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Serving Fairfax Areas of Burke Classified, Page 13 Classified, ❖ Sarah Abourakty of inside Fairfax practices spins in the center of the Fairfax Ice Arena. Sports, Page 8 ❖ New Date For Festival Winter Fun, Page 3 Calendar, Page 11 GMU Dancers Winter Back Home Winter Fun, Page 4 Requested in home 1-28-11 home in Requested Time sensitive material. sensitive Time Fun Postmaster: Attention PERMIT #322 PERMIT Easton, MD Easton, PAID U.S. Postage U.S. PRSRT STD PRSRT Photo by Deb Cobb/The Connection Photo www.ConnectionNewspapers.comJanuary 27 - February 2, 2011 online at www.connectionnewspapers.comFairfax Connection ❖ January 27 - February 2, 2011 ❖ 1 Sue Avino-Dorna and Robert LaTour, formerly of Creative Cuts in Centreville, are back for an ENCORE in Fairfax! The show has re-opened – our ensemble includes both new and familiar faces – five Master Colorists! Curious? Don’t miss the performance! Cast Jean Knotts Cindy Hamilton Antonia Peach Production Director Stylista Extraordinaire Queen of the Brazilian Blowout Megan Purvis Jessica Yeasmis Olivia Westbrook Scissors Dominatrix Shampoo Grip Assistant House Manager Treatments by L’Oreal Kerastase Color by Wella Lighting by Beth Minardi Set Design by Rick Golden of Takara Belmont Take advantage of our Grand Opening Specials! • $10 off all haircuts • $15 off color with cut 703-352-8088 4088 Jermantown Rd., Fairfax, VA 22030 www.encorecolorstudio.com 2 ❖ Fairfax Connection ❖ January 27 - February 2, 2011 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Fairfax Connection Editor Michael O’Connell 703-778-9416 or moconnell@connectionnewspapers.com Photos by Photos Deb Cobb Scarlett Williams of Falls Church, left, and Laura Adams /The Connection of Stafford spend their Friday night skating at the Fairfax Ice Arena. This is Williams’ first time skating since she broke her wrist skating at age 9. Sissy Walter of Fairfax, left, makes her way around the rink cautiously, but without incident. Cold weather sends locals All Skate indoors for ice-skating. Sarah Abourakty of Fairfax, far he Fairfax Ice Arena was packed right, practices her spins in the Friday night, Jan. 21 as patrons center of the rink as other skaters enjoyed the evening skate. The skate by to the music. Fairfax Ice T arena is located at 3779 Pickett Arena has a disc jockey that Road in Fairfax. accepts requests during the evening skate session. Make a Sweet Date festival] back to the first full weekend in March, in- Annual Chocolate Lovers stead of the first full weekend in February,” Myers said. Festival celebrates 20 Better weather is one obvious reason for a change from February to March, but Myers said that ven- years on March 5 and 6. dors prefer the festival’s new date — March 5 and 6 — because it allows them to focus on their shops he Chocolate Lovers Festival Commit- during Valentine’s Day, without having to prepare Ttee has decided that it cannot depend for the festival during the same time period. Myers on friendly weather in early February. also said there was not a noticeable difference in at- The snow storms in 2010, which dumped tendance or sales last year, even though the festival several feet of snow in the Northern Virginia occurred after Valentine’s Day. That could be attrib- area early last February, postponed last year’s utable to chocolate lovers’ appetites, or the atmo- festival until March, and the committee has sphere and activities surrounding the festival. decided a date change was in everyone’s best “It’s an event that is certainly family-friendly, it is interest, according to Beverly Myers, chairman an event that encompasses all age groups and there by Chris Cohen/City of Fairf Photo of the Chocolate Lovers Festival Committee. is something there for everyone,” Myers said. “Knowing what we went through last year New this year for the festival is a cash prize for the … we’re probably a little safer if we push [the winners of the Chocolate Challenge, sponsored by the Independence Day Celebration Committee. First place in the professional division receives $500, while “It is an event that first place in the amateur division receives $250. Preference is given to the first 25 confirmed and paid encompasses all age groups entries, and there are still spaces available. This year’s judges for the Chocolate Challenge are and there is something there Warren Brown, owner of Love Café and Cake Love A donut coffee cake, one of and former host of “Sugar Rush” on The Food Net the entries in last year’s for everyone.” Chocolate Challenge. — Beverly Myers See Chocolate, Page 5 ax www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Fairfax Connection ❖ January 27 - February 2, 2011 ❖ 3 Winter Fun Former GMU Dancers Return Home Mark Morris Dance Group performs at Center of the Arts. By Amber Healy The Connection hen the Mark Morris Dance Group takes the stage at WGeorge Mason University’s Center for the Arts on Fri- day, Feb. 4, it will be a homecoming of sorts, both for the dance troupe and some indi- vidual performers. The world-renown company is based out of New York City, but has a close relationship with the university, said Dan Joyce, an associate professor in the School of Dance at GMU and a former 10-year member of Snyder/MMDG by Bryan Photo the Mark Morris Dance Group, or MMDG as it is frequently called. “We’re very lucky that this is one of their frequent stops,” Joyce said. “We’re able to bring a more sophisticated show to an au- dience.” The School of Dance and MMDG have a mutually beneficial relationship: Members of the company, and sometimes Morris himself, often provide workshops or master classes leading up to their performances at The Mark Morris Dance Company brings their interpretations of modern dance to the George Mason Univer- GMU for students in the dance program, sity Center for the Arts on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 4 and 5. and sometimes those same students end up joining the company profession- ally. “It was really wonderful to travel all over the At least two of the dancers in place and do high-level work in beautiful the performances on Feb. 4 and 5 are GMU alumni — Rita venues.” Donahue and Billy Smith. Joyce has fond memories — Dan Joyce, associate professor from his 10 years in the group, at GMU, former member of the Mark Morris Dance Group including traveling the world and working with Morris on pieces from Morris’ reper- to what he hears. several film and opera projects. tory: 1990’s “Going Away He does have his favorites, however. His “It was really wonderful to Party,” a piece set to the mu- favorite piece of choreography is “Romeo travel all over the place and do MMDG sic of Bob Wills and His Texas & Juliet: on Motifs of Shakespeare,” his high-level work in beautiful Playboys; 1999’s “Silhou- danced version of Shakespeare’s classic tale venues,” he said. ettes,” set to the music of set to the music of Prokofiev. But when one of his col- Richard Cummings’ and “It’s my best work to date,” he said. “I GMU alumni William Smith III and Rita Donahue will leagues at GMU had an oppor- 2008’s “Excursions,” a piece like watching my work performed by the be performing with the Mark Morris Dance Group on tunity to work with a profes- choreographed to music by brilliant dancers in the company. I also love Feb. 4 and 5. sional dance company, she Samuel Barber. to watch dancing generally.” asked Joyce to fill in for her and When possible, Morris said Returning to GMU is a pleasure for Mor- teach some classes within the dance pro- considers a kind of isolation to study their he likes to use live accompaniment instead ris. gram. It was an opportunity to put down craft. of recorded music, calling it an “equal part- “We’ve been involved with GMU for a long some roots and sleep in the same bed for “For the dancers who get that one-on-one ner in every show we do.” The piece “Go- time,” he said. “We’ve been appreciated and more than two nights in a row, Joyce time with him, in one of the master classes, ing Away Party” uses recorded music, “be- supported by the university and the com- laughed. that’s incredible,” he said. It’s an advantage cause it is a particular recording session that munity. We have a regular following, we And now, he gets to work with students for those who later go on to audition for produced these wonderful performances participate with the dance department. We who might dream about joining a group like MMDG, because while others might be awe- and it is nearly impossible to replicate.” like it there.” MMDG, students who can learn from Mor- struck over being in the presence of a leg- Morris got his start studying Spanish ris himself or one of his dancers, an oppor- end, GMU students may have already met dance at the age of 9 and quickly added See a Show tunity almost unheard of outside a major Morris and worked with him. ballet and folkdance. The Mark Morris Dance Group will put metropolitan area. For this visit to GMU, MMDG will be per- “It’s something I do well and allows a on two performances, Friday and Satur- day, Feb. 4 and 5, at 8 p.m. at the George The nice thing about GMU, Joyce said, is forming four pieces: The Washington area close relationship with music,” he said. Mason University Center for the Arts. that students there are close enough to premiere of “Petrichor,” set to the music of “Dance continues to be fun and interesting Tickets, and more information on the per- Washington to see major dance companies Heitor Villa-Lobos, originally performed at and challenging to me.” formances, are available through GMU’s when they pass through town, but have the Cutler Majestic Theater in Boston last Music itself is an inspiration to Morris, website, www.gmu.edu.

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