PARticiPAtinG ARtiStS About uS

PaRticipating Artists
Ingrid Alvarez is a teaching artist based in Park
Slope, Brooklyn. She comes from a creative,
multi-cultural family and grew up on the West
Coast. Ingrid expresses herself through visual
art, dancing and social media. (NY)
Sulai Lopez is a seeker of beauty and holds
to the truth that not all wanderers are lost and
those who seek beauty find it. She is an artist
greatly influenced by work that contains an
element of performance such as a dramatic
costume or expressive pose. (CA)
Ted Faye is the Producer/Director of Gold
Creek Films and a recipient of numerous
awards for his documentary and educational
films. Mr. Faye is also a writer and historian
who can spin a grand tall tale and is on the
board of the Amargosa Opera House. (CA)
Nancy Lyons has choreographed and performed
in the San Fransisco area and internationally.
She recently retired from 40 years teaching
at Sonoma State University and continues to
work as a guest artist throughout the Bay Area
and as a faculty member at SSU. (CA)
Freestyle Repertory Theater, an improvisational theatre company, has been teaching
and performing in NYC since 1983. Led by
Mike Durkin and Laura Livingston, FRT has
brought the excitement of live theater to over
10,000 school children every year. (NY)
Amy Noel, local “astronomer with telescope
to go,” is also the owner of Tecopa Hot Springs,
another lovely Death Valley attraction a mere
40 miles from Death Valley Junction. She also
runs “Star Parties” and is on the board of the
Amargosa Opera House. (CA)
Carl Friberg, singer/composer/songwriter
and well-known jingle writer, has recently
returned from a well-received performance
tour of the American Songbook in Japan.
Originally from Chicago, Carl is now happy
to call Pahrump, Nevada his home. (NV)
Kaina Quenga, a native of Hilo, Hawai’i, has been
dancing hula professionally for over 20 years.
She is skilled in Native Hawaiian language and
the art of traditional lei making. She is devoted to
sharing and perpetuating the traditional dances
and culture of Polynesia. (NY)
Erin Gottwald & John Carrafa formed their
current partnership in 2011. Since that time,
they have choreographed, performed and
taught repertory together in New York City, Los
Angeles, Santa Fe and Boston. (NY)
Efeya Sampson is a dancer, teacher and
choreographer specializing in contemporary,
African and Caribbean based dance forms. She
has an MA in Dance from Sarah Lawrence, has
performed with Charles Moore, and apprenticed
with Ronald K. Brown/Evidence. (NY)
Mina Hamilton has been teaching meditation and
yoga for decades, holds an advanced certification
from Kripalu and has studied with Jon Kabat-Zinn
and Thich Nhat Hanh. Her book, “Serenity To
Go,” has been published in 6 languages. Mina is
a big fan of opera and the desert. (NY)
Lily Skove is a Los Angeles-based filmmaker
and choreographer, creating for the screen,
installation, and live performance. She also
works with choreographers as a video artist
and projection designer, and recently launched
Open Land Theater Productions. (CA)
Visual artists David & Cindy Krimmel will conspire
on an installation piece inspired by the Amargosa
experience. Their art spans many genres, from
David’s wheat hARvesT project to their performance puppetry collaboration, “A Watershed Tale,”
with the MidCity Propagators. (CA)
Spoke The Hub Young Artists Dance/
Theater includes four of STH’s youngest
choreographers: Ella Ammann-Bianciardi
(12), Zoe McIntyre (10), Ava Renz (12), Mimi
Stimler (age 12), plus STH graduate Mindy
Toro. (They think Marta Becket is awesome!)
Sung Uni Lee is an artist dedicated to her
culinary craft who resides in the “People’s
Republic of Brooklyn.” She offers cooking
classes to hungry minds and her passion is to
empower people with knowledge of self and
their boundless creative potential (NY)
Hannah Verrill uses familiar structural
components of performance. She seeks to
exist inside of an event comprised of both
watching and being watched. Her mother,
dance educator, Karen Berley, will join her
daughter onstage for this performance (IL)
about Us
Elise Long, Artistic Director/Founder
of Spoke the Hub Dancing, has been
making and presenting small, medium
and extra large intergenerational “folk
dances” for over three decades. Her
work has been presented in every
indoor and outdoor setting imaginable,
including beer halls, across bridges,
and in parades, as well as at more
upscale venues such as Lincoln Center, the Brooklyn Academy
of Music, and at the World Trade Centers in NYC. Born in
Coalinga (CA) and a graduate of Los Altos High School (CA),
this will be Long’s first artistic foray into the CA desert. She
became a loyal fan and devotee of Marta Becket in high school,
when she read about her in the National Geographic, and is
honored to be able to support the continuance of Marta’s work
and vision through this benefit effort.
Spoke the Hub Dancing & FlyGirl Productions
invites you to join us for
IN
FlyGirl Productions was created by
performer, arts patroness, and ghost
town enthusiast Ellynne Skove to assist
Spoke the Hub in transporting east
coast artists to Death Valley for this
special benefit weekend. Formerly the
chair of Meredith Monk/The House’s
board for over a decade, Ms. Skove
finally made her own pilgrimage to
Death Valley in 2010 and became another passionate Amargosa
fan! One of the few people to be certified in “Topf Technique”
and “Dynamic Anatomy” by her long-time mentor, the late
Nancy Topf, Ms. Skove is also a licensed dance/movement
therapist, yoga teacher, and an infant developmental movement
specialist.
Spoke the Hub Dancing Inc., is a notfor-profit, multi-purpose community
arts organization founded in 1979 by
Artistic Director, Elise Long. Hailed
as a “neighborhood staple” and one
of “the most exhilarating community
art spaces in Brooklyn”, STH offers
classes for children and adults of
all ages; provides performance,
rehearsal, teaching and exhibit opportunities for professional
artists of all genres; and produces the original dance/theater
and special community events of Ms. Long. STH works out of
two lively Brooklyn facilities: the STH Re:Creation Center in
Park Slope, and in the Gowanus Arts building near the infamous
Gowanus Canal. STH’s mission is to nurture individual and
community health and happiness through providing the general
public with creative arts study, contemplation, and practice
opportunities of the highest caliber. In this way, Spoke hopes to
improve the quality of life for residents in our own neighborhood,
as well as contributing to the well-being of the world at large.
For further information on Spoke the Hub, please visit us online at
www.spokethehub.org
Marta Becket performing at the Opera House, circa 1970
A unique and uplifting wild west
performance, art, and wilderness
"experience" for the whole family!
January 19 - 20, 2013
at the historic
Amargosa Opera House
Death Valley Junction, CA
All proceeds from this benefit weekend's
activities go to support the work of
Marta Becket and her Amargosa Opera House
for future generations to enjoy!
Schedule of Activities
Registration
Schedule subject to change without notice; please check schedule upon arrival.
Saturday, January 19
9am - 12pm Explore
Wild mustangs run free in Marta's backyard
What are you doing for Dr. MLK
weekend this January 2013?
Please join Spoke the Hub Dancing and FlyGirl Productions
January 19 and 20 in Death Valley Junction, CA, for “Live
Art in Death Valley” – a unique and uplifting wild west
performance, art, and wilderness “experience” for the whole
family! Stay at Marta Becket’s historic Amargosa Hotel and
enjoy performances plus participatory workshops in and
around the famous Amargosa Opera House. In addition to
creative arts activities, you can exercise your inner cowpoke
and track wild ponies, stargaze with an expert skywatcher,
and have your spine tingled by a Death Valley tall tale teller
around an open campfire; or, if slow and mellow is your
speed, come drift along with the tumbling tumbleweeds and
saunter into the sunset with us.
Package Deals
Package #1 - $350 / $300* donation per person
Saturday 1pm - Monday 12pm: Includes food and shared
lodging at the Amargosa Hotel for 2 nights plus admission to all
performances and workshops.
Package #2 - $250 / $200* donation per person
Saturday 1pm - Sunday 8pm: Includes food and shared
lodging at the Amargosa Hotel for 1 night plus admission to all
performances and workshops.
7-9am
Explore the area on your own or with family and
friends. Checkout the new Tonapah & Tidewater
Historical Society Museum adjacent to the hotel. Track
wild ponies. Hike the local canyons. The Amargosa
Café is open for breakfast and lunch.
1 - 4pm Workshops For the Whole Family
Nancy Topf’s “Space Walk” Performance
Workshop with Ellynne Skove
“Make the Scene in Death Valley”
Photo Op and Prop Workshop
with Cindy & David Krimmel
“Create A Healthy Vegetarian Banquet”
with Sung Uni Lee
Performances
Sulai Lopez’s “Life In The River Perfect”
6pm
Dinner with live music by Carl Friberg
7:30pm“Live From Death Valley!”
A Showcase of New Performance Work
Carl Friberg / Music
Freestyle Repertory Theater
Erin Gottwald & John Carrafa / Dance
Elise Long / Spoke the Hub Dancing
Nancy Lyons / Dance
Kaina Quenga / Polynesian Dance
Efeya Sampson / African Diaspora Dance
Spoke the Hub Young Artists Dance/Theater
Mindy Toro / Dance
Hannah Verrill & Karen Berley /
New Performance & Film
9:30pm
Stargazing with Amy Noel
Breakfast
9-9:45am Morning Meditation & Yoga Stretch
with Mina Hamilton
10am-12pmNancy Topf’s “Space Walk” Performance
with Ellynne Skove
12-1pm
Lunch
Phone(s) _______________________________________________
Email _________________________________________________
Emergency Contact(s) (Name/Phone)
______________________________________________________
I want to share my room with… (Name/Age)
“Hands Dancing” with Lily Skove
New Dance with Elise Long
Polynesian Dance with Kaina Quenga
Sand Painting with Ingrid Alvarez
Theater Improvisation
with Freestyle Repertory Theater
______________________________________________________
“Opera Yoga” with Mina Hamilton
 Package #1 (2 nights)  Package #2 (1 night)
$350 / $300*
$250 / $200*
5pmWorkshop Performances and Art Exhibits
by Our Lovely Guests, in and around
the Opera House
6pm
Champagne Toast honoring Marta Becket
6:30pm
Dinner
8pm“Campfire Songs, Marshmallows and
Ghost Stories” with local writer, film-maker,
historian and tall tale teller, Ted Faye
Monday, January 21
Explore the area on your own or with family and friends.
Take a tour of Scotty’s Castle or relax in the Tecopa
Hot Springs. (Extra fees charged for transportation and
admission.) The Amargosa Café is open for breakfast and
lunch.
Package #3 - $175 / $125* donation per person
Tent or RV Camping for 1-3 nights: Includes food plus
admission to all performances and workshops. Water
and sewage drop station available, but no electric or RV
hookups.
______________________________________________________
Sorry, no pets allowed.
Lodging
Prices are per guest and include food and activity admissions
Bed Choices:  Dbl. Queen  King
 1 Additional Cot
 Package #3
$175 / $125*
 Tent  RV
# of Nights ___
*Early Registration Discount ends November 15, 2012
Space at the Amargosa Hotel is very limited. We will do our best
to find a bed for everyone who requests indoor lodging! Please
email us with special concerns.
Food
How many in your party are…
Omnivores _____
Vegetarians _____
Payment
Total Due (Number of Guests x Package Price) $_____________
Name on Credit Card ___________________________________
Credit Card No._________________________________________
Exp. Date __________________ Code______________________
Signature ______________________________________________
*Early Registration Discount ends November 15, 2012
Registration by mail must be received by January 7, 2013.
50% refund is available for cancellations prior to midnight December
31st. No refunds available after January 1, 2013. Refunds must be
requested in writing to [email protected].
For all you tumbleweeds just in town for the day, feel free
to join individual activities à la carte for $30 each.
Can’t join us and still want to support Armagosa Opera House?
Make a tax-deductible donation at www.spokethehub.org
Address _______________________________________________
1 - 4pm Workshops For the Whole Family
4:15pm
5pm
Name ____________________________________Age__________
Sunday, January 20
Marta Becket's Amargosa Opera House at Death Valley Junction
Marta's painted murals, inside the Opera House
Please send donations and registration form to
Spoke the Hub Dancing, c/o Marlena Oden
748 Union St. Brooklyn, NY 11215