Photo by Jeff Newton Foot Klan Dance Troupe

Foot Klan Dance Troupe

The name conjures images from the TV show Kung Fu or the cartoon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Though martial arts are involved, the only thing violent about this group is that it attacks the mat with hip hop dance moves – both original and 2.0. They’re poppin’ it, lockin’ it and rockin’ it, oh my!

The Glendale-based troupe was founded 17 years ago by Darryl and Luciana Khalid, a.k.a., Mr. and Ms. Soul Train. Members who specialize in a particular move do solos, riff off each other or dance in a choreographed session with the group.

According to hip hop lore, the Foot Klan was formed “to unify communities through street dance and creative arts.” It has now moved toward the mainstream, doing commercials for Puma sneakers, Burger King, MTV and the Phoenix Suns, among others.

Info: 480-634-4188, footklan.com

Water Wizard Kirk Bianchi

For decades, residents have spent most of the Valley’s hot summers wading in homemade ponds called swimming pools. What a travesty, Kirk Bianchi says. These could be sacred pools.

After studying architecture at Arizona State University in the late ’80s, and after reading about an ex-fisherman who was creating custom water features, Bianchi fell in love with the idea. So he went to work for him and gave up the suit-and-tie gig completely.

Now, he makes pool design as a higher form of art – from reflective pools fed by serene fountains to raised, 360-degree vanishing-edge swimming pools with sleek handrails.

“I know enough about the other professions that now I stitch them together…. That’s been my niche,” Bianchi says.

Info: 9409 N. 34th Way, Phoenix, 480-314-0048, bianchidesign.com

Blues Brunch

Everybody gets the blues come Sunday, as the weekend winds down and the workweek winds up. No matter. Head over to Blues Brunch at Stinkweeds Music Exchange from noon to 2 p.m. every Sunday, where the coffee and pastries are free, and so are the guitar riffs and harmonica solos.

Mikel Lander and a rotating lineup of guests perform in the courtyard to the weekend crowd, who pry themselves from the store’s great collection of indie rock. It’s not as well known but equally true that Stinkweeds stocks a respectable collection of blues and jazz CDs, rivaled only by the Phoenix Public Library. And don’t miss the handful of vinyl gems the store keeps on hand.

Info: Stinkweeds, 12. W. Camelback Rd., Phoenix, 602-248-9461, stinkweeds.com

The Zizzo Family

A decent tailor usually cranks out ho-hum work from inside a drycleaner shop. Excellent tailors have a loyal clientele who come to an established shop that doesn’t have to do any advertising.

Such is the case with Zizzo Tailor Design Boutique near 68th Street and Thomas Road in Scottsdale. The family started the business 60 years ago in Italy, transplanted it in New York and then opened on Scottsdale’s Main Street in 1973.

Today, the shop is five minutes from its original home. Its eight employees are like a mini United Nations: two Bosnians, two Vietnamese, one Romanian and a Turk.

Under the eye of Phil Zizzo and his father, Carmen, 71, the group makes suits and dresses and does alterations for men and women of all sizes and tastes. That includes some high-profile personalities in the local sports and retail scenes. Neiman Marcus even sends its customers here.

It’s $18 to play with waistlines and $10 to hem jeans. Phil Zizzo admits that these are above-average prices, but in a world where anyone can cut pants, you get what you pay for.

Info: 2928 N. 68th St., Scottsdale, 480-994-1570

Charmian Private Dining Room

If you’ve ever wished you could have a restaurant all to yourself, without circling the parking lot for a space, waiting 45 minutes for a table or enduring the crying baby across the way, then Charmian Private Dining Room may be your dream come true.

When it says “private,” it means it – this Fountain Hills gem is a one-table restaurant, and it takes just two reservations a night. The chef will tailor a menu to your wishes, ranging from $235 to $5,000 for a six-course dinner for two (the table seats up to 18). The restaurant is elegantly decorated and sits atop Eagle Mountain with expansive views of the East Valley. No reservations are needed for the adjacent Underground Wine Bar, which serves casual small plates and a killer cosmo.

Info: 14825 E. Shea Blvd., Fountain Hills, 480-874-1123