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The festivities opened with schmoozing all around, and then performances from some of our previous panels, including the Women of Fosse and the Dancers and Creative Talents of Gower Champion.
Then Louise Quick, Fosse assistant for "Pippin" and DO40 founding member and "Pippin" alumni Eileen Casey, performed the "Manson Trio" (without Ben, again!). DO40 welcomed new members from the Radio City Music Hall Corps de Ballet and DO40 president John Sefakis promised to included them in a future panel about these forgotten dancers, who performed over 63 THOUSAND performances at the Music Hall. And, yes - we're NOT talking the Rockettes here!
(Seen at the Festivities - top, Marge Champion and Lee Roy Reams, middle, Carol Channing wows the crowd, and bottom, Eileen Casey and Louise Quick go to War in the Manson Trio from PIPPIN.)
Below is performer and DO40 founding member Eileen Casey with DO40 member and photographer Susan Sigrist. Drop dead view with some drop dead dames! Louise Quick recruited Eileen when DO40 member Penny Worth felt her shoulder surgery needed more time for recovery.
And Right, Above, Louise Quick with her "Entourage," including her roomie and singer-actress Lonette McKee. Carol returned to add another number from Dolly that was a real crowd pleaser. Thank you ALL for making this season one of DO40's most memorable! We can't do it without you! |
DO40's 2008 Spring Fling was the perfect antidote to a long day of events - the GMHC AIDS Walk kicked off the morning, followed by BC/EFA's show at Town Hall, and as you wandered to the Ailey Center for our event, the Ninth Avenue Food Festival! If we had known, we wouldn't have ordered food from our caterer! We could have brought in from right outside the door! Anyway, the food was great, entertainment heartwarming and the discussions bubbly - like our fabulous wine donated by Joe Ahumada and Brian Albert!
Actor Richard Skipper channeled Carol Channing again for us as our members assisted him...er, her with "Before the Parade Passes By." The lovely Carol Channing (Richard Skipper) and DO40 members from the Dancers of Gower Champion Performance and Panel, Karin Baker (42nd Street) and Nicole Barth (Carnival, Hello, Dolly! Sugar).
We're using the summer to plan our Jack Cole event for the Fall. Thanks to our grant from BC/EFA, we can take the time to prepare and bring the best Cole exemplars we can to the table - well, panel! That is set for some time in September. Also in September will be DO40's second BC/EFA Flea Market appearance. So, if you've been wanting to get rid of some of your theater and dance memorabilia, start planning now! And if you'd like to help out and volunteer for either event, just call our hotline at (212-330-7016) or send us an e-mail at dancersover40@aol.com.
The beautiful (well, from up here!) skyline of Midtown West Manhattan from our drinks table! Talk about a room with windows! The Ailey Center is simply gorgeous. And since our party went from 7 - 10pm, we got to see New York in daylight, at dusk and night time.
