Music Center at Strathmore (North Bethesda, MD)
Strathmore and CityDance present CityDance Ensemble in The Songwriters, a collection of dances centered around America's great songwriters. The program includes Sophie Maslow's legendary 1942 work Folksay, which incorporates the music of Woody Guthrie and the poetry of Carl Sandburg, plus CityDance Artistic Director's Paul Gordon Emerson's Born to Run, based on Bruce Springsteen's legendary album, and two other works.
Event summary prepared by the Goldstar Editorial Team.
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The last event was Friday June 13, 2008 / 8:00pm. (view all dates)
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This was my first time using Goldstar, and I was purchasing tickets to a dance event. So, I was hesitant to buy b/c I thought I'd end up in the nose bleed section. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that I actually got front orchestra center seats. I will use Goldstar again!
The performance was enjoyable too.
Strong performances! Enjoyable!
The dancers were excellent. The 2 singers (at the beginning of the show) were not the same quality as the dancers. In fact, they distracted from the performance.
This was my first time at Strathmore. Seats were good and Strathmore was beautiful!!!
Dancing was uninspiring.
The dancers were phenomenal while the choreography was innovative and dynamic. Definitely worth seeing!
In a tribute to some of America’s greatest songwriters, Strathmore and CityDance present CityDance Ensemble at the Music Center at Strathmore, dancing to the music of Woody Guthrie, Sonny Terry, and Bruce Springsteen. Complementing the music with choreography by Sophie Maslow, Jane Dudley, and CityDance Artistic Director Paul Gordon Emerson, CityDance delivers its 2007-2008 season finale concert with a selection of dances ranging from the early days of modern dance to the contemporary interpretations of movement and meaning. Completing the program is Brenda Way’s On a Train Heading South, a daring piece that bravely addresses global warming.
Opening the program is Sophie Maslow’s legendary 1942 work Folksay, for which CityDance was awarded an American Masterpieces: Dance award, the dance component of a major initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts administered by New England Foundation for the Arts. This grant, given to only ten dance companies each year, is designed to support the reconstruction and restaging of historically significant American dance work that will tour nationally. Folksay is a 26-minute work for eight dancers that features two guitarists who play the traditional folk songs of Woody Guthrie and recite Carl Sandburg's poem The People, Yes.
“CityDance is honored to have received the American Masterpieces grant to reconstruct Folksay,” notes Mr. Emerson. “Presenting great works from the pioneers of modern dance is an important part of CityDance’s mission, as it allows us to keep this part of our history alive while demonstrating the continuing relevance of the art form.”
CityDance continues its commitment to reviving great works of modern dance with Jane Dudley’s Harmonica Breakdown, created in 1938 as a tribute to the challenges and accomplishments of the common man during the Depression. Reconstructed for CityDance by Sheron Wray, Harmonica Breakdown demonstrates the simple, clean, and exceptionally clear aesthetic that made modern dance both significant and sustainable. Ms. Dudley created Harmonica Breakdown after hearing blues harmonica player Sonny Terry perform live at Carnegie Hall, marking one of the first times an African American had performed on that stage.
Paul Gordon Emerson’s Born to Run celebrates the iconic music and legendary lyrics of Bruce Springsteen as it reflects the spirit of youth, adventure, and growing up in America. The Born to Run suite features live accompaniment by renowned harmonicist Frédéric Yonnet as well as recordings from Springsteen’s celebrated 1975 release.
“Springsteen’s music defined rock and roll for several generations,” comments Mr. Emerson. “The opportunity to stage dance to that music is both a privilege and a challenge, and I can’t think of any better music to accompany our season finale performance at the Music Center at Strathmore.”
Closing the program is On a Train Heading South, a vigorous ensemble piece choreographed in 2005 by Brenda Way, Artistic Director of the dance company ODC/San Francisco. Inspired by the crisis brought about by the melting of the polar ice caps, On a Train Heading South explores human complacency and collective denial in the face of global warming and its implications. Developed in collaboration with composer Jack Perla and stage and light designer Alexander V. Nichols, the choreography is accented by the melting of 12 giant ice blocks hovering above the stage.
Ms. Way and the entire 10-member company of ODC/San Francisco spent a week in Washington, D.C. teaching and rehearsing the 27-minute piece with the members of CityDance Ensemble. This collaboration marked the first time that Ms. Way licensed one of her works to another dance company.
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