March 30, 2006
Traditions from Africa, Ireland on Meany stage soon
The traditions of two countries will be on display at Meany Theater over the next week. Les Ballets Africains, the national ensemble of the Republic of Guinea, will be here March 31 and April 1, and the Trinity Dance Company, an American group performing the dance of Ireland, will be here April 6-8.
Les Ballets Africains will perform their inspiring and colorful Golden Jubilee program, which features traditional dance, music, acrobatics and storytelling. Created in France in 1952 by the Guinean poet and choreographer, Keita Fodeba, the company was born in the middle of the fight of the African countries against colonialism. Created to showcase a vision of justice for Africa by giving witness to the humanity of the black man through its choreography, Les Ballets Africains was a model of African art & culture, illustrating the authentic personality of the continent of Africa. Today, that tradition continues as pulsing rhythms from ancient tribal instruments build excitement when the company bursts onto the stage in an explosion of dance and song.
The Trinity Dance Company features the highest caliber of Irish step dancers, who have been called “a lethal powerhouse of speed and sound.” Founded in 1990 by Artistic Director Mark Howard as a means of providing professional career opportunities to students who formerly had no outlet for their dance training beyond the competitive circuit, this innovative nonprofit company is constantly searching for original means of expression while maintaining a high regard for old traditions.
A majority of the company’s dancers came through the ranks of the prestigious Trinity Academy of Irish Dance, the Chicago/Milwaukee- based school that has garnered an unprecedented number of team world titles for the United States at the World Championships of Irish Dance. Seattle native Carin Nash recently joined the company and will be dancing in this program.
Curtain time for both shows is 8 p.m. Tickets for Les Ballets Africains are $33 ($20 ages 5-17), while those for Trinity are $42 and $30. Tickets for both shows are available at the UW Arts Ticket Office, 206-543-4880, as well as online at www.uwworldseries.org. Pre-show lectures are at 7:15 p.m. in the Meany Hall west lobby.
