Join the Coco’s family, friends, staff, beach goers and frenemies for LIVE FROM COCO’S GRAND BEND, a Canada Day broadcast featuring the stars of the bpm:tv series GRAND BENDERS — and owners of Coco’s Grand Bend — Mickey, Nancy and Justin Rapaport.

The one-hour event will be hosted by Jorie Brown of bpm:tv’s Back @ Ya! and simulcast live online at bpmtv.com. HERE’S THE LINK.

Start time is 1 p.m. sharp, Sunday, July 1 at Coco’s, 62 Main Street, Grand Bend. The public is welcome to attend.

LIVE FROM COCO’S GRAND BEND promises to be a lively our of interviews, stunts and all the other things that make Coco’s … well … Coco’s.

The run-down includes live interviews with the stars of GRAND BENDERS, bunny tricks with Coco’s mascot Princess Coco, accordion playing, a mixology lesson, and a rummage through 25 years of Coco’s best “lost and found” items.

Immediately after the live broadcast, bpm:tv will stream GRAND BENDERS Episode One, “Chaos.”

LIVE FROM COCO’S GRAND BEND celebrates the 25th anniversary of Coco’s, a one-of-a-kind hotel, nightclub, restaurant and bar located on “the strip” in Grand Bend. Purchased in 1987 by Mickey and Nancy Rapaport, the family-run business is a hot-spot destination for young people and families alike seeking an escape from the city.

Over the years, Coco’s has also been a training ground for hundreds of local kids who live the Coco’s “work hard, play hard” ethic while undergoing a unique beach town boot camp, involving sleep deprivation, caffeine and cigarettes, liquor, love stories, misbehaving, and lifelong friendships.

During the live broadcast, online viewers can submit questions to the GRAND BENDERS cast using Twitter and #grandbenders or by posting a message to the GRAND BENDERS Facebook page.

LIVE FROM COCO’S GRAND BEND is produced by MDF Productions and Eventstream.

Posted by Christina Dun

The Toronto Argonauts Cheerleaders took a break from prepping for the upcoming season recently to pose for a calendar photo shoot. I joined the danceNEWS team to see what goes on behind-the-scenes. And after hearing about the 18 hours that the cheerleaders spent in the studio the day before, I’ve got to admit, it sounds pretty tiring. In all, there are 40 girls who will be part of the calendar: that’s a lot of energy, beauty and pep packed into 12 pages.

From the hair to the make-up, the girls were picture-perfect for their moments in front of the camera. Craig Boyko was the lucky photographer who got to shoot the girls lounging in a mini pool full of footballs (as one does). I’m sure many of the guys on our team here at bpm:tv would have gladly volunteered for the job.

Kalen caught up with the cheerleader squad’s head coach — and host of bpm:tv’s Back @ Ya! — Jorie Brown, who gave us a tour of the studio and showed us what goes into one of these photo shoots. She took us into the make-up area, where Wendy, from Inspire Cosmetics, chatted about the looks they were going for. Kalen even got a little touch-up before his turn in front of the camera.

The girls seemed to enjoy the experience, even practicing their routines while waiting for their set-ups. (Now, that’s dedication!) There’s a big season ahead, which will climax with the 100^th Annual CFL Grey Cup at the Rogers Centre in Toronto on November 25. Be sure to stay updated with the Argos cheer squad by following them on Twitter (@ArgosCheer), and keep an eye out for the 2012 calendar.

See the full photo gallery HERE. Follow Christina Dun’s blog HERE.

Here’s a quick rundown of the holiday specials we’ve got lined up for you through New Year’s Day. Enjoy!

DJ MARKY D’S CHRISTMAS DANCE PARTY
Dec. 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 @ 10 pm ET/PT
Just what you want to find under the tree: DJ Marky D wraps up three solid hours of the hottest club grooves for all the good little boys and girls, and puts a pretty bow on it. Visions of sugarplums won’t be the only things dancing.

BACK @ YA! MARATHON
Dec. 24: 9 am to 5 pm ET | Dec. 25: 8 am to 8 pm ET | Dec. 26:  10 am to 4 pm ET
Jorie Brown wants to spend her Christmas with you! Curl up in your favourite Forever Lazy with a cup of eggnog (and whatever you put in it), while the effervescent host of Canada’s only all-request dance hour plays the music you want to hear, from old-school grooves to big-room bangers.

BEST & WORST OF 2011
Dec. 24 & 26: 5 pm ET | Jan. 1: 5 pm & 7 pm ET
What was the sexiest dance music video of 2011? Which song had the worst lyrics? Who was the best dressed artist? The most overrated? (Could they be one and the same?) Join bpm:tv on a two-hour trip down short-term memory lane, as we walk you through the highest highs and lowest lows of the year that was in electronic music.

TOP 100 DJs OF 2011
Dec. 28: 3 pm to 7 pm ET | Dec. 31: 1 pm & 5 pm ET
From Above & Beyond (#5) to Pete Tha Zouk (#37), Bloody Beetroots (#86) to Laidback Luke (#20), we pay tribute to this year’s finishers in the definitive DJ Mag Top 100. It’s an honour just to be nominated — but it’s better to win.

XTENDAMIX MARATHON
Dec. 31: 10 pm to 4 am ET
No need to fuss over that playlist: we’ve got your definitive New Year’s Eve soundtrack right here: six nonstop hours of the year’s hottest dance tracks — killer beats to keep you dancing long after the champagne’s been drunk and the balloons all popped. Hello 2012!

Don’t forget: bpm:tv is available to all Rogers digital customers in free preview until Wednesday, Jan. 4. You can find us on channel 708. Have a safe and happy holiday, everyone!

New photos from yesterday’s Back @ Ya! shoot with host Jorie Brown and guest star Vinay Virmani, the co-writer and star of the new movie Breakaway!

Jorie Brown in the bpm:tv studio earlier today, shooting Back @ Ya!