Inspiring Projects

JR & Liu Bolin on Elizabeth St in NYC 2012 from Roberts Horowitz Creative on Vimeo.

Your Wednesday Inspiration: Passion

"Caine Monroy is a 9-year old boy who spent his summer vacation building an elaborate DIY cardboard arcade in his dad’s used auto parts store.
Caine dreamed of the day he would have lots of customers visit his arcade, and he spent months preparing everything, perfecting the game design, making displays for the prizes, designing elaborate security systems, and hand labeling paper-lunch-gift-bags. However, his dad’s autoparts store (located in an industrial part of East LA) gets almost zero foot traffic, so Caine’s chances of getting a customer were very small, and the few walk in customers that came through were always in too much of a hurry to get their auto part to play Caine’s Arcade. But Caine never gave up.
One day, by chance, I walked into Smart Parts Auto looking for a used door handle for my ’96 Corolla. What I found was an elaborate handmade cardboard arcade manned by a young boy who asked if I would like to play. I asked Caine how it worked and he told me that for $1 I could get two turns, or for $2 I could get a Fun Pass with 500 turns. I got the Fun Pass."

Next time I'm in Los Angeles, I fully intend to stop by Caine's Arcade and buy the Fun Pass.  What I really love is that there is a college fund started for this little boy and they've already reached over $79k!  Can you imagine what Caine could do with an engineering degree?!?  Visit his site to donate and repost the video!

“The philosopher Kant once called music the 'quickening art.' And Henry is being quickened, he's being brought to life,” says Dr. Oliver Sacks. It's amazing to see this man, seemingly trapped in his own mind, brought back by the power of music. In addition to being "quickened" while the music is playing, he retains his clarity afterward while talking about music. You can see his passion so clearly, you can't help but get a little teary-eyed.

Valentina Lisitsa gained a certain level of notoriety for this student video.  I think what people most connect with in this concert pianist is her passion.  In the interview below, she discusses YouTube fame, her practice schedule and dedication (this woman practices 12-14 hours a day and jokes about having no life!), her training in Russia, and even talks about her hands!  I find Valentina absolutely fascinating.  Even if you don't have an interest in classical music, I think you can appreciate her passion and energy for her craft.

Très Boutique: Love in the Details

by Jolie Roberson & Todd Wilson

Located in Tucson's vibrant 4th Avenue, Très is a boutique offering new and hand-selected vintage clothing and accessories for men and women.  With a focus on styling, Très provides a cohesive vision with pieces that work together and looks that are clean and fresh.

Walking into this boutique is an experience in and of itself.  Local artists' creations grace the walls and antique and vintage ephemera, collectibles, furniture, and fixtures make this spot comfortable and prove that good merchandising is an art.  Akiko, one of the store owners, oversees every detail, from dressing mannequins to making sure the art is displayed properly.

Find Très on the web: Website | Blog | Facebook

-210 N. 4th Ave Tucson, AZ-

BreakOut Studios is happy to offer any customers presenting a receipt from Très that is date-marked after April 6th 10% off of a class package! Limit: one per customer, expires 4/30/12.

il Sogno - "The Dream

by Todd Wilson

Picking specs of food off of fallen garments as I walked to the hamper - I still couldn’t pull together my nights sequence of events. I remember getting ready for something and... blank! The pieces began to fall back into place as I went about my morning ritual. Did I dream of a dining event last night in Tucson where I had 6 amazing courses each designed by Tucson’s top culinary masters? No, it can’t be true.

When my partner in crime, Lindsay Glazer, stumbled into the master bedroom also commenting on an over-stretched belly I knew something had to have happened. “It isn’t just me,” I muttered under my green tea breath. The dream I had was a reality and I then remembered I could relive the experience as I had obnoxiously taken photographs of each plate while saying to Lindsay - “OH MY GAWD”.

I am not a food critic, no where close to that. I am more of a food pupil, student, lover, or wannabe foodie. Through my work I have been able to travel the world sampling some of the most amazing eats that this culinary novice could handle. SIDENOTE: I do not eat sea food - I will tell you I have allergy - but I really just can’t stand it. Sorry. Lindsay, however, loves sea food and she will be my ocean corespondent.

 The meal itself was hosted by Zona 78 and the chefs of Zona, Hacienda del Sol, and Fresh. Each chef was responsible for one course and wine pairing.  The night began with a wonderful amuse bouche (cheese wrapped with pork), followed by antipasti (burrata & locally raised pork), two pizza offerings (guanciale and roasted fig), primi (gnocchi three ways and salty squid ink pasta), secondi (black cod and rabbit two ways) and dessert (marscapone napoleon and flore di capra/ goat milk delights). Each course offered yet another adventure, taking you to the top of a volcano, then the coast of Italy and beyond. My favorite taste of the night came from the antipasti, the Burrata. The Burrata was the perfect balance of creamy cheese and a salty coat - balanced with the grilled bread, roasted garlic and greens. Although I feel it was the least complex section of the night - it was by far my favorite.

Living in Tucson I think we all look for something new, fresh and exciting to invigorate our life (translation time away from work). The best part of il Sogno was truly that, an escape, a world within our world. I commend chefs Matt Padilla, Kevin Fink and Tavel Bristol-Joseph for allowing me to feel the beauty that is Tucson, one foot in the desert and another in a dream. I will be awaiting another spectacular night from these great minds, so go now! Get to work! I will keep my ears open and try my best to keep you all in the know for the next event. Congratulations to all who made such a night possible.

Breathing

 

Breathing: a simple task. We all do it constantly, whether we think about it or not. This link and song, written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, epitomizes how breathing needs to be more than just a simple task. We all need to take time out of our busy, stressful life and remember to simply breathe. Anything you set your mind to you can achieve, as long as you breathe and have confidence in yourself. Don’t hold your breathe, constrict yourself and limit your possibilites. Breathe through life and let your breath carry your life. Life moves, Move with it.

-Sam Quinn, Contributing Writer 

Back from The Edge!

The senior dance team at Breakout Studios recently took a trip to Los Angeles to take classes at The Edge, a world-renowned dance studio.  I sat down with Todd Wilson, owner and director of Breakout Studios, and got the low-down on why the Edge trip was so important to them.

First off, because I think you have an interesting take on it, tell us about the senior dance company.

The company program used to be a for-profit youth dance company that would take dancers in the community, train them, and take them to competitions. It was based more on the competitions, whereas now it's more education and performance.  There's a positive side to competitions, of course, but it’s a machine that can become more about product than quality. This year we're only doing one competition and that's where the Edge trip came from.  The idea of the Edge trip was to do something more based on education and exposure than actually going to a convention.  That's sort the standard, that's how kids get out there, but you're one of 400 in a ballroom.  You don’t get individual attention. The Edge is an actual studio, so it’s quite different.

What makes The Edge special?

From my personal point of view, I was awarded a two week scholarship to go there when I was twelve, which was amazing for me. It was a big deal!  The Edge at that point in my mind was a mecca of dance where you have the best choreographers and teachers in the commercial industry all teaching in one place.  Now you have more options in L.A., but back when I was dancing, fifteen years ago, that was it.  So, I started taking classes there, and at 17 I got a full summer scholarship to train there called "Dance with the Force." “Dance with the Force” comes from their touring competition that they used to have.  They were based more on dance education versus the newer ones which are more "compete! compete! compete! ...and then we'll have a few classes."

So, would you say that that kind of program is more community-based?

There are still a few around that are more based in education. I'd say yes, it's more community driven if you look at it nationally, but there's really nothing like L.A. Dance Force.  That's where I got my foot in the door as far as the work that I ended up doing in Los Angeles.  So, I got that summer scholarship and I performed in their end of the year showcase, which is reserved for their year-round scholarship students.  They take approximately 20 students, train them all year, they get to work with the best in the industry, and at the end of the year they perform for producers and casting agents. So, we were treated like superstars, and only ten of us got to do that summer program.  Some of us are still working actively in the industry, producing major things.  That program, in particular, has spawned some really successful performers.

The team raised over $1,100 to help fund the trip!

It seems like their program is pretty open, like, if you have an interest in dance...you can take their classes.

It is really open.  I would say they aren't as beginner friendly as we are, not that we’re in the same market at all, but they definitely have programming for a wider range of people than most of the studios in L.A.  And that's why we were able to take these girls from Tucson to one of the best studios in the country and set them loose. They got ten class cards and they had no problems getting those babies knocked out.  

Were there any teachers, in particular, that you wanted them to study with?

Yeah, there were a few people that I trained pretty heavily with.  Bill, the owner, teaches technique classes, and he's been a mentor of mine for years.  It's neat to see your students take from your teacher.  Just thinking in my head, they might not know now, but they will realize later how amazing this moment is.  Bill has shaped the future of many of the best dancers of the world for the past 20 years.  I know how much of an affect he's had on me and my success, so that was important.  And another person, Adam Parson, who I actually worked for professionally when I lived in L.A.  All in all, it was a really nostalgic experience.  It was so weird to relive such a big part of my evolution and it brought me back to so many things. Watching choreographers, being in the studio, feeling the carpet, smelling the smells, riding the elevator...it brought me back to a time when I was more attuned to texture in everything, detail, and being "on".  It was really inspiring.

Having any sort of experience like that puts you in a place not just to create, but to receive the creativity of others.

Oh, totally. And with that said, we had a really successful weekend with our podcast production and we got to talk with Robert Schultz, which was incredible.

Tell us about Robert Schultz.

Robert is a working professional.  His successes of late are the big flash mobs you see on t.v.  He did the "Modern Family" one, he's done a lot of great work.  He's been all over the place as far as the commercial world.  So we got his take on dancing, choreography, direction, all sorts of things.  He brought it to the place we want our podcast  to be which is that it's relatable to everyone.  Movement is beyond just a professional career, movement can affect anyone.  So we're eager to get out there again for just a production weekend.  

And we’re eager to see who you rope into the podcast booth!

It was a little bit tough at first for me to go back because I hadn't seen a lot of these people in a while.  I go back for work, but I have a really different window into the entertainment world.  A lot of the work I’ve done is through Canyon Ranch, so I have a direct access to the individuals who make the decisions on major entertainment moves, products, and fashion for ten years.  I haven’t really had to be in that world.  I’ve been able to skip a few steps, which is great, but I really haven’t had the exposure that I would have had if I was working in L.A. and had an agent...to my peers at least.  So it’s like you have to re-tell your story, and I was nervous about that.  For me, a large portion of my success are these girls we brought on this trip.  For others, it’s what is this job, who are you booking, who are you dancing for, who are you directing for,  what can you give me, so I was worried about putting myself into the meeting place of all that at The Edge because there’s that constant flow of people in the industry...but it was fine!

Our own Michael Montoya working on the podcast.

So you put yourself in that space to deal with it and you didn’t happen!

Oh, I was armored up.  Not only was it fine, but it was great to see everyone and neat to see how many people were already tuned into Breakout and were following already.  I didn’t have to explain much.  Beyond that, we have so much up our sleeves that we haven’t shown yet. It was a fantastic weekend.  I’m itching to get back.

When are you going back?

We have so much going on, so it’s hard to get past the day of Breakout versus the week or month, but we’re thinking April.  I actually received a text from a person we interacted with and they’re already lining people up for podcasts.  And we didn’t even ask them to!  They’re as excited about it as we are.  I would love to even set something up at the studio and make it more interactive where we can just pull people in and ask them questions.

That sounds amazing! I know I probably speak for everyone when I say I’m excited to see what Breakout has in store for us in the future.

--Jolie Roberson

BreakOut at Moda Provocateur

BreakOut Studios dancers once again will be featured entertainment at the Moda Provocateur hair & fashion show benefiting SAAF (Southern Arizona Aids Foundation). 


Moda Provocateur is directed by our very own Todd Wilson. 


More info about this amazing event...

When local salons get together with local boutiques and models for a celebration of style, fashion, and compassion…Watch Out!The 9^th Annual Möda Provŏcateūr, presented by the Udall Law Firm,is an event celebrating the best of Tucson style while raising funds forthe programs and services of the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation (SAAF).

The Tucson Convention Center Grand Ballroom, Möda’s new home, will be a perfect place to showcase salons including: Avalon for Hair, Skin & Nails; Ahead of Style; Aveda Institute of Tucson; J. Scordato; Mia Bella; and Style 7.

The evening will include performances from BreakOut Studios as well as winning fashions from “Project Möda”, an annual design contest that seeks out the best designers in Tucson and tasks them with creating edgy, avant-garde designs to be featured at the event. Judges included: Kendra Joe, President of the University of Arizona Black Retail Action Group (BRAG); Kristina Amaya, a local retailer; and Paula Taylor, former owner of Pour Moi Boutique and one of this year’s Cele Peterson Award winners.

The Cele Peterson Award will be presented to Paula Taylor and Erin Burke, both former owners of Pour Moi Boutique, for their ongoing contributions to the local fashion community.

The theme of the event this year is “Stand By Me” and pays tribute tothe caregivers who dedicate so much of their life to helping those living with HIV/AIDS.

Don’t miss out on this year’s incredible, over-the-top event. We’ll see you there!

General Information

Date:   Sunday March 4, 2012

Time:  4:30pm- VIP Dinner; 5:40pm- General Admission

NEW Location: Tucson Convention Center Grand Ballroom

Tickets: $125/$135 Runway Seat; $100/$110 VIP Seat; $75/$85 Cocktail Table seat; $30/$35 General Admission

Tickets Available: At participating salons, online, or by calling theSouthern Arizona AIDS Foundation (SAAF) at (520) 628-SAAF (7223)

Rehearsal video for Moda...