Dancers bring variety to mix

Sights and sounds will mix this Saturday, where Gallimaufry Performing Arts will merge its semiannual Dance Day and Songs on the Sand to highlight the best of both at the culmination of its 2007 Arts Festival.

“We’ve got to stay a little bit unpredictable,” said Gallimaufry founder Steve Josephson. “But we’re back to normal this fall with the September Dance Day.”

Saturday’s free festival will include popular master classes and a 4:30 p.m. concert on the cobblestones of Main Beach, at the intersection of Coast Highway and Forest Ave.

Dance Day and Songs in the Sand combine in the free event to form Harlem Renaissance, which includes a live 11-piece jazz band and a variety of dances choreographed in the style of the famous Cotton Club by Ellen Prince.

“You don’t actually have a chance to see that style anymore,” Josephson said.

The show stars Tony-award nominated Broadway actress Jonelle Allen and features performances by Steve Josephson and Dion Mial.

Beforehand, the free master classes will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Forum Theatre on the Festival of Arts grounds, 650 Laguna Canyon Road. The classes were formerly held at Legion Hall.

The day begins with a rhythm tap class taught by Rashida Kahn from 10 a.m. to 11:20 a.m.

Kahn, who began dancing at the age of four, toured nationally and internationally, and has trained with tap masters including Mark Mendonca, Dormeisha Sumbry, and Derick Grant of “Bring In Da Noise.”

An African-inspired modern dance class taught by Maura Townsend will run from 11:30 a.m. to 12:50 p.m.

Townsend is the artistic director of Project 21 Performing Arts Consortium, and studied dance at the Inner City Cultural Center in Los Angeles under the late ballet dancer Gerald McCall.

Townsend has a bachelor’s and master’s of fine arts in dance; her choreography is a blend of modern, ballet and West African dance.

A hip-hop class by Phi Nguyen will follow from 1-2:20 p.m.

Nguyen developed his own abstract hip-hop style, and has choreographed for the Phoenix Suns dance team.

He is a member of the freestyle Jabbawockeez Crew, and has appeared on television at award ceremonies and in commercials.

The final master class will be held by Sean Greene, artistic director of the new Gallimaufry & Greene contemporary dance company, from 2:30-4 p.m.

Greene was the master teacher and principal dancer at the Bella Lewitzky Dance Company, where he remained for nearly 20 years. He currently teaches at Chapman University.

For more information, visit www.gallimaufry.info or call (949) 499-5060.