Get Ready to Stomp your feet!
Ayala Malls aims to bring its shoppers closer to culture and arts, by continuously bringing installations, exhibits, song and dance programs to its malls and making it more accessible to the public. The Ayala Malls Christmas Concert has been a much-awaited yearly spectacle and has staged different musical productions over the years, but this will be the first to highlight tap dancing.
Steps Dance Project at the Ayala Malls Christmas at Market Market
Just as it did some time ago with Pepe’s Secret Christmas, Ayala Malls’ Christmas Mall Tour 2015 will share with lucky shoppers in its provincial malls a literally jazzed up version of that favorite.
Inspired by the timeless jazz hits of the late Frank Sinatra, “Frankly Speaking” will feature international tap-dance artist Omar Edwards and the STEPS Dance Project. It is headed by Steps Dance Studio and Steps Dance Project founder and director Sofia Zobel-Elizalde, directed by James Laforteza, and choreographed by Jeffrey Espejo, James Laforteza, Jun Saagundo, Xernan Alfonso and Omar Edwards.
Omar Edwards
In 1994, Omar earned national acclaim when he and partner Daniel B. Wooten Jr. won 13 times including the grand prize on the famed T.V. show “Star Search”.
This year’s provincial tour will swing through the Harbor Point Mall in Subic (Fri, Nov 13 @ 6pm), MarQuee Mall, Angeles City (Sat, Nov 14 @ 6pm), Centrio Mall, Cagayan De Oro City (Fri, Nov 20 @ 6pm) before winding up at the Abreeza Mall, Davao City ( Sun, Nov 22 2) 6pm.
Directed by Step’s Project Manager James Laforteza, Frankly Speaking was conceived in 2007 by lifetime Sinatra fan James, after he was inspired by Twyla Tharp’s “Sinatra Suite” which featured Mikhail Baryshnikov and Elaine Kudo which his wife (then girlfriend) Liesl showed to him.
James Laforteza
“It was the most beautiful dance piece I have ever seen! Being a Frank Sinatra fan, I got hypnotized! I whispered to myself: “Hey! You should make your very own Sinatra suite one of these days, with really good dancers.” Well waddaya know? My own Sinatra suite was born and this all happened at Steps. That was in 2007.”
“I have always loved Frank Sinatra’s unique and soothing voice. I love his classic standards and his dancy big band swing tunes. Most of all, it brings back childhood memories of my mother playing her records and little me singing and hopping along.”
I feel very fortunate that I can again share this wonderful experience with you in this Christmas offering. With full support of our school’s director, Ms Sofia Zobel Elizalde and the “awesome” team of The Ayala Malls headed by Ms Rowena Tomeldan and Ms Maricris Bernardino, how can I possibly go wrong?
So everyone get ready to stomp your feet!
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About Steps:
Steps Dance Project is a dance management group that handles the dance-performance requirements of different premier events in the country.
Masterful and impassioned interpretations of choreography by professional dancers and the top dance scholars of the Steps Scholarship Foundation provide singularly arresting backdrops or interludes to the occasion.
This is what sets Steps Dance project apart.
Virtuoso performances by Filipino dancers assure our clients of an event imbued with creativity and sophistication. Because our dancers are artists who believe in skill, integrity, and discipline, we can ensure top-caliber dancing and professionalism.
James Laforteza
Project Manager | Choreographer | Teacher
James Laforteza
Currently one of the country’s most sought-after jazz choreographers, James Laforteza has had a rich career as a dancer, choreographer, and teacher. He studied jazz dance under Rene Hofileña from 1985-1989, with the Luigi technique, at the same time studying Philippine folk dance and performing all over the country as a company member of the Karilagan Dance Company. He was also a member of Powerdance (1988-2000).
Some of his notable choreographic works include Repertory Philippines’ Showstoppers and Celebration III (2001), Trumpets’ The Little Mermaid (2000-2001), The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (2002), Honk, The Ugly duckling (2003), Stages Productions’ Footloose (2005) and has starred as well in Trumpets’ Mr. Noah’s Big Boat (2004-2005). In 2005, he has staged a jazz dance concert entitled Red, White and Blue at the Ayala Museum.
In 2005 and 2007, James together with his wife represented Steps Dance Studio at the Jazz Dance World Congress in Chicago, USA, where they trained with master teachers Frank Hatchett, Joe Tremaine, Liz Imperio, Randy Duncan and Susan Quinn. They also attended a workshop on the very unique and famous Giordano jazz technique under Jon Lehrer and Nan Giordano, artistic director of Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago.
James is proud to be the Project Manager of Steps Dance Project and a member of Steps Dance Studio faculty.