3/31/11: amazing: Laboratory Dance Project from South Korea tonight
thru Sat. night - the best of the season yet! Final piece was like a
combination of zikr, hip hop and pure power. If you can get a ticket
- go!

Who: Laboratory Dance Project (LDP), from Seoul, South Korea
Presented by: White Bird
When: Thursday, March 31, 2011 - Saturday, April 2, 2011, 8:00pm
Where: Lincoln Hall, Portland State University
Sponsor: Willamette Week, Columbia Sportswear Company
Tickets: $28; $18 Students/Seniors. Tickets available through
www.whitebird.org and PSU Box Office, 1825 Broadway, 503-725-3307

White Bird Uncaged presents the West Coast debut of South Korea�s
Laboratory Dance Project at Lincoln Hall, Portland State University
from March 31-April 2, 2011. Founded in 2001, LDP comprises some of
the most boldly creative young dancers and choreographers from the
Korea National University of the Arts in Seoul and has been making an
international name for contemporary Korean dance with its distinctive
blend of modern, hip hop, break dancing, martial arts, acrobatics and
contact improvisation. The Portland program will feature eight
gifted male dancers, performing three exhilarating works by three
award-winning choreographers, including the company�s signature
piece, No Comment, which has brought audiences to their feet around
the world whenever it has been performed.

The LDP program will begin with Are you happy to see me?, for six
dancers, choreographed by Mi Sook Jeon. This is a witty and
satirical work on social conventions that forcefully points to the
lack of communication pervading contemporary society. Jeon uses the
gesture of shaking hands to represent the choreographer�s wish to
break down barriers in human relationships, both on a personal level
as well as among political parties separated by ideological or
political doctrines.

Modern Feeling , by choreographer Insoo Lee, uses movement arising
from contact improvisation that suggests meetings, conflicts and
compromises between two men. Lee�s intensely physical movement
resonates with hip hop, break dancing, martial arts, and acrobatics,
performed by the two dancers with great strength and precision.
Modern Feeling won the Grand Prix award at the Seoul International
Choreographer Festival in 2008.

LDP�s program culminates with LDP�s signature work, the ferocious No
Comment, choreographed by Changho Shin in 2002. A testosterone-
fuelled group of eight suited male dancers prowl the stage with
physically charged, unpredictable movement that combines modern dance
with hip hop and martial arts. No Comment was inspired by the video-
only, no-commentary news format that characterized the Iraqi War
press coverage in Germany. This comment-less communication style led
the choreographer Shin to drop unnecessary interpretations or
symbolism from his dance. When the work premiered at London�s The
Place this past November, londondance.com called the work �hard-
hitting,� �packing a punch with its intensity, cleverly building
walls of movement.�

Th, 3/31/11: "We are sorry to make you suffer. Please forgive us. We
thank you and we love you" Say this twice with sincerity to the
waters of Fukushima Nuclear Plant and join millions of people around
the globe today at noon. Blessings!

Sun. 3/27/11: Quiet, introspective day. Rewrote an old story:
"Visited by an Angel" and received positive regard from several
people to whom I sent it; and just received the draft of our next
ceremony. Great pics to post from wedding vows renewal ceremony
yesterday - soon!

Sat, 3/26/11: 60th wedding anniversary renewal of vows at Lucky Lab
on Hawthorne: family came from all over Oregon to celebrate with this
couple: warm, moving, sweet ceremony accented by couple's renewal
vows while touching wedding bands, 60 years later, while sitting
opposite each other in chairs.

Fri, 3/25/11: September 20, 2011 Wedding Network USA meeting at Lan
Su Chinese Garden: We met today with Michelle Starry, wedding
organizer at the Chinese Gardens, Holly Hogan of Catering By Bo and
Evonne Tang of the Tao of Tea to discuss our collaborating on an
evening presentation focused on ethnic wedding trends in September.
Exciting to be a part of the mix!

Th, 3/24/11: Deposits finally came in from couples we interviewed
several weeks ago and I am sending out first drafts, material from
which they may select. We have a dance processional with swing
music, a handfasting and a Jewish interfaith wedding on the books.
Plus I seeded a patch of earth yesterday with radishes, spinach,
urach, scallions, beets, swiss chard - plus we seeded broccoli,
tomatoes, tomatillos for growing in our indoor kitchen garden
window. Spring is here!

Fri 3/18/11: Artists Rep production of Jack goes Boating by
playwright Bob Glaudini..very NYC, artistic, off beat production;
Jack & friend blossoms as they fall in love; his best friends reveal
the tension in their relationship; excellent production through Apr.
17th worth seeing. Playing with our granddaughter Sylvia continues
to be a joyful part of our Fridays. Shabbat Shalom!

Wed. 3/16/11: Quite the day! Girl wanting to marry a fellow in a
local jail came over after I found another officiant yesterday to
officiate the wedding in Pendleton; daughter of couple celebrating
their 60th wedding anniversary came over and we planned the event,
spoke with parents over the phone - they are so excited!; and another
groom called to check in on our pricing and style for a loosely
interfaith wedding. Feels like another period of intense activity.

Wed, 3/9/11: Lovely wedding interview this evening with couple getting
married at Leach Gardens in August. Their Irish roots tingled as they read
a handfasting vows piece and they resonated with the depth of both Rilke and
Anne Lindbergh - Gift of the Sea. For a great photo, check out:
feed://www.myportlandphotographer.com/feed/

Tues, 3/8/11: Wedding I officiated at in Feb is featured tomorrow
on: http://ping.fm/1GamR Check it out!
Photographer, Michelle, at artistiquephotographie.com won wedding
photographer of the year award this week.

Tues, 3/8/11: Booked today for a recommitment ceremony for a couple
married 60 yrs.- for their 60th wedding anniversary, to be organized
by their daughter. sweet!

Sun.3/6/11: Fabulous wedding at Vista Hills Vineyard in Dayton, OR:
brilliant sunset background through large glass windows on wedding
ceremony; Mexican wedding symbolism and vows, sharing the cup
blessing poem focused on Jesus' miracle of turning water into wine at
Cana; surprise Dr Seuss ending - surprisingly all flowed together
with grace, sweetness and humor.

Thurs 3/3/11: Wedding rehearsal this afternoon at Vista Hills
Vineyard and Winery in conjunction with Champagne Wedding & Event
Coordination; the actual wedding is on Saturday. Plus booked a
recommitment ceremony in July to be officiated by Ana Villarqui. And
inquiries about a baby naming. Life is good! Enjoy your day!

Wed.3/2/11: Retreat time at Breitenbush Retreat Center: We snowshoed
on either side of the Gorge Trail and, surprisingly, the main bridges
on both sides were down, so the length of the snowshoe was dictated
by the downed bridges. We brought along our cross-country skis, but
given the mixture of rain and snow, making sleet, snowshoeing was a
great alternative.

Sat. 2/6/11: Right now preparing ceremony for a wedding this evening
at Kennedy School; Warm Springs couple being married; minister
couldn't make it. So groom came an hour ago and we decided on
ceremony. Full procession, flower girls, ringbearer - the works -
tuxes, et al. Oh my! Hopefully this will go well. More later.

Th, 2/24/11: Preparing for Mexican/American wedding next weekend;
Grandfather wrote a Spanish poem to commemorate his grandson's
marriage - pretty awesome!
And a couple from Warms Springs, getting married at Kennedy School
this weekend called yesterday to say that their officiant, a friend,
couldn't make it, so they were looking for an officiant. In case of
heavy snow, we can walk to Kennedy School, so we couldn't turn them
down. Up to Breitenbush for SSHR and hopefully lots of cross-country
skiable snow!

*Tues, 2/22/11: Great quote we received from couple we recently interviewed:
"Since you guys were the only ones we've met with so far that were able to
help us feel comfortable and "heard", it ended up being an easy decision.
We'd love to hire you guys to officiate at our wedding." *

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Sun 2/13/11: Several International Film Festival films seen: Iraqi
film very heartfelt, very sad; French flick: witty, fun, French-take
on women's lib in the 70s; this week,
Palestinian movie: Budrus. Meanwhile, several wedding interviews
this week set up. Canadian couple Sat. planning another rooftop
wedding at Arts & Crafts Museum.
Joanie officiated at wedding Friday eve at Oaks Pioneer Church in
Selwood - sweet and it didn't even rain!

Fri. 2/11/11: Back from Costa Rica: amazing trip: so many animals,
birds, wonderful people. Back to abundance of wedding inquiries.
Booked an elopement for next month. Full up with wedding interviews
for the next two weeks. Jumping into it all.