Master dance classes announced

GROSSMONT COLLEGE (Press Release) – Master dance classes in a variety of genres will be offered by the Dance Department on campus this semester. Students may register with their instructor or by phoning (619) 644-7766. Here is the schedule:

Friday, Sept. 23

Hip Hop (Beginning) – 6 to 7:30 p.m., taught by guest instructor Tracy Seiler

House – 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.., taught by guest instructor Vinh Nguyen.

Saturday, Oct. 15

Modern – 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., taught by guest instructor John Malashock of Malashock Dance

Salsa – 1:15 to 2:45 p.m., taught by guest instructor Michael Saltus of Positive Energy

Saturday, Nov. 5

Dance Injury Prevention Awareness – 10:30 a.m. to 12 noon, taught by guest instructor Katy Ewalt

Jazz/ Contemporary (Beginning) – 12:15 to 1:45 p.m., taught by guest instructor Denise Leitner

Jazz/ Contemporary (Intermediate)-1:45 p.m. to 3:15 p.m., taught by guest instructor Denise Leitner

Friday, Nov. 18

Ballet (Intro/Beginning) – 1:30 to 3 p.m., taught by guest instructor Javier Velasco

Ballet – (Intermediate/Advanced) 3 to 4:30 p.m., taught by guest instructor Javier Velasco.

Friday, December 2
Yoga for Dancers—12 noon to 1:30 p.m., taught by guest instructor Beth O’Reilly

African – 1:45 p.m. to 3:15 p.m., taught by guest instructor Suzanne Forbes

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Preceding provided by the Grossmont College Dance Department

Mexican students rehearse for Cinco de Mayo

Students from Escuela Normal De Atlacomulco rehearse for a Cinco de Mayo celebration. (Photo: Adriana Monroy Rodríguez)

By Russell Lindquist

Russell Lindquist

GROSSMONT COLLEGE — Virginia Berger, one of Grossmont’s instructors of English as a Second Language (ESL), has helped Grossmont to coordinate dozens of exchange students from Mexico’s Northwestern city of Atlacomulco for a three-month English-immersion program, here in San Diego, the conclusion of which will graduate the students as instructors of ESL in their native country.

“[This exchange program] has been taking place since 2001. The students who will perform are going to become ESL Teachers in México, in middle schools,” said Professor Adriana Monroy Rodríguez. She and Professor Elizabeth Martinez are instructors of ESL in Mexico; both are also academic assistants to the Vice President of Escuela Normal De Atlacomulco, from which the students hail as well.

The exchange students rehearsed under the direction of Professors Martinez and Rodríguez for tomorrow’s folk dancing to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.

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Lindquist is Managing Editor of the GC Summit; email him at russL@gcsummit.com

Annual Literary Arts Festival underway

Write Out Loud founder Veronica Murphy reads Ironhead by Aimee Bender

By Taylor Harris

GROSSMONT COLLEGE–The 15th Annual Literary Arts Festival is being held through Thursday, May 5.  The festival kicked off with a screening of the film Bastard Out Of Carolina, based on the novel by Dorothy Allison, this year’s featured author.

Allison has been the winner of the Lamda Literary Awards twice as well as the American Library Association Prize for Lesbian and Gay Writing.  Allison was scheduled to be on campus on Wednesday, April 27, for a reading and book signing.

On Tuesday, April 26, Room 150 at Grossmont’s Health Sciences building was packed withpeople listening to stories and poetry by American women authors. The literature was presented by Write Out Loud, an organization of professional actors who provide dramatic performances of literary works.

Grossmont Dance and Music departments stun

By Alexis Jacquett

Alexis Jacquett

SAN DIEGO—Grossmont College Dance Department’s “Entrances and Exits” matinee concert at the Joan B. Kroc Center on Saturday, April 16, was definitely amazing! This concert had so many great highlights.

In addition to the dance pieces, I really enjoyed the live music by the Grossmont College Afro-Cuban Ensemble and Grossmont College Gospel Choir , classical composer/ performer Kristopher Apple and percussionist Amir Etemadzadeh. The venue at 6611 University Ave., was good from the standpoint of seating but the acoustics were not as good as they could have been.,

There were 11 different pieces, featuring such different dance styles as Jazz, Modern, Hip Hop, Tap, and Ballet.

A Persian piece was very interesting and powerful! The dancers’ attire was neat, evoking an interesting culture. The live music added so much to this piece. The instruments provided strength and beauty.

At the end of the concert, there was an interactive piece in which they encouraged the audience to get involved and dance or clap. This was fun. They also provided the audience, with its many high school students, the opportunity to Q and A with the dancers, choreographers, and musicians.

This was such an exciting event. I thank Grossmont College Dance and Music Department for putting together an AMAZING show.

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Jacquett is a Media Comm 199 student. Click here for video of the performance.

‘Entrances & Exits’ thrills

Story and Video by Xavier Green

GROSSMONT COLLEGE — Funky hairstyles, graceful movements and feeling the Gospel in your body; That is what you can expect from Entrances & Exits by the dance department of Grossmont College. April 14, theopening night, attracted a full house.

Students, faculty and parents came to watch an amazing show with The Afro-Cuban Ensemble bringing down the house with its opening act. People were excited to see what was next. The show continued to amaze, providing a repertoire ranging from upbeat tempos, to calm, relaxing melodies that put a smile on your face.

It was exhilarating to see students doing what they love and enjoy, which is dance. Entrances & Exits is a well put together production, with eleven unique and tasteful acts including a finale that will have audience members dancing with joy.

The show runs till Saturday April 16^. 

If you can’t make it to the show you can order a DVD that will be available May 9.   Pre-Order your DVD through Kathy Meyer or David Mullen in the Dance Department.

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Green is a student in Media Comm 132.  He may be contacted at xavierg@gcsummit.com

Live music will surpass CD for ‘Entrance and Exits’ dance showcase April 14-16

Alexis Jacquett

By Alexis Jacquett

GROSSMONT COLLEGE — When the Dance Department presents “Entrances and Exits” on April 14, 15, and 16, guest musicians will include the Grossmont College Gospel Choir, Afro-Cuban Ensemble, Amir Etemadzadeh, and Kristopher Apple with faculty choreographers Melisa Adao, Nancy Boskin-Mullen, Kathy Meyer, Sylvia Morales, David Mullen, Coleen Shipkowski, and Debi Toith-Ward. This event will be held at the Joan B. Kroc Theatre.

The idea came from last spring’s concert when Berkley Heart, a local folk group, was asked by Boskin-Mullen to perform one of the pieces. Kathy Meyer got the idea that the Dance Department should collaborate with the Music Department to add live music to the concert. There is just a difference between live music and a c.d.; it’s much more moving, Meyer noted.

Joan B. Kroc Theatre at 6611 University Avenue, San Diego 92115, seats about 650 people. There will be 55 dance students and about 62 musicians performing this event. There will be Middle Eastern calligraphy in the background of the stage and a small amount of set design.

This concert has something to offer everyone from all different backgrounds. There is ballet, modern dance, jazz, tap, contemporary, salsa, and hip-hop. This is the first time that live music will be played throughout the whole concert. Also there is a matinee concert on Saturday to accommodate the high school students that may want to attend the event.

The dates and times are as follows; are Thursday April 14th at 7:30p, Friday the15th at 7:30p, and Saturday the16th at both 2:00p and 7:30p. There is a pre-sale option for all faculty and staff, $8 until Wednesday April 13th at 12:00 noon. Students may also purchase pre-sale tickets for $10, up until  12:00 noon Wednesday. Regular tickets at the box office are $12. Tickets may be purchased at the ASGC office, the dance office, any dance instructor, the box office, or at the door.

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Jacquett is a Media Communications 199 student

‘Entrances and Exits’ dance April 14-16

SAN DIEGO (Press Release)–The Grossmont College Dance Department will present  its annual faculty-choreographed student dance concert “Entrances and Exits.”   Concert dates and times are Thursday, April 14 and Friday, April 15 at 7:30pm and Saturday, April 16 at 2:00 and 7:30pm at the Joan B. Kroc Theatre, 6611 University Avenue, San Diego 92115. 

This year, concert directors Kathy Meyer and David Mullen, along with other faculty choreographers have produced an exciting special event—a collaboration with local musicians performing live on stage as accompaniment to each dance.  Along with a stunning collection of dances in various genres including modern dance, salsa, tap, ballet, contemporary, and hip hop, this concert will feature musical pieces by the Grossmont College Gospel Choir, directed by Ken Anderson; the Afro-Cuban Ensemble, directed by Derek Cannon; classical composer and performer Kristopher Apple and professional percussionist Amir Etemadzadeh.

A special pre-sale ticket price of $8 is available for Grossmont College faculty and staff at the ASGC ticket window.  This special pre-sale rate is good for one ticket per faculty or staff member with college ID. General admission ticket price is $10 pre-sale, $12 at the door.
Ticket pre-sale ends at 12 noon on Wednesday, April 13. For more information, call 619-644-7766.

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Preceding provided by the Grossmont College public information department

Looking back on Fall 2010 with Stephen Harvey

GROSSMONT COLLEGE – The campus is photographer Stephen Harvey’s beat, and though his appointment book is always full, he never knows what the  day will bring as he patrols the campus with his ever-ready camera.

The GC Summit recently requested Harvey to share some of the photos he had taken over the Fall 2010 semester, so that we, in turn, could share them with you.

Here are a dozen from Stephen Harvey’s files.  Enjoy!

Campus artists

Culinary Arts students

Women's Volleyball players

Evening at Health and Science complex

Poet Ilya Kaminsky, guest lecturer

Modern Dance

Women's Water Polo teammates

Men's Water Polo

2010 Football team portrait

Women's Tennis jump

Banned books discussion

 

‘Breaking Boundaries’ dance performances continue through Nov. 7

By Xavier Green

GROSSMONT COLLEGE — Thursday November 4, 2010 was the sold-out opening of Breaking Boundaries by Grossmont College Dance Students.

This production was student run with choreography done by students with the help of faculty. This is a great show that showcases art of the students. There are twelve different mind-blowing acts and each dance piece is unique and tasteful. Many different dance genres are represented.

The show runs until Sunday November 7th.

‘Breaking Boundaries,” essays in dance, set on campus Nov. 4-7

'Breaking Boundaries' at Grossmont College

GROSSMONT COLLEGE (Press Release) — The Dance Department will present “Breaking Boundaries,” a student-choreographed dance concert featuring performances by students demonstrating various genres of dance, at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Nov. 4, 5 and 6, and at 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 6 and 7.

Performances will be held at the Stagehouse Theatre, located on campus, near Parking Lot #1 and the exterior Aztec wall mural. Admission is $10. Tickets are available at the door. F

or information, phone the Grossmont College Dance Dept. at (619) 644-7766, or visit www.grossmont.edu/dance.

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Preceding provided by Grossmont College Public Information Office