Feb 05 2026
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Lifestyle

Waiting to Exhale: UpRising Yoga brings peace to juveniles

When Jill Weiss Ippolito leads yoga classes at juvenile halls, she often hears, “Yoga, what’s that? Then she sits down and says, “I was a kid in juvenile hall myself,” to which the response usually is, “What were you arrested for?”

Photo by: Robert Sturman

Ippolito responds, “I didn’t run fast enough.”

Ippolito admitted that she doesn’t look like somebody that the juveniles could relate to but that has not stopped her from remaining committed to UpRising Yoga’s (URY) mission: To offer yoga life skills programs for those incarcerated and underserved communities. . . .

Read the entire article in Pasadena Weekly.

Feb 05 2026
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Food

Amore at First Bite: Celebrate V-Day (or any day) at Santa Monica’s North Italia

North Italia is located right across the street from Garage 6 on Second Street in Santa Monica. In this part of town, directions are often given by where people can park. The authentic Italian restaurant is also just around the corner from the Promenade, which is nice, according to Regional Chef Sammy Sleman, “because we’re kind of tucked away, it makes us feel a little bit more neighborhood-y versus in a busy touristy spot.”

Photo by: Chris Mortenson

“The cool thing about Santa Monica is it’s a mix of everything,” he explained. “We have local residents who live close by, and we have a lot of tourists. They’re coming in from all over the world. We love that mix. It keeps us on our toes because we have new clientele that comes in often, a lot of first-time guests. We really like to wow them and make sure they have an awesome experience.”

Next year marks a decade that North Italia in Santa Monica has been open for business. Sleman joined the brand 13 years ago when it included just six restaurants. Today it consists of 50 nationwide. . . .

Read the entire article at The Argonaut.

Feb 05 2026
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Music

‘Looking Back, Looking Forward’: Los Angeles Children’s Chorus celebrates 40th anniversary

Fernando Malvar-Ruiz, artistic director of Los Angeles Children’s Chorus (LACC), has worked with children’s and youth choirs his entire career. He thoroughly enjoys leading youth ensembles and assures that there are many stereotypes about children in music.

Photo by: Ricardo Mendoza

“People say, as long as they are cute on stage, that’s all that matters, or they ask, are you a babysitter?” he said. “Children are absolutely capable of great artistry at the same level as adults.”

Malvar-Ruiz prefers working with children because “frankly, they are more honest artistically, and they’re also more honest in their interactions,” he shared. . . .

Read the entire article at Pasadena Weekly.

Feb 03 2026
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Health & Fitness

From “trap Zumba” to beginner yoga, how Inglewood is leading a grassroots fitness movement

As Nicole Steele got her music playlist ready on a recent Tuesday night in Inglewood, she reflected on how far the area’s fitness scene has come in the past decade or so.

Steele was getting ready to lead her weekly “trap Zumba” class, which she described as “a cardio dance workout where people get down to hip-hop, reggae and R&B.”

It’s not the kind of class that existed in Inglewood seven years ago, when she started Trapz*mba. It was a risk, but Steele hoped that reviving the 90s-era Latin dance cardio craze with an Atlanta-born rap subgenre would bring in people from her hometown. 

“[These workout routines] have been helpful to me over the years,” Steele told The LA Local. “I wanted to share those things with people because oftentimes folks don’t know where to start.” . . .

Read the entire article at The LA Local.

Feb 03 2026
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Dance

Boogie Frantick: Local Legend is a Master of Popping

If you did not read my January 29 review of “Versa-Style and Friends: Celebrating the Street Dance Community,” let me introduce you to Boogie Frantick.

“Boogie Frantick’s piece, ‘Chicano Power,’ illustrated why he’s a master. The local legend entered the stage in his signature slo-mo strut and with Carla Morrison’s hypnotic ‘Azúcar Morena’ playing, he combined all his styles—including animation, ticking and waving—into a riveting one-man statement.”

I met Frantick in 2013; his career was back on track after a brief hiatus. His resume lists TV, stage and screen appearances at the Academy Awards with the Legion of Extraordinary Dancers for the Hurt Locker score; with Snoop Dogg, Talib Kweli, Hit-Boy and Egyptian Lover; and in the film Step Up 3D. He has collaborated with brands such as AT&T, Frito Lay, Microsoft, Red Bull and WSS. . . .

Read the entire article at LA Dance Chronicle.

Feb 02 2026
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Food

Say Oui to Wine: Sipping in the Social District’s The Wine Station

Thibaud Duccini grew up in Cannes, a city in the South of France that he refers to as hospitality-forward. He credits its “touristiness” with exposing him to what would become his career path, a passion that stayed with him when he moved to LA 16 years ago.

“There’s a lot of restaurants and hotels in Cannes,” explained Duccini, who opened The Wine Station in August 2025. “When you’re in high school, during the summertime you work in restaurants to make money and that’s how I got introduced to the hospitality business. I’ve worked in hospitality since I was 16.”

Duccini’s first job in LA was working with the Patina Group for 7 years, where he was put in charge of the wine program. . . .

Read the entire article at LA Downtown News.

Jan 29 2026
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Dance

“Versa-Style and Friends: Celebrating the Street Dance Community”

Some people go to church, temple or other religious/spiritual gatherings on Sunday. I prefer to sit in an audience packed with dance enthusiasts and meditate on street dance, which is exactly where I was on January 18, 2026 for the last of three performances of “Versa-Style and Friends: Celebrating the Street Dance Community” at the Nate Holden Performing Arts Center. For me street dance is emotional, therapeutic, even cathartic. There I sat Sunday at 3:30 p.m. waiting for the lights to go up and my mind, body and soul to be moved.

Photo by George Simian. All Black Collective’s “Whaddup?!”

The exact minute I knew I would enjoy this show was when I saw the face expression of the front-and-center dancer in Versa-Style Next Generation’s opening set. So much is communicated in street dance through facial expressions; and this artist told me with no uncertainty that it was about to be lit on this stage during this song medley, which included “Houston, We Have a Problem.” It was as if they were trying to make the audience flinch from their position on the stage; a combination of bravado and pure bliss. The entire troupe’s moves toggled between sharp and smooth, in sync and solo. . . .

Read the entire article at LA Dance Chronicle.

Jan 29 2026
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Lifestyle

‘Feast & Film’: A fun night out in the heart of Screenland

Like peanut butter and jelly or Snoopy and Woodstock, dinner and a movie are a classic combination. Kicking off this January, the Culver Hotel on Culver Boulevard is hosting “Feast & Film,” an Old Hollywood style experience that pairs a three-course dinner with a movie screening across the courtyard at the art-deco designed Culver Theater.

“We did get moviegoers dining at our restaurant, but that’s not actually how we came up with the idea for Feast & Film,” explained Danielle Goller, General Manager at the Culver Hotel. “We hosted a ‘The Golden Screen: A Cinema Series’ that we started last year. It celebrated the 100th anniversary of the hotel and the 100th anniversary of MGM. The Culver Theater played original MGM movies and after guests saw the movie, they would come to our speakeasy lounge, the Velvet Lounge, and have a themed bite and drink.” . . .

Read the entire article at The Argonaut.

Jan 27 2026
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Health & Fitness

Why hundreds of people swarm an Inglewood basketball court every Saturday morning

On any given Saturday at 9 a.m. on the outdoor basketball court at Hollywood Park, a group of 40 to 140 people of every shape, age and fitness level are gathering for squats, lunges and laps. 

Photo by Kwe Johnson

The 45-minute weekly class is organized by Claudine Cooper, an Inglewood group fitness instructor who’s made it her mission over the last 15 years to get movement to her community — for free. 

“Claudine’s class is one of my favorite things I do all week,” said Leslie Wrona, 47, of Inglewood, who has been showing up every week since September with her 9-year-old daughter.

Cooper has been hosting free outdoor workout classes since around 2010. The idea manifested from a Facebook message from a woman who had been taking her classes at 24 Hour Fitness on Slauson. The woman could not afford her gym membership anymore and was asking whether Cooper knew of any free classes in the area. . . .

Read the entire article at The LA Local.

Jan 27 2026
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Lifestyle

DTLA Proud: Building a recognized Rainbow District in 2026

When Oliver Alpuche worked at Nike, he was asked to create an authentic running community. As he began to produce events and build community, he realized that work can be so much more than a job; it can spark inspiration.

“It lit a fire within me,” he explained. “When I opened a bar downtown called Redline, I still had that same passion. As I looked at starting my own business, I asked, how do I build an authentic queer community?”

In 2015, three gay bars opened in DTLA: Precinct, Bar Mattachine and Redline. One of Alpuche’s goals was to create a queer community hangout, but he also had bigger plans. DTLA Proud was born the following year to, in Alpuche’s words, let greater Los Angeles know about its vibrant gay community and nightlife. . . .

Read the entire article at LA Downtown News.

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