ASU is sending kids back to the drawing board -- not to mention the painter's easel, potter's wheel and photographer's tripod. The university's yearly Eleanor A. Robb Children's Art Workshop resumes this weekend, as art education students from the School of Art teach weekly classes to aspiring young artists. The "Creative Expressions" program engages 5- to 9-year-olds in multimedia pursuits, while 10- to 15-year-olds select from specialties including drawing, painting, ceramics, printmaking, crafts, photography and sculpture. Saturday-morning sessions start September 13 and conclude November 15, when participants unveil their masterpieces in an exhibition open to parents and the public. The 90-minute classes begin at 9 and 11 a.m.; registration for the 10-week program is $35. Call 480-965-6981 or pick up a registration form at the School of Art on ASU's main campus in Tempe. Classes fill quickly; early registration is recommended. - Jill Koch
Swang Songs
Ugly takes center stage
8/28-9/27
It's tough to be the new kid in the flock, and the unfortunately named Ugly is the odd duck out. But the hero of Honk! triumphs over intolerance to claim his moment in the sun, as Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre-West closes its second season with the musical adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's The Ugly Duckling.
Honk! hits the stage Thursday, August 28, and continues through September 27 at the Mesa venue, 5247 East Brown. Tickets, including buffet, are $35 to $41 for adults, $15 for kids 15 and younger. Call 480-325-6700 or log on to www.broadwaypalmwest.com for reservations. - Jill Koch
DDR Me, ASAP
Dance tournament for gamers
Sat 8/30
Bust a cap? Nah. Bust a move. Fostering killer moves rather than killer instinct, "Dance Dance Revolution" gets video gamers off the couch and on their feet. With a lighted pad indicating proper foot position, DDR challenges players to stay in step with lightning-quick choreography.
This Saturday, August 30, two tournaments will prompt local DDR devotees to put their best foot forward . . . and backward . . . and to the side. Starting at noon at Fiddlesticks Tempe, 1155 West Elliot, and at 7 p.m. at Fiddlesticks Scottsdale, 8800 East Indian Bend, hot steppers will compete for cash prizes and free entry in November's national tourney. Registration is $10 in advance, $15 on tournament day. Call 480-961-0800, extension 204, to register for the Tempe competition; call 480-951-6060, extension 202, for the Scottsdale event. See www.DDRFreak.com for more information. - Jill Koch.
