Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Third Annual Dancing in the Street! Starting in July!


“DANCING IN THE STREET” RETURNS FOR THIRD SEASON IN JULY
Main Street Association Invites Public to Free Downtown Events
Sponsored by BMW of Oyster Bay

May 20, 2013, Oyster Bay, NY—Dust off your dancing shoes!  The Oyster Bay Main Street Association is thrilled to announce the return of “Dancing in the Street,” a series of free dance evenings on the streets of historic, charming Oyster Bay.
Following on the success of last year’s “Dancing in the Street,” OBMSA is calling dancers of all ages, skills, and styles—even those with two left feet—to come out for delightful evenings of pure fun under the stars.  This year BMW of Oyster Bay has most graciously offered to sponsor the entire series.  And—like last year—they plan to bring several of their newest model cars to put on display for everyone’s viewing pleasure.
Mark your calendars now for the four Fridays in July:  Friday, July 5th (we’ll kick off the July 4th weekend), Friday, July 12th (coinciding with St. Rocco’s Festival), Friday, July 19th, and Friday, July 26th.  The hours are 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., on Audrey Avenue around the Bandstand.  Bring a chair if desired.
Music and dance instructions will be provided by several of Long Island’s most popular DJs/Dancers.  All steps are geared for singles and couples alike. 
Louis del Prete will take the lead on July 5th.  He has a huge following, and participants may remember him from the past two years.  Not only is Louis an excellent ballroom dancer and teacher, but he is also a talented musician and singer! At one time he taught dance on popular cruise lines, and now he teaches group and private lessons and runs many dance venues.  For Oyster Bay he will play all types of music from the 1940’s right up to today.  Included will be line dancing, Latin music, ballroom, and any other style desired.
Mark James (“United States Champion” & “Dance Teacher of the Year”), assisted by Karen Lupo (“United States Latin & Rhythm Finalist”), are full time professionals who also have a large following on Long Island.  They will be gracing the stage (also known as the street) on July 12th and 26th.  They have been featured performers at many dance competitions and fundraisers, and on PBS.  From Salsa to Hustle, from elegant to upbeat, with some Sinatra, Pop, and Swing thrown in—Mark will wow you with his style and quickly inspire you to  join in.
Marianne Taylor’s energy is contagious.  On July 19th she will be doing what she loves and does best:  teaching line dancing.  She likes teaching beginners the best, because of the “eureka” moment when they suddenly remember the pattern of the dance steps.  As Marianne says, “Line Dancing is exercise in disguise!”  Some of the line dances she plans to teach us include:  Boot Scoot n’ Boogie, Ah Si, Mamma Maria, and Cowboy Charleston.  She will also teach a partner dance El Paso, which can be done alone or with a partner.  Come on down!


“Dancing in the Street” is one of the community building/downtown revitalization efforts organized by the Oyster Bay Main Street Association (OBMSA).  As Promotion Chair Diane Meltzer commented, “what is there not to like about a starlit night in a beautiful town, good music, and fun dance instructions?  Everyone loves it!"
General Manager Bob Federico of BMW of Oyster Bay said, “We’re honored to sponsor this event.  Oyster Bay is a great town with great people, and it’s our pleasure to participate in something that brings so much joy to all ages.”

For more information, please visit www.oysterbaymainstreet.org or call 516-922-6982.
Contact:                                                         
Diane J. Meltzer                                             Meredith Maus
Promotion Chair, OBMSA                             Project Manager, OBMSA
diane.writes4@gmail.com                               mmoysterbay@gmail.com
516-313-1683                                                 516-922-6982                                                                                                                                                                               

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

How I Love Sagamore Hill - Exhibit Open until Sunday June 9th!




The Oyster Bay Historical Society opens its spring exhibition with the fine art photographic series Theodore Roosevelt – “How I Love Sagamore Hill” by Xiomáro (pronounced SEE-oh-MAH-ro), a Long Island artist. Xiomáro photographed the interiors of the President’s house at what is now Sagamore Hill National Historic Site. The collection of over 140 photographs was created last year during the removal of the mansion’s contents and furnishings as part of a three-year, $6.2 million structural rehabilitation by the National Parks Service. The debut exhibit features 20 photographs from the collection with each image uniquely titled so that a poetic narrative unfolds about TR and his household. The photographs remain on view at the Society’s Koenig Center through June 2. The exhibit then travels to Harvard University for a year-long display with plans to invite documentary filmmaker Ken Burns as a speaker.
Free Photo eBook
The artist is also offering a free photo eBook, based on the exhibit, at his website: www.xiomaro.com. The website includes information on viewing hours and a series of free gallery talks presented by the artist.
Rarely Seen Views
Theodore Roosevelt's famed "North Room" by Xiomaro
Theodore Roosevelt’s famed “North Room” by Xiomaro
The photographs show the house in a historically rare condition in that the 22 room mansion, usually chock full of furnishings and mementos, was nearly vacant. Yet, “so much of the Roosevelt family’s personality is revealed by the house,” said Xiomáro, “even though its occupants – and now most of its contents – are absent from the premises.” Images from the exhibition reveal not just the imposing character of America’s 26th President, but also the more intimate domestic nature of his family, such as the textured sconce globes of Edith Roosevelt’s drawing room. “Some of these details,” continued Xiomáro, “may have previously been overwhelmed by a room’s furnishing, or inaccessible to visitors behind velvet rope barriers.”  The artist produced a video with commentary from staff at the Historical Society and Sagamore Hill as well as from Elizabeth Roosevelt, a descendant of the President.

Friday, May 3, 2013

Taste of the Town - Get Your Tickets!!




Do not forget to buy tickets to Oyster Bay's Taste of the Town ~ Thursday, May 9th!  
This is a true community party in downtown Oyster Bay!

To purchase tickets log onto obenschools.org and click on the "Taste of the Town" button to be directed to Paypal for this event.  
Remember to look for "Taste of the Town" featured in Newsday's Top Ten Things to do column this Sunday.  
Come down and join the party...