Andrea Ariel Dance Theatre to Present THE BOWIE PROJECT 2

Following the critically acclaimed run of The Bowie Project last winter, Andrea Ariel Dance Theatre, together with Super Creeps-the Austin-based David Bowie tribute band-and the New York City-based Soundpainting group Strike Anywhere Performance Ensemble, will blend their talent and passion once again for The Bowie Project 2: A Rock & Roll Soundpainting. Accompanied by the unmistakable sounds of the living legend, the imaginative production takes the audience on an enthralling journey of dance and theater in a rock & roll concert that draws extensively on Bowie's life and work.

The Bowie Project 2 appeals to dance and theatre patrons, as well as music and Bowie fans of all ages. The concert, which features a new selection of Bowie songs not used in the original performance, seeks to spark curiosity and unearth an interest in the art of Soundpainting-the craft of live composition through a sign language used to conduct improvised performances among musicians, actors, dancers, visual and media artists. "David Bowie's music, story and the progression of his ever-changing persona is the content from which we are drawing universal themes around our ever-evolving human search for identity, and the struggles and triumphs we all experience," said Andrea Ariel Dance Theatre's Artistic Director, Andrea Ariel. The visual and aural spectacle transports audience members to the 1970s, when Bowie-in search of his muse-released the entrancing albums Station to Station and Low, and the uplifting song "Sound & Vision." Traveling back through time, the show stops off at another central point in Bowie's life, 1969-the year Americans first stepped foot on the moon and the year that Bowie achieved fame with his classic "Space Oddity." By the ending, the show has made a full revolution and returns to the 1970s by closing-out with the hit "Heroes," followed by encore songs, to which audience members are invited on stage to dance with the performers.

As the only artistic company practicing and performing the art form in Austin, Ariel's production will use Soundpainting to spontaneously guide, shape and remix material while familiar narratives and rehearsed material-choreography, scenes, monologues-stand to be disrupted, reordered and reassembled with new extemporaneous material. Although Soundpainting originated in New York, thanks to musician and composer Walter Thompson, the art form has grown rapidly across Europe in both professional and educational circles.

Using over 1,200 approved gestures, Soundpainting allows the composer to signal artists the type of material to be performed, as well as stage positions, props and costume, among many other improvisations. The very nature of Soundpainting harnesses two seemingly opposite concepts of specificity and chance and when combined with the electrifying tunes of David Bowie, the experience is nothing short of captivating. No two shows are the same in this exciting, unpredictable theatrical and musical experience.

For Ariel, Soundpainting doesn't stop at the stage. To continue advancing the understanding of the art, Ariel is initiating the formation of an Austin Soundpainting group through workshops open to Austinites interested in working in structured improvisation and exploring the language of Soundpainting. The group will serve as an incubator for dance, theater, music and visual and media artists leading to regular performances and school residencies, combining the educational values that Soundpainting boasts and stimulating students' minds and creativity. "Soundpainting breaks through boundaries, tapping into reservoirs of skills and expression that help students better understand themselves and the world in which they live, while learning and exploring the art forms of dance, theater and music," said Ariel.

About Strike Anywhere Performance Ensemble

Established in 1997, the Strike Anywhere Performance Ensemble is a permanent collective of jazz musicians, modern dancers, and actors. Strike Anywhere devises original performances that are collaboratively-crafted by the ensemble. Their performances always feature live music, physical theater and modern dance. The company applies structures and concepts from American jazz to their inter-disciplinary improvisations to create performances that are provocative and alive. The ensemble has shared its work at conferences and festivals in the U.S., Bali, England and France. Strike Anywhere has been featured at Roundabout's American Airlines Theater, Brooklyn Academy of Music, P.S. 122, The Irondale Center, HERE Arts Center, as well as on Radio France, N.P.R., German Public Radio and German and U.S. television.

Strike Anywhere's Artistic Director, Leese Walker, has worked with the W.T.O. since 1997, and was the first actor invited into the W.T.O. to adapt the language for use in theater. SA's musicians have worked with the W.T.O. since the late 1980s. Strike Anywhere is on the vanguard of the Soundpainting movement and is well respected for their experience and innovations with the form. Walker and ensemble member Rolf Sturm traveled to London for the annual Soundpainting Thinktank, and to Paris to perform at the International Soundpainting Festival with inventor Walter Thompson.

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