Genesis Dance Project at Tempe Center for the Arts They say dance is the universal language of the world. So it makes sense to celebrate the New Year by bringing together some of Arizona's best emerging and professional dance companies. Representing a diversity of dance genres, artists and companies will perform works from their current repertoires at Desert Dance Theater's Genesis Dance Project.
Featured dancers and companies were selected for the festival by a panel of judges and include Dulce Dance Company, Terpsicore Dance Company, and Movement Source Dance Company. Junk Funk, which blends percussion and movement arts by making music with the body and recycled objects, will bring some beats to the showcase, and Chandler's Conversion Dance Project will present "Adrift," a solo project from artistic director Crystal Lewis and freelance dance artist Katie Wiegman.
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The Genesis Dance Project will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, January 10, and Saturday, January 11, at Tempe Center for the Arts Studio, 700 West Rio Salado Parkway. Tickets cost $18 for adults and $13 for students. For more information, call 480-962-4584 or visit www.desertdancetheatre.org. -- Lauren Saria
Compagnie Käfig at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Brazil is hot right now, especially with the World Cup coming "home" to the country that considers itself the ambassador of the "beautiful game." Plenty of beauty hails from Brazil, much coming from rough beginnings. Compagnie Käfig is a merging of capoeira (a Brazilian martial art that emphasizes elongated, rhythmic movements), samba, and hip-hop that was born in the favelas, or shantytowns, of Rio de Janeiro, and brought to prominence by French choreographer Mourad Merzouki.
Energetic and fresh with stunning visual elements, Merzouki's work with favela street dancers focuses on gravity defying flips, twirls, slides, and flights of fancy from these seemingly boneless men capable of creating and sustaining unnaturally amazing dance steps. In a word: Breathtakingly beautiful.
Okay, that's two. But witness Compagnie Käfig at 8 p.m. Friday, January 10, at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, 7380 East Second Street. Tickets are $29, $39, and $59. Visit www.scottsdaleperformingarts.org or call 480-499-8587. -- Glenn BurnSilver
Miss Cave Creek & Miss Phoenix Pageant at Moon Valley High It's not quite Miss America -- or even Miss USA -- but it still comes with a title, a scholarship and, of course, bragging rights.
The Miss Cave Creek and Miss Phoenix pageant takes place this weekend, pitting four teen contestants (ages 13 to 17) and eight "miss" contestants (ages 17 to 24) against each other for thousands of dollars and a chance to claim the crown. The winners feed into the Miss Arizona pageant later this year, which sends one lucky lady to the main stage for the nationally televised Miss America showdown. In the meantime the winners, like current titleholders Lauren McBurnett and Alexa Rogers, spend their year participating in community lighting ceremonies and volunteering at area children's hospitals -- all while wearing a tiara.
The pageantry takes place at 7 p.m. Saturday, January 11, at Moon Valley High School, 3625 West Cactus Road. Tickets are $15. Visit www.missphoenix.org for more. -- Janessa Hilliard
Monster Energy Supercross @ Chase Field Supercross hasn't been a household word since Jeremy McGrath rode off into semi-retirement, but Ryan Villopoto is on the brink of reaching that level. Villopoto is the dominant rider on the circuit (he's won the last three world championships) but a fourth straight title would match anything McGrath did on the track. Villopoto will have to contend with a strong field featuring three former champions -- James Stewart, Ryan Dungey and Chad Reed -- but he still figures to be the odds-on favorite to capture another title.
You can watch Villopoto, Stewart, Dungey, Reed, and a host of other racers face off at Chase Field, 401 East Jefferson Street, on Saturday, January 11, for the second leg of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross World Championship. Doors will open for practice and qualifying at 12:30 p.m., and the main event will start at 7. Tickets start at $10 and are available online through www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 800-745-3000. -- Ed Kummerer
Janeane Garofalo & Greg Behrendt @Stand Up Live Sometimes it's near-impossible to separate actors, writers, and personalities from shows or movies When we think of Janeane Garofalo, we think of Heather Mooney, her totally badass character in Romy and Michele's High School Reunion. She's a chain-smoking outcast who dresses in head-to-toe black, takes no shit, and has a perma-scowl. Later we found her equally stellar on The Larry Sanders Show. All this is to say: Since high school, she's sort of been our hero.
Of course, the two are not one and the same. And when Garofalo comes to Stand Up Live for a one-night-only stand-up performance, we'll get a little more insight into our sorta role model. Also on the marquee that evening will be Greg Behrendt, who influenced us maybe not equally but certainly in his former role as a script consultant for Sex and the City.
The double-headlining night starts 7 p.m. Sunday, January 12, at 50 West Jefferson Street. For tickets ($25), visit www.standuplive.com or call 480-719-6100. -- Becky Bartkowski
