Sand Artist Kseniya Simonova Embarks on The Forgotten Kingdom — Sand Stories Tour
By: Stephi Wild Oct. 04, 2019
Acclaimed international sand artist Kseniya Simonova (recent winner of Golden Buzzer on Britain's Got Talent 2019: The Champions) partners with the Guy Mendilow Ensemble (GME) to present the U.S. Premiere tour of The Forgotten Kingdom - Sand Stories from October 29 - November 12, 2019 through the United States.
In The Forgotten Kingdom, Simonova creates, morphs and obliterates sand imagery in real-time, crafting a captivating and soulful narrative of Sephardi women's stories lost to war, driven by the Ensemble's evocative music and radio-theatre-style storytelling.
Over the course of the evening, audiences travel through breathtaking landscapes of sand. With English narration and orchestration, the show renders both heart-wrenching and humorous scenes of daily life in Mediterranean communities from World War I and the Ottoman Empire's collapse all the way to World War II. Referencing democratic hopes crushed by fascist regimes that cloaked entire communities in fear and oblivion, The Forgotten Kingdom links the past to the present, stirring powerful questions about struggles and dilemmas with which we continue to grapple today.
"These women's stories offer up perspectives that we deeply need right now," said Guy Mendilow. "These stories offer a personal inkling of what it was like to live through the upheaval of those times - what happens to ordinary people, to families. These women's voices have been historically excluded from the conversation, and it feels important to listen now."
The winner of "Ukraine's Got Talent" (with 40 million+ views for her semifinal video), and recently featured in "America's Got Talent: The Champions" (with 100 million+ views of the Golden Buzzer host Terry Crews)," Kseniya Simonova has performed in more than 70 countries. The tour marks her US performing arts stage debut. She developed her signature sand animation technique by sifting volcanic sand through her hands over a lightboard.
In The Forgotten Kingdom, GME underscores the action with a broad musical palette. The emotionality of Western classical music is intensified by the bittersweet rawness of Tango, gorgeous vocal harmonies and the rhythmic fire of classical Arabic percussion.
"It is a great honor for me to perform with Guy Mendilow Ensemble in The Forgotten Kingdom," said Kseniya Simonova. "This is my first big performance in America since 'America's Got Talent: The Champions' and it is a new experience for me to perform an evening-length piece. When I was creating the sand stories for this project, I was blown away by the beauty of the songs and I think the way they come to life is powerfully moving, wherever you come from and whether or not you already know these cultural communities and what they faced."
TOUR SCHEDULE
- Oct 29 - Bailey Hall, Davie, FL
- Oct 30-31 - Strand Theatre, Rockland ME
- Nov 1 - onSTAGE at CT College, New London CT
- Nov 2 - Stockbridge Theatre, Derry, NH
- Nov 7 - Mayerson Jewish Community Center, Cincinnati, OH
- Nov 8 - Maltz Performing Arts Center, Cleveland, OH
- Nov 9 - ECC Arts Center, Elgin, IL
- Nov 12 - Harris Center, Folsom, CA
Tickets can be purchased online or at the box office at each venue.
For more information, visit https://www.guymendilowensemble.com/tfk-produ and http://simonova.tv/.
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