PHILADANCO! returns for its 51st season

This spring, PHILADANCO! returns for its 51st season to the Kimmel Cultural Campus, April 22-24, The show entitled, RE!!! (Revived and Archived, Re-visited and Re-Constructed), will take place at the Perelman Theater for four shows: Friday, April 22 at 7:30PM, Saturday, April 23 at 2:00PM and 7:30PM and Sunday, April 24 at 2:00PM. 

“[Joan Myers Brown has made] an artistic haven for African-American dancers and choreographers to innovate, create and share their unique visions with the national and global dance communities.”

– BARACK OBAMA

For RE!!!, the company has rejuvanated critically acclaimed treasures from their archives of black choreographers, including Ulysses Dove’s “Bad Blood,” Jawole Willa Jo Zollar’s “The Walkin’, Talkin’, Signifying Blues Hips, Lowdown Throwdown,” Rennie Harris’ “Wake Up,” and Ray Mercer’s “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner.”

PHILADANCO!’s reconstructed presentation of “Bad Blood,” a highly physical and seldom-performed piece by Ulysses Dove, premiered on the Kimmel Cultural Campus in April 2014. Dove (1947–1996) was an influential choreographer who was a member of Merce Cunningham Dance Company and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. A work about couples and relationships, “Bad Blood” relies on impact – the fierce physical impact with which the dancers throw themselves at one another, the force of the speed with which they turn, and the power with which their gestures punch through space.

“The Walkin’, Talkin’, Signifying Blues Hips, Lowdown Throwdown” by Jawole Willa Jo Zollar celebrates PHILADANCO!’s bold women, with an exuberant work in four movements featuring a percussive score. Zollar, the founder of the acclaimed company Urban Bush Women (UBW) Dance Company, is dedicated to exploring the use of cultural expression as a catalyst for social change.

Born and raised in North Philadelphia, Rennie Harris founded Rennie Harris Puremovement in 1992, which is the oldest and longest running hip-hop dance touring company in the country. The Rennie Harris Puremovement is dedicated to preserving and disseminating hip-hop culture. Having received multiple accolades, Harris was voted one of the most influential people in the last one hundred years of Philadelphia history. “Wake Up” explores the continuing evolution of Hip Hop dance through the lens of African American and Latino youth who are still using it as a vehicle for expression.

"Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” was created by PHILADANCO! and Ailey/Fordham Bachelor of Fine Arts resident choreographer Ray Mercer and explores the complex emotional dynamics that people share during the sacred ritual of dinner.

Kim Y. Bears-Bailey, Artistic Director for PHILADANCO!, auditioned for the company when she was in her second semester at the Philadelphia College of Performing Arts (now: University of the Arts). When asked about the selection process in choosing the pieces for the PHILADANCO! RE!!! she stated, "Two years ago, Ms. Brown (Founder and Executive Artistic Director of PHILADANCO!) and I spoke about the idea of bringing back choreographers who have had a long history with PHILADANCO! and who have made an indelible impact on the company. We recognized that these work were treasures and wanted to create an opportunity for our current company members to experience these works and re-introduce them to old and new audiences. The hardest part was choosing from the long list of works we wanted to show but the ones we picked show some of the most unique choreographers and showcase the wide breadth of styles that PHILADANCO! is known for."  

“The company is in peak form—dancer for dancer, probably the best-trained, certainly the most versatile, dance company in Philadelphia.”
- THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER

Tickets can be purchased by calling 215-893-1999 or online at www.kimmelculturalcampus.org.  In-person ticket sales can be conducted daily from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. at the Academy of Music Box Office, located at 240 S. Broad Street. See www.kimmelculturalcampus.org for more information. 

Safe & Clean Commitment

The Kimmel Cultural Campus is proudly certified by the Global Biorisk Advisory Council – the gold standard for cleaning, disinfection, and infection prevention programs. 

  

We will always put the safety of our guests, artists, and staff first, and we have worked closely with partners, producers, artists, guests and other performing arts centers around the nation to develop the most comprehensive plan to safely reopen our doors. We are committing to a healthy and clean environment with increased disinfection, enhanced ventilation, and will enforce recommended health authority guidelines, including masks and proof of vaccination.  

  

Masks are required to be worn at all times when on the Kimmel Cultural Campus, except when actively consuming food or beverage in designated locations. Prolonged periods of mask removal are not permitted.  

 

All attendees for public events must show proof of full vaccination at the time of entry, with valid photo ID and copy of vaccination card (physical or photo). Children under 5 are no longer required to show a negative PCR test or negative rapid result when accompanied by a fully vaccinated adult.

  

This policy is subject to change based upon guidance from the CDC and local health authorities. For more information on our Safe & Clean Commitment and the most up-to-date information about our policies, please visit kimmelculturalcampus.org.