DanceBrazil Premieres Two New Works at the Ordway 2/19

DanceBrazil, the distinguished contemporary dance company will premiere two new works during its performance at Ordway Center for the Performing Arts: "Banguela" and "Memória." The company's appearance, on February 19, is part of the Ordway's Target® World Music and Dance Series.

Founded by Jelon Vieira in 1977, New York-based DanceBrazil has entertained audiences around the world with its unique aesthetic and colorful invitation into the rich culture of Brazil. Whether in the streets or on stage in the most prestigious theaters, DanceBrazil never fails to enthrall audiences with the company's unique fusion of Afro-Brazilian movement, contemporary dance and capoeira, the traditional dance/martial arts form that had its origins in Africa and evolved in colonial Brazil as a means of fighting enslavement.

NEW WORKS
"Memória" celebrates the roots of African culture growing deep within Brazilian culture. The dancers' movements reflect the rituals of Afro-Brazilian culture in a specifically contemporary context. Musically, the rich rhythmic diversity of the accompanying music is inspired by Afro-Brazilian rhythms of Northern Brazil and the work of renowned composer and percussionist, Nana Vasconcelos and perhaps the most significant Latin American composer, Heitor Villa-Lobos

"Banguela" is a special rhythm played to calm down the capoeiristas when their play in the roda gets too heated. This piece follows the spiritual preparation that capoeiristas undertake before a roda; it is an interlude within the game. Both the Banguela rhythm and The Players' actions are technical and strategic, usually characterized by low-to-the-ground movement and including fakes, balances, speed and acrobatic movements.

DANCEBRAZIL
What started out as grass-roots workshops at the Clark Center for the Arts in NYC has grown to be a world-renowned dance company with a more than 30-year history. Famous members of the dance community have left their mark on the organization including Alvin Ailey, an original board member for the dance company who suggested calling the organization DanceBrazil. In 2008, Vieira was awarded one of 11 National Heritage Fellowships, the nation's highest honor for Folk and Traditional Arts. Vieira has traveled worldwide to teach capoeira and Afro-Brazilian dance, teaching such notable names as soccer great Pele; American movie stars Wesley Snipes and Eddie Murphy. He has been a guest artist at universities across the country including Yale, Columbia, Stanford and Duke, to name a few.

Ticket holders are invited to attend a special, free Ordway Extra in the Marzitelli Foyer before the show at 6:30 p.m. The Ordway Extra prior to the DanceBrazil public performance will take place at 6:30pm in the second-floor Marzitelli Foyer. It will feature local capoeira master, Yoji Senna, and TU Dance members, Toni Pierce-Sands and Marciano Silva dos Santos. Yoji will talk about the history of capoeira, its roots in Brazil, and how it has been modified as it moves to different cultures. Toni and Marciano will talk about being part of a dance company that incorporates both contemporary and traditional dance forms into their work. The presentation will end with a short capoeira demonstration by members of the Afro-Brazilian Capoeira Association. To learn more about Ordway Extras, visit ordway.org/events.

Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
The Ordway celebrates its 25th anniversary season as one of the nation's leading not-for-profit performing arts centers and Saint Paul's most elegant and inviting performance space. The Ordway's Main Hall and McKnight Theatre stages attract diverse audiences with an array of productions showcasing the finest in American musical theater, world music, jazz, 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 sponsors 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 Schubert Club, the Ordway is a member of the Arts Partnership and serves as the principal venue for their performances.

Performance and Ticket Information
DanceBrazil
Target® World Music and Dance Series
Friday, February 19, 2010
7:30 p.m.
$30.50 - $35.50

Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
345 Washington Street
Saint Paul, MN 55102

Box Office: 651.224.4222
Groups: 651.282.3111
ordway.org

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