Fadi Khoury's FJK DANCE Set for Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College, Today

To foster understanding through dance, the Consulate General of Lebanon in New York and the Arabic Studies Center at Hunter College will present Fadi J. Khoury's FJK Dance in A Fusion of Culture and Dance, 7:30-9pm on Friday, February 26, 2016 at the Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College, 695 Park Ave.

FJK Dance blends ballet, tango and ballroom with Middle Eastern folkloric dance forms. While Middle Eastern influences are strong, the choreography exhibits a distinctive mix of styles. Music ranges from classical, Latin tango and jazz to contemporary Middle Eastern.

The peace-themed evening will present FJK Dance's innovative choreography and movement as a positive reflection of Middle Eastern culture in the United States. In the words of Fadi Khoury, FJK Dance Artistic Director and choreographer, "A Fusion of Culture and Dance will embody hope, resilience, tolerance and peace... the passion in our dance is intended to offer prayers for hope and a new beginning."

Full Program:

· Home - choreographed to a selection of Frédéric Chopin compositions, Home is a ballet reflecting resilience in the face of war, hope, and an abiding belief in trust. A work for ten dancers, Home represents Fadi Khoury's childhood aspirations in Iraq; it manifests a dream. The score includes Chopin's Adante Spianato G-major; Nocturne in C-sharp minor; Étude Allegro sostenuto; and Fantaisie-Impromptu in C-sharp minor. The work also includes a partial score composed by Peter Michael Von Der Nahmer, based on Chopin. It is a musical fusion of cultures.

· Echoes -a piece in which five men dance to music by Shamou, a Persian percussionist and composer who fuses Middle Eastern drums and percussion instruments with electric based sounds and rhythms. Inspired by "Dabke," a folkloric traditional Bedouin dance from the mountains of Lebanon and Syria, the dancers together find unity, mutual support and confidence. Echoes offers a prayer for hope and new beginnings.

· Serenade - A woman from a dream. A solo to classical Middle Eastern music by

Ihsan Al Mounzer, playing Kanoun, a harp-like string instrument.

· Dum Tak - Dancers perform in pointe shoes, Latin heel and bare feet in a blend of

ballet and Latin salsa, evoking peace, love and harmony. A composition of Tabla (Middle Eastern Drum) playing Latin salsa by Matias Hazroum, from the Arabic percussion album of Mrio Kirlis, along with an original Rumba composition played by Johnny Farraj with the Arabic Riq. Additional score composed by Houssam Ramzy.