The central Phoenix dance studio has all the charm of a prison cell — with ugly curtains — but it pulses with sex and sass and sweat. Bass shakes the floor as Ellen Rath takes the lead, pounding out a routine to Missy Elliott’s “Pass That Dutch.” Their tight bodies…
Antonio Berumen spends most of his rehearsal time upside down, spinning and bouncing and bending his body into various positions — all of which appear equally painful. His fiercest skill: hopping on his right hand. His record: 75 consecutive hops. In April, Japan’s Nippon TV network flew the 22-year-old b-boy…
Technique is Jessica Jesse Jackson’s strong suit — a rare trait in hip-hop. She hammers out each move with cool precision. The 27-year-old, who joined Nebellen in February, has had plenty of practice: dance lessons, gymnastics training, cheer competitions on ESPN . . . even a gig at Disneyland, dancing…
For many teenagers, high school is an exercise in blending in. Francesco Caban directed his energies elsewhere. He joined the dance program at Arcadia High, then the cheer squad — both times, the only boy. Caban says he endured a lot of name-calling. Once his classmates saw his intensity and…
Les Du Mouchel is not used to standing still. He’s been mimicking the moves of Michael Jackson since age 3 and has shaken his money maker — literally — as a resident dancer at Axis/Radius, CBNC, Sanctuary and Club Bash. But these days, the 22-year-old is stuck at a standstill…
Not long ago, Tom Simon was news director of a local talk radio station — hosting Sheriff Joe Arpaio on the air and bragging that he had Arpaio programmed on his cell phone. Now Simon is, once again, a guest of the sheriff. In late April, Simon was arrested by…
A pocket full of jimmie hats and no honey willing to help me put them to use, I was resigned to sitting home with Mr. Zig Zag, a fifth of Sky and that new Petey Pablo CD. But, suddenly, the land line was buzzing. “Wassup, Buddha-butt? Feelin’ sexy on this…
The True Boys of Summer Baseball thrives in the desert: What a wonderful story by Robert Nelson on Phoenix as the baseball mecca of the world (“Fields of Dreams,” May 13). I had no idea that all this was going on here. It was really eye-opening, and a wonderful story…
Dora Schriro lives in a parallel universe, a place where teenage thugs sit on Santa’s lap and Girl Scouts visit penitentiaries. In Schriro’s world, parolees are called “clients,” not criminals. It’s a land of jailhouse picnics, where inmates raise money for charity — when they’re not busy doing arts and…
All you P-town gangstas know of Mr. Kreme’s passion for fashion, my penchant for poppin’ collars with the flyest ladies in the 602 or the 480. So when I heard tell of this erotic fashion show called “Feel Me” goin’ down at Holga’s art colony downtown, I was all up…
Smart Mormon Misfits Looking out for No. 1: The column by John Dougherty on Governor Janet Napolitano (“Running Scared,” May 13) lightheartedly yet firmly touched on a few key issues I have been keeping up with since moving from Arizona to Colorado late last year, shortly after Napolitano was elected…
Arizona State University’s Student Health and Wellness Center is in turmoil, as officials await the results of a six-month independent investigation into allegations that the university’s head sports doctor has misdiagnosed student athletes. But parents are worried that the investigation will only uncover the beginning of what has gone wrong…
Carletta Tilousi got a phone call in March 2003 that would not only change her life, but that of every person in her tribe. She’s a member of the Havasupai, a small Indian nation in northern Arizona with about 650 members. Most of the tribe lives in Supai, a picturesque…
You know, my co-pilot Jett wasn’t always the L-word Jessica Alba. Before she became the lipsticker queen of Phoenix nightlife, she was just another cute chick in a Catholic schoolgirl uniform hanging out at Scottsdale’s Jamaican Blue Lounge, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. “Hey, Special K,” the Jettster…
Ring the Changes What’s hot and what’s not: I’ve noted a lot of positive changes in New Times over the past year. It seems that you’re returning to your former place as the paper to read to find out what’s really going on in Arizona. Michael Lacey has always been…
New Times was honored for everything from religion writing to music criticism — with John Dougherty capturing the Don Bolles Award for investigative reporting — at the Arizona Press Club’s 80th-anniversary banquet in Phoenix. In all, New Times took home eight first-place trophies, including Robert Nelson’s win in the John…
The Metrocenter security guard slows down his white Honda CRV to eye what looks like an episode of MTV’s twisted stunt show Viva La Bam going on in the mall’s east parking lot. One after another, along a ramped walkway, 19-year-old Matt Stewart and his three new friends grab a…
The nation’s biggest garbage company is everywhere in Mobile, one of Maricopa County’s smallest communities. “Thank You Waste Management,” reads a sign in front of the school, just above a message noting that the sign itself was paid for by Waste Management. Headquartered 1,200 miles away in Houston, Waste Management…
Maricopa County Administrator David Smith was named best county leader in the nation by Governing Magazine in November 2001. Now Smith deserves to lose his job. The publication, which is read by practically every high-level bureaucrat in the nation, had gushed that Smith performed miracles in leading Maricopa County out…
After blowing most of our dolo at that swank strip club Skin last week, Jett and I needed a low-rent joint at which to chillax (that’s chill and relax, yo). Fortunately, my pally Gatsby, ribald renaissance man and massage therapist to club hotties, had a semi-genius idea for us. “Monday…
Firearms Aren’t Us Gamers don’t pose a threat: I just wanted to comment on the excellent job that Jimmy Magahern did in delving into our little circle of gaming and other activities (“War Games,” May 6), but I would like to refute the spin that the story seemed to take…
The argument is simple enough: Metro Phoenix is the world’s new baseball mecca. If you love baseball, this is the best place on Earth to visit. If you’re a kid with dreams of being a big league star, this is the best place on Earth to call home. Supporting such…
