Schedule announced for ACE series
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WCU’s 2012-13 Arts and Cultural Events series begins with “Palenque Rojo” at the Bardo Arts Center on Tuesday, Sept. 11
Innovative comedy, a classic holiday ballet and a Tony Award-winning tap dance artist are included in the lineup for the 2012-13 Arts and Cultural Events Performance Series at Western Carolina University.
The ACE season opens Tuesday, Sept. 11, with “Palenque Rojo” presented at 7:30 p.m. in the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center. The contemporary drama was inspired by a clash between two major Mayan city-states that took place in 711 B.C., when the dynasty of the Cranium of the Snake, Tonina, decided to attack Palenque and take ruler Kan Joy Chitam II into captivity. Featuring 20 Mayan actors from Chiapas, Mexico, and live pre-Hispanic music, the performance re-creates the priests, servants, warriors and rulers of the time. Ticket prices are $5 for students, $10 for WCU faculty and staff, and $15 for all others.
The series takes a funny turn Thursday, Oct. 11, with a performance by the Upright Citizens Brigade Touring Company at 7:30 p.m. in the Bardo Arts Center. The troupe is considered to be one of the premier producers of comedic talent in the nation, with Horatio Sanz, Amy Poehler, Rob Corddry, Ed Helms and Rob Riggle included among its alumni. The show is recommended for individuals age 16 and older. All tickets are $5.
The Strivers Row Poetry Show comes to the Bardo Arts Center at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 14. The performance poetry collective was organized in fall 2010 but already has performed at venues ranging from the Sundance Film Festival to President Obama’s evening of music and poetry at the White House. For the artists involved, poetry is not just a form of entertainment, but also a vehicle for transformation. The show is recommended for individuals age 16 and older. All tickets are $5.
A holiday favorite, “The Nutcracker,” will bring performers from the Ballet Conservatory of Asheville to the Bardo Arts Center on Thursday, Dec. 6. A cast of nearly 100 will present Clara’s ballet dream featuring a battle between toy soldiers and a mouse militia, enchanted dancing sweets and a growing Christmas tree with onstage snow flurries. All the conservatory’s performances of “The Nutcracker” have sold out for the past three years. Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. show are $10.
Savion Glover
Tap dancer, choreographer and actor Savion Glover will present his show “SoLe Sanctuary” at the Bardo Arts Center at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 24. A performer since childhood, Glover has developed a dance style he calls “free-style hard-core.” His choreography for the 1996 musical “Bring in ’da Noise, Bring in ’da Funk” earned him a Tony for best choreographer. Glover’s show displays his reverence for the art of tap and the craft he has mastered, with his performance described in The New York Times as “barebones and pure, full of the kind of rhythmic innovation that trips down one path, splinters off in different directions and then sweeps back home.” Tickets are $10 for students and $15 for all others.
Two cultures and musical genres, Indian and flamenco, are blended in the performances of Kumar Das and Inflame, who will present a show at the Bardo Arts Center at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 12. The world music fusion band transports listeners through a kaleidoscope of centuries-old culture, music, tradition and spirituality. The group’s musicians include Das, who performs on the tabla, an Indian percussion instrument, along with Cristian Puig, Snehasish Mozumder and Peter Basil. Admission is free for students and $5 for all others.
The ACE series concludes Thursday, April 11, with a presentation of poetry by Nikky Finney at 7:30 p.m. in the recital hall of WCU’s Coulter Building. A South Carolina native who came of age during the civil rights and black arts movements, Finney is the author of four books of poetry, including “Head Off & Split,” which won the 2011 National Book Award for poetry. She is a professor of English and creative writing at the University of Kentucky and co-founded the Affrilachian Poets. Finney’s presentation at WCU will part of the university’s 2013 Spring Literary Festival. Admission is free.
Tickets for shows taking place at the Bardo Arts Center will be available at the box office. Call 828-227-2479 or visit bardoartscenter.wcu.edu. For more information about the ACE series, contact Lori Davis at 828-227-3622 or visit ace.wcu.edu.
