Accent Dance NYC Announces An Evening of Cultural Convergence

Accent Dance NYC, a collaborative of International Artists dedicated to exploring the artistic, cultural, and humanistic connections among people through diverse dance styles, presents An Evening of Cultural Convergence at the Ailey Citigroup Theater in New York City on April 9, 2020 at 7:30 p.m. The evening program will showcase the versatile talents of the Accent Dance NYC ensemble while building cultural bridges among collaborators through movement and music, purposefully juxtaposing elements of ballet, contemporary dance, salsa, jazz music, tango, hip hop, tap, and more.

 

A repertory company with artists from the U.S., Cuba, Spain, Colombia, Argentina, Puerto Rico, Haiti and beyond, Accent Dance NYC, established in the fall of 2018, is a collaborative of artists bringing dance to stages throughout the tri-state area, with an equally fundamental commitment to bringing dance education to underserved communities and New York City and neighboring school districts. An Evening of Cultural Convergence, presents works by award-winning Cuban dance-maker Pedro Ruiz, leading Argentinian tango dancer and choreographer, Dardo Galletto, and Lucia Jackson, who has performed both in New York City and internationally, and most recently, recorded an album as a jazz vocalist with her father, celebrated guitarist, Ron Jackson. The evening also will include a premiere addressing current socio-political issues. Focused on the erosion, global and domestic, of democratic and constitutional values, the work sheds light on the injustices faced by so many, including children, to whom Accent Dance NYC remains committed. Additional works from the ensemble weave a common thread throughout the program reflecting how cultures intersect, and how diversity, above all, is what brings vitality and spirit to our society.

 

"Because dance speaks so deeply, even when devoid of language, we will celebrate this evening our coming together in unity -- our convergence -- in the face of outward cultural and other differences," elucidates Executive Director and Founder of Accent Dance NYC, Andrea Ziegelman. "A true melting pot of dance disciplines and heritages, our company embraces dance and societal structures in its many forms, and we are so pleased to share this program on a stage in one of the most diverse cities in the world."

 

From the stage to the classroom, Accent Dance NYC has reached over 1,400 school-aged children through its educational initiatives in its first year and a half. Select students from its programs also will perform to enrich and reinforce the role dance plays in their lives as a vehicle for emotional, intellectual, and social growth.

Divided We Stand | World Premiere

Choreography: Mara Driscoll and Zoe Warshaw

Music: "Lost" by Zoe Keating; speech by Angela Davis and Alicia Keyes

 

A contemporary duet for two female dancers, Divided We Stand is a conversation to bring awareness to the injustices we face at the hands of our eroding constitutional and social frameworks.

 

 

Flickering Flame | World Premiere

Choreography: Lucia Jackson

Music: Duke Ellington, as arranged and performed by Lucia Jackson and Ron Jackson

 

Lucia Jackson's musical and choreographic interpretation of a beloved jazz classic employs classical and contemporary aesthetics to convey the nostalgia of the era with a modern twist.

 

Inflexion | World Premiere

Choreography: Dannys Gonzalez, Steven Vilsaint, Josh Johnson

Musical arrangement: Matt Villanueva

 

Three men hailing from three different paradigms join forces, bridging styles, rhythms and musically distinct instrumentals through ballet, hip hop, and tap. The piece creates a dialogue about cultural, artistic and humanistic connections as well as a statement about overcoming personal hardships through dance.

 

 

Passages | World Premiere

Choreography: Lucia Jackson

Music: Anna RF, Erik Satie, James Newton Howard, Joaquín Rodrigo, Rosalía

 

 

"Dance is a way of life, born of the human soul, layered with diverse accents under which flows a unifying essence." Choreographer Lucia Jackson embarks on a cultural journey finding common ground through dance.

 

 

Finesse

 

Choreography: The Accent Dance NYC team

Music: Bruno Mars and Cardi B.

 

Ballet and hip hop come together in a joyful dance that juxtaposes diverse vocabularies. Finesse is dedicated to those school-age children for whom Accent Dance NYC has performed and with whom it has collaborated, in a light-hearted call-and-response duet.

 

Danzón

Choreography: Pedro Ruiz

Music: Arturo Márquez

 

Danzón has been called the official dance of Cuba. Cuban choreographer Pedro Ruiz has reinvented this traditional dance and music form with contemporary language to construct a joyous celebration of music and movement.

 

 

So Proudly We Hail, Section II

Choreography: Pedro Ruiz

Music: John Philip Sousa

 

An excerpt from a larger piece, this playful duet uses classical vocabulary to create palpable fanfare invoking freedom and hope.

 

Tanguera

Choreography: Dardo Galletto

Music: Mariano Mores

 

Tanguera integrates traditional and progressive elements in this energetic and virtuoso display of the tango; in Accent Dance NYC's version of Dardo Galletto's choreography, one heteronormative and another same-gender couple dance side by side, representing the power and beauty of dance to celebrate both diversity and unity.

An Evening of Cultural Convergence will take place on Thursday, April 9, 2020, at 7:30 p.m. at the Ailey Citigroup Theater, Joan Weill Center for Dance, 405 West 55th Street, 9th Avenue, New York, New York. The venue is accessible by the 1, A, C, B or D trains to 59th Street/Columbus Circle, the N, R, Q or W trains to 57th Street, and the C or E to 50th Street.

 

Tickets are $30 and can be purchased at https://accent.dance/events/.