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The inner workings of a DDD performance |
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Written by Scott MacDonald
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Wednesday, 29 April 2009 |
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Dancers Tara McFarland walks across the dirty, scuffed floors of the Spectrum II Art & Dance School in downtown Moscow and starts the CD player. A strong bass and drum beat echoes through the studio, accompanied by an electric synthesizer.
She takes a few steps onto the floor, hears the beat and begins to walk in place, shaking her head and hips. She flips forward on her hands, her legs wrapping around each other in the air. She falls to the floor and begins doing pushups. Crouched on one leg, she sweeps her other leg under herself several times as she says, “…and then I do a couple of these…”
She jumps up and morphs into something of a robot. Her moves are deliberate but smooth. They stop at perfect mechanical intervals. She moves her legs to the beat and her arms over her body in a sensual pose. The music stops and the room grows silent -- it’s as if nothing happened at all. |
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Waiting for peace |
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Written by Christina Lords
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Wednesday, 29 April 2009 |
Hands clasped behind his narrow waist, Jerry Swensen peers through his glasses across Main Street to Friendship Square’s snow-covered fountain. His cap is pulled down tight over his forehead—a last defense against the cold. His age spots and wrinkle lines become more distinct as his eyes rest there for a few moments, taking in a viewpoint he’s seen too many times before.
Every Friday evening from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., members of Moscow’s Vigil for Peace group can be found at Friendship Square waiting for change—aching for an end to violent conflict, especially the United States’ involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq. |
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Raw art |
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Written by Kylie Hattenburg
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Wednesday, 22 April 2009 |
Behind the sushi bar at the Thai House Restaurant, the sushi chef spreads rice on a thin rectangle of dried seaweed. He flips the sheet over and adds slivers of cucumber and a spoonful of pinkish goop – a mixture of albacore tuna and spicy sauces.
After rolling and slicing it, he drizzles an orange sauce on top. The slices are arranged artfully on a bamboo tray alongside perfectly proportioned gobs of green wasabi and pickled ginger before the dish is served. |
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Last Updated ( Monday, 04 May 2009 )
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Life in translation |
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Written by Christina Lords
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Tuesday, 24 March 2009 |
Kyoung deok Baik’s first language is Korean. Her understanding of English was limited at best when she decided to attend graduate school at the University of Idaho.
Baik said she talked with her first American boyfriend via electronic translator.
“I had to carry a dictionary around,” she said. “I was like, I can’t communicate with my boyfriend.”
It used to take as long as four hours to read one chapter of her textbooks, Baik said. |
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Last Updated ( Monday, 04 May 2009 )
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Moscow outdoor science school supplies: snowshoes and a backpack |
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Written by Sarah MacDonald
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Tuesday, 24 March 2009 |
The voices of Boise’s Amity Elementary School students suddenly cease as field instructor Genny Gerke yells over the crowd.
“If you can hear my voice clap once!” she said.
The wave of applause is a clear signal — Gerke is heard.
Gerke is the morning leader of the nearly 30 students lining the breakfast area. Today these students will go snow shoeing, dig snow ditches and learn about snow patterns — but they’re not in school. They are participants in a week-long lesson in the outdoor classroom of the McCall Outdoor Science School. |
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Small Features 