Gizmorashka

Here is a pic of Gizmorashka I took (Giz for short) of him at the beach. He also loves bananas and watching ballet as well as other forms of dance;)

Here is a picture of Cheburashka stuffed animals (Giz is named after the Russian Cartoon Cheburashka-courtesy of Ebay)

Chad Larsen-Part 1/5

*Note: In the following story, a bunch of names of people and places have been changed. To know the real names, please contact me personally.

I would like to take a moment to talk about a musician in the dance department at Oklahoma State University by the name of Chad Larsen. According to Matthew Sbolci, music director of  OSU’s dance department, Larsen is anything but the average dance musician. Most musicians can play for either ballet or modern, but Larsen, who has over 35 years of experience, can do both. “Chad is a musician with an incredible scope of musical styles and genres,” says Sbolci, “His technique at the keyboard or piano is impeccable. He is not only a wonderful improviser but also a great interpreter or the classical repertory.”

When Larsen was younger, he dreamed of having piano lessons, except for a maximum of 6-10 sporadic lessons scattered throughout his youth, Larsen* started his formal training at age 18 ½. The opportunity happened just by chance. Larsen’s friend, Reid Olmstead*, who later became a very accomplished pianist brought Larsen along to one of his piano lessons. Olmstead was lucky enough to study with world-renowned music teacher Richard Harling.* Harling carefully chose his students, who came from all over the world to study with him. His students tended to be both talented and accomplished. Therefore, Harling did not accept beginners.

Olmstead was in the middle of his lesson with Larsen looking on. Suddenly, Olmstead decided to say something out of the blue. “Chad wants to take piano lessons,” said Olmstead. Harling thought for a moment and then ushered Larsen to the piano. “I was floored when he said that,” says Larsen. Harling asked him to play something. Larsen hesitated then declined, but Harling absolutely insisted. “He didn’t let me say no,” says Larsen, who then played a section of Samuel Barber’s “Excursions for the Piano,” a very difficult piece. Larsen thought he did a horrible job. “I don’t know what I was thinking, says Larsen of his music choice.

(Larsen(2nd from left)-with family in the 1970s-unknown photographer-courtesy Chad Larsen)

However, something about Larsen’s playing made Harling realize how talented Larsen was. Therefore, Harling made an exception, accepting Larsen as a beginning student. To make sure Larsen was really serious, Harling gave him Chopin’s Nocturne in B minor to play for his first piece. Larsen worked with Harling for a total of nine years.

Chad Larsen-Part 2/5

Even now, Larsen ultimately hears Harling’s voice over anyone he every studied with. “I miss him very much,” says Larsen of Harling, who passed away in 2001. http://articles.latimes.com/2001/dec/06/local/me-12044 After his passing, Harling had an annual concerto competition named after him http://westsidemusicfoundation.org/Robert%20Turner%20Piano%20Concerto%20Competition.htm

While completing his bachelors and his masters at California State University Northridge, which was known at the time for its excellent music program, Larsen saw a notice for a ballet pianist at Burt Reynolds Dance Studio. He was accepted for the position and has been playing for dance classes ever since. He has played for a great number of famous companies, teachers, and schools.

One of Larsen’s biggest fans is 92-year-old Yelena Morris, who, according to Larsen, looks thirty years younger. Larsen has played for her school in San Clemente, West Coast Ballet, which has its own treasure trove of graduates who have joined companies, such as the New York City Ballet, which Morris herself was a star of.

www.westcoastballet.com

Larsen also has played for other former stars of the New York City Ballet, such as sisters Christina and Pam Nichols, Miami City Ballet, Netherlands Dance Theatre, and Saratoga Ballet have also enjoyed Larsen’s music. In fact, Larsen nearly accepted a position as music director for Saratoga Ballet a few years ago.

Chad Larsen-Part 3/5

Larsen is currently at Oklahoma State University, West Coast Ballet, and Canyon Arts College. He also is frequently a guest pianist for special events such as a master class last summer with former Oklahoma Ballet Theatre ballerina Sally Billings.

According to Larsen, it is the quality of his playing that makes him really stand out, for which he credits Harling. Larsen says that he isn’t the typical dance musician pounding out a beat for ballet. Instead, he offers more quality to his playing. For example, Larsen says he does not simply play loud or soft notes on the piano. He also offers the dynamics in between these two extremes.

According to Larsen, typical accompaniment for modern dance class is usually chord progressions or beating on the drum. “I try to be artistic as if it was a performance,” says Larsen, “I don’t just pound out the rhythm. If they [the teachers] want that, I might as well pound a drum or something,” says Larsen. A modern dance musician usually plays either piano or percussion Originally, Larsen played piano when accompanying modern classes.

When Larsen was at  Los Feliz University as dance department music director, the teachers had really started getting into percussive electronic music. “If I’m going to do this, I’d better do it all,” says Larsen Therefore, Larsen began teaching himself percussion to accommodate them, first on a jimbe and then on an electronic drum machine when the task became too painful for his hands. The major difference was that Larsen played piano, electronic drums, and synthesizer all at one time for class. “I didn’t think of it as unusual at the time,” says Larsen, who now calls his approach to playing for modern classes a “dog and pony show.”

Chad Larsen-Part 4/5

Larsen says he makes sure to give the teachers what they want with a twist of unpredictability that is different each time with a wide range of styles. However, Larsen’s abilities are not just limited to the dance studio. During his time at Los Feliz University, Larsen was in constant demand for the university’s film department. Larsen also has experience in songwriting and orchestration. He is constantly working on projects with computer programs such as Notion, Digital Performer, and even Garage Band, depending on the project.

Here is some of his music on a site that is three website pages worth of music if you click through the pages: http://soundcloud.com/larsenchad

In addition to playing for dance, Larsen is on staff at Ydid Nefesh, a messianic synagogue in Yukon, Okla. http://www.ydidnefesh.org

Here are some links to his collaborations with Gus Cooper, who has attended Ydid Nefesh for at least the four years that Larsen has been there:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v

http://www.youtube.com/watch?f

Chad Larsen-Part 5/5

Larsen is currently writing music for several projects, including a film at University of Southern Oklahoma and a major upcoming music concert. “I want to keep writing music,” says Larsen of his future endeavors. With everything he plays, Larsen wants to continue to inspire others with everything he plays, note by note.

Dance Events for the Weekend of March 2

(a picture of me courtesy Heartquake pictures)

Next weekend is definitely a good time to go see some dance performances. First of all, I will be performing solo and group pieces in the White Lotus Collective's informal show case on Friday at 7:30 pm, which should have lots of different styles of modern dance. For more information, search "White Lotus Collective" on Facebook. I will also be a part of two University of Southern California projects next weekend. One project is to do the lead in an MFA student's dance project. Details will be forthcoming as I know more. The other project is to be a part of "USC School of Theatre-URG Project Site-Specific Theatre on Campus." The late-night postmodern dance bash happens at 11 pm next Friday. For more information, join the group on Facebook.
Other events that I would like to attend include "Celebrate Dance" at the Alex Theatre in Glendale, which can also be found on Facebook. The performance happens on Saturday at 8 pm and features a vast array of different ballet and modern companies. Also happening on Saturday at 8pm is "Journal de Danse," presented by La Danserie. For more information about the contemporary ballet performance search "La Danserie" on Facebook. On Saturday at 7pm and Sunday at 2pm, South Bay Ballet will present "Bravo," a showcase of classical and contemporary ballet. for more information, go to www.southbayballet.org.
"I'm really looking forward to it," says dance affectionado Narumi Nakayama, "Hope to see you there!"

An Introduction

The title of my blog is "Dance World News: A Focus on  the Diversity of Ballet and a Whole Lot More." The blog will explore ballet as well as other dance-related issues, such as anatomy, health, art, and other dance forms and inspirations. Some inspirations will come from campus. Others will not.