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Show The Park Record C-2 Wed/Thurs/Fri, May 3-5, 2017 Continued From C-1 Huff ’s life shaped his perspective One night on a whim, Huff got on stage during an open mic session. “I basically went on stage to tell one of my stories that I had written,” he said. “I thought it was a funny story, but the audience basically thought it was not.” After that, Huff was hooked. “I don’t know what it was, but everything in my body -my stomach, the goosebumps -- told me never to do that again,” he said with a laugh. “But my brain asked when we could do it again. There was something oddly addictive to it.” Looking back, Huff figured out why he wanted to get back on stage. “I think it was the puzzle of it all,” he said. “I failed so miserably and wanted to know why. Twenty years later, I’m still curious.” Huff’s career has taken some interesting twists and turns. “I was one of the worst comedians you ever saw for the first couple of years,” he said. “It wasn’t because I was a dirty comic. I just didn’t know what I was doing. The amount of Republicans I’ve met who are on food stamps is mind boggling...” Stewart Huff Stand-up comedian “I was a short-story writer and would do eight-minute long rambling pieces that were just weird.” Huff spent nearly five years after his first try at comedy learning how to write jokes, and now, he’s interested in creating shows that feature a running theme. “That fascinates me,” he said. “I like discovering something and digging into it while trying to figure out how to relate how I feel about it to a group of strangers, who come in to drink some beers and eat come cheese dips.” Huff’s own experiences has given him an acute perception of life that he is able to draw on for insight. “My career has been all about mistakes,” he said. “I agree with my dad. I did everything wrong to get to where I am. I dropped out of college to do it and basically everything I did to do comedy was a mistake. But, objectively, mistakes can be very interesting.” For instance, Huff made the mistake of giving away most of his possessions and living in his car for six months. He also lived in the woods for eight months. “[During that time] I also learned it was illegal to live in a storage unit,” he said. “It seems crazy that my couch could live there, but I couldn’t.” Stand-up comedians Stewart Huff and Greg Warren will perform at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, May 5-6, at the Egyptian Theatre, 328 Main St. Friday tickets range from $15 to $25. Saturday tickets run from $19 to $29. Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.parkcityshows.com. Continued From C-1 Parkite organizes dance-a-thon Mail or Home delivery within Summit County 1 Year $48 2 Year $90 Mail delivery outside of Summit County 1 Year $72 2 Year $130 Home delivery within Salt Lake, Utah, Davis, Wasatch Counties 1 Year $72 2 Year $130 Call us today and ask for Lacy 435-649-9014 The upstairs studios will be filled with dancers who will be coached by the Werq-certified instructors, and, at the same time, there will be a dance battle in the basement. “My daughter, Lilly, who is a competitive dancer, and her friends will host the battle,” Johnson said. “It should be a lot of fun.” Johnson was inspired to raise awareness of ovarian cancer nearly seven years ago, after the death of her friend Tecia Stout. “I’m still not over it, yet,” Johnson said. “She was one of those magical people. She was so positive and loving and never complained up to the end. “I was with her up to the day before she left us. When she did, she broke a lot of hearts.” Stout’s passing rattled Johnson, who also lost her mom, dad, a brother and sister to cancer. “I felt so mortal to the point I sat my kids down and told them that I was going to die someday,” Johnson said. “I also told them until I go, I am going to dance whenever and wherever I want. So, if I start dancing in a grocery store, I won’t stop anytime soon.” True to her word, Johnson began dancing in public whenever she felt the urge. “When I dance in public and people ask my kids what I’m doing, they have begun saying, ‘It’s OK. She’s going to die someday,’” Johnson said. After a few weeks, Johnson began filming her public dance sessions. “I got a YouTube channel called Dance Mom and developed a little following,” she said. “Then I really started Courtesy of C.J. Johnson The death of Tecia Stout, above, was the inspiration for Saturday’s dance-a-thon at Dance Tech Studios. thinking about things and felt I could do something more positive.” Johhnson’s drive manifested in organizing Saturday’s dance-a-thon to raise awareness about ovarian cancer and to raise money for ovarian cancer research. “I contacted the largest ovarian cancer research organization in the world, Ovarian Cancer Research Fund Alliance,” she said. “They funnel a lot of money to do research, but also support women -- and families of women -- who have been diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and helps them get through the hellacious ordeal of treatment.” The Ovarian Cancer Research Fund Alliance sent Johnson some symptom cards that are the same size as her Dance Mom business cards. “When I’m dancing and people come and ask me what I’m doing, it’s the perfect moment for me to say, ‘My very best friend died of ovarian cancer and I don’t want that to happen to you,’ and give them some cards,” she said. “I tell them to memorize the symptoms and got see their doctors, because you can’t detect the disease through an ordinary exam. “I have met the most amazing women who have told me how ovarian cancer has impacted their lives. It’s been an incredible journey. I meet incredible people and I can share this information. I would love to see them at the dancea-thon.” A dance-a-thon that will raise awareness and funds for ovarian cancer research will be from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 6, at Dance Tech Studios, 786 Division St. For information, contact C.J. Johnson by emailing dancemomcj5678@gmail.com. ESTATE SALE A 4,800 SQ FT ANTIQUE STORE LIQUIDATION JUST 15 MINUTES FROM PARK CITY For photos go to www.facebook.com/LegacyEstateSale THURSDAY, FRIDAY, SATURDAY, MAY 4TH, 5TH, 6TH 9AM-3PM 99 East Main Street Midway Utah LEGACY IS LIQUIDATING THE INVENTORY OF LARGE ANTIQUE STORE IN MIDWAY, UTAH. GREAT FINDS AT GREAT REDUCED PRICES. 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