Rhythmic Circus to Perform FEET DON'T FAIL ME NOW! at Pepperdine University's Center for the Arts

Rhythmic Circus, the group that electrifies audiences with its hard-hitting tap dancing backed by a live band, vocalists, and renowned beat-boxer Aaron "Heatbox" Heaton, performs its show titled FEET DON'T FAIL ME NOW! at Pepperdine University's Smothers Theatre in Malibu on Sunday, March 6 at 2 p.m.

Tickets, priced starting at $22 for adults, $20 for youth 17 and under, and $10 for full-time Pepperdine students, are available now by calling (310) 506-4522 or online at arts.pepperdine.edu. More information about Rhythmic Circus available at rhythmiccircus.com.

Rhythmic Circus has risen quickly from an underground percussive-dance phenomenon to an innovative live performance company known for transforming its tap shoes into instruments of rhythm.

The company's repute goes well beyond the sum of the dancers' talents; themed pieces include costume changes and musical segues highlighting the funky styling of a seven-piece band. The combined and highly integrated talents of the dancers and musicians alike have built a reputation for leaving audiences on their feet and dancing in the aisles. The show's brilliance has been marked by rave reviews, sold-out engagements, and numerous awards, including two SAGE Awards for Outstanding Ensemble and Performance, a Spirit of the Fringe Award (Edinburgh Festival Fringe's top theatrical award), two Upper Midwest Emmys, and being named "Best Dance Performance" by Minneapolis' City Pages.

Its current production, FEET DON'T FAIL ME NOW!, premiered at the Ritz Theatre in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in August 2008, when the group's dancers and founders Nick Bowman, Ricci Milan, Kaleena Miller, and Eddie Strachan joined forces with Twin Cities heavyweight musicians Alex Rossi, Cornell Blanchard, Patrick Nelson, Dan Ristrom, Jason Marks, Elliott Blaufuss, and Aaron "Heatbox" Heaton to integrate an inventive style of rapid-fire tap with a wide variety of musical genres. This captivating blend resulted in a novel music and dance experience that appeals to audiences of all ages.

Although the company's official inception was in 2007, the troupe's core members have been collectively choreographing and performing together since 2000. No stranger to the spotlight, it has recently opened for Savion Glover's Bare Soundz, collaborated with VocalEssence in its WITNESS tribute to Duke Ellington at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, and appeared in the Crash! Bang! Boom! percussion festival at the Minnesota Orchestra Hall.

The Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts at Pepperdine University provides high-quality activities for over 50,000 people from 664 zip codes annually through performances, rehearsals, museum exhibitions, and master classes. Located on Pepperdine's breathtaking Malibu campus overlooking the Pacific, the center serves as a hub for the arts, uniquely linking professional guest artists with Pepperdine students as well as patrons from surrounding Southern California communities. Facilities include the 450-seat Smothers Theatre, the 118-seat Raitt Recital Hall, the "black box" Helen E. Lindhurst Theatre, and the Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art.

THE DETAILS:

Rhythmic Circus: FEET DON'T FAIL ME NOW!

WHEN: Sunday, March 6, 2016 at 2 p.m.

WHERE: Smothers Theatre, Pepperdine University, 24255 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, CA

TICKETS: (310) 506-4522 or arts.pepperdine.edu

PRICES: $22-$45 for adults; $20 for youth 17 and under; $10 for Pepperdine students