One more year passes and Ed Wyse presents another exciting show at Meydenbauer Center featuring Alterna and Michael Shaun Corby, Alterna Global Creative Director. Mr. Corby was alive and kicking from the first minute onstage to the standing ovation at show's end.

He utilized skills learned from years of platform education to demonstrate new techniques and interspersed his demonstration with stories about his career and years of styling the stars in Beverley Hills.

Unlike a lot of contemporary stage artists, Michael Shaun keep his audience enthralled while walking them through innovative techniques and useful ideas.

Ed Wyse scored a knockout in the arena of education. John Wyse received recognition as the number one sales rep in 2008 for Alterna in the entire USA. John spoke about the need to present high quality education for the salon industry and reminisced about some of the education presented by Ed Wyse over the past 35 years.

The list was long and included every major artist from Paul Mitchell and Vidal Sassoon to our subject, Michael Shawn Corby.

Mr. Corby previewed his new Equilibrium Collection and took his audience on a visual journey from Hong Kong to Tokyo to Paris.

He demonstrated cutting methods to allow restyles which take a woman from the office to the evening's entertainments. On just one trip from boardroom to boudoir, he used products from many Alterna lines: Caviar Hairspray, Hemp Straightening Balm and Rapid Repair.

He talked about a holistic method to determine the best looks and techniques for each head and face.

While spinning off to give away Alterna products and cracking quips, Michael Shaun detailed the seven balance points that determine the success of a cut.

The forward Balance Point is right above the nose, the Temple Balance Point explains itself and the Interior balance Point is in front of the ear beside a sideburn. The ones everyone forgets that are swing points for hair is the Lobe Balance Point and the Ear Base Balance Point. The discussion was completed with demonstrations of the Perimeter and the Rear Balance (nape) Points.

He joked about "previously existing conditions", like short bangs, that can affect great expectations for a cut and how to minimize their detrimental effects.

He showed the audience how to use the blade length of shears as a pendulum to slice, pare and maneuver through a cut. He brought an assistant - Nicole Peterson from Marysville, WA - onstage, (even though she has worked with Alterna less than a month) because "I believe you shouldn't have to wait ten years to get onstage and: here she is."

A synopsis of his techniques:

On his first model, he executed an intriguing horizontal shear slide up into long, dry hair to remove a gentle amount of hair from mid-shaft to ends that left the cut polished and soft.

He then re-cut this with upward refraction of shear edges to create a sexy mid-length bob. He gave his model a start when he paused before cutting the ten inches off the nape and exclaimed: "I love leaving a mullet in the back."

On his second model, Corby radically over-directed long hair over the opposite parietal lobe and slid the shears underneath the parting to create an invisible soft layering on the section.

This you must see to believe. His third model showed a technique that was very effective but seemed to be a departure from common sense. With reverse raking at the crown, he picked away pieces of hair right off the scalp.

This, combined with Rapid Repair and a dry wax, built up quick volumes on her short, fine hair.

A Michael Shaun Corby technical note:

To hold soft waves in hair while waiting for the photographer, set the waves in place with bayonet clippies over rounded business cards. The cards keep the waves in place, prevent the clippies from marking the hair and give the model a way of reaching you when she is ready for your services.

Pretty cool, huh?

Pony tail quotes:

"Magazines keep saying the pony tail is back but that's not good for us. Stop it, Vogue and Elle, we want to style hair. If we are stuck with this, we need to make the pony tail work."

He then showed one method of wrapping pony tail into pony tail and bringing the sides of the hair into the fray to create sleekness moving into buoyancy. He used hair pins to hold sponge donuts into hair to build volumes at the crown.

"Believe it or not: hair pins hold better than bobbie pins."

After seeing it, we believe it.

In our opinion, the show-stopper look:

Corby gave us a sleek pony tail and, with a twenty foot braided hair extension, coiled it around the tail and created an "interesting shape. Isn't this fun? Each time it will be a little bit different." This was a dramatic finale for a great artist and showman.

The Alterna Academy:

He finished up the show with a classic Hollywood pin curl set and gave away some more product collections.

He revealed a new offering at the Alterna Academy in Century City north of Los Angeles he called "Alterna meets reality show" wherein, during a 3 day stay, the participants engage in multiple editorial photo shoots, learn to create storyboards, and purchase appropriate garb in Beverley Hills for the final celebrity-quality shoot.

Participants leave with a book of their work, a certificate of completion and a ton of memories. Corby promises to give attendees knowledge of "what works and what gets you pushed aside" when seeking editorial work.

His own professional experiences were an illumination about breaking into editorial work.

When he was given his first movie job, he had a question about the hair on one particular star and went to the director with his question.

He unknowingly had gone past the unseen second assistant director and the second director and was fired on the spot.

It is a testament to his determination and character that he went forward, received further offers, took other opportunities and became a hairstylist to the stars with years of TV and movie credits.

How he knew he wanted to be a hairdresser:

"My mom - this is the eighties - gave me 300 dollars - a lot of money - for my school clothes. I went downtown LA and got a nice pair of Reeboks and a perm at Vidal Sassoon. Lots of curl, really expensive and they gave me a pick with it. I guess that said a lot about my destiny."

"This is the best show I've attended in a while and I am very much interested in attending his Academy. His texturizing techniques were great. He is an Ares with a Leo rising, I would guess." - Ginette Cartan, Vyve Salon, Bellevue WA

"I loved it. It was a great experience. I came with my family from the Ukraine and have lived in Seattle for six years. I never thought I would have this opportunity to do something that is so much fun." - Anastasia Hrabar, model

"If I was in the audience instead of on stage with Michael, I'd be entertained. He answered every question and interacted with the audience very well. I love the Alterna products and, after this experience, hope to work my way up a little in this great company." - Nicole Peterson, Marysville, WA, Alterna Team