BeijingDance/LDTX Makes Minnesota Debut at Ordway Center 4/5

BeijingDance/LDTX, the captivating and groundbreaking dance company from China will perform its first dance concert ever in Minnesota at Ordway Center for the Performing Arts on Tuesday, April 5 at 7:30 p.m. as a part of the 2010-2011 Target Dance Series.

Led by Artistic Director Willy Tsao and Deputy Artistic Director Li Hanzhong, BeijingDance/LDTX is the first modern dance company founded independently from the Chinese government. Since 2005, the company has called China's capital its home, but its veteran choreographers and exceptionally talented dancers from a new generation reflecting cultural change in Chinese society are sharing their motivating works with communities around the globe. Although this is the first time Tsao brings BeijingDance/LDTX to Minnesota, Tsao has local connections, for he has danced and trained with Kathy Mohn, dance specialist at Linwood Arts Plus in Saint Paul, Minn.

"Criteria I look for when programming the Target World Music and Dance Series include performers who surprise, amaze, inspire and transcend joy through their craft - and on these principles, BeijingDance/LDTX certainly delivers," says Heather T. Spicuzza, Ordway's artistic director of world music, dance and the international children's festival.

BeijingDance/LDTX (Lei Dong Tian Xia), which translates literally as "Thunder Rumbles Under Heaven," serves as both a leader and a catalyst for the techniques of modern and contemporary dance and the dance appreciation movement. In June 2009, the company founded LDTX II in order to further nurture young talent in the arts and expose the most cutting-edge choreography to as many audiences as possible.

For the Ordway program, BeijingDance/LDTX will perform four critically acclaimed works including an excerpt from "The Cold Dagger," a ten-minute version of the company's full-length work during which dancers play with the Chinese idiom likening life to a game of chess; "Sky," which explores acceptance, trust, hope and continuance; an excerpt from "One Table N Chairs," one of nine scenes that together compose the full-length work that was inspired by local operas in various regions of China; and finally, "All River Red," a piece that reflects the development of contemporary dance in 20th century China, one that is a direct and aggressive confrontation between those adhering to tradition and those inspired to innovate.

Prior to the BeijingDance/LDTX public performance, the Ordway will host a free Ordway Extra program led by Tsao in the Ordway's Marzitelli Foyer at 6:30 p.m. In addition, the company will offer a modern dance master class in the Ordway's Drake Room on April 4 from 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. To learn more about these events, visit ordway.org/events.

Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
The Ordway is widely recognized as one of the nation's leading nonprofit performing arts centers and Saint Paul's most elegant and inviting performance space. The Ordway's Music Theater and McKnight stages attract diverse audiences with an array of productions showcasing the finest in American musical theater, world music, dance, and vocal performance. Education and community engagement are integral to the Ordway's mission, with major initiatives including the annual Flint Hills International Children's Festival and Ordway Education programs that serve over 50,000 students annually. The Ordway also serves as authorizer to the Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists, a professionally guided academic and artistic environment that trains aspiring pre-professional performing artists. Together with The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Minnesota Opera and The Schubert Club, the Ordway is a member of the Arts Partnership and serves as the principal venue for their performances.

Performance and Ticket Information
BeijingDance/LDTX
Tuesday, April 5, 2011 at 7:30 p.m.

Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
345 Washington Street
Saint Paul, MN 55102
Ordway's Music Theater

Tickets start at $21 including fees.

Box Office: 651.224.4222
Groups: 651.282.3111
ordway.org

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