Odissi Dance Circle performs during the 33rd Annual Festival of Chariots on Sunday, August 2, 2009. Odissi dance is a classical dance form of Orissa and has its origin in the temples. The Festival of the Chariots featured free feast for thousands, free entertainment, exhibits and booths all bringing together the finest in Indian culture. The festival celebrates Lord Jagannatha, the Lord of the Universe, and is put on by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). The Festival of the Chariots is now performed in every country across the world and dates back 5 thousand years to Jagannatha Puri, India.

Jerry Rubin dances with his wife of 26 years Marissa at the Santa Monica Pier during the 25th Anniversary Twilight Dance Series' tribute to the famed La Monica Ballroom on Thursday, July 23, 2009.

La Monica Ballroom Redux Event Commemorates Santa Monica Pier’s Iconic Role in Ballroom Dancing

Thousands put on their dancing shoes to swing on the 5,000 square foot dance floor at the Santa Monica Pier during the Twilight Dance Series’ La Monica Ballroom Redux. Honoring the Centennial of the Santa Monica Pier with a throwback tribute to the experience of the La Monica Ballroom (1924 – 1962), with a grand entrance reminiscent of the beloved heart of ballroom dancing.

As part of the Twilight Dance Series, a set of free summer concerts on the Santa Monica Pier now in its 25^th season, La Monica Ballroom Redux is one of the events leading up to the Santa Monica Pier’s Centennial Celebration on September 9, 2009.

The bands that performed for La Monica Redux are leaders in the Western swing sound that made La Monica Ballroom famous during its heyday in the 1940s and 1950s. Johnny Vana and The Big Band Alumni performed authentic music of the 1940s including the songs of Benny Goodman, Billy May and Glenn Miller.

Also performing were the Squirrel Nut Zippers, musical giants in the modern swing movement and known for a unique “30s punk” sound. The Squirrel Nut Zippers played some of their hits as well as performed new arrangements of classic numbers created especially for the La Monica Ballroom Redux event, providing a well-received surprise to Zipper fans.

“The Santa Monica Pier is an iconic piece of American history and the story of La Monica Ballroom has remained an enduring symbol. Reliving the era of La Monica Ballroom is humbling,” said Ben Franz-Knight, executive director of the Santa Monica Pier Restoration Corporation. “The Santa Monica Pier has created long-lasting memories for many generations and will continue to entice generations to come.”

The Santa Monica Pier Centennial Celebration will take place on its birthday, September 9, 2009, and will be marked by a grand rededication ceremony with civic and government officials, local and national celebrities, as well as the largest fireworks spectacular over Santa Monica Bay in twenty years.

Adds Franz-Knight, “Each of these celebratory events aims to bring our communities together and commemorate a place that is entertaining in uncountable ways.”

Members of the Oaxacan Community from Santa Anadel Valle on Sunday, July 12, 2009, walk down Colorado Ave towards St. Annes Church and Shrine in a religious procession carrying marmotas (huge spherical clot lanterns) followed by the Chinas Oaxaqueñas (local women dressed in brightly colored silk skirts and blouses with ribbons in their braids) carrying baskets of flowersand led by a brass band to celebrate their annual La Fiesta de Santa Ana.

Bollywood actress Survi Chatterjee dances while being filmed for a music video at the Santa Monica Pier on Monday, July 6, 2009.

(1) Sherri Wheatley, a Tribal Fusion Bellydancer, dances with fire to the sounds of  Mutaytor during the annual Carnevale at Venice Beach on Saturday, June 6, 2009. (2-6) Members of Harissa Bellydance troupe dance during the Carnevale. (7) Boogeymanshoots firefrom his guitar during the annual Carnevale at Venice Beach.

© 2009 FabianLewkowicz.com. No usage permitted without prior written consent. All rights reserved.

(1) Santa Monica Police Sergeant Rudy Camarena (right) dances the Maranga with Naje Cyprian, 8, and SMPD Officer Austin Brown dances with Taneia Bryant, 8, while teaching "Dancing with Police Officers" at the Santa Monica Police Activity League on Tuesday, May, 12, 2009. (2) SMPD Officer Jennifer Sekera dances with PAL kids during the "Dancing with Police Officers" class on Tuesday.

The blue 13 dance company performs Bollywood Delicious at The Broad Stage during a press conference announcing the 2009-2010 Second Season for the Broads Stage at Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center on Thursday, April 30, 2009. The 2009-2010 spans 81 performance, between September 2009 and May 2010, and includes Broadway and theatre, as well as the return of chamber music, jazz, world music, baroque, dance, opera/voice; and family and educational programs.

traditional and contemporary Hawaiian Dances Polynesian Paradise Dancers Yun Nawai Asakura (1) Malia Igarta (2) and Nicole DeMaria perform traditional and contemporary Hawaiian Dances at the Annenberg Community Beach House during the grand opening celebrating on Saturday, April 25, 2009. The Annenberg Community Beach House is an exciting new public facility on Santa Monica State Beach, a project over a decade in the making. The day’s celebration was kicked off with a performance from Cirque du Soleil’s “O^TM” in the original pool with its colorful historic tiles. The festivities continued with hula dancers, storytellers, tours, and many other beach-focused and family-friendly activities for both children and adults. A large sand castle and a flock of kites will celebrate the site’s incredible natural setting.

© 2009 FabianLewkowicz.com. No usage permitted without prior written consent. All rights reserved.