Armstrong Dance 2009 Recital

On Saturday and Sunday this past weekend, Armstrong School of Dance gave their annual performances at Ithaca College’s Ford Hall Auditorium.  This one was a special one for more than one reason. It was Armstrong’s 15th anniversary, but it was also my daughter, Tessa’s final recital since she is one of the six graduating seniors on the dance team. They still have their competition at Tremain yet to attend this summer, but classes are done, the last recital is finished, and Armstrong will be an extended family that, like her mom and I, must let her go to grow and study as she heads off to Ohio Wesleyan in the fall. Since photography is not allowed during the actual performances, all of these photos are from dress rehearsals, with the exception of the goodbye images at the end.

As usual the performances are broken up into two groups. The wee kids (ages 3 – 9) and the older kids (ages 10 – 18). Otherwise it would simply go way too long and the girls who teach as well as dance would be thoroughly exhausted. The team dancers perform at both events so need a break in between. My daughter pointed out to me that she was on stage performing 14 times during each day, so it takes a lot of stamina. She taught little kids this year again so was on stage with the smallest peanuts. These kids are so cute and so entertaining to watch.

I can remember when Tessa began at about age 9. She was primarily interested in taking Hip-Hop classes but eventually got the bug for the whole package. She was resistant to taking ballet, but once in the classes, I believe she realized how essential all the styles were to developing as a well rounded dancer and the idea of being a team dancer became a strong desire and goal. Since being on the team, they’ve gone on to win a national championship, scads of trophies and awards, have performed in so many venues and taken classes with major choreographers. She was in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade last year and her dance has added so much to her performances with school and theater outside of Armstrong. It’s been worth all the driving, the shoes and costumes, the traveling and expense. Watching her grow and dance and perform has touched me so deeply and made me so proud. I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.

The six graduating senior girls were all given the opportunity to choreograph their own duets. It’s a great time to give the spotlight to these girls who have worked so hard and now are leaving the team to make way for younger girls to move up.

Every year we have attended these performances, I am drawn to the dancing of a few young girls who just seem to stand out from the crowd and it has been so remarkable to see them grow, as our daughter has, and know that they will become soon, the next generation of team girls. You can just see it in their expression, concentration, and grace.

I thought that this year, the choreography was exceptional. A few of the numbers were my favorites and were so very impressive. A great jazz number done to “All That Jazz”.  The huge performance that combined two different classes to create an amazing version of “Riverdance”. The incredible high energy of “Rock This Party”.  The absolutely gorgeous and touching lyrical piece to “Orphans of God” brought tears to my eyes. The fabulous tap piece to “Din Da Da”. And of course, the always impressive precision number with the huge line of girls dancing to “Please Don’t Stop The Music”.

I want to say thanks to all of the wonderful people at Armstrong School of Dance. They have given my daughter so much to enhance her life. Poise, grace, strength, confidence, friendship, caring, community and family. Thanks to Karen Gorsky, Ann Armstrong, all the teachers this year and in the past, and to all the wonderful dancers who have been such great friends and have entertained us so magnificently. We have loved it all so much. And thank you Tessa, for your dedication, your beautiful, graceful performances, your love of the music and the people and the stage. You have given your mother and me a wonderful gift by letting us watch you dance. But on to new and more wonderful things. You’re the best.

“Dancer Girl”

Images are Copyright © George Cannon, All Rights Reserved.

Trying to find some time…

I feel so deflated when I realize how I’ve been neglecting my blog.  My time has been so short for just going out and shooting. Spring has been slow to arrive, but finally the world in the Northeast is green and smelling of lilacs. I have been trying to make myself take my camera, even if just for an hour or so, and go shoot. Anywhere works. There’s always something worth making subject matter. So it’s been a couple of my favorite haunts lately.

The Ithaca boat yard is always ripe for images. I put together a new action using the High Pass filter and have been experimenting with it. It works great on some images and not so well on others. But the boat yard seems to present images that take to the action extremely well. Anything that can use a sharp edge, sharp contrast and colors that pop is a good candidate.

I stopped briefly he other day after driving one of my daughter’s friends to the bus station in Binghamton and realized that I’d love to go back down there and shoot for a couple of days. This one was on Rte. 11 where I want to do a whole documentary series some day.

The building where my daughter has her dance studio has always been one of my favorite buildings to photograph. It’s front facade with morning sun is a wealth of line and shadow and light. And the rear of the building with its gas meters, utility service, and rusting siding has always been a fabulous place to find great color.

I also made myself take a little time in downtown Ithaca again recently too. The neighborhoods there, as with any city setting, particularly on an early Sunday morning, can provide any number of great images with alleyways, parking areas, old architecture and apartments, gardens, and the debris of city life. I love the urban landscape.

Recent events included an evening at The 9’s in Collegetown to see Blindspot with lead singer Maddy Walsh. She’s the neice of my wife’s best friend. Maddy is a fabulous singer with amazing range and repertoire. She can cover everything from soft ballads and folk to hard rock and blues. She’s terrific.

The Spring weather this time of year often brings great foggy mornings. The trees of Cornell’s campus were gorgeous in the morning light with the morning fog this week.

And at the museum, we just hosted Art In Bloom, a semi annual event that brings in a group of floral designers from the Ithaca Garden Club who create stunning floral arrangements that coordinate themes with various art works throughout the museum. A beautiful Spring event.

My last bit of news has to do with an on going project I’ve been preparing for. My experimental work with digital abstracts has been aimed at a solo show and I finally got word that one of the grants I need to make the show happen has come through from Cornell Council for the Arts. I have also put together a book of 64 of the abstract images , many of which are to be in the show, that’s now available on Blurb. Evolution, Photographic Digital Abstracts is 80 pages with 64 color images created from original photographs. The show goes up in September and many of the works have already appeared on my other blog at Artcards.

So, nice to be back and sorry to have been so absent. My daughter’s dance performances are coming soon, graduation, vacation, then she’s off to college. Time flies when you’re having fun!

All images are Copyright © George Cannon, All Rghts Reserved.

R2P Presents “Spring Showcase”

In their third presentation of the 2009 Season, Running To Places, with their Spring Showcase, gave us three wonderful shows at the Kulp Auditorium at Ithaca High School on April 17^th, 18^th, and 19^th. The Showcase is a fabulous offering since it allows the company to perform numbers from several shows and, in taking them out of the context of a full production, they have some freedom in how they present each one.

Galen Gibian started the show out with “She Cries” from Songs for a New World. A fabulous voice and a moving performance. He was followed by a group, led by Katarina Andersson, doing “Holding Out for a Hero” from Footloose (scheduled for a full production later in the season). A really cute number featuring great dancing from many cast members. A large group of the cast came next for a really fun version of Mama Mia.

Engy Hassan’s beautiful voice came to us in a solo from the Little Mermaid, followed by another gorgeous voice, Sari Koppel, doing “The Joy of Motherhood” from Honk, the company’s next scheduled full performance in June, featuring all middle-schoolers.

I was totally knocked out by the performance of James Potter who, with Anthony Nigro, did “Play With Your Food”, also from Honk. This young man is an amazing talent at his age with a great stage career ahead. Can’t wait to watch this kid grow.

The first act closed with a solo of “Adelaide’s Lament” from Guys and Dolls from the very expressive Erika Harrington, “Suddenly Seymour” done by Sophie Potter and the always wonderful Elias Spector-Zabusky from Little Shop of Horrors (scheduled for September performances), a fabulous routine from Rocky Horror Picture Show, “Time Warp”, and the full cast out for “Masquerade” from Phantom of the Opera.

In Act II I get to watch my wonderful kid do her thing at the opening of “Rich Man’s Frug” from Sweet Charity, a really fun performance. Another large cast group followed with “We Open in Venice”, then Ali Diemecke and Gera Goff with a dark and moving “The Dark I Know Well” from Spring Awakening.

A large cast group came back highly energized led by Adam Beckwith for “Footloose” with amazing dancing and choreography. Next young Michelle Peterson gave us a beautiful performance of “Colors of the Wind” from Pocahontas.

One of the highlight performances of each night came from Jeremy Pletter, with his deep rich voice, and again, Elias Spector-Zabusky in “Feed Me” from Litte Shop of Horrors. These two guys are fantastic performers and so amazingly entertaining.

“Elephant Love Medley” from Moulin Rouge featured several couples from the cast in wonderful vignettes. This was followed by “If I Told You” from The Wedding Singer. A very special performance for me since it featured my beautiful daughter, Tessa Cannon, dancing with her fabulous partner, Travis Jones in a piece Tessa choreographed for the Trumansburg Talent Show. They were accompanied this time by a splendid vocal duet from Geoff Peterson and Eliza Vann.

The full company came back on stage at the end for “If I Can Dream” from All Shook Up.

This wasn’t all, however. Inserted in between was a great performance from Anya Gibian, Assistant Director, Todd Peterson, Choreographer, and Joey Steinhagen, Artistic Director, doing “Die Vampire Die”, a delightful and comical number that let a few of the adult members of the company that work so hard to teach and train these young performers show off a bit of the talent they bring to the company. It’s one of the perks of the Showcase that you don’t get in the other productions of the season.

I can never say enough in praise of all these fabulous kids, both on stage, and behind the scenes, for the marvelous and entertaining job they do. It enriches our community and gives so many great kids a fabulous chance to learn, perform, and build incredible friendships. Also great praise to the staff who give so freely to these kids and to all the parents and community supporters that do their parts to help these kids be a part of Running To Places. We are all better for it.

Thanks R2P for another great performance!

Photos are Copyright George Cannon, All Rights Reserved.

Photos from this performance are available for purchase at http://www.printroom/georgecannon.com and 20% goes back to Running To Places.

Trumansburg Drama Club does “The Boyfriend”

I’m finally catching up a bit with my blog posts. April has been a terribly hectic month. I have so much to put up with this post and the next. These teenage drama kids are wearing me out. The beginning of the month was Trumansburg High School’s Drama Club presentation of “The Boyfriend”. These kids went through weeks of rehearsals, not to mention all the work behind the scenes by so many to create great sets and costumes. I know Sally Priester and Anne Bialke put in a lot of over time. So to everyone, I say a fabulous job well done. The show was amazing! I am always blown away by the talent in our little town. Bravo! Bravo!  So here are the pictures!

Thanks T’burg for another fabulous show!

All Images are Copyright © George Cannon, All Rights Reserved.

“175 Photographers” is finally published!

I just wanted to put up a short post to say that 175 Photographers, A Collection of Contemporary Photography from JPGmag.com is finally complete and available at my Blurb page. This is a book I’ve been working on for three months, pulling together images from my favorites pages on the JPGmag.com website. 175 photographers from all over the world have graciously agreed to allow me to collect and print their photographs in a beautiful book. They have all contributed this work so that I might make it available to the public and hopefully find the support to turn this collection into a fantastic show of contemporary photography.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with JPG, it’s another of the internet’s photography sites where photographers upload images to their pages, often based on specific themes, to share them and to compete for a spot in the print version of JPG Magazine. Members vote on the images that best fit the themes, and can also comment, contact the photographer, or tag images as favorites and build their own collection of other photographers’ works. I have been placing images there for almost three years and have collected over 300 favorites. I always felt they would make a great book or show, and when it looked as though JPG might shut down at the beginning of this year, I decided, in a bit of a panic, to try and make this happen. And so success. The book is published and available to all. You can purchase a copy directly from my Blurb page at cost.  So we all make it available to you now. There are over 200 images in color and black and white punctuated by quotes from famous photographers. Over 240 pages in all and a listing of every photographer and with URLs for most where you can see more of their work or contact them directly if you are interested in purchasing images. I would post some of those photographs, but have only a license to use them in the book and will respect that.

So if you are looking for one of the most interesting, stimulating, complete and diverse collections of contemporary photography today, go to this page and order a copy of 175 Photographers, A Collection of Contemporary Photography from JPGmag.com edited by me. You won’t be disappointed.

Cover design Copyright © 2009, George Cannon and Imageguy Artbooks, All Rights Reserved.

Beware the Ides of March

I have been away from my blog for a while. Not by conscious choice, I just haven’t had an extra minute to sit and gather my thoughts. I have posted a couple of posts from Running To Places performances. That’s a must after I shoot those. But I have been so occupied with other things this first part of 2009 that I have hardly been able to do much of anything that I usually do when I’m not at work.

My daughter is applying for colleges right now. That is she’s already applied, we’re just waiting to hear from everyone. She applied to ten schools. We’ve heard from seven. Accepted at six and wait-listed at number seven. The other replies are due any time. She’s a smart girl and has received good offers already. So she will have a tough choice to make soon. She’s applied for a major in Zoology at all but one, DeSales University in Pennsylvania, where she’s applied as a dance major. I had the wonderful opportunity to take her down to visit and audition for the program.

I can say that I’ve never been around so many positive attitude students ever. These kids had nothing negative to say about the school, except perhaps that there’s not much around the campus for entertainment, so the school brings the entertainment in to them on a regular basis. My daughter had a friend nearby, so spent the night with her while I stayed in our cheesy little motel.

At work, we installed a major exhibit of Australian Aboriginal art and the George Eastman House’s show Picturing Eden. Both very big shows and amazing work. The Aboriginal show include the construction of a ten foot square sand box which we filled with two tons of sand that we dyed red. Three artists flew in from Australia to create a design on top of the sand in the traditional ways they do it at home using dyed plant fiber.

I’ve tried to grab a few shots on the highway the few times I’ve been out with my cameras. The weather here has been so cold until late that I just had no desire to be out shooting. But the buzzards are back (my robin of spring) and the cat is leaving the entrails of small rodents on our floor two or three times a day now, so I know Spring is really here.

Last weekend my daughter’s dance school celebrated another 5 year milestone with a big dance party for all. I wish I had the energy of these kids. They danced for about 5 hours straight and I was thankful that I got to simply be a bystander with camera. I love being around them all though because they are so full of life.

The main reason that I have been so unable to keep up with blogging, however, is that January 1st I began a project that has been all consuming. I am a contributor to JPGmag.com on a regular basis and at the beginning of the year it looked as though JPG was going to close. I had always wanted to put together a book or show of the photographs that I have tagged there as my favorites, so when thinking that might be impossible if the site closed down, in a bit of a panic, I decided to do the book. It took almost three months to pull it all together working almost every night, but two days ago I sent it off to Blurb for publication.

175 PHOTOGRAPHERS, A Collection of Contemporary Photography from JPGmag.com will be available to the public soon. It has the work of 175 photographers from every continent around the world (except Antarctica of course). Over 200 color and black & white photographs. It’s an amazing collection and a tribute to the fabulous photography at JPG. It appears now that JPG will not shut down after all, but I am so glad I took the time to make contact with all these people all around the world and pull this together. I have another blog that has been keeping the contributors up to date and I will post there about any other books I produce as well. If you’d be interested in buying a copy, it will be available at cost (no profit markup) from Blurb soon. Watch this blog for the announcement.

Oh! and the reason for the title of this post. On Tuesday I was notified that my job at the museum is being eliminated because of the economy. Retirement when I least expected it.

A very eventful month! Nice to be back. Looks as though I may have a little more time to keep up now.

All photographs are Copyright © George Cannon, All Rights Reserved.

R2P Does “The Man Who Came To Dinner”

The fabulous cast of Running To Places performed the second of this season’s offerings last weekend at the Trumansburg Elementary School Auditorium presenting Kaufman & Hart’s “The Man Who Came To Dinner”.

Joey Steinhagen again directed this fantastic cast of young people who present extremely high quality theatrical performances. I am always amazed at their talent and professionalism.

Nathan Hilgartner gave a masterful performance as Sheridan Whiteside, the sarcastic, ill-tempered, radio celebrity with connections to everyone famous and notable. How he managed to remember hours of lines and present them with such verve and style, and so naturally and believably, was simply remarkable for a high school thespian. Nola Booth as Maggie Cutler was equally amazing and at ease as Whiteside’s personal assistant and the one person who could put him in his place and yet still cared for him in spite of his ill mannered behaviors.

Harriet Stanley, played by Sarah Plotkin, was a scene stealer on stage and an audience favorite every time she appeared, wide-eyed and lost in her childlike world, waltzing ghostlike slowly across the stage. She was a delightful contrast to the gruff and cranky Whiteside.

Jennie Kinkel played a wonderful Lorraine Sheldon, the flamboyant actress. Kevin Hilgartner kept the audience laughing as the wild and hilarious Banjo. And everyone else in the cast gave masterful and totally enjoyable performances. My hat’s off to all of you.

The show looked fantastic as well with beautifully constructed sets (including a custom constructed piano) from the designs of Eliza Vann on her first foray into set design. Well done Eliza! And, as usual, the crew and managers pulled off the show like professionals.

Running To Places, as I have said in past installments, is a wonderful organization that brings together high school and middle school age students from schools throughout the communities around Ithaca, New York. They operate on grants, donations, volunteer, and business sponsorship allowing any student the opportunity to participate free of charge. These kids learn everything there is to know about every aspect of theater production from mentors and theater professionals, preparing many of them for advancement to theater arts schools and careers. It’s a place for friendship, work ethic, character building, personal growth and self-confidence.

A big round of applause for Running To Places! Bravo!

All images are Copyright © George Cannon, All Rights Reserved.

Photos from “The Man Who Came To Dinner” can be purchased at http://www.georgecannon.printroom.com/Running2Places2009 with 20% going back to Running To Places.

Running To Places does Once Upon A Mattress

Running To Places, the Ithaca youth theater group that I shoot for, put on another spectacular series of performances this month at the Ithaca High School Kulp Auditorium. This season’s first production was Once Upon A Mattress, the farcical tale of the Princess and the Pea.  Emily Goodell was spectacular, as she usually is, as Princess Winnifred, a part she had played before for a Trumansburg School performance.

Emily has such spunk and pizazz, with tireless energy, a wonderful Broadway voice, and expression that just won’t quit. Opposite Geoff Peterson (another Trumansburg student) as Prince Dauntless, they knocked ‘em dead during “Song of Love” ( a girl named Fred). And Emily’s performance of “Shy” was equally amazing.

Geoff gave wonderful, expressive performances as the love struck, eager to marry, Dauntless. Whether being pressured by the Queen or interpreting for his mute father, the King, Geoff was funny, entertaining, and commanding. His vocals are always stunning and he gave great life to the part.

Shauna Belokur played the evil, manipulative Queen Aggravain well enough to love her and hate her equally. The cast cowered as she demanded silence and obedience, only to be foiled in the end by those who believed in love.  Cole Tucker pantomimed himself into everyone’s heart as the nonspeaking King Sextimus the Silent, chasing the maids of the castle, and trying desperately to explain the facts of life to Dauntless.

Eliza Vann and Adam Beckwith gave beautiful moving performances as the lovers Lady Larkin and Sir Harry with beautiful vocals and sweet duets.

And certainly I cannot help but rave about the performances of Elias Spector-Zabusky as the Jester and Sarah Beckwith as the Minstrel. Elias has this amazing hair that simply stood on end for the part. Many would have assumed this was some spectacular wig, but it is his own incredible locks. His dancing, singing, and wonderfully expressive humorous performance was nothing short of magical.

The entire cast was fabulous. Great dance numbers and wonderful choreography, and as usual, terrific music from the pit band, made this a performance worthy of off Broadway.

My congratulations to everyone in the cast and backstage. My applause too for direction, sets, lighting, and costumes. You guys do this so well. I enjoyed every minute (twice!).

Images from this show are available for purchase at http://www.georgecannon.printroom.com. 20% Goes back to Running To Places.

All images are Copyright © George Cannon.

Once more in Willimantic

As we usually do, we spent Thanksgiving and Christmas in Columbia, CT at my mother-in-law’s. There was more family participation this Christmas than last or than at Thanksgiving, so it was nice to see the brother and sisters who hadn’t made it the last couple of times. The Christmas eve drive over was really nasty with sleet and freezing rain and rain. Cars in ditches and the windshield washer squirting constantly. Traffic from Danbury on very heavy. Crazy drivers. What is it with people on the interstate these days running twenty miles an hour over the speed limit and passing in every lane like lunatics? They scare the crap out of me some times. What ever happened to patience? What happened to leave early and enjoy the ride? These people are nuts.

I rose early on the holidays and drove into Willimantic. I’m not sure why I love photographing this town so much. But on the holidays and Sundays when I usually do, the streets are almost deserted and I feel like it’s a big stage set there just for my camera. And all the details are authentic.

I paused to shoot a house for my “Ornamental America” series and the woman who lived there came out to talk. She told me the story of the metal peacocks on her wall. It was enchanting. I love these ornamented yards and porches. How every object has a story to tell.

Willimantic has always exhibited that old mill town, depressed economy, aging and surviving look about it. The ethnic mix, the varied businesses just hanging on, the common working class American streets and houses, the old and run down, the restored history, the proud and the struggling. It’s all there in a fairly compact area and very visually stimulating.

Like larger cities, Willimantic has its homeless walking the streets, lonely on these cold holiday mornings. Graffitti on the walls painted by youth who dislike the police and need to exhibit their presence. The wind blew empty cups and cans across the quiet streets as I wandered through the city. It alomst has the feel of a ghost town.

The alley ways, the clutter, the detritus of city life. I momentarily imagine myself like Wil Smith in a city where I’m the only survivor.

It’s a pallet of color and human existence. It’s age, and wear, and struggle, and survival in an America that has outgrown its industry. And it’s beautiful in its own right.

I wish everyone a prosperous and happy new year.

Looking back at 2008 – a year of great images – vol.2

As usual, 2008 began cold in New York and here we are back in the cold again. As I get older, I dislike the cold weather more and more and I begin to understand why people retire to Florida and Arizona and warm places. I tend to take fewer pictures when it’s really cold. Maybe that’s why I dislike the cold so much. But it still has it’s moments.

In the winter the lake is low and the shore is exposed. The steam rises from the power station. And when the weather is clear, the sky can be as blue as a summer day.

I was called for jury duty this year. Oddly enough, it’s the first time I’ve ever had to actually report. I wasn’t picked and was dismissed, but it gave me a chance to take some time shooting on the streets of Waterloo, NY.

In April I took some time to go down to Florida to work on promoting my photography there. I love shooting there and have produced a whole line of postcards from along Route 30A. I love the architecture there. It is so fresh and clean and precise, and the landscape is beautifully planned out and tended in these resort communities. There are artworks at every turn.

I drove back along my usual route but took the time in a way I have always wanted to, but haven’t because I’m usually not traveling alone, to get off the interstate and drive a while on the foggy back roads of Virginia in the early morning. This image felt so Eliot Porter – ish.

In May I had the good fortune to courier a piece of artwork back from the Guggenheim in Bilbao, Spain. It was my first venture to Europe and, although hectic traveling, I had time to explore Bilbao for a couple of days. It was glorious.

I made my way back through New York City and had a morning to walk through Central Park before the FedEx truck arrived for the painting I was escorting.

In July I was back in Florida for our regular vacation time there. I always come home with images I love from Florida.

Summer in upstate New York is prime time. The lakes, the wineries, the gorges and waterfalls and trails. It’s what makes this area so special and what keeps people here in the winter, the thoughts that summer will be back.

I was back in Florida at the end of August. A slide show of my work was included in Digital Graffiti, an outdoor multi-media exhibit at Alys Beach. So once again I had the opportunity to shoot my favorite beaches and landscape.

In mid September I spent a little time in Atlanta, my boyhood home area, and had a chance to visit the Georgia Aquarium and some other areas of downtown. Atlanta is a great city and filled with a lot of memories for me.

New York this fall was a showplace. I can’t remember a more perfect seasonal show than what nature gave us this year. That’s the other reason to withstand the cold here, the change of seasons is so dramatic. In the south, fall was not the showy colorful display it is in the northeast. And the area around Atlanta, and even in Florida, doesn’t have the amazing roadside color of the farm fields and sumac and blackberry and maple trees. It was a grand display this year.

And Ithaca, small town, city streets provided some images. I took the time to wander a bit in my own small town area as I do every year at the holidays when we are in Connecticut and I wander the streets of Willimantic. I love the cityscape and urabn landscape. The places where we really live and the mark we make there.

It was a very good year for images. I’m satisfied.

Images Copyright © George Cannon, All Rights Reserved.