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Tuesday March 25, 2003 Necessity being the mother of invention, these weekday, afternoon shows always bring out our creative side. Between school, work, family vacations and illnesses (it has been an awful season for the flu), this was our total team for this show (right). Yet, as always, Steel Phoenix managed to put on an amazing exhibition -- although we're still trying to figure out what Jonah stares at on the floor in all his team photo shots. Well, just so long as he doesn't start hearing little voices . . . |
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(left) Ann Marie Palmieri and
National Champion Chris Baca square off in the mantis verses snake wushu
fighting set. Ann Marie just started her training as an understudy in
this routine. Note her trademark bandanna. It is a little known fact that Ann Marie is, sadly, bald as a turnip. Concerned fans can send Rogaine to our mailing address here in Albuquerque, and we'll be sure that Ann Marie receives it. |
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(right) On the other hand, Li
is most definitely not bald. He's just bald, minus the L. You figure it out. |
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(left) The sad thing is, he's
a really bad influence on the kids in the group. Like this one.
Haoqi used to be such a thoughtful, polite and respectful little lion . . .
NOT!!! |
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(right) James Cole does
a butterfly kick over his whip chain, which is spinning so fast the camera
couldn't register it. A fast cut with the chain, of course, is what makes this wushu technique easier. In the background, Kip shows off his fancy lion dance pants -- it's disco nite for the Bark-man! |
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(right) Jonah Donnarumma spins atop the kung fu monkey staff. Well, at least this time, he's not looking at the floor . . . |
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| (right) Kip Barkhurst plays the Naughty Monk in the Drunken Lion Dance. Li looks like he's about ready to fall asleep . . . |
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(left) Danielle Stender
plays the monk in the Choy Ching. Danielle totally ad-libbed this
part, as she was a last-minute emergency stand in. She did a great
job! In fact, she so impressed the rest of the lion dance team as she
horsed around, trying stacks and stuff, that they actively sought to recruit
her and, in the end, in about mid-April, stole her from the wushu crew! Rumor has it that she's being groomed for a part as Haoqi. Playing Li (yellow) were Naomi Tsukuda-Doering and James "Sparky" Esparza. Playing Haoqi (orange) were Dominique Dexter and Kip Barkhurst. Our drummer for this show was Brian Baker. |
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| (right) Junior Instructor's Aide Danielle Stender in her more typical role in the kung fu war fan. |
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(right) State Champion James Cole confronts his imaginary opponent in the wushu straight sword set. Dominique Dexter lounges in the background. |
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| (right) I had to put this photo in, just because it's so darn funny. James Cole just hangs in the air with that bo-de-do expression and what looks like a royal wave (he's actually doing a tornado kick over the spinning whip chain). Haoqi appears to be watching intently -- as does drummer Brian Baker and cymbalist Nicole Neff, the latter of who, as understudy for this wushu routine, has a vested interest. |
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(left) Kip Barkhurst (in the
spiffy orange pants) looks alarmed as he watches Jonah Donnarumma spin a
full horizontal 360 in the air during the wushu butterfly twist. Jonah
is coming out of his wrap just a wee-tad early (bad Jonah), so maybe that
was the cause for the concern. Not to worry, though. Like Tigger, Jonah is made of rubber: he's "bouncy-frouncy-douncy-wouncy-fun-fun-fun-fun-fun! But the most wonderful thing about Jonah is he's the only one!" Thank heavens, or Sifu would be even more insane than she is right now. |
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| (right) Hoaqi, played by Dominique Dexter and Kip Barkhurst and Li, played by Naomi Tsukuda-Doering and James Esparza, stack as Brian Baker drums. To get an idea of just how high these lion dancers go, compare them to the basketball hoop just behind. |
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(left) Another job well done,
as happy faces gather around the autograph table. Kung fu, wushu and
lion dancing rock, and Martial Artistry's Team Steel Phoenix rules! Questions? Comments?
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