Monthly Archives: December 2012
McAuley High School Students Make Cards Of Courage
Laura Hils makes a Card of Courage at McAuley High School with junior Kendra Frey behind her. Photo credit: Kathy Dietrich
What a neat way for youth to make a difference. Students in McAuley High School’s Key Club made 40 Cards of Courage – handmade signs that are brightening the days for residents of Brookdale Place of Finneytown. Brookdale Place is a senior living community for those who need help with routine daily life skills, and those who need care for Alzheimer’s and dementia.
“I thought about people who might need a smile – people who were struggling with something, such as health, loneliness, war, poverty, etc.,” said Junior Laura Hils, the brainchild behind the project. “These cards are meant to bring them courage and brighten their day. At the same time, it brightens the days of the students making the cards.”
Once a month student volunteers gather to make cards and signs to give to others. In addition to the signs at Brookdale Place, they have made cards for homebound parishioners of the St. Bartholomew parish and next month they will make cards for the military.
Do Your Part…
Cincinnati’s Bi-Okoto Celebrates Culture At Heritage Festival
Established in August 1994, nonprofit Bi-Okoto Dance & Drum Theatre has been educating audiences locally and around the globe about Africa through language, music, and movement.
Its 2012 Heritage Festival is an opportunity to gather people of different races, ages, and cultural backgrounds to participate in a variety of master classes with nationally and international known guests artists; shop the African Market of products and foods and the evening culminates in an exhilarating live performance of West African music, songs and dance.
At the Bi-Okoto Cultural Centre, 7030 Reading Road, festival activities include:
Traditional African drum and dance workshops presented by the following master drummers & dancers
- Hamidou Kovoigui Guinean Dance 9:00-10:30am
- Praise Ekeng Nigerian Dance 10:45-12:15pm
- Mouhammed Sene Senegalese Drumming 12:30 – 2:00pm
- Kayode Idris Yoruba Orisa Songs & Movement 1:00 – 2:30pm
- Titos Sompa Congolese Dance 2:15 – 3:45pm
- Elizabeth Hammond-Apea Ghanaian Dance 4:00 – 5:30pm
At the Woodward High School, 7005 Reading Road:
The evening performance will feature our guest artists sharing stage with Bi-Okoto’s own professional and Okoto Kekere pre-professional artists to highlight the unique and beautifully diverse traditional and contemporary arts that Africa offers. You are sure to love the adventure to West Africa and back! Arrive early to shop and stay late for the “Split-the-Pot Raffle” and more!
Festival Pricing:
- Workshop classes: $20/person/class ($10/child)
- Performance tickets: $20/person in advance. After December 1st: $25/person
- Group discounts: ETA/Start members, Greater Cincinnati Dance Alliance members, dance schools, churches and/or groups of 5 or more participating in (2) or more classes will enjoy 20% off. Performance discount: Buy 4 get 1 free!
- Need Tickets: Performance and workshop tickets can be purchased at www.cincytickets.com or in person at Bi-Okoto Cultural Centre, 7030 Reading Road, Suite 662, 45237. For more information, please visit their website bi-okoto.com.
Anderson Township Students Shopped For Beech Acres’ Families
Pennies and quarters at a time, students from Wilson Elementary, Summit Elementary, and Nagel Middle School collected nearly $7,000 in change to purchase holiday gifts for more than 200 needy local families who participate in Beech Acres Parenting Center programs. They bought their presents at the Anderson Target store last week and I had so much fun taking their pictures. It was part of the Shop & Share Holiday Project, a Beech Acres Parenting Center tradition. Forest Hills students and Beech Acres supporters raise money and shop for families facing financial hardships.
“For every $100 that the students donate, we are able to help another family. It’s been so exciting for them each morning when we announce how many families they’ve helped that day,” said Jen Schlosser, who coordinated the school fund-raising efforts. “The kids are surprised and humbled by all the things that people
are asking for.”
An estimated 205 Beech Acres families will receive gifts this year. Now that is a good thing!
Danny Woodburn Talks About Acting With Dogs In Santa Paws2
Have you heard? From the Creators of Disney Buddies…Santa Paws2: The Santa Pups! is available on Disney Blu-ray Combo Pack & HD Digital.
Just seeing a movie totally devoted to puppy awesomeness is enough of a reason for me to want to watch it. Now I have another reason. I found out my friend, Danny Woodburn, is starring in it. How much fun is that!
I couldn’t help but want to know what it was like for Danny – who has worked alongside Jerry Seinfeld, Robin Williams, Julia Roberts and others – to have co-stars who, well, had a very different acting style.
These are Danny’s answers to my questions.
As an actor, how do you prepare differently for scenes where you are acting with a dog vs another person?
There is little difference in preparation, but the style takes some getting used to. It’s good to know the dogs’ lines well enough so that the fluidity of your dialogue seems natural. Richard Kind plays the voice of my main pal-around pooch, Eddie the Elf Dog. Richard and I never get to work together as he comes in much later to record his dialogue. I work directly with Kirsten Hanson who has been the script supervisor since I came to the franchise. Kirsten calls out all the dialogue for the dogs off set, with some help from Joanne Gerein, our assistant director, feeding the dogs dialogue for the actors to respond to. She is wonderful and creative and I give her a lot of credit.
Do you find that dogs or people are better at remembering their lines (or behaviors)?
The main pooches that have played Eddie are Sunshine and Anastasia both incredibly smart Jack Russells. Their trainers live with and consider these dogs a part of their family who they get to go to work with everyday. An actor will often miss his/her camera mark whereas these ladies always seem perfect every-time. And they are good kissers (the dogs that is)
What was your biggest challenge as an actor working alongside a dog (or dogs)?
Getting De-wormed.
Seriously, I am always cognizant of their safety especially on outdoor shoots. The dogs are kept warm and given special heaters in their wardrobe. The real challenge though, is not overlapping my lines with a trainer yelling “Over here! Here girl. Leave it! Go mark! AHT AHT AHT! STAY GOOOOOOOOOOOD! …That and trying not to smell like chicken and hot dogs by the end of the day.
Do you get involved in any of the training with the dogs?
Yes. I have to work closely with newcomers and get them used to me so that they are comfortable. This amounts to a lot of play time pre-shooting with them which i love.
How many dog actors were there in the movie?
There are eight main puppies – four who are young and four who are old, with a few doubles. Three Eddie’s (JRTs) and about a dozen or so extra and bit players.
What was the most fun you had working on the movie?
I loved being creative with Eddie and sharing an impromptu moment. I would say an off the cuff line to Eddie (Anastasia) and he would (she would) look at me on his (her) own with some expression, or give me a sloppy kiss.
There is a scene where we break Mrs. Claus out of jail and I suggested that I stand on the back of Eddie (JRT) to see in through the bars. It looks hysterical with Eddie looking like he is supporting my weight on his tiny body. In reality I am in a harness being fully supported above him, or it was magic.
To see the official Santa Paws2: The Santa Pups website, please click here.
