class | ZoomDance Winter Session (1/12 – 3/1)

ZoomDance Winter Session
Thursdays, January 12 – March 1

ZoomDance classes at Studio34 are offered at a sliding scale of $90-$110 for the whole 8 weeks, which also gives you unlimited access to all the ZoomDance classes around the city. Or buy a 5-class card for $70, no expiration. For more information, please visit the ZoomDance website at http://www.zoomdance.com/.

10:30am – 11:15am Thursdays, 1.5-3 years
ZoomDance: This is a high energy class of dance, music, story-telling, imagination and fun! Over the course of the session, children will develop agility, coordination, rhythm, and balance through a dynamic range of actions. There is an emphasis on creativity and building confidence through songs, stories, and performance. Each week we’ll read a new story and then explore the movement and adventures of the characters. Kids have the opportunity to show off their favorite moves, invent characters, and try lots of new movement ideas. Grown-ups are encouraged to participate in this class with their small dancers.

4pm – 4:50pm Thursdays, 3-5 years
Intermediate ZoomDance: This class has the same essence as the younger ZoomDance class, with lots of energy and focus on exploring new ideas. We will start to push the edges of dancing the spectrum from wild abandon to careful details. In addition to learning trickier “moves”, we will start thinking of phrases and dances instead of only individual moves, and students will perform for each other in class. When acting out the story, our teachers will encourage students to offer their own ideas too. Grown-ups drop off their dancers for this one, and are invited in on the last day to see what we’ve been working on.


music | Sweet Sound of Music (6/10)

Studio 34 Presents: Sweet Sound of Music
Friday, June 10 @ 8pm
$8 suggested donation – sweet teas and infused simple syrups on us!

Please join us for a special evening of music, showcasing an all West Philly line-up with long-time neighborhood favorites Joshua Marcus and Emily Bate! Joshua will set aside his banjo and pick up the ukulele to share some brand new tunes. Emily’s performances are a rare treat, offering a wonderful blend of ukulele, guitar and light-hearted vocals.


Joshua Marcus

“To walk in to a new or familiar place, sit down and play a tune and hear the crowd sing along, to have a meaningful exchange with someone or a group of folks you know or don’t know by making music, or be part of an experience that stems from a song or night of singing, that is an extraordinary part of life.”

Joshua Marcus lives in Philadelphia, PA and has produced nine recordings under different bands and monikers in the last nine years, including Fan of Friends. This spring Marcus will release his newest recording, Reverse the Charges, on Chicago’s Contraphonic and Philadelphia’s High Two record labels. Joshua is currently working on a collaborative project to produce a folk recording dealing with current U.S. social and environmental justice struggles.


Emily Bate
Emily Bate’s spent 10 years performing, recording and touring, and singing sweetly about complicated things. She’s released three full-lengths and an several EPs. She is one half of the drag cover cabaret band Gender Mountain, with Dave End, and plays with lots of other buddies in West Philly. On this special occasion, expect some ukulele shredding, fingerpicked electric guitar, and big singing.


Support paid sick days in Philadelphia!

Find out more about Earned Sick Days Philly

Learn more about Earned Sick Days Philly.

By Angie Norris, co-founder, Studio 34: Yoga | Healing | Arts

People come to Studio 34 to find wellness and community. They work out in yoga classes, perhaps have a therapeutic massage, maybe meet other new mothers in a breastfeeding class. It’s wonderful to see so much activity, and it helps keep us all in good health. Yet everyone gets sick from time to time, and as a nurse, I know that when people get sick, they need rest.

Unfortunately, many people cannot take the time off from work that they need to get well, or to care for a sick family member. More than 200,000 Philadelphians work for employers who do not provide paid sick days. That forces workers to choose between their families’ health and their paychecks — or even their jobs. In my nearly two decades as a nurse, I have seen too many patients who have gotten sicker because they could not afford the time to get better. Even more dispiriting, I have seen many conditions worsen because patients could not take time off to seek relatively simple preventive care. That’s not healthy for workers, for their children — or for anyone who eats at a restaurant, shops at a store, or visits an office where sick employees must come to work.

Luckily, the Philadelphia City Council has a chance to change this. As early as next month, the council could vote to approve the Promoting Healthy Families and Workplaces Ordinance. This law would allow Philadelphia workers to earn paid sick time they could use for their own illness, preventive care or to care for a family member.

The path to wellness starts with personal choices, yet it also depends on one’s community. Helping people find their way to health is why I trained as a nurse, and it’s why my co-founders and I started Studio 34 here in West Philly in 2008. Now the City Council has a chance to do its part — and so do you. Please urge your councilmember to vote for the Promoting Healthy Families and Workplaces Ordinance. (Here’s more info about how you can help.)


Pecha Kucha Night Philadelphia Vol. 8 (6/4)

Pecha Kucha Night Philadelphia

WHAT: Pecha Kucha Night Philadelphia Vol. 8
WHEN: Sat., June 4, 2011
WHERE: Studio 34: Yoga | Healing | Arts, 4522 Baltimore Avenue in West Philadelphia
HOW MUCH: $5 suggested donation
MORE INFO: http://pecha-kucha.org/night/philadelphia/

It’s Pecha Kucha time again? PKNP Vol. 8 will feature talks by game-changers from the Fourth Wall Arts Salon, Technically Philly, Independents Hall, the Onion Philadelphia, Bluecadet design studio, Science Leadaership Academy, Phioladelphia SiteNite, PatientsLikeMe, music educator Leslie Poprick, and more.

What’s Pecha Kucha? It’s rapidfire creative show-and-tell governed by a simple rule: show 20 PowerPoint slides, talk about each one for 20 seconds. (It’s also the Japanese word for the sound of conversation.) Wired magazine called Pecha Kucha: “Say what you need to say in six minutes and 40 seconds of exquisitely matched words and images and then sit the hell down.” We call it an evening of fun, sociability, and a little learning thrown in. Devised by Tokyo architects Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham, Pecha Kucha (say peh-CHAK-cha) events have been held in more than 200 cities.


dance | Bodies of Text II (5/27)


Bodies of Text II
Friday, May 27
8pm
$15 ($12 for Dance Pass holders and $10 for students)

Dance, Movement Brigade and Stone Depot Dance Lab interpret handcrafted and unique books, selected from many submissions by Philadelphia Center for the Book members. The May 2011 installment of choreographic creations by will be performed on Friday, May 27th at Studio34 at 8 pm, followed by a discussion with the Choreographers and Book Artists, and moderated by Philadelphia Center for the Book’s Curator, Mary Tasillo.

The performances will continue throughout the weekend at the historic Christ Church Neighborhood House, 20 North American Street in Old City on Saturday May 28th at 7 & 9 pm and Sunday, May 29th at 7 pm. These performances are co-presented by Philadelphia Dance Projects and made possible by a grant from New Stages for Dance, a program of Dance USA/Philadelphia. All three works are world premieres and explore different aspects of the natural and the organic world. Tickets are $15 ($12 for Dance Pass holders and $10 for students) and are available in advance through Brown Paper Tickets (http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/168224) and at the door.


music | Sojo Groove Night (6/3)


SOJO GROOVE NIGHT
Friday, June 3rd
7:00pm -9:30pm
Suggested donation $10-25, or pay what you can.

Philly musicians perform to benefit Camp Sojourner, Girls’ Leadership Camp.

Light refreshments will be served.

Come get your groove on to support Philly girls!

Featuring:

Monica McIntyre http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/mcintyre

Percy Fear Ants Jazz Band

Unidos da Filadelfia Samba Group


community | City Kitties Annual Art Auction (5/13)


4th Annual City Kitties Annual Art Auction
Friday, May 13
7:30pm – 10:00pm

It’s time for City Kitties’ biggest fundraising event of the year, the art show and auction! Since 2008, generous and talented artists have donated original work to City Kitties, and community members have turned out to bid on them, all to benefit felines in need. This year, the fun happens on Friday, May 13. With complimentary wine and hors d’oeuvres, live entertainment, and dozens of works of art on display, this event is truly not to be missed!

The deadline to donate art is firm: Monday, May 9. We are also looking for donations of food, beer, and raffle prizes–please check out the Volunteer link below if you’d like to participate.

Donate Art: http://citykitties.org/get-involved/annual-art-auction/donate-art/
Volunteer: http://citykitties.org/get-involved/annual-art-auction/

We can’t wait to see you all on Friday, May 13!


performance | The Rainbow of Desire (5/7)


The Rainbow of Desire in Performance
Saturday, May 7th
7:30-10:00 p.m.
This event is FREE • donations accepted

Have you ever been in a relationship where you felt something was wrong yet you weren’t quite sure what it was? Ever found yourself in situations where you knew what you needed to do but stopped yourself from taking action? What about when you experience so many different desires at once that you don’t know how to sort them out? These are the sorts of quandaries we will address in The Rainbow of Desire, a public presentation for using theatre to dismantle internalized oppression.

We begin the evening by hearing stories from the lives of audience members, one of which will be reenacted onstage. We then expose the hidden elements of the story—wayward emotions, complex desires, and cops in our heads that haunt the stage like ghosts from the characters’ minds. These ghosts appear first as human statues before being brought to life to do battle with each other so that we might learn what is useful and what we can do without. From there the original story is reshaped by what was experienced in revealing this hidden information, giving participants some tools to take with them into real-life situations. This is the essence of the Rainbow of Desire: a transformative performance that can be a rehearsal for reality.

In the Rainbow of Desire—as in all branches of Theatre of the Oppressed—everyone is aspect-actor, with the ability to be both in the audience and onstage. Everyone willl have opportunities to share stories, play characters, observe and offer feedback, or to embody the invisible elements of a situation. This event is free and open to the public. No theatre experience is necessary to attend or perform. For more info, call 215-730-0982, or email: tophilly@gmail.com.
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class series | Beginning Hoop Dancing (Tuesdays through 6/7)

Beginning Hoop Dancing | 6-Week Class Series with Jen Web

Tuesdays 7:30-8:30pm
FREE intro class May 3, 7:30-8:30pm

Six sessions: May 10 – June 7
Class Full

Spin your way to improved health and happiness with hoop dance! Jen Web will teach you the fundamentals of hoop dance and plenty of mesmerizing tricks that you can incorporate into your own dance style. Strengthen your body as you learn to spin the hoop around your waist, neck, hands and legs. Meditate and relieve stress as you discover your inner rhythm. Hoop dance is the perfect mind/body exercise for those who want to get fit and have fun!

* Hoops provided for class use and for sale on site!
* Bring lots of water!
* Please wear fitted, comfortable clothing and sneakers.


class series | ZoomDance (through 6/3)


Thursday afternoons at 4pm for 3-5 year olds – through May 26th
Friday mornings at 10:30am for 1.5-3 year olds – through June 3rd

ZoomDance Action Adventure Storytelling Dance Classes are high-energy classes for kids that feature dance, music, storytelling, imagination, and lots of fun. Sessions emphasize creative play and build confidence through songs, stories, and performance, offering children the opportunity to develop agility, coordination, rhythm, and balance through a dynamic range of actions. Each week includes a new story and exploration into the movement and adventures of the characters. Kids can show off their favorite moves, invent characters, and try a variety of new movement ideas.

Come in for a free trial class at Studio 34! Visit ZoomDance online at www.zoomdance.com for more information.


Workshop Series | Theatre of the Oppressed (Mondays, 4/25-5/23)


Spring Workshop Series
Mondays 4/25–5/23, 7:30–9:30 p.m.
Full series tuition: $35–$65 sliding scale.
Pre-register by calling 215-730-0982
or email: tophilly@gmail.com

THEATRE OF THE OPPRESSED is used by groups of people to dismantle dynamics of oppression in our world. Unlike other dramatic forms that divide spectator from actor, everyone in Theatre of the Oppressed is a “spect-actor” in workshops that serve as rehearsals for the performance of everyday life.

THIS 5-WEEK SERIES will visit the various branches of Theatre of the Oppressed, including games, Image Theatre, Forum Theatre, the Cop in the Head/Rainbow of Desire techniques, as well as developing facilitation skills for bringing this work outside the workshop and into other areas of our lives.

TO PRE-REGISTER, call Philadelphia Theatre of the Oppressed at 215-730-0982, or email: tophilly@gmail.com

See http://tophiladelphia.blogspot.com for more info.


workshops | Workshops with Ana Forrest (5/20-22)


WORKSHOPS with Ana Forrest
May 20, 21, 22, 2011
There’s still spots available!

The Forrest Yoga Workshops are asana focused practices. Forrest Yoga helps you connect to your core – getting strong and centered. It uses heat, deep breathing and vigorous sequences to sweat out toxins. The long holds in the pose progressions help you flush, oxygenate and rejuvenate every cell. The Forrest Yoga Workshops are offered to practitioners of all levels. As a beginner to Forrest Yoga, you learn to breathe deeply and connect in feeling with your body. As you progress, you get proficient at safely tailoring each pose to work best for you, particularly with physical and emotional injuries. Join Ana Forrest at Studio 34. Sign up today!

CELEBRATE YOUR PRACTICE
Friday, May 20, 6:30 – 9 PM
Saturday May 21, 9 – 11:30 AM, and 2 – 4:30 PM

Rekindle the fires of passion and pleasure with Forrest Yoga. Learn to reconnect to your energy, while you delight in your strength. Bring healing and inspiration into your personal practice. This Forrest Yoga workshop helps you cultivate and embrace a sense of compassion. You also learn to make your practice exhilarating and delicious.

This is a three-part workshop. You are welcome to sign up for any of the sessions, although encouraged to take all three.

EMBODYING SPIRIT
Sunday, May 22, 9 – 11:30 AM

Does your practice brighten or dim your Spirit? Make the choice to brighten up and fascinate in process! Forrest Yoga teaches you to focus your intent on connecting to and Embodying your Spirit. How? By choosing, in the moment, to breathe in a way that brightens you; to do your poses in a way that invites your Spirit to permeate into all of your body.

    PRICE – (cash or check only, at the door)

  • 1 session, $70 per Workshop
  • 3 sessions, $65 per Workshop (you must specify which sessions, during purchase)
  • 4 sessions, $60 per Workshop
    WHAT TO BRING

  • Two mats OR one mat and one blanket or beach towel to roll up
  • Strap (at least 8 foot) and block
  • Any other props needed to support any injuries or physical concerns.
  • Room will be heated to at least 80, so bring lots of water.
  • Ana starts the workshops promptly. Please arrive at least 15 min early.


  • Exciting News!! Immediately following the 2pm Workshop on May 21 and the 9am Workshop on May 22, Ana will read from her new book, “Fierce Medicine,” and take your questions.

    Ana Forrest is an internationally renowned pioneer in yoga and healing. She challenges her students to access their whole being and to use Forrest Yoga as a path to finding and then clearing the emotional and mental blocks that dictate and limit their lives. With Ana’s meticulous guidance, students cultivate an acute awareness of their own practice and life process, creating a unique and powerful opportunity for the student to make practical life decisions based on their own experiences. In “Fierce Medicine,” Ana distills and shares wisdom from her own life experiences, making complex ideas practical and easily applied. From “stalking fear” to “walking free of pain” and learning the art of “truth speaking,” Ana offers simple practices and poses to “bring aliveness to every cell of the body and foster a connection to Spirit.”


class | Gabrielle Roth’s 5Rhythms® Dance Movement Meditation (twice monthly)


Gabrielle Roth’s 5Rhythms® Dance Movement Meditation
Dance classes for Self-Development & Spiritual Connection
Twice monthly through December 2011 (complete schedule below)
Cost: $20 each, $15 students/elders/waged newcomers, $10 unwaged newcomers.

Newcomers and old-timers alike are welcome to these 2½ hr classes in this dynamic, cathartic, joyful, insightful, and wild Spiritual Movement Practice. We have a beautiful group at Studio34 and we love teaching here. Come & join us!

The 5Rhythms® of Flowing, Staccato, Chaos, Lyrical, and Stillness form ‘The Wave’, a simple movement meditation practice that encourages us to find our own dance of embodied feeling and to discover ourselves at our most fluid and creative level, bringing more of ourselves –body, heart, mind & soul- into movement, on the dance floor & out in the world. There are no steps to learn and it can be enjoyed by anyone, regardless of age, fitness, ability, or experience.

12 hours of 5Rhythms® at this ‘Waves’ level dancing is a prerequisite for advanced ‘Heartbeat’ workshops such as Motion & Heart on April 1st/2nd.

For more information on these & other classes see http://www.meetup.com/dance-5Rhythms

complete schedule:
Mar 5, 1:00pm – 3:30 pm
Mar 19, 3:00pm – 5:30pm
April 16, 3:00pm – 5:30pm
May 7, 1:00pm – 3:30 pm
June 11, 1:00pm – 3:30 pm
June 18, 3:00pm – 5:30pm
July 2, 1:00pm – 3:30 pm
July 16, 1:00pm – 3:30 pm
Aug 6, 1:00pm – 3:30 pm
Aug 20, 3:00pm – 5:30pm
Sept 3, 1:00pm – 3:30 pm
Sept 17, 3:00pm – 5:30pm
Oct 1, 1:00pm – 3:30 pm
Oct 15, 3:00pm – 5:30pm
Nov 5, 1:00pm – 3:30 pm
Nov 19, 3:00pm – 5:30pm
Dec 3, 1:00pm – 3:30 pm
Dec 17, 3:00pm – 5:30pm


eclectic | StudioSeries (4/30, 5/28)

StudioSeries
Last Saturdays, 8pm
$6 ($5 w/ dancepass)

The StudioSeries is a monthly informal series curated by Nicole Bindler (with occasional guest curators), featuring experimental performances in all media by some of Philly’s most exciting artists (with some fabulous out of town guests). The StudioSeries is cozy, informal and fun! Come check out the art while it’s raw and in the works. It’s a rare and thrilling opportunity to get a window into the artist’s creative process. Feel free to hang afterwards, meet the artists and chat with them about their performances.

April 30th
Emma Morehouse – dance
Alex Bechtel – theater
PIMA Group – dance / music
Ellen Gerdes – dance / music
Sharon Mansur – dance
Mano Damno / Electric Simcha (TBC) – dance / theater / music

May 28th
Jessica Morgan – dance
Christina Gesualdi – dance
Rebecca Lloyd-Jones – dance
Abigail Levine – dance
Andrew Eisenberg / Joe Burgio – music / dance
Kelly Bond – dance


music | 8static (2nd Saturdays)

8static
2nd Saturdays at Studio34:

November 13
December 11
January 8
March 12
April 9
May 14

7:00pm
$8/$5 with RSVP (on website)

8static is Philly’s only all-ages monthly chip music event. Each lineup features music and video artists from around the world, with pre-show events and workshops, as well as monthly open mic for up and coming musicians! For full lineup info, check out: http://8static.com

Cover is $8/$5 with RSVP (on website)