Make that booty drop

It's already been brought'n: Dance Fights is your chance to show off thosesecret moves

Just in time for the release of Step Up Revolution — the latest in the series that introduced us to Channing Tatum — two of Austin's favorite comedians are hosting a whole night of in-your-face, break-your-back, blood-on-the-dance-floor dance fighting that is succinctly and accurately entitled Dance Fights.

Stand-ups Kerri Lendo and Maggie Maye — one a trained dancer, one an avid fan — will put the jokes aside to focus on what really matters: jiggling your crotch in a sexy-type fashion in order to win a trophy.

Individuals and teams of up to five members will be facing off in Friday night's live show that gets right to the point. Whether it's breaking, crumping, twerking or straight up ballet, now is the perfect opportunity to dust off your favorite moves and put them in full body-roll rotation.

"There are really two ways to win Dance Fights," explains Lendo. "Being really good at dancing or being really confident about dancing badly. Sure, you've seen Michael Jackson's moves in the ''Bad' video, but did you also notice the guy on roller skates?"

The first round of the show will be a freestyle open call where competitors can show off their best Save the Last Dance moves, and the next two rounds will feature some head-to-head classic battling. While there will be a single Dance Fights champion, there will also be an award granted for Most Creative.

"I think we'll see the traditional forms of dance fight represented like hip-hop and break dancing," Lendo continues. "But I'm also hoping to see other genres like country-western, Latin, tap and Drunk Person at a Party."

Of course all these battles will be done in good fun, and all of the night's proceeds will go to the Lupus Foundation of South Central Texas.

Hopefully nobody will break their nose on the dance floor (like I, honest-to-goodness, did once during SXSW), and everyone will be rewarded with new skills and new appreciation for the art form of "dance fight."

"I was once in a literal dance fight in third grade over how to do the Electric Slide," laughs Lendo. "It was my group of friends against another set of girls, and I like to think we all won because we all learned some valuable skills that day. I want people to use the skills they learn from Dance Fights in other aspects of their lives."

Now, let's make like St. Patrick Swayze and have the time of our lives.

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Dance Fights will take place at Salvage Vanguard Theater on Friday, July 20 at 7:30 p.m. Space is still available to interested dancers/teams. Email dancefights@gmail.comto enter.

New

Historic Austin museum will close for more than a year for restoration

Elisabet Ney Museum Austin

Photo courtesy of the City of Austin

The Elisabet Ney Museum will close at the end of 2024 and reopen in mid-2026.

Every building needs some maintenance here or there, and the historic Elisabet Ney Museum needs some extra-special care. Formerly the art studio and residence of its namesake, it's been standing since 1892. It'll spend 2025 in relative solitude, as it undergoes renovation for a year and a half with no visitors allowed.

The museum will close to the public December 30, 2024, and open again in the summer of 2026 if all goes according to plan, a news release from the City of Austin shares. It'll be a quiet period compared to the 21,000 people visiting from around the world each year.

According to a museum overview on the city's website, Elisabet Ney, a European portrait sculptor, bought the property and called her new studio Formosa. She worked on sculptures depicting important Texans like Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston, and collected works of European contemporaries.

The building at 304 East 44th St. includes 3,700 square feet of museum space, which was converted by Ney's friends after her death in 1907. It retains its unique look that juxtaposes a Neo-Classical main studio from 1892 with a later addition from 1902 including a tower for her husband, Edmund, to write in. It is also on 2.5 acres of land, which has largely been restored to its natural state with native species.

A press release lists these tasks (verbatim) within the scope of the new work, referred to as the Capital Improvement Project (CIP):

Restoration of original exterior wood doors and windows
Upgrades and replacement of the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system
Replacement of the exhibit and general lighting systems
Repairs to the roof, masonry, plumbing, and interior finishes.

There will also be work to do outside of the building. Workers will replace the pedestrian bridge across Waller Creek, stabilize a 20,000-square-foot portion of the bank, and make the grounds more accessible by adding new pathways.

Funding comes from several sources, according to a release: "the 2012 Bond, Proposition 14, the Parkland Dedication Fund, the Historic Preservation Fund, Partners in Preservation through the National Trust, and contributions from the Friends of the Elisabet Ney Museum."

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