Cirque Du Soleil's TOTEM: The Best Cirque Yet

On Wednesday night we were treated to an evening at Cirque du Soleil's newest show, TOTEM. We've been to quite a few Cirque productions over the years and I know I say this every time, but this version of their show was even better than the last one. And yes, I'll probably say that the next one is better than this one. Because unlike that milk in your refrigerator or those Die Hard movies, Cirque du Soleil really does get better with age.

TOTEM loosely tells the story of evolution, but don't expect just cave dwellers and ancient rituals – in a way this version of the show felt like the most contemporary yet. From the wry references to man's reliance on technology to the parody of beach culture, my teens related to this show more than before. Of course, it had nothing to do with the abundance of six-pack abs in those beach scenes.

The show felt more intimate, too. I'm not sure if it was actually a smaller stage and arena, but it was easier to see all of the performers and to follow along with all of the stories they tell using just their bodies, facial expressions and gestures. One of our favorites was a scene involving a fisherman on a lake, and it's hard to imagine being able to pick up on all of the subtle visual humor in a larger venue. (Another bonus: It was a much quicker trip to the top of the stairs to exit the arena to get to the bathrooms.)

Here's a short preview of the show. It will blow your mind, as it should:



After the show we got a huge treat – we were able to go backstage, talk to a few of the performers and see the inside workings of a Cirque production. The artists talked about their various backgrounds (they come from all over the world) how they came to join the Cirque family and their daily routines while traveling with the show. When they got to the part about having an on-site chef that kept them fed throughout the day and filled up with snacks, we were all ready to sign up.

Being backstage gave us such a broader appreciation for what a huge undertaking the show is, and how disciplined the performers are. Their costuming area is not that big, considering the huge amount of activity that must take place there. I imagine it's what I feel like having to share a bathroom with my teenage daughter, only fifty times more crowded.

I wish that everyone, especially kids, could have the chance to see a Cirque show, and especially TOTEM. The artistry and skill are awe-inspiring, and the shows have such a magical and inspirational effect on audiences – it gives you the desire to create art, to look beyond your own environment and to seek out and pursue your dreams.  Does it make one want to "run off and join the circus"? I think it might – especially if that circus comes with an on-site chef and endless snacks.

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Cirque du Soleil's TOTEM runs for a limited engagement through November 10, 2013 at the Port of Los Angeles – San Pedro, first stop of the production’s 2013-2014 Southern California tour. Following this limited engagement, TOTEM will be visiting Irvine (opens November 21, 2013 at the Orange County Great Park Festival Site) and Santa Monica (opens January 17, 2013 at the Santa Monica Pier). Tickets for all TOTEM performances are now available online at cirquedusoleil.com/totem.

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Blick Art Room Aid: Saving art in our schools!

A couple of weeks ago I told you about the important role art has played in my life, and those around me. Then I made an off-color joke and I confessed to eating an eraser, two things that are the basis of around 99% of my blog posts.

But wait, there's more.

I also mentioned Art Room Aid from Blick Art Materials, a program that helps teachers by enlisting the help of parents, families, friends, and other art advocates to fund art projects to keep art alive and well in their classrooms and in the lives of their students.

With budgets for the arts being cut in our school district at an alarming rate, teachers are often forced to pay for supplies out of their own pockets, or forgo art altogether. I don't know about you, but I don't want my kids – or anyone's kids – to grow up not having art in their curriculum. This concern is multiplied for kids in inner-city schools, who might not have the opportunities to gain exposure to the arts outside of their classroom.

As some great philosopher once said (Or maybe I heard it on Family Guy) "Man does not live by math, science and freshman English 101 alone." Whoever said it it's absolutely true, and why a program like Art Room Aid is so important – and why I'm so excited to be a part of it.

Another reason? I have the opportunity to partner with my sister – who has been a teacher in an inner-city school in the Los Angeles Unified School District for 37 years – to help her see her own project come to fruition with the help of Art Room Aid. (That's right – thirty-seven years. Don't complain about being at your Forever 21 cashier job for two months.)

She's embarking on a project with her 2nd grade class called Creating Young Artists for Upcycling, and we're hoping to get all of her supplies covered. Here's what she has to say about the project:

"The title of our current literacy unit is: 'Let's Create!' We've read some articles and stories about people who have used the process of repurposing materials to create works of art, and so in our classroom discussions, I've asked my students to consider what items and/materials they might utilize from their home environments to create their own works of art.

I'm excited to see what they will produce"

I'm thrilled to be able to help out my sister's class, and to be supporting this project for kids who might not have many opportunities to be exposed to the arts. And you can help if you like – check out our wish list here, and you can donate any amount you can. My sister - and her entire class of budding artists – will greatly appreciate it.

Here's a look at their project and their materials they're requesting:

Blick Art Room Aid is a fantastic way for art educators and parents to share projects and get the word out about much-needed supplies, and a way for communities to support our teachers and our children. You can start your own project (it's free!) or search for other projects to aid by going to the Blick Art Rooom Aid home page.

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I am participating in this project via The Motherhood, who will be donating some funding to our project. This is also a compensated post, but all opinions and off-color remarks are 100% mine. 

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Got Art? Most kids don't.

How important is art to my family? Let me count the ways. It's how I made a living for most of my life. It's how Rigel and I met. It's how we've supported our family, and it's how my uncle, aunt and cousin have made their livings, too. Not to mention the fact that I'm 99% sure it's how my girls will support themselves in the future as well. (Insert smartass Asian stereotype joke here about there being a shortage of dry cleaners, mathematicians and manicurists.)

So the fact that schools across the country have had (and will continue to have) cuts to their art programs has affected me deeply. I grew up when schools had classes dedicated solely to art, or at least time set aside everyday for some sort of creative endeavor. Supplies were plentiful, and I'm not just talking about frames made out of macaroni or vases made out of soup cans – I remember having clay for making pottery and creating beautiful landscapes with watercolors and charcoal.

(Totally unrelated: Did you hear about the time I ate an eraser on a dare? So wasteful.)

Now you can see why I'm so excited to be a part of this important program – Art Room Aid from Blick Art Materials. Here's the basic idea: Teachers across the country can make a wishlist of supplies via Art Room Aid, and then enlist the help of parents, families, friends, and other art advocates to fund their art projects to keep art alive and well in their classrooms and in the lives of their students.

Here's how you can learn more: Join this Twitter Party to find out ways that you can support art education and spread the word about Art Room Aid. We'll also be discussing projects you can do with your own kids (no encouraging of eating erasers, I promise.)

When: Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2 p.m. ET

Where: We’ll be on Twitter – follow the #BlickARA hashtag to track the conversation. See this Twtvite for more info and to RSVP: http://twtvite.com/BlickARA

Hashtag: #BlickARA

Prizes: We will give away five total prizes - two $25 Blick gift coupons, two $50 Blick gift coupons, and one $75 Blick gift coupon.

Hosts: @theMotherhood, @CooperMunroe, @EmilyMcKhann

Art Room Aid: http://www.dickblick.com/ara

Blick Art Materials: http://www.dickblick.com/

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12-years-old and already on tour with a rock band

I've written here before about Kira's intense obsession with the Ting Tings, an English band that got its big break when they were featured in an iPod commercial last year. We took the girls to see them in concert, and since then Kira's frenzy hasn't died down one bit. She spends an unhealthy amount of time chatting online with friends about the band, checking out their website and making lists of all the Ting Tings merchandise she's going to try to con us into buying for her. Lately I've been begging her to find something else to do, like hang out on the corner and chew gum like all the other kids at her middle school.

A few weeks ago she saw a bulletin on the Ting Tings MySpace page asking for original videos that the band could use on their upcoming European tour. They've done things like this in the past - used art as a way to get audience members and fans to participate in their shows. Kira was determined to enter, and came up with an idea for a video that involved our garage door and a huge stack of Post-Its. She asked Rigel to help but turns out he was merely a cameraman - at one point I think I heard him trying to tell her where to stand and she went all Christian Bale on his ass so he backed off.

Today Kira got an email from the lead singer herself, Katie White, telling her that they loved her video and that they would be using it on their tour, and that she would get a credit every night at the end of each show.

She's over the moon, of course, and we're so very proud of her. Here's the video - sorry for the poor quality, but I put some music to it and unfortunately my iMovie skills aren't up to speed. Kira assured me it was okay for now, and besides she's not paying me that much. Yet.



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tags: the ting tings | ipod commercial | itunes

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My Nose Would Start To Itch

I'm sure most of you have already seen this, in which case you can stop reading right now and go back to sipping your coffee and surfing porn. But I was amazed by the whole thing, not so much for its grand scale and its artistic merit, but because I really can't imagine standing still for that long without sneezing, or coughing or starting to drool onto my shirt.



Don't try to tell me you weren't thinking the same thing.

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