After the dance lesson, the social begins and the more practiced dancers roll in. The room can get packed during its zenith. Santana (as DJ Malinalli) plays not only salsa music, but cumbia, merengue and rhumba as well.
Author: Coogan Brennan
Showing 1-15 of 15 results
NPR journalist hosts Asheville discussion on city’s popularity
At a sold-out event in downtown Asheville, NPR journalist Michel Martin and local panelists reflect on what happens when your hometown gets hot.
‘The Great American Strip-Off!’ comes to The Magnetic Theatre
“I’ve gathered together contestants from the burlesque, dance and comedy world in Asheville to compete against each other in what I hope to be a sexy, silly competition,” Kathleen Hahn says. The shows start Thursday, Jan. 5, at The Magnetic Theatre.
Ecstatic Dance movement grows in Asheville
Expressive movement is a prominent and growing phenomenon in Asheville. While dance church is one of the largest regular gatherings, there is at least one expressive movement event every day of the week.
Bannerman Family Thanksgiving Folk Dance Camp celebrates its 47th year
The Bannerman Family Thanksgiving Folk Dance Camp began 46 years ago, when Glenn and Evelyn Bannerman traveled around the country, with their children, to attend folk dances. “We’ve always been dancers,” Glenn Bannerman says. But it was difficult to find a group that would also be engaging for their children, so the Bannerman family launched its own dance camp.
Show review: Lucius at The Orange Peel
Lucius’s live show cherrypicks some of the best elements of American pop music. It starts with the founders and frontwomen, singers Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig, who dress exactly the same and sing facing each other on stage.
Miss Gay Latina Asheville returns to Diana Wortham Theatre
The Miss Gay Latina Asheville drag pageant began in 2008 in a West Asheville church that held 200. It outgrew that venue by its second year, and moved to its current annual home at the Diana Wortham Theatre. This year’s performance, on Saturday, Nov. 5, will be the pageant’s ninth.
Show review: Clan Destiny Circus at Asheville Masonic Temple
Event promotion promised the program would “redefine what you think of when you hear the word ‘Circus.'” Big tent flamboyance was traded for the organic creativity of local theater.
Asheville’s bond fears: The legacy of a financial nightmare
Has Asheville recovered from the trauma of its municipal debt crisis, which spanned the years between 1930 and 1976? The debt had a profound impact on Asheville’s development, its cityscape and, lastingly, its appetite for municipal debt. This year’s $74 million bond referendum will put the city’s confidence to the test when it asks voters to choose whether it’s time for the city to borrow again to finance growth.
Leather shop In Blue Handmade finds major success on Etsy
After three years, Etsy and wholesale e-commerce had become the main source of revenue for the business. Mary Lynn Schroeder made the tough call to sell her storefront and dedicate herself fully to e-commerce. “I couldn’t do a good job at both and sleep,” she says.
Show review: Sigur Rós at Thomas Wolfe Auditorium
On Monday, Sigur Rós performed a two-act set at the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium. That much emotional anticipation can set a high bar for live performance. Adding to the challenge, Sigur Rós is touring without a new album and without long-time member and keyboardist Kjartan Sveinsson, responsible for the band’s epic orchestral and string arrangements.
Asheville Ballet stages its fall-themed outdoor production
The program will include a range of dance styles, from ballet to contemporary, and live music provided by renowned percussionist Jeff Sipe of Aquarium Rescue Unit.
Monthlong Black Mountain School program pays homage to Black Mountain College
While 2016 class registration is closed, Black Mountain School is hosting visitor days and free public events. The next by-reservation date to visit the program is Saturday, May 28; Charlie McAlister gives a music performance on Thursday, May 26.
Show review: Kamasi Washington at The Orange Peel
Saxophonist, composer and arranger Kamasi Washington has been selling out venues around the country and being praised as the savior of American jazz. At The Orange Peel on Thursday, Washington and his band, The Next Step, proved they were worth the hype.
Asheville on Bikes rolls out Bike Love 2016
Who knew that heartbreak could be so good for the local cycling scene? Back in 2005, bike advocacy helped Mike Sule distract himself from the heartache of a tough breakup. Since then, however, Asheville on Bikes, the organization he subsequently founded, has become a well-known advocate on both local and state-level transportation issues. In support […]