Rubans Rouges Dance Company hosts the Luminaria Ceremony at Relay for Life
The Relay For Life of South Valley will be held on May 2-3, 2015 at Walter Reed Junior High School. Teams of 5-20 people create a relay by taking turns walking, running, or strolling around the school track for 24 consecutive hours. Participants will camp out with family and friends, enjoying music, entertainment, food, and friendship while building team spirit to help in the fight against cancer. The event’s 24 hours symbolize the difficulties cancer patients can face in just one 24‐hour period. We chatted with Noelle Andressen from North Hollywood’s Rubans Rouges Dance Company on her role in this yearly event.
Q What will you be doing at the Relay for Life event?
I am the Chair Person for the Luminaria Ceremony during the Relay for Life South Valley. My dance company, myself included: Rubans Rouges Dance Company will be performing during the Luminaria Ceremony. It’s part of what we consider our outreach.
WHAT: The Luminaria Ceremony
WHEN: 9pm on Saturday May 2, 2015
WHERE: Walter Reed Middle School 4525 Irvine Ave, Studio City, CA 91602
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Q Why is this cause close to the company’s heart?
I’m a cancer survivor. My grandmother and mother both passed from this disease and I want to put an end to this disease so others don’t have to lose their loved ones to this scourge. As part of the company outreach, we participate in Relay for Life annually. I’ve been involved with a Relay for the American Cancer Society since the summer of 2009 in Simi Valley. I started as a participant then moved into being a Team Captain and then becoming involved in the local North Hollywood/South Valley Relay where I not only was a Team Captain but became the Luminaria Chair. It’s a special ceremony within the Relay Event that honors survivors and those we’ve lost to cancer.
Q Tell us a bit more about the dance company.
Rubans Rouges Dance Company is a contemporary modern company based in North Hollywood. We perform “Dance Drama” and most often deal with heady and controversial subject matter. We are in our seventh year bringing dance to the Los Angeles community. We also perform across the country: NYC, Vegas, St. Barbara, San Diego for example. We have outreaches that help prevent child abuse called “Red Ribbon Reach.” “Dancers Curing Cancer” is aimed at helping cancer survivors and patients. Through this program I also teach a movement therapy class geared towards cancer patients and survivors. We have a new one starting soon at Evolution Dance Studios on Burbank Blvd. in North Hollywood. The class is donation based, meaning you pay what you can. I donate my time for one hour. It’s highly recommended that a caregiver or a partner attend as well. We do a lot of supportive movement activities.
Q What are some upcoming projects/shows for Rubans Rouges Dance Company?
Yes, we have a lot coming up. Our third Summer Series which is our repertoire show that we invite 3-4 other dance companies: Eryc Taylor Dance, Eryc Taylor is the Artistic Director of the New York City company and will be one of the companies to join us. It will be held at the Miles Memorial Playhouse in Santa Monica. The show is called “Fight for Love” and is about non-conformity and not yielding to bullying tactics for the choices we make in whom we love. It does have an Orwellian tone and is one of our most intense pieces yet. Kristopher, my husband and Co-Director will be creating original score for this piece. He is an Emmy nominated music composer regionally and has been providing beautiful music for us to move to. We have a crowd funding campaign currently to help us complete the remainder of the funds needed to finish this piece.
Also in the works is our 4th Annual Dance Festival: “Awakenings & Beginnings Dance Festival” at Diavolo Space. Luminario Ballet, Invertigo Dance Theatre, Djanbazian Dance Company, LA Fusion Dance Theater, have joined us for past festivals. We’ll be accepting applications soon. We’re very excited because each year we add a little something to our festival to help it grow. We love artists especially dancers and we try to make it a wonderful experience. Here’s a clip of our Awakenings & Beginnings Dance Festival that was featured on Dance Channel TV. We thank Arsen Serobian for producing this beautiful segment for us.
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