Ordway

Rasta Thomas' Bad Boys of Dance
October 29 & 30, 2009  |  Grades 2-8

Exploding onto stage, this all male dance troupe combines ballet, jazz, ballroom, hip hop, gymnastics, and martial arts to deliver a highly imaginative and entertaining show. Founded by dance superstar Rasta Thomas, The Bad Boys are an unstoppable force that electrifies audiences around the world.

Thur, Oct 29, 10:30am
Thur, Oct 29, 12:30pm
Fri, Oct 30, 10:30am
Fri, Oct 30, 12:30pm

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Yasmin Levy
November 2, 2009  |  Grades 6-12

Yasmin is of a new generation of musicians who are preserving and re-defining the most beautiful songs from Ladino/Judeo-Spanish heritage, and mixing it with Andalucian Flamenco. Ladino, as it is popularly known, is an archaic form of Spanish with structures and vocabulary that can be traced back to the fifteenth century.

Mon, Nov 2, 10:30am

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VocalEssence Witness:
Sweet Honey in the Rock ©
February 16 & 17, 2010  |  Grades 4-12

VocalEssence WITNESS will celebrate the musical contributions that Sweet Honey in the Rock has made to bring about justice and freedom. For over 25 years, this a cappella ensemble has embodied the message of hope and positive change, with
themes of personal development and social activism interwoven in their music. This Grammy Award® winning group will perform alongside VocalEssence highlighting the connection between music and activism.

Tue, Feb 16, 10:30am
Tue, Feb 16, 12:30pm
Wed, Feb 17, 10:30am
Wed, Feb 17, 12:30pm

DanceBrazil
February 18 & 19, 2010  |  Grades 2-8

Experience Brazil through Afro-Brazilian Dance, music, and Capoeira movement. The company blends contemporary dance and sound in stunning performances that echo the traditional movement, spirit and color of Brazil’s rich multicultural influences.

Thur, Feb 18, 10:30am
Thur, Feb 18, 12:30pm
Fri, Feb 19, 10:30am

Dreaming the Duke
February 22, 2010  |  Grades 6-12

Jazz meets classical in this one of-a-kind celebration of the music of Edward "Duke" Ellington. Award-winning jazz vocalist Nnenna Freelon and opera superstar Harolyn Blackwell blend and shape their respective genres to celebrate the legacy and influences of America’s greatest jazz legend.

Mon, Feb 22, 10:30am
Mon, Feb 22, 12:30pm

Shidara
February 24 & 25, 2010  |  Grades K-6

From deep within the forest mountains of Japan comes Shidara! Rooted in the folk traditions of Japan, Shidara blends masterful skill, blinding energy and breakneck speed in an exciting and energizing display of Taiko. Defying time and place, their musiccaptures earthy tones of long ago, and thunders with new images of Japanese mountain life.

Wed, Feb 24, 12:30pm
Thur, Feb 25, 10:30am
Thur, Feb 25, 12:30pm

Diavolo
March 25 & 26, 2010  |  Grades 2-8

Leaping, flying and falling, Diavolo utilizes trust, imagination and large, outrageous sets to create metaphors through dance about life, humanity, and community. Company members use acrobatics to demonstrate teamwork as they fly from object to object and into each others’ arms.

Thur, March 25, 10:30am
Fri, March 26, 10:30am
Fri, March 26, 12:30pm

dre.dance
May 18 & 19, 2010  |  Grades 6-12

dre.dance is a New York-based contemporary dance company led by artistic directors Andrew Palermo and Taye Diggs. Inspired by modern, social dance, hip hop, and concert dance, the company’s coolly contemporary aesthetic has been praised by the press as “athletic,” “passionate” and “propulsive".

Tue, May 18, 10:30am
Tue, May 18, 12:30pm
Wed, May 19, 10:30am
Wed, May 19, 12:30am

Mtoto Wa Africa
June 1-4, 2010  |  Grades K-8

Shangilia is a youth performance group from Nairobi, Kenya under the direction of singer/director/composer J.D. Steele. Ranging in age from ten to twenty-one, the performers sing in English and Swahili with original music composed by Mr. Steele and Butch Heyward that blends African American soul and gospel with East African rhythms like soukous and bongo. Shangilia also incorporates traditional African music and dance with acrobatics and colorful costumes, weaving messages of love, peace and harmony into this exciting musical presentation. shangilia.org

Classroom Connections: Geography, Music, Social Studies, World Language.

Ordway Main Hall

Goodnight Moon and the Runaway Bunny
June 1-4, 2010  |  Grades PreK-2

Using puppetry, Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia brings to life Margret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd’s classic tales of two rabbits. In Goodnight Moon, Rabbit prepares or postpones going to bed by saying goodnight to everything in its room and imagination. In The Runaway Bunny, Bunny makes the decision to run away, which turns into an imaginative journey in which Bunny’s mother always finds a way of bringing Bunny back home. mermaidtheatre.ns.ca

Classroom Connections: Language Arts, Puppetry, Visual Arts.

Ordway McKnight Theatre

Short Stories by Teatro Hugo and Ines
June 2-4, 2010  |  Grades K-4

Peruvian puppeteers Hugo and Ines transform their hands, feet, knees, and belly buttons into a parade of extraordinary characters! In their signature work, Short Stories, Hugo and Ines create imaginative and creative characters that take the audience along for the ride as they explore the dreams, frustrations, successes and failures of everyday life.

Classroom Connections: Language Arts, Puppetry, Visual Arts.

Ordway McKnight Theatre