Clare Cook Dance Theater Presents SHOW ME REAL, 3/23

Clare Cook Dance Theater presents SHOW ME REAL, an evening-length dance theater piece that traces the experience of aspiring artists from the glamour and grit of the 1920s' Ziegfeld Follies culture to the concert dance stage of 2012. SHOW ME REAL views the lives of three real female modern dancers through the lens of a past era combining contemporary dance, original song, narrative, and video projection, revealing how much past is in our present. SHOW ME REAL is conceived and choreographed by Clare Cook with original music and lyrics by Amy Burgess, dramatic text and lyrics by Gena Oppenheim, lighting design by Mike Inwood, and costume design by Liam O'Brien.

Whether it's 1921 or 2012, the age-old story of the girl with big dreams trying to "make it" rings true. From leaving her small town headed for the Big Apple to learning those tricky tap steps as a child while twirling a baton in a sequined tutu, some things have not changed much. SHOW ME REAL champions the everyday girl, no matter the decade, and celebrates the simplicity and also grandness of real life as a performer. Performers include Lori Byargeon, Halley Cianfarini, Clare Cook, Merrill Grant, Julia Kelly, and Courtney Pruden.

In addition to the performances, Clare Cook Dance Theater will host GREAT GIRLS CREATE!, a dance and music workshop for young girls in 1^st-3^rd grade, on Sunday March 4, 2012, 12:30-3:30pm at Red Bean Studios (320 37^th St. NYC). Workshop cost is $35/student. Email ccdt@claremcook.com to register.

SHOW ME REAL is the premiere production of Clare Cook Dance Theater. The choreography of Artistic Director Clare Cook has been seen in productions at the New York Musical Theater Festival, Ars Nova's ANT Fest, HERE Arts Center, Fringe NYC, Berkshire Fringe Festival, Planet Connections Festival (Best Choreography Award), NYU Graduate Musical Theater Writing Program, Columbia University, The New School for Drama, as well as Opera Slavica's productions of Dvo?ák's Rusalka and Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin in NYC.

March 23 and 24, 2012, 8:00pm

TADA! Theater, 15 W. 28th Street, New York City

Tickets: $20 general admission, $15 students/seniors

For more information about upcoming performances of SHOW ME REAL and Clare Cook Dance Theater, contact Artistic Director, Clare Cook at ccdt@claremcook.com or 337-654-2537 or visit www.claremcook.com.

Photo Credit: Beowulf Sheehan