'HUNGRY CATERPILLAR,' 'DINOSAUR TRAIN' & More Among Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts's 2014-15 Family Performances

Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College will continue its partnership with Target to bring quality, affordable, and family-friendly performing arts programming to the culturally diverse communities of Brooklyn as part of its 60th Anniversary Season in 2014-15.

The centerpiece of Brooklyn Center's 2014-15 family programming will be the Target Storybook Series of performances based on classic and contemporary children's literature, with titles including Harold and the Purple Crayon; The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Other Eric Carle Favourites; Jim Henson's Dinosaur Train Live: Buddy's Big Adventure; and The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley. The series aims to encourage the development of strong reading skills at home in children ages four to eight. Online resources, such as literacy-based activity sheets and Parents' Guides, will give parents the opportunity to engage their children prior to attending the performances, and then again after seeing each show.

"We are thrilled to once again partner with Target to bring classic children's books to life on our stage for Brooklyn's young audiences," said Jon Yanofsky, Director of Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts. "Our Target Storybook Series aims not only to entertain and delight, but also to create lasting family memories, and assist more children in improving their reading proficiency by the end of the third grade."

In addition to the Target Storybook Series, Brooklyn Center will present other family-friendly shows including musical performances by Hot Peas 'N Butter and Black Violin, the holiday favorite The Colonial Nutcracker, a Lunar New Year Celebration by Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company, and a free performance of The Beauty of Ballet (in partnership with the School of American Ballet). The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Other Eric Carle Favourites will be the centerpiece of Brooklyn Center's eighth annual National Grid Earth Day Celebration. All seats for BCBC's 2014-15 Target Storybook Series will be $9-$15. Ticket prices to other family programs vary, with certain discounts available to children 12-and-under for select performances.

Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts' 2014-15 family performances include:

• Hot Peas 'N Butter
• Black Violin
• Dance Theatre in Westchester's The Colonial Nutcracker
• The Snow Maiden, a Russian-language holiday show
• Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company's Lunar New Year Celebration
• The Beauty of Ballet (co-presented with the School of American Ballet)
• The Golden Dragon Acrobats
• Enchantment Theatre Company's Harold and the Purple Crayon
• Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia's The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Other Eric Carle Favourites
• Dinosaur Train Live: Buddy's Big Adventure
• Eighth Annual National Grid Earth Day Celebration
• The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley

Hot Peas 'N Butter
Sunday, November 2, 2014 at 2pm
Recommended for ages four and up
Tickets: $9

Even if your kids don't like vegetables, they won't be able to resist Hot Peas 'N Butter! Best known for their appearances on Nickelodeon's Nick Jr., these four-time Parents' Choice Award winners blend jazz, R&B, Latin, and Afro-Caribbean tunes into a world-pop sound that will have kids dancing in the aisles.

Black Violin
Saturday, November 22, 2014 at 2pm
Tickets: $15

Virtuoso violinists Kev and Wil B make their triumphant return to Brooklyn Center to blow the roof off the Walt Whitman Theatre with their electrifying fusion of classical, jazz, hip-hop and R&B. With a long list of credits including tours with Alicia Keyes, P Diddy, and Akon, this dynamic duo smashes musical stereotypes and creates a sound that inspires young people to pursue their dreams.

The Colonial Nutcracker
Sunday, December 14, 2014 at 2pm
Tickets: $15

An annual holiday favorite, Dance Theatre in Westchester performs its family-friendly, full-length version of Tchaikovsky's ballet set in wintry colonial Yorktown, complete with a red-coated mouse army, an enchanted nutcracker prince, and simultaneous narration to help young audience members enjoy this timeless classic.

The Snow Maiden
Sunday, December 21, 2014 at 4pm
Recommended for ages six and up
Tickets: $35-$50

Enjoy this magical Christmas musical in which a worthy young girl is transformed by Grandfather Frost (the Russian Santa Claus) into the beautiful Snow Maiden. This delightful children's extravaganza incorporates traditional Russian songs, dances, and elaborate costumes to create a winter wonderland. Performed in Russian with English subtitles.

Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company
Lunar New Year Celebration
Sunday, January 25, 2015 at 3pm
Tickets: $25 / $12.50 (children 12 and under)

Usher in the Year of the Sheep, a year characterized by peace, love, and woolly gentleness, with a family-friendly performance by the world-renowned Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company. This lively celebration of Chinese culture includes colorfully-clad dancers, ancient melodies played on traditional instruments, and awe-inspiring acrobats and lion dancers.

In collaboration with the School of American Ballet
The Beauty of Ballet
Saturday, March 7, 2015 at 2pm
Tickets: FREE event, no tickets issued; recommended for ages four and up

Join students and faculty of the world-famous School of American Ballet (the official academy of New York City Ballet) in this program illustrating the process by which talented youngsters develop into accomplished classical ballet dancers. Your children will watch a "class" where training exercises and steps are demonstrated, and also enjoy excerpts from famous ballets.

The Golden Dragon Acrobats
Saturday, March 14, 2015 at 2pm
Tickets: $25/$12.50 (children 12 and under)

Representing the best of a time-honored tradition that began more than twenty five centuries ago, The Golden Dragons of The People's Republic of China combine award-winning acrobatics, spectacular costumes, ancient and contemporary music, and theatrical techniques to present a show of breathtaking skill and spellbinding beauty.

Enchantment Theatre Company
Harold and the Purple Crayon
Sunday, March 29, 2015 at 2pm
A Target Storybook Series presentation recommended for ages four and up
Tickets: $9

A young boy creates worlds to explore, using his limitless imagination and his trusty purple crayon. Join Harold as he rockets to Mars, joins a circus, and meets a king in an enchanted garden. Enchantment Theatre brings Crockett Johnson's timeless classic to life in a multimedia production incorporating life-size puppets, masks, music, and magic.

Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia
The Very Hungry Caterpillar and other Eric Carle Favourites
Sunday, April 19, 2015 at 2pm
A Target Storybook Series presentation for ages three and up
Tickets: $9

The Little Caterpillar with the enormous appetite returns to Brooklyn! Back by popular demand, this triple-bill includes the wonderful story of The Very Hungry Caterpillar's

metamorphosis into a beautiful butterfly, the fanciful account of Little Cloud's travels through the sky, and The Mixed-Up Chameleon's discovery of his unique nature. Mermaid Theatre draws upon the magic of black light to capture the whimsical charm of Eric Carle's classic stories.

Eighth Annual National Grid Earth Day Celebration
Sunday, April 19, 2015 at 3pm
Tickets: FREE event, no tickets issued

Children and adults alike will enjoy live music, arts and crafts, and street performers at this free community festival, where interactive family activities highlight the need to create a more sustainable future and care for the earth.

Jim Henson's Dinosaur Train Live: Buddy's Big Adventure
Sunday, April 26, 2015 at 12pm & 3pm
A Target Storybook Series presentation for ages three and up
Tickets: $15

Based on the hit PBS Kids series, this interactive musical adventure features all of your kids' favorite characters, including Buddy, Tiny, Don, and Mr. Conductor, all brought to life through the magic and mastery of Jim Henson Studios. Climb on board for a fun-filled trip back in time to an age when dinosaurs roamed the earth....and rode in trains!

Dallas Children's Theater
The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley
Sunday, May 17, 2015 at 2pm
A Target Storybook Series event recommended for ages four and up
Tickets: $9

One night while Stanley Lambchop is asleep, the bulletin board above his bed falls on top of him. The next morning he wakes up flat - really, REALLY flat! He decides to put himself in an envelope and travel the world, and that's when the adventures begin. In this live musical travelogue based on Jeff Brown's popular book, Stanley explores the globe and learns that heroes come in all shapes and sizes.

Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts' 2014-15 Target Storybook Series is sponsored by Target.

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