Evening of Percussive Dance Comes to Kupferberg Center for the Arts at Queens College

Kupferberg Center for the Arts at Queens College has announced an evening of percussive dance to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the CUNY Dance Initiative. On Saturday, April 27, 2024, at 8 PM, LeFrak Concert Hall will resonate with the rhythms of two remarkable alumni of this groundbreaking residency program: Music From The Sole and Sonia Olla & Ismael Fernández. 

Music From The Sole is a tap dance and live music company that celebrates tap’s Afro-diasporic roots, particularly its connections to Afro-Brazilian dance and music, and its lineage to forms like house dance and passinho (Brazilian funk). Led by Brazilian choreographer Leonardo Sandoval and by composer Gregory Richardson, their work embraces tap’s unique nature as a blend of sound and movement, incorporating wide-ranging influences like samba, passinho, Afro-Cuban, jazz, and house. As part of its mission to bring tap dance, America’s original vernacular dance form, to new audiences, the company appears as both a dance company and percussive-led band at both music and dance venues, including Lincoln Center, Jacob’s Pillow, Vail Dance Festival, The Yard, Caramoor Jazz Festival, Harlem Stage, Bryant Park, and the Guggenheim. The company recently performed at The Joyce Theater in New York City in January 2024, selling out their six-day run and captivating audiences with its unique blend of tap dance and live music. "A jolt of good energy," raved The New York Times about Music From The Sole's performance, highlighting the company's electrifying stage presence.

Sonia Olla & Ismael Fernández are known for bridging the culture of traditional flamenco dance with contemporary global influences. Olla, originally from Barcelona where she earned her degree at the Instituto de Teatro y Danza, has been hailed by The New York Times as “a furnace of earthy sensuality.” Fernández has been described by The Washington Post as the “most charismatic performer” and praised for his “connection to the Gypsy source.” Fernández grew up performing in flamenco festivals throughout the world with his internationally renowned family, La Familia Fernández. Olla and Fernández’s approach to the art form does not stop at its traditional roots: the couple was tapped by the pop-icon Madonna to choreograph the worldwide “Rebel Heart Tour” (2015-2016), with Fernández providing vocals. They also provided the same for Ricky Martin for the “Lola Lola” Flamenco choreography in his Las Vegas concert All In!

Both companies will present a variety of repertoires including excerpts of work created during their CDI residencies. Music From The Sole will share sections from Partido, developed during their 2021 residency at City College Center for the Arts, and Sonia Olla & Ismael Fernández will reprise the “palmas” section from ELLA, created during a 2018 residency at Queens College.

The CUNY Dance Initiative (CDI) celebrates a decade of supporting New York City's dance community. With over 220 residencies granted to emerging and established choreographers across all five boroughs, CDI has provided invaluable resources to artists, fostering creativity and innovation in the dance field. Alumni have gone on to receive prestigious awards and fellowships, testament to the program's profound impact.

Tickets for Music From The Sole and Sonia Olla & Ismael Fernández: Celebrating 10 Years of the CUNY Dance Initiative are available for $30, with no additional fees.

For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit https://kupferbergcenter.org/event/cdi10/ or call (718) 793-8080.