The Joyce Theater Foundation to Present CUBA FESTIVAL

The Joyce Theater Foundation Inc., in celebration of its 15-year long cultural exchange with Cuba, is thrilled to present the best of Cuban dance with its 12-day Cuba Festival.

This remarkable festival will take place from May 10-22 at The Joyce Theater and will feature a return engagement of the audience favorite Malpaso Dance Company (May 10-12, 2016), as well as the New York debuts of DanzAbierta (May 14-17) and Compañía Irene Rodríguez (May 19-22).

Tickets start at $10 and can be purchased online at www.Joyce.org or by calling JoyceCharge at 212-242-0800. The Joyce Theater is located at 175 Eighth Avenue at West 19th Street.

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Malpaso Dance Company

May 10 & 11 at 7:30pm, and May 12 at 8:00pm

Founded in 2012 by Fernando Saez and former members of Danza Contemporánea de Cuba, Osnel Delgado and Daileidys Carrazana Gonzalez, Malpaso Dance Company is committed to bringing Cuban contemporary dance into the 21st century. Comprised of dancers with impeccable skill, the company works with top choreographers from outside of Cuba's walls, while remaining devoted to developing talent from within.

For their return engagement at The Joyce Theater, Malpaso Dance Company's program will consist of three different pieces: 24 Hours and a Dog by Choreographer and Malpaso Dance Company's Artistic Director Osnel Delgado featuring the music of Arturo O'Farrill, played live by the Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble, Bad Winter by acclaimed choreographer Trey McIntyre, and Why You Follow by New York favorite Ronald K Brown.

DanzAbierta

May 14 at 8:00pm, May 15 at 2pm & 7:30pm, and May 16 & 17 at 7:30pm

A Cuban pioneer of avant garde contemporary dance, DanzAbierta was founded in 1988 by the renowned dancer and choreographer Marianela Boan. The company blends modern dance and theater through the use of improvisation and dramaturgical techniques. Led by Director and Resident Choreographer Susana Pous, a Spanish artist who couples strong dance vocabulary with a deep passion for Cuba, and Guido Gali, the company's consultant and technical director,DanzAbierta's New York City and Joyce Theater debut, DanzAbierta will present Showroom. A six person contemporary dance, choreographed by the company's Director and Resident ChoreographerSusana Pous and set to music by Equis Alfonso. Showroom featuring the lives of performers both onstage and off, where a shifting set showcases Tropicana-style dancing in one scene, and turns to reveal backstage drama in the next.

Compañía Irene Rodríguez

May 19 & 20 at 8:00pm, May 21 at 2:00pm & 8:00pm, and May 22 at 2:00pm

Founded in January 2012 by Prima Ballerina, Director and Choreographer Irene Rodríguez,Compañía Irene Rodríguez, the company has since gone on to perform on some of the most prestigious stages in Cuba. Ms. Rodríguez has created a company rooted in classical Spanish Flamenco that merges the dramatic arts, contemporary dance and national rhythms, while uniting both the tradition and modernity of the Cuban character. For its Joyce Theater debut Compañía Irene Rodríguez will present a dynamic program featuring passionate and driving Flamenco dancing with a Cuban flair, accompanied by superb live musicians at each performance.

Choreographed by Irene Rodríguez, Secreto, ¡Dime!, For Bulerías, Solera, and Aldabal make New York premieres, while her Preludio and Farruca Escarlata will make their U.S. premieres at the Joyce Theatre. In addition, the program will also include New York premieres of De mis adentros by Víctor Basilio Pérez, Zambra by María Juncal,and Sobre un tema de Fellaby Noel Gutiérrez.

Tickets range in price from $10 - $50 (subject to change) and can be purchased by calling JoyceCharge at 212-242-0800 or online at joyce.org. The Joyce Theater is located at 175 Eighth Avenue at West 19th Street.

ABOUT THE COMPANIES:

Based in Havana, Cuba, Malpaso Dance Company is committed to bringing Cuban contemporary dance into the 21st Century by collaborating with top international choreographers and nurturing new voices in Cuban choreography. The company's core artistic vision is led by resident repertory choreographer Osnel Delgado. The company was founded in 2012 by Delgado, Dailedys Carrazana and Fernando Saéz, and consists of 10 dancers, including former members of Danza Contemporanea de Cuba. Their repertory includes 24 hours and a dog, a work by Delgado, set to music by Grammy Award-winning Cuban-American composer Arturo O'Farrill (who wrote an original overture for the piece, of the same name), Porque Sigues (Why You Follow) by the American choreographer Ronald K. Brown, and other works.

DanzAbierta, a precursor to the avant garde dance movement in Cuba, is a landmark of Cuban culture. Founded in 1988 by the renowned dance artist Marianela Boán, DanzAbierta prides itself on breaking boundaries in dance, mixing the genres of modern dance and theater through the use of improvisation and dramaturgical techniques. The company is led by Director and Resident Choreographer Susana Pous, a Spanish artist who couples a strong dance vocabulary with a deep passion for Cuba, and Guido Gali, the company's consultant and technical director.

Irene Rodríguez, one of the most prominent figures in Cuban dance, founded Compañía Irene Rodríguez in January 2012. Her company is rooted in classical Spanish Flamenco that has presented work on some of the most prestigious stages throughout Cuba. Merging the dramatic arts, contemporary dance, national rhythms, and anything else that unites both the tradition and modernity of the Cuban character, the company leaves a "trail of triumph and applause" (Granma, Cuba) whenever it performs.

Pictured: Malpaso Dance Company by Mark Simpson.