Al Morales has been focused on the art of dance photography these past two years. Al has gravitated to doing most of his photography with professional dancers. He didn’t think twice about the idea, because he himself was a former dancer the last two decades. Here is a glimpse of his passion for dance photography with Rachel Winter from San Jose CA, a Studio Company Dancer at The New Ballet School.
Dance Photography by Al Morales
September 27, 2016 by Leave a Comment
SixOn Clothing Fashion Showcase
April 19, 2016 by Leave a Comment
SixOn Clothing recently held a fashion show for their new clothing line-up of hoodies at Desu Nation in Temple City, CA. Inspiration for these new hoodie designs came from the anime Macross and video games like Zelda and Final Fantasy. The hoodie line-up is available for pre-order right now @ SixOn Clothing. Prices range from $70.00-$75.00USD.
Interview with Artist Frank Cho @ Big Wow! Comicfest
May 18, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Like artist Adam Hughes, comic book artist Frank Cho also has a knack for drawing sexy female superheroes and villains. Ramen host Ramon Angel catches up with Frank at Big Wow! Comicfest 2015 talking about his latest projects and the “Spider-Gwen” internet buzz.
2014 Central Valley – Lindsay Lowrider Car Show
October 27, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Welcome back to Lindsay’s Finest 2nd Annual Lowrider Car Show at McDermont’s Field House. Retrenders Spotlight with Ruben Gonzalez and Ramona Padilla were able to bring you not only beautifully stylized lowrider cars, but a touch of history on early Chevy Impalas and their aesthetic differences between 1960 to 1964 with Gabriel Calderon and Marcelo Mota. We also get a personal experience on how judging Lowrider vehicles in a show can be with Harvey Reyes . Then how a Lowrider owner feels about his car, and we find out what the Real Housewives of Lowriding are all about.
RETRENDERS SPOTLIGHT
Producer: Johnny Moreno
Executive Producer: Stephen Jang
Music: Kevin Macleod
MUSIC also USED: Snippet of “Is it Love “ by Bob Marley and The Wailers, 23 seconds in length and incidentally captured due to live ambient recording.
NOTES: This Spotlight Lowrider Episode was produced in the same fashion as last year’s – single handedly, on the fly, documentary style. The only difference was that I filmed the show in HD and decided to give you more interview stories that encompasses the production and some of the people that make up a Lowrider Car show (specifically this year’s). As a result, this Retrenders SPOTLIGHT show turned out to be 26 minutes long, informative, entertaining and it moves along pretty fast. You’ll feel that you’ve just sat down and watched a five minute show. – I think this is as close I’ll get to a Jay Leno episode on Lowriders!
Dwell on Design LA 2014
June 25, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Our special guest host Anett Mende takes on the biggest modern home/office living event Dwell on Design LA 2014. The 3-day design showcased over 2,000 products and our Spotlight crew highlight products that caught our attention.
SPOTLIGHT: Central Valley Lowrider Car Show in Lindsay CA
October 6, 2013 by Leave a Comment
The Central Valley is well known for putting on the best of Lowrider Car shows and this one took place in Lindsay, California. Here you can meet the pioneer and founder of Lowrider Magazine himself, Sonny Madrid, and actor Danny De La Paz, who starred in films American Me and Boulevard Nights. His most recent film is “Kill Kapone“. I was only able to catch Danny as he was having a conversation with Lindsay’s Lowrider Car Show Promoter, Ruben Gonzalez.
The Lowrider Car Show proudly brought together a floor full of classic to modern Lowrider vehicles showcased at McDermont Field House & Sports Center in Lindsay, California. We talked to Sal Sierra about his 1936 Pick-up Truck along with a few other Lowrider and aficionados themselves: Roy Tolentino, Alfred & Mary Torrez, and Yoli Preciado. Even the Mayor of Lindsay, Ramona Padilla, had a few words to say about the car show.
Some of the car clubs that could be found at the show were: Lindsay’s Finest, Nuestro Pride, Nuestro Estilo, Rollerz Only, and Brown Effects.
FILMED: Short Doc / Magazine Style (Shot on the Fly)
Produced & Edited by Johnny Moreno.
I apologize for those that I was unable to film and interview. Telling everything about Lowriders definitely needs an in depth – present to historical visit about Lowrider culture and the people that are involved and making a difference. This video is simply a taste about the Lowrider world.
“The Paintings of Diego Rivera & Frida Kahlo in Movement”
July 24, 2013 by 1 Comment
Dances of Mexico with the collaborative artistry of Ballet!
Some purist say traditional folkloric dances shouldn’t be changed because it changes the theme of originality. That’s fine, but as time moves on, dances take on new meaning in context to moments in one’s life and this is exactly what Ensambles Ballet Folklorico de San Francisco has done for their piece, “Las Pinturas de Diego Rivera y Frida Kahlo en Movimiento”, that will be showcasing this Saturday! – July 27, 2013 2PM & 8PM at the Mexican Heritage Plaza Theater in San Jose, CA.
For tickets click here www.cityboxoffice.com
I attended last year’s performance and I’m thankful that I did! I was amazed by the elaborate and vibrant colors of costumes, traditional dances and the interjected dramatic collaboration of ballet pieces into the show to tell you the story of Diego y Frida through dance.
Spotlight #9: 2012 Japanese Classic Car Show
October 30, 2012 by Leave a Comment
On September 15th, 2012, the annual Japanese Classic Car Show (JCCS) took place in Long Beach, California. The show features classic JDM rides like Toyota’s AE86 and cool Datsun cars from a bygone era. Here’s a video highlight of what took place at the event. Videography and editing by Richard Sze for Project 760 Productions.
Contributed by Ray Nagar, Executive Producer, Project 760 Productions
Spotlight #8: Behind-the-Scenes with Ensambles Ballet Folklórico de San Francisco
October 8, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Retrenders visited Ensambles Ballet Folklórico de San Francisco to catch a glimpse into the intense planning and preparation that took place months ago for the upcoming 20th anniversary show, “Las Pinturas de Diego Rivera y Frida Kahlo en Movimiento” (The paintings of Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo in Movement).
Ensambles, a premier Mexican folk dance company in San Francisco, has been presenting the art, dance and culture of Mexico on stages and venues in the Bay Area and abroad throughout the last 20 years.
The company, led by artistic visionary, Zenón Barron, will be presenting its capstone performances at the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco and at the Spreckels Performing Arts Center in Rohnert Park.
The cast of Ensambles is over 35 dancers strong, with training in multiple dance disciplines. The special presentation will bring together the dance company and three of the Bay Area’s finest traditional musical groups: Vinic-Kay (La Gente y el Canto), Cascada de Flores and Los Compas.
Show schedule:
November 3, 2012 – 7:30pm – Herbst Theater, San Francisco
November 17, 2012 – 7:30pm – Spreckels Performing Arts Center, Rohnert Park
Tickets can be purchased at City Box Office
For more info, see: Ensambles and Cascada de Flores
Contributed by Al Morales (aka greyluvr)
Host, Retrenders Spotlight
Spotlight #7: Comedy Bodega
September 28, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Retrenders Spotlight stopped by Esta Noche nightclub in the heart of San Francisco’s Mission District for Comedy Bodega, a weekly comedy fest that brings local and national talent to the intimate stage.
For the last seven seasons, on every Thursday at 8pm, Esta Noche has opened its doors to Bay Area comedy seekers…completely FREE OF CHARGE.
Retrenders pinned down host and producer, Marga Gomez, to discuss what makes Comedy Bodega an attractive platform for many Bay Area comics.
Spotlight #6: The Art of Junko Mizuno
September 10, 2012 by Leave a Comment
ALHAMBRA, CA. Known for her “cute noir” art style in Japan and in the States, Junko Mizuno is an underground artist that has been featured worldwide on television and in print media. We caught up with Junko at Gallery Nucleus for her exhibition on Hansel & Gretel. Listen to Junko in her own words on her art and career by Project 760 Productions’ Richard Sze.
Spotlight #5: Ozomatli
August 21, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Retrenders Spotlight took in the eclectic rhythms and musical tapestry of L.A.-based, Ozomatli, during part of the City’s summertime Stern Grove Festival.
The Art of Luke Chueh
July 9, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Here’s our latest Retrenders Spotlight episode as we team-up with Project 760 Productions to bring you a nice and intimate look on artist Luke Chueh. Luke has just released an art book published by Titan Books titled The Art of Luke Chueh Bearing the Unbearable.
Spotlight #3: SF Carnaval 2012
June 5, 2012 by 2 Comments
The sights and sounds of Carnaval came alive in the City’s Mission District!
Host, Al Morales, headed to the 34th annual SF Carnaval 2012 parade to take in the cultural and musical milieu that is one of the City’s biggest celebrations.
Retrenders highlights the infectious rhythms and colorful tapestries that characterize this worldwide celebration and that symbolize the cultural diversity of the Bay Area.
Spotlight Ep# 2: The Flamenco Room @ Thirsty Bear Brewing Company
May 1, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Local, organic brew…tasty tapas…a flamenco show!
Host Al Morales headed to Thirsty Bear Brewing Company in the City’s SOMA district to focus on a Bay Area artistes extraordinaires – Melissa Cruz and Kerensa DeMars. These performers have captivated audiences, locally and abroad, with their precision taconeo (footwork) and their fiery presence. Al sat down with Melissa and Kerensa to discuss their art, their style and their processes of performing flamenco.
Spotlight #1: Dog Friendly Places
April 13, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Happy Hour Dog Bar!
Welcome to our debut Retrenders Spotlight episode! Our host Al Morales takes us around San Francisco for dog friendly places.
Johnny Moreno
Edward Ballar
GuestContributor
Ramon Angel
Al Woo
Stephen Jang
SW biko
Retrenders 