This week I was befuddled on what to write because all roads were pointing to Sixth Avenue, and fellow Weekly Volcano scribe Jessica Corey-Butler was already covering the Art on the Ave festival. Simply everybody I know in the Tacoma art world is involved in Art on the Ave. It’s THE art event of the week. It’s all anybody is talking about.

Just when I was beginning to contemplate a story about underwater basket weaving for middle children, a cute little pixie whispered in my ear (via cellphone) that dashing young Joel Myers was working on a highly intriguing project that involves flexible hips, pointed toes and great leaps of faith, or at least that’s how I pictured it.

Myers is a dance teacher and choreographer who teaches classes at MLKBallet in Tacoma, Evergreen City Ballet in Renton and The Performance Place in Gig Harbor. He’s also the choreographer for three of the Loyalty Conglomerate (Daniel Blue, Lisa Fruichantie et al) fashion operas, “Gypsy,” performed at the 100th Monkey Party at Club Zoe, “Thresholds” which was performed at the one year anniversary party for T.A.C. at SOMA, and “Shore leave,” which was performed last weekend at Urban Arts Festival.

In January of 2005 Myers worked with students at Tacoma School of the Arts and produced a show that also featured dancers from the Evergreen City Ballet, Spectrum Dance Theater and Danielandsomesuperfriends called, “The Joel Show.”

“I had a really hard time coming up with a name,” says Myers. “The name was actually given by Kelly Doran, a SOTA teacher who was putting together the calendar and needed a title for it. She just wrote ‘The Joel Show’ and it kinda stuck.”

Myers is putting together a summer dance workshop in cooperation with MLKBallet that will result in a performance called “The Joel Show II.” The workshop will be contemporary dance, a combination of jazz, ballet and theatrical, which he said means the dance will be more character- and emotion-driven.

Auditions will be held at MLKBallet on Sunday, July 8. Myers said he is looking for people ages 10 and older, regardless of their dance background.

“I’m looking for whoever shows up and inspires me,” he says.

He says he tends to prefer those with physical intelligence who can learn quickly and are willing to work hard. He needs between 10 and 25 dancers.

If chosen after the audition, the dancers will participate in the workshop July 16 to Aug. 4 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The workshop costs $150 plus $150 performance fee, which includes costume costs. Some scholarships are available.

The location for the performance of “The Joel Show II” hasn’t been officially confirmed, but Myers has an application in to Broadway Center of the Performing Arts requesting Theater on the Square for Aug. 4.

Auditions will be held at 1216 ½ Martin Luther King Jr. Way July 8 at 2 p.m. No preparation needed.

For additional info and to register for the audition please call 253.273.4019 or e-mail joelmyers@mail.com. â€" Angela Jossy