Compagnie Kafig Perform Tonight at Orpheum Theater

Omaha Performing Arts presents the Compagnie Ka?fig in the Slosburg Hall at the Orpheum Theater tonight, March 18, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $15, and are available at TicketOmaha.com, 402.345.0606 or at the Ticket Omaha Office inside the Holland Center, 1200 Douglas St. Immediately following the performance, audience members are invited to participate in a free post-performance discussion with members of Compagnie Ka?fig. The dance company will also teach a master class earlier that day.

Founded by French choreographer Mourad Merzouki in 1996, Compagnie Ka?fig is a dance company presenting hip-hop performances on stages around the world. Working at the junction of many different artistic disciplines, the company is known for opening up new outlooks in dance, while honoring the hip-hop movement's roots.

Featuring 11 Brazilian dancers, "Correria Agwa" blends hip-hop, martial arts, samba, bossa nova and circus-like acrobatics. This performance in Omaha will consist of two pieces. Created in 2008, "Agwa" (water) involves more than 100 glasses on stage and precision choreography, addressing ecological and political connections of water. Created in 2010, "Correria" (running) is a physically exuberant number incorporating running into the routine, and as one critic pointed out, takes advantage of the dancers' athleticism and stamina. "This is raw energy, that's what you'd expect from hip-hop. Shirts on or off, this is what dance is all about and definitely not to be missed." (The Daily Telegraph)

Compagnie Ka?fig will perform at Orpheum Theater, 409 S. 16th St., on March 18, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $15, and are available at TicketOmaha.com, 402.345.0606 or at the Ticket Omaha Office inside the Holland Center, 1200 Douglas St. The show is sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska. The hospitality host is Hotel Deco XV.