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Working in the art/nightlife scene for six years, I have had the opportunity to meet a lot of really talented people from all areas of the industry. So when I saw that Marissa Alma Nick was back in town from LA working on a project called Peace Piece, I had to get in contact and find out what it was all about. The email I got back was full of energy and a request for me to get involved in the show in a scene called "Disco Town." Honored to be asked to be a part of the show, I accepted. I was told that RHYMES WITH ORANGEz created the dance opera "Take a walk in my shoes" that was a part of Peace Piece. The project supports world peace, naturally, but also strongly advocates the arts in our school system. Both are great causes, and that is why I wanted to bring the information to the masses, but I was still left a bit confused on the exact details of RHYMES WITH ORANGEz, Peace Piece and "Take a walk in my Shoes." So I had a sit-down with Marissa Alma Nick to get the DL.

Listen to David Warner interview the participants. (From ArtsSpeak #5)

How did RHYMES WITH ORANGEz come about?

Tera "DJ Nova Jade" and I met at a mutual friend's, CYN DA POET's Dirty 30 Birthday Party in LA [ I had just moved to LA from MIA 3 months prior]. T was the DJ, and I was dancing to CYN's poetry... we introduced ourselves to one another, and the rest was simply history. About four months later we began to create the PEACE PIECE, and a couple of weeks into the writing and composing of "Take A Walk In My Shoes" [Peace Piece's all original Dance-Opera] we thought "HEY! We are a dam band!"... But something just a little different. What we were was the ultimate collaboration of the audio supporting the visual and vice versa... a band that is based around the blended creation of one Musician and one Dancer." And then to really keep the party going, we decided that we would always collaborate with a "third party" - either a guest musician(s)/band/dj and/or guest dancer(s)/choreographer(s), and of course I'll sing and spin a little, while T is known to throw down a few baby turtles and pas de bourees". So fast forward about five minutes after that little epiphany: T played one of her first solo albums for me [out of sheer "for example"], and one of the songs was titled RHYMES WITH ORANGE... and we [without thought or doubt] unanimously agreed that was the name of our band (because let's face it, what does rhyme with orange?... nothing. and who can we compare ourselves to?... no one. But then a little birdie quickly let us hip onto the fact that RWO is a common expression and could run us into a few copyright issues... so about one week, we made ourselves plural. Yet because we are so sophistafunk, a Z is what it had to be. And with that- RHYMES WITH ORANGEz was born.

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PEACE PIECE is a collaborative and interactive, multimedia on-going project that focuses on the ideals of achieving world peace through the inspiration of art, while also bringing awareness to the urgent need for the funding of the arts within our public education systems by exemplifying the positively powerful outcome a strong education in the arts will have on society. The first entity towards the project is the live production of "Take a Walk in My Shoes," being filmed for the documentary Peace Piece. The hour- long live show is originally composed by DJ NOVA JADE & written & choreographed by MARISSA ALMA NICK ... together, they are known as RHYMES WITH ORANGEz. "Take A Walk In My Shoes" presents itself as a comedic satire set amidst the illusions of a dream & driven by a simple mailman gone hopelessly astray. This dynamic dance-opera follows the divide of an emotionally driven world [beginning with the two sisters: Plane Jane & Empathy] and the lucid journey of those who possess the ironic hope of achieving a unified peace.**Profits from TAKE A WALK IN MY SHOES - going to: IPB [International Peace Bureau] & the NAEA [National Arts Education Association]** Other projects stemming out of Peace Piece include the published literary anthology "A Peaceful Manifesto" - collected works from various writers all over the world concerning Peace [co-edited by Michael Rothenberg]. A curated art tour , "You." - collected works [of all visual mediums] by a selected group of artists who will collaborate in order to discover the overall vision for the show - to tour internationally. This in addition to the gaining of distribution for an international tour for "Take A Walk In My Shoes" [where local performers are added to the already 40-person cast, in every city for the ONE NIGHT SHOW], as well as the film "Peace Piece"... but it does not stop there.

Peace Piece is intended to continue to grow, and never end... eventually, the whole world will have their hands on Peace Piece, otherwise it will never work.

Local Performers Involved? Who is the cast?

ORDER OF APPEARANCE: 40 person cast

Performers range from Tampa to Orlando

Phillip Gulley- The Mailman

Plane Jane- Carla Marie Rivera

Empathy- Marissa Alma Nick

The Janitor- Elaine Hoxie

Thomas Jefferson- Faten Deek

Stranger (Rabbi) -Brian Fidalgo

Stranger (Priest) -Melissa Torres

Stranger ( Shiite) - Justin Perez (of NAO Dance Collective)

Eveleena Fults -John Adams

Ensemble (Worker Bees / Queer Club Kids/ Burlesque Founding Fathers- Writers of the Declaration Of Independence): NAO Dance Collective

B-boys and B-Girls of local B-Crews from Orlando to Tampa

6 Pak, Amy Di Milo, Lennox, Iman, [& growing] -Queens and Kings of the Night

All the info!

Tuesday Feb. 24, 2009

Pre-Show 6 p.m.

Show 7:30 p.m.

Post-show event- 8:45 p.m.

University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, Theatre 1. $12- pre-sale via TICKETMASTER [go to ticketmaster.com: PEACE PIECE], $15- at door/day of

**Tickets being purchased by those not able to attend are being donated to local students [any age/level] with a valid student ID- being distributed @ 7:00PM- first come, first serve basis**

(This blog is contributed by Fusionista LENNOX)