The magnificent cherry blossoms are in full bloom, the temperature is slowly
rising, and the boys are getting even friskier than usual. In other words,
spring has sprung in our nations capital. The lively spring circuit
season officially kicks into high gear the weekend of April 20-22 when thousands
of revelers descend on Washington, DC for Cherry Six.
This volunteer-driven series of fundraising and community building events
offers the opportunity to party with a purpose. Building on the almost $400,000
raised to date, proceeds from Cherry Six will benefit several important
gay and lesbian charities. Among them are the Victory Foundation, which
supports qualified gay and lesbian candidates running for political offices
throughout the country, the HIV/AIDS program at the Whitman-Walker Clinic,
the Lambda Legal Defense Fund, and the Mautner Project for Lesbians with
Cancer. Funds will also be earmarked again this year for Washingtons
proposed Gay and Lesbian Community Center.
The little party that could has really grown up over the years. This past
year alone earned Cherry an abundance of accolades within the community
including distinguished honors from Dance1.net, JustCircuit.com and TheCircuitDog.com.
The sixth installment is once again perfectly poised to impress even the
most discriminating party critics. A sensible three-day schedule offering
six spectacular soirees even allows plenty of time to indulge in other guilty
pleasures like sleep and sightseeing. Imagine the comfort of experiencing
one of the nations top circuit weekends without pushing your body
to its limits.
Start the weekend off right with a cocktail at one of the citys local
watering holes, and then make your way over to Insomnia for the Friday night
welcome party. Local performance artist Aubrey will work the runway while
New York DJ and Peter Rauhofer protegee Alex Lauterstein introduces the
District to future house, a progressive blend of uplifting modern house
and energetic underground vibes specially formulated by the South American
sensation. Those of you who attended this event last year in the former
Element space might remember the rainstorm on the dance floor (no, you werent
hallucinating). Well, leave your umbrellas at home because the air conditioning
now reliably pumps out refreshingly frigid air. Numerous other aesthetic
improvements are sure to leave you breathless as well.
The party continues well into the morning just a few blocks away with Tantrum
at Zei Club. Velvet Nations resident DJ Angelo Kortez will be serving
a hard-boiled set of high-energy tunes and a generous helping of hometown
hospitality for breakfast. The Tantrum boys also have some special surprises
in store for all you nocturnal troopers.
For those of you looking to squeeze in a last-minute workout before the
main event, head over to Results, the Gym for the official Pre-Party Pump
on Saturday. The tremendous turntable talents of local DJ Darryl Strickland
will revitalize your routine and make those precious last reps much more
bearable. Darryl has also mixed the Cherry Six CD in conjunction with event
sponsor Centaur Music.
The Cherry committee tirelessly explored countless venues around town before
finally deciding to once again hold the event at the dramatic Old Post Office
Pavilion. A diverse selection of DJs was also carefully considered, but
circuit phenom Roland Belmares ultimately won the coveted slot. Voted the
Best Circuit DJ of 2000 by the readers of TheCircuitDog.com, Roland will
shower the pavilion with a lighter mix of memorable melodies and awe-inspiring
anthems. Circuit Mom will fly in from Chicago for her DC debut, and Ross
Berger will brilliantly illuminate the massive room with a formidable arsenal
of stunning visual stimuli to create a most awesome spectacle.
After the straight people clear out of Platinum, one of Washingtons
most glamorous and beautiful nightclubs, the club will be transformed into
an after-hours refuge for your early morning dancing pleasure. Rising circuit
star Joe Gauthreaux will man the wheels of steel to ease the transition
from Saturday night to Sunday morning with his southern charm and spirited
sounds.
For those of you looking for a more profound experience this weekend, you
might want to try 1Spirit2Dance on Sunday afternoon. Although not a Cherry-produced
party, this spirit dance, which offers guests an opportunity to explore
the spiritual side of the circuit in a nurturing and conducive environment,
is officially sanctioned by The Cherry Fund. DJ Lawrence Needham guides
you on your journey beginning at the Lizard Lounge. Destination: Unknown.
Please visit www.1Spirit2Dance.org for more information.
The burning question on everyones mind this year is, "Can the
Cherry Six Closing Party possibly top last years over-the-top production?"
We wont really know until the following Monday, but the Cherry committee,
Velvet Nation, and DJs Michele Miruski and Manny Lehman are sure going to
try. Lighting director John Niederhauser and host Power Infinity will contribute
their extraordinary talents to help accomplish this challenging mission.
The program is a little different this year, though, with the party starting
at 6:00 p.m. and ending at 2:00 a.m. (maybe slightly later, but only if
youre good). Michele will get the groove going first with Manny blasting
the party through the roof sometime around 8:00 p.m. Plan to arrive as early
as possible so that you can witness firsthand what everyone will be talking
about for the next year.
Ive said it before and Ill say it again -- Washington is not
just a stuffy city full of crooked politicians and their tired sex scandals;
instead, its a dynamic party destination where you can dance like
nobodys watching while raising lots of money for your community. But
fundraising organizations like The Cherry Fund are facing increasingly complex
obstacles. Rising production costs and mounting health concerns are jeopardizing
the future of circuit parties. In order to ensure their survival, please
party responsibly and support the sponsors (like GayWireds sister
site, Dance 1) who make these valuable community building events possible.
For more information on Cherry Six, please visit www.cherryfund.com.
Passes and tickets are also available through www.ticketweb.com
and locally at Universal Gear.
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