Point Park's Conservatory Dance Company Plays the Byham Theatre, 4/19-21

Point Park University's Conservatory Dance Company will perform their annual concert at the Byham Theater in the Cultural District April 19 – 21, 2012. The concert will feature signature works choreographed by dance luminaries Val Caniparoli, Martha Graham, Kevin Iega Jeff and Ohad Naharin. 

Bow Out, by Val Caniparoli, received its world premiere in 1995 with the Richmond Ballet, supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts' dance program.  The edgy, yet beautifully harmonious work features music by David Bedford and Roy Powell, performed by The Apollo Saxophone Quartet.

Heretic, one of Martha Graham's first works, premiered in 1929.  Heretic features the music "Bretons Têtus" from Chansons de La Fleur-de-Lys, arranged by Charles de Sivry and depicts an individual vying for tolerance against an unwitting, unrelenting crowd.  Point Park University performed Heretic earlier this spring on March 14 at The Joyce Theater in New York City as part of the Martha Graham Dance Company's 86^th season.  In addition, the piece was notated at Point Park by the Dance Notation Bureau during its recent reconstruction.

Kevin Iega Jeff's Sky, featuring music by Sigur Rós, premiered in 2006 when he wrote a full company piece for River North Chicago Dance Company.  The Chicago Sun-Times wrote,  "In Sky, Jeff…has created a beautifully abstract yet emotionally intense vision…in which 12 dancers look heavenward with a sense of fear and foreboding as well as hope."

Minus 16 by Ohad Naharin made its world premiere in 1999 with Netherlands Dance Theater II.  The piece is set to a musical compilation of cha-cha, mambo and traditional Israeli music and was created by fusing sections of Naharin's previous works, includingZachacha, Anaphase, Sabotage Baby and Moshe.       

Conservatory Dance Company at the Byham runs April 19 - 21 on Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m. Tickets are $18 - $20 and can be purchased by calling the Pittsburgh Playhouse box office at 412-392-8000 or online at www.pittsburghplayhouse.com.  

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