Felice Lesser Dance Theater 2017 Season to Feature World Premiere of LIGHTNING

Felice Lesser Dance Theater's 2017 season will feature the world premiere of Lightning, a multi-media dance dealing with timely issues facing the world in the new year, set to a score by the contemporary Slovenian composer Borut Krzisnik*. The season will run for six performances, February 8 - 12, 2017 at The Duke on 42nd Street, 229 W. 42nd Street (between 7th and 8th Avenues).

Lightning combines drama and humor to reflect Lesser's reaction to today's complex political and social issues, including Trump's election, the rise of racism and anti-gay sentiment, the plight of immigrants and refugees, and growing world violence.

*Note: Borut Krzisnik's score for Lightning will have its U.S. premiere on February 8, the Slovenian holiday of "Preseren Day," a national cultural holiday celebrated with free cultural festivals, performances and art exhibits. In keeping with the spirit of the holiday and its own strong commitment to cultural outreach,

the opening night audience will be invited to a post-performance champagne toast, in honor of the holiday.

Thursday, February 9 will be a "Twenty for Twenties" special performance: $20 tickets and a post-performance reception will be available to anyone in their 20s.

The Felice Lesser Dance Theater (FLDT), founded in 1975 by choreographer, playwright, filmmaker and animator, Felice Lesser, creates and performs her contemporary dance works, which are mixed with

theater and technology. Lesser's "moving sets" of simultaneous projected video and computer animation are featured as a visual background to what is happening onstage, where live dancers interact with filmed ones, or distorted images appear as counterpoint. Lightning will reflect on some of today's most important issues: borders, global warming, inclusion, terrorism, technology, and artificial intelligence.

In its 41-year history, FLDT has produced over sixty dance works, two full-length plays about dance and dancers, video/dance works, original television broadcasts, and many contemporary music and art collaborations performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Lincoln Center Out-of-Doors, Baryshnikov Arts Center, Joyce SoHo, the Sarasota Ballet, and the 1991 Tokyo International Choreography Competition. FLDT is committed to education as well as performance and has an extensive array of lecture-demonstrations, classes, residencies and workshops to develop audiences and bring the general public and students into the creative process. The company feels strongly that dance should be available and accessible to all, and provides outreach and free ticket programs to special and underserved populations, and will do so again during these performances.

The company features dancers Ahmaud Culver, Katherine Files, Chanmee Jeong, Chihwan Kim, Acee Francis Laird, Danielle Shupe and Dona Wiley.

Borut Krzisnik is a Slovenian composer based in Ljubljana. He has released seven albums, including Lightning, Valse Brutal, Sacre du Temps and A Life in Suitcases (film and soundtrack). His music has been featured in many films, dance and theater productions, including Peter Greenaway's multi-media trilogy Tulse Luper Suitcases and A Life in Suitcases.

Built as part of the New 42nd Street Studios to support performing artists in the creation of their work, The Duke on 42nd Street is a premier venue in the heart of the theater district. Along with the New 42nd Street Studios and The New Victory Theater, The Duke on 42nd Street is a project of The New 42nd Street, the independent nonprofit organization charged with the continuous cultural revival of 42nd Street between 7th and 8th Avenues. Committed to the transformational power of the arts, the dedicated Board and Staff of The New 42nd Street build on the foundation of seven historic theaters to make extraordinary performing arts and cultural engagement part of everyone's life.

Felice Lesser Dance Theater will present six performances as follows: February 8 - 11 at 7:30 pm, with matinee performances on February 11 and 12 at 2pm at The Duke on 42nd Street, a NEW 42ND STREET® project. Tickets are $40 ($25 students/seniors/FLDT members) and will be available after January 11, online at http://www.Dukeon42.org, by phone at 646.223.3010, or in person at The Duke on 42nd Street's Box Office. Thursday, February 9 is a "Twenty for Twenties" special performance: $20 tickets and a post-performance reception will be available to anyone in their 20s.

Note: Regular box office hours at The Duke on 42nd Street are: Tues-Fri 4pm-7pm; Saturday 12pm-6pm. On performance days Box Office hours are extended on performance days.

For further information, visit www.FLDT.org.

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