DANCE CELEBRATION
Student Discovery Series
This year we celebrate Superstars of Dance, Today and Tomorrow featuring seven sensational dance troupes showcasing the diversity of contemporary dance. Programs feature superstars including America's most celebrated dancemaker Paul Taylor sharing his newest masterpieces about the human condition, the mind-boggling and ingenious gymnastic troupe Pilobolus, the imaginative choreography of David Parsons in the rock opera Remember Me, and Luis Bravo's Forever Tango, a show about the culture, history and passion of Argentina. These masters set new standards and traditions that are passed onto today's rising stars -- Larry Keigwin in his latest work Elements (an exploration on air, fire, water and earth), Monica Bill Barnes, in her hilarious dance Another Parade and Canada's phenom Azure Barton in her work Busk about street performers.
Students are encouraged to learn more about the magical world of dance through further research on the internet, reading books and magazines, studying dance and by watching videos. Additional suggestions for curriculum links are available to teachers through our complimentary Study Guides designed specifically to target each program and to extend the learning experience.
To request a copy of the Student Discovery brochure, contact 215-636-9000 ext 110 or annemarie@danceaffiliates.org.
ALL PERFORMANCES TAKE PLACE AT
Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts
3680 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104
Performances are an hour long and include a complimentary Study Guide and a special "Talk Back Session" with the dance company.
SCHEDULE
Past: (click below for detail)
- Aszure Barton & Artists: May 6 - 10:30am
- Pilobolus Dance Theater: March 4 - 10:30am
- Monica Bill Barnes & Company: February 11 - 10:30am
- Keigwin + Company: January 21 - 10:30am
- Parsons Dance: December 3 - 10:30am
- Luis Bravo's Forever Tango: November 19 - 10:30am
- Paul Taylor Dance Company: October 22 - 11:30am note later time
Programs are an hour long and include a Talk Back with the company. Programs take place on Fridays at 10:30am. Teachers receive a complimentary study guide. Programs take place at:
Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts
3680 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
STUDENT DISCOVERY TICKETS & INFORMATION
GREAT PRICES FOR STUDENT GROUPS: ONLY $7 PER TICKET!
- Big Savings: Pick any 2 Shows for Only $12 ($6 per ticket)
- Bigger Savings: Pick any 3 or more Shows for Only ($5 per ticket)
- Prices above are designed for young people (ages 4-18) and adults who accompanying them.
- Performances are designed with young audiences in mind and are one-hour long.
- Each performance includes a 'Talk Back Session' following the show and complimentary Study Guides.
- For study guides or program information, contact Anne-Marie Mulgrew, Director of Education, Dance Affiliates 215-636-9000 ext.110 or annemarie@danceaffiliates.org.
- Groups of 20 or more, please contact 215-898-6789 or jenglass@ac.upenn.edu
- For Individual Tickets, please call 215-898-3900
- All programs are subject to change.
Paul Taylor Dance Company
"The best choreographer in the world"
- New York Daily News
Friday, October 22, 2010 at 11:30 am
(Please note later time)
Three-time Guggenheim winner and recipient of the MacArthur "Genius" Award, Mr. Taylor has created 131 dances for his sensational company. The program features excerpts from the touring repertory that reflect a wide range of musical styles, wit, athleticism and Taylor's uncanny commentary on humankind. Mr. Taylor is referred to as "The Great Dance Maker." Young audiences can explore what it takes to be "not just an American Idol with a brave experiment but an American dance hero." (Honolulu Star-Bulletin)
Recommended for ages 9 +
Curriculum Connectors
- Arts and Humanities - Critical and Aesthetic Response
- Physical Activity
- Concepts, Principles and Strategies of Movement
- Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening
Luis Bravo's Forever Tango
"A must-see"
- The New York Times
Friday, November 19 at 10:30am
A Broadway favorite, Forever Tango takes you on a journey through tango's history from its 19th century Argentinean roots to how it developed into a worldwide phenomenon! Back from an international tour, this show features Argentina's finest tango dancers, a live orchestra with traditional instruments, and powerful voices. Experience joy, jealousy, tenderness, misunderstanding and reconciliation expressed through the performers' sizzling interpretation of the tango which is more than a dance - it is music, drama, culture, and a way of life.
Recommended for ages 10+
Curriculum Connectors
- Arts and Humanities - Critical and Aesthetic Response
- Latin American Culture
- History and Social Studies
- Music and Dance
Parsons Dance
"One of the great movers of modern dance."
- The New York Times
"Awesome dancing ... Eye-popping digital effects. Excellent showbiz-savvy performers"
- The Village Voice
Friday, December 3 at 10:30am
Opera will never be the same after you experience Remember Me, a dance/rock opera created by the popular Parsons Dance with the magnificent East Village Opera Company. The work returned from a successful national tour and has been featured on PBS-TV. It includes stunning visuals, spectacular dancing, high drama, and glorious singing. Expose your students to wonders of Mozart, Verdi, Puccini, and Schubert and the drama of opera with a 21st century look based on a love story gone awry.
Recommended for all ages
Curriculum Connectors
- Arts and Humanities - Critical and Aesthetic Response
- Music Studies 18th Century to present
- Concepts, Principles and Strategies of Movement
- Language Arts
Keigwin + Company
"Larry Keigwin has the ability to engage audiences of all ages. He crafts short pieces that are smart, witty and brilliantly performed." - American Dance Festival
"One mighty fine evening of dance"
- The Herald Sun
"What more could an audience ask for?"
- Backstage
January 21 at 10:30am
Known for his pop sensibilities, theatricality, and humor, New York's rising star Larry Keigwin grew up watching MTV. He was the associate choreographer for The Radio City Rockettes and the Broadway musical, "The Wild Party." His talented troupe will perform excerpts from the full-length work Elements based on fire, water, earth and air. Set to an eclectic score of classical and pop tunes, Elements blends ballet, modern, and hip-hop into an explosive mix and is a wonderful way for students to discover new ways of thinking about earth science and how it relates to dance and music.
Recommended for all ages
Curriculum Connectors
- Arts and Humanities - Critical and Aesthetic Response
- Popular Culture
- Earth Science
- Concepts, Principles and Strategies of Movement
Monica Bill Barnes & Company
"One of the wittiest young choreographers around"
- The Village Voice
"Barnes' choreography has a genuine wit and humor and all the dancers are terrific."
- New York Times
February 11 at 10:30am
A rising star on the world stage, New York choreographer Monica Bill Barnes founded her company to celebrate individuality, humor and theatricality. In 2010, her troupe performed at the Bates Dance Festival, the American Dance Festival, Jacob's Pillow, and The Joyce Theater. Barnes' wry and whimsical program Another Parade is a playful romp filled with humor, pathos, adolescent fury and good-heartedness. Set to music by Bach, James Brown, Buddy Byrd, and others and costumed in good-girl skirts and sweaters, the program delves into pop culture and everyday life with new twists and surprises.
Recommended for all ages
Curriculum Connectors
- Arts and Humanities - Critical and Aesthetic Response
- Popular Culture
- Social Studies
- Language Arts
Pilobolus Dance Theater
"... mesmerized a packed audience with their strength, gracefulness and wit."
- The Seattle Times
"The Pils can be depended upon for stunning physical feats and visual surprises."
- The New York Times
March 4 at 10:30am
Forty years ago Pilobolus exploded on the dance scene astonishing audiences with its eye-catching gymnastics and imaginative weight-sharing collaborative approaches to dance making. Named after a sun-loving fungus that grows in barnyards and pastures, Pilobolus has appeared on CBS' 60 Minutes, The Academy Awards, The Oprah Winfrey Show, and the Olympics. Always a sell-out, this magical troupe of superhuman dancer-athletes wows and questions what is humanly possible.
Recommended for all ages
Curriculum Connectors
- Arts and Humanities - Critical and Aesthetic Response
- Biological Sciences
- Physical Science, Chemistry and Physics
- Concepts, Principles and Strategies of Movement
Aszure Barton & Artists
"Breathtaking, explosive and exhilarating."
- Santa Barbara News Press
May 6 at 10:30am
Hailed as Canada's bright new star and awarded the City of Edmonton's prestigious Ambassador for Contemporary Choreography Award, Aszure Barton invites young audiences to investigate the ways dance can communicate a range of emotions and narratives through a diverse use of movement, music, lighting and space. Performing excerpts from touring works, her virtuoso dance troupe draws from contemporary dance, ballet, modern, folk, pop, and hip-hop. Dances will include excerpts from the work Busk, inspired by street performers set to a striking score by composer and violinist Lev Ljova Zhurbin.
Recommended for ages 9 +
Curriculum Connectors
- Arts and Humanities - Critical and Aesthetic Response
- Concepts, Principles, and Strategies of Movement
- Language Arts
- Interdisciplinary Studies
- Concepts, Principles and Strategies of Movement

Dance Celebration Student Discovery
2010-2011 Teacher Comments
"It was a wonderful program from start to finish."
St. Anselm School
"They loved it. They thought it was fun".
"We really liked all the dancing."
Friends Select School
"Fantastic - something they have never seen before - very unique."
"Keep doing what you do so well."
St. Christopher School
"They loved it... entertaining for all!"
Masterman School
"We love this program and will come as often as possible.
I always tell people they should come."
Home School Group
"Amazing visual, students loved it!"
"Keep inner city children involved in your programs. It helps their minds/imagination."
St. Laurentius School
"I really enjoyed the performance. It was very entertaining and educational."
Russell Byers School