Ditch the roses, baby wants a night on the town.
It�s all about mind-set. Valentine�s Day can be an eye-rolling, suck-it-up-and-be-romantic-for-just-one-night kinda deal. Or it can be a fun way to play with tradition, get your honey all worked up and get those bones jumped. So whether you�re after a hot make-out session or it�s all ropes and role play all the time, SFR offers 10 nice and naughty ways to say, �Hey babe, wanna do it?�
NAUGHTY
Come and Get SomeDJ Rocque Ranaldi throws down a sexy soul set to get the love pumpin� at SFR�s annual Valentine�s Day Personals Party. Besides the beddable beats, the party will offer fortune-tellers, body painters and the opportunity to plant a message of love in SFR�s personal pages.7-10:30 pm Thursday, Feb. 7. $1. Hilton Santa Fe, 100 Sandoval St., 988-5541Blazin� Arrows***image1***Martha Simonsen discusses the origins of the goddess Venus and that pesky lovebug, Cupid. Through visual imagery and an exploration of myth, Simonsen reveals the stories of these two famous figures. Venus, known as the goddess of love, beauty and fertility, and Cupid, often thought to be her son, are favorites of classical art, but their stories are far more complex than Hallmark would have you believe.2-4 pm Thursday, Feb. 14. $7-$10. St. John�s United Methodist Church, 1200 Old Pecos Trail, 982-9274Two to Tango***image2***Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire light up the big screen in Top Hat, a tale of love at first sight and mistaken identity. The film includes the famous Irving Berlin tune �Cheek to Cheek� and was nominated for, but didn�t win, four Academy Awards. Top Hat also includes five fabulous dances from the famous duo; only one of their other films includes that many of their notoriously elaborate routines. 7 pm Thursday, Feb. 14. $5. Lensic, 211 W. San Francisco St., 988-1234Old-Fashioned Amore
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Slip into the sexy vocals of Nacha Mendez, whose Latin and jazz sound evokes smoky New York clubs of the 1950s and exudes a romance normally confined to old movies. Plus, with a menu of spicy Spanish tapas, which are perfect for feeding to your lover, there�s just no better way to play Bogie and Bacall on a wintery February night.7:30 pm Thursday, Feb. 14. Free. �Chispa! at El Meson, 215 Washington Ave., 983-6756�Muy Caliente!
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There�s nothing sexier than a little bump and grind on the dance floor. Nosotros sets the scene with a sexy mix of Latin and African beats that is sure to get your booty shakin�. Get up, get dressed and get out there, whether you�ve already got the moves or you�re looking for a special someone to show you a thing or two.9:30 pm Thursday, Feb. 14. $5. WilLee�s, 401 S. Guadalupe St., 982-0117
NICE
A Swan By Any Other Name
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The St. Petersburg Ballet offers two ways to get romantic. First up is the tale of those rebellious Montague and Capulet teenagers. The typical teens don�t listen to their families� prejudices, fall madly in love and, well, we all know how it ends. Sergei Prokofiev�s beautiful score makes this version of Romeo and Juliet a sublime beauty. The tragedy continues with Swan Lake, the classic ballet that finds Prince Siegfried determined to marry for love. Though both stories tell of heartbreak, the familiar tunes will have audiences tapping their toe shoes and laying it all on the line for love.Romeo and Juliet: 7:30 pm Wednesday, Feb. 6; Swan Lake: 7:30 pm Thursday, Feb. 7. $30-$85. Lensic, 211 W. San Francisco St., 988-1234Forgive Me, FatherMusic for Romantics features LP How, Kerri Lay, Elena Sopoci, Dana Winograd, Pamela Epple, Gail Springer and Peter Askim playing intimate chamber music by Tinson Street, Peter Askim and Antonin Dvorak. Taking your lady out for an evening of classical music is the perfect way to show her you�re not all Budweiser cans and pro sports all the time.Open dress rehearsal: 7 pm Friday, Feb. 8. $10. Benildus Hall, College of Santa Fe, 1600 St. Michael�s Drive. Performance: 7:30 pm Sunday, Feb. 10. Santuario de Guadalupe, 100 Guadalupe St., 989-7988LUV Station No. 9
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The only way to make a Valentine�s Day train ride more romantic is to block out all the color and live for a day in black and white. Since that�s just not quite possible, the next best way is for the guys to don suits and fedoras while the dolls get decked out in dresses and seamed panty hose. Now that the scene is set, it�s time to jump aboard for a leisurely trip to Lamy, complete with chocolate, champagne and old-fashioned romance.2-4:30 pm Sunday, Feb. 10. $35-$45 and 6-8 pm Thursday, Feb. 14. $28-$55. Santa Fe Southern Railway, 410 S. Guadalupe St., 989-8600A Romantic Stroll Through Central Park
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The Gates, the beautiful�and controversial�project of artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude, filled New York�s Central Park with saffron-colored fabric. Although the installation has long since been removed, the documentary The Gates preserves the experience. The film offers a look at how the artists convinced city officials to let them hang their work as well as the effect it had on the community. It gives art and film lovers a free trip to The Big Apple on Valentine�s Day.7 pm Thursday, Feb. 14. Free. CCA, 1050 Old Pecos Trail, 982-1338Take Me to TesuqueThe Santa Fe Community Orchestra dives into the work of several Santa Fe conductors for this unique concert experience. Osito by Howard Pakin and Ted Vives, La boh�me Fantasy by Oliver Prezant, Antiphon: Ave Maria and Exultation by Robert C Jones and On the Rooftop by Alex von Mutius are all brought to life in a staged rehearsal. The birth of music is a passionate and romantic affair to behold.6 pm Friday, Feb. 16. Free. Stieren Hall, Santa Fe Opera, Highways 84/285, seven miles north of Santa Fe, 466-4879 �
Santa Fe Reporter