Lifeknocks Dance Ensemble
will appear at
"Rumble at the Lagoon Night at the Fights"
September 14, 2005
Philadelphia, PA --- September 2005 --- Lifeknocks, Inc. announces its upcoming appearance at "Rumble at the Lagoon Night at the Fights," sponsored by world-renowned boxing promoter P.J. Augustine's "5 for Life Entertainment" company at The Lagoon in Essington, PA on Wednesday; September 14, at 7:00pm.
The Lifeknocks Dance Ensemble with its boxing and hip-hop choreography created by Cynthia DiClaudio and Clyde Evans will perform center ring as the main entertainment for this boxing night at the fights extravaganza. Tickets range from $60 - $100 for this boxing event. The dance ensemble will perform to the Lifeknocks song which was recorded at Gamble and Huff Philadelphia International Records.
The University of Pennsylvania School of Law chose Lifeknocks from hundreds of submissions to assist in the creation of the Lifeknocks 501(c)3 non-profit corporation. This corporation's mission is to create a summer music theatre camp for children with lupus and other autoimmune diseases. Co-producers DiClaudio and James Weiner state, "Our summer camp will be a unique experience for children because it will incorporate the sport of boxing, dance choreography, painting, music technology, computer design and creative writing." Visualization through imagery will be the primary focus of the Lifeknocks camp.
The dance ensemble recently performed at Philadelphia's annual Sunoco Welcome America Fourth of July celebration and the Bernard Hopkins Middleweight Boxing Champion of the World Parade. The Lifeknocks Dance Ensemble performance at the Fourth of July celebration was featured along with the Lifeknocks mission on WPVI-TV Channel 6 by news correspondent Michele McCormack. DiClaudio has appeared twice on Philadelphia's Comcast Newsmakers where she informed the cable television viewers of the Lifeknocks mission. Additionally, Lifeknocks has received an invitation to participate in Sunoco Welcome America's 2006 events.
DiClaudio and Weiner proudly announce that Lifeknocks is currently in post-production of its music film documentary through Lafayette Hills Film Studios. The theme of the film is, "We as human beings get knocked down in the Ôring of life,' but through determination and spirit we get-up once more." The music film documentary pays homage to a "true fighter," Darlene Croce; who inspired the theme through her celebration of life and how she overcame the obstacles of living with lupus. Croce was a firm believer in creative imagery which she utilized daily to combat the physical pain associated with the disease.
Physicians from Thomas Jefferson University and Abington Hospital; rheumatologists Dr. Bruce Smith and Dr. Mark Lopatin respectively; along with Dr. Kathleen Heaney from The Mayo Clinic of Minnesota will assist in the formation of the Lifeknocks summer camp. Recent medical research by Dr. Harry Shen of New York University Hospital has proven that an individual's physical pain can be reduced for several hours per day through imagery.Ó Lupus is an autoimmune disease that affects over 1.5 million Americans; of which approximately 75% are women. African, Hispanic, Asian and Native American women are two to three times more likely to be affected by lupus. Like lupus, Crohn's disease, scleroderma, mediated diabetes mellitus, Sjogren's syndrome, polymyositis and multiple sclerosis are autoimmune diseases.
Through a group of dedicated artisans, doctors, choreographers, writers, musicians and dancers we will produce an interesting and exciting way to enhance the lives of children who suffer with disease. This camp's goal is to inspire children not to Ôlive their disease' but to allow their creative spirit to flourish.Ó
The concept of Lifeknocks was realized when Di Claudio began boxing at Augie's Gym in South Philadelphia, as a means to reduce stress and anger after the death of her sister Darlene Croce, who at the age of 35 died from complications of lupus. While at Augie's Gym, DiClaudio was inspired by the most incredible boxers who introduced her to a whole new world. "As I trained with local boxers I envisioned the art of dance," says DiClaudio. She explains that watching a boxer's feet is much like watching the choreography of a dance; henceforth, the Lifeknocks idea was created. "It was boxing that got me up and out of bed each day when I thought I would never get-up again," says Di Claudio, who has a passion for dance, and wants to pay homage to the sport which saved her. Says Weiner, "To top it all off, the Lifeknocks dance ensemble was chosen to perform at Welcome America's sponsored Bernard Hopkins Middle Weight Champion of the World parade last October! It was a fantastic honor!"
DiClaudio wrote the song Lifeknocks after the passing of her sister in 2002. She and her band recorded the song in May 2003 at Gamble and Huff International Records on the Avenue of the Arts in Philadelphia. This song was released on WDAS radio during the coverage of the annual Lupus Loop walk-a-thon in Fairmount Park.
The theme of Lifeknocks is that all of us, as human beings, enter the ring of life and get knocked down. But what inspires the human spirit to get-up again? A music film documentary was filmed under the guidance of Lafayette Hill Studios of Chestnut Hill. The film documentary will take the audience on the life journey of Darlene Croce, a renaissance woman, who was diagnosed at the age of fifteen with lupus. This film depicts 4 stages of Croce's life where she got knocked down by the disease but always got-up again even stronger. A true fighter! Darlene never lived her disease as demonstrated by her exuberance of life. Darlene had over thirty hospital stays over a
twenty year span yet attained accomplishments such as graduating Temple University in finance and real estate summa cum laude; being co president of the Lupus Foundation Southeastern Chapter; organizing fundraising events for lupus; having her poetry published in Cosmopolitan Magazine; receiving writing awards from the Philadelphia Writers Conference; being an avid painter, pianist, writer and illustrator of children books; creating the Living Well with Lupus documentary for WHYY-TV Philadelphia; and speaking on television (The Steve Levy Show) and radio (WDAS) about lupus. Darlene was in an MBA program at Temple University when she made her final trip to the hospital. Posthumously, Darlene received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Lupus of America in Washington D.C.
The method of imagery practiced by Darlene on a daily basis was a tool which inspired her to "get-up" and at the end of the day reflect upon her accomplishments. This is the goal of the Lifeknocks camp.
The Lifeknocks music documentary was filmed from September 12 to September 18, 2004. More than 200 dancers from Philadelphia dance companies such as Koresh, PhilaDanco, Chosen, Sheila E, University of the Arts, High School of Creative and Performing Arts, the Rock School, Jeanne Ruddy Dance and the Rainbow Connection at the Prince Music Theatre auditioned to be part of the music film documentary.
Throughout the summer of 2004, the Prince Music Theater's Artistic Producing Director Marjorie Samoff allowed the creative process of the Lifeknocks project to unfold. Flying By Foy donated $20,000 worth of equipment; allowing theatre professional David Hale, who flew Peter Pan on Broadway, to fly an actress twenty feet into the air on the stage of the Prince Music Theater depicting Darlene's spirit rising from her hospital bed for the final stage of her life in the documentary.
Boxers from Bernard Hopkins' "camp" donated their expertise to work tirelessly with the Lifeknocks dance ensemble to authenticate boxing moves in the choreography. Ringside Boxing from Kansas generously donated over $10,000 in boxing gear and equipment for the dancers. The choreography for the video was created by DiClaudio who collaborated with famed hip-hop choreographer Clyde Evans, JR. Additional sponsorships and donations were made by The LCI Blue Devils National Cheerleading Squad, the Joe Hand boxing gym, the Maltepes boxing gym, the Rose Edwards Drill Team, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and the Greater Philadelphia Film Office. Philadelphia restaurants like Tony Luke's (who makes a cameo appearance in the film), Geno Steaks, Gia's Pizza, Nick's Original Roast Beef, Olga's Pizza, the Amish Bakery, Potito's Bakery, McDonald's, the Italian Bistro and Bucca di Beppo have generously supported the Lifeknocks project (please see www.Lifeknocks.com for a list of sponsors).
Contact:
Cynthia DiClaudio
cell: 267-575-9394
Lifeknocks, Inc.
2200 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Suite 709
Philadelphia, PA 19130