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by
Rip & Marsha
Naquin-Delain
Visit their site: ripandmarsha.com
Thousands Expected for 21st NAGVA Championships Memorial Day Weekend in New Orleans
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With at least a 1,000 competitiors, and thousands more in atten-dance, New Orleans is readying itself for the 21st international championships of the North American Gay Volleyball Association.
Volleyball New Orleans (VNO) is hosting this year's event May 22-25 in Hall H of the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. NAGVA Championships XXI will feature 125 adult volleyball teams from throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.
Although VNO hosts NAGVA's largest seasonal tournament every January, this is the first time the annual Championships will be held in New Orleans. The competition will be divided into 4 divisions: AA, A, BB and B.
Although teams have registered via NAGVA's web site, registration for the individuals will be held at the Sheraton Hotel on the evening of Thurs., May 22.
Seeding play will commence the morning of Fri., May 23 and will continue through Sat., May 24. Tournament elimination rounds will begin Saturday evening and continue through Sunday afternoon. Entry for the competition is free for spectators.
In connection with the tournament, VNO will also host several ancillary events.
A cocktail party for the participants will be held that Friday evening by Muriel's at Jackson Square.
A post-tournament banquet will be held at the Sheraton Hotel at 7:30pm on Sun., May 25, at which time awards will be presented to the top 4 teams, All-Stars and MVP in each division.
A charitable donation from the tournament's proceeds will
also be presented to Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) at the
banquet. Tickets to the banquet, for a donation of $35 each, are available by
contacting Lary Bolles at 504.528.2421. Anyone interested in becoming a sponsor
for this year's Championships may also contact Lary. For more information,
please visit VNO's Championships web site at
www.nagvachampionshipsxxi.com.
Over 60,000 Expected in Pensacola Memorial Day
Wknd.
Over 60,000 revelers are expected to pour into Pensacola for the giant Memorial Day Weekend blowout. Johnny Chisholm, in conjunction with Oz nightclub in New Orleans and Emerald City nightclub in Pensacola, is again preparing for one of the most spectacular circuit party weekends of the year!!!
Memorial Day Weekend 2003 will find Pensacola, Florida over-flowing with gay men and lesbians. Some of the big stars scheduled for the weekend include Kim English, Suzanne Palmer, Funky Green Dogs, Pepper Mashay, Bianca Del Rio, New Century Dance Company, and Pensacola's own Ebony Sinclair and Penny Holiday.
The guys and gals will bop around the Hampton on the Beach's pool at BOUNCE featuring DJ Kimberly S. Friday afternoon. Then it's off to the beach to dance to the mesmerizing sounds of DJ Don Bishop at WAVE later Friday night (this party goes until sunrise).
Saturday afternoon, join the all-new poolside tea dance BOUNCE 2 featuring DJ Monty Q at the Hilton (right next door to the Hampton. (Saturday night, DJ Neil Lewis is gonna make you SWEAT at Emerald City.
This is all just warm-up for the grand-daddy of all Circuit Parties, award winning Circuit Party of the Year, ABRACADABRA, at the Pensacola Civic Center Sunday night! This year, DJ Abel will keep you hopping and dancing all night long.
Do you like to party into the wee hours? Don't worry, Spellbound, the after hours parties will keep the guys hopping late Saturday night (after SWEAT) with DJ David Knapp and Sunday night (after ABRACADABRA) with DJ Joe Gauthreaux at The Annex.
DJ Mary Pappas will spin her turntables at Emerald City Monday night for a special Drink & Drown closeout party. DJ Dewight Barkley will spin at his home bar, Emerald City, Thursday, Friday and Sunday.
Host hotels for the weekend: The Hampton Inn on the Beach (1.800.320.8108), The Hilton Garden Hotel on the Beach (1.866.916.2999) and the Crown Plaza/Pensacola Grand (1.800.348.3336). Make sure you mention "Oz Group"
when you call. Event ticket desks will be available at these three hotels throughout the weekend (beginning Friday morning).
Weekend VIP $300 or
Weekend Pass: $200 Available on-line. VIP
Pass includes admission to Bounce, Bounce 2, Wave, Sweat, Abracadabra, 2
After-Hours parties, Emerald City - Thurs. through Mon., plus a VIP Lounge/Open
Bar at Fri., Sat. & Sun. night Parties. The Weekend Pass includes Bounce, Bounce
2, Wave, Sweat, Abracadabra, 2 After-Hour Parties, and Emerald City Friday.
Individual Event Tickets and Weekend Passes may be purchased at the Ticket
Booths in the lobbies of the Pensacola Grand/Crowne Plaza, The Hampton Inn on
the Beach, and The Hilton Garden Inn (right next door to the Hampton).
For more information visit the Oz website:
www.ozneworleans.com, e-mail:
ozclub@bellsouth.net or call
850.433.7499.
Ambush, Miller Beer & DeKuyper Sponsor
3rd Outer Loop Memorial Day Bar Crawl Set for Memorial Day, Mon., May 26
Several popular French Quarter bars have joined together for the 3rd Outer Loop Memorial Day Bar Crawl scheduled for Memorial Day, Mon., May 26, 3pm. Ambush and Miller Beer return for the third year as Official Media and Official Beer Sponsors, and DeKuyper joins as Official Liquor Sponsor this year. The event is sure to have revelers racing back from the beaches and circuit parties of this big holiday weekend. Last year over 500 participated including those cheering them on from the host clubs.
The Crawl begins at 3pm, Club 735, 735 Bourbon St., with the kickoff BBQ. The next stops include 4pm, Double Play, 439 Dauphine; 4:30pm, Corner Pocket, 940 St. Louis; 5pm, Orlando's Society Page, 542 N. Rampart; 5:30pm, Ninth Circle at Congo Square, 700 N. Rampart; 6pm, Voodoo, 718 N. Rampart; and 6:30pm, 7th Circle, 820 N. Rampart. The Crawl ends at 7pm, MRB, 515 St. Philip, with a giant crawfish boil and 4 grand prize give-aways.
The bars will be serving select Miller specials and select DeKuyper schnapps specials with proceeds benefiting Buzzy's Boys and Girls. Additionally, buy a drink and get a chance to win a gift bag at each bar. At the final stop, buy a drink and get a chance to win one of 4 grand prize bags courtesy of Official Sponsors Ambush, Miller Lite and DeKuyper. Participants in the Crawl will get their very own Outer Loop Memorial Day Bar Crawl T-shirt while supplies last.
Ambush, as Official Bar Crawl Guide, has
promoted the crawl extensively with pre-crawl and post-crawl publicity since its
inception. The Official Bar Crawl Website, which is up year-round on
GayAmerica.COM's
A-List, is
GayNewOrleans.COM/BarCrawl. Sponsored by Ambush, the
A-List banner link is valued at $3,300 per year.
Now
in its 7th year, One Mighty Party (OMP) at Disney’s
MGM Studios remains
the cornerstone of Gay Days in
The
Tower of Terror and the Rock ‘n Roller Coaster are open all night
for added amusement. An extravagant musical performance and the famous Disney
fireworks will keep the excitement level at a fever pitch! This is the party
that started it all, so everyone is advised to keep their hands and arms inside
the ride at all times because this party will take them on a ride they will
never forget!
Climax II After-hours
There’s only one thing to do in
Host Hotel:
Hilton Hotel in The Walt Disney World® Resort
With rates starting at $139 a night, this official host
hotel is exclusively OMPs for the weekend.
So the guys can stay and play with the hottest boys in town! Guests can
enjoy 3 days of Magical Pool parties at one of the largest pools in the Kingdom
complimentary only to Hilton Hotel guests! Guests will also be conveniently
located in the same hotel as the fiercest after-hours parties of the weekend!
Hotel guests will also enjoy exceptional facilities at the
Four Star, Four Diamond hotel, just steps away from Downtown Disney®, home of
the Disney Marketplace,
A multitude of activities await guests at the Hilton. Take
a refreshing dip in either of two swimming pools, enjoy a workout at the health
club, play golf in the five Walt Disney World® championship courses, and savor
a variety of cuisines at the seven restaurants and lounges with 24 hour room
service available.
The host hotel offers spacious accommodations and relaxed
comfort in the newly renovated guest rooms. All feature soft colors and
convenient amenities that make it the ultimate retreat for the Gay Days
Weekend.
The well-equipped Health Club is open from
Whatever your taste buds crave, you’ll be able to find
satisfaction at one of the seven premier restaurants and lounges. With an
emphasis on fresh ingredients, comfortable surroundings and personal service,
dining at Hilton in the Walt Disney World® Resort is always a pleasure.
Reservations are available at 800.782.4414 or
404.827.4000. Mention One Mighty Party weekend.
One Mighty Party: $85 in advance, Climax Friday: $30
Climax, Saturday: $40 Climax Sunday: $40;
Tickets for all events are on sale now at CircuiTicket.com
310.860.0101 or Ticketmaster
407.839.3900.
For more information, visit on-line at jeffreysanker.com, ozneworleans.com or onemightyparty.com.
"Star 80!" Kicks Off
June 5 at Kims 940
Starting Thurs. June 5, 10pm, and continuing every
Thursday thereafter, Star 80!, a new 80s night with DJ Mags kicks off
at Kim's 940 Night Club, 940 Elysian Fields, corner of N. Rampart in New
Orleans.
Revelers will experience Retro 80s, New Wave, Punk, Rock,
Hip-Hop and Electro hits; and will be treated to $1Pucker shots and $1 draft
all night long!
For more info call 504.944.4888 or visit www.Kims940.COM.
Yappy
Hour goes to the disco. Give your pack a fun evening
out with their best friends! At
Yappy Hour, pets learn socialization skills while pet people network. For a $10
donation to Jefferson SPCA, The Cellars of River Ridge provides wine and
dinner for one or two humans, and Jefferson Feed offers pet treats, prizes and
surprises! This month’s costume contest is “Disco Dog” (Humans can
costume too.)
Set for Thurs., June 12,
Proceeds from this event will help fund
1st Funky Art Auction Set for
June 23 at Country Club Benefits Hate Crimes Project
On
Sun., June 22 from
The
event will include a silent auction and live auction on a wide variety of Funky
Art. Everything from framed posters and
advertising items to handicrafts and signed prints and paintings. And prices will range from $2 on up.
“You
can think of this as the garage sale of cool funky art,” says Jack Carrel, Hate
Crimes Project director. “You never know
what you may find. A signed print, a
great movie poster or a cool piece of original art.” Anyone interested in donating
pieces to be included in the auction can contact Jack Carrel at 504.250.7808.
The
event will be a fundraiser for the Hate Crimes Project of New Orleans. The
central mission of the Hate Crimes Project is to support and assist
individuals, families and communities affected by hate violence based on race,
religion, gender/gender expression, age, physical or mental disability, or
sexual orientation.
The HCP, which is housed at the Lesbian and Gay Community Center of New Orleans, was begun in 1999. The HCP operates a 24-hour hotline, community awareness and education, and a walk-in center for crisis intervention, counseling, advocacy and referral. In addition, the HCP collaborates with community leaders, agencies, and individuals to improve and increase access to resources for survivors of hate crimes. The Hate Crimes 24-hour hotline can be reached at 504.944.HEAL (4325). The auctioneer will be Jack Carrel, Louisiana License number 1439-2003.
Celebration in the South, 2 Days Celebrating &
Honoring the Community
On
Sat., June 21 and Sun., June 22,
the Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT)
community will have an opportunity to honor its past, celebrate its present and
build for the future in a free event, Celebration in the South. The event,
which will take place in the Marigny area of
Saturday
events run
Sunday
events will revolve around commemorating the 30th Anniversary of the Upstairs
Lounge Fire that claimed 32 lives and gave birth to the New Orleans LGBT rights
movement. The theme for the day’s events
is “Refined From the Ashes.” The day will start off with a memorial
service at
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There
will also be a community marketplace with spaces for organizations and
businesses addressing needs of the Queer community. A family/community picnic will take place in
and around
“Celebration
of the South is an opportunity for the Queer community of the Southern United
States to come together to celebrate and honor the communities and people that
make this such a unique place,” said Jack Carrel, Executive Director of the
Center and one of the facilitators of the event. Other facilitators include NO-AIDS CAN
project and
The schedule for the two days is:
Saturday June 22, 8-10am, Registration; 10-11, Workshop
one; 11-11:15, Break; 11:15-12:15, Workshop two; 12:15-1:30, Family/Community
Picnic; 1:30-2:30, Workshop three;
2:30-2:45, Break; 2:45-3:45, Workshop four; 3:45-4, Break; 4-5, Town Hall
Meeting.
Sunday June
For more information about the weekend’s events, call Jack Carrel at 504.250.7808.
Upstairs Fire Memorial Funding
Matched by Anonymous Donor
An
anonymous donor has stepped forward to match all
funds raised to place a bronze plaque
at the site of the Upstairs Lounge Fire. To date, $1,850 has been
raised of a total of $7,300 needed to create and install the memorial plaque.
On
The 30th anniversary of the fire will be remembered with a
special memorial service at the Ritz Carlton on Sun., June 22 at
Anyone interested in contributing to the Upstairs Fire
Memorial can send their tax-deductible contribution in care of
NOBA Presents Urban Ballet
Theater June 27
New
Orleans Ballet Association and Friends of NORD
present the street-smart vitality
of Urban Ballet Theater on Fri., June 27,
Acclaimed
for its innovative contemporary storytelling, told with a vocabulary of
movement that embraces indigenous, urban and classical dance forms, Urban
Ballet Theater will present a world premiere ballet, set to an original jazz
score, plus two repertory works; Mambo, which includes a section
performed by the young dancers of the NORD/NOBA Center For Dance, and Trouble,
a ballet that blends jazz and hip-hop with neoclassical ballet and contemporary
dance traditions.
With
Trouble, choreographer Daniel Catanach examines the effects of
war from different points of view, the passion from which it is blindly
pursued, and its most likely outcome.
Leading up to this performance, Urban Ballet Theater will work as
artists in residence, sharing their craft with the students of the Center For
Dance and Loyola Ballet Preparatory Program during the Footbridge Summer
Intensive (June 16 – 28).
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Founded by Artistic Director Daniel Catanach, Urban Ballet
Theater was established to develop a ballet-theater dialect that reflects the
current tempers of society. Catanach’s
choreography illustrates urban life in its truest form by braiding classical
and contemporary dance styles with strong inner-city influences. He creates
works that portray life’s hardships and beauty, which challenges the audience
to embrace, examine and apply them to their own life experiences.
Urban Ballet Theater features classically trained dancers
who were introduced to dance in a non-traditional way. Most of them grew up in
Catanach’s inner-city artistic programs and later received classical
training. It is this similarity with the
programs of the NORD/NOBA Center For Dance, which presents free after school
dance classes at NORD sites city-wide, that brought Urban Ballet Theater to the
attention of NOBA and Friends of NORD.
During the Urban Ballet Theater residency with the
NORD/NOBA Center For Dance, the company will lead two weeks of daily dance
classes for students ages 7-18 participating in the Footbridge Summer Intensive
and at select NORD sites. They will also set two sections of Daniel Catanach’s Mambo
on a group of these students, who will then perform the dance with the company
on June 27. Other Urban Ballet Theater activities include: master classes at
NOCCA | Riverfront, a student performance for NORD summer camps and other
community lecture demonstrations.
Born into a large Hispanic family and raised in Santa Fe,
New Mexico, Daniel Catanach’s storytelling styles are highly influenced by his
Hispanic heritage as well as the Native American cultures of the Southwest. As
a dancer Mr. Catanach trained at The School of American Ballet and the Alvin
Ailey American Dance Center. He has held principal positions with the Armitage
Ballet, the State Ballet of Missouri, and many others. He received critical
acclaim for his performance of leading roles in the work of such choreographers
as George Balanchine and Alvin Ailey.
Working as a choreographer and director since 1981, he has
been commissioned to create work for a broad range of dance, theater, musical
theater, opera, recording companies, and most recently film. In addition
Catanach has served as Artistic Director of the Catanach Ballet Theater and
Santa Fe Dance Company.
An acclaimed teacher, Catanach has taught ballet and jazz
on the faculties of such schools as STEPS on Broadway, Alvin Ailey American
Dance Center, Broadway Dance Center, among others.
Most recently, Catanach has been appointed the director of
dance for the Henry Street Settlement in New York, where he founded the Urban
Youth Theater, New Alternatives for Children, Project Reach Youth, Project
Reach Safe, TADA! He has also set his choreography the schools of Alvin Ailey
American Dance Theatre and Dance Theatre of Harlem.
NORD/NOBA Center For Dance The NORD/NOBA Center For Dance
is a cultural community partnership between the New Orleans Recreation
Department (NORD) and the New Orleans Ballet Association (NOBA). Founded in 1992 with seed money from the
Freeport-McMoran Foundation, The Center was born out of a need to make dance accessible
to all school-age children. A program that began with just 30 students now has
an annual gross enrollment of more than 600 children at NORD centers citywide.
With a core curriculum of ballet, classes are open to any
child in Orleans Parish with a demonstrated interest in dance. Through a
professional faculty, master classes by NOBA Main Stage artists and other
visiting artists, a mentor program and field trips, the Center works with each
child to cultivate dreams and strengthen futures.
Celebrating its 10th anniversary season, the Center For Dance was one of only twelve organizations in the US and Mexico to receive a 2002 President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities Coming Up Taller Award for excellence in community-based, after-school arts and humanities programs.
Pride Fest Benefits from Ambush Sponsorship
New Orleans Alliance of Pride, producers of the
annual Pride Festival in New
Orleans, will benefit from a sponsorship contract with Ambush.
Ambush will serve as exclusive major local media sponsor for New
Orleans as well as all of Louisiana and the Gulf South including the states of
Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Florida.
This year, Pride Fest will celebrate Gay History Month with its festival on Sat. and Sun., Oct. 4 and 5, at Armstrong Park, adjacent to the French Quarter. The 2003 theme is Proud To Be. Visit neworleansgaypride.org for more info.
The value of the total sponsorship package is $91,540. Ambush Mag will donate 10 full page full color ads valued at $6,940. Through its AmbushOnLine.COM conglomerate, Pride will be linked from both its GayAmerica.COM's A-List and its CrescentCity.COM's Triple C premiere banner locations valued at $6,600. For the months of July, August and September, AmbushOnLine.COM will place a banner ad dedicated to Pride Fest on 37 of its Web sites for a value of $78,000. The on-line conglomerate currently receives over 375,000 unique visitors and over 3.5 million hits per month.\
Free Friday Night Movies at The Center
Every
Friday night at 7pm, the Lesbian and Gay Community
Center of New Orleans offers
free LGBT films, popcorn and sodas. For
more information, contact the Center at .504.945.1103.
The
program for May & June includes:
Fri.,
May 23: But I’m a Cheerleader (1999, United States, Jamie
Babbit). This high-spirited comedy stars Natasha Lyonne as Megan, a high school
cheerleader whose “All-American” lifestyle may or may not be a mask for lesbian
tendencies. But either way, her parents
aren’t taking any chances. They send her
to New Directions, a “de-programming” camp where they hope she’ll be set
“straight” and return to her jock boyfriend and cheerleading squad. But when another girl at camp (Clea DuVall)
catches Megan’s eye, the mission doesn’t quite go as planned. (Approximately 86 minutes).
Fri., May 30: Relax ... It’s Just Sex (1998,
United States, P.J. Castelanetta). This
captivating multiracial romantic comedy revolves around the tangled
relationships and love affairs of an extended group of close-knit friends. Among them are Michael Anderson as a
love-lorn gay man, Jennifer Tilly as his pal, and Lori Petty as a lesbian in
lust. (Approximately 110 minutes).
Fri., June 6: Edge of Seventeen
(1998, United States, David Moreton) This film tells the story of 17-year-old
Eric in Sandusky, Ohio, and the trials and tribulations of his coming out in
the summer of 1984. While flipping
burgers with his best friend Maggie at the local amusement park restaurant, he
meets a host of summer-jobbing buddies, including his first beau and his brassy
bull-dyke boss played by Lea DeLaria. A
series of painfully funny misadventures lead to Eric’s first kiss, first crush,
first heartbreak, and ultimately force him to be more honest with his family
and best friend. (Approximately 109
minutes).
Fri., June 13: Chutney Popcorn (1999,
United States, Nisha Ganatra). Nisha Ganatra stars as Reena, an Indian-American
who rides a motorcycle and lives with her lovely commitment-phobic American
lover (Jill Hennessy). Her defiant way
of life and lack of proper decorum prove to be a constant annoyance to her
parents as well as to Sarita, her happily married sister. But when Sarita is unable to conceive a
child, Reena , mindful of having a chance to do something her “perfect” sister
can’t, volunteers. The already strained family ties are truly tested when Reena
discovers the joys of motherhood, much to the consternation of her lover,
mother and sister. (Approximately 92
minutes).
Fri., June 20: Steam: The Turkish Bath
(1996, Turkey, Ferzan Ozpetek). Unhappily married Francesco inherits a
dilapidated Turkish bath. While
restoring the bath, he discovers his attraction to the sensuous Mehmet. This lushly photographed film creates an
exotic atmosphere that draws us into a previously unknown world. (In Turkish and Italian with English
subtitles; approximately 94 minutes).
Fri., June 27: Lost and Delirious
(2000,
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