Tampa City Ballet to Present INTERSTICES

Two performances will be presented on October 9th at 3:00 PM and 7:30 PM at The Cuban Club, 2010 N. Avenida Republica de Cuba at 14th Street, Tampa.

INTERSTICES - A Break in Continuity features over 25 dancers and musicians taken out of "traditional" settings and presented for audiences moving in and around the historic Cuban Club. Each floor of the neoclassical Club will be used. The main performance, staged in the magnificent Grand Ballroom on the top floor, is the next stop along the creative path called 7th Avenue and Ybor - the retelling of the art, beauty, history and culture in the heart of Tampa's famed Ybor City. The setting for INTERSTICES is post-depression, pre-World War II Ybor.

7th Avenue and Ybor is an ongoing, progressive creation envisioned by TCB's founder and Artistic Director, Paula Nuñez, a true visionary in her commitment to expand the cultural experience of dance in the Tampa Bay community over the past 17 years. She also serves on the faculty of the acclaimed University of South Florida (USF) Department of Dance and Theatre. Paula uses storytelling through innovative dance performances and music with dancers who are classically trained yet shaped by her unique collaborative approach. Performances are presented in out-of-the-way spaces, indoors and outdoors, so that the lessons of the stories will be accessible to more people as they learn the importance of the artistry of dance in all its forms.

One key feature of the non-profit dance company, TCB, is its dedication to discover and develop dance talent to help them on a path to professional dancing careers. Paula explains, "Tampa City Ballet gives all - the dancers and musicians, the ballet masters and even me, opportunities to explore the very nature of art and its power to express ideas and emotions." She continues, "Our stories are meant to uplift individuals, enrich, heal and transform lives."

For all TCB productions, Paula recruits professional and pre-professional talent from throughout the region and the globe. INTERSTICES features visiting guest artists such as Nicole Assaad, former dancer of Hong Kong Ballet and Daniel Sarabia, former dancer of National Ballet of Cuba and Bejart Ballet. Current guest artists with Dance Alive National Ballet (Gainesville, FL) are joining also, José Antonio Ramos from Cuba and Fhilipe Teixeir from Brazil. There are over 20 more local and regional dancers and performers to be at The Cuban Club - don't miss them!

Live music will be provided throughout The Cuban Club by local musical artists, including renowned singer and pianist, Alina Izquierdo, and the Grady's Rhythm Gentlemen, a quintet of "performers, educators, recording artists and family men" well known in the Tampa Bay area.

The 2018 award-winning dance production, 7th Avenue, first examined Ybor City's social justice issues in the early 20th century, like workers' rights (cigar factory workers), racism (Jim Crow laws), illicit activities (gaming, mobsters and crime), and dominate characters and politicians (such as Charlie Wall). In response to COVID-19, TCB produced its first dance art film, 102 Degrees, which connected the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 to today's tragic pandemic through the feverish dreams of a modern-day first responder and Ybor nurse.

102 Degrees was awarded Best Film in the esteemed Canadian Experimental, Dance & Music Festival. TCB along with Creative Loafing is screening 102 Degrees on Friday, September 24th, 7:30 - 9:00 PM at the CL Space, 204 E. Henderson Ave, Tampa. Wine and beer will be available. To celebrate the great news of the BEST FILM win, TCB is welcoming everyone to join us Friday night (donations accepted)!

INTERSTICES - A Break in Continuity will be presented on October 9th at 3:00 PM and 7:30 PM at The Cuban Club, 2010 N. Avenida Republica de Cuba at 14th Street, Tampa. Tickets may be purchased online with Eventbrite at: bit.ly/tampacityballet.

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