June 13 , 2008
Washington, DC—CityDance Ensemble announces the programs and repertory for its 2008-2009 home season, featuring the company’s return to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, its second season as an artistic partner with the Harman Center for the Arts, and its fourth year as the resident dance partner at the Music Center at Strathmore. Under the artistic leadership of Artistic Director Paul Gordon Emerson and Rehearsal Director Christopher K. Morgan, CityDance’s upcoming season features Sophie Maslow’s 1942 masterpiece Folksay, Paul Taylor’s legendary Last Look, two works by artist-in-residence Kate Weare, the return of the company’s original family production of Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Books, and choreography by Larry Keigwin, Ludovic Jolivet, Austin McCormick and others.
CityDance Ensemble’s 2008-2009 home season consists of 10 performances within five programs, with one program at the Terrace Theater in The Kennedy Center (2700 F Street NW, Washington, DC) three programs at the Harman Center for the Arts (two in the Lansburgh Theatre, 450 7th Street NW, Washington, DC and one in Sidney Harman Hall, 610 F Street NW, Washington, DC), and one program in Room 405 (which CityDance transforms into an intimate 150-seat performance space) at the Music Center at Strathmore (5301 Tuckerman Lane, N. Bethesda, MD).
“Performing at three of the most celebrated performing arts centers in the DC metropolitan area is an exceptional opportunity for CityDance,” says Mr. Emerson. “These venues provide audiences with different perspectives and experiences, and we’re honored to present this exciting season in such beautiful spaces for dance.”
A main component of CityDance’s 2008-2009 season is Sophie Maslow’s legendary 1942 work Folksay, for which CityDance was awarded an American Masterpieces: Dance award, the dance component of a major initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts administered by New England Foundation for the Arts. This grant, given to only ten dance companies each year, is designed to support the reconstruction and restaging of historically significant American dance work that will tour nationally. Folksay is a 26-minute piece for eight dancers that features two guitarists who play the traditional folk songs of Woody Guthrie and recite Carl Sandburg's poem The People, Yes.
“CityDance is honored to have received the American Masterpieces grant to reconstruct Folksay,” notes Alexe Nowakowski, CityDance Executive Director. “Presenting great works from the pioneers of modern dance is an important part of CityDance’s mission, as it allows us to keep this part of our history alive while demonstrating the continuing relevance of the art form.”
CityDance’s acquisition of Paul Taylor’s Last Look marks the first time that a company other than the Paul Taylor Dance Company has performed the piece. Paul Taylor, widely considered one of today’s best choreographers, grew up near Washington, DC and choreographed Last Look in 1985. Last Look is a theatrical, yet desperate, decline-of-civilization piece, exemplifying Mr. Taylor’s adeptness at portraying narcissism, mayhem, and physicality. Long-time Paul Taylor company member Patrick Corbin, a DC-area native, will stage the piece on CityDance in January/February 2009.
Kate Weare will come to Washington, DC this fall after her New York-based company’s performances at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. A young artist who is blazing a trail of fresh, innovative choreography, Ms. Weare has received several distinguished choreography fellowships and commissions, was awarded a 2006-07 Joyce SoHo residency, and was a nominee for the 2008 Alpert Award in the Arts. As CityDance’s artist-in-residence, Ms. Weare will set two pieces on the company.
CityDance’s second annual production of Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Books returns to the Lansburgh Theatre with funding from Washington Performing Arts Society and DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities. A 60-minute performance for the entire family, Jungle Books is an entirely original show featuring live music, a magical jungle set, and colorful costumes.
Augmenting CityDance’s 2008-2009 roster of choreographers are Larry Keigwin, a New York-based artist known for his humor and wit; Austin McCormick, a recent Juilliard graduate with Baroque inspired qualities; Ludovic Jolivet, long-time CityDance choreographer and filmmaker; Brenda Way, Artistic Director of ODC/San Francisco Dance Company; Jason Ignacio, current CityDance company member, and Christopher K. Morgan, CityDance’s Rehearsal Director and choreographer-in-residence.
CityDance will also tour nationally during the 2008-2009 season, performing at the University of Delaware in Newark, Delaware; the Delaware Valley Arts Consortium outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and at Agnes Scott College in Atlanta, Georgia.
The 2008-2009 season is host to a variety of programs, choreographers, and musicians that highlight the versatility, dynamism, and athleticism of CityDance Ensemble. Complete with world premieres, celebrated favorites, and performances for the whole family, this season promises to engage and educate an audience of long-time dance fans and new dance enthusiasts alike.
CITYDANCE ENSEMBLE 2008-2009 SEASON
Next
Saturday, October 18, 2008 • 7:30pm
Terrace Theater, The Kennedy Center
Charging boldly into the 2008-2009 season, CityDance takes a look at what’s next in dance with a collection of works by today’s up-and-coming choreographers. Showcasing their fresh perspective and creative voice, Christopher K. Morgan, Kate Weare, Austin McCormick, and Jason Hartley promise to unfold new vision and an inside glimpse at the future of contemporary dance.
Entangled
Friday, January 16, 2009 • 8pm
Saturday, January 17, 2009 • 8pm
Lansburgh Theatre, Harman Center for the Arts
Featuring the company premiere of Larry Keigwin’s witty and amorous Mattress Suite, this concert unveils the pulse, rhythm, and patterns that drive human interactions and exchanges. Paired with the premiere of Kate Weare’s fervent Scorched and a collection of other impassioned dances, Entangled illustrates the pushes and pulls that keep everyone connected.
Carbon
Saturday, March 14, 2009 • 8pm (A post-performance discussion will follow this concert)
Sunday, March 15, 2009 • 7pm
Room 405, Music Center at Strathmore
Using art to give voice to the issue of climate change, CityDance continues to explore the intersection between the environment and humanity. In light of the dangers of global warming, this concert merges choreography with caution to incite action against the perils of the consumer’s ever-growing carbon footprint.
Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Books
Saturday, April 18, 2009 • 1pm & 4pm
Sunday, April 19, 2009 • 1pm & 4pm
Lansburgh Theatre, Harman Center for the Arts
This performance is funded in part by Washington Performing Arts Society by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, and by the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities
Capturing the imagination of young and old alike, CityDance’s original adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Books is an energetic blend of movement, music, mischief, and magic. Pouncing and prancing their way into your heart, Mowgli, Baloo, Shere Khan and other characters from the classic tales invite you to explore a world of enchantment in this colorful family show. Jungle Books is geared toward children 5 and up.
Scandal
Thursday, May 21, 2009 • 8pm
Sidney Harman Hall, Harman Center for the Arts
Like any good scandal, this concert is guaranteed to leave you stirring in your seats. The explosive Last Look by Paul Taylor, “the greatest living American choreographer” (San Francisco Examiner & Chronicle), delivers an abstract commentary on a society void of connection and strength. Blending structure with mayhem and beauty with despair, this piece opens a debate about isolation, obsession, and the state of a civilization infused with both.
TICKETS
Tickets for Next are priced at $55, $38 and $20 and are available through the Kennedy Center Box Office. Tickets are available in three ways starting August 1, 2008:
1) Online: www.Kennedy-Center.org
2) Phone: 202.467.4600 • Toll Free: 800.444.1324 • TTY: 202.416.8524
3) In Person: The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Box Office
2700 F Street NW • Washington, DC • 20566
10am-9pm Monday-Saturday • 12-9pm Sunday
Tickets for Entangled and Scandal are priced at $55, $38 and $20 and are available through the Harman Center for the Arts Ticket Office. Tickets for Jungle Books are priced at $18 are available through the Harman Center for the Arts Ticket Office. Tickets are available now in three ways:
1) Online: www.HarmanCenter.org
2) Phone: 202.547.1122 • Toll Free: 877.487.8849 • TTY: 202.638.3863
3) In Person: Harman Center for the Arts Ticket Office
450 7th Street NW or 610 F Street NW • Washington, DC • 20004
10am-6pm Monday-Saturday • 12-6pm Sunday
Tickets for Carbon are priced at $20 and are available through the Music Center at Strathmore Ticket Office. Tickets are available in three ways starting August 7, 2008:
1) Online: www.Strathmore.org
2) Phone: 301.581.5100 • TTY: 711 for MD residents or 800.735.2258 out-of-state
3) In Person: Strathmore Ticket Office
5301 Tuckerman Lane • North Bethesda, MD • 20852
10am-5pm Mon, Tues, Thur, Fri • 10am-9pm Wed • 10am-2pm Sat
ABOUT CITYDANCE ENSEMBLE, INC.
CityDance Ensemble, Inc. is the parent organization to CityDance Ensemble, an award-winning contemporary repertory dance company; Early Arts, an arts outreach program for youth serving more than 25,000 students each year; CityDance Education Centers, facilities committed to excellence in dance training for youth and adults; and FilmWORKS, a creator and presenter of dance-on-camera. The mission of CityDance Ensemble, Inc. is to advance the appreciation for and participation in the art of dance through excellence in performance, education, film, and artistic innovation.
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