Lights, Music ... And Dance At College of Marin!

Here are some of the highlights happening around the Larkspur and Corte Madera Twin Cities area Nov. 2-4:

Cue Music…And Dance. Performances will be held Fridays and Saturdays, November 2, 3, 9 and 10 at 8 p.m. at the Performing Arts Theatre on College of Marin's Kentfield Campus.

Sandra Tanner’s Cherish delves into the choices and emotions that present themselves in a society where duty and expectation often trump matters of the heart. David Jones’ Shawty Get Loose promises to be stimulating, joyous, and playful. Just for Now, by Alan Scofield, depicts a man’s struggle to find direction where there is no clear choice as he follows his heart and keeps faith until the light appears. Deborah Graham’s iChAnGE, is a celebration of the centennial of the birth of John Cage, one of the most influential composers of the 20th century. This piece features original music by Tara Flandreau inspired by Cage’s Radio Music from 1956. Unsquare Dance by David Jones is a tribute to Dave Brubeck’s famous original and captivating instrumental piece by the same title. Departure, by Alan Scofield, reveals the conflicted yet hopeful emotions of a group of people who are quietly waiting in a holding room, not knowing who will be allowed to travel on to a brand new life. Kristi Kuhn’s Encounters explores the similar interactions and reactions between humans and animals.

Guests from San Domenico School present 9/11, Dedicated to Those Lost on November 2 and 3, choreographed by Ellen Bauer. On November 9 and 10, guests from the Branson Dance Performance Ensemble, under the direction of Georgia Ortega, use sign language, text, and Zoe Keating’s haunting cello to present a work about racial injustice and discrimination in Three Little Words. They will also present Function, a fusion of hip-hop and contemporary movement expressed to the hits of summer 2012, as well as three solo works, developed, choreographed, and performed by the students.

Tickets are $15 for general admission; $10 for students, seniors, employees and alumni. Call the box office at (415) 485-9385.

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• Dump the Stuff: Andrew Mellen, organizational expert and best-selling author of Unstuff Your Life! offers effective tools for dealing with life’s clutter and practical ways to get lost time back for the things that really matter. Mellen will share his tips Sunday at 5 p.m. at Book Passage in Corte Madera. The fee is $60.

• Elder Care: Larkspur Library will host an informative meeting on Saturday, from 11 a.m. to noon, with Trish Hibben and Barbara McDonald of Ross Valley Village, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping seniors retire in their own homes with grace, confidence and peace of mind.

Ross Valley Village is a division of Marin Villages, a community organization which facilitates planning social activities, transportation assistance, household tasks, home visits and phone check-ins for seniors in Marin. Membership in Marin Villages helps end isolation for seniors unable to drive, provides social interactions when friends and families have moved away, offers life-enriching educational programs, and offers volunteer activities to help seniors stay connected to their community.

• Children's Storytime: Let's not forget how reading is FUNdamental for children, too. There are a variety of reading groups for young children and their parents around town. Mother Goose is on the loose at the Corte Madera Library every Tuesday at 10 a.m. for storytime for babies 0-24 months old, with a parent or caregiver. The Larkspur Library offers fun for babies and toddlers, with songs, fingerplays, nursery rhymes and very short stories just right for this age group. Pottery Barn Kids, Barnes & Noble Booksellers and Book Passage also offer children's storytimes.

• Larkspur Farmers Market: Select farmers set up shop at Marin Country Mart every Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Pick farm fresh foods for the table and enjoy music, pony rides for the kids and more.

• Microsoft Grand Opening: The Village at Corte Madera welcomes a new retail store on Saturday with all the pomp and circumstance you might expect. Singer Kelly Clarkson and 49ers legend Jerry Rice will attend the opening.

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