Civility Promoted Through Ballroom Dance

PortDevaDesigns

Civility
Promoted
Through
Ballroom 
Dance 

Lessons taught in Ballroom Dance Class then translate to how we behave in society. (An interview with Debbie Weist & Peggy Molloy)

MOLLOY: When did you develop an interest in social dancing?

WEIST: I discovered Ballroom dance as a Dance Major at the University of Northern Colorado.

MOLLOY: How do you approach teaching etiquette within the bounds of your classes?

WEIST: Social dancing requires respectfulness with your partner in order to move smoothly and effectively. Also the dance starts with the invitation and includes how you move together on and off the dance floor, which involves social etiquette. I include this in all my classes when appropriate.

MOLLOY: Are you developing local (Humboldt County) teams that could compete?

WEIST: I am starting a Youth Ballroom class this month that could lead to a competitive team. I currently have an adult performance team.

MOLLOY: It is often difficult to find a trained male partner.

WEIST: I am fortunate to have an excellent male dance partner, Justin Golnik, to demonstrate classwork. His background includes team and solo competitions and cotillions in Los Angeles. 

MOLLOY: I know you have a website. Could you tell me the range of dance styles now available?

WEIST: American style tango, waltz, foxtrot, rumba, cha cha, samba, bolero, merengue, 'on one' salsa, East & West coast swing, hustle, and nightclub two-step.

Weist & Golnik

   Http://www.dancewithdebbie.biz  

Speaking of talent, grace is a manner of moving but can also be witnessed via a person's state of mind. Cultivating ourselves brings us reading to enhance our journey.
Recently a friend mentions THE TALENT CODE as a format to manifest the gifts we have been given.

"This is a remarkable--even inspiring--book. Daniel Coyle (author) has woven observations from brain research, behavioral research, and real-world training into a conceptual tapestry of genuine importance."...Dr. Robert Bjork, Distinguished Professor and Chair of Psychology, UCLA.

The Talent Code, written by Daniel Coyle, Published by Bantam 2009.
Http://thetalentcode.com 
 

ARTS MANAGEMENT UNIVERSALLY DONE

GOETHE INSTITUT PAKISTAN

arts management network
an interview with dirk heinze & peggy molloy 

MOLLOY: After receiving your newsletter for several years, I would like to ask you where your firm "Arts Management Network" is located?

HEINZE: We are located in Weimar, Germany. Our company was founded in 2002/2003.

MOLLOY: What is your company's story? (Http://www.artsmanagement.net)

HEINZE: Our company would not exist without the Internet. Our services are all designed to function online.

MOLLOY:  What are the basics?

HEINZE: We have three basic services on a subscription basis, online advertising, or digital journalism at two electronic magazines and two websites.

MOLLOY: What has been the most significant trend you have witnessed?

HEINZE: The most significant trend is the recent shift from one-way-communication to prosumption with the Web 2.0.

MOLLOY: Please explain.

HEINZE: The users themselves create content, and as we do the same, the result of sharing this content permanently at a global stage, is the added value of an online community.  

MOLLOY: May I have an example?

VERLANG DER TAGESSPIEGEL  BERLIN

HEINZE: We had a cultural management conference in Berlin. Academics, industry, society and
politics fuse together with new trends with new stakeholders in the process.

MOLLOY: I noticed another notice from an organization called MUSIC CHINA.  It appears you have arts-related news from the entire globe. The article states that Music China is Asia Pacific's leading music event. 

There are many different notes to choose from including an article about THE RESOURCE ALLIANCE, which is an international fundraising congress. Editing has become a clearer discipline for anyone putting out information.

As an observer, it appears that most editors and web mavens believe that they are in a fast forward mode and everything and everyone needs to catch up to them, it is possible that the digital trend-setters are just now able to catch up to our ancient global language that the visual and performing arts represent.

John Naisbitt, author of MEGATRENDS has a new book out titled HIGH TECH HIGH TOUCH.
For those of us who believe in a spiritual knowledge based upon universal principles of sacred and ethical living, Naisbitt's examination of the fabulous and the devastating are perched within the framework of contemporary technology. Again, religious people have been aware of a higher order for centuries, to be understood by technocrats in their terms,... is what makes this news. 

 Http://www.smallbiztrends.com/2012/05/book-review-high-tech-high-touch-customer-service

Future of publishing industry lies in technology

www.schillerinstitute.org

                                                                                               
BUG PRESS
is well-known in Humboldt County 
as the printing shop of choice. Established is 1972, it is privately held. 
Bug Press features commercial printing & lithographic services. 
ROBERT ARENA, owner, is highly articulate making him a great interview candidate.

MOLLOY: What is the biggest shift in the industry that you have noticed since you began?

ARENA: The technology and methods of delivering messages has changed with the advent of the internet and digital printing. While there has been democratization in this delivery, the education toward effectiveness is lacking.

MOLLOY: In your opinion, what does the future hold for the publishing industry?

ARENA: Publishing would deal with books and magazines. These materials now can be made in editions of one in print or just as interactive electronic documents.  We are in our infancy, only starting to see how this new paradigm will open possibilities.
It is very exciting. There is a rising need for individual books that can not be met by video displays, a push back to our increasingly impersonal technological world.

MOLLOY: What projects are you currently working on?

www.bugpress.com

ARENA: Up on the wall right now we have the program for "The Nutcracker Suite", an annual for the NORTH COAST DANCE. We also print up specialty jobs for local artists. The artists may not be able to sell a larger piece, but they can always sell a beautifully made card, printed on good stock, with a print-on-demand agreement. 

MOLLOY: I know of several fine art photographers who are dedicated to your diligence to give a good product. Thank you for doing such a great job on the program of the Eureka Symphony, in which I had placed an ad.

I had the opportunity to tour the Bug Press facilities located in Arcata, CA. Arena was a gracious host and stressed how much he enjoyed having visitors come by and check out the process.

For my own edification I searched Http://www.thedocumentacademy.org. 

Should a writer, artist, or group in need of a program, book or online marketing feedback for direct mailing efforts, Bug Press is sure to please. It is pleasure to watch a business develop and prosper knowing it had endured so many growing pains, shifting its emphasis and services as the industry has changed.

John LeBoutillier Independent Force

www.rawstory.com

I am very pleased to introduce   former New York Congressman (R) 
John LeBoutillier.

Having known LeBoutillier since the 1970's when he was going to Harvard, he graduated second in his class and promptly wrote
"Harvard Hates America: The Odyssey of a Born-Again American" (1978). I was clueless about politics, busy taking ballet classes and  going to museums.
I always liked John LeBoutillier and I am proud to call him a friend.
 
Always cryptic and direct, he wrote at second book "Vietnam Now: A Case for Normalizing Relations with Hanoi" (1978). I recall him begin referred to as the "enfant terrible" due to his fearless confrontation and unflappable youth within the House Of Representatives. He was the youngest member to ever win his seat. I hope he runs for President of the United States.

MOLLOY: When did you decide to get an agent?

LEBOUTILLIER: I have never had an agent ....negotiated my deal myself.

This figures now that he is on Fox News every Sunday, as a featured contributor. Being fiercely independent has always been a noticeable trait.

LeBoutillier served in the 97th Congress in New York's 6th District from 1981-1983. He served on the House of Foreign Affairs Committee. He was a member of the Special House POW/MIA Task Force. He founded the Sky Hook II Project, dedicated to recovering living American POWs in Southeast Asia.

LeBoutillier, Newsmax columnist, American political commentator, pundit & blogger you can read
"Boot's Blasts" on www.leboutillier.blogspot.com.
A Youtube video features LeBoutillier in a controversial conversation about the Marines scandal, the future of the Republican party, and much more. www.youtube.com/watch?v=LD8lqrzruJw

In general I think most creative people prefer to work with an agent or manager, but I also think it is healthy to be as independent as possible, so Bravo! John LeBoutillier!

Attorney Zwerdling discusses Martha Graham

www.libertylawsite.com

Attorney Zachary Zwerdling
is working out of Eureka, California although his educational background features Stanford University & Santa Clara University School of Law.

MOLLOY: As a creative artist myself in a cyberspace world, I was wondering if you dealt much with content protection at this point?

ZWERDLING: My practice focuses on civil law & personal injury cases, but I can easily suggest several lawyers working in the Los Angeles area that would have greater experience in this field. I am currently a member in a rock-and-roll band, therefore I  have a serious interest in copyright laws however. I hate it when files are stolen without proper credit.

MOLLOY: I am aware of a conference being sponsored by Variety Magazine upcoming in December that features the topic of content protection with some of the best minds and largest budgets in the industry. Http://www.contentprotectionsummit.com/2012/conference-programs

The beauty of knowing someone since high school days is that I know your mom was a dancer in NYC. Could you remind me who she had performed with?

www.pbs.org

ZWERDLING: Thanks for remembering my mom. Yes, she performed with Martha Graham Dance Company and also created a concert at Carnegie Hall with a friend of hers, another dancer. The score was developed especially by the same composer from the Graham company at the time.

MOLLOY: His name?

ZWERDLING: His name was Ned Roren, a peer of Aaron Copeland, who usually did the music.

MOLLOY: Do you have programs or costumes?

ZWERDLING: It is all packed away, but yes, I do have a collection that she had kept. I don't know where to begin.

MOLLOY: Let's start with pictures. I have the perfect camera, very simple. There are places in San Francicso... The Performing Arts Library at the War Memorial Opera House Complex, or in NYC at Lincoln Center, they also have a performing arts library and research center. I will get started for you, this is terribly exciting for me & I know it would of great interest to other dance lovers.

ZWERDLING: She definitely gave me the appreciation for dance.

MOLLOY: You were one of the few people who actually understood what I was doing... going off to dance class day after day during my teen age years. Dance was the only thing that made sense to me, & I remain devoted to my first love, the ballet. Thanks Zachary!

Zwerdling, Bragg, & Mainzer, LLP is the name of the firm where Zwerdling is currently at work.
Http://www.zbmlaw.com

www.zbmlaw.com

Evil & Good in Law & Entertainment

www.fanpop.com (Black Swan)

Since I was a child I have been fascinated with the full-length ballet "Swan Lake". I had the good fortune of having a mother that would take me to watch classical ballets in Portland, OR or San Francisco, CA. I witnessed The Royal Ballet from London, and The Bolshoi Ballet from Russia.
With the emblem arch-types of black & white, thus evil & good, my small child mind was riddled with symbolism for psychological metaphor.

The producer for the film "Black Swan", Fox Searchlight, is being sued by two former interns for violating minimum wage and overtime laws. Interns Glatt and Footman were seeking a jury trial in a suit where they were required to track purchase orders and personnel files. They was also gossip amongst the dance community about the use or misuse of the company dancers and stand-ins also.
(www.thewrap.com)

We are privy to another politically charged film, where there is a suit against "2016: Obama's America" Dinesh D'Souza, the documentary's star and director. Judge Kevin Enright wrote that "The applications before the court are vague, lack specificity, and do not seek to enjoin a particular act"...."The plaintiffs failed to make an adequate showing of irreparable harm to occur in such a way which cannot be later remedied". Apparently decisions about funding had been made in a manner that was not in line with the memory of the Sain Communications, Inc. or Rancho Esperanza, both entities felt entitled to rearrange how the money was being spent.(www.hollywoodreporter.com)

There has been some squabbling in California courts about Netflix in a Class Action Lawsuit. Netflix has had a practice titled "decoupling" which separates Entertainment Content Viewing History, be it television or movies a person may have watched. The issues include the protection of privacy, identity, and personal information through user control.(www.lawyersandsettlements.com)

In Sum: To me, the common thread of these three stories is the altered landscape of boundaries. In the dance world, there is such competition and willingness to perform on the stage, that often dancers are taken advantage of. Privacy concerns by customers are begin generated as each of us who use the Internet are inundated with companies and social websites beckoning and urging us to give us more and more personal information. The third boundary for me with serious consequences is that we now have a celebrity President. This is a manifestation of the need of government officials to look the part.
Unfortunately, we recently needed a Commander-In-Chief with military experience to make some difficult decisions that could have saved our Ambassador's life, and not a person who speaks well and rubs shoulders with television hosts, with priorities that included stardom but not citizen safety. As a product of the 50's-60's I well remember the McCarthy era, and to me, it is in reverse. People with traditional values are black-listed while celebrities without boundaries get the roles. Religious and faith-based persons who just say NO, are not often included in the crossover lifestyles witnessed and celebrated by most of today's public. I do not know a better place than the arts to express one's ideas, but I think so much of creativity can be sifted through a lens of political correctness, that creativity itself, has lost its innocence.

Libby Maynard, Community Arts Maven

www.inkpeople.org

Libby Maynard, trusted expert & community arts maven, ... she has graced the Humboldt County Arts Scene since first arriving to attend Humboldt State University in 1967.

Prior to her move, she had begun her collegiate career at Wellesley College, Wellesley, MASS. &
at the International School of Bangkok, Bangkok,
Thailand.

With her clear vision of the value of a community with a strong arts emphasis, she has pioneered individuals and organizations to propose projects that work within the realm of The Ink People mission. These proposals are determined to fall into four categories:  1) short-term "one-offs   2) long-term "one-offs"  3) standing programs of The Ink People  4) with development and planning, projects become separate 501c3 entities.

Confronting the myth of the eternal "starving artist", Maynard refuses to go negative. I personally have enjoyed her enthusiasm & support for creative projects, noticing her self-discipline to remain positive.

Back to detailing Maynard's work in Humboldt County, located in Northern California, she has organized cultural communities featuring their expression through the arts with Native Americans,
the Hmong, & with the Latino community. We are all the wealthier in spirit for these efforts.

Maynard is an excellent project manager, and her talent for fostering the creative spirits among us is a true strength. In addition to her love of the arts she has the required skills of good presentation, good understanding of business, command over writing, leadership skills for individuals & groups, and her high energy and integrity.

Another person dedicated to creative entrepreneurship is Mark McGuinness, with a website for artists that includes coaching, training and coursework called The Creative Pathfinder.
Http://www.lateralaction.com. 

Todd Henry is a leader in the creative productivity business. He discusses "inventing brilliant solutions that meet specific objectives by defined deadlines",...a tall order. But he is finding method ot the madness and along with his breakthrough book THE ACCIDENTAL CREATIVE, he offers a series of podcasts on his website Http://www.accidentalcreative.com.
AC Podcast: Steal Like An Artist with Austin Kleon
AC Podcast: Creative Inversion
AC Podcast: The Nature of Contribution
AC Podcast: Wyatt Jenkins of Shutterstock
AC Podcast: Leveraging Failure For Growth

We are fortunate indeed to have at our fingertips such an abundance of information & inspiration.