David Dorfman Dance at the Byham Theater

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Media Contact:

Veronica Corpuz
(412) 471-6082
corpuz@pgharts.org

Diana Roth
(412) 471-8717
roth@pgharts.org

Pittsburgh Dance Council presents

David Dorfman Dance

Saturday, April 30, 2011, at 8:00 p.m.

Byham Theater, 101 Sixth Street

Pittsburgh, PA: The Pittsburgh Dance Council, a division of The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, is proud to present David Dorfman Dance, at the Byham Theater, on Saturday, April 30, 2011, at 8:00 p.m. David Dorman Dance will perform the Pittsburgh premiere, Prophets of Funk/Dance to the Music, a dance celebration that honors the music of prophetic love by Sly and the Family Stone, one of the first racially and gender-integrated bands (late ‘60’s – mid ‘70’s) in America.

The piece celebrates, through powerful music, the struggles and celebration of everyday people, lifting the spirit and going off the idea that “in the face of the funk of life, there are still hopes and aspirations that reside in all of us.” Prophets of Funk/Dance to the Music premiered on February 4, 2011 at Connecticut College andwasconceived and directed by David Dorfman, choreography and text by David Dorfman Dance, sound design by Samuel Crawford, music by Sly and the Family Stone, lighting design by David Weiner in association with Dans Sheehan, media design by Jacob Pinholster, costumes by Amanda Bujak and dramaturgy by Alex Timbers.

Tickets ($19-$45) may be purchased at the Box Office at Theater Square, 655 Penn Avenue, online at www.pgharts.org, or by calling (412) 456-6666. First Commonwealth is the proud season sponsor of Pittsburgh Dance Council, and WDUQ 90.5 FM is the media sponsor.

About David Dorfman Dance

Founded in 1985, the 26 year old company has performed in New York City and throughout North and South America, Great Britain and Europe. During these years, the dance company has received eight New York Dance and Performance (“Bessie”) Awards.

David Dorfman Dance has the vision to create innovative, inclusive, radically humanistic and movement-based performances. The company is also committed to exploring enlivening topics and questions that generate critical dialogues and debates amongst its audiences. Through this unique interpretation, David Dorfman Dance is recognized as “one of the nation’s leading modern dance companies” (The New York Times).

About David Dorfman

Founder and performer, David Dorfman is a Chicago native. Dorfman received a BS in Business Administration from Washington University in St. Louis, and an MFA in Dance from Connecticut College, where he joined the faculty in 2004 and is currently Professor of Dance and Department Chair.

Dorfman has received many awards for his works, including the 2005 Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship, fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, New York Foundation for the Arts fellowship, an American Choreographer’s Award, the first Paul Taylor Fellowship from The Yard, and a New York Dance and Performance (“Bessie”) Award for David Dorfman Dance’s community-based project Familiar Movements. Through his choreography, David Dorfman seeks to “get the whole world dancing.”

Each year the Pittsburgh Dance Council, a division of The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, showcases a world-class season of dance. As the largest presenter of international performances in the city, the Dance Council continues to help make our Cultural District one of the country’s leading arts and entertainment centers.

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is a non-profit organization whose mission is the cultural and economic development of Pittsburgh’s 14-block Cultural District through public and private support. The Trust presents and encourages diverse performing and visual arts programs within the District, and is an impetus for additional development in downtown Pittsburgh. In addition to the Pittsburgh Dance Council, The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust presents the PNC Broadway Across America-Pittsburgh series, Trust Presents, Pittsburgh International Children’s Theater and Children’s Festival, CD Live, JazzLive, First Night Pittsburgh, Gallery Crawl, and Three Rivers Arts Festival, among other Cultural District and arts events. The Trust owns Theater Square and the Cabaret at Theater Square; James E. Rohr Building & Arts Education Center; the Benedum Center for the Performing Arts; Byham, O’Reilly, and Harris Theaters; visual arts galleries: Wood Street Galleries, at 601 Wood Street; SPACE, at 812 Liberty Avenue and 937 Liberty: a multipurpose performance and exhibit space, among other downtown arts facilities.
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Ballet Hispanico Returns to the Byham

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Contact:

Veronica Corpuz
(412) 471-6082
corpuz@pgharts.org

Diana Roth
(412) 471-8717
roth@pgharts.org

Electronic images are available upon request.

Pittsburgh Dance Council presents

Ballet Hispanico

Saturday, March 5, 2011, at 8:00 p.m.

Byham Theater, 101 Sixth Street

Pittsburgh, PA: The Pittsburgh Dance Council proudly presents the return of the highly acclaimed Ballet Hispanico to the Byham Theater on Saturday, March 5, 2011, at 8:00 p.m. Fusing sensual Latin with classical and contemporary dance styles, Ballet Hispanico displays versitile, enthralling movement combined with a highly emotional performance.

Ballet Hispanico’s program will include choreographic works Tres Cantos, Mad’moisselle and Club Havana. The dance troup will also present an educational workshop in Pittsburgh called Primeros Pasos. “Ballet Hispanico knows when to turn up the volume, and when to turn it down. This dance company can wake up the neighborhood with sudden, brassy shout or it can croon softly in your ear, whispering words of love” (Star Ledger). Ballet Hispanico performed in Pittsburgh during Pittsburgh Dance Council seasons 1991-1992 (PDC 22nd season) and 1997-1998 (PDC 28th season).

Tickets ($19.75-$45.75) may be purchased at the Box Office at Theater Square, 655 Penn Avenue, online at www.pgharts.org, or by calling (412) 456-6666. First Commonwealth is the proud season sponsor of Pittsburgh Dance Council, and WDUQ 90.5 FM is the media sponsor.



About the Company

Since its inception in 1970, Ballet Hispanico's dancers have roused audiences worldwide with their magnetic energy and eclectic choreography. “Ballet Hispanico dances with elegance and lyricism… [their] graceful phrases look effortless. Audiences will return to see Ballet Hispanico for its enduring graciousness” (Washington Post). Founded by Tina Ramirez and now led by Eduardo Vilaro, the company perform works by the foremost choreographers of our time as well as those of emerging artists. Their works fuse Latin dance with elements of classical and contemporary forms to create a new sphere of concert dance in which theatricality and passion propel every move. Ballet Hispanico has been recognized around the world as the foremost dance interpreter of Hispanic Culture in the United States. “The Latin American experience at last has a voice…” (The New York Times). The company has performed for more than two million people in the United States, Europe and South America with a repertory of over 100 works, which opens dialogue about the Hispanic diaspora in our contemporary world.

Eduardo Vilaro joined Ballet Hispanico as Artistic Director in August 2009, following a ten-year record of achievement as Founder and Artistic Director of Luna Negra Dance Theater in Chicago. Building on Tina Ramirez’ founding vision for Ballet Hispanico, he brings with him a commitment to dance, to education, and to fostering a deeper understanding of the rich diversity within Latino cultures. Mr. Vilaro is an accomplished choreographer and has worked in collaboration with major dance and design artists as well as musicians like the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. As a former principal dancer with Ballet Hispanico, he has performed throughout the United States, Europe, Central and South America. He has taught master classes and worked with Ms. Ramirez to create and conduct arts education and outreach programs.

Mr. Vilaro came to New York City at the age of six from his native Cuba, and began his dance training as a teenager on scholarship at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center; he also studied at the Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance. He received a BFA in Dance from Adelphi University an MA in Interdisciplinary Art from Columbia College Chicago, where he served as Artist-in-Residence at The Dance Center. Mr. Vilaro serves on the Board of Directors for Dance/USA, the national service organization for professional dance. He was selected as Chicagoan of the Year in 2007 and Alumni of the Year by Columbia College in 2008. Mr. Vilaro is the recipient of an NEA grant and the Ruth Page Award for his choreography.

Each year the Pittsburgh Dance Council, a division of The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, showcases a world-class season of dance. As the largest presenter of international performances in the city, the Dance Council continues to help make our Cultural District one of the country’s leading arts and entertainment centers.

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is a non-profit organization whose mission is the cultural and economic development of Pittsburgh’s 14-block Cultural District through public and private support. The Trust presents and encourages diverse performing and visual arts programs within the District, and is an impetus for additional development in downtown Pittsburgh. In addition to the Pittsburgh Dance Council, The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust presents the PNC Broadway Across America-Pittsburgh series, Trust Presents, Pittsburgh International Children’s Theater and Children’s Festival, CD Live, JazzLive, First Night Pittsburgh, Gallery Crawl, and Three Rivers Arts Festival, among other Cultural District and arts events. The Trust owns Theater Square and the Cabaret at Theater Square; James E Rohr Building & Arts Education Center; the Benedum Center for the Performing Arts; Byham, O’Reilly, and Harris Theaters; visual arts galleries: Wood Street Galleries, 601 Wood Street; SPACE, at 812 Liberty Avenue and 937 Liberty: a multipurpose performance and exhibit space, among other downtown arts facilities. www.pgharts.org
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