March 15, 2004
CONTACT: LISA WOSKE
(805) 756-7110
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Ronald K. Brown Brings 'Evidence' Dancers to Cal Poly April 8
SAN LUIS OBISPO -- The New York Times calls choreographer
Ronald K. Brown's work "persuasive and powerful." On Thursday,
April 8,
2004, Ronald K. Brown and his New York-based seven-member company,
Evidence, will perform at the Cal Poly Theatre. Curtain is 8 p.m.
Presenter and Cal Poly Arts director Ralph Hoskins refers to Brown's
unique blend of contemporary street dance, ballet, and elements of West
African social dance as a "one-of-a-kind dance vocabulary."
Dance Magazine likened Brown's work to "...rich, African batik...vibrant
colors, complex patterns, and powerful images. His dancers speak
through explosive jumps, layouts, gestures, and distinctive body
formations. Bursts of physical energy hang in the air long after the
performers have moved into new space."
The Evidence company includes Camille Brown, Arcell Cabuag, Shani
Collins, Diedre N. Dawkins, Juel Lane, Bridget Moore, and Keon C.
Thoulouis .
The evening features original works entitled "Upside Down,"
"Walking Out
The Dark," "For You," and "Come Ye."
After creating his Evidence company in 1986, Brown emerged as a
charismatic performer and teacher, as well as a highly in-demand
choreographer.
"I came to believe I could create a dance folklore for the Afro-American
community," says Brown, whose mission is to share perspectives through
modern dance, theater and kinetic storytelling. His talents are geared
towards offering cultural exchanges in the United States and abroad with
a specific focus on developing African contemporary dance.
With national tours and worldwide engagements, Brown's work has been
commissioned by numerous dance companies, including Alvin Ailey American
Dance Theatre and Ailey II.
Since 1986, Ronald K. Brown/Evidence has presented works in New York's
Performance Space 122, Dance Theatre workshop, and the Joyce Theatre,
as
well as at the Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, American Dance Festival,
and the National Black Arts Festival.
Brown has received numerous awards and fellowships, including a John
Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellow in Choreography, a National
Endowment for the Arts Choreographers’ Fellowship, a New York Foundation
for the Arts Fellowship in choreography, a New York Dance and
Performance Award (Bessie), a Black Theater Alliance Award, the American
Dance Festival Humphrey/Wiedman/Limon Award, fellowships from the Edward
and Sally van Lier Fund.
In 2000, Brown was named Def Dance Jam Workshop Mentor of the Year.
Tickets for the performance are $$32 & $38, with student discounts
available, and may be purchased at the Performing Arts Ticket Office,
10
a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. To order by
phone, call 805/756-2787; to order by fax: 805/756-6088. Order on-line
at www.pacslo.org.
The performance is sponsored in part by a grant from the Western States
Arts Federation (WESTAF).
For audio and video samples of Cal Poly Arts events, visit
www.calpolyarts.org.
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