FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 16, 2009
Washington, DC—Capturing the imagination of young and old alike, CityDance Ensemble presents its original adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Books this April at the Lansburgh Theatre in an animated blend of movement, music, mischief, and magic.
Telling the timeless stories of Mowgli, Shere Khan, Baloo, and other characters from the classic tales, CityDance Ensemble mixes original choreography with an original score to create a world of enchantment in this colorful family show.
The concerts take place Saturday, April 18 at 1pm and 4pm and Sunday, April 19 at 1pm and 4pm at the Lansburgh Theatre, 450 7th Street NW, Washington, DC. Tickets are priced at $18 for all ages. Tickets are available in person at the Lansburgh Theatre Ticket Office (450 7th Street NW, Washington, DC), online at www.harmancenter.org, or by phone at 202.547.1122.
“Performing our annual production of Jungle Books is always a highlight of CityDance’s season,” comments CityDance Artistic Director Paul Gordon Emerson. “The powerful ideas and themes of Kipling’s stories lend themselves beautifully to being re-told through dance, music, and movement. We find that children – and adults – of all ages relate well to the animal characters and are fascinated by the magical world they create.”
CityDance premiered its original production of Jungle Books in December 2007. In this second annual rendition, the concert will feature original choreography by Paul Gordon Emerson, Rehearsal Director & Choreographer-in-Residence Christopher K. Morgan, company member Alicia Ann Canterna, former company member Kyra Jean Green, former Washington Ballet dancer Jason Hartley, and DC-based dancers and choreographers Joseph Nontanovan (Artistic Director of Culture Shock DC) and Meisha Bosma (Artistic Director of BosmaDance). Composers Clifton Brockington, Saleem Wayne Waters, and Matt Jones created the original score that will be performed live by Mr. Brockington and Mr. Waters.
The sets and drops for Jungle Books were created in partnership with Washington, DC’s Ford’s Theatre and transform the stage into an Indian jungle, while original costumes and masks will mold the dancers into Kipling’s characters as they leap, pounce, and prance their way through several segments of the original novel in this hour-long stage adaptation.
Performing alongside CityDance Ensemble in the role of the monkeys are students of CityDance Select, the company’s pre-professional program for serious dancers ages 13-19. In this multi-genre program, students study technique and performance, as well as dance history, multimedia arts, anatomy, and other related fields. Younger dance students from CityDance Center at Strathmore will also appear in Jungle Books in the new role of the baby birds.
“The collaborative aspect of this production has made the show incredibly rich and well-rounded,” notes Mr. Emerson. “Because we have the good fortune of working with so many talented choreographers, dancers, and musicians in the Washington, DC area, Jungle Books has developed into a truly multi-faceted, multi-disciplinary production.”
A family show in every sense, Jungle Books will appeal to audiences young and old, with Kipling’s themes of morality and perseverance woven throughout as Mowgli grows from a small boy to a young adult through his jungle adventures. Children will also find excitement before and after the show with free face painting and photographs with the characters.
CityDance Ensemble will also perform Jungle Books in a special engagement with four musicians from the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra on Saturday, April 25 at 11am at Joseph Meyerhoff Hall in Baltimore. Information and tickets are available at www.bsomusic.org. In addition, CityDance Ensemble will continue its performance tour of Jungle Books this spring in DC area elementary schools as part of its commitment to making dance accessible to a wide variety of audiences through its dance outreach programs.
The 2009 performance of Jungle Books is funded in part by Washington Performing Arts Society and the Dallas Morse Coors Foundation for the Performing Arts. The original creation of Jungle Books was made possible in part by funding from the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities, an agency supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional support from Washington Performing Arts Society and Ford’s Theatre.
About CityDance Ensemble, Inc.
CityDance Ensemble, Inc. is the parent organization to CityDance Ensemble, an award-winning contemporary repertory dance company; Early Arts, an arts outreach program for youth reaching thousands of students each year; CityDance Education Centers, facilities committed to excellence in dance training for youth and adults; and FilmWORKS, a creator and presenter of dance-on-camera. The mission of CityDance is to advance the appreciation for and participation in the art of dance through excellence in performance, education, film, and artistic innovation.
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