Project Runway with the Rockettes!

Tim Gunn

and

Heidi Klum

high kick it with the NYC

Rockettes

- how cute is that! The seven

Project Runway

designers met up with them at Radio City Music Hall to learn of their next challenge which included sequins, spangles, beadwork, fringe and two visits to Mood...

Debra Messing

served as the Project Runway guest judge.  The winner of the challenge will have their design produced and worn by the Rockettes.

Now that's worth a few high kicks!

The two big problems with Sonjia's outfit are functionality and the lack of sex appeal. The feathers would not survive a season of wear and the costume, overall, was kind of blah. It lacked sparkle and pizazz. Sonjia was in the bottom, but safe.

Fabio was safe. I really like the metallic shimmer of his costume but didn't care too much for it's style. It looked more Gladiator than Rockette.

Elena came very close to going home with this shiny blue majorette -esque looking outfit. The judges said it was too matchy matchy and looked cheap. Elena wept.

I didn't care for Melissa's costume at all. The judges didn't give her the lowest scores but they too had their issues with it. Take away: model looked like a "cigarette girl."

Michael Kors

said if you dropped the skirt long, Dmitry's outfit could be a red carpet dress. The judges loved it [as did I]. It was very sparkly, provided outstanding movement from the beaded fringed skirt and had loads of visual appeal. Dmitry didn't win the challenge but it was a very close call.

Goodbye! Adios! Auf Wiedersehen!

YES I am happy to see Ven Budhu go home! Now he's free to design all the "origami" rose corsets for super skinny women, forever if he wants...

Christopher Palu, who was adorably star-struck with guest judge Debra Messing, was ecstatic to win the challenge. The judges unanimously agreed that his costume was stunning, beautiful and sophisticated. They especially loved the concept of integrating the iconic NYC skyline into the design. Perfection.

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Through the photographic eye of THOM BAKER...

When I came across images by Atlanta-based photographer,

Thom Baker

of

gloATL's

recent contemporary dance performance

Float: A Short Urban Fantasy

, I knew immediately I wanted to feature the photos. Thom called the performances, which took place along stretches of the Atlanta Beltline, "breathtaking." The images are from his perspective. I find them to be beautiful and compelling.

PHOTO GALLERY:

gloATL performs

again on December 17th.

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Celebrity Dance Challenge 2011

Fashioned after hit shows like So You Think You Can DanceTM and Dancing with the StarsTM, local Atlanta non-profit,

EDIN

(The Eating Disorders Information Network), and Dance 101 are joining forces again for the

2011 Celebrity Dance Challenge

TM. Local Atlanta celebrities partner with Dance 101 teachers and compete by dancing for votes! The number of fan votes received determines winners. Anyone can vote for his or her favorite celebrity for as little as $1.00 per vote. Tickets to the performance are $25.00 plus tax & service charge. Tickets are on sale now:

http://www.woodruffcentertickets.org

.

HLN Anchor

Christi Paul

& CBS Better Mornings' 

Brandon Rudat

who both competed last year, return as this year's emcees.

Richie Arpino

and

Ofelia de la Valette

return as judges with a new addition,

Me

! [I competed in the 1st annual and was the first runner up, I danced in the opening group number last year and now, I'm so excited to come back and NOT have to cut a rug.]

Former American Idol finalist,

Anoop Desai

will be the guest performer. He recently released his first EP, All Is Fair.

Celebrity Dance Challenge is Saturday December 3rd at 7pm, 14th Street Playhouse.

AND your 2011 DANCERS:

• Patric Bell, Local Celebrity Chef

• Julio Cesar, L’Oreal Professionnel Design Artist

• Alyson Steiniger Howard-Hoag, CEO/Founder, Authentic Beauty

• Kristin Klingshirn, Member of Q100’s The Bert Show

• Ginair Goodwin McKerrow, LCSW, Psychotherapist & Philanthropist

• Samantha Mohr, On-Camera Meteorologist at the Weather Channel

Who'll win?

YOU control the votes!!

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the Maá experience

My mother and I knew instantly that we were in for an experience of the senses from merely walking unto the Atlanta Symphony Hall sod-covered stage to take our seats for

Maá

.

Maá, which means "earth" in Finnish, treated the audience to a dancerly, sometimes ethereal journey of discovery. The movement was graceful at times and abrupt at others, leaving you engaged and intrigued. The set was visually dynamic as the seating was in the round and the performers utilized the entire stage, even incorporating the orchestra into the dance sequences.

Finnish composer,

Kaija Saariaho

, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

Maestro Robert Spano

, GA Tech's

Sonic Generator

and

gloATL

, collaborated on the project.

The music score, choreography and larger than life visual projections fused together seamlessly. At one point, even audience participation was encouraged.

Maá was an avant-garde production - an artistic endeavor of a higher intellectual plane than most theatrical performances in the city. It was refreshing and inspiring.

[caption id="attachment_10057" align="aligncenter" width="478" caption="Photography by Thom Baker."]

[/caption]

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Celebrity Dance Challenge 2010

[caption id="attachment_5264" align="alignleft" width="241" caption="Wendy Adams & Kevin Tyson. The winners! "]

[/caption]

Breathe in. Breathe out. Pray. Stretch. Smile. Practice. Hugs. Kisses. High-fives. More stretching. Fidgeting. Tapping. Twirling. Focus.

Action!

The

2nd Annual Celebrity Dance Challenge

for

EDIN

wowed a large crowd of friends, family, supporters and fans last week as some hip-shakin' beat-boppin' adventure seeking celebrities danced their hearts out (and feet) for charity.

Salsa, Broadway, Tap, Tango, Disco, Swing and Hip-Hop were the dance genres du jour and Christi, Mychael, Meridith, Brandon, Mitchell, Stephanie and Wendy gave the audience outstanding, heart thumping performances.

Weeks of hard work, late hours, sweat, maybe a few tears and lots of body aches and bruises have paid off for a second year in a row in what has become one of the most anticipated (and fun) annual charity events in Atlanta.

All fun aside, EDIN's purpose is very important.

Their Mission:

The Eating Disorders Information Network (EDIN) is a nonprofit organization committed to the prevention of all types of disordered eating, from obesity to anorexia, and the promotion of positive body-esteem through education, outreach and action.

Lets take a look at each incredible dancer:

[caption id="attachment_5265" align="aligncenter" width="478" caption="CNN's Holly Firfer & Reggie Aqui along with Good Day's Suchita Vadlamani and Fritti's Riccardo Uillio, oh, and yours truly, opened the show with a Bollywood number under the direction of Bubba Carr! Joining us were EDIN founder Dina Zeckhausen and director Lisbeth Rhine."]

[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_5266" align="aligncenter" width="478" caption="Christi Paul & Rubin Haimov. Salsa!"]

[/caption]

Sizzlin' Salsa from

Christi Paul

and dance partner,

Rubin Haimov

. Their performance was super caliente and earned them runner up! Note: it's the second year in a row that Salsa wins the runner up slot. (I took home that honor last year!)

[caption id="attachment_5267" align="aligncenter" width="478" caption="Mychael Knight & Ricardo Aponte. Broadway!"]

[/caption]

Mychael Knight

stepped away from the sewing machine and engaged the crowd in a West Side Story number with

Ricardo Aponte

. Dancing, twirling, fighting and (play) knives made this one of the most entertaining performances of the night.

[caption id="attachment_5268" align="aligncenter" width="478" caption="Stephanie Davis Smith & Ian Folker. Swing!"]

[/caption]

Of all the evening's performances,

Stephanie Davis Smith

, I think, had the most fun of all. She proved, with the help of

Ian Folker

, that she had all the right moves for Swing and could really work a

Skirt!

[caption id="attachment_5269" align="aligncenter" width="478" caption="Mitchell Anderson & Desiree Nathanson. Disco!"]

[/caption]

"Yeah, will you be my Mr. Right? Can you fill my appetite. I can't be sure that you're the one for me. But all that I ask is that you dance with me dance with me, dance with me, yeah" ... and boy did he dance!

Mitchell Anderson

and

Desiree Nathanson

gave us all disco fever. In one of the most memorable quotes of the night, Judge Bruno a.k.a Richie Arpino to Mitchell: "In the immortal words of Abba, you are a Dancing Queen!"

[caption id="attachment_5270" align="aligncenter" width="478" caption="Meridith Ford Goldman & Barry Thomas. Tap!"]

[/caption]

Writer

Meridith Ford Goldman

tapped to a different key than normal for her with dance partner

Barry Thomas

.  As Judge Ofelia de la Valette pointed out in praise of Meridith, she carried her own with this type of dance and quite well!

[caption id="attachment_5271" align="aligncenter" width="478" caption="Brandon Rudat & Olga Kormanovskaya. Tango!"]

[/caption]

In what had to be the steamiest performance of the evening,

Brandon Rudat

and

Olga Kormanovskaya

left everyone wanting a cigarette after this mucho hot Tango! Special Celebrity Judge, Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas of the R&B group TLC and VH1's hit series What Chilli Wants, put it best in her onstage remarks about Brandon's tango. She said, "I think Brandon is what Chilli wants."

[caption id="attachment_5272" align="aligncenter" width="478" caption="Wendy Adams & Kevin Tyson. Hip Hop!"]

[/caption]

Hip Hop reigned and took the prize! In the winner's circle, Q100's

Wendy Adams

bust-a-move with

Kevin Tyson

in one of the most energetic dance numbers in Celebrity Dance Challenge.

[caption id="attachment_5275" align="aligncenter" width="478" caption="Lovely Emcees Suchita Vadlamani & Holly Firfer have a word with the three esteemed judges: Richie "Bruno" Arpino, Ofelia de la Valette and Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas."]

[/caption]

*all photos courtesy of Andrew Wicker - thank you for the artistically beautiful b&w's

EDIN has a big hit on their hands with Celebrity Dance Challenge. I know Lisbeth Rhine, Ashley Brooks and Bubba Carr are already talking about next year!

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