Drinks at the Grand Bohemian.

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I went to the Grand Bohemian Hotel Orlando (325 S Orange Ave, Orlando, Florida) to meet Greg Dobbs who wanted to share a children’s book he had written. I first met Greg when I sketched Santa Claus from a distance at the Millenia Mall. Security chased me off, since apparently creating a sketch at the mall is verboten.  I wrote a poem poking fun at the situation, and months later Greg wrote me a poem in response inviting me to sketch Santa up close and personal. I showed up on Christmas Eve to witness the last minute crush as parents waited in line in hopes that their children could sit in Santa’s lap before the Mall shut down. Getting the children distracted and delighted was Greg’s job. Not an easy task give the high stake stress filled situation.

Greg’s story was a delightful tale of a young boy and his grandfather who worked for a fire house. It would be a fun story to illustrate, if I could entrench myself with an old established fire house with the old fashion pole and some historic trucks. I have this idea of casting for the book much as actors are cast for a play or a movie. I would storyboard the book just like a movie and then pose the cast for each scene.  Their is no publisher set for the book yet so any work I do would be on spec. The project remains on the back burner.

Greg’s daughter Flynn Dobbs also met me for a drink that day. She is now the youngest curator to ever work at the Grand Bohemian. Both of her parents are artists, so she has grown up in a creative environment. Greg’s wife does monumental figurative sculptures and of four Greg is a photographer and writer. We discussed the possibility of my sketching events at the hotel. It is an exciting possibility. The Grand Bohemian could become my Moulin Rouge.

Tonight on March 7th at 7 pm I am hosting ODD (Orlando Drink  and Draw) at the Grand Bohemian. Orlando Drink and Draw ventures to a new bar each month to sample
beers and sketch. There is no model fee and no instruction. This is just
a chance to get out, meet fellow artists and draw. I have an infinite accordion sketchbook that artists have contributed to since the first Drink and Draw. Also I like to have artists face off for quick 5 minute portraits. Artists change chairs until every artist has met and sketched every other artist. I’ll dress up a bit for this evening among artists.

The Blue Boxes are disappearing but the law requiring their use is still on the books.

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27 Blue Boxes are painted on sidewalks in Downtown Orlando. These
boxes are for panhandlers and buskers. Busking is possible only during
day light hours. Although set up for panhandlers, police often insist
street performers must use the blue boxes. Performing outside the boxes
can result in 60 days in jail and a $500 fine. These Boxes represent the only places downtown where
theoretically there is freedom of speech. They are Orlando’s First Amendment Zones.

On February 29th Mandi Ilene Schiff offered to do a body painting in Blue Box number 6. On the map, the box is located near the Bob Carr Theater on West Livingston Street. Because of construction this street can only be approached from the West off of Parramore Avenue. Mandi arrived before me and was waiting in front of the UCF Center of Emerging Media. Her model, Yvonne Clar, hadn’t arrived yet. I began searching across the street for the blue box. The problem was that half of the street and sidewalk was ripped up and now fenced off due to construction.

A guard from UCF came out and asked if he could help us navigate the construction to get to downtown Orlando. My experience with people who say, “Can I help you?” is that they will be an obstruction to my completing a sketch. Though he went back inside the UCF lobby, I knew we were on his radar. Our search for the blue box was out of the ordinary. Mandi and I decided to settle in front of a large blue banner that was the logo for the construction company that was digging up this prime real estate. Mandi’s idea was to camouflage the model, so she disappeared against the Blue sign. As she unloaded her paints and brushes, the guard came out and shouted “You can’t be setting up over there!” I thought it odd that he didn’t cross the street to speak to us. He was like a dog who barked at the edge of its property. I shouted out, “Why is that?” He shouted back that he had to protect the high school kids. That is odd, I thought, UCF is a college, there are no minors. I contacted a UCF instructor I know, just to verify that this guard has no idea of the age of the students he sees everyday.

Since I was getting over a cold, I decided to walk across the street so I didn’t have to shout. I told him that I was documenting the 27 blue boxes and explained what they are for. I showed him the location of blue box number 6 on the city map figuring he might help me in locating it. “I don’t know anything about no blue boxes, all I know is that you can’t set up over there. I have to keep these kids safe. There are pimps, prostitutes and drug dealers who are always hanging around this area.” Now, If I was a prostitute I wouldn’t work this abandoned stretch of road, I thought. Did he think Mandi was a prostitute? He would definitely have a heart attack if the model took off her shirt in front of the school. This was a loosing battle, since we didn’t have the security of a blue box to stand in, I decided we needed to move to the next blue box which was half a block East near I-4. I shook the guards hand, thanked him for his help, and we headed East.

Blue Box number 7 was also torn up by construction, but there was a hint of several blue dotted lines remaining on a curb. Yellow caution tape separated us from being able to stand in the patch of dirt which had once been the blue box.  We decided instead to set up outside the rented fence near the Orlando Centroplex sign. Yvonne showed up just as Mandi was settled in. I was in the midst of blocking in my sketch, and I didn’t want to spread my cold, so I kept working. This was the first time that the performers were not protected by actually standing inside a  blue box. The stakes were high, but Mandi and the model bravely took the chance. City codes on indecent exposure had been researched, and the model could have legally been painted in nothing but pasties and panties, but Nix Herrera another body painter, had advised Mandi against taking the chance. It could have resulted in regulations for an art form that has so far stayed off the city commissioners radars.

With a liberating flourish, the model took of her shirt and her black bra defied any notion of indecent exposure. The race was on to complete the sketch and body painting before we were caught. Mandi began by painting a blue box on Yvonne’s belly, then she began painting iconic Orlando imagery, like a swan, the fountain, an orange breast, and the skyline wedged in Yvonne’s cleavage. Ten minutes into the sketch, I felt that art had won. I had enough on the page, so that even if police or security stopped us, I could finish the sketch back at the studio. A construction worker asked what are were doing. I discussed the blue boxes and explained that we would be done within an hour. “I don’t mind.” he said with a smile.  Theo Lotz, the Flying Horse Editions director from UCF also asked about our project and I quickly explained the Blue Box Initiative. I get excited, having the chance to explain the need for free artistic expression. His bus arrived and he had to run off mid sentence.

We were right near a bus stop and each time a bus stopped you could see a dozen passengers with then noses pressed against the windows. A driver honked his approval. My quick rough sketches don’t do Mandi’s amazing work  justice. Be sure to check out these photos her fiance Robert Johnston took. It certainly felt like we were tempting fate on this day, but some amazing art was created.  Yvonne became a gorgeous living postcard that celebrated the City Beautiful.

Dance Theater of Orlando Presents Touch.

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I went to a tech rehearsal for Dance Theater of Orlando‘s presentation of Touch, The Human Experience. The Dance Theater of Orlando is funded by ME Dance a not-for-profit organization founded by Marshall Ellis in 2011. The ME Theater is located at 1300 La Quinta Drive Orlando Florida which is 2 short drive so of the Florida Mall. I arrived just as Alex Schudde Ellis was opening the theater. The dancers stretched in preparation of the run through of the show.

Touch follows the lives of twelve people who are dealing with their vulnerable lives in various loosely interrelated tales all set during the Great Depression. In the pre-show, video was projected of a UPA era cartoon that encouraged people to invest in the stock market. What followed was a montage of black and white photos from the Great Depression. The minimal set gave hints of a shanty town. A narrator related the history as President Roosevelt created New Deal programs to help raise the country from it poverty.

As the story unfolds, we are first introduced to Billy (Abram Garcia)
and Diamond Jackie (Alex Schudde), the lead couple whose story is
interwoven throughout the show to showcase how they handle their
relationship struggle through trying times after Billy develops a
fascination for the Fish Lady (Sara Rose Smith). The dynamic chemistry
portrayed during their introductory dance will have the audience fall in
love with these characters and cheer for the recuperation of their
relationship throughout the struggles, but only time will tell what will
become of their relationship.

As the show continues, the audience is continually introduced to a
cast of new characters who all hold endearing traits that
evolve through the show as they each try to figure out how to survive
the Great Depression and find their true selves. The wide assortment of
personalities include: Vibes Man (Christopher McKenzie) who is searching
for his lost soul; Frank and Mary (Nathan Greenberg and Lauren
Sherwood), the wide-eyed, innocent and bashful coming-of-age couple in
the countryside; and many others who represent different social and
economic classes.

As all of their lives come together, there is one inevitable factor
that continues to motivate them to push through: the human touch. Despite their own
struggles, they make an effort to help raise each other up it ultimately
leads to each character reawakening. Each song from Bruce
Springsteen is specifically selected to represent the emotions and
current hardships of the characters, which creates a smooth, consistent
transition between all of the different stories as they blend together.



Charlie Chaplin as The Dictator filled the theater with his speech that stressed peace and compassion. After seeing so many images of suffering during the depression his speech stressed that war is never the answer.  I have seen the Dictator on TV, but seeing it larger than life certainly makes an impression like OZ’s visage in smoke.

By the last number, it becomes clear that love conquers all. All twelve dancers  filled the stage with their energy. Lauren Sherwood leaped and flew with endless grace supported by a male dancer. This is when dance seems magical as it defies gravity’s pull. Couples united and hope endured as Springsteen’s music roared it’s approval.

Mark Your Calendars. 

Touch, the Human Experience runs…

March 4-6 at 8:30pm and March 11-13 at 8:30pm

ME Theater 1300 La Quinta Drive Orlando FL 32809

Tickets are $20

Weekend Top 6 Picks for March 5th and 6th.

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Saturday March 5, 2016

7pm to 9pm Free. Brewery Tour. Orlando Brewing, 1301 Atlanta Ave, Orlando, FL.

8pm to 10pm Free. Marc With a C’s record release party for “Unicorns Get More Bacon!” The Geek Easy 114 S Semoran Blvd, Ste 6, Winter Park, Florida. Marc With a C’s new album is called “Unicorns Get More Bacon”. It’ll be out on Tuesday, March 8th. But… come and celebrate the new stuff with a full-on rock show! Marc will be backed by Jim Myers and Emmit Dobbyn, and the show will be opened by the fantastic Uke-A-Ladies! Doors at 8 PM, show begins at 9 PM. No live streams, just an up-close, personal, loud and sweaty concert. Free and all ages!

8:30pm to 10:30pm $20 Touch, The Human Experience. Me Dance Theater of Orlando 1300 La Quinta Drive Orlando FL. Follow the lives of twelve humans in dealing with their vulnerable lives in various loosely interrelated tales all set during the Great Depression.

Sunday March 6, 2016 

10am to 5pm Free. Art In The Park ll. Shadow Bay Park is conveniently located near the corner of Turkey Lake Rd and Conroy Rd, less than 2 miles down the street from Universal Studios. You are invited to another Art In The Park event where artists can come together to create, share good vibes and ideas picnic style while relaxing in a peaceful park setting! There are no specific agendas or expectations on what you may wish to create and all modalities are welcomed… drawing, painting, writing, sculpting, crafting, photography, etc. If anyone would like to work on a communal mural that’s great too! You can bring blankets or chairs for your seating comfort along with a picnic basket or cooler along with any supplies you may need. I usually listen to Pandora on my little speaker but anyone interested in playing gentle acoustic music with their instruments is fine. Friends are also welcomed to join you. For those with children, there’s a jungle gym playground located near the rest rooms.

This is a free event with ample free parking available. Bathrooms are also on the premises. There are trash receptacles throughout the park so please leave the area as tidy as you found it. Shadow Bay Park is conveniently located near the corner of Turkey Lake Rd and Conroy Rd, less than 2 miles down the street from Universal Studios. Let’s hope for great weather but in the event of rain, the event will be rescheduled.

Noon to 3pm Free. Music at the Casa, Amy  Xaychaleune.  Casa Feliz 656 N Park Ave, Winter Park, FL. Violinist Amy Xaychaleune (Amy X.) received her Masters of Music Performance at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and her Bachelors at Florida State University. After returning from the UK, she has performed with the Evita Broadway Tour, Sting, and Adam Levine. She is currently performing in local orchestras (including Brevard Symphony and Orlando Philharmonic), Disney World (Mo’rockin, Harambe Nights, and Candlelight Processional), Universal Studios as a soloist (Diagon Alley/King’s Cross Station), and with touring acts.

2pm to 4pm Free. Grady Kimsey: Artists Talk. Hannibal Square Heritage Center 642 W New England Ave, Winter Park, Florida. “Art Legends of Orange County: Grady Kimsey – Progressions, Works by Former Students” at the Hannibal Square Heritage Center, February 5th to April 2nd, 2016.

Featuring Henry Sinn
Randy Smith
Cheryl Smith
Kyle
Pam Coffman
Sa Sisaleumsak
Terry Sisaleumsak
Jay Spalding
Carlos Richmond
Melissa Kimsey-Hickman
Paula Pell
Greg Freeman
Cindy Freeman
Lynn Warnicke
Marty Whipple

With eight decades of life experiences to draw upon for inspiration, Grady Kimsey enjoys critical and popular success as a sculptor, potter, painter and instructor. He earned his B.A. in fine arts from the University of Tennessee in 1950, and then completed his master’s in education from Rollins College in Winter Park in 1969. Kimsey served as a professor of art for 20 years at Seminole Community College, where he founded the Fine Arts Gallery in 1980. His awards are many, including The Council of Arts and Sciences for Central Florida Award for “Outstanding Achievement in the Arts” and a State of Florida Individual Artist Fellowship. In the dual exhibitions co-curated by Barbara Tiffany, Curator of Gallery Do not sketch outside at this Exhibitions and Manager of Painting & Drawing, and David Cumbie, Sculpture Garden Curator and Sculpture Studio Manager, both Grady Kimsey’s enduring creative spirit and his extensive mentor ship over many decades are honored. 

Do not sketch outside at this event. You could be imprisoned for 60 days and fined $500. 
 

Base Orlando Pin Ups Pose with Hot Rods.

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After sketching all the body painters and models inside the Majestic Event Center (801 North John Young Parkway, Orlando, FL) I walked outside and ordered a hot dog from the food truck and settled in to sketch the hot rods on display. I was then rewarded as the models came outside to pose next to the cars. Rosie the riveter was the first, and she showed off her biceps. Her  tattoo on her muscular arm read, “We Can Do It!” The model with the heart shaped glasses had a yellow bikini painted on. She feigned surprise as she pursed her lips as if to say oooh!

Mandi Ilene Schiff the Base Orlando organizer has volunteered to be part of the Blue Box Initiative next Monday. She will setup a body painting station in one of the side walk boxes and work for several hours. Her blue box is near the Bob Carr Theater. That entire block is under construction, so there is little foot traffic except for UCF Center of Emerging Media Students. Body Painting on the streets of downtown Orlando should push the limits of what is considered to expression in the City Beautiful. To date, I haven’t seen a single police cruiser while doing a blue box sketch. Perhaps this will finally be a case that catches an officer’s attention.

Mark your Calendars! The next Base Orlando event is Pop-Art themed and is tonight, on March 3, from 8pm to 11pm at the Majestic Event Center (801 North John Young Parkway, Orlando, FL). Tickets are $10 to $25.

Base Orlando: Hot Rods and Pin Ups

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I love sketching body painters at work. Majestic Event Center (801 North John Young Parkway, Orlando, FL) opens early to let the painters get a head start on their creations before the public arrives. B.A.S.E. stands for Body Art Showcase and Exhibit. This time around they were body painting Hot Rod and Pin Up themed models. More than a dozen body painted models got transformed into works of art. Local artists were selling their goods, hot rod cars were be on display for photos, burlesque dancers showcased their talents, a food truck was vending outside, the bar served specials all night.

Some models were transformed into pin-striped hot rods, while others became World War II pin ups. As the sun set, the venue filled up. Once the sketch was done, I went outside to get d hot dog, and check out the muscle cars.

Entertainment by:

Corsets and Cuties

Balachandra Belly Dance

Team Rush

Mark your Calendars! The next Base Orlando event is Pop-Art themed on March 3, from 8pm to 11pm at the Majestic Event Center (801 North John Young Parkway, Orlando, FL). Tickets are $10 to $25.

Bottoms Up. A Celebration of the Life of Matt McGrath.

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A memorial was held for Matt McGrath at the Harp and Celt (25 S Magnolia Ave, Orlando, FL).  Matt was just 48 when he died suddenly from cancer. Few people realized he was even sick. Perhaps he wanted everyone to remember him as the vibrant and active person he always was.  He played ice hockey regularly at the RDV Ice Den. His hot Irish blood was perfect for the heat of competitive sports. Matt’s home was the birth place of so many local theater productions. Often the first readings of a script would happen on his back patio. During the day he was an accountant but in the evening, he became a theatrical producer. Rather than having friends remember him in a stodgy funeral home he insisted that they all get drunk and tell stories at his favorite Irish pub in downtown Orlando.

Matt was a bit of an enigma. This is how he described himself online, “Open minded, fun and outgoing guy, who has a very diverse set of
interests. I like to stay busy and participate in many activities from
softball and hockey, to theater and art.” His home which was just a block from an Irish pub in College Park was the home base for many independent theatrical productions. I sketched in his “man cave“, a personal pub complete with a stripper pole and rubber boobies hanging on the wall, on many occasions. Matt had friends in many circles. I bumped into one of his long time work colleges at the bar and at the front door of the bar I ran into the magnificent Irish musicians, Vicki Gish, Scott Vocca, and Kathleen Cavinagh, who perform at Claddagh Cottage Irish Pub (4308 Curry Ford Rd., Orlando, FL) on every other Wednesday. I never knew that Matt I loved their music. Odd that our paths didn’t cross at that pub.

Someone got up to speak about Matt’s love of Irish Music. Anyone with an instrument can join in and play at the Claddagh Cottage music sessions. Matt wanted to join in so much, that he brought a triangle. Someone shouted out that the reason he needed a triangle, was because he broke so man glasses by hitting them with a spoon. Now a triangle is no more of a traditional Irish instrument than say a cow bell. The regular Irish musicians humored him and performed traditional pieces that in theory could incorporate the triangle. Matt joined in, but he kept missing the beats, much to the amusement of everyone in the bar. It got so bad that someone stole the triangle to keep him quiet. The person telling the story had purchased a new triangle in Matt’s honor, along with a fancy triangle stand. He got choked up as he explained that it will be framed and hung in the bar in Matt’s honor. Brian Sikorsky told me that Patty Sheehan
said she was going to make a bar stool in his honor. The Orlando Fringe will be renaming the beer tent, “The Matt McGrath Beer Tent” in his memory..

Brian told me of the day five beautiful actresses flew in from London for the Orlando International Fringe Festival. They were from Haste Theater Company and the play they were presenting was called Oyster Boy. Anyway Brian called them to see if they had landed OK. It turned out the they were already at Matt’s house enjoying drinks. Brian laughed. Matt never met a beautiful woman that he didn’t love. A slide flickered on the screen, showing Matt in a red T-Shirt that said, “You’ll do.”

The slide show was projected on a screen above the door for the duration of the memorial. Matt as a toddler who had just learned to walk, held beer bottle. Most of the photos showed Matt in the company of beautiful women, On an airplane, he had beautiful stewardess in each arm. So many of Orlando’ beautiful actresses, dancers and models were draw to Matt like moths to a flame. One actress spoke about how Matt helped her with homework in exchange for his getting to see her breasts. An older woman with raspy voice got up to the microphone an shouted, “Matt was that rare bread of a man, he was a nice guy! Around Christmas, he shared the multiple presents he got for all of his girlfriends. He wanted to be democratic. Like I said, He was a nice guy.”

Slides showed Matt jumping out of an airplane, on a zip line, swilling beer with busty German bar maids and traveling the world. He has “been to 5 of the 7 continents. Was lucky enough to see the great wall and the Spinx.” He lived large and loved life. He mixed with different groups of people, that didn’t tend to mingle together. Some of my dearest friends posed beside him. Even friends who preferred anonymity blossomed in his company. Some of Orlando’s most beautiful women entered the bar in honor of a man who knew how to make them feel special. My favorite slide showed three men and a woman in a woman’s bathroom with McGrath written across their bums. He wrote his name across so many hearts and asses. At the bar, some people couldn’t stop crying. Others shaved stories and couldn’t stop laughing. As the Irish musicians performed, Matt got his wish as we ate and drank in his honor, tapping our feet to the Irish music. Seize the day and love every moment, because our time is limited. Perhaps we can’t live forever, but we can try to create something that will.

The Whale surfaces at the Winter Garden Theater.

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On June 22, 2015, I went to the Winter Garden Theater (160 W Plant St, Winter Garden, FL) to sketch auditions for “The Whale.” March 18th will be the Central Florida Regional Premiere of this play written by Samuel D. Hunter and staged by Beth Marshal Presents. I love sketching auditions, I get to witness so many talented actors that all bring their own creative take to the characters. This isn’t a story about a great white whale, but instead an intimate look at a father daughter relationship. 

On the outskirts of
Mormon Country, Idaho, a six-hundred-pound recluse hides away in his
apartment eating himself to death. Desperate to reconnect with his
long-estranged daughter, he reaches out to her, only to find a viciously
sharp-tongued and wildly unhappy teen. In this gripping and big-hearted
drama, The Whale tells the story of a man’s last chance at redemption,
and of finding beauty in the most unexpected places. This play was
nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New
Off-Broadway Play. It won a Lucille Lortel Award for Best Play and won a
Drama Desk Special Award for Significant Contribution to Theatre.

Cast
Charlie – Michael Wanzie
Ellie – Rachel Comeau
Liz – Jamie Middleton
Elder Thomas – Anthony Pyatt Jr.
Mary – Beth Marshall

Production Team
Rob Winn Anderson – Director
Anastasia Kurtiak – Stage Manager
David Merchant – Assistant Stage Manager
Tom Mangeri – Set Design
Amy Hadley – Light Design
J.G. Lantiqua – Sound Design
Marcy Singhaus – Costume Design

Dates:  March 18 to April 3, 2016
Thursday 8pm, Friday 8pm, Saturday 2pm (April 2) & 8pm, Sunday 2pm
Industry Night: Monday, March 28 

Tickets: $21 – $28
Special pricing for opening night, Thursday performances, seniors and students.

This show contains adult language and scenes. Recommended for mature audiences.

Dancers Improvise in Blue Box #5.

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27 Blue Boxes are painted on sidewalks in Downtown Orlando. These boxes were put in place for panhandlers and buskers. Busking is possible only during day light hours. Although set up for panhandlers, police often insist street performers must use the blue boxes. Performing outside the boxes can result in 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.

These Boxes represent the only places downtown where theoretically there is freedom of expression.

On February 22nd, Corinne Mele from Red Right Return Dance Company encouraged a group of dancers to utilize Blue Box # 5 as their stage. They had just rolled off of a performance of Guard Down at the Orange Studio on February 20th. They had also rehearsed the night before, but that didn’t dampen their enthusiasm to perform on the streets of Orlando.

I was the first to arrive and anxiously searched for the box with map in hand. The last one had been spray washed away but this one was pristine, looking like it had been painted yesterday. I got a text from Corinne. Construction had blocked access to this street from the East. I redirected her to let her know that the street was still approachable from the West from Parramore. Soon dancers started to arrive. Corinne drove a cute little car that was covered in an ad for hint which I believe makes flavored waters. The dancers came prepared, with water and sunscreen.

They were concerned that this was a rather small stage. All movement had to be linear and having two dancers abreast, limited what they could do. Corinne walked the blue dotted line like a circus high wire performer. She did a pirouette and when she spun out of the box, she abruptly stopped and walked like a pedestrian to re-enter the box from a new location. Dancers soon realized that their extensions would most certainly cut outside the plane established by the blue box stage but with one foot planted inside the box they decided they were within the letter of the law. The dancers had two collection bowls set out. There was however no foot traffic on the sidewalk. We were one block away from the UCF Center of Emerging Media and the Bob Carr Theater. Construction effectively cut off all vehicular traffic. The only hope for a tip might come from a student. Towards the end of the dance company’s improve session, a single pedestrian approached on our side of the sidewalk, Corinne bet the he would cross over to the other side of the street to avoid coming to close to the art. Sure enough twenty yards from us, he crossed over to steer clear. In a town where art is seldom experienced in public, it can be intimidating for the uninitiated. There is no fourth wall to protect the audience. Art in public is a rare beast that must be caged in blue boxes.

Heidi Busher and Corinne were the first dancers to perform a duet on the tight painted stage. They supported can other and negotiated the tight squeeze past each other. Paige Maxwell bent over backwards like a sheet of paper folded in half. Her goal was to grab her own ankles. She grabbed one but the second eluded her. I was absolutely astonished by her flexibility. Kim Matovina displayed incredible feats of strength and balance usually reserved for gymnasts. She balanced on one hand and folded in her limbs balancing with her face inches from the pavement. She then did a headstand using her forearms for support. All five dancers got in the box and tried to duplicate the move for a photo. Not everyone had the strength, but for the flash of an instant they all held the pose.

After several hours of dancing, everyone was sweaty and tired. Paige was unexpectedly hit in the face when another dancer spun with her leg extended, effectively doing a back kick. I heard the smack as if it were a sound effect in a Japanese Kung Fu movie. Paige’s eyes watered and she held her nose. Luckily there was no blood. On a larger stage the dancers would not need to be so dangerously close.

Though no tips went into the tip jars, and not a single pedestrian walked by, it was a beautiful day and I’m so thankful that these beautiful dancers shared their talents to help point out that art should not be boxed in. Winter Park will never experience such a spontaneous outburst of creativity expressed on a sidewalk in public. These aren’t criminals, but highly educated and trained professionals who love their craft and share it openly. Such joyous outbursts of creativity might happen more often if Orlando City Commissioners didn’t create ordinances that effectively treat artists, dancers and performers as panhandlers that need to be boxed in.

Weekend Top 6 Picks for February 27th and 28th.

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Saturday February 27, 2016 

10am to 4pm Free. Sanford Farmers Market. First and Magnolia in Sanford FL. An intimate farmer’s market.

7pm to 9pm $20 suggested donation. Living Room Theater. Diana Rodriguez Portillo Home 1316 Portland Ave. Orlando, FL. Tisse Mallon, Banks Helfrich and Jack Graham present an experiential, exclusive, invite only performance in a living room.

This unique 70 minute show consists of short segments focused on fun, connection and authenticity. From the funny to the serious, from the commonplace to the absurd, these original works take the audience on an emotional journey.

A few things for you to know:

– Due to the intimate nature of the show, no late arrivals can be accommodated.

– While not lewd or vulgar, this show is recommended for ages 18 and up.

– The show lasts approx. 70 minutes.

– There will be time for discussion afterward.

NOTE: Due to limited space, we can only accommodate a certain number of people. If you have a plus one, please let your host know they can insure there is space for everyone!

8:30pm to 10:30pm Free. Open Mic. The Geek Easy 114 S. Semoran Blvd Suite #6, Winter Park, Florida. Amy Watkins and Superhero Poetry. Open to all: Musicians-Lyricists-Artists-and Poets of all kinds. Bring out the cape and have some fun.

Sunday February 28, 2016

Noon to 2pm Free, but grab a bite to eat. Florida Gospel Jam. Fish on Fire 7937 Daetwyler Drive Belle Isle FL. Every 2nd and 4th Sunday.

2pm to 4pm Free but get a coffee. Irish Music. Olivia’s Coffee House, 108 N Bay St, Eustis, FL.

10pm to Midnight. Free but get coffee. Solo Acoustic Spoken Word. Natura Coffee & Tea, 12078 Collegiate Way, Orlando, FL. 407 482-5000