Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts

Philadanco Performs 40th Anniversary Jubilee at the Kimmel Center, April 15-18

MARCH 29, 2010

Program Includes Philadelphia Premiere of Jawole Willa Jo Zollar’s "By Way of the Funk," set to music of the Funkadelics!

“A company that represents the possibilities of human spirit through dance.” —Dance Magazine

Philadanco celebrates its 40th Anniversary Jubilee at the Kimmel Center’s Perelman Theater from Thursday, April 15, 2010 through Sunday, April 18, 2010.  Philadanco's jubilee season concludes with the company premiere of Jawole Willa Jo Zollar's By Way of the Funk, a historical reflection set to the music of the Funkadelics, which was co-commissioned for Philadanco by the Kimmel Center and the August Wilson Center in Pittsburgh. The program will also include three reconstructions of company favorites: Talley Beatty’s A Rag, A Bone and A Hank of Hair; Milton Myers’ The Element From Which It Comes, and Gene Hill Sagan’s Elegy.

Philadanco’s 40th anniversary season comes full circle with continuous performances throughout the United States and a European tour scheduled this Fall 2010, with dates in Germany and the Netherlands.  The dance troupe recently performed classic Philadanco repertoire in Monterrey, Mexico, including the Philadelphia Experiment, which built the modern dance company’s reputation as an innovative artistic force.

On Friday, April 16, 2010, Philadanco hosts the 40th Anniversary Gala at the Kimmel Center with a reception in First Tier Lounge from 5:30pm to 7pm; and a dessert and champagne reception in the Hamilton Rooftop Garden from 9:30pm to 11:30pm, following the 7:30pm performance in Perelman Theater. For more information about the gala, please contact Designer Events Inc. at 610-827-7497.

"Philadanco’s dancers are a miracle of skill and energy. They work in a range of idioms most companies don’t even try to possess…A company that can do more than just anything…It can represent the possibilities of the human spirit through dance." —Dance Magazine

Tickets for Philadanco 40th Anniversary Jubilee are $34 to $46 and can be purchased by calling 215-893-1999, online at www.kimmelcenter.org, or at the Kimmel Center box office, open daily from 10am to 6pm and later on performance evenings. (Additional fees may apply.) For group sales call 215-790-5883.

A limited number of $10 community rush tickets will be available for these performances. Tickets go on sale the day of the event and can be purchased at the Kimmel Center box office beginning at 5:30pm prior to evening curtain time and 11:30am for matinees. Limit one ticket per person.

Joan Myers Brown is a revered choreographer and dancer, who pioneered an alternative path for African Americans to become professionally trained dancers post-civil rights era. A trailblazer in her own right, she helped young emerging dancers and choreographers find a voice and place in the dance world by founding the following organizations:

  • The Philadelphia School of Dance Arts in Philadelphia (1960)
  • Contemporary modern dance company Philadanco in (1970)
  • Coalition of African American Cultural Organizations in Philadelphia, co-founder (1986)
  • International Conference of Black Dance Companies (1988)
  • International Association of Blacks in Dance (1991)

Born in Philadelphia on Christmas Day in l931, Joan Myers Brown began training with the Ballet Guild in Philadelphia at age seven. She also trained at the Sydney-Marion School in Philadelphia, Pa., a pre-civil rights classical ballet school for African American dancers. Thereafter, Brown moved to New York in 1951 on a ballet scholarship to study at The Dunham School, and began her professional career with performances of choreographed works with The Savar Dancers at Café Montmarte in Montreal, Canada, as well as tours to Quebec City and Toronto. She has danced at the legendary Cab Calloway Cotton Club Revue, warmed up performers such as Sammy Davis, Jr., Pearl Bailey, Billy Eckstein and Billy Daniels, among other greats.

Currently, Brown is a visiting professor at the University of the Arts and a member of the dance faculty at Howard University in Washington, D.C. She has received an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from the University of the Arts, Philadelphia (2004) and an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Ursinus College, Collegeville, Pa. (2007). The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts also honored her as a Master of African American Choreography in 2005. Additional accolades include the "Dance Women: Living Legends" tributary honor bestowed in 1997 and a Dance Magazine Award in 2006.

Philadanco has a long history as Philadelphia’s premiere modern contemporary dance company: it is one of the first companies to hire dancers on a 52 week salary; the first to own housing for the dancers; and the first to own a debt-free facility. Philadanco presents wide-ranging repertoire of highly athletic material rooted in jazz, ballet and modern dance traditions. The company continues to consistently tour more than any Philadelphia cultural organization, performing as many as 50-60 concerts and 45 residencies annually.

In 2005, Philadanco was one of 14 companies to receive the prestigious American Masterpieces Award from the National Endowment for the Arts. The company has performed at Madison Square Garden, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, the Joyce and the Delacorte in New York City as well as major venues throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Caribbean.

"The members of...Philadanco can do just about anything: leap like arrows in flight, spin, stretch, kick and melt like hot wax." –Washington Post

“By Way of the Funk” (Philadelphia premiere)

This four part work is a joyous celebration of the 40 years of Philadanco’s existence and harnesses the energy and culture of funk music. As it says in the song “funk not only moves it removes, dig” – these words are emblematic of the way funk music makes you want to get up out of your seat and dance and forget about your troubles. Set to the music of Parliament Funkadelics, who were known for their outrageous costumes and in your face performance.

“The Element in Which It Takes Place (company premiered 1987)

“The Element in Which it Takes Place” is the society within the community. The attitudes of the men and women in the dance are traditional.  Set to the music of Phillip Glass and Meredith Monk.

“Elegy” (world premiered 1984)

With a cast of eight to ten dancers, this piece smoothly blends the techniques of classical ballet and modern dance.  “Elegy” combines a collage of statuesque, sculpted movements set in a mournful tone of emotions.  Set to the music of Ralph Vaughn Williams. “A well crafted effusion and ardor” —New York Times

“A Rag, A Bone and A Hank of Hair” (premiered 1985)

Talley Beatty’s self-described style is a mixture of Graham connective steps, Dunham technique, and a little ballet with Louisiana hot sauce on it. His choreography is also described as “fast, exuberant, [and] explosive,” sometimes at break neck speed while exploring the interactions amongst the dancers.  This piece is done to contemporary music of various artists including Prince and Earth, Wind & Fire.

Kimmel Center Presents 2009/10 Season is sponsored by Citi. American Airlines is the Official Airline of Kimmel Center Presents.

Free at the Kimmel programming and subsidized tickets offered to the community and social service groups for $10 are made possible through the Wachovia Gateway to the Arts Community Access Program, supported by a generous grant from the Wachovia Foundation.

The Kimmel Center is a recipient of partnership funding through the nationally recognized PNC "Grow Up Great" initiative, a ten-year, $100 million investment preparing children for success in school and life. Funding gives support to the Kimmel Center’s early childhood program "Bop and Swing," an arts program for children 1-5 years old, designed to promote an appreciation for American culture.

KIMMEL CENTER PRESENTS SPONSORED BY CITI

Thursday, April 15, 2010 | 7:30pm
Friday, April 16, 2010 | 7:30pm
Saturday, April 17, 2010 | 2:30pm and 7:30pm
Sunday, April 18, 2010 | 2:30pm
Perelman Theater

Philadanco

Perelman Theater

Program:
Talley Beatty: A Rag A Bone and A Hank of Hair
Milton Myers: The Element From Which It Comes
Gene Hill Sagan: Elegy
Jawole Willa Jo Zollar: By Way of the Funk (Company Premiere)

Thursday, November 12, 2009 | Post-Show
Perelman Theater Stage | Artist Chat
This performance will conclude with an Artist Chat featuring the evening's dancers and Founder and Artistic Director Joan Myers Brown.

 

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