Club CCD: August 2012

Monday, August 20, 2012

Music Hall - Bergerac.flv

An exhuberant cancan performed by Le Music Hall Bergerac in their revue, "Amor Amor". See the original at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBSQaL4iiFY

Their Facebook page is:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Le-Music-Hall-Officiel/153875224630291

Monday, August 6, 2012

I got the following message when I visited Multiply today. It looks like we will have to move our groups elsewhere in the not too distant future. I think we should wait to see what Multiply offers in the way of destinations and porting, but in the meantime I would welcome suggestions for alternatives that would give us the same features we now have here - forum, picture albums, videos, notes. links, etc. So, if you have any ideas, please post them and give some pros and cons about the alternatives if you can. Barbebleu

"Hello. Stefan here, writing you from Multiply HQ in Jakarta, Indonesia.

As most of you are probably aware, Multiply's mission has evolved over the past year and a half to become the biggest and most beloved ecommerce marketplace in two very exciting markets, Indonesia and the Philippines. As our focus has shifted, we have reviewed all of our operations, and made some decisions that will affect everyone here.

From December 1st, we will unfortunately no longer be able to support Multiply in its current form - notably we will be removing the social networking and content sharing part of Multiply (photos, videos, blogs, social messaging, etc.). We have decided to discontinue providing and hosting these services, as we have concluded that other Internet sites who are committed to social networking services will do a better job serving you than we can.
For our existing users of social networking features, we will be providing easy ways for you to either download your stuff (photos, blogs, content, etc), or migrate it to other online services. We'll announce the precise details shortly. It will be your choice whether to download, migrate or just let your content lapse (and get deleted).
For our existing ecommerce users (both buyers and sellers) in Indonesia and the Philippines, there will be no action required.
Regarding any existing Multiply Premium subscriptions we will refund any unused balance, and apologize for any inconvenience this will cause. Please contact customer service to request a refund. Note that this is for Multiply Premium, not the ecommerce related Multiply Trust product.

I am aware of how disruptive this news may be, and understand the disappointment that it may cause. Ultimately this was a business decision, critical to our to success moving forward. Instead, we are excited to pursue our own mission to give the 350 million consumers in Indonesia and the Philippines a great way to buy and sell items online. Our singular focus now is for Multiply to retain its status as a vibrant e-commerce destination in Southeast Asia in the years ahead.

I suspect that many of you will not like this news, and am sorry to have to deliver it now. I hope that you will be able to understand the reasons for our decision and thank you for being a part of the Multiply community over the past eight years.

Stef"

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

2012 Santa Barbara French Festival Can-Can Critique

My friends, the wait is over! My critique of the can-can performance by the West Coast Ballet is finally here! I will be using my 1 to 10 scale to evaluate the five key components of what I feel is the perfect can-can.

I was in Santa Barbara, CA on the weekend of July 14-15 for the 24^th annual Santa Barbara French Festival. It takes place in Oak Park and has a wide area for shops, food stands, and 2 performance stages: the Eiffel Tower Stage & the Moulin Rouge Stage.

I enjoy this festival even more than most because the West Coast Ballet, under the direction of Miss Ellen Schipper, performs a beautiful can-can on, appropriately enough, the Moulin Rouge Stage. Fortunately I had my camera on hand and a few charming tricks up my sleeve for after the performance.

All right, here is my review. If you need to, you can refer back to the photo set entitled “Santa Barbara French Festival 2012” in order to get a visual reference.

1. Attention to Detail: I give this one a 9.5. Clearly there was a lot of attention paid to the costumes. The top half of each girl’s costume had a silk flower & 2 feathers and each one wore a choker with tiny studs and dangling costume jewels. The rounded collars had ruffles and each blouse had a hint of leg-o-mutton sleeves. I would have liked to have seen an actual sleeve, but the illusion worked without the extra fabric & weight. The bottom half of each costume had a sash tied in a bow at the back of each dress; each petticoat had a great amount of ruffles, and each girl wore a lacy garter on her left leg. Very nice details.

2. Authenticity of Costumes: In this category I give a perfect 10! Ellen Schipper is a genius when dressing her girls in can-can outfits. All the pieces are as follows: Playful, vintage straw hats adorned with silk flowers and feathers; velvet chokers with costume jewels; elegant stage makeup with a touch of glitter; Victorian-inspired blouses with perfect, feminine touches; long, flowing skirts that fall just above the ankles; perfectly frilled petticoats; elegant, coordinated, knee-length Victorian bloomers with “proper” ribbon & lace detailing; colored stockings with fishnet details; and finally, pretty black Mary-Jane dancing slippers that were just perfect for the cheeky ballerina! I would have loved maybe a Victorian boot for extra authenticity, but I feel that the girlish dancing shoes worked perfectly for these ladies, so I let that one slide. In total, some of the best can-can costumes I've ever seen!

3. Choreography: I would give a 9.5. Mrs. Schipper is a true professional with years of experience who has clearly studied from both books and people. The West Coast Ballet girls perform their can-can with such elegance and flair that every move has a lyricism to it. A few smooth cartwheels and a couple of port d’armes kept my attention. There was plenty of skirt manipulation and I could almost hear every swish. A couple of rond de jambs with 3 to 4 girls in a line were just like the old days. Each grand ecart was done with grace, and most of the battements (high kicks) were saved for the finale. The only deduction is for the lack of royal flashes that I didn’t see, although I did see the ghost of one from Stefanie, the girl in pink. Still, the beautiful lyricism and length of lines prove the amount of professionalism here.

4. Length of Music: Deserving of a perfect 10! The full length of Jacques Offenbach’s original score from Orpheus in the Underworld was used here. All the different movements had a variety of different choreography used in them, and the total length had to be no less than seven minutes! I believe the performance lasted between 7 ½ to 8 minutes; more than enough time for the magic to shine over the audience. Trust me; I felt the magic at least 7 times over!

5. Performance Enthusiasm: Deserving a 9.5! Every girl wore a beaming smile on her face! Elegance and lyricism are clearly the trademark feelings as they dance. Every movement is done with flair and grace and the girls love doing every minute of it. Compared to other performances, there may be less cheekiness as well as saucy tidbits, but the professionalism, glee, and enthusiasm are in every step and flourish.

I have come to the conclusion that the West Coast Ballet’s can-can performance at the Santa Barbara French Festival is one of the most superb ever done in the United States! It undoubtedly scores high marks in all my criteria. After waiting through a year of slight disappointment, seeing this troupe in action again was absolutely worth the wait! Using my camera and words, I was able to put together a nice package of Bastille Day beauty for all of my fellow connoisseurs.

If you have the means, I highly recommend taking a trip to Santa Barbara, California in mid-July and enjoying the 2-day French Festival. It’s free, there’s plenty of food and activities, and a can-can performance at least twice daily. I hope I have inspired you to join me next time at this very special occasion. Stay tuned for highlights from my chat with Ellen Schipper, head of the West Coast Ballet.

Thank You, Everyone! I wish you well.

Antonio