KAREN DALY AND MOLLY EVERTS DANCING
ALITO ALESSI’S ‘ONE ANOTHER’
DANCEABILITY
CELEBRATES 25 YEARS
Twenty-fi ve years have passed since Alito Alessi and
his dance partner Karen Nelson pioneered DanceAbility
(DA), an internationally-renowned dance method that
employs movement to explore artistic expression be-
tween people with and without disabilities, and Dec. 7
marks the beginning of their week-long anniversary cele-
bration with a free First Friday ArtWalk event, 6:30 pm at
the Broadway Commerce Center including performances
by disabled and able-bodied dancers. The goal of DA is
to challenge misconceptions and prejudices that people
have about themselves and others. “I wanted to see in
action, the idea that all people can dance,” Alessi says.
The Dec. 7 event will include a silent art auction
with donations by local artists such as Jerry Ross, Brian
Lanker, Bob DeVine, Jill Atkin and Shannon Knight. The
artwork will be displayed in wheelchairs in the Broad-
way Commerce Center. Emery Blackwell, a professional
dancer with cerebral palsy (he’s been with DA for more
than two decades), will be dancing and donating art —
Emery is also a graphic artist who crafts digital art by
employing his feet to use a computer mouse.
DanceAbility Week continues with a free video pre-
sentation and discussion hosted by Alessi, currently the
artistic director for DanceAbility International, 5 to 6:15
pm Thursday, Dec. 13, at the Eugene Public Library. The
presentation will include documentaries about dance
workshops, examples of award-winning DA choreog-
raphy and dancers with and without disabilities will be
available for questions.
The celebration comes to a close with the DanceAbili-
ty 25th Anniversary Workshop, 12:30 to 3:30 pm Sunday,
Dec. 16, at WOW Hall. Both Alessi and Blackwell will
be leading participants through choreography. This will
be a rare opportunity to learn from Alessi, an award-win-
ning choreographer who was selected as a Fulbright Se-
nior Specialist and a Guggenheim Fellow. The workshop
has a sliding scale entry fee of $15 to $45. The event is
free for veterans. Some scholarships are available; email
info@danceability.com or call 342-3273. — Alex Notman
PHOTO: MICHAEL BRINKERHOFF
ACTIVIST
LERT
• Springfield City Club will host James Whitty,
manager of ODOT’s Innovative Partnerships and
Alternative Funding, at 11:45 am Thursday, Dec. 6, at
Willamalane Center, 250S. 32nd St. Whitty will talk
about funding road and highway improvements in
the future as vehicles become more fuel efficient
and fuels taxes shrink. City Club meets for lunch on
the first and third Thursday of each month.
• City Club of Eugene will host UO President
Michael Gottfredson at noon Friday, Dec. 7, at
Boulevard Grill, 2123 Franklin Blvd. He will speak on
“The Evolving State of Higher Public Education.” The
following week, City Club will have its annual “Gifts to
the City” program at noon Friday, Dec. 14, in the
O’Neil Room at the Hilton downtown. Speakers will
include Scott Landfield, Jackman Wilson, August
Sabini, Abrella Luvert, Mia Nelson, John Fisher, Jean
Stacey, Danuta Pfeiffer, Josh Skov and more.
• Cascadia Wildlands’ 10th annual Wonderland
Auction is from 6 to 10 pm Saturday, Dec. 8, at the
EMU Ballroom at UO. Tickets are $35 in advance and
$40 at the door and include dinner and drinks. More
information at cascwild.org or call 434-1463.
• Free meditation gatherings focusing on world
peace and the ending of the Mayan calendar are
being planned Wednesday evening, Dec. 12, at the
Saraha Nyingma Buddhist Temple, 477 E. 40th Ave.
in Eugene. Susan Klein will lead the 5 to 7 pm “Happy
Hour Meditation for World Peace.” At 7:30 pm Leia
Hart will lead a Mayan ceremony “Bring Heaven on
Earth, Creating Earth Star Despacho.” For more
information, call 686-9518 or visit Star Gate at 1374
Willamette St.
Office visits starting at $99
Same Day Appointments
Justin Montoya, MD
1410 Oak St, Ste 102 in the Keiper Spine building
kjg7hhn7ihmf5R51118*,)"&." '#&3'##(8)'
WE’VE MOVED!
classic. inspired.
delicious.
769 monroe (next to sweet life)
noliitaliancafe.com | 541.844.1663
LUNCH: Tues-Sat 11:30am-2:30pm
DINNER: Tues-Thurs 5pm - 9pm Fri-Sat 5pm-10pm
eugeneweekly.com • December 6, 2012
7