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The Yellow Springs Experience

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Summer is amazing, all of a sudden there is just so much to do. And I want to do it all! (Well not really, all. Would you believe 1/2?) But here comes another great summer weekend that I have been looking forward to for months! I want to play at the Cirque, pop my gob of gum onto the Traveling Gum Wall, dance with my sweetie under the stars, and, and, well you get the idea.

The Yellow Springs Experience is this weekend, July 15th-17th. There are special events for kids, events for families and lots of fun activities you can enjoy by yourself or with a friend. It starts on Friday night with The Dayton Street Cirque Carnival, the best street party ever.

The Cirque Carnival will be at the convergence of Dayton & Corry Streets from 6-10 pm.

Soul Fire Tribe, fire dancing at the Cirque.

On the Main Stage

• 6-7pm Sportfishing USA

• 7pm Egyptian Breeze

• 7:30-8:45pm YSKP Cotton Club Review

• 8:45pm Yoga Springs Studio

• 9-10pm The Undercovered

At the Acoustic Stage

• 6-6:30pm Coat Hanger Halos

• 6:30 Brendan Sheehan Solo Act

• 7-8pm Acoustic Reveille

• 8-8:30 John and Maria Booth (Spoken Word)

• 8:30-9:30pm Johnny, Stills, Stash, and Youngin

In the Ring of Amazement

• 6:30-7pm- the Jill Becker Group with Dance Improv
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• 7-7:30pm -The Daredevil Circus Act 1 (aerial performance)

• 7:30 pm-Juggling .

• 8-8:30pm – Laylia – Tribal Belly Dance

• 8:30pm- Flash Mob Dancers

• 9-9:30pm -The Daredevil Circus Act 2

• 10pm Soul Fire Tribe

And there’s a Kids Parade (at 6:30pm, all kids invited!)- The Traveling Gum Wall, (a perfectly disgusting, interactive, public-art experience) –Artisan Booths –Massage and Tarot Readings, you can get Feathers Extensions for your hair and Spray On Tatoos and of course Food! Come in costume if you want. There will be lots of great people watching.

Whew, that’s just the beginning of this wacky weekend!

On Saturday, there are 4 great workshops! You can learn how to make “Sterling Silver Rings” (you make 3 rings to take home.) Or during “Japanese Paper Lanterns” a 2 day workshop, on Saturday you create your own handmade paper, then on Sunday you get to make the Lanterns. Saturday afternoon you can find out about “Ayurvedic Healing” or have a blast learning to “Belly Dance”. Registration is required for the workshops. To register- get artists’ contact info at yellow-springs-experience.org

Also on Saturday, from 3-6 p.m. at the Village Artisans, artist and children’s book author Kathy Moulton will be holding a book signing, talk and reception for the original art from her 4 new books. Kathy’s popular art is made up of a wonderful world of gentle humor. Ask her about her adventures in self-publishing and making art on her computer. Any child that comes to visit will receive free coloring pages (samples from her new books.)

Have a “Quick Sketch” done be Artist Clarice Moore. She’ll be set up at the Art Park, 100 Corry Street, all day Saturday. Or pop into EdenWorld and have a Wellness or Spa Session or have your tarot cards read..

If you love to hike in the woods, Saturday morning includes a docent-led “Birding Hike” through Glen Helen, Yellow Springs much beloved 1000 acre woods.

In the evening it’s mucho Music, mucho Dancing Events and Theater with the YS Kids Playhouse performing “The Cotton Club.”

(I covered that part in my last blog entry. There is so much going on during an Experience weekend that it’s too much for one post! If you would like to read about the Saturday night music and dance events read “Gotta Dance? Do It in Yellow Springs.”

O.K. on to Sunday. Come back and take a peaceful docent led “Wildflower Hike” in the afternoon. Or give yourself a treat and relax with an Edenworld massage. From 2-3 in the afternoon, at the Glen building you can hear a talk about the “Myths and Truths About Coyotes” and Sunday night, you can take in a performance of the Cotton Club.”

Well that’s the scoop, for details go to yellow-springs-experience.com

See you in the Springs!

Gotta Dance? Do it in Yellow Springs!

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Do you find yourself grinning and “Woo Hooing” when someone says let’s go dancing?  Have I got a night made for you!   On Saturday July 16th Yellow Springs will be packed with opportunities to dance.

Dance Event #1

At 6:30p.m. and 8 p.m.  The Show—a Springfield-Yellow Springs based rock trio will be performing original, high-energy music that spans genres from garage and surf, to punk and funk! This musical event accompanies a 6-9 p.m. art exhibit called Synesthesia , featuring concert posters by Ryan Henry & guests. Henry’s designs are influenced from the Art Noveau and Psychedelic poster genres. It takes place at the YSAC Gallery Space and in the beautiful Garden in the back at 309 Xenia Ave.  It’s a free event!

For more information on The Show, go to www.myspace.com/theshowwillgrow

Dance Event #2

7-10pm Dance Piazza @ the Art Park—100 Corry Street is another free event! [yframe url=”]

DJ JuJu’s Dance Piazza is an outdoor international dance party. From 7-8 p.m. on July 16th, Jill Christie of the Dayton Ballroom Dance Club will be demonstrating Swing Dance and encouraging anyone who wants to dance, to try it out.

Then from 8-10pm DJ Juju will spin Latin dance and other world music including Afro-beat, Bhangra, Middle Eastern, club, old-school and R & B.

Judith “Juju” Wolert-Maldonado is a photojournalist, documentary filmmaker and DJ living and working in between Yellow Springs, Ohio, New York City and Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Judith says” When in the Buenos Aires province, I frequently attend a weekly outdoor festival, the “Feria de Mataderos.” Each Sunday, thousands of Argentines gather in the closed-off streets to dance the day and night away to the live, diverse sounds of Argentine folk music. If there is an empty ground space at this festival, it quickly fills up with dancers or musicians, just regular folks who enjoy the camaraderie and freedom of dancing and playing out in the open, because they can.  During the Argentine dictatorship of the 1970s and early ’80s, violent curfews and censorships eliminated any sort of festival or public arts events. “

Dance Piazza is also taking place on the following dates with dance instructors featuring different kinds of dance for each event.

JULY 2 – Bhangra (Punjabi Folk Dance) with Karanvir Singh

AUGUST 6 – Mexican Folk Dance with Nuestro Orgullo youth dance troupe

AUGUST 20 – Flamenco Dance & Guitar with Mariya Tarakanova & Brent Del Bianco of Flamencotalk

SEPTEMBER 3 – West African Drum & Dance with BabaaRitah Clark

SEPTEMBER 17 – Appalachian Clogging & Old Time Music with Rick Good (formerly of Rhythm in Shoes) & Friends

The Dance Piazza will be cancelled in case of severe thunderstorms but will carry on under shelter in light rain! *

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEBFtOE4CTM’]

More info: (937) 430-2505 or juju70@msn.com

Dance Event #3

Then there is Ballroom Dancing Under the Stars

9:00 p.m.- 11p.m.  At the Antioch Amphitheater.  Directions to The Amphitheater can be found by visiting www.yskp.org or calling 767-7800.

Ticket are $5.00

Ballroom Dancing Under the Stars will feature live music, lots of prizes, great dancing and a cash bar. After the performance of the Cotton Club (YS Kids Playhouse is performing the Cotton Club, an original Jazz Musical at the Amphitheater at 7:30 p.m.) as the applause dies down, and the stars come out, the sets will be spirited away, a cash bar will magically appear (it’s all magic in the theater) and the band will begin to play.  It’s time for Dancing under the Stars!  (If you like to dress up wear a Jazz Era costume. there will be prizes for costumes too.)

So that’s the line up for Saturday evening on July 16th but I can’t resist telling you about one more opportunity to dance that is going on earlier in the day.

It’s a Belly Dancing  Workshop with one of my favorite dancers.

Saturday July 16th from 2:30-3:30 Janna Mueller will be teaching Intro to Belly Dancing . Her prices are great!  For individual’s it’s only $15, for a Mother/daughter $25 for two, or if you bring a friend (two people sign up together) it’s $25 for two.

Janna is the director of the Egyptian Breeze Belly Dance troupe.  If you have ever gone to the Yellow Springs Street Fair, you’ve seen them.  Janna teaches belly dance to women and girls of all ages, shapes and sizes.  I’ve had friends take her workshops and they say it’s a lot of fun, there’s loads of laughing and letting loose.  You get to learn the basic moves of belly dance, try on belly dance hip scarves and get dancing! To register contact Janet at: 532-3950 or E-Mail- dancewithjanna@yahoo.com You can visit Janet’s web site at- Egyptianbreeze.com

All these dance events are part of the Yellow Springs Summer Experience-July 15-17.  To find out about other fun events (and there are a lot of them!) going on during the Summer Experience go to: yellow-springs-experience.org

Yellow Springs Street Fair is Coming!

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Street Fair is Coming!

Plans for summer events are really brewing around Yellow Springs.  The Chamber is full of signs ready to go out and huge maps of booth positions.  Artists are dropping in with questions.  You can feel the energy in the air.  Street Fair is coming June 11th 9 a.m.-5 p.m.! Everywhere I turn, artists are working feverishly to get a booth full of pottery, sculpture, paintings, hand-crafted clothes, bags or unique jewelry ready for you.

One of my favorites is Jennifer Float’s booth with her colorful and whimsical paintings.  Jenny is a happy painter.  She has a very high “Awww” factor.  Everyone smiles when they see her work.   For the last 2 months, every time I see Jenny shop sitting at Village Artisans (an artist co-op in Yellow Springs) she has half-done canvases stacked on every surface and a brush in hand.  Jenny doesn’t do much sitting when she shop-sits.

So, you probably know about Street Fair, but do you know about some of the other cool events being planned for this summer?  On June 17th, the Friday after Street Fair, is Yellow Springs’ Art Stroll from 6-9 p.m.  One of my favorite shows is happening that night.  Every 2 years is the Miniature Show at “would you could you In A Frame,” at 113 Corry Street. This year, fifty-two artists have created over 100 pieces of fabulous, tiny art. Included are 3-D works, paintings, embroideries, encaustics and more, all no larger than 3 inches x 2 inches.

Art by Lance Rudegeair

The new gallery in town is Springs Gallery in King’s Yard, 220 Xenia Avenue. It will have its Grand Opening celebration during Art Stroll.  I’ve already had a peek inside and  loved the art.  Many of their artists will be present at the opening.

The Yellow Springs Arts Council Gallery, 309 Xenia Ave. is having a great reception that will include art, live music and belly dancing.

Also on Art Stroll night, the Art’s Council in partnership with the Jafagirls is going to have a truly disgusting, Interactive Public Art Project at the Art Park at 100 Corry Street. The world’s first Traveling Gum Wall will be there. This summer and fall the Traveling Gum Wall is going to be popping up all over town, serving as a fundraiser for the Arts Council.  Gum is sold for a buck a piece.  You buy the gum, chew, chew some more, squish it onto the Gum Wall, and then sign the back.

Whoops, almost forgot, the Gum Wall will be at Street Fair too at the Arts Council’s Oasis,  309 Xenia Ave.

Much more is going on during Art Stroll, Art Sale at Village Artisans, live music, beer making demo, wine tasting, Free Art Friday,….

Maybe I better explain Free Art Friday.  It’s a movement around the world to leave art on the streets for anyone to find and take home. It’s been a while since the Jafagirls of Yellow Springs have done a Free Art Friday. But the word is out, Friday the 17th there will be art for the finding.  (Check the trees!)

Quick run down of other offerings for the summer:  Twice a month, 1st and 3rd Saturdays, will be “Dance Piazza” with DJ Juju at the Art Park, 100 Corry Street.

From 7-8 p.m. there are dance instructors to show steps to anyone who wants to join in.  From 8-10 p.m. It’s an international Dance Party with DJ Juju.

Here is a list of the styles of Dance taught for the first hour of each Dance Piazza. The last  two hours dance any which way you please!

  • JUNE 18 – International Folk Dances with Miami Valley Folk Dancers
  • JULY 2 – Bhangra (Punjabi Folk Dance) with Karanvir Singh
  • JULY 16 – Swing Dance with Jill Christie of the Dayton Ballroom Dance Club
  • AUGUST 6 – Mexican Folk Dance with Nuestro Orgullo youth dance troupe
  • AUGUST 20 – Flamenco Dance & Guitar with Mariya Tarakanova & Brent Del Bianco of Flamencotalk
  • SEPTEMBER 3 – West African Drum & Dance with BabaaRitah Clark
  • SEPTEMBER 17 – Appalachian Clogging & Old Time Music with Rick Good (formerly of Rhythm in Shoes) & Friends

July brings : The Cotton Club” a YS Kids Playhouse jazz musical and  the “Yellow Springs Experience.” July 15th –17th three days and nights filled with the “Cirque Carnival,” Live music and Dance, Wellness and Spa Sessions, Nature Hikes and Art Workshops.  Woo hoo!  Tell you more about that later.

See you in the Springs!

Music and skating come together in Yellow Springs

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Music and skating have always had a close relationship, especially in the Dayton region where many local songs have been used in local skating videos.  You can experience both the music and the skating live this weekend in Yellow Springs.  Sunday marks the 2010 Yellow Springs Skate-Music Fest, a daytime event that helps raise money to maintain the Yellow Springs Skate Park.  The festival is 3-8pm at the Bryan Center Skate Park in Yellow Springs.

Featured in the lineup is Yellow Springs/Springfield band The Show, Dayton’s Fuzz Hound, and Yellow Springs’ favorites Doctor Meat, and Psychonaut Suitcase.  The festival also features three younger bands: Blue Moon Soup, The Hat Trick and Francisco & Hammy.  The younger bands will compete against each other for the “SMuRF Award,” and a chance to play at Peaches Grill.  Tickets are $3 for those under 18 and $5 for adults.

This event is part of the Yellow Springs Experience.  For more on that event, check out Frank Coleman’s post here on DaytonMostMetro.com.

Yellow Springs Experience: An Immersion into Art & Culture

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The last time I visited Yellow Springs, I went used book shopping at Dark Star Books, walked the trails at the beautiful Glen Helen Nature Preserve and ate a delicious lunch at the popular Ha Ha Pizza eatery.

It was a good reprieve from the my day-to-day stresses.

A day in the eclectic, bohemian village can be a refreshing and invigorating experience.

Just imagine what 10 days can be.

Starting this weekend, Yellow Springs invites the region to become acquainted with everything that makes it special in the form of a 10-day art and cultural extravaganza called Yellow Springs Experience. From July 9-18, the village will be bustling with a flurry of cultural activities. Over 80 events ranging from visual arts workshops, wellness classes, theater and dance performances and art exhibits are scheduled, creating a 360-degree immersive shared experience. The goal was to capture the essence of the community, says Yellow Springs Arts Council administrator Carole Braun.

“There was always the Antioch Writer’s Workshop and the Yellow Springs Kids Playhouse,” says Braun “There were a couple of things that happen in the summer. This is an attempt by the arts council to put together some of the things that were a backbone of entertainment and culture in Yellow Springs. We thought we would try and pull together everything. So there are astrology classes, a sustainable building and farm tours… Glen Helen ecocamps. We tried to get a little bit of everything so that people can experience the flavor of Yellow Springs.”

Events will be located at various venues throughout the village, including Antioch College which will present “Letters Home from Freedom Summer”, a public reading of select writings of some of the over 600 students who organized non-violent protests of the segregation policies of Mississippi in the summer of 1964. “We’ve been able to pull in our educational institutions,” says Karen Wintrow, executive director of the Yellow Springs Chamber of Commerce. “This community is really strong on education.

“Our  job is to bring people to Yellow Springs,” she adds. “We think the festival embodies everything we’re about.”

Braun is optimistic that this will be an annual celebration.  “We’d like to make it a yearly event,” she says. “We’re already excited about next year!”

Most events are ticketed, including those that are free. Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.yellow-springs-experience.org, which also offers a complete list of events.

What can you expect from the 10-day Yellow Springs Experience? Here is a partial listing of some of the events scheduled:

The Grand Hoopla YS Experience Launch Party at the YS Arts Council – July 9, 4-7 p.m.

The Red Tent Women’s Self-Nourishing Time – Daily, 2-4 p.m.

YS Kids Playhouse: The Conference of the Birds – Thursday – Sunday, 7:30 p.m.

Skate Music Fest & Battle of the Bands – July 11, 3-8 p.m.

Cirque Carnival on Dayton Street – July 16, 6-10p.m.

WYSO “Are You Listening” Group Listening Experience, AACW Poetry Jam, movies nightly at the Little Art Theatre, wheel-thrown pottery workshops, yoga meditation, and much more!

Click here for the full experience.