Lafayette Online » Purdue Convocations

Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet Company showcases dance works

admin — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:51:51 +0000

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The New York-based Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet Company will celebrate works by contemporary dance visionaries and showcase a wide-ranging spectrum of both American and international repertory Nov. 13 in Purdue Stewart Center’s Loeb Playhouse.

The 8 p.m. event is presented by Purdue Convocations and includes a pre-show discussion by a member of the Cedar Lake artistic staff, who will talk about the company’s history and the evening’s repertoire. The discussion will take place at 7 p.m. in the Stewart Center Gallery.

Since its founding in 2003, the New York-based Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet Company has distinguished itself through both its talented corps of 16 athletic dancers and its emphasis on acquiring and commissioning new works by the world’s most sought-after emerging choreographers.

Under the artistic direction of Benoit-Swan Pouffer, a celebrated dancer, choreographer and installation artist, Cedar Lake will take audiences on a bold and diverse choreographic journey in a program. The event features works by several distinct and important choreographers, including Ohad Naharin, Crystal Pite, and Didy Veldman.

Born and raised in Paris, Pouffer joined Cedar Lake as artistic director in 2005. His career began with study at the prestigious Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique et de Danse, where he performed works by such renowned French choreographers as Claude Brumachon, Daniel Larrieu and Angelin Preljocaj. Pouffer’s distinguished career as a professional dancer includes a seven-year tenure with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, seasons with Philadanco, Donald Byrd/The Group and Complexions. He also has offered outreach programs in South Africa and master classes throughout Europe.

Tickets are $26 for adults and $19 for children 18 years and younger, Purdue students and Ivy Tech Lafayette students. Tickets are available at the Elliott Hall and Stewart Center box offices at 765-494-3933 or 800-914-SHOW. Tickets also are available through Ticketmaster outlets. Discounted tickets for groups of 10 or more can be ordered at 765-496-1977.

Initiated in 1902, Purdue Convocations is among the oldest collegiate professional performing arts presenters in the United States. Each year, Convocations offers the region 30 to 40 performances of widely varying genres: Broadway-style shows, theater, dance, children’s theater, world music, jazz, and chamber music, along with rock, pop, country and comedy attractions. With a vision for connecting artists and audiences in artistic dialogue and for drawing in academic discourse, Purdue Convocations aims to promote frequent exposure to and familiarity with human cultural expression in a multitude of forms and media.

‘Frindle’ explores power of words, language

admin — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:25:02 +0000

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — A quirky, imaginative tale about creative thought and the power of language, Andrew Clements’s “Frindle,” presented by the Griffin Theatre Company, comes to life on the Loeb Playhouse stage of Purdue University’s Stewart Center at 7:00p on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2009.

Purdue Convocations will present an imaginative tale about creative thought and the power of language on stage on Oct. 1. Frindle is based on a book about a 10-year-old who decides to loosen things up in a classroom led by a no-nonsense teacher. (Photo courtesy of Brad Simon Organization)

The performance, part of Purdue Convocations’ family series, is recommended for children ages 8 to 12.

Based on the book by author Andrew Clements, the play follows 10-year-old Nick Allen, a creative kid with a lot of ideas; teachers know him as “trouble.” But it looks like his fifth-grade language arts teacher might put an end to his troublemaking days. Everyone knows that Mrs. Granger has X-ray vision, and nobody gets away with anything in her classroom.

When Nick decides to liven things up in Mrs. Granger’s class, he comes up with his greatest plan ever. He invents a new word for a pen: frindle. It doesn’t take long for frindle to take root, and soon the excitement spreads beyond the school and town and unleashes a series of events that rapidly spins out of control. His parents and Mrs. Granger would like Nick to put an end to all this nonsense. But frindle doesn’t belong to Nick anymore. All he can do now is sit back and watch what happens.

“‘Frindle’ is-about discovering the true nature of words, language, thought, community, learning,” says Clements. “It’s also about great teaching and great teachers, and about the life that surges through corridors and classrooms every school day.”

Tickets are $14 for adults and $10 for children 18 years and younger, Purdue students and Ivy Tech Lafayette students. Tickets are available at the Elliott Hall and Stewart Center box offices at (765) 494-3933 or (800) 914-SHOW. Tickets are also available through Ticketmaster outlets. Discounted tickets for groups of 10 or more can be ordered at (765) 496-1977.

Mongolian folk band brings innovative mix to Purdue

admin — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 19:35:25 +0000

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Bringing their unique mix of Mongolian folk and alternative country music, the Beijing-based band Hanggai, will perform at 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25, in Purdue Stewart Center’s Loeb Playhouse.

Hanggai, a folk band comprised of ethnic Mongolians, is captivating the Beijing music scene with its innovative blend of traditional Mongolian music with a contemporary feel.

The event is presented by Purdue Convocations in partnership with the Confucius Institute at Purdue University.

While China’s capital may seem an unlikely place for a Mongolian folk revival, Hanggai (pronounced HAHNG-guy), a folk band comprised of ethnic Mongolians, is captivating Beijing’s music scene with its innovative blend of traditional Mongolian music with a contemporary feel. Led by a singer Ilchi, the former lead singer for the punk band T9, the band members dress like men of the Mongolian steppes and perform on traditional instruments, such as the morin khuur, a horse-head fiddle, and the tobshuur, a two-stringed lute. Their music also features hoomei, an age-old traditional Mongolian throat-singing technique.

Tickets are $18 for adults and $15 for children 18 years and younger, Purdue students and Ivy Tech Lafayette students. Tickets are available at the Elliott Hall and Stewart Center box offices at 765-494-3933 or 800-914-SHOW. Tickets also are available through Ticketmaster outlets. Discounted tickets for groups of 10 or more can be ordered at 765-496-1977.

Tippecanoe Arts Federation announces $116,393 in Regional Partnership Grant Awards

admin — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 17:38:27 +0000

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Tippecanoe Arts Federation (TAF) announces 28 organizations throughout Region 4 (Benton, Carroll, Cass, Clinton, Fountain, Howard, Jasper, Montgomery, Newton, Pulaski, Tippecanoe, Tipton, Warren, and White Counties) will receive a total of $116,393.00 in grant awards for Fiscal Year 2010.

Earlier this year volunteer citizen peer panels, convened by TAF, reviewed 30 proposals. Grant awards were approved August 3, 2009 during the TAF board of director’s meeting.

Grants are made possible by the Indiana Arts Commission with funds appropriated by the Indiana General Assembly and the U.S. Congress, through the National Endowment for the Arts, and are for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2009.

The following organizations from Region 4 were approved for funding:

Arts Organization Support — Amount — County

(Funds provide general operating support to the following organizations)

Civic Theater of Greater Lafayette — $11,227 — Tippecanoe
Purdue University Convocations — $14,034 — Tippecanoe
Lafayette Symphony Orchestra — $10,364 — Tippecanoe
Art Museum of Greater Lafayette — $9,500 — Tippecanoe
Friends of the Frankfort Public Library — $5,159 — Clinton
Kokomo Civic Theater — $4,078 — Howard
Bach Chorale Singers — $5,363 — Tippecanoe
Prairie Arts Council — $5,407 — Jasper
Logansport Art Association — $3,715 — Cass
Long Center for the Performing Arts — $5,378 — Tippecanoe
IU Kokomo Gallery — $3,797 — Howard
Kokomo Park Band — $5,413 — Howard
Book Readers & Horn Blowers — $5,129 — Carroll

Arts Project Support — Amount — County

Psi Iota, Beta Alpha Chapter — $3,782 — Carroll
Funds will be used to support the Book Readers and Horn Blowers Elementary program
Kokomo Community Concerts — $2,921 — Howard
Funds will be used to support the 2009-2010 Concert series
Indiana Fiddlers’ Gathering — $3,775 — Tippecanoe
Funds will be used to support the Fiddlers’ Gathering
Purdue University Jazz — $3,624 — Tippecanoe
Funds will be used to support the 2010 Jazz Festival and educational programming
Tippecanoe County Historical Association — $3,728 — Tippecanoe
Funds will be used to support the Feast of the Hunter’s Moon

Mini Grant Support — Amount — County

Tipton County Pork Festival — $1,000 — Tipton
Funds will be used to support Festival Arts programming including exhibitions and education
Delphi Elementary School — $1,000 — Carroll
Funds will be used to support for an Artist in Residency
Flora Monroe Township Library — $1,000 — Cass
Funds will be used to support for summer art education classes
Friends of Bob Music Co-op — $1,000 — Tippecanoe
Funds will be used to support for the presentation of an international musical performing artist
Words on the Go — $1,000 — Tippecanoe
Funds will be used to support city poetry initiatives
Tri Kappa — $1,000 — Howard
Funds will be used to support the annual high school arts competition and exhibition
Art League of Montgomery County — $1,000 — Montgomery
Funds will be used to support the downtown juried art exhibition
Lew Wallace Study Preservation Society — $1,000 — Montgomery
Funds will be used to support the artist in residency day
All Saints Catholic School — $1,000 — Cass
Funds will be used to support monthly artist in residencies during the 2009/2010 school year
Wabash Valley Youth Symphony — $1,000 — Tippecanoe
Funds will be used to support sectional rehearsal musicians

Activities of the Tippecanoe Arts Federation are provided, in part, with support from the Indiana Arts Commission, a state agency, with funds from the Indiana General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Purdue Convocations announces 2009-2010 season

admin — Wed, 27 May 2009 03:57:09 +0000

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue Convocations’ 2009-10 season will feature 22 performances, including a variety of Broadway musicals, plays and concerts. Highlights of the season include Broadway musicals such as “Mamma Mia!” “Avenue Q” and “Jesus Christ Superstar” starring Ted Neeley, as well as performances in Elliott Hall of Music of “Metropolis” and the Martha Graham Dance Company.

This season features a diverse range in programming, including a partnership with Lafayette’s Long Center Theatre Organ Society presenting the silent film classic “Metropolis,” starring Clark Wilson; the Kronos Quartet performing the Midwest premiere of “Music from Fences,” a work co-commissioned by the Sydney Opera House and Purdue Convocations; and Henrik Ibsen’s “An Enemy of the People” by Aquila Theatre.

“‘An Enemy of the People’ has as much social currency today as it did when it was written 127 years ago, raising the age-old question of whether art imitates life or the reverse,” said Todd Wetzel, director of Purdue Convocations.

Other highlights of the season include special engagements leading up to the 25th anniversary of the Friends of Convocations, the organization’s donor group. Performances include an appearance by acclaimed jazz musician Dave Brubeck and the Martha Graham Dance Company.

The Friends of Convocations are a key part of Purdue Convocations, said Kendall Purpura, director of development for Convocations.

Avenue Q, the Broadway musical is coming to the Elliott Hall of Music, April 29, 2010

“Convocations appreciates the support that we receive through tickets sales,” Purpura said. “However, ticket sales only provide 60 percent of the costs of presenting performances. Contributions from Friends of Convocations make it all possible, and we are looking forward to celebrating 25 years of support from this devoted group.”

Friends of Convocations will receive priority seating if their orders are received by June 12. All other orders are then processed as received. To join the Friends of Convocations or learn more about membership benefits, contact Convocations at 765-494-9712.

In addition to scheduled public performances, thousands of students from preschool to high school also will be treated to a series of matinees and artist-in-residence activities that will be brought to schools during the 2009-10 season. These events are open to all schools, and a complete list can be found at http://www.convocations.org

Advance tickets are now on sale for all performances and may be purchased as single tickets or the flexible Pick 5 package. Discounted tickets also are available for groups of 10 or more.

Ticket order forms, complete ticket pricing information and details on all performances are available at http://www.convocations.org, in the 2009-10 Convocations brochure or by calling 765-494-9712. Tickets also can be ordered at the campus box offices or by phone at 765-494-3933.

The Purdue Convocations 2009-10 season schedule includes:

“Metropolis,” directed by Fritz Lang and starring Clark Wilson on the Elliott Hall of Music theater organ. Presented by Purdue Convocations and the Long Center Theatre Organ Society. 8 p.m. Sept. 18. Elliott Hall of Music. Tickets are $15 for the general public and $10 for students.
Hanggai with special guest Mamer. 8 p.m. Sept. 25. Loeb Playhouse. Tickets are $18 for the general public and $15 for students.
Andrew Clements’ “Frindle,” presented by Griffin Theatre Company. 7 p.m. Oct. 1. Loeb Playhouse. Tickets are $14 for the general public and $10 for students.
The Classical Theatre of Harlem’s production of Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot,” directed by Christopher McElroen. 7:30 p.m. Oct. 7 and 8. Loeb Playhouse. Tickets are $28 for the general public and $20 for students.
“Mamma Mia!” 7:30 p.m. Oct. 21 and Oct. 22. Elliott Hall of Music. Tickets are $20-$48 for the general public and $20-$35 for students.
Jeremy Denk on the piano. 3 p.m. Oct. 25. Loeb Playhouse. Tickets are $26 for the general public and $16 for students.
Afiara String Quartet. 7:30 p.m. Nov. 5. Loeb Playhouse. Tickets are $12.
Dave Brubeck Quartet. 8 p.m. Nov. 7. Loeb Playhouse. Tickets are $35-$85 for the general public and $25-$45 for students.
Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet. 8 p.m. Nov. 13. Loeb Playhouse. Tickets are $26 for the general public and $19 for students.
“Strega Nona” by Tomie dePaola. Presented by Maximum Entertainment in association with Active Arts Theatre for Young Audiences. 3 p.m. Nov. 22. Loeb Playhouse. Tickets are $14 for the general public and $10 for students.
Fauré Quartett. 8 p.m. Jan. 15. Loeb Playhouse. Tickets are $26 for the general public and $16 for students.
“The Adventures of Harold and the Purple Crayon” by Crockett Johnson. Presented by the Enchantment Theatre Company. 3 p.m. Jan. 17. Loeb Playhouse. Tickets are $14 for the general public and $10 for students.
Dave Holland Quintet. 8 p.m. Jan. 22. Loeb Playhouse. Tickets are $30 for the general public and $22 for students.
“The Opera Show.” 8 p.m. Jan. 30. Loeb Playhouse. Tickets are $35-$45 for the general public and $25-$30 for students.
Kronos Quartet, “Music Without Borders,” featuring a Purdue Convocations co-commission. 7:30 p.m. Feb. 4. Loeb Playhouse. Tickets are $26 for the general public and $16 for students.
“Jesus Christ Superstar” starring Ted Neeley. 8 p.m. Feb. 12. Elliott Hall of Music. Tickets are $20-$45 for the general public and $20-$32 for students.
“The Hobbit” by J.R.R. Tolkien. Presented by the Théâtre Sans Fil. 1:30 p.m. Feb. 20. Loeb Playhouse. Tickets are $18 for the general public and $12 for students.
“An Enemy of the People” by Henrik Ibsen. Presented by Aquila Theatre Company. 7:30 p.m. Feb. 25. Loeb Playhouse. Tickets are $28 for the general public and $20 for students.
Martha Graham Dance Company. 8 p.m. Feb. 27. Elliott Hall of Music. Tickets are $20-$38 for the general public and $15-$26 for students.
Chaconne Klaverenga on the guitar. 3 p.m. March 28. Loeb Playhouse. Tickets are $12.
Miguel Zenón’s “Esta Plena.” 8 p.m. April 9. Loeb Playhouse. Tickets are $26 for the general public and $19 for students.
“Avenue Q,” the Broadway musical. 7:30 p.m. April 29. Elliott Hall of Music. Tickets are $20-$45 for the general public and $20-$32 for students.

Nrityagram Ensemble to showcase Indian dance traditions

admin — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 00:32:18 +0000

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Blending the classical dance forms of India with contemporary dance concepts, the Nrityagram Dance Ensemble will perform at Purdue Stewart Center’s Loeb Playhouse at 8 p.m. March 27.

The performance is presented by Purdue Convocations as part of its World Stage series.

A talk titled “Why Indian dance is new and old,” by Joan Erdman, professor of anthropology and cultural studies at Columbia College in Chicago, will precede the performance. Erdman will discuss innovation and creativity in India’s dance traditions. The talk will begin at 7 p.m. March 27 in Purdue Stewart Center, Room 311.

Regarded as one of the foremost dance companies of India, Nrityagram (NRIT-yuh-grahm) is based in a Bangalore gurukul – an artist colony where dancers devote themselves to a holistic, self-sufficient lifestyle that incorporates dance training and interdisciplinary courses in literature, philosophy and the arts as well as yoga, mime and meditation. These workshops inspire an understanding of the inter-relatedness of all arts and physical traditions, not only of India, but also of other countries, said Abby Eddy, director of marketing for Purdue Convocations.

The ensemble pursues many dance forms of India. Perhaps best known is the classical form Odissi, which is based upon the elaborate human forms carved on the walls of ancient temples and gives the illusion of sculpture coming to life, Eddy said.

Tickets are $26 for adults and $19 for children 18 years and younger, Purdue students and Ivy Tech Lafayette students. Tickets are available at the Elliott Hall and Stewart Center box offices at (765) 494-3933 or (800) 914-SHOW. Tickets also are available through Ticketmaster outlets. Discounted tickets for groups of 10 or more can be ordered at (765) 496-1977.

The Irish Tenors

admin — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 22:14:06 +0000

The Irish Tenors -- Anthony Kearns, Finbar Wright, and Karl Scully

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Anthony Kearns, Finbar Wright, and Karl Scully celebrate the music of the Emerald Isle with sparkling voices and Irish charm, performing traditional Gaelic folk songs, ballads, and medleys with lush accompaniment by our very own Lafayette Symphony Orchestra. Since their debut in 1998, The Irish Tenors have performed to enthusiastic audiences in the finest venues around the world. Their eight chart-topping albums include legendary Irish standards like “Danny Boy” and “Molly Malone,” as well as stirring interpretations of pop hits, folk tunes, and sacred hymns. Their worldwide success has spawned many imitators, but there is only one trio with the impeccable harmonies, sweeping orchestration, and international following of The Irish Tenors.

“The luck of the Irish may be legendary, but there’s a lot to say for the skill of the Irish, as demonstrated by The Irish Tenors’ blending of traditional and modern songs.”
–The Washington Post

The Irish Tenors
Friday, March 6th at 8:00p
Elliott Hall of Music, Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN

This performance is a collaboration between Purdue Convocations and the Lafayette Symphony Orchestra. Call 765-494-3933 for tickets. LSO patrons with questions about ticket purchase options should call 765-494-9712.

In Related News:

News via Lafayette Indiana Online

The Irish Tenors

Theater companies team up to present Shakespeare’s ‘Henry V’

admin — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 07:12:32 +0000

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Acting Company and the Guthrie Theater will present “Henry V,” a Shakespearean epic about the power of courage and the price of glory, at 7 p.m. Feb. 5 in the Loeb Playhouse of Purdue’s Stewart Center.

The production is presented by Purdue Convocations as part of its World Stage series.

When the young, ambitious Henry V inherits a troubled crown, he seeks to unite his kingdom and inspire patriotism by launching a hasty invasion of France. The action follows the king and his ragtag band as they confront heavy opposition – and their own destinies. Directed by Davis McCallum, the play balances the heroics of battle with the reactions of men who are sometimes unsure of the justice of their cause, said Abby Eddy, director of marketing for Purdue Convocations.

The Acting Company and The Guthrie Theater come together to present Henry V, a rousing Shakespearean epic about the power of courage and the price of glory.

The cast of 12 actors includes Acting Company alumni as well as graduates of Guthrie’s bachelor of fine arts program and Guthrie Experience students.

Since its founding in 1972 by John Houseman and Margot Harley, The Acting Company has performed 131 productions in 48 states and 10 foreign countries.

The Guthrie Theater, founded by Sir Tyrone Guthrie in 1963, is one of America’s leading regional theaters and is recognized as an American center for theater performance, production and professional training, Eddy said.

Tickets are $26 for adults and $19 for those 18 years and younger, Purdue students and Ivy Tech Lafayette students. Tickets are available at the Elliott Hall and Stewart Center box offices at (765) 494-3933 or (800) 914-SHOW. Tickets also are available through Ticketmaster outlets. Discounted tickets for groups of 10 or more can be ordered at (765) 496-1977.

World premiere of ‘The Spy’ at Purdue

admin — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 06:49:55 +0000

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Acting Company and the Guthrie Theater will present the world premiere stage adaptation of an 1821 novel by James Fenimore Cooper, “The Spy,” at 8 p.m. Feb. 7 at Purdue Stewart Center’s Loeb Playhouse.

The performance, which is a thriller with romance, adventure, disguises and double crosses, is presented by Purdue Convocations as part of its Catalyst series.

Cooper set the standard for the spy novel with “The Spy,” the first-ever book in the genre. As Washington’s army fights the king’s redcoats for control of the wilderness north of New York City, allegiances constantly shift among loyalists, revolutionaries and marauders, while the murderous talents of violent men and women are offered up to the highest bidder.

Cooper set the standard for the spy novel with 'The Spy,' the first-ever book in the genre.

“The Spy” is part of a double bill of sorts at Purdue University by The Acting Company and the Guthrie Theater, which also will be presenting William Shakespeare’s “Henry V” on Feb. 5, said Abby Eddy, director of marketing for Purdue Convocations. The productions are part of a joint national tour.

Honored by Tony Awards for Excellence in Theater, The Acting Company promotes theater and literacy in communities across America by staging classical works and commissioned literary adaptations.

Founded in 1963, Minneapolis’s renowned Guthrie Theater is dedicated to theater performance, production, education, and professional training, presenting both classical literature and new work from diverse cultures.

Michael W Smith, Steven Curtis Chapman bring tour to Purdue

admin — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 18:50:06 +0000

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Grammy Award-winning and multi-platinum selling Christian music artists Michael W. Smith and Steven Curtis Chapman will join forces for the “The United Tour” at 7 p.m. March 29 in Purdue University’s Elliott Hall of Music. Purdue Convocations is presenting the concert.

This tour showcases two of Christian music’s most recognized and popular artists. Together, Chapman and Smith have garnered eight Grammy Awards, 96 Gospel Music Association Dove Awards, 77 No. 1 singles and more than 30 gold and platinum albums. The idea for the tour came shortly after Chapman and Smith spent time together in the United Kingdom working on the CompassionArt project, which brought more than 10 Christian music singers, songwriters and worship leaders together to write and record a collection of songs for charity.

Steven Curtis Chapman

Chapman has sold more than 10 million records, including two platinum albums and seven gold albums. Along with his Grammy Awards, he has won an American Music Award, has recorded 44 No. 1 U.S. radio hits and been awarded 54 Dove Awards, more than any other artist to date. Since his recording career began in 1987, he has recorded 16 projects with Sparrow Records.

Michael W. Smith

Throughout his 25-year career as a recording artist, Smith has amassed a catalog of achievements, including an American Music Award, three Grammy Awards and 13 nominations, 42 Dove Awards and 33 No. 1 radio hits. In addition, he holds 16 gold and five platinum albums for career sales approaching 15 million.

Premium tickets are $55 and regular tickets are $35 for adults and $30 for students and children under 18. Bargain tickets also are available for $20. All prices include a facilities fee.

Tickets will go on sale to Purdue and Ivy Tech Lafayette students, and Purdue faculty, staff and retirees with a current identification card at 10 a.m. Feb. 13 at the Elliott Hall of Music and Stewart Center box offices or at (765) 494-3933. Tickets for the general public go on sale at 10 a.m. Feb. 14 through Ticketmaster at (765) 743-5151 and http://www.ticketmaster.com.

Friends of Convocations may order advance tickets through noon Feb. 9 by calling (765) 494-9712. Group discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. The deadline to reserve group seats is noon Feb. 9. For information, call (765) 496-1977.