From an early age, Steve Neff thought it unfair that he was not born with a super-power that would enable him to fly.
At age 25, he had a brief flirtation with the new and then-dangerous sport of hang-gliding, but it was 12 years ago, at age 63, that his dream of flying came true. His trips have included Iquique, Chile, along the edge of the Atacama Desert.
Neff is one of 10 presenters at the next PK Night at the Ellen Theatre Tuesday, April 22 and Wednesday, April 23. Both nights feature the same speakers.
Dreams take many forms, of course. For Mandy Torgerson, it was not soaring in the sky that called to her -It was the dying art of yodeling. A registered nurse, Mandy competed in yodeling competitions in county fairs across the western US as a child and young adult.
Like Mandy, Rachel Rockafellow is a nurse, now retired, who found a new passion for bikes, first on 335-mile trip on her self-made bike on the Greater Allegheny Passage, and now as an ardent volunteer with the Bozeman Bike Kitchen. Last December, the Bike Kitchen gave away 170 children's bicycles.
Another health professional, David Taylor, a physician specializing in infectious diseases, will present on an outbreak of Rocky Mountain Fever in the Bitterroot Valley in the early 1900s. Known as the black measles, it was the first tick-borne disease known to man.
David Diamond will talk about two popular topics in this part of the world-salmon and grizzly bears. He will focus on the miraculous restoration of salmon in Oregon after the removal of the Klamath Dam and the slow and steady expansion of occupied grizzly bear range in Montana.
In keeping with the eclectic nature of PK Night, Sally White will present on a moment of glory when she won the Yellowstone Harley Davidson Deep Freeze Challenge by holding on to the parked bike longer than any other contestant. After a grueling 35 hours in wet, freezing Montana weather, Sally won her ride.
Jenny Moore, executive director of Tinworks Art, a community-centered arts group in Bozeman, will talk about a diverse group of celebrated Montana artists working in clay, ceramics and earthen materials.
Jana Peterson claims everything she needed to know she learned from driving a school bus. Well, not quite, but Jana says it wasn't until she got a job driving a school bus that she learned skills that not only helped her be a better driver in any vehicle but also helped her be a better friend and neighbor.
Driving can be a stressful activity for many, but yoga instructor Jane Lamp will show how to use our breath to regulate our nervous system, altering perception, increasing energy and accessing our power.
If nothing else works, you can always quit! Kelly Ramirez helps us all appreciate the "science" of quitting. Kelly argues that quitting can be one of your great superpowers. A professional leadership and performance coach, Kelly offers examples from high-stakes poker, elite mountaineering, and a viral Japanese video game.
Presenting sponsor is Jamie Hetherington of ERA Landmark Real Estate.
Emcee is Missy O'Malley, auctioneer, punster extraordinaire, former television anchor and wig collector.
PechaKucha offers anyone with a passion or a vision--designers, artists, inventors, architects, adventurers, entrepreneurs-an opportunity to share their ideas with the community during a fast-paced, friendly social get-together. There's just one catch-presenters have only 20 slides x 20 seconds each, a total of 6 minutes, 40 seconds!
Tickets are available at theellentheatre.com for $9 (including facility fee). Students may purchase tickets at the door for $5.50.
