Family festival

Family festival
STONEBORO -- Windmill Ministries/Jacob's Well Jam House, a community outreach ministry in Sandy Lake, Pa., will sponsor a family festival from 1 to 9 p.m. Aug. 8 at the grandstand in the Stoneboro Fairgrounds.
Local and regional Christian bands and artists will be featured in the free all-day event. There will also be family-friendly recreation and games, and skill booths. To help with the event, or for more information call (724) 376-4278 or (724) 376-3400.
Jazz dance event
KENT -- Kimberly Karpanty, associate professor of dance at Kent State University, is one of nine choreographers from around the world whose work was chosen for the 2004 Leo's Jazz Dance Choreography Competitive Event Monday to Aug. 1 during the Jazz Dance World Congress 2004 in San Jose, Costa Rica.
A group of seven dancers, consisting of current Kent State students and recent graduates, will perform "Urban Soul Blues," with music by Buddy Guy, in the competition. This is one of the only festivals and event of its type in the field of jazz dance, said Karpanty, who has been on the faculty at Kent State for nine years.
Karpanty and dancers from Kent State also competed in the Jazz Dance World Congress Choreography competition in 2001 in Monterrey, Mexico.
Attack Theatre show
PITTSBURGH -- In the premiere of "Effectuation" at the Attack Theatre Studios, 4805 Penn Ave., at 8 p.m. Sundayand Monday, choreographers Shannon Murphy, a native of Austintown, and Jeff Davis synthesize contemporary dance, art, punk, and jazz music. Their performance is the first of Attack Theatre's Mentoring Studio, led by Peter Kope and Michele de la Reza. The Greensburg, Pa., based punk-rock band, Winning Fourth, will open the show, and four original contemporary dance pieces will be performed by Murphy and Davis, recent graduates from Point Park University's Conservatory of Performing Arts, with other dancers.
The doors open at 7:30 p.m. with performances at 8 p.m. Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for students for Sunday's performance. Monday's performance admission is "pay what you can." For additional information and reservations, call (412) 488-6336.
Murphy graduated in 2001 from Austintown Fitch High School, where she was on the cheerleading squad for four years, a competitive member of the speech and debate team, and a peer mediator. She also danced for Linda Diamonds Academy of Dance, Jamie's Dance Force, and performed in many Easy St. Productions shows. She volunteered time coaching dance and cheerleading in McDonald, serving Veterans at the VFW, and helping with outings for handicapped children at Fairhaven School in Niles. She is a daughter of James and Kathy Murphy.
Arts leadership
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has selected Ohio as the key state partner in a national school leadership initiative. In partnership with the Ohio Arts Council (OAC) and the Ohio Department of Education (ODE), the NEA will sponsor the Summer Institute for School Leaders Aug. 16-18 at the Fitton Center for Creative Arts in Hamilton.
May to perform
LIBERTY -- Ralphie May, who has worked on "Last Comic Standing," will appear Thursday, Friday and Saturdayat the Funny Farm Comedy Club, 1620 Motor Inn Drive.
May has appeared in movies, had guest-starring TV roles and appeared in commercials.
He has worked as an actor, writer and producer on ESPN's Mohr Sports and had several appearances on CBS's The Late Late Show and on Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Man Show and MTV's Bash. Having worked on NBC's "Last Comic Standing," May has become one of the hottest comedians in the country.
Tickets are $12 Thursday and $16.50 Friday and Saturday. Call (330) 759-4242 for more information.