Momentum Dancy Company Announces Free Children's Programming for 2021

Celebrating 37 years of dance, art and culture, Momentum Dance Company and its Founder & Artistic Director Delma Iles, announce a magical series of children's programming January through May 2021. The imaginative performances bring 10 different award-winning programs to life for the community's children, all free of charge thanks to The Miami-Dade Pandemic Assistance Program, with funding provided by the federal CARES Act. Fellow organizations that made the inspirational children's programming possible include the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs Council and the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners.

The ten children's programs explore the tales of Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel, Alice in Wonderland and so many more well-known adventures and stories. All available via Momentum Dance Company's Facebook page, the wildly popular tales are performed with vibrant colors and awe-inspiring dance sequences with two performances per month through May. The artistic experiences are meant to be enjoyed by the entire family, especially children ages 3-10, as they spend this time living, learning and continuing to stay safe and healthy together. See below for the calendar of programming.

"We are incredibly grateful for the funding made possible by the CARES Act and our Miami-Dade counterparts who appreciate the value in bringing inspiration and the arts to South Florida's children," says Iles. "For 37 years, we've helped children explore the world through song and dance; today, parents and even grandparents join in on the educational experience that explores a new cultural element for children and shows them that anything is possible."

All performances are free admission on the Facebook page, Momentum Dance Company. They include:

January 16 at 11:00 a.m.

· The Magic Toy Shop. A little old Toymaker has a shop full of fabulous toys for children. When Greta's mother brings her to the shop to select a birthday gift, she has great difficulty deciding. She finally selects the Toy Soldier and the Toymaker promises to deliver the gift to her house. Greta and her mother leave, but, remembering all of the wonderful toys, Greta sneaks back into the shop at night. There she sees the Toymaker magically bring the toys to life. Not only the Toy Soldier, but also two Scottish Dancers, a Clown doll, and a Ballerina doll perform exciting dances at the behest of the Toymaker. Then they all dance together in a lively finale. Just as dawn is breaking, Greta's Mother runs into the shop to see the last of the magical festivities!

January 30 at 11:00 a.m.

*These two short performances will air together as one program.

· Goldilocks and the Three Bears. This fun-filled children's classic tells the story of spoiled Goldilocks and how the three bears teach her a lesson after she disrupts their charming home. The story, featuring colorful costumes and upbeat, character-oriented dance movement, is told through dance, music and narration. Goldilocks transforms from a spoiled brat into a delightful young lady after her encounter with the three bears.

· Red Riding Hood. Little Red Riding Hood learns not to talk to strangers, and gets a big scare! The children's classic story is told through music, narration and dance. Colorful costumes, comic characterizations and exciting dance sequences add to the familiar story.

February 13 at 11:00 a.m.

· Hansel and Gretel. Momentum uses excerpts from Humperdinck's famous opera music to create just the right scary feeling. The Wicked Witch lures children to her candy-covered gingerbread house with the evil intention of eating them! Brave and clever Gretel saves her brother from a terrible fate! The cast includes Father and Mother as well as the Angel that protects children and the Witch's evil helper, the Crow.

February 27 at 11:00 a.m.

· Carnival of the Animals. Momentum's Dancers bring Camille Saint-Saens dazzling and clever score to life, creating movement vignettes for each of Saint-Saens animals: the prancing Lion, the lugubrious Tortoise, a pair of whimsical Elephants, a school of fish in an Aquarium, the shy Cuckoo, gliding and graceful (until they get on land) Swans, and a Grand Finale. Each segment features fabulous costumes by Marilyn Skow, unique dance movement, and lots of fun!

March 13 at 11:00 a.m.

· The Tiger and the Brahmin. This popular fable from India tells the story of a trusting Brahmin who finds his kindness to a Tiger betrayed when the Tiger wants to eat him! The Brahmin seeks help from the Elephant and the Water Buffalo, but the clever Jackal outwits the Tiger and saves the Brahmin. This production features authentic Bollywood dance as well as traditional mudras (hand gestures from Indian classical dance that tell the story) and beautiful colorful costumes from India!

March 27 at 11:00 a.m.

· Alice in Wonderland. Young Alice falls down the rabbit hole and meets some unusual characters on her wild trip. She encounters a nervous White Rabbit, is mystified by a strange Caterpillar, takes part in the Mad Hatter's Tea Party, and is pursued by the vicious Red Queen who is aided by a Deck of Cards. Just as things get completely out of hand, she wakes up to find that it was only a dream. Each character portrait is complete with unique and individual movement and colorful costumes as delightful and imaginative staging brings this classic story to life.

April 10 at 11:00 a.m.

· Mark Twain's Jumping Frog of Calaveras County. Beloved American author Mark Twain's hilarious classic short story comes to life through dance. Smiley, the gambler, bets his frog can out-jump any frog in Calaveras County; but the mysterious stranger has something up his sleeve! The story is told through Mark Twain's prose, bluegrass and country music, colorful costumes and high-jumping dance movement. A must-see for students studying American literature!

April 24 at 11:00 a.m.

· Peter and the Wolf. Momentum Dance Company delights young audiences with a perennial children's favorite! This classic folk tale with music by Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev is the most popular children's work the company has ever offered. Kids join clever Peter and his friends the Bird and the Duck as they work together to outwit and capture the fierce Wolf. Other characters include grumpy Grandfather and the ridiculous Hunters. Each character is represented by a different instrument of the orchestra and a unique way of moving. Comedy, drama, suspense and excitement make this work a must-see experience.

May 8 at 11:00 a.m.

· Insects. This performance features dance sequences inspired by poems for children about bugs selected from Barry Louis Polisar's book Insect Soup. Kids meet the Dung Beetle, the Praying Mantis, the Cicada, the Flea, and more. Each insect has a unique, and crazy way of moving as it goes about the business of its daily life - eating, sleeping, walking, flying, and dancing. Insects dance to an original jazzy score and wear crazy colorful costumes by Marilyn Skow.

May 22 at 11:00 a.m.

· Fish Tales. This exciting and colorful environmentally conscious work tells the story of marine life on Florida's coral reefs and their beautiful, but fragile environment. Meet Madame Manatee and Senora Stingray as they lead the underwater inhabitants (peppermint stripe shrimp, parrotfish, jellyfish, grouper, and more) in cleaning up their neglected reef. This program is fun and empowering as the characters send a message of personal responsibility for conservation. Colorful, imaginative costumes and an original Caribbean style musical score make Fish Tales a must see!

Momentum Dance Company's 2021 Children's Programming is sponsored in part by The National Endowment for the Arts, the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Arts Council, the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Board of County Commissioners, the City of Coral Gables and the Coral Gables Cultural Arts Council, the City of Miami Beach and the Miami Beach Cultural Arts Council, Citizens Interested in Arts, and the Thoressen Foundation.

For more information about Momentum Dance Company, follow them on Facebook.

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