa Torvi; Classical Chinese ribbon dance, choreographed by Ann Woo; Contemporary dance, choreographed by Leslie Friedman; Salsa, choreographed by Leanne Rinelli; Tap choreographed by Audreyanne Covarrubias. Tickets: $15 general/$10 for over 65 or under 10 years of age. $25 sponsor ticket receives preferred seating and includes a $10, tax deductible donation to The Lively Foundation, the not for profit presenter of IDF@SV. Don’t miss this great event!

IDF@SV 2015: CLASS SCHEDULE

free_1999544Here it is: the class schedule for your most wonderful dancing week. Please note: (1) there are differences day to day, especially MWF schedules compared to Tues & Thursday, and (2) there are two venues, our Headquarters at the Mountain View Masonic Center, and the nearby Pacific Ballet Academy, 1095 Wright Ave., Mountain View.

MONDAY and WEDNESDAY, August 10 & 12

12:00      –  1:30   Classical Chinese adults & teens               Mtn. View Masonic Center              1:30        –  3:00   Contemporary Dance                                Mtn. View Masonic Center                3:15        –  4:45   Salsa                                                         Mtn. View Masonic Center               6:00   –       7:30   Choreo-cubator©                                      Pacific Ballet Academy                    7:30  –        9:00   Dunham Technique (Afro-Haitian)             Pacific Ballet Academy

TUESDAY, August 11

9:00 am  -10:30   Contemporary Dance                   meets at Mtn. View Masonic Center          10:30      -12:00   Classical Chinese for Adults         meets at the Mtn. View Masonic Center      12:00     –   1:30   Classical Chinese for ages 12-14 meets at the Mtn. View Masonic Center       1:30       –   3:00   Dunham Technique                      meets at the Mtn. View Masonic Center          6:00      –    7:30   Choreo-cubator©                         meets at Mtn. View Masonic Center                7:30       –   9:00   Salsa                                            meets at Mtn. View Masonic Center

THURSDAY, August 13

9:00 am    -10:30  Contemporary Dance                 meets at Mountain View Masonic Center     10:30        -12:00  Classical Chinese for Adults       meets at Mountain View Masonic Center     12:00       –  1:30   Classical Chinese     age 12-14  meets at the Mtn. View Masonic Center       1:30         –  3:00   Salsa                                           meets at the Mtn. View Masonic Center       6:00pm    –  7:30   Choreo-cubator©                        meets at Pacific Ballet Academy                        7:30         –  9:00   Dunham Technique                     meets at Pacific Ballet Academy

FRIDAY, August 14

10:30am   -12:00  Classical Chinese for Adults       meets at Mountain View Masonic Center      12:00        –  1:30  Classical Chinese  age 12-14     meets at Mountain View Masonic Center        1:30          –  3:00  Contemporary Dance                 meets at Mountain View Masonic Center       3:15          –  4:45  Dunham Technique                    meets at Pacific Ballet Academy                   6:00          –  7:15  Choreo-Cubator©                      meets at Mountain View Masonic Center       7:30          –  9:00  Salsa                                          meets at Mountain View Masonic Center

35897490QUESTIONS?  CONTACT THE LIVELY FOUNDATION: livelyfoundation@sbcglobal.net

 

International Dance Festival@Silicon Valley: PROGRAM DATES!

Leslie angelLeslie 5IDF@SV, 2015, the fourth season of this amazing, unique festival, opens August 9. Please take a look at the program dates below. You won’t want to miss your opportunity to dance, perform, create, watch and enjoy great dance. All events and classes at the Mountain View Masonic Center, 890 Church St., Mountain View, CA, 94041. Accessible building. Free parking.

FESTIVAL PREVIEW:  Sunday, AUGUST 9, Features 2 drop-in classes, Afro-Haitian/Dunham Technique, and Cuban Salsa. No partner needed. FREE COFFEE TASTING PRESENTED BY GAVINA GOURMET COFFEE, FREE SALSA PERFORMANCE LED BY SENSUOUS, FABULOUS  SALSA-ISTA, LEANNE RINELLI.

M2F© INTENSIVE WORKSHOPS: MON-FRI, AUGUST 10-14, practice technique & learn repertory in Classical Chinese Dance, Contemporary Dance, Cuban Salsa, Afro-Haitian/Dunham Tech, and the all new Choreo-Cubator© which is your opportunity to create or polish your own dance. Classical Chinese Dance is offered in two classes: one for ages 12-14, one for mid-teens to any adult age. M2F© workshops are best for intermediate to advanced/professional dancers. You might be advanced in contemporary but a newbie in Chinese, that’s fine. Choreo-Cubator© dancers show their work on Aug. 14, 6 p.m.

               Etta WaltonSmallFULL DAY OF DANCE©: Saturday, Aug. 15, The Original, Wonderful Full Day offers 7 open master classes. All are mixed levels. Take something you love; try something new. Classes start at 9 a.m.; end at 5 p.m. Take one or more. Best Deal & Most Fun: take them all. Price per class reduces with each added class. Afro-Haitian/Dunham, Leslie Arbogast; Tap, Audreyanne Covarrubias; Classical Chinese Dance, Ann Woo; Pilates mat, Amity Johnson; Contemporary, Leslie Friedman; Cuban Salsa, Leanne Rinelli; Line Dances, Etta Walton. No partners needed for Lines or Salsa. Please bring a mat or big towel for Pilates, tap shoes preferable for tap class. Ages 15- any age adult.

FESTIVAL CONCERT! Sunday, August 16, 3 p.m.,The Gala Celebration of Dance, Premiere Works & Guest Artists. Performances & Choreography by our Nationally & Internationally Acclaimed Artists: Leslie Arbogast, Audreyanne Covarrubias, Leslie Friedman, Leanne Rinelli, Etta Walton, Ann Woo, and The Festival Dancers. Complimentary refreshments. Open Seating. Tickets: $15 general/$10 over 65 or under 10/$25 Sponsor: best seats &LeanneSmall $10 is a tax deductible donation.

For information & reservations, contact livelyfoundation@sbcglobal.net  or call 650/969-4110 follow  IDF@SV on facebook/international dance festival silicon valley & facebook/The Lively Foundation see more details on prices and programs here on the Livelyblog http://www.livelyfoundation.org/wordpress/?=cat2

Pictures: at top: Leslie Friedman (L); Leslie Arbogast (R); middle head shot, Etta Walton; bottom, Leanne Rinelli.

 

 

Time to Dance! Time to Shine! Scholarships for Your Art

 

BeingACatIDF@SV, 2015,Scholarship application form is below. Deadline for us to receive your application is June 30, 2015. That will give us time to review your information and reply. There are full and partial scholarships. Festival Dates: M2F© workshops: 8/10-8/14; Full Day of Dance© 8/15; Festival Concert: 8/16.

ADDITIONAL AID is available in the form of:

1)  FREE Home Stays in the charming, residential neighborhood near our center. Within walking distance for all classes and rehearsals.                                                                                                          2)  FRIENDLY FRIEND FEE: bring a friend with you and both of you receive a discounted rate              3)  EARLY BIRD FEE:  You will still have time to apply with the Early Bird fee, another big discount. So, if you receive a partial scholarship, you can save more by getting the Early Bird rate, too.

SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION FOR IDF@SV, 2015; Deadline is June 30, 2015. You may add pages if necessary for any items.

NAME:

Home Address:

City, State, Zip code:

Email address:

Tel: _____________________________(home)____________________________(cell)

Previous Dance Training:

 

 

I am primarily a dancer of ( ) Ballet ( ) Contemp ( ) Jazz ( ) Other –please specify

 

Please describe your interest in the International Dance Festival‐Silicon Valley

 

 

What are your previous performance experiences?

 

 

Will you perform in the Festival Concert? ( ) yes ( ) no

Will you take the full Festival or only part of it? {  } yes  {  } no

The Lively Foundation offers a limited number of full or partial scholarships. Partials include help for the M2F© workshops and/or Full Day of Dance©. Please let us know if you would accept any of these opportunities or only one. NOTE: The Lively Foundation scholarship does not cover transportation or housing. We try to find suitable home stays for full time students who request this.

VIDEO: Do you have a video of yourself dancing? Please send it to The Lively Fndn by email: livelyfoundation@sbcglobal.net OR by US mail: 550 Mountain View Ave, Mountain View, CA 94041-1941

IF you have a resume which shows your education, dance training, performance experience you may send that, but we also must have this application form. For more information, please see Facebook/The Lively Foundation   AND Facebook/international dance festival silicon valley OR email: livelyfoundation@sbcglobal.net OR call 650/969-4110

OUR GOAL IS TO DANCE WITH YOU. WE MAKE THE APPLICATION PROCESS ACCESSIBLE and OFFER YOU HELP WITH HOUSING. YOU COME TO DANCE, EXPRESS YOURSELF, INVENT YOUR OWN DANCES, WORK WITH FANTASTIC ARTIST/TEACHERS. APPLY NOW!!!Lively Foundation Artistic Director Leslie Friedmanphotos: top: Being a Cat, Leslie Friedman & Amity Johnson, rehearsal IDF@SV, 2014; above/left: Leslie Friedman, Artistic Director.

Put Your Heart Back in Your Art: Scholarships Applications for IDF@SV-2015

"                               "

Scholarship application form is below. Deadline for us to receive your application is June 30, 2015. That will give us time to review your information and reply. There are full and partial scholarships. Application is below.

ADDITIONAL AID is available in the form of:

1)  FREE Home Stays in the charming, residential neighborhood near our center. Within walking distance for all classes and rehearsals.                                                                                                          2)  FRIENDLY FRIEND FEE: bring a friend with you and both of you receive a discounted rate              3)  EARLY BIRD FEE:  You will still have time to apply with the Early Bird fee, another big discount. So, if you receive a partial scholarship, you can save more by getting the Early Bird rate, too.

SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION FOR AUGUST 10-16, 2015; Deadline is June 30, 2015. You may add pages if necessary for any items.

NAME:

Home Address:

City, State, Zip code:

Email address:

Tel: _____________________________(home)____________________________(cell)

Previous Dance Training:

 

 

I am primarily a dancer of ( ) Ballet ( ) Contemp ( ) Jazz ( ) Other –please specify

 

Please describe your interest in the International Dance Festival‐Silicon Valley

 

 

What are your previous performance experiences?

 

 

Will you perform in the Festival Concert? ( ) yes ( ) no

Will you take the full Festival or only part of it? {  } yes  {  } no

The Lively Foundation offers a limited number of full or partial scholarships. Partials include help for the M2F© workshops and/or Full Day of Dance©. Please let us know if you would accept any of these opportunities or only one. NOTE: The Lively Foundation scholarship does not cover transportation or housing. We try to find suitable home stays for full time students who request this.

VIDEO: Do you have a video of yourself dancing? Please send it to The Lively Fndn by email: livelyfoundation@sbcglobal.net OR by US mail: 550 Mountain View Ave, Mountain View, CA 94041-1941

IF you have a resume which shows your education, dance training, performance experience you may send that, but we also must have this application form. For more information, please see Facebook/The Lively Foundation   AND Facebook/international dance festival silicon valley

OUR GOAL IS TO DANCE WITH YOU. WE MAKE THE APPLICATION PROCESS ACCESSIBLE and OFFER YOU HELP WITH HOUSING. YOU COME TO DANCE, EXPRESS YOURSELF, INVENT YOUR OWN DANCES, WORK WITH FANTASTIC ARTIST/TEACHERS. APPLY NOW!!!