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| Choreographer John Zane |
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| Designer John Zane |
| Batdance at the Galleria 1995 |
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| Choreography and Design by Zane |
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| The inspiration for Third Wave's Logo |
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| Esprit D'Afrique 1997 |
L'Ange D'amour is my one and only contemporary ballet, which I presented as a series of pas-de-deux (duets) representing famous
couples from mythologies around the world. My favorites were Kali and Chinnamasta, which I presented in high Kabuki style,
a specialty left over from my work at the East West Center in Hawaii. Chronos Quartet was kind enough to play and record the
original score, composed by a mutual friend, and inspired by a brief conversation we had over the phone. You can see it at
the SF Film Archive, on video. I think they are still the finest dances I've done to date.
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Danzhaus
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Zane
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06/23/08
I'm happy to report that it's time to pass the torch on to the next generation of producers who can see danzhaus as a
nicely built box in which to create their masterpieces. I'm looking for a software company that needs a place of entertainment,
and someone of my connections to produce their events. If you are interested, please contact Chad Peterson for details, cpeterson@Ritchiecommercial.com.
You can still get this old dog to do new choreography with the right talent, which is what brought me out of retirement,
thanks to Cailin, Leonore, and Noah. Check out "5 Simple Pleasures" on YouTube and Voice of Dance. You can vote
for us at http://www.voiceofdance.com/v1/contest_vote.cfm
Yes, we won another Best of the Bay from the Guardian:
Go to http://www.sfbg.com/bob/2007/ent.php#candy
BEST CANDY-COLORED AFTER-HOURS
By day it's an innocuous industrial gallery-slash-studio space. But on the occasional evening, Gingerbread Warehouse turns
into the best-kept (until now) after-hours secret in the city - an all-night thumping house party. When the rest of the city
grinds to a slow, creaking halt around 1:45 a.m. but you've still got energy to burn, hop in a cab and hightail it to this
underground fave rave (also known as Danzhaus), where the bash often rages till daybreak. Inside, orange-hued walls meet smooth
hardwood floors dotted with roomy red leather booths, creating a look reminiscent of Barbarella. Forget the sleek, overdone
glamour of Ruby Skye and 1015 and check your fashionista 'tude at the door - no Motorola-pimping rope thugs or vapid VIP guest
lists regulate the late-night get-downs here. We wish we could tell you more, but you'll just have to keep your ear to the
ground for the scoop.
Cheers,
John Zane
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In the mid eighties I started Z Fabulous French Poodles, which today I would describe as a ballet burlesque troupe that was
far ahead of the times. The world of Fashion was ready for dancers to hit the runway, and I wanted to show off my naughty-but-nice
choreography and costume designs. Working with some of the brightest talents in SF, our intrepid cast of boys and girls played
on practically every concert stage and nightclub in the city. I remember Herb Caen's look of surprise as we danced around
his office in our bustiers and fishnets, a shameless press grab that worked! Now that burlesque is a hot ticket, I'm hoping
to bring some part of Z'Poodles back in my new work with Kitty Kitty Bang Bang.
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| Asian Vogue at Forbidden City |
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| Vogue with Ronnie Reddick at the Galleria |
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| Backstage at the Fashion Design Center |
Esprit D'Afrique (Spirit of Africa) was my attempt at creating an all-american, traditional African dance troupe, complete
with drummers and musicians. When something as powerful as West African dance grabs a hold of me, I can't seem to let it go,
no matter what people say. And let me tell you, they said plenty, and some of it was not-very-nice. Problem was, we were REALLY
GOOD, but we needed more time in the tanning booth. Our crowning moment was performing for the African-American Business Association
at the Hilton, after they got over the initial shock. It's about the love, okay?
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| Z'Poodles at Golden Gate Park 1996 |
The CyberBeat Brothers Band brought me the kind of fame and fortune I never expected from having such a good time jamming
with my fellow dance brainiac, Chris Van Raalte. Loud and weird we definitely were, but the technogeeks loved our shows, Apple
Computers sponsored, WOMAD and Lallapalooza sent invitations, and I got to ROCK in front of thousands of dot commers at Cyber
festivals around California. What drew them? We played this crazy cool instrument called the BodySynth, which made music from
our bodies' electrical impulses. We were literally wired for sound. Blame Chris and Ed Severinghaus for the invention, it
did more to change the way I dance than anything before, except traditional African music and dance. I wish I had the money
to buy one, I'd love to work that sh*t again.
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| Z Fabulous French Poodles |
After laying Z'Poodles aside, I was asked to recreate "Forbidden City", a popular all-asian nightclub revue which
ran for years at the Pagoda Theater in San Francisco's Chinatown, until the Japanese internment closed it down. I wanted to
highlight Asian-american celebrities today while honoring the original Forbidden City premise: that Asians could sing and
dance and entertain as well as any other American. Success came with "Like an Asian", a delicious parody of Madonna's
"Like a Virgin", in itself a spoof of Marilyn Monroe's performance in "Some Like it Hot". Jillian Hayashi,
my "Asian Audrey Hepburn", wowed the audience with her fantastic voice and Boy Toy performance, complete with a
chorus of adoring men. They crown her Miss America, complete with a diamond tiara, roses, and a box of Wheaties (with Kristi
Yamaguchi on the cover...Can you just imagine my delight when Kristi's family came to congratulate me after the show?). Alas,
the money ran out, but the spirit lives on.
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| "Get Off" at the Fashion Design Center |
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| You gotta love a really BIG DANCE FLOOR! |
You must think after all these stories, that I must come from some crazy liberal college where they dipped you in petiole
oil, and paraded around in gauze burkes, howling sonnets at the full moon as it rose over the hills. You'd be wrong. I spent
years reshaping my body to fit the Balanchine mold, I slaved over modern dances from Merce to Martha, and took apart every
step from Roland Petit to Bob Fosse. And when my professors thought I didn't have enough on my plate, they called for collaborations,
original music, original librettos, costume and lighting treatments, and stage design. Oh, and pages upon endless pages of
explanations and discourse. Yes, for those of you who get the glazed look after telling inquirers that you earned your fine
arts degree, I feel your pain.
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