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| Mass Appeal |
  Michelle Dorrance The globe-trotting North Carolina Youth Tap Ensemble will strut their stuff for local audiences at their annual shows at the Carolina Theater—located at 309 West Morgan Street in Durham—on Saturday, April 24th at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, April 25th at 2:00 p.m. The shows will feature the company members performing their varied repertory, accompanied by live music. In addition, NCYTE alumna Michelle Dorrance will take a break from performing in the national tour of STOMP to dance in the show. Headlining with Michelle is Martin "Tre" Dumas. Tre is a nationally renowned tap dancer currently on the cutting edge of some of the most athletic and unique hoofing in the business.  Carolina Theater Box Office (919) 560-3030 or the Ballet School of Chapel Hill (919) 942-1339 and get your tickets now before they're sold out! The engaging dance performances will feature cutting-edge contemporary choreography, along with traditional rhythm tap. Dance-styles include South African Gumboot, sand dancing, buck, vaudeville, body percussion, and jazz, highlighting top choreographers, including the legendary Savion Glover. The music ranges from Blind Boy Fuller to Brubeck to Mozart. This non-stop percussive dance review is a trip through time and into the future of this unique American art form. It’s like having STOMP, Riverdance, vaudeville, Fred Astaire and Bring In Da' Noise all on one stage. Tickets—$15 for adults and $10 for seniors and students—are available from: NCYTE members; the box office of the Carolina Theater, located at 309 West Morgan Street in Durham, 560-3030, between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday through Friday; and the front desk of The Ballet School of Chapel Hill located at 1603 E Franklin Street in Chapel Hill, 942-1339, Monday through Thursday 3 to 8 p.m., Friday 3 to 7 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information, call Gene Medler at 919-260-7585 or visit http://www.ncyte.org. About the North Carolina Youth Tap Ensemble: The North Carolina Youth Tap Ensemble (NCYTE) is not your average youth dance ensemble. In fact, it is not your average dance company at all. Founded by artistic director Gene Medler in 1983, the 36-member ensemble, comprised of dancers ranging from 8 to 18, features some of the finest young dancers in North Carolina. Entrance into the ensemble is by audition only. While the company is based at the Ballet School of Chapel Hill, the dancers hail from throughout the state. The company presents unique performances, featuring cutting edge contemporary choreography as well as traditional rhythm tap. The list of choreographers who have created the company’s repertory reads like a who’s who in the tap world, including the legendary Savion Glover. The company has toured or collaborated with the Greensboro Symphony, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Mallarme Chamber Players, the North Carolina Jazz Repertory Orchestra as well as many jazz musicians throughout the world. NCYTE has toured internationally, giving performances in Austria, Brazil, Canada, China, Finland, Germany and Mexico. Company members regularly appear at the two largest U.S. tap festivals – the New York City Tap Festival and the Chicago Human Rhythm Project. "If ever a tap company could take over the world, it just might be the North Carolina Youth Tap Ensemble." Dance Spirit Magazine For additional information and photos, please contact Gene Medler at (919) 967-9624 or 942-1339. |
