BlakTinX Begins New Season at BAAD, 10/5

BAAD! – The Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance – begins its fall season with the BlakTinx Performance Series from October 5 through November 16, 2012. This annual festival celebrates art and performance in various disciplines by African Americans, Latinos, and other artists of color will include several evenings of Bronx dance companies alongside companies from around the world, plus theater, performance art and a sexy comic book workshop.

The festival's name has gone from BlakTino, to BlakTin@, to BlakTina and this year the spelling of BlakTinx is being used to include all gender expressions. BAAD! is located at 841 Barretto Street, Bronx, NY. For tickets and information call 718-842-5223 or visit www.BronxAcademyofArtsAndDance.org.

Friday and Saturday, October 5 & 6, 2012 at 8pm / $20
The Latina Dance Theater Project
The Latina Dance Theater Project (LDTP), a group of five nationally recognized Latina/o dance theater artists that explore the unique, dynamic and passionate voices of the hybrid cultures of Mexico, the United States and Brazil, present "Slumber of Reason/El Sueño de la Razón." The creative springboard for this work is Spanish painter Francisco de Goya's prints, "Los Caprichos." With a stark intensity unprecedented in the history of art, these prints convey the contradictions of a historical period when religious fundamentalism and paranoia prevailed over reason. Tim Perez directs Licia Perea, a COLA and two time NEA Fellow (LA, CA); Juanita Suarez, PHD, recipient of MAP Fund, Berolzheimer Foundation (Brockport, NY); Eva Tessler, multiple recipient from the AZ Comm. of the Arts (Tucson, AZ); Eluza Santos, PHD, United Arts Council of NC (Vitoria, Brazil); and award winning writer, director, and performer Jose Garcia Davis.

Sunday, October 7 at 7pm / $20
Direct from Brazil, Companhia EluzArtes presents "I End Up Staying But I Always Want to Leave" and an excerpt from "Umbilicus"
The Brazilian company, EluzArtes, is comprised of all female artists who are multi-generational, and multi-racial and have a vast experience in dance, in theater, and in life. They will premiere the piece, "I end up staying, but I always want to leave," which explores the ruptures and connections that happen in life – by moving to a new place, or changing one's job, to choosing a different life dream. The excerpt of "Umbilicus," "Navel radiation," takes drama and whimsy to another level as it explores breath and the human condition. The performers are Maria Helena Braga, Verônica Gomes, Aline Pamplona, Marlian Petrina and Eluza Santos.

Friday, October 12, 2012 at 8pm / $20
Christal Brown and INSPIRIT: The Evolution
Join INSPIRIT with new Artistic Director Alexandra Warren as The company performs work from 2003-present; showcasing choreography by Christal Brown, Alexandra Warren, Toni Renee Johnson, and current company members. The evening will also include a sneak peek into one oF Brown's newest collaborative endeavors "The Sweet Science Suite" performed by an all-male cast as well as a live performance via live feed by Christal Brown from Lusaka, Zambia. Witness this amazing display of history as INSPIRIT prepares for their 10 year anniversary season in the spring of 2013!

Saturday, October 13, 2012 at 8pm / $20
"I Feel Love: A Dance Tribute to Donna Summer"
This year BAAD! invites choreographers to respond to the infectious and varied music of the late dance/disco music diva Donna Summer. Mixed in a live set by DJ Shae Bryant, the order of the songs will be spontaneous, just like at a disco, and the dancers will know when to dance when their music is played. This bevy of mainly Bronx-based companies will present works that go from contemporary to African to hip hop and include Modesto Acosta, Arthur Aviles Typical Theatre, Cashel S. Campbell, Jessica Danser/JD Dansfolk, Afua Hall, Shizu Homma, Toni Renee Johnson/Maverick Dance Experience, Kraven Seneca Dance Company, Sage Rivera, Miltieri Tucker and Damon White.

Sunday, October 14, 2012 at 6-9pm / Free
"STICKY PAGES 4: SCANDAL-OSO!" A Comix Workshop and Presentation with Ivan Vélez
Ivan Vélez, the award-winning, Bronx-based comic master brings a special presentation and workshop. He focuses on fun, erotic and in-your-face depictions of GLBT comics and finds ways to create meaningful work that includes frank and titillating images. Participants review American gay comics, the world-popular Japanese types (yaoi, Bara, Yuri) as well as the artist's own psycho-drama and create frank and freaky work in an intensive comixx drawing workshop. This is a real workshop, so be prepared to roll up your sleeves and get down to dirty business. 18 years or older.

Saturday, October 20, 2012 at 8pm / $20
Kraven Seneca Dance Company: "The Legacy Concert"
For 10 seasons, Bronx-based choreographer Amin Jai, who has danced and choreographed for pop divas including Janet Jackson, has led the vibrant, urban and theatrical Kraven Seneca Dance Company, and with this spectacular, not-to-be-missed Legacy Concert The company takes its final bow before each dancer moves in their own exciting new direction. Eight mesmerizing dancers, including Kiki and Noele Phillips, go beyond their performance styles to re-create seven signature KSDC pieces as well as debut two new works by company Artistic Director and Chief Choreographer Amin Jai. From contemporary to avant garde to straight up hip-hop to disco, there will be laughs, tears and cheers.

Friday, October 26, 2012 at 8pm / $15
Butters Papi's "MaDHaTters CabArEt"
Fun and raucous, this cabaret will feature artists performing comedy, performance art, drag, Afro-Latino musical performances and multi-media work celebrating the artistry of Black, Latino and artists of mixed race heritage. Butters Papi is a queer people of color Production Company created by Cristina Izaguirre and Zakiyyah Shabazz whose goal is to show case, support, and promote the work of local Queer and Trans artists of color.

Saturday, October 27, 2012 at 8pm / $20
Daring Duo: Lawrence Graham-Brown and Ricardo Muñiz
In Bare Backin N Da Bronx, Lawrence Graham-Brown transforms into an allegorical hybrid of a part avian part Ras-human lost in Myalism, commenting on and viscerally addressing sex/sexuality, health, censorship, liberation, the prohibition of sugary drinks, time spent in public rest rooms, HIV/AIDS and more. His performance assistants include adult film stars Hot Rod and Angyl. Photographer and artist, Ricardo Muñiz' piece is about transformation, recognition, renewal and life. As Mother Nature transforms the fall landscape in a brilliant display of color, Ricardo's installation will employ those colors in a live body art show incorporating words, music, poetry, comedy, commentary and movement in his The Color of My Boricua Voice. Performance artist and activist, Sery Colón, will guest star.

Friday, November 2, 2012 at 8pm / $20
Two queer Bronx-based Latino performance artists! Susana Cook's "The Funeral of the Cow" plus Performance Artist Carlos Manuel Rivera
Written and directed by Susana Cook, The Funeral of the Cow, a post-modern drama about the drama of the post-modern, creates a melancholic satire about trans-species, a hypnotizing world of dramatic, melodramatic and post-dramatic stories that delve into the essence of humans, non-humans and the rest of us. Performers include Felice Shays, Susana Cook, Mistah, Jasmine Presson, Simba Yangala and Helaine Gawlika. Joining the bill is performance artist Carlos Manuel Rivera who uses drag, poetry, spoken word, humor and theater to pierce social norms will perform as La Tongo.

Saturday, November 3, 2012 at 8pm / $20
Direct from Mexico! U.S. Premiere! Roberto Robles Dance Company
Roberto Robles (who posed for Cassandra's Freedom to Love sculpture which is on display at BAAD! ) brings his emotional and sultry choreography to the U.S. with the premiere of DE JA VÚ, a full evening dance concert exploring the passion and unspoken emotions of a relationship between three people. This award-winning company has performed in Mexico and Latin America for over 20 years.

Friday, November 9, 2012 at 8pm / $20
Maverick Dance Experience
Toni Renee Johnson's Maverick Dance Experience is a Bronx-based dance company, rooted in visceral and binding storytelling through social commentary on human experiences. For this full evening at BAAD! they'll present "Reference Point," an urgent, multimedia, dance theater experience divulging blood memory on coping and the way we resolve issues we cannot solve through sexuality, religion, love addiction and drugs.

Saturday, November 10, 2012 at 8pm / $15
"Booty Monologues"
Aundaray Guess writes the Booty Monologues an original play told from the perspective of Black and Latino gay men that puts a twist on The Vagina Monologues to give voice to the bottom using a hybrid of spoken word, monologues, dance and lip synch. This evening "goes there" with humor, passion and compassion from discovering identity to the objectification of men of color judged by their posteriors and the true meaning of not only being a power bottom but finding overall power as a gay person of color.

Friday, November 16, 2012 at 8pm / $25, $50 (includes pre-show open bar and reception from 6:30pm-7:30pm)
Elizabeth "Macha" Marrero returns to the stage! "Re-Machataso: BAAD!er & Better"
Award-winning actress/comedian/drag king Elizabeth "Macha" Marrero returns to BAAD!'s stage with her first new solo show in three years. Her well-loved characters of Petronelia, Willy G?iso Jugo, Wakateema Shaquasha, Dicky DooLittle and more avert life's curve balls with humor, irreverence and fierce unabashed ghetto flava. Directed by Arthur Aviles.

BAAD! and AATT receive support from The NYC Dept. of Cultural Affairs, Councilwoman Carmen Arroyo, The New York State Council on the Arts, The Mertz Gilmore Foundation, The Lambent Foundation, The Union Square Arts Grant, The Simon Bolivar Foundation, JP Morgan Chase, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and private donations.