FJK Dance to Perform in China, 2/28-4/30

Fadi Khoury's FJK DANCE will bring 10 company dancers to China, kicking off the company's first extended international tour to the Far East, February 28 to April 30. The eight-week multi-city tour will present three FJK DANCE repertory works, Take Two, Echoes and Dum Tak, in 31 Chinese cities including Wuhan, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Wenzhou, introducing FJK's unique blend of ballroom, ballet, jazz and Middle Eastern dance to new international audiences. The company's multicultural approach to the medium will be presented in more than 30 theaters throughout the run.

Jodi Kaplan, founder of Jodi Kaplan and Associates/Booking Dance, has booked the FJK DANCE China tour through her agency's partnerships with China's Poly Theatre, festivals, theaters, and dance companies throughout the region.

FJK Dance was founded by Fadi J. Khoury and Sevin Ceviker in 2014. His innovative style - both as dancer and choreographer, showcases his life-long immersion in a world of dance forms. Mr. Khoury's work is open-minded. He is an artist willing to share the beauty and artistry of his Middle Eastern background with a western audience. The China tour opens the door further.

"At FJK Dance, we believe in the fusion of culture and dance - we experiment with the endless possibilities of combining classical ballet, ballroom, Middle Eastern dance and jazz, using the essentials of each to create our own language. Abstract body lines, forms and energy create a synergy with our audience, and serve to communicate a universal message," said Mr. Khoury.

In June 2017, FJK DANCE will present its Spring Season at Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College, 695 Park Ave, NYC. The success of MUNDO, FJK's Symphony Space preview performance in November, 2016, enabled the company's spring season to come to fruition.

FJK Dance "strips away unnecessary glitter from these forms to emphasize the beauty of movement itself" - New York Times

FJK DANCE CHINA TOUR - PROGRAM:

· Take Two (2016) - Inspired by Ballroom elegance and glamour, playing with the concept of lead and follow. Besides the sophisticated movement of Ballroom, the work quivers with unexpected contrasts and a hint of mystery. It breaks the rules of Ballroom, and introduces theatricality - real drama - through a play of conspiring characters. It exposes the mystery that lays within us all, and that ultimately, paradoxically, bringing us together. VIDEO

Choreography & Costume Design: Fadi J Khoury
Lighting Design: Judith Daitsman
Music: Dave Brubeck, John Klemmer and Benny Goodman

· Echoes (2015) - 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 VIDEO

Choreography & Costume Design: Fadi J Khoury
Lighting Design: Calvin Anderson
Music: Shamou

· Dum Tak (2015) - A combination of Tabla (Middle Eastern Drum) playing Latin Salsa by Matias Hazroum, from the Arabic Percussion album of Mario Kirlis as well as an original composition of Rumba played with the Arabic Riq by Johnny Farraj. Three couples perform in point shoes, Latin heels, and bare feet together in a fusion of ballet movement and Latin partnering. VIDEO

Choreography & Costume Design: Fadi J Khoury
Lighting Design: Calvin Anderson
Music: Mario Kirlis and Johnny Farraj

ABOUT FADI J. KHOURY

Fadi J. Khoury's innovative style - both as dancer and choreographer - showcases his life-long immersion in a world of dance forms. He was born in Baghdad, Iraq, and moved to Beirut, Lebanon at age 13, where he started training in classical ballet and dances of Arab culture. He began his professional career at 17, and later joined the Caracalla Dance Theatre, touring the Middle East and North Africa. In 2009 he performed with Caracalla at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Khoury was then awarded a scholarship to further his ballet and modern dance training with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre in New York City. There he collaborated with distinguished choreographers such Gary Pierce, Elisa Monte and Earl Mosley and toured the US and Latin America performing Nejla Yatkin's dance pieces. Fadi's multi-cultural background and versatility allowed him to establish a career as lead instructor at the Arthur Murray Dance Center in New York City. From 2009-2013, he placed first in the Top Teacher Awards from Arthur Murray International. In 2014, inspired by a successful collaboration with Sevin Ceviker, he created his own company, where he could continue to refine his distinct, personal style.

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