After intermission they shimmied to the irresistible jazz rhythms of Fats Waller and Jelly Roll Morton while intermittently breaking into yoga poses. This was nothing new for the doyenne of high-low dance. Since the Indiana-born, California-raised choreographer launched her career in 1965 with the comically absurd “Tank Dive,” complete with swimming fins, yo-yo, and high heels, she has been kicking sand in the face of uptown and downtown dance alike. Beginning as an iconoclast with breathtaking musicality and comic genius as a dancer, she tore down the barriers separating ballet from boogaloo, ballroom and modern dance. She then concocted fusions of elegance, funk, romance and comic-book Gothic. Her works ranged from masterpieces to noodling.

But we’ve compiled a breakdown of the vast array of winter happenings for those who have out-of-town relatives, children who must be kept busy ballet backpack tag - backpack tags , lunchbox tags, luggage tags -- ballet shoes during school break or the joyful people who just can’t get enough of the holidays, And for everyone else? Enjoy your quiet evenings with Netflix, a warm pair of jammies and perhaps a hot toddy (or two), • • • • •, Letters to Santa, Santana Row, 377 Santana Row, San Jose, Until Dec, 10, every child who leaves a letter for Santa in the mailbox outside of the Santana Row concierge office will get an answer from the big man in red, Each letter must include the child’s name and a mailing address, The concierge is located near the garage between Sino restaurant and Left Bank Brasserie, Free..

Bridal Faire at Gamble Garden. Noon May 15. Gamble Garden, 1431 Waverley St., Palo Alto. No charge. 650-329-1356, ext. 201 or www.gamblegarden.org. EXHIBITIONS. Touching Lives: The Duvenecks of Hidden Villa. Highlights Josephine and Frank Duveneck’s accomplishments, including their gift of Hidden Villa in Los Altos Hills, now a 1600-acre working farm and teaching center. Through June 27. Los Altos History Museum, 51 S. San Antonio Road, Los Altos. Free. www.losaltoshistory.org/duveneck.html.

“Kestrels can see a small mouse on the ground from a mile up in the air,” said Shannon, “They can also dive down at 75 mph.”, She asked the children what a kestrel would use as a knife and fork, The answer: “Its feet and talons are its fork, and it uses its beak like a knife to rip and cut food into small pieces, They don’t have teeth like us, so they have to cut their food up small, or they’d choke on it.”, Also part of the show were a tamandua anteater and a serval cat, with detailed descriptions of how each goes about the business of finding other creatures to eat, and a crested porcupine with an explanation ballet backpack tag - backpack tags , lunchbox tags, luggage tags -- ballet shoes of how it avoids being eaten..

Speaking to the San Jose Rotary Club last Wednesday, Duffy said she’s thrilled that the public affairs forum finally has a permanent home of its own. And she was even more thrilled to be in San Jose because it happened to fall on the actual moving day. “I packed all my boxes yesterday,” she said with a smile, “so I’m happy to be here today instead of in the middle of a move.”. STAND UP CONTRIBUTIONS: It was a big week for Michele Huntzinger. The San Jose resident and executive director of StandUp for Kids-Silicon Valley was honored as the winner of the San Francisco Giants’ Isabelle Lemon Community Spirit Award on Tuesday during a pre-game ceremony at AT&T Park. The award recognizes a volunteer who exemplifies the commitment to community service and “can-do” spirit of Lemon, a Giants Community Fund board member and former promotions manager for KNBR.