A surfing ballet

June Casagrande

Usually, it takes a surfer to truly appreciate surf culture. But for

Keith Glassman, just having a background in dance can instill a deep

appreciation of what surfing is all about.

“Surfing is like a ballet on water. When you look at what they’re

doing, it’s like something straight out of dance class,” said the

Costa Mesa resident, who earned a master’s in dance from UC Irvine in

1996. “I look at it as movement.”

This outsider’s appreciation has grown into an unusual performance

piece Glassman calls an homage to the Newport Beach surfing

community: an hourlong performance piece created with the help of the

Newport Beach Arts Commission and scheduled to be staged at the

Newport Beach Central Library on April 12.

“I’ve done similar shows in San Diego, Carlsbad, Santa Monica,

Santa Cruz,” said Glassman, who makes a living by teaching Pilates on

Balboa Island. “It’s an hourlong program with parts that are just

dance and music, but then there’s a part where I bring surfers on

stage to ask them about themselves.”

Glassman said that part of his goal is to show surfers in a way

that defies oversimplified stereotypes.

“Surfers come in all ages and types and genders,” he said.

“They’re not all [Jeff] Spicoli from ‘Fast Times at Ridgemont High.’”

The contrast of extreme devotion and casualness make surfing

culture fascinating as an academic study and worthy of awe, Glassman

said.

“They’re very dedicated people,” he said. “It’s very fun, and I’ve

been having a good time meeting these people.”