| PalmFest Issues Call for Performers and Participants
On October 6 - 7, 2007 the second annual PalmFest International Folklife Celebration will be held at the new McAllen Convention Center located at Ware Road and Expressway 83 in McAllen. The festival emphasizes the cultural and ethnic diversity of the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. This year it will partner with the City of McAllen, the McAllen Heritage Center, the expanded Fajita Cookoff, the McAllen South Rotary Club, and the McAllen Chamber of Commerce. The event will have two main stages and several smaller performance areas. Organizers are seeking singers and musicians including blues, bluegrass, conjunto, country, folk, gospel, harmony, jazz, mariachi, rock, symphonic, and others. Ethnic folk, ballet, flamenco, folklorico, Indian, salsa, hip hop, belly, break, and other dancers are being sought. The Valley has many ethnic groups such as African, Argentinean, Australian, Austrian, Belgian, Brazilian, British, Cajun, Canadian, Chilean, Chinese, Croatian, Cuban, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Egyptian, Filipino, French, German, Greek, Hawaiian, Hungarian, Indian, Iranian, Irish, Japanese, Korean, Lebanese, Mexican, Middle Eastern, Native American, Norwegian, Pakistani, Polish, Peruvian, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Scottish, Scandinavian, Swedish, Spanish, Thai, Ukrainian, Venezuelan, Vietnamese, Welsh and others. Participation by all these groups and other nationalities residing in the Rio Grande Valley is desired.
Summer Arts Preview: Dance
The slate isn't as full as during many companies' fall-to-spring seasons, but the ethnic festivals and variety of lessons give die-hards their fix while keeping dancers busy. From quiet, reserved pieces to exuberant ensembles, here are a few of the best offerings of the season. An Evening of Percussive Dance.National champion choreographers and dancers unite in Fort Collins to showcase their clogging, flamenco, tap, Irish and other ethnic dances. The high- energy "a cappella" program presents an overview of classic forms and more modern takes. Featuring High Country Cloggers. Friday-Saturday, Lincoln Center, $12-$16, 970-221-6735 or lctix.com Danse Etoile Ballet's "Soirée." Artistic director Marie-Jose Payannet premieres new works during this evening of dance, music, theater and joie de vivre.
MEDICAL AND FITNESS NEWS
DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I have a good friend in the hospital being treated for pancreatitis. He has had parts of his pancreas removed. How does a person survive without a pancreas? -- G.B. A: The pancreas, which lies beneath the stomach and next to the duodenum -- the first part of the small intestine -- has two important functions. It makes insulin, and it makes digestive enzymes for food absorption. Pancreas inflammation -- pancreatitis -- derails both functions. Blood sugar rises without insulin, and foods can't be digested without enzymes. In addition, pancreatitis produces abdominal pain, often severe enough to double people over. The pain is above the navel and frequently bores through to the back. Nausea and vomiting can accompany the pain. Inflammation causes the release of digestive enzymes into the gland itself, so the basis of injury is self-digestion of the gland.
Local dancer says ta-ta to her tutu
"I wanted to go out while they still want me," the Mantua Township resident mused. The company's selection of Janek Schergen's "Sleeping Beauty" as the final production of its 2006-07 season solidified her decision as to when. Amiss, 32, will leave the stage as a Pennsylvania Ballet soloist for the last time Saturday night after performing as Bluebird. The role is one that Amiss suggested "represents" her at this stage of life: "Feeling free and dancing freely like a bird will fly." Few fly from the ballet's 39 member corps each year on their own. One, maybe two a year opt to move on after each season. "Here, the wall is not up," Amiss suggested of the competitive nature of dance.
Kenyetta Abdul-Azeez, 21, student, dancer and occasional tomboy
And hats and bandanas and T-shirts. I am a tomboy at heart. And plus, I'm very active so anything that's too tight or too girly or dressy, I can't really get with." Do you ever dress up? "I do. When I go out, I wear those gauchos. Whoever invented gauchos, they get an A-plus. Because they work well with big thighs. (Laughs). Sorry. But, I usually wear gauchos or pants and a halter or just a T-shirt or something. I love jeans, too. It's a very subtle style, I guess. Not too flashy or out there." Where did you get this outfit? "The skirt I bought last summer. It was on a whim, type of thing. The shirt, I got from Deb's in the mall. And it's like my favorite shirt because I love wearing off the shoulder stuff. It's so cute. The shoes are my old prom shoes from, like, a thousand years ago." You're a dancer with a local belly dance troupe and the Three Rivers Jenbe Ensemble.
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