Smart Bets: The Principles of Uncertainty

Posted on March 13, 2018March 6, 2018 by Edwin Arnaudin

The evening-length dance-theater work makes its Southeast premiere March 16 and 17 at Diana Wortham Theatre.

FIRE DANCE: The six-member company of New York’s revolutionary troupe Urban Bush Women are first and foremost dancers. But they are also vanguards, using art to catalyze change. “We look at systemic racism in our society and tell the stories that need to be told,” says Chanon Judson, associate artistic director. Pictured, from left, are Courtney Cook,
Samantha Speis, Judson,
Du'Bois A'Keen,
Stephanie Mas and Tendayi Kuumba.

Urban Bush Women dance toward liberation

Posted on February 1, 2018January 23, 2018 by Lauren Stepp

“We are helping communities realize that racism affects us all. It’s not just people of color,” says Chanon Judson, associate artistic director for Urban Bush Women. “But we also push the conversation beyond racism. We ask ourselves and our audiences, ‘How can we set the pace for liberation?’”

LEND A HAND: At The Asheville Fringe Arts Festival, dancers, from left, Melissa Wilhoit, Mikhale Sherrill, Shari Azar, Kathleen Meyers Leiner and Elizabeth Huntley, will perform in 'Open-Handed,' an installation and movement performance.

The Asheville Fringe Arts Festival returns for its 16th year

Posted on January 23, 2018January 22, 2018 by Thomas Calder

The four-day multidisciplinary arts festival, which runs Thursday through Sunday, Jan. 25-28, is the place for artists to showcase new, innovative works. Subthemes for this year’s Fringe include experimental art, fringey fun, raw emotion, social justice and the wildly weird.

THE COMPANY: WNC Dance Academy's Jan. 20 showcase at the Asheville High School auditorium features large group, small group, trio, duet and solo pieces. All proceeds and nonperishable food donations from the event will be given to MANNA FoodBank.

Conscious Party: WNC Dance Academy Benefit Showcase

Posted on January 7, 2018January 5, 2018 by Edwin Arnaudin

WNC Dance Academy’s benefit showcase for MANNA FoodBank takes place Jan. 20 at the Asheville High School auditorium.

ENDINGS AND BEGINNINGS: While producer/DJ GRiZ performs at U.S. Cellular Center, the Asheville Symphony plays its last concert under the baton of Daniel Meyer next door in the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium. That New Year’s Eve program includes Orff’s “Carmina Burana,” the first piece Meyer conducted as music director in Asheville.

Where to be when the clock strikes 2018

Posted on December 27, 2017December 20, 2017 by Alli Marshall

Here are some suggested philosophical states in which to dwell (with appropriately corresponding entertainment) when the clock strikes midnight.

Smart Bets: Jamie Laval’s Celtic Christmas

Posted on December 25, 2017December 20, 2017 by Edwin Arnaudin

The Tryon-based fiddler’s annual Winter Solstice-oriented program of music, dance, poetry and stories takes place Dec. 29 at Asheville Community Theatre.

INCLUSIVE TUNES: The Swing Asheville house band welcomes musicians from the community to join them on stage the first Tuesday of each month for the group's Community Jazz Jam. The next one takes place Jan. 2 at THE BLOCK Off Biltmore and raises funds for the Hawthorn Community Herb Collective.

Conscious Party: Jazz-n-Justice

Posted on December 24, 2017December 22, 2017 by Edwin Arnaudin

Swing Asheville’s Community Jazz Jam takes place Jan. 2 at THE BLOCK Off Biltmore and benefits the Hawthorn Community Herb Collective.

The history, culture and observance of Kwanzaa-attachment0

Kwanzaa brings light to the season

Posted on December 22, 2017December 20, 2017 by Able Allen

This time of year, religion almost seems to corner the market on celebrations of peace and unity, but Kwanzaa offers the opportunity to attune the spirit through a cultural holiday. Many think of Kwanzaa as entirely motivated by a particular religion, but it’s a modern concept honoring seven traditional principles of the Swahili-speaking regions of Africa, and […]

Smart Bets: Shozo

Posted on December 6, 2017November 28, 2017 by Edwin Arnaudin

Asheville artist Tim Arem’s one-man Japanese-themed family circus theater experience will be performed Dec. 10 at The Altamont Theatre.

Smart Bets: Asheville Ballet’s ‘The Nutcracker’

Posted on December 5, 2017December 1, 2017 by Edwin Arnaudin

The holiday classic returns to Diana Wortham Theatre Dec. 8-10.

REASON FOR THE SEASON: From "Jingle Bells" to "Mean Girls," Christine Garvin's "Ho-Ho-Holiday Rewind" theatrical dance production is all about the laughs.

‘Ho-Ho-Holiday Rewind’ variety show brings seasonal cheer

Posted on December 4, 2017December 1, 2017 by Hayley Benton

On Saturday, Dec. 9, Christine Garvin, her dance students and her professional dance troupe will be bringing back a much-loved seasonal tradition, Ho-Ho-Holiday Rewind — a hilariously entertaining holiday-themed variety show that’s had Asheville audiences giggling since 2012.

Smart Bets: James ‘Bo’ Taylor

Posted on December 4, 2017December 1, 2017 by Edwin Arnaudin

The evening of Cherokee music and dance takes place Dec. 7 at Blue Ridge Community College’s Thomas Auditorium in Flat Rock.

MOVEMENT AND MEANING: Danza Azteca Chichimeca practices and performs traditional Aztec dances, unchanged from ancestral times. It not only connects its participants to their roots but sends a message to Latino immigrants that their identity can remain strong in their adoptive home.

Ancestral dance fosters connection to nature and tradition

Posted on November 23, 2017November 16, 2017 by Victor Palomino

When the drum sounds and the conch shells make the call to the four directions, Danza Azteca Chichimeca opens a ceremony dedicated to gratitude for the earth and harmony with the universe.

IT TAKES TWO: A Social Function lead singers Ric Luther and Jesse Barry will belt out a variety of fun retro covers during AHE's '80s Dance Party benefit at Isis Music Hall on Nov. 22.

Conscious Party: ’80s Dance Party

Posted on November 12, 2017November 13, 2017 by Edwin Arnaudin

The retro fundraiser for AHE takes place Nov. 22 at Isis Music Hall.

DIY THEATER: Members of The Runaway Circus perform at Toy Boat Community Arts Space. The expansion of French Broad River Brewery is forcing the arts and performance venue to find a new location once its lease expires in January.

Toy Boat Community Art Space is in need of a new home

Posted on November 8, 2017February 28, 2018 by Edwin Arnaudin

French Broad River Brewery’s expansion will force the community art space to relocate once its lease is up after January 2018.

COLOR & MOVEMENT: Julie Becton Gillum, pictured, Jenni Cockrell and Constance Humphries comprise the Asheville Butoh Collective. The dance group will hold a fundraiser for its 2018 season on Nov. 3 at Revolve at RAMP Studios South.

Conscious Party: Asheville Butoh Collective

Posted on October 29, 2017October 27, 2017 by Edwin Arnaudin

The evening of sushi, saki and improvised performance takes place Nov. 3 at at Revolve at RAMP Studios South.

DEEP DARK DANCE: Asheville Contemporary Dance Theatre’s new work, to be performed around Halloween, is ‘Death by Plastica.’ The production addresses postconsumer waste with humor and drama.

Halloween happenings around WNC

Posted on October 25, 2017October 26, 2017 by Alli Marshall

Here’s a selection of costumed capers, ghoulish gatherings and pumpkin-spiced parties. From autumnal festivities to puppet shows, there’s a celebration for nearly every reveler.

FLAG WAVING: Alexandra Joye Warren’s dance “For Love of Country” meditates on the intersection of modern-day politics and race. “I started on this piece in November during the election when no one was listening to one another,” says Warren. “I want the piece to give way to more inquiry. I want the audience to be more understanding as opposed to steadfast.”

North Carolina Dance Festival returns to Asheville

Posted on October 17, 2017October 18, 2017 by Lauren Stepp

In 1991, founder Jan Van Dyke introduced the festival as a traveling, statewide showcase of high-caliber choreography. Each season, two to three cities are selected to host concerts over the course of a weekend.

HIPS DON’T LIE: Asheville-based Trillium Dance Company will showcase its blend of modern, jazz and hip-hop for the eighth time at LEAF this fall. “What is unique about dance is the opportunity to go deeper into your body,” says troupe director Leslie Rogers.

Dance offerings at LEAF Festival and beyond

Posted on October 12, 2017October 9, 2017 by Carla Seidl

At LEAF Festival, there are plenty of opportunities for even non-dancers to connect with the art form. Fire dancers from Asheville’s Unifire Theater, acrobats from Imagine Circus of Raleigh and The Faerie Kin, a roaming performance troupe, routinely wow festivalgoers.

NEXT GENERATION: Student vocalists in the Brooklyn Youth Chorus will perform Black Mountain Songs. The commissioned work of choral pieces, composed by eight musicians, was inspired by letters and poetry from Black Mountain College alumni. The Asheville concerts are part of a new Performance Initiative by Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center and UNC Asheville.

ReVIEWING Black Mountain College conference looks at process and performance

Posted on September 26, 2017September 22, 2017 by Alli Marshall

As the annual conference attests, ideas and influences continue to ripple from the legendary school. This year’s theme is “Process + Performance.”

Smart Bets: Mountain Heritage Day

Posted on September 26, 2017September 22, 2017 by Edwin Arnaudin

The 43rd annual celebration of Southern Appalachian music, dance, arts and crafts takes place Saturday, Sept. 30 at Western Carolina University.

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