Diavolo Dance Theater performs Kansas City debut on Harriman-jewell series
WHAT: DIAVOLO DANCE THEATER
PRESENTED BY: HARRIMAN-JEWELL SERIES
WHEN: Friday, April 18, at 8 p.m.
WHERE: MUSIC HALL, downtown Kansas City, Mo. (13th and Central Sts.)
TICKETS: $20, $25, $40 or $55 | call 816-415-5025 or visit www.harriman-jewell.org
PROGRAM: planned works include Foreign Bodies; Knockturne, Duet I; Knockturne, Duet II; D2R-A; and Trajectoire view descriptions
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FREE "YOUNG PERSONS'
PERFORMANCE: Diavolo Dance Theater will offer
a free “young persons’ performance”
from noon to 1 p.m., Friday, April 18, at
the Music Hall. Reservations are required
for groups—contact Heather
Forbis at 816-415-5025. Specifically created for
school groups, the performance will feature four works:
Siege, Knockturne, Apex, and D2R-A. After the third
dance, selected audience members will have a chance
to help the team warm up on stage. A question-and-answer
session will immediately follow the fourth, final
work.
The inventive Diavolo Dance Theater appears in Kansas
City for the first time at 8 p.m. Friday, April 18,
at the Music Hall (13th and Central Sts.). The Harriman-Jewell
Series presents this company of 10 dancers, gymnasts,
rock climbers, and actors who leap, fly, and twirl
to illustrate the funny and frightening ways people
can act within their environment.
Diavolo was founded in 1992, in Los Angeles, by Artistic Director Jacques Heim. "My aim is to capture and comment upon the ironic and frequently humorous patterns, as well as the darker consequences, of human behavior," Heim wrote. "Through the company, I try to convey an appreciation for movement by breaking down barriers to dance via a vocabulary based on everyday activities."
Under the guidance of Heim, the Diavolo members collaboratively develop work on oversized surrealistic sets and structures. Everyday items such as doors, chairs, or stairways, provide the backdrop for dramatic movement to create metaphors for the challenge of relationships, the absurdities of life, and the struggle to maintain our humanity in the shadow of a technological world.
In 1993, the company was nominated for two Lester Horton awards in Los Angeles, and in 1995, Diavolo made its European debut at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival where they were named “Best of the Fest” by the London Independent and Critic’s Choice by The Guardian. Also in 1995, the company received three Lester Horton awards for the work Tete en L’Air. Since then, the company has been nominated several times for numerous awards, including four 2001 Lester Horton Awards and two 2003 Lester Horton Awards and they were honored to perform live at the 10th annual American Choreography Awards in 2004.
Due to the unusual and innovative way that Diavolo works with architectural structures, the creative team at Cirque du Soleil was inspired to hire Jacques Heim to choreograph their permanent show in Las Vegas, entitled KÁ, which opened in 2005.
This season marks Diavolo’s ninth U.S. tour. In addition, Diavolo has performed internationally in Scotland, Japan, Chile, Mexico, South Korea, and Italy. For more information about Diavolo, visit www.diavolo.org.
Tickets to see Diavolo Dance Theater are $20, $25, $40, or $55; please call the Harriman-Jewell Series at 816-415-5025 (or toll free at 888-528-5521). Tickets and event information are also available at www.harriman-jewell.org. John and Jackie Middelkamp sponsor this Harriman-Jewell Series event.
Now in its 43rd season, the nationally recognized Harriman-Jewell Series brings acclaimed performers from the worlds of music, dance, and theatre to Kansas City’s downtown venues. In addition to the performances, educational events offer free master classes and lectures to allow area community members and students to view artists in an informal setting.
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