Australia's Strange Fruit Launches 35th Anniversary Season of Great Performances at Vanderbilt

Four free performances by Australia's Strange Fruit, the international outdoor festival performers, will launch the 35^th anniversary of Great Performances at Vanderbilt this week, with shows at Nashville's Centennial Park and on the Alumni Lawn on the Vanderbilt University campus.

Other events in the 2009-2010 season include a radio documentary performance by L.A. Theatre Works and the social revolutionary group, Grupo Cultural AfroReggae with Anderson Sa himself on-site direct from Rio de Janeiro including among residency activities the screening of Favela Rising, recipient of 36 international film festival awards.

Since 1994, Australia's Strange Fruit has inspired thousands through its unique combination of dance, theatre, and circus staged on 5-yard bendable sway poles. In Swoon!, Strange Fruit will guide audiences through a spectacular story of love, loss, joy, and freedom on high. Originally based on the image of a field of wheat swaying in the breeze, Strange Fruit has performed for over 250 international festivals-their sublime, hypnotic beauty calls to be experienced.

Of Strange Fruit, The Chicago Sun-Times writes, "Swoon! will make hearts go pitter-pat no matter how old the viewer." France's Nord Eclair says, "...like living statues soaring between heaven and earth...their heads in the sky, hearts close to the sun...produced brilliantly eclectic images that pay homage to Michelangelo, Mary Poppins, Folon and Magritte."

The performance is free at both locations and is supported in part by Nashville Metro Parks.For more company details, visit www.elsieman.org/artists/strange_fruit.html .

Australia's Strange Fruit will perform at 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. (CDT) on Wednesday, September 16, in Centennial Park, across West End Avenue from the Vanderbilt campus. On Thursday, September 17, the group will perform at 1 and 7 p.m. on Vanderbilt Alumni Lawn.

Subscription packages for the entire Great Performances series are on sale at Sarratt Student Center and www.vanderbilt.edu/greatperformances. Single tickets range from $29 to $37. Vanderbilt students and staff can get discounted rates. Non-Vanderbilt students are $10 with ID at Ticketmaster outlets and at the box office. Call (615) 322-2471 for more information.

The events, in addition to the performances by Australia's Strange Fruit:

--Kidd Pivot, Canada's cutting-edge dance troupe led by choreographer Crystal Pite, performs Lost Action 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 24 in Ingram Hall.

--L.A. Theatre Works, which gives audio performances of significant works of dramatic radio plays with their original transcripts, will perform War of the Worlds and The Lost World by H.G. Wells at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8, in Ingram Hall. A panel discussion on arts censorship will be scheduled for the same day.

--DBR, the stage name of violinist and Vanderbilt Blair School of Music graduate Daniel Bernard Roumain, performs Darwin's Meditation for the People of Lincoln 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, in Ingram Hall. Blair students and faculty will join DBR on stage.

--Guido's Ear, an early music ensemble specializing in repertoire of the late renaissance and early baroque, founded by violinists Aaron Brown and Dongmyung Ahn. Perform 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 28, in Turner Hall at the Blair School of Music.

--Grupo Cultural AfroReggae, from Rio de Janeiro, is a musical movement organized by social revolutionist Anderson Sa dedicated to promoting Afro-Brazilian cultural traditions while working to develop the self-esteem, alternative life projects and a sense of citizenship among youth. Supported in part by VU Center for Latin American Studies. They perform 7:30 p.m. Thursday, February 25, in Ingram Hall.

--Nrityagram Dance Ensemble, from the Nrityagram village in India, will perform sensual and lyrical dance that incorporates movement from the ancient classic form Odissi with contemporary concepts. They perform 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 25, in Ingram Hall.

--Trey McIntyre Project, a ballet troupe with commissions by the New York City Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet and others, will perform 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 7 in Ingram Hall.

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