Hybrid Cinema

For Immediate Release:

LOS ANGELES, CA – December 29, 2011 – Hybrid Cinema, The Colburn School and the California Dance Institute (CDI) are pleased to announce the Los Angeles premiere of the feature length documentary Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance at Zipper Concert Hall at The Colburn School on Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 8:00pm.  Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance, directed by Bob Hercules, is the first film to chronicle how the legendary Joffrey Ballet revolutionized American ballet by daringly combining modern dance with traditional ballet.  The Los Angeles premiere will include a Q&A immediately following the screening moderated by Sasha Anawalt, Director, Arts Journalism Programs at USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism, with panelists Leslie Carothers-Aromaa, Artistic Director of the Colburn School’s Trudl Zipper Dance Institute, Carole Valleskey, Founder and Director of CDI, Francoise Martinet Moriarty, former Joffrey dancer from the company’s earliest days in the late 1950s, and Jodie Gates, Artistic Director of the Laguna Beach Dance Festival, Associate Professor of Dance at UC Irvine and former Joffrey principal dancer.

General admission tickets are $20 and will go on sale the first week of January.  The Los Angeles event follows the film’s world premiere, which will be held at Dance On Camera Festival January 27th in NYC at Walter Reade Theater in Lincoln Center.  Zipper Concert Hall at The Colburn School is located at 200 South Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90012. Public parking is available at lots adjacent to the school and limited street parking is also available within the area.  For more information, please visit http://www.joffreymovie.com/

Joffrey Ballet Dancers April Daly & Fabrice Calmels 2007 Photo courtesy Joffrey Ballet

Synopsis –
Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance
Director: Bob Hercules
Country: USA, 2012, 90min.
This insightful documentary, executive produced by Harold Ramis and Jay Alix and produced by Una Jackman and Erica Mann Ramis, examines the dynamic trajectory of the groundbreaking American ballet company – The Joffrey Ballet – which daringly combined traditional ballet and modern dance at a time when it was not routinely accepted. Weaving together a wealth of archival footage, behind-the-scene photos and interviews with former and current Joffrey star dancers, director Bob Hercules (Bill T. Jones: A Good Man) documents the struggles and achievements of the Joffrey from its newfound beginnings in 1956 to the Company’s present international success. The film features rare excerpts from many seminal Joffrey works including Astarte, Trinity and Billboards, as well as breakthrough collaborations with choreographers such as Twyla Tharp, Leonid Massine, Laura Dean, and Kurt Jooss. Founders Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino and a host of ballet notables, including Gary Chryst, Trinette Singleton, Helgi Tomasson, Kevin McKenzie and more, are featured in the film. Narrated by Tony® and Emmy® Award winner Mandy Patinkin, the film is a rich chronicle of a ballet company that continues to reinvent itself, raise the bar and invigorate audiences worldwide.  See list of full credits at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1829041/fullcredits.

Gerald Arpino's "Light Rain" Photo credit: Herbert Migdoll

Distribution –
Following the film’s world premiere in NYC in late January, Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance will embark on a U.S. tour through Spring 2012 with stops not only in Los Angeles but also in Chicago, San Francisco, Detroit, Aspen, St. Louis, and many other cities. Special one-off events with Joffrey alumni and limited theatrical engagements are planned. The documentary will then have a VOD/DVD/digital release in June of 2012 through New Video.

Simultaneous Screenings –
The film will also simultaneously premiere in theaters around the country via simulcast through Emerging Pictures network of theaters on the weekend of Saturday, January 28th. A pioneering project, this marks the first time a film has simulcast its world premiere out of a major festival (learn more here).  Audiences at screenings across the country will be able to participate in a Q&A session from the New York City world premiere through a live Twitter feed.  Visit http://www.emergingpictures.com/2011/12/19/joffrey for updates on exact theater locations.


Multimedia – The Expanded Joffrey Story –
Hybrid Cinema is also releasing multimedia companion projects with exclusive content for fans wishing to further explore the Joffrey legend beyond the film.  The first of these initiatives is a series of digital photobooks called Joffrey Maverick Moments.  Each new edition will be available for free from the film’s website and Facebook page.  The digital photobooks are based on themes and time frames found in the film with photos accompanied by quotes from Robert Joffrey, his friends and associates, as well as alumni interviews that provide further insight and background into the Company. Future Joffrey Maverick Moments may explore such themes as Joffrey’s Nutcracker through the years, Joffrey’s psychedelic rock ballet Astarte, Arpino’s most well regarded ballets (The Clowns, Trinity, Olympics, Round of Angels, Light Rain), and more.  Hybrid Cinema has started releasing a series of audio podcasts with exclusive new interviews of Joffrey alumni.  These podcasts utilize the SoundCloud platform and are available through the film’s Facebook page for fans only.  The multimedia companion projects will be released over the next few months, through the premieres and leading up to the DVD release in June.  Regular content, including film clips, bonus outtakes, and blog articles, is also available on the film’s website and YouTube channel.


Director Bob Hercules –
Bob Hercules is an award-winning veteran producer/director (Forgiving Dr. Mengele, Bill T. Jones: A Good Man, Senator Obama Goes to Africa).  The co-founder of Media Process Group, his work has been seen widely on PBS, The Discovery Channel, The Learning Channel and the Independent Film Channel (IFC). He has also directed commercials for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Alzheimer’s Association, McDonald’s Corporation, Gap Clothing Stores and the Obama For President Campaign.  His documentary, A Good Man, co-directed by Gordon Quinn, chronicles the intense creative journey of Bill T. Jones – a 2010 Kennedy Center Honors recipient and two-time Tony® Award winner for Best Choreography.  It premiered on November 11, 2011 on PBS’ celebrated series American Masters.


The Joffrey Ballet –
For more than a half-century, The Joffrey Ballet’s commitment to taking world-class, artistically vibrant work to a broad and varied audience has created a solid foundation that continues to support the Company’s unprecedented capacity for achieving important “firsts.” Today, the Joffrey, which has been hugely successful in its former residences in New York and Los Angeles, lives permanently in a brilliant new facility, Joffrey Tower, in the heart of America – Chicago, Illinois. The Company’s commitment to accessibility is met through the most extensive touring schedule of any dance company in history, an innovative and highly effective education program including the much lauded Joffrey Academy of Dance, Official School of The Joffrey Ballet, and collaborations with myriad other visual and performing arts organizations.

Co-founded in 1956 by visionary teacher Robert Joffrey and dancer Gerald Arpino, who would become the organization’s principal choreographer, The Joffrey Ballet began as a DIY dance company of six dancers touring the United States in a borrowed station wagon. What started as a childhood dream quickly grew into one of the world’s most exciting and prominent ballet companies. Together, Joffrey and Arpino transformed the face of dance by merging classical ballet technique with bold new perspectives for edgy new ballets that challenged conventions. Aggressive touring took the Company from school auditoriums across America’s Heartland, to the White House at Jacqueline Kennedy’s invitation, on to Russia for a month-long tour during the height of the Cold War, and beyond.  They also garnered extensive media attention for their daring originality, which included appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show, the cover of Time Magazine, and in major motion pictures such as Save the Last Dance and Robert Altman’s The Company (which is based on the Joffrey).

Classically trained to the highest standards, The Joffrey Ballet expresses a unique, inclusive perspective on dance, proudly reflecting the diversity of America with its Company, audiences and repertoire, which includes major story ballets, reconstructions of masterpieces, and contemporary works. The Joffrey Ballet continues to thrive under internationally renowned Artistic Director Ashley C. Wheater and Executive Director Christopher Clinton Conway. The Joffrey Ballet has become one of the most revered and recognizable arts organizations in America and one of the top dance companies in the world. To learn more, please visit http://joffrey.org/.


The Colburn School/Zipper Hall –

The Colburn School’s mission is to provide the highest quality performing arts education in an optimal learning environment. Founded in 1950, The Colburn School was established as a small preparatory school in connection with the University of Southern California’s School of Music. The School became an independent, nonprofit institution in 1980 through the generous support of its benefactor, Richard D. Colburn. In 1998, The Colburn School moved to its current location on South Grand Avenue. One of LA’s most popular performance halls, the intimate 435-seat Zipper Hall at The Colburn School is home to many arts groups from the greater Los Angeles area, including the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Camerata Pacifica, Southwest Chamber Music, Monday Evening Concerts, Lark Musical Society, and Piano Spheres. For more information, please call 213-621-4514 or visit http://www.colburnschool.edu.

The California Dance Institute –

California Dance Institute (CDI) is an in-school and after-school arts education program for low-income elementary school children that encourages discipline, self-expression and the pursuit of excellence through dance. CDI is the newest affiliate of the world-renowned National Dance Institute, founded in 1976 by New York City Ballet’s Jacques d’Amboise, and the subject of the Academy Award-winning film He Makes Me Feel Like Dancin’.  Directed by former Joffrey Ballet principal dancer, Carole Valleskey, the CDI program consists of weekly dance classes in the schools, primarily for 3rd – 6th grade students.  Today the program serves 1,400 students in eight elementary schools in which over 91% of students qualify for the Free Lunch Program (indicating income of less than $33,000 for a family of four). http://www.californiadanceinstitute.org


Hybrid Cinema –
Hybrid Cinema was created by filmmaker and author Jon Reiss (Think Outside the Box Office, Selling Your Film Without Selling Your Soul) to help filmmakers navigate the ever-changing world of film distribution and marketing.  Hybrid Cinema consults with filmmakers to help them with the new digital era of distribution and marketing by utilizing modern strategies of audience engagement, special theatrical events, as well as innovative merchandising and release patterns.  Hybrid Cinema also supervises film releases. Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance is Hybrid’s second full release of a film following the graffiti documentary Bomb It.  Indicative of the innovative release and audience engagement strategies used by Hybrid, the Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance release marks the first time that a film has simulcast its film festival world premiere throughout the U.S. as the launch of its theatrical release.  Hybrid Cinema orchestrated this pioneering release strategy by, among other things, bringing the participating organizations together for these milestone premiere events.  For more information on Hybrid Cinema, please visit http://www.hybridcinema.com/

Key Links –
Official Movie Site – http://www.joffreymovie.com/
Movie YouTube Channel – http://www.youtube.com/user/JoffreyMovie
Movie Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/JoffreyBalletMovie
Movie Twitter – http://twitter.com/#%21/JoffreyMovie
Joffrey Ballet Site – http://joffrey.org/

For more information, or to request screeners, images, and interviews, please contact Green Galactic’s Lynn Tejada at 213-840-1201 or lynn@greengalactic.com

NATIONAL CHAMPIONS FROM OVER 18 COUNTRIES BATTLE FOR
“WORLD’S BEST PARTY ROCKER DJ” TITLE AT THE 

RED BULL THRE3STYLE WORLD FINALS

IN VANCOUVER B.C. DECEMBER 13 – 17, 2011

– DJ Big Once From Chicago to Represent the U.S. in Premier DJ Competition –

Featured Headliners include: Z-Trip, DJ Premier vs. Pete Rock, DJ Nu-Mark’s Signature Toy Set,
The Rub (Cosmo Baker and DJ Ayers), Stone Throw Records’ Peanut Butter Wolf and
Legendary Producer Just Blaze 


SANTA MONICA, CA  – November 22, 2011 – Who’s the best party rocker DJ on the planet? The Red Bull Thre3Style World Finals aims to answer that question when eighteen national champion DJs converge and compete in Vancouver from December 13 – 17, 2011 for the coveted title. To earn a spot in the Red Bull Thre3Style World Finals, hundreds of DJs from around the globe battled it out in regional and national qualifiers. At each stage the rules remain the same: 15 minutes to rock the crowd with a set that incorporates at least three genres of music and keeps partygoers on their feet, and the judges impressed.

Representing the U.S. is 30-year old DJ Big Once (see photo to the left), who was crowned the national champ on November 10, 2011 in Las Vegas, NV after an intense battle between eleven of the country’s DJs.  Big Once, from Chicago, impressed the judges and crowd with his seamless mix of electro, dubstep, and rock. “I designed the set to be really interactive,” he explained.  “I opened strong and finished strong and I had some weird things in the middle to keep it interesting.” Looking ahead to Vancouver, Big Once will be mixing up a special set that is sure to be memorable and stand out among the competition.

THE CONTENDERS & JUDGES
The Red Bull Thre3Style weeklong judging panel will include Canadian DJ stalwart Skratch Bastid, 2003 DMC Champion and MTV Canada resident DJ Dopey, and the 2010 Thre3Style Champion DJ kARVE of France. They will be tasked with evaluating originality/creativity, track selection, technical skills, stage presence, and audience response for each of the competitors listed below:

Robert Moreno – Argentina
DJ Perplex – Australia
Javier Rossell – Bolivia
Nedu Lopes – Brazil
Hedspin – Canada
DJ Byte – Chile
DJ PHO – Columbia
DJ Ken K – Denmark
Supa – France
DJ Dippy -– India
DJ 8 Man – Japan
DJ Spell – New Zealand
FMC – Norway
Thomas Young – Peru
BITCODE – Spain
DJ Bazooka – Switzerland
DJ Big Al – United Kingdom
DJ Big Once – United States of America

THE HEADLINERS
Headlining each night is a wide range of DJ icons, including The Rub (Cosmo Baker and DJ Ayers), Stone Throw Records’ Peanut Butter Wolf, legendary producer Just Blaze, a special performance of DJ Premier vs. Pete Rock, DJ Nu-Mark’s signature Toy Set, and a Red Bull Thre3Style World Final set by Z-Trip.

THE SCHEDULE
The first four nights of the calendar are knock-out stages, with the winner of each advancing to the Red Bull Thre3Style World Final on Saturday, December 17, 2011 at Commodore Ballroom.  See complete schedule of events below.  All venues are in Vancouver, B.C.

Night 1 – Tue., Dec. 13, 2011 [9:00pm] – Bar None:
Australia vs. Bolivia vs. Brazil vs. Norway

Headliners:
- The Rub
- Smalltown DJs
- The Boyscouts

Night 2 – Wed., Dec. 14, 2011 [9:00pm] – Venue Nightclub:
Argentina vs. Canada vs. India vs. Spain

Headliners:
- Peanut Butter Wolf
- Skratch Bastid
- The Freshest Crew

Night 3 – Thu., Dec. 15, 2011 [9:00pm] – Fortune Sound Club:
Columbia vs. Denmark vs. Japan vs. Switzerland vs. UK

Headliners:
- Just Blaze
- Team Canada DJs
- The Goodfellas

Night 4 – Fri., Dec. 16, 2011 [9:00pm] – Five Sixty:
Chile vs. France vs. New Zealand vs. Peru vs. USA

Headliners:
- DJ Premier vs. Pete Rock
- DJ Dopey
- Faction Soundcrew

Night 5/FINALS – Sat., Dec. 17, 2011 [9:00pm] – Commodore Ballroom:
Red Bull Thre3Style World Finals featuring winners from Nights 1-4.

Headliners:
- Z-Trip
- DJ Nu-Mark
- Vinyl Ritchie

TICKET INFORMATION
For all ticket information, please go to www.redbull.ca/thre3style

PARTY ROCKIN’ AUDIO: MIXCLOUD
Who is the best party rocker DJ in the world?  You be the judge.  Check out www.mixcloud.com/RedBullThre3Style to follow the globe’s best DJs and listen to their Red Bull Thre3Style sets.

THE HISTORY OF RED BULL THRE3STYLE
The Red Bull Thre3Style World Finals in Vancouver is a homecoming of sorts. The original concept of Red Bull Thre3Style began five years ago as a Tuesday night experiment at a small club in Kelowna, BC. In 2010, the event first went global and changed the face of modern DJ battles. From the USA to Japan to New Zealand, 10 countries from around the world held deep-heated events to determine who the best party-rocking battle ambassador would be. Ultimately these warriors of the one’s and two’s came together in Paris, France at the end of the the year and flexed every musical muscle in their body at the Red Bull Thre3Style World Finals. In the end it was Paris’ own DJ kARVE who wowed the judges with his impressive collage of hip-hop head-nodding electro-rocking tunage. If last year’s event was anything to go by then the 2011 Red Bull Thre3Style World Finals is guaranteed to send the international DJing scene spinning like a record on a turntable.

FOLLOW US
Follow us on Twitter: @redbullcanada | @redbullVAN | @redbullthre3style | #rb3style
Find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/RedBull  | www.facebook.com/redbullthre3style
For more info, articles, video and photos, visit www.redbull.ca/thre3style

GLOBAL SPONSOR MINI OFFERS ACCESS AND RIDES
Music fans looking for a way to the event need look no further than Facebook.  MINI Canada’s Facebook page will be running contests for a free ride to the event and access to the World Final competition.  Winners will be picked up from their Vancouver location in an all-new MINI Countryman and delivered to the front door of the finals to experience the event.

Fans interested in entering the contest for a ride and access to the Red Bull Thre3Style World Finals can visit the Thre3Style tab on MINI Canada’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/MINICanada

RED BULL CONTENT POOL:  FREE FOR EDITORIAL USAGE
Through the Red Bull network, hi-res video and still images are captured and made immediately available for editorial use for all media channels including television, film, print, mobile, and digital. The content is centrally located in the Red Bull Content Pool for media partners at www.redbullcontentpool.com

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For all media inquiries, please contact:

Lynn Tejada (née Hasty)
Green Galactic PR
213.840.1201
lynn@greengalactic.com

Nyla Hassell
Red Bull Communications
nyla.hassell@us.redbull.com

Gerald Arpino's "Light Rain" Photo credit: Herbert Migdoll

Hybrid Cinema is pleased to announce the world premiere of the feature length documentary Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance at Dance On Camera Festival’s opening night in New York City on Friday, January 27, 2012 at 8:30pm. A repeat presentation will occur at Dance On Camera on the following day, Saturday, January 28th at 1:30pm. Both Dance On Camera screenings of Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance will be held at Walter Reade Theater in Lincoln Center. A stellar line-up of dance world panelists will be featured in Q&A sessions at both New York City screenings of the film.  Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance, the first film to chronicle how the legendary Joffrey Ballet revolutionized American ballet by daringly combining modern dance with traditional ballet, will also simultaneously premiere in theaters around the country via simulcast through Emerging Pictures on Saturday, January 28th. An accompanying art exhibit, featuring bold photos and posters by Herbert Migdoll (painter and official photographer for The Joffrey Ballet) will also be displayed during the month of January at the Frieda and Roy Furman Gallery at Walter Reade Theater.

Hybrid Cinema Presents
 New Documentary
Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance

World Premiere & Theatrical Release Launch in New York City

At Dance On Camera Festival

January 27-28, 2012

Simulcasting Throughout the U.S. via Emerging Pictures


LOS ANGELES, CA – November 21, 2011 – Hybrid Cinema is pleased to announce the world premiere of the feature length documentary Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance at Dance On Camera Festival’s opening night in New York City on Friday, January 27, 2012 at 8:30pm. A repeat presentation will occur at Dance On Camera on the following day, Saturday, January 28th at 1:30pm. Both Dance On Camera screenings of Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance will be held at Walter Reade Theater in Lincoln Center. A stellar line-up of dance world panelists will be featured in Q&A sessions at both New York City screenings of the film.  Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance, the first film to chronicle how the legendary Joffrey Ballet revolutionized American ballet by daringly combining modern dance with traditional ballet, will also simultaneously premiere in theaters around the country via simulcast through Emerging Pictures on Saturday, January 28th. An accompanying art exhibit, featuring bold photos and posters by Herbert Migdoll (painter and official photographer for The Joffrey Ballet) will also be displayed during the month of January at the Frieda and Roy Furman Gallery at Walter Reade Theater.

Dance On Camera’s opening night celebration will launch with the world premiere of Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance and include attendance by the director, Bob Hercules, and several members of the cast. The film, and associated Q&A session for the Saturday, January 28th matinee screening at 1:30pm, will simultaneously premiere for dance enthusiasts in participating theaters across the country via the Emerging Pictures network of theaters. A pioneering project, this marks the first time a film has simulcast its world premiere out of a major festival. Audiences at premiere screenings across the country will be able to participate in the New York City Q&A session on Saturday through a live Twitter feed. Walter Reade Theater and the Freida and Roy Furman Gallery are located at 165 West 65th Street, Lincoln Center, New York, NY 10023. Tickets for the screenings go on sale Thursday, January 5, 2012 at the Walter Reade Theater’s box office and online at FilmLinc.com. For more information, please visit www.joffreymovie.com.

Synopsis –
Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance
Director: Bob Hercules
Country: USA, 2012, 90min.
This insightful documentary, executive produced by Harold Ramis and Jay Alix and produced by Una Jackman and Erica Mann Ramis, examines the dynamic trajectory of the groundbreaking American ballet company – The Joffrey Ballet – which daringly combined traditional ballet and modern dance at a time when it was not routinely accepted. Weaving a wealth of archival footage, behind-the-scene photos and interviews with former and current Joffrey star dancers, director Bob Hercules (Bill T. Jones: A Good Man) documents the struggles and achievements of the Joffrey from its newfound beginnings in 1956 to the Company’s present international success. The film features rare excerpts from many seminal Joffrey works including Astarte, Trinity and Billboards, as well as breakthrough collaborations with choreographers such as Twyla Tharp, Leonid Massine, Laura Dean, and Kurt Jooss. Founders Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino and a host of ballet notables, including Gary Chryst, Trinette Singleton, Helgi Tomasson, Kevin McKenzie and more, are featured in the film. Narrated by Tony® and Emmy® Award winner Mandy Patinkin, the film is a rich chronicle of a ballet company that continues to reinvent itself, raise the bar and invigorate audiences worldwide.  See list of full credits at www.imdb.com/title/tt1829041/fullcredits.

Screening Schedule –
Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance screenings at Dance On Camera are accompanied by special appearances at panel discussions related to the film:

Friday, January 27 [8:30pm] at Walter Reade Theatre:

Moderator Anna Kisselgoff, former Chief Dance Critic of The New York Times; Ashley C. Wheater, Artistic Director of The Joffrey Ballet; Bob Hercules, Director of the film; Kevin McKenzie, Artistic Director of American Ballet Theater and former Joffrey principal; and former Joffrey Ballet principals Brunilda Ruiz, and Adam Sklute.

Saturday, January 28 [1:30pm] at Walter Reade Theatre:

Moderator Sasha Anawalt, author of The Joffrey Ballet: Robert Joffrey and the Making of an American Dance Company (Scribner, 1996); Trinette Singleton, principal dancer of The Joffrey Ballet who appeared on Time Magazine’s cover in 1968 for rock ballet Astarte; current Artistic Director Ashley C. Wheater; and former Joffrey principal Christian Holder.

Simultaneous US Premieres –
The simulcast premieres across the country mark the launch of the film’s distribution by Hybrid Cinema, which brought Dance Films Association and Emerging Pictures together for this series of events. The simulcast of the Saturday screening, which includes introductions as well as the Q&A session featuring top former Joffrey stars, will also be streamed live into participating cinemas. Audience members throughout the US will be able to ask the stars questions live via a live Twitter feed. Visit www.emergingcinemas.com for updates on exact theater locations.

Photo Exhibit –
The screenings are accompanied by a colorful photo exhibit in the Frieda and Roy Furman Gallery by Herbert Migdoll, painter and official photographer for The Joffrey Ballet. The exhibit highlights Joffrey’s Carousel: Celebrating 50 Years of Dance, a photographic parade of Joffrey’s dancers in costume, representing the Company’s classical and contemporary repertoire.  The multiple images on panels were shot in 2005 at the famed outdoor carousel on Chicago’s Navy Pier. The Frieda and Roy Furman Gallery is located in the Walter Reade Theater, 165 West 65th Street, Plaza Level at Lincoln Center, New York, NY 10023. Gallery admittance to the exhibition is free to the public during normal Walter Reade Theatre hours – seven days a week, 1:00pm to 10:00pm, throughout the month of January.

Gerald Arpino's "Light Rain" Photo credit: Herbert Migdoll

Distribution –
Following the film’s premiere in late January, Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance will embark on a U.S. tour through Spring 2012 with stops in Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Detroit, Aspen, St. Louis, and many other cities. Special one-off events with Joffrey alumni and limited theatrical engagements are planned. The documentary will then have a VOD/DVD/digital release in June of 2012 through New Video.

Multimedia – The Expanded Joffrey Story –
Hybrid Cinema is also releasing multimedia companion projects with exclusive content for fans wishing to further explore the Joffrey legend beyond the film.  The first of these initiatives is a series of digital photobooks called Joffrey Maverick Moments.  Each new edition will be available for free from the film’s website and Facebook page.  The digital photobooks are based on themes and time frames found in the film with photos accompanied by quotes from Robert Joffrey, his friends and associates, as well as alumni interviews that provide further insight and background into the Company. Future Joffrey Maverick Moments may explore such themes as Joffrey’s Nutcracker through the years, Joffrey’s psychedelic rock ballet Astarte, Arpino’s most well-regarded ballets (The Clowns, Trinity, Olympics, Round of Angels, Light Rain), and more. Starting December 1st, Hybrid Cinema will start releasing a series of audio podcasts with exclusive new interviews of Joffrey legends.  These podcasts will utilize the SoundCloud platform and will be available through the film’s Facebook page for fans only.  The multimedia companion projects will be released over the next few months, through the premieres and leading up to the DVD release.  Regular weekly content, including film clips and bonus outtakes, is also available on the film’s website blog and YouTube channel.

Director Bob Hercules –
Bob Hercules is an award-winning veteran producer/director (Forgiving Dr. Mengele, Bill T. Jones: A Good Man, Senator Obama Goes to Africa).  The co-founder of Media Process Group, his work has been seen widely on PBS, The Discovery Channel, The Learning Channel and the Independent Film Channel (IFC). He has also directed commercials for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Alzheimer’s Association, McDonald’s Corporation, Gap Clothing Stores and the Obama For President Campaign.  His documentary, A Good Man, co-directed by Gordon Quinn, chronicles the intense creative journey of Bill T. Jones – a 2010 Kennedy Center Honors recipient and two-time Tony® Award winner for Best Choreography.  It premiered on November 11, 2011 on PBS’ celebrated series American Masters.

The Joffrey Ballet –
For more than a half-century, The Joffrey Ballet’s commitment to taking world-class, artistically vibrant work to a broad and varied audience has created a solid foundation that continues to support the Company’s unprecedented capacity for achieving important “firsts.” Today, the Joffrey, which has been hugely successful in its former residences in New York and Los Angeles, lives permanently in a brilliant new facility, Joffrey Tower, in the heart of America – Chicago, Illinois. The Company’s commitment to accessibility is met through the most extensive touring schedule of any dance company in history, an innovative and highly effective education program including the much lauded Joffrey Academy of Dance, Official School of The Joffrey Ballet, and collaborations with myriad other visual and performing arts organizations.

Co-founded in 1956 by visionary teacher Robert Joffrey and dancer Gerald Arpino, who would become the organization’s principal choreographer, The Joffrey Ballet began as a DIY dance company of six dancers touring the United States in a borrowed station wagon. What started as a childhood dream quickly grew into one of the world’s most exciting and prominent ballet companies. Together, Joffrey and Arpino transformed the face of dance by merging classical ballet technique with bold new perspectives for edgy new ballets that challenged conventions. Aggressive touring took the Company from school auditoriums across America’s Heartland, to the White House at Jacqueline Kennedy’s invitation, on to Russia for a month-long tour during the height of the Cold War, and beyond.  They also garnered extensive media attention for their daring originality, which included appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show, the cover of Time Magazine, and in major motion pictures such as Save the Last Dance and Robert Altman’s The Company (which is based on the Joffrey).

Classically trained to the highest standards, The Joffrey Ballet expresses a unique, inclusive perspective on dance, proudly reflecting the diversity of America with its Company, audiences and repertoire, which includes major story ballets, reconstructions of masterpieces, and contemporary works. The Joffrey Ballet continues to thrive under internationally renowned Artistic Director Ashley C. Wheater and Executive Director Christopher Clinton Conway. The Joffrey Ballet has become one of the most revered and recognizable arts organizations in America and one of the top dance companies in the world. To learn more, please visit joffrey.org.

Dance On Camera –
Dance Films Association’s annual Dance On Camera Festival celebrates the immediacy, energy, and mystery of dance combined with the intimacy of film. Considered the “mother” of dance film festivals, the Dance On Camera Festival presents a broad range of independently made documentaries, short films, features, and animation.  Dance On Camera Festival has been produced by Dance Films Association since 1971, and co-sponsored by The Film Society of Lincoln Center since 1996. www.dancefilms.org/festival

Emerging Pictures –
Emerging Pictures is the largest all-digital specialty film and alternate content theater network in the United States. With a network of arts institutions, media arts centers and independent art house theaters, tied together through digital technology, Emerging is able to cost-effectively exhibit art films, documentaries, foreign language films, independent cinema and cultural programming. The Emerging Cinemas Network currently consists of 95 venues and is rapidly growing. www.emergingpictures.com

Hybrid Cinema –
Hybrid Cinema was created by filmmaker and author Jon Reiss (Think Outside the Box Office, Selling Your Film Without Selling Your Soul) to help filmmakers navigate the ever-changing world of film distribution and marketing.  Hybrid Cinema consults with filmmakers to help them with the new digital era of distribution and marketing by utilizing modern strategies of audience engagement, special theatrical events, as well as innovative merchandising and release patterns.  Hybrid Cinema also supervises film releases.  Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance is Hybrid’s second full release of a film following the graffiti documentary Bomb It.  Indicative of the innovative release and audience engagement strategies used by Hybrid, the Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance release marks the first time that a film has simulcast its film festival world premiere throughout the U.S. as the launch of its theatrical release.  Hybrid Cinema orchestrated this pioneering release strategy by, among other things, bringing the participating organizations together for these milestone premiere events.  For more information on Hybrid Cinema, please visit www.hybridcinema.com.

Key Links –
Official Movie Site – www.joffreymovie.com
Movie Youtube Channel – www.youtube.com/user/JoffreyMovie
Movie Facebook – www.facebook.com/JoffreyBalletMovie
Movie Twitter – twitter.com/#!/JoffreyMovie
Joffrey Ballet Site – joffrey.org

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For more information, or to request screeners, images, and interviews, please contact Green Galactic’s Lynn Tejada at 213-840-1201 or lynn@greengalactic.com

(photo credit: Nabil Elderkin)

Award-winning film Bouncing Cats, the inspiring story of one man’s attempt to create a better life for the children of Uganda through hip hop, makes its US television premiere on Documentary Channel Saturday, November 19, 2011 at 8:00 p.m. (EST/PST). The film, narrated by Common and featuring interviews with Will.I.Am, and K’Naan, follows the legendary Crazy Legs of the Rock Steady Crew and b-boy Abramz, the founder of Breakdance Project Uganda (BPU), on a journey to unify, empower and inspire youth in the war torn region that has been called one of the worst places on earth to be a child.  The film, produced by Red Bull Media House and directed by Australian filmmaker and photographer Nabil Elderkin, toured the film festival circuit in 2010 and 2011, earning awards along the way at Urbanworld Film Festival, Newport Beach Film Festival, and Southern Utah International Documentary Film Festival, among others.  Proceeds from the film benefit BPU.

Award-Winning Documentary

Bouncing Cats
Premieres on Documentary Channel
Saturday, 
November 19, 2011, 8:00pm EST/PST


LOS ANGELES, CA – October 19, 2011 – Award-winning film Bouncing Cats, the inspiring story of one man’s attempt to create a better life for the children of Uganda through hip hop, makes its US television premiere on Documentary Channel Saturday, November 19, 2011 at 8:00 p.m. (EST/PST). The film, narrated by Common and featuring interviews with Will.I.Am, and K’Naan, follows the legendary Crazy Legs of the Rock Steady Crew and b-boy Abramz, the founder of Breakdance Project Uganda (BPU), on a journey to unify, empower and inspire youth in the war torn region that has been called one of the worst places on earth to be a child.  The film, produced by Red Bull Media House and directed by Australian filmmaker and photographer Nabil Elderkin, toured the film festival circuit in 2010 and 2011, earning awards along the way at Urbanworld Film Festival, Newport Beach Film Festival, and Southern Utah International Documentary Film Festival, among others.  Proceeds from the film benefit BPU. To learn more about the film, view the trailer at http://www.bouncingcats.com and join the conversation at http://www.facebook.com/bouncingcats.

“Bouncing Cats is just the sort of work that the world needs to see coming out of Africa, a story of self-reliance and perseverance against immeasurable odds,” says K’naan.

Encore presentations of Bouncing Cats will air on Documentary Channel November 25, 2011 at 6:00 p.m.; December 29, 2011 at 2:30 p.m.; January 26, 2011 at 9:30 p.m. and January 27th at 12:30 a.m.  All times are EST. Documentary Channel is available on DISH Network (Channel 197) and DirecTV (Channel 267).

UNITING THE CHILDREN OF UGANDA THROUGH BREAKDANCE & HIP HOP CULTURE

Breakdance Project Uganda started in February 2006 by Abraham “Abramz” Tekya out of the belief that hip hop can be used as a tool to engage and empower disadvantaged youth in Kampala and other areas of Uganda. Its mission is to engage young people in hip hop culture in order to build leadership skills and promote social responsibility for positive change.  The Project has attracted people from every walk of life and acts as a catalyst for building mutually beneficial relationships between people of different social strata across Uganda and the rest of the world. After a trip to Uganda with NGO Oxfam, and a chance meeting with Abramz, director Elderkin felt compelled to share Abramz’ story with the hope of shedding light on the situation and motivating viewers to help.

“The work Abramz is doing with the kids of Uganda inspired me,” said Elderkin. “It was something I wanted to capture and share with others.”

Over the past five years, BPU has partnered with not only Oxfam, but also local and international organizations including: MS Uganda, In Movement, People Concern Children’s Project, Danish Centre for Cultural Development, H.E.A.L.S. (Gulu), Global Youth Partnership for Africa, the Embassy of France in Uganda, Uganda FDNC, USAID/NUTI, Straight Talk Foundation (STF), and has carried out activities in orphanages, juvenile prisons, local and international schools, and youth and community centers. Details on BPU, the situation in Uganda and how to donate can be found at:  http://bouncingcats.com

BEHIND THE SCENES

“In short – the movie features some serious hip hop cameos, incredible landscapes, and dancing.” – Chris Farone, Boston Phoenix

The Film’s Title:
“Bouncing Cats refers to the sound made by the kids in Uganda when they have no access to a boombox,” Elderkin explains, shedding light on the film’s title, “They sing the words ‘bouncing cats, baboons and cats’ in repetition to create their own beat – I was quite taken by it.”

Principal Cast:
Abraham “Abramz” Tekya -
Abraham Tekya, commonly known as “Abramz,” is the director and founder of Breakdance Project Uganda, an organization launched in February 2006 that uses breakdance and other elements of hip hop culture to promote positive change and social responsibility. A native of Mengo, Kampala, Uganda, Abramz grew up quickly, as most children in Uganda are forced to. At the age of seven, he lost both of his parents to AIDS and was orphaned, shuffled between distant relatives and different homes. Despite these circumstances, Abramz used his life experience and love of hip hop to educate, inspire and unite youth in Uganda and beyond. http://www.bouncingcats.com/cast/tekya.php 



Richard “Crazy Legs” Colòn -
To call Richard “Crazy Legs” Colòn a pioneer is an understatement. It is nearly impossible to have a conversation about b-boying without giving mention to the legendary Crazy Legs. Not only is he a veteran of hip hop as a culture, boasting more than 3 decades as the driving force behind the hip hop dance movement, but he’s also an outstanding citizen and role model. He has lent his time, experience, and influence to aiding and encouraging the positive advancement of hip hop culture. http://www.bouncingcats.com/cast/crazylegs.php 

Jolly Grace Okot -
Jolly Grace Okot, a Nobel Peace Prize nominee, was among the first wave of children abducted and forced to be a child soldier in the beginning of Uganda’s civil war. She is the Uganda Country director for Invisible Children (IC) and has been involved with the organization since the beginning. Her guidance enabled Bouncing Cats‘ filmmakers to see and understand the plight of children in Northern Uganda, and her leadership and direction helped create IC’s initiatives on the ground. Okot also runs H.E.A.L.S., a program that provides play therapy for war-affected children.


Additional Credits:
Nabil Elderkin, Director -
Director Nabil Elderkin, originally a native of Australia, began his photography career when he picked up a camera to shoot portraits of fellow surfers. What started as a hobby, rapidly developed into a working career. From surf portraits, Elderkin began shooting musicians and anyone that inspired him. He later moved to the United States to continue to expand his career. Today, Elderkin lives and works in Los Angeles at his studio downtown. He shoots musicians, sports, fashion, and portraiture. Elderkin recently published a book titled Glow in the Dark with Kanye West through Rizzoli and has directed several music videos and documentaries from here to Africa. Traveling is his passion. He created the film in order to bring attention to the situation in Uganda as well as support the inspiring work Abramz is doing through BPU.   http://www.nabil.com

- 
Executive Producers: Amy Taylor, Scotty Bradfield, Karma Gardner, Charlie Rosene
- Producers: Nyla Hassell, George Mays, Claude Merkel, Charles Spano
- Film Editing: Isaac Hagy
- Sound Editor: Andrew Le Guier
- Genre: Documentary / Music
- Runtime: 75 minutes
- Country: USA
- Language: English
- Color: Color
- Filming Locations: Uganda, USA


Red Bull Media House -
Red Bull Media House is a global media company that creates compelling sports, culture 
and lifestyle programming and distributes it across multiple platforms. From film to 
television, print to digital and games, Red Bull Media House content is optimized for any 
device or platform. For more information, go to www.redbullmediahouse.com or contact Maddy Zeringue at 310-460-5110 or maddy.zeringue@us.redbull.com

Documentary Channel®-
Documentary Channel (DOC) is the USA’s first 24-hour television network exclusively devoted to documentary films and the independent documentary filmmaker, providing viewers with round-the-clock opportunities to see fascinating, eclectic and award-winning documentary films of all lengths and genres.  For more information on DOC, visit the network website at http://www.documentarychannel.com, in addition to http://www.facebook.com/DocumentaryChannel and http://www.twitter.com/doc_channel. Documentary Channel is available on DISH Network [channel 197] and DIRECTV [channel 267].  Don’t get the channel?  Request it by calling your cable provider or visiting http://www.documentarychannel.com/getdoc. Contact: Ashley Sandberg, Triple 7 Public Relations, 347-735-6480 or ashley@triple7pr.com

Through the Red Bull network, hi-res video and still images are captured and made immediately available for editorial use for all media channels including television, film, print, mobile, and digital. The content is centrally located in the Red Bull Content Pool for media partners at http://www.redbullcontentpool.com/.  See Bouncing Cats videos here.

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For more information, or to request screeners, images, and interviews, please contact Green Galactic’s Lynn Tejada (née Hasty) at 213-840-1201 or lynn@greengalactic.com.

Breakdance Project Uganda reaches youth in the slums of Kisenyi, Uganda (photo credit: Nabil Elderkin)

Joffrey Ballet founders Robert Joffrey & Gerald Arpino, early 1960's. Photo credit: unknown

Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance, the first film to chronicle the legendary Joffrey Ballet, is set to premiere in New York City in January 2012 at the Dance On Camera Festival. The feature length documentary takes a look at this groundbreaking cultural treasure, known a s the first truly American dance company. Narrated by Tony® and Emmy® Award winner Mandy Patinkin and directed by Bob Hercules (Bill T. Jones: A Good Man), the film documents how the Joffrey revolutionized American ballet by daringly combining modern dance with traditional ballet, and setting it to pop and rock music scores. Following the North American premiere in late January, the film will embark on a theatrical tour to select cities in the U.S. Released through Hybrid Cinema, the documentary is expected to have a DVD release in the first quarter of 2012 as well.
For Immediate Release:

Hybrid Cinema Announces New Documentary

Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance

Chronicling the History of the Groundbreaking Joffrey Ballet

Set to Premiere in New York City
January 2012

Followed by a Theatrical Tour in Select Cities


LOS ANGELES, CA – October 18, 2011 – Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance, the first film to chronicle the legendary Joffrey Ballet, is set to premiere in New York City in January 2012 at the Dance On Camera Festival (see that press release here). The feature length documentary takes a look at this groundbreaking cultural treasure, known as the first truly American dance company. Narrated by Tony® and Emmy® Award winner Mandy Patinkin and directed by Bob Hercules (Bill T. Jones: A Good Man), the film documents how the Joffrey revolutionized American ballet by daringly combining modern dance with traditional ballet, and setting it to pop and rock music scores. Following the North American premiere in late January, the film will embark on a theatrical tour to select cities in the U.S. Released through Hybrid Cinema, the documentary is expected to have a DVD release in the first quarter of 2012 as well. For more information, please visit www.joffreymovie.com.

Joffrey Ballet founders Robert Joffrey & Gerald Arpino, early 1960's. Photo credit: unknown

Co-founded in 1956 by visionary teacher Robert Joffrey and dancer Gerald Arpino, who would become their principal choreographer, The Joffrey Ballet began as a DIY dance company of six dancers touring the United States in a borrowed station wagon. What started as a childhood dream quickly grew into one of the world’s most exciting and prominent ballet companies. Together, Joffrey and Arpino transformed the face of dance by merging classical ballet technique with bold new perspectives for edgy new ballets that challenged conventions. Aggressive touring took the Company from school auditoriums across America’s Heartland, to the White House at Jacqueline Kennedy’s invitation, on to Russia for a month-long tour during the height of the Cold War, and beyond.  They also garnered extensive media attention for their daring originality, which included appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show, the cover of Time magazine, and in major motion pictures such as Save the Last Dance and Robert Altman’s The Company (which is based on the Joffrey).

Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance weaves a wealth of rare archival footage and photographs along with interviews featuring former and current Joffrey star dancers, showing the full history of the Company from its founding in 1956 to the present. It describes how the Joffrey repeatedly resurrected itself after devastating financial and artistic setbacks and introduced cutting-edge choreographers such as Twyla Tharp, Laura Dean and Margo Sappington to larger audiences.

The film features rare excerpts from many seminal Joffrey works including Astarte, Trinity and Billboards, as well as breakthrough collaborations with choreographers Twyla Tharp (Deuce Coupe), Kurt Jooss (The Green Table) and Leonide Massine (Parade).

 Featuring: Kevin McKenzie, Helgi Tomasson, Lar Lubovitch, Ashley C. Wheater, Gary Chryst, Trinette Singleton, Anna Kisselgoff, Adam Sklute, Christian Holder, Dermot Burke, Paul Sutherland, Francoise Martinet, Brunilda Ruiz, Jonathan Watts, Diane Consoer, Sasha Anawalt, and Hedy Weiss.

Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance:
A Lakeview Films Production in association with Ocean Films
A Film by Bob Hercules
Executive Producers: Jay Alix & Harold Ramis
Producers: Una Jackman & Erica Mann Ramis
Writer/Director: Bob Hercules
Narrator: Mandy Patinkin
Directors of Photography: Michael Swanson & Keith Walker
Original Music Composition: Mark Bandy
Editing: Melissa Sterne
Run Time: 87m10s

Gerald Arpino rehearsal shot from the 1980s. Photo courtesy Joffrey Ballet.

About Director Bob Hercules –
Bob Hercules is an award-winning veteran producer/director (Forgiving Dr. Mengele, Bill T. Jones: A Good Man, Senator Obama Goes to Africa).  The co-founder of Media Process Group, his work has been seen widely on PBS, The Discovery Channel, The Learning Channel and the Independent Film Channel (IFC). He has also directed commercials for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Alzheimer’s Association, McDonald’s Corporation, Gap Clothing Stores and the Obama For President Campaign.  His documentary, A Good Man, co-directed by Gordon Quinn, chronicles the intense creative journey of Bill T. Jones – a 2010 Kennedy Center Honors recipient and two-time Tony® Award winner for Best Choreography.  It premieres November 11, 2011 on PBS’ celebrated series American Masters.


About Narrator Mandy Patinkin –
Mandy Patinkin is an American actor of the Broadway stage, network television, and film. His credits include starring roles in musical theater presentations of Sunday in the Park with George, The Secret Garden, The Wild Party, Evita and Mamaloshen; television shows Chicago Hope, The Larry Sanders Show, Dead Like Me, and Criminal Minds; and the unforgettable Inigo Montoya in the 1987 comedy classic film The Princess Bride. Patinkin will be headlining on Broadway in November with Patti LuPone in An Evening with Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin and is currently starring in the new Showtime series Homeland with Claire Danes.


About the Producers –
The film was born through the friendship of legendary multi-hyphenate actor-producer-director-writer Harold Ramis (Ghostbusters, Caddyshack, Groundhog Day, Analyze This and SCTV) and first time producer Jay Alix.  Fans of the Joffrey, they both saw the need to interview Gerald Arpino before he passed. When they discovered that no documentary had ever been made of this legendary company, they decided now was the time.

Harold Ramis, Executive Producer –
Harold Ramis is a screenwriter, director and actor whose films include some of the most popular and influential comedies of our time – Animal House, Caddyshack, Stripes, National Lampoon’s Vacation, Ghostbusters, Back to School, Groundhog Day, Multiplicity, Analyze This, Bedazzled, Analyze That, The Ice Harvest and Year One. Among his numerous professional honors and awards, Ramis is the recipient of the American Comedy Award, the British Comedy Award, the BAFTA (British Academy) award for screenwriting (Groundhog Day), and the Just for Laughs Lifetime Achievement Award.  Four of his films were listed among the American Film Institute’s “100 Funniest Movies” and Groundhog Day was recently chosen one of the “101 Greatest Screenplays” by the Writers Guild of America. Harold Ramis has also directed several episodes of NBC’s acclaimed series The Office.

Jay Alix, Executive Producer –
Jay Alix is new to the documentary film world.  Having completed many private and corporate documentary projects, this film is his production debut for public distribution.  On the road to getting here, he was the founder, past chairman and president of AlixPartners, an internationally recognized firm of corporate turnaround, restructuring, performance improvement, and financial advisory professionals. He was also co-founder, chairman and past president of Questor Partners, a $1.2 billion investment fund focused on investing in turnarounds, underperforming and distressed companies, as well as special situations.

Una Jackman, Producer –

Una Jackman founded the Detroit Friends of the Joffrey Ballet in 2000, an organization that brought the Joffrey to perform at The Detroit Opera House for the past ten years and continues to have a presence in Detroit each year. Jackman was first introduced to Gerald Arpino and The Joffrey Ballet in 1980. While serving as a board member of Dance with Altitude in Telluride from 1995 to 2000, where the Joffrey enjoyed a summer residency for five years, she developed a close friendship with Arpino and the two conceived of the Detroit Friends organization. The making of this documentary, particularly doing the final interviews with him, is her way of paying tribute to Arpino’s life’s work and to the Company he co-founded.



Erica Mann Ramis, Producer –
Erica Mann Ramis is a poet and writer who has spent most of her life in and around the film industry. Her connection with the Joffrey began fifteen years ago when she met  Arpino. Ramis’ lifetime love of ballet and modern dance came to fruition when she and husband, filmmaker Harold Ramis, connected with Jay Alix and Una Jackman, and they resolved to document Arpino’s life and the history of The Joffrey Ballet.


The Joffrey Ballet Mission –
The Joffrey is a world-class, Chicago-based ballet company and dance education organization committed to artistic excellence and innovation, presenting a unique repertoire encompassing masterpieces of the past and cutting-edge works. The Joffrey is committed to providing arts education and accessible dance training through its Joffrey Academy of Dance and Community Engagement programs.


About The Joffrey Ballet –
For more than a half-century, The Joffrey Ballet’s commitment to taking world-class, artistically vibrant work to a broad and varied audience has created a solid foundation that continues to support the Company’s unprecedented capacity for achieving important “firsts.” Today, the Joffrey, which has been hugely successful in its former residences in New York and Los Angeles, lives permanently in a brilliant new facility, Joffrey Tower, in the heart of America, Chicago, Illinois. The Company’s commitment to accessibility is met through the most extensive touring schedule of any dance company in history, an innovative and highly effective education program including the much lauded Joffrey Academy of Dance, Official School of The Joffrey Ballet, and collaborations with myriad other visual and performing arts organizations.

Classically trained to the highest standards, The Joffrey Ballet expresses a unique, inclusive perspective on dance, proudly reflecting the diversity of America with its Company, audiences and repertoire, which includes major story ballets, reconstructions of masterpieces and contemporary works. Founded by visionary teacher Robert Joffrey in 1956, guided by celebrated choreographer Gerald Arpino from 1988 until 2007, The Joffrey Ballet continues to thrive under internationally renowned Artistic Director Ashley C. Wheater and Executive Director Christopher Clinton Conway. The Joffrey Ballet has become one of the most revered and recognizable arts organizations in America and one of the top dance companies in the world. To learn more, please visit http://joffrey.org.

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For more information, or to request screeners, images, and interviews, please contact Green Galactic’s Lynn Tejada (née Hasty) at 213-840-1201 or lynn@greengalactic.com.

Joffrey Ballet founders Robert Joffrey & Gerald Arpino. Photo courtesy Joffrey Ballet.

After a 5 year hiatus, underground performance party pioneer Dream Circus Theatre (DCT) returns to the limelight with I Am Vegetable at the Premiere Events Center (aka Lot 613) in Downtown Los Angeles on Saturday, October 8, 2011.  I Am Vegetable is a delectable interactive costume party that merges theater, story telling, music, performance art, and dancing with imaginative sets that integrate the audience with the action.  The event soundscape incorporates dubstep, electro/breaks, house, tech house, and ambient/downtempo with a tasty DJ line-up that features John Kelley, Shayn, Trevor + Travis Wyse, Petey, and more. The creative brains behind I Am Vegetable are musician and event director Teo Castro and costume designer Mikiko Nagao, who have collaborated on creative underground events since the 1990s.  I Am Vegetable runs from 9:00pm to 3:30am. Tickets range from $20 to $40. Premiere Events Center/Lot 613 (http://www.lot613.com) is located at 613 Imperial St., Los Angeles, CA 90021. 

Underground Performance Party Pioneer
Dream Circus Theatre Presents
I Am Vegetable
A Wildly Costumed Interactive Theatrical Dance Event
At Premiere Events Center (Lot 613) in Downtown LA
Saturday, October 8, 2011

LOS ANGELES, CA – September 16, 2011 – After a 5 year hiatus, underground performance party pioneer Dream Circus Theatre (DCT) returns to the limelight with I Am Vegetable at the Premiere Events Center (aka Lot 613) in Downtown Los Angeles on Saturday, October 8, 2011.  I Am Vegetable is a delectable interactive costume party that merges theater, story telling, music, performance art, and dancing with imaginative sets that integrate the audience with the action.  The event soundscape incorporates dubstep, electro/breaks, house, tech house, and ambient/downtempo with a tasty DJ line-up that features John Kelley, Shayn, Trevor + Travis Wyse, Petey, and more. The creative brains behind I Am Vegetable are musician and event director Teo Castro and costume designer Mikiko Nagao, who have collaborated on creative underground events since the 1990s.  I Am Vegetable runs from 9:00pm to 3:30am. Tickets range from $20 to $40. Premiere Events Center/Lot 613 (http://www.lot613.com) is located at 613 Imperial St., Los Angeles, CA 90021. For more information, please visit http://www.dreamcircus.com or call 310-853-3075.

Attendees are encouraged to wear vegetable-themed costumes and bring their favorite organic vegetables for the communal soup that will be served all night long. The event will be streamed live at http://www.stickam.com. Guests must be 21 years of age or older to attend. A limited number of advance tickets can be purchased for $20-25 at http://fla.vor.us/1100057-I-AM-VEGETABLE-tickets/I-AM-VEGETABLE-Los-Angeles–.html. On the day of event, tickets are $30 with vegetable costume and organic vegetable for the communal soup, $40 “plain jane.” Street parking is free.  $10 secured valet parking will also be available. Please also see DCT’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/dreamcircus.theatre as well as the event page at http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/event.php?eid=247783768584432

I Am Vegetable welcomes Fud-gee Bear and Electric GrassHopper back from a Deep Hi Bear Nation. Climbing out from the underground city of Zion, rising like a phoenix from the ashes, they will bring magic, mystery and fantasy back into our world once again.  Event attendees will be transported into a world where they can mingle with roaming I Am Vegetable characters in elaborate costumes, get a scrub down in the make-believe “Vegetable Wash,” and wander down the interactive “Vegetable Brick Road” (a floor with interactive screens and projections) on their way to the “Veggie Voyeurism Museum” (a “green light” district of steamy vegetables).

In the “Market Membrane” front room, a farmer’s market-themed area, guests can enjoy dubstep/electro breaks DJ sets, VJs, theatrical performances, and a costume contest. The outside “Mushroom Garden,” is a place for attendees to sit, lounge, drink, and eat.  More DJs, VJs, an ambient room, and photo booth will be set as a soup bowl.  Out back, attendees will find the “Psycho-Ponics Ward,” a black-lit room with house/tech DJ sets, VJs and theatrical performances with a backdrop of vegetables hooked up to tubes. The upstairs area houses the chill zone known as “The Refrigerator” with VJs and ambient music.

Interactive characters will roam throughout the event space.  Examples include the “Mr. Snails” characters (like the Mr. Smiths from the Matrix movies) – Secret Service snails who try to capture veggie attendees – and “The Garlic Informant,” who saves the veggies from the Mr. Snails.

The event is a vehicle to launch nutritional vegetable awareness and support the organic health movement for sustainable living.  Organic local food companies will be participating.

Featured DJs by Event Area:

Market Membrane - a vegetable marketplace full of sinful, carnal delights features dubstep/electro breaks with:
- John Kelley (Ball of Wax / Moontribe) - site
- Shayn Almeida (Intetech / Deep LA) – site
- Bartek (Quade / Ball of Wax) – site
- SuneviL LovechiLd – site
- Petey (Technique) – site

Psycho-Ponics Ward – veggie crazed madness, with padded walls and black lights, is hosted by Fade Dra and features house/tech house with:
- HAWT DJs Mikey + Eddie B. (HAWT Music) - site
- Frank Fader (Dogtown DJs) – site
- Ben Annand (Moontribe / Tropical) – site
- DJ Xian Fayette (I Am)
- DJ M*Linss (Dogtown DJs)

The Mushroom Garden - outside chill area features ambient/downtempo with:
- Imagika – site
- Trevor + Travis Wyse (Green Sector) – site
- Maggie (Moontribe) – site
- Kevin Chills (See Thru Sound) – site

Click here to watch Dream Circus Theatre in action.

Teo Castro, Co-Founder Dream Circus Theatre / Producer / Writer
Party planner, performer and legend in the L.A. underground circuit, Teo Castro runs Dream Circus Theatre with his wife, Mikiko Nagao.  The collective organizes the legendary “I Am” series of themed events that merge theatrical performances and electronic music into party environments. Castro and Nagao also created a street music and clothing company called Stoner Generation. He worked with Bill Manspeaker (Green Jello), Lou Maglia (former president of Island Records), and Art Jaeger (former executive at Capitol Records) in executive and production capacities at QTOPIA Event Center in Hollywood, which later became the Vanguard. For Insomniac Events, he created Dream Circus Village at Electric Daisy Carnival.  Other organizations and artists he has worked with over the years include Red Bull, M-Audio, Native Instruments, Magic (Las Vegas), Jane’s Addiction, Snoop Dog, Lollapalooza LLC, Coachella Music Festival, Burning Man, Cirque du Soleil, Dance with Films, House of Blues, Charlie Armstrong (Paramount Pictures), and PF Chang’s.

Mikiko Nagao, Costume Designer / Event Creator –
Mikiko Nagao is an innovative costume designer who has worked on commercial, film, television, and theater projects for the past 10 years. With her husband Teo Castro, she runs Dream Circus Theatre.  She has created custom designs for over 100 productions including costumes for stilt walker clowns, medieval soldiers, angelic space gods, large monsters, Victorian characters, and more. Past large-scale productions include creating costumes for Dream Circus Theatre’s 2003 tour of 35 cities with Lollapalooza.  Nagao studied at Bantan Design Fashion Institute (Tokyo) and Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (San Francisco and Los Angeles).  http://MKOCostumes.com

Dream Circus Theatre –
Dream Circus Theatre (DCT) was initially involved in the local underground scene in the mid 1990s, the first in the Los Angeles area to merge theatrical performances such as fire dancers, aerialists, performance artists, and art installations in a DJ dance party environment.  DCT is known for their innovative series of event/parties called “I Am” – costume, themed parties, which fuse all the elements mentioned above. DCT has self-produced, created and written over 100 original events and shows.

Castro, Nagao and/or Dream Circus Theatre have been featured in news and entertainment media around the world including the Los Angeles Times, LA Weekly, KCRW, KPFK, KROQ, KLOS, MTV, CNN, FNN, CBS-TV, Bad Boys, MTV, Rolling Stone, and Time Magazine (Asia).

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For more information, images, or to request an interview, please contact Green Galactic’s Lynn Tejada (née Hasty) at 213-840-1201 or lynn@greengalactic.com.

Dance Camera West

For Immediate Release:  February 3, 2011

Dance Camera West Announces
10th Anniversary Dance Media Film Festival & Conference
Dance Media: An Active Spectrum
Los Angeles – June 16 – 19, 2011

LOS ANGELES, CA – Dance Camera West (DCW), recognized internationally for its annual presentation and celebration of dance on screen, announces its 10th Anniversary Dance Media Film Festival & Conference.  This year’s festival, entitled Dance Media: An Active Spectrum, which will also include a conference component, takes place at several venues around Los Angeles from Thursday, June 16 to Sunday, June 19, 2011. In addition to a full program of provocative screenings, this year’s special anniversary event will also include a unique series of educational events, guest speakers, and networking opportunities for the international dance media community.  DCW once again partners with the city’s most prominent venues to offer this year’s screenings, installations, and panel discussions with visiting international artists. Please visit DCW’s website for continuous updates at www.dancecamerawest.org.

“In celebration of our decade milestone, we have added a full day conference of presenters and panels to our four day festival schedule,” says DCW Executive Director Lynette Kessler, “In addition to educating, inspiring, and empowering artists, our goal this year is to serve as a catalyst for dance media distribution opportunities while, at the same time, create greater access for new audiences.”

Dance Media: An Active Spectrum -
Dance media, or any media for that matter, has evolved beyond the traditional theater-based cinematic experience which requires today’s media makers to create work with a multitude of platforms in mind.  The “active spectrum” of opportunity today includes multi-screen installations, mobile applications, websites, online social networks, and more.  DCW’s special anniversary panel discussion program will, among other things, take a look at transmedia storytelling that offers creators an opportunity to reach fragmented audiences by adapting productions to new modes of presentation.

Poised at the intersection of dance media’s artistic, academic, and commercial pursuits, Dance Camera West is uniquely positioned to facilitate a robust discussion on the blending of art, technology, and commerce.  The anniversary project will provide a necessary forum for facilitating real-time discussions and international networking opportunities for leading artists, local audiences, and emerging practitioners through panel discussions, talkbacks featuring prominent directors and choreographers, multiple programs of experimental international short dance films, installations and documentaries with special guests.

“Dance media is a technological medium,” adds Kessler,  “Whatever hardware is used for viewing  — computer screens, handheld devices, home projectors, etc. — audiences are now in the position to demand when they want to see work, where they want to see it, and what format they want it in.  All those technological options, along with great content, need to be delivered by dance media makers.”

Dance Media -
Dance on screen, or “screendance,” is a unique cinematic experience that focuses on the intersection of cinematography and choreography. The festival includes this as well as all forms of dance media. The hybrid screendance medium is diverse, encompassing a broad range of cinematography styles, exhibition formats, and subject matter traversing global perspectives.  The festival includes everything from experimental shorts to documentaries – ranging from surreal visual abstractions to strict narratives.

Dance Camera West’s Tenth Anniversary Highlights-
Dance Media: An Active Spectrum, Dance Camera West’s Tenth Annual Dance Media Film Festival & Conference, opens at The Getty Center with a screening and special guests on Thursday, June 16, 2011. The next day, Friday, June 17, DCW will bring together artists, dancers, educators, and film/television industry professionals for a full day of panel discussions followed by an outdoor screening at a venue TBA. Panels cover the state of the art, distribution, funding, art and commerce, as well as the future of dance media.  DCW will then present two days of screenings and a director’s roundtable at the Hammer Museum’s Billy Wilder Theater on Saturday, June 18 and Sunday, June 19.

“Dance Camera West seeks to ensure that Los Angeles remains an international hub for dance media, inspiring and supporting artists and audiences from all corners of the globe,” says Kessler, “We are bringing together the best in today’s dance media to help commemorate our tenth anniversary.”

Lynette Kessler -
Dance Camera West founder and executive/artistic director Lynette Kessler is an accomplished dancer, choreographer, and media artist with an MFA in Dance from the University of Michigan and a BFA in Dance from York University in Toronto. Known for her innovative collaborations and dance work for the screen that have been shown in film festivals worldwide, Kessler has received numerous awards including a Lester Horton Dance Award, Alden B. Dow Creativity Fellowship, and an artist residency at Headlands Center for the Arts. She recently made panel presentations at IMZ Dancescreen/Cinedans in Amsterdam and at the Latin American Video Danse Forum in Brazil. She is a founding member of the international Media & Dance Network (MAD), has served on selection committees for EMPAC Commission (Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center), American Choreography Awards, Dance on Camera Festival in New York, Moving Pictures Festival of Dance on Film in Toronto, CHIME (Choreographers in Mentorship Exchange), and is a guest lecturer at UCLA, UC Irvine, and Cal Arts. Kessler sits on the board of directors for the Buckminster Fuller Institute and the California Ear Unit. She is an active member of the advocacy groups: Arts for LA, California Arts Advocates, and Americans for the Arts. And she’s also on the Media Arts Advisory Committee to guide the new Media Arts initiative creating a fifth arts discipline for Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD).

Dance Camera West -
Dance Camera West is a nonprofit organization committed to fostering and promoting the vibrant art of dance media from around the world. DCW connects diverse cultures and environments through its exploration of dance on screen, bringing thousands of challenging and provocative films to Los Angeles from around the globe, effectively bridging the gap between the uniquely influential Los Angeles film community and the significant local dance populace. The organization is unique in its artistic purpose, as no other organization in Los Angeles offers audience exposure to such a diverse range of work by international dance companies.  DCW also strives to create a broader and more engaged audience for dance and dance media by merging both performance and cinematic aesthetics. DCW is one of only a handful of organizations in the world that present the thought-provoking adventure of dance media and the only one of its kind on the West Coast.  Known as one of the world’s premiere presenters of dance media, Dance Camera West aspires to awaken and infuse the public mainstream with critical creative programming.  DCW has expanded the audience for dance in Southern California with the presentation of more than 2,000 dance films from 47 countries since its inception in 2002.

Annual DCW dance media events have been extremely well received by local and national media. The Los Angeles Times has twice named the festival “Best of LA.” LA Magazine selected the festival as its “Pick of the Month,” and Angeleno included the festival in its “Top Ten List” in 2010. DCW was also voted one of the “Top 25 Dance Organizations to Watch” by Dance Magazine in 2005 and 2006.  FOX News has aired three-minute features on the festival for the past three years, and Moving Pictures Magazine ran a full-page feature article with photos.  Publicity also flows from influential online outlets such as The Huffington Post, which ran a full review of the festival in June 2010, and flavorpill, which selected the festival as its “Hot Tip” of the Week for several years. Additional press coverage is available at: dancecamerawest.org/press_archives.htm

This year’s 2011 Dance Camera West anniversary event is supported in part by Mortimer Levitt Foundation, Metabolic Studio of the Annenberg Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, and Los Angeles County Arts Commission.

“Dance Camera West has had a tremendous impact during its first ten years, building audiences not only for dance media but for all dance.  Our ongoing support for artists, both locally and globally, inspires new work to be created, as artists know that Dance Camera West supplies a critically important platform for disseminating this very special art form,” says Kessler summing up the festival’s relevancy.

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For more information, press passes, photos, or to interview DCW’s founder Lynette Kessler, please contact Green Galactic’s Lynn Tejada (née Hasty) at 213-840-1201 or lynn@greengalactic.com.

Banner credits moving from left to right:

Image One
Film Title: For Water
Director: Natalie Metzger
Photographer: Robert Allaire
Choreographer: Natalie Metzger
Dancers: Lisa Long, Anne Moore, Dewi Nurnaeny, Cherise Richards, Helda Yossiana

Image Two
Film Title: Aqua-Booty
Director: Marta Renzi
Dancers: Alethea Pace, Jen Queliz, Jenny Tortorello, Tina Vasquez

Image Three
Film Title: Ecstasy Forbidden
Director: Jonny Silver
Photographer: Marlena von Kazmier
Dancers: Lucy Rupert and Danny Wild
Choreographer: Claudia Moore

Image Four
Film Title: Body of War
Director/Photographer: Isabel Rocamora,
Dancers:  James Hobson and Krysztof Szczenpanski

LDTP "The Slumber of Reason" - Photo Credit: Dorit Thies

Innovative performance group the Latina Dance Theater Project (LDTP) announces the return of their critically acclaimed piece, The Slumber of Reason (El Sueño de la Razon), to Bootleg Theater in Los Angeles for one weekend only, Friday, February 25 and Saturday, February 26, 2011. Directed by Tim Perez, The Slumber of Reason is a series of ten dark and humorous vignettes that depict various follies and foibles of mankind.  The creative springboard for this interdisciplinary work is Spanish artist Francisco de Goya’s tour-de-force prints, Los Caprichos (The Caprices), considered one of the most profound indictments of human vice ever set on paper.  The Slumber of Reason show times are at 8:00pm on both nights.

For Immediate Release:  January 25, 2011

Latina Dance Theater Project Presents
The Slumber of Reason (El Sueño de la Razon)
At Bootleg Theater in Los Angeles
February 25-26, 2011

A Multidisciplinary Dance Theater Performance
Inspired by Goya’s Iconic Los Caprichos

LOS ANGELES, CA – Innovative performance group the Latina Dance Theater Project (LDTP) announces the return of their critically acclaimed piece, The Slumber of Reason (El Sueño de la Razon), to Bootleg Theater in Los Angeles for one weekend only, Friday, February 25 and Saturday, February 26, 2011. Directed by Tim Perez, The Slumber of Reason is a series of ten dark and humorous vignettes that depict various follies and foibles of mankind.  The creative springboard for this interdisciplinary work is Spanish artist Francisco de Goya’s tour-de-force prints, Los Caprichos (The Caprices), considered one of the most profound indictments of human vice ever set on paper.   The Slumber of Reason show times are at 8:00pm on both nights.  General admission tickets cost $25 (available online and at the door). Bootleg Theater is located at 2220 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90057.  For venue and ticket information, please call 213-389-3856 or visit http://www.bootlegtheater.org. For information on LDTP, please see:  http://www.latinadanceproject.com or http://www.facebook.com/pages/Latina-Dance-Project/107898625906942

“Even though Goya created his visions of chaos and brutality hundreds of years ago, they are still remarkably profound and relate to issues here and now,” says Licia Perea of LDTP, “His powerful images inspired us to create a new set of modern day ‘caprichos’ that explore contemporary demons.”

“El Sueño de la Razon Produce Monstruos” or “The Sleep/Dream of Reason Produces Monsters” (1799) - Francisco de Goya

The Slumber of Reason –
“El Sueño de la Razon Produce Monstruos” or “The Sleep/Dream of Reason Produces Monsters” (1799), which the production takes its name from, is the title Goya gave to what became his most famous Los Caprichos etching.  The work depicts a sleeping gentleman, surrounded by bats and other evil-looking creatures.  This now iconic image commented on the lack of critical thinking in Spanish society at the time.

Following Goya’s example, LDTP uses humor as a tool for social criticism in the production’s ten vignettes.  Each vignette illustrates a human folly or vice which may surface when a person does not use intelligence or reason to guide action. The vices targeted by LDTP range from relatively harmless texting obsessions, to preoccupation with physical beauty, to much more serious destructive urges that instigate war and murder.  Hot button issues such as immigration, environmental degradation, and racism are also explored.

“In over 200 years of time, it’s pretty insane that the situation in the world isn’t necessarily better and has not really changed all that much,” says Perea, “We hope the world we recreate in this work not only hits the audience in the gut with this realization, but also makes them laugh at the sheer absurdity of it all.”

Described as “edgy and thought-provoking” and “something different,” by theater reviewer Marianne Fritz of SocCal.com, The Slumber of Reason defies categorization, incorporating a fascinating hybrid of creative genres. The music in the work, by composer Wes Hambright, is as diverse as the different themes in the show, incorporating styles ranging from techno to blues. LDTP members in this production — Perea, Juanita Suarez, Eva Tessler, and Jose Garcia Davis – also bring together a variety of creative talents, weaving together a rich tapestry of dance, song, art, and theater into the production.



Los Caprichos -
Enigmatic and controversial, Los Caprichos (1799), by Francisco de Goya, were created in a time of economic crisis and social unrest in Spain. Goya, who earned his living as a well-known court painter of the period, also used his art to denounce social abuses and superstitions in a passionate critique of ignorance and oppression. The Caprichos candidly deal with themes such as the Spanish Inquisition, corruption within the church and among the nobility, witchcraft, marital mistakes, and the general stupidity of the populace. Its subhuman cast includes witches, goblins, monks, aristocrats, prostitutes, and animals acting like human fools inhabiting a world on the margins of reason.  The Caprichos (a term that translates to “whims,” “fantasies,” or “expressions of imagination”) are not, however, solely bleak in nature, they also often demonstrate the artist’s wickedly satirical wit.

LDTP The Slumber of Reason – “Goya with Witches” bottom-to-top: Jose Garcia Davis (Goya w/ top hat); Licia Perea, Juanita Suarez, Gabriela Nugent (apprentice) and Eva Tessler (top) (Photo Credit: Dorit Thies)

Latina Dance Theater Project –
LDTP is a group of five nationally recognized Latina/o dance theater artists who explore the voices of the hybrid cultures of Mexico, the United States, and Brazil. While none of the members of this unique company live in the same city, they are brought together by their passion to work as an equal, collaborative company.  LDTP members are Licia Perea, a COLA and two-time NEA Fellow (Los Angeles); Juanita Suarez, PHD, recipient of MAP Fund and Berolzheimer Foundation grants (Brockport, NY); Eva Tessler, multiple recipient from the Arizona Commission on the Arts (Tucson, AZ); Eluza Santos, PHD, a United Arts Council of NC grantee (Vitoria, Brazil); and award-winning writer, director, set designer, and performer Jose Garcia Davis (Los Angeles).  The Company was founded in 2002 as a rising voice of a new aesthetic in contemporary dance-theater, having toured nationally and internationally since its inception.  LDTP is joined by guest collaborators: acclaimed director Tim Perez (Vancouver, BC); costume designer Susie Cox (Dallas, TX); and critically acclaimed composer Wes Hambright (Los Angeles).

Bootleg Theater -
Bootleg Theater is a space for art: a place where Los Angeles artists can come together and create new, exciting theatrical events.  Bootleg is dedicated to producing and presenting theater, music, dance, and film in the venue’s 10,000-square foot 1930s warehouse, located in the Rampart District just west of Downtown LA. The facility, comprised of two performance spaces and a lounge, plays an integral role in the development and advancement of Bootleg’s goals: to provide a community convening place; produce brave, boundary-pushing, artistically outstanding, and highly collaborative new work — work that is exciting to people of all ages and ethnicities; and serve as a reflection of the City we all call home.

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For more information, press passes, photos, or interviews, please contact Green Galactic’s Lynn Tejada (née Hasty) at 213-840-1201 or lynn@greengalactic.com.

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One weekend only!

Latina Dance Theater Project Presents
The Slumber of Reason (El Sueño de la Razon)

A multidisciplinary dance theater performance
Inspired by Goya’s Los Caprichos

Friday & Saturday, February 25 – 26, 2011
8:00pm

General Admission $25
Tickets at http://www.bootlegtheater.org

Bootleg Theater
2220 Beverly Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90057

This performance is made possible by

Top Photo:

LDTP The Slumber of Reason – “Baghdad is Burning”
Licia Perea (bottom) and Gabriela Nugent (apprentice; top)
(Photo Credit: Dorit Thies)

Paradox Media and Vau de Vire present the highly anticipated return of The Edwardian Ball to Los Angeles on Saturday, March 5, 2011 at The Music Box.  Once again, the splendid San Francisco tradition flies south for the winter, presenting an elegant, turn of the century celebration of music, theatre, circus arts, DJs, ballroom dance, fashion, technology and, of course, the ominous art and stories of beloved author Edward Gorey. Hosted by Edwardian Ball co-creators Rosin Coven and Vau de Vire Society, the night promises an unforgettable blend of audience participation and performance with darkness, humor, and style in a stunning historic venue. The event also features “Belle of the Ball” Jill Tracy, DJ Xian, Miz Margo, Dark Garden Corsetry, and many special guests. Costumed attire is highly encouraged — all in attendance are invited to return to a time of gentility by creating characters for the occasion.

For Immediate Release:  November 11, 2010 [updated 12/23/10]

The Edwardian Ball
Returns to Los Angeles!
At The Music Box
Saturday, March 5, 2011

LOS ANGELES, CA – Paradox Media and Vau de Vire present the highly anticipated return of The Edwardian Ball to Los Angeles on Saturday, March 5, 2011 at The Music Box.  Once again, the splendid San Francisco tradition flies south for the winter, presenting an elegant, turn of the century celebration of music, theatre, circus arts, DJs, ballroom dance, fashion, technology and, of course, the ominous art and stories of beloved author Edward Gorey. Hosted by Edwardian Ball co-creators Rosin Coven and Vau de Vire Society, the night promises an unforgettable blend of audience participation and performance with darkness, humor, and style in a stunning historic venue. The event also features “Belle of the Ball” Jill Tracy, DJ Xian, Miz Margo, Dark Garden Corsetry, and many special guests. Costumed attire is highly encouraged — all in attendance are invited to return to a time of gentility by creating characters for the occasion.

The Music Box is located at 6126 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028.  For more information on the venue please call 323-464-0808 or visit http://www.themusicbox.la.  Doors open and show begins at 8:00pm, and all ages are welcome (minors must be accompanied by an adult 21+ with valid ID).  General admission tickets are $28-$35 in advance, and a very limited amount of VIP Booths ($450) and VIP Balcony Couches ($500) are available for parties of up to 8.  VIP packages include best/reserved seating, table service, and complimentary absinthe cocktails.  For more information and online tickets, please visit http://www.edwardianball.com.

Since 1999, The Edwardian Ball has steadily grown from a Bay Area underground club phenomenon into a full-fledged festival of arts and culture, focusing on the esteemed works of the late, great author/illustrator Edward Gorey. Now, with the blessings of The Edward Gorey Charitable Trust, this one-night-only Los Angeles event of everything-under-the-midnight-sun reaches across cultural boundaries to include audiences of all ages and backgrounds, where literary fans are as welcome as goth clubgoers, where the high-flying trapeze and steam-powered machines create the backdrop for elegantly dressed ballgoers waltzing their way into the antique portrait studio. Event founder Justin Katz muses, “The demand for this event to return to Los Angeles has been incredible. It’s clear that no one city can contain this celebration, where the old world meets the world-to-be with a tip of the top hat, a cinch of the corset, and a splash of absinthe poured over a silver spoon.  We’re thrilled to bring The Edwardian Ball back to LA.”

For over a decade, The Edwardian Ball has been featuring Gorey tales brought to life on stage.  A truly prodigious and original artist, Edward St. John Gorey (1925-2000) gifted the world with over one hundred works, including The Gashlycrumb Tinies, The Doubtful Guest, and The Wuggly Ump; prize-winning set and costume designs for innumerable theater productions from Cape Cod to Broadway; a remarkable number of illustrations in publications such as The New Yorker and The New York Times; as well as illustrations in books by a wide array of authors from Charles Dickens to Edward Lear, Samuel Beckett, John Updike, Virginia Woolf, H.G. Wells, Florence Heide, and many others. His well known animated credits for the PBS Mystery! series have introduced his work to millions of television viewers. Gorey’s masterful pen and ink illustrations and his ironic, offbeat humor have brought him critical acclaim and an avid following throughout the world.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Gorey

Rosin Coven performing (singer: Midnight Rose; photo credit: Tracy Bugni) 2010

Paradox Media –
For over 13 years Paradox Media, owned by Justin Katz, has been producing an eclectic variety of art and music events in the San Francisco Bay Area, including festivals such as ArtCar Fest, How Berkeley Can You Be!?, The Oakland World Music & Jazz Festival, ArtFest’s Spectra Ball, Mission Bazaar, and Burning Man’s annual SF Decompression; independent theater with Everyday Theatre’s “The Bright River;” and nonprofit community events with Epic Arts.  Paradox is the exclusive presenter of Rosin Coven, the founders of The Edwardian Ball in 1999.  Executive Producer Katz also works for Goldenvoice/AEG Live, producing all of their concerts in the San Francisco region. http://www.paradox-media.com/production/index.html

Vau de Vire –
Founded in 1997 by husband and wife team Mike and Shannon Gaines, San Francisco-based entertainment company Vau de Vire Society has been titillating crowds around the world with their unique brand of interactive art, dance and circus events. This avant-cabaret community consists of classically-trained dancers, some of the nation’s most acclaimed acrobats, aerial artists, contortionists, side-show acts, fire-performers, thespians, and beautiful circus freaks. The group has been cross-pollinating genres by collaborating with an eclectic variety of world-renowned musicians and DJs in creating original stage shows spanning a range of social groups and subcultures. Notable recent collaborators include Cirque du Soleil (Corteo), the San Francisco Symphony, Paul Oakenfold, Moby, Paul Van Dyke, The Dresden Dolls, Peaches, Alkaline Trio, The Madd Vibe Orchestra, Crystal Method, and Tiesto. Vau de Vire has provided live support performances for James Brown, Primus, 50 Cent, Wyclef Jean, Velvet Revolver, The Cure, and many other highly respected international artists. In addition to producing The Edwardian Ball since 2005, Vau de Vire produces and hosts the West Coast’s longest-running and most outrageous circus-infused dance party, San Francisco’s Bohemian Carnival.  Through the years, Vau de Vire has received numerous commissions from high profile music and arts festivals to curate live music stages and program multi-day variety entertainment amidst a Vau de Vire custom built environment complete with thematic installations and large scale aerial art sculptures.  Past and ongoing clients include: Bumbershoot Festival, Download Festival, Outside Lands, Lightning in a Bottle (’07,’08, ’10), Xingolati Groove Cruise, Vegoose Festival, Exprescion on Alcatraz, and Super Village at Super Bowl ’08. http://www.vaudeviresociety.com

The Music Box –
The Music Box, renowned for its auditorium with ornate period details and stunning rooftop views of the hills, has hosted a dazzling array of nightlife events for nearly a century.  Originally a vaudeville theater from the 1920s with a speakeasy upstairs, the Henry Fonda Theater was transformed into The Music Box, a lavish sanctum of glamour and spectacle. The world-class venue is well known as one of LA’s busiest and most prestigious live entertainment destinations. The historically significant edifice, in the heart of Hollywood, was painstakingly refurbished recently to its original Golden Age glory. The dramatic, newly remodeled Music Box features a moodily lit, antechamber design with original flourishes. Luxurious theater curtains surround the ballroom and Bosch art imagery adorns the walls. The new design also features plush private booths with optimal viewing, a two-sided main bar and checkered dance floor. The original sloped seating has been replaced with a level floor. The balcony offers a unique party perspective with a commanding view of the main stage.  To complete the venue’s recent Hollywood makeover, the marquee was updated with lighting from the original 1926 movie theater design.

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For more information, images, or to set up interviews with the event producers or any of the cast and crew, please contact Green Galactic’s Lynn Tejada (née Hasty) at 213-840-1201 or lynn@greengalactic.com.

Vau de Vire Society at the 10th Annual Edwardian Ball (photo credit: TheBlight.net /Nightshade/Neil Girling)

Breakdance Project Uganda reaches youth in the slums of Kisenyi, Uganda (photo credit: Nabil Elderkin)

Award-winning film Bouncing Cats, the inspiring documentary of one man’s attempt to create a better life for the children of Uganda through hip hop, is on the festival circuit making its way around North America along with limited sneak peek screenings and benefit events.  Narrated by Common and featuring interviews with Will.I.Am, and K’Naan, the story follows the legendary Crazy Legs of the Rock Steady Crew and b-boy Abramz, the founder of Breakdance Project Uganda (BPU), on a journey to unify, empower and inspire youth in the war torn region that has been called one of the worst places on earth to be a child.*  The film, by director Nabil Elderkin, recently won “Best Documentary Feature Film” at the Urbanworld Film Festival in New York, “Outstanding Achievement in Documentary Filmmaking” at the Newport Beach Film Festival, and “Audience Favorite Award” at Southern Utah International Documentary Film Festival.

For Immediate Release:  October 28, 2010 [updated: 1/17/11]

Inspiring Documentary
Bouncing Cats
Uniting the Children of Uganda Through Breakdance and Hip Hop Culture
Currently Screening at Festivals and Special Sneak Peek Events
Around North America Through Winter 2010

LOS ANGELES, CA – Award-winning film Bouncing Cats, the inspiring documentary of one man’s attempt to create a better life for the children of Uganda through hip hop, is on the festival circuit making its way around North America along with limited sneak peek screenings and benefit events.  Narrated by Common and featuring interviews with Will.I.Am, and K’Naan, the story follows the legendary Crazy Legs of the Rock Steady Crew and b-boy Abramz, the founder of Breakdance Project Uganda (BPU), on a journey to unify, empower and inspire youth in the war torn region that has been called one of the worst places on earth to be a child.*  The film, by director Nabil Elderkin, recently won “Best Documentary Feature Film” at the Urbanworld Film Festival in New York, “Outstanding Achievement in Documentary Filmmaking” at the Newport Beach Film Festival, and “Audience Favorite Award” at Southern Utah International Documentary Film Festival.  To learn more about the film, please visit http://www.bouncingcats.com and http://www.facebook.com/bouncingcats.

“Bouncing Cats is just the sort of work that the world needs to see coming out of Africa, a story of self-reliance and perseverance against immeasurable odds,” said K’naan.

Breakdance Project Uganda started in February 2006 by Abraham “Abramz” Tekya out of the belief that hip hop can be used as a tool to engage and empower disadvantaged youth in Kampala and other areas of Uganda. Its mission is to engage young people in hip hop culture in order to build leadership skills and promote social responsibility for positive change.  The Project has attracted people from every walk of life and acts as a catalyst for building mutually beneficial relationships between people of different social strata across Uganda and the rest of the world. After a trip to Uganda with NGO Oxfam, where he met Abramz, director Elderkin decided to make the film with the hope of shedding light on the situation.  “The work Abramz is doing with the kids of Uganda inspired me,” said Elderkin. “It was something I wanted to capture and share with others.”

Bouncing Cats is screening on the festival circuit and at special sneak peek events across North America.  Key screenings include:

- Apr. 17 – Newport Beach Film Festival – Newport Beach, CA
- Aug. 21 – DocuFest Atlanta International Documentary Film Festival – Atlanta, GA
- Sep. 17, 18 – Urbanworld Film Festival - New York, NY
- Sep. 17-19 -  DocUtah – Southern Utah Int’l Documentary Film Festival – St. George, UT
- Sep. 22 – Manifesto Film Fest – Toronto, ON
- Sep. 23 – Montreal International Black Film Festival – Montreal, QC
- Oct. 8-10 – BendFilm – Bend, OR
- Oct. 16, 17, 19, 22 – Heartland Truly Moving Pictures – Indianapolis, IN
- Oct. 18, 24 – Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival – Hot Springs National Park, AR
- Oct. 30 – MoogFest – Asheville, NC
- Nov. 3 – USC Albert & Dana Broccoli Theatre – Los Angeles, CA
- Nov. 4, 7 – American Film Market (AFM) – Santa Monica, CA
- Nov. 7 - Hartford International Film Festival – Hartford, CT
- Nov. 9 – National Geographic LIVE! – Washington, DC **
- Nov. 11 – Rice University – Houston, TX **
- Nov. 16 – Downtown Independent - Los Angeles, CA **
- Nov. 17 – Hard Rock Cafe on the Strip - Las Vegas, NV  **
- Nov. 19 – Arizona State University – Tempe, AZ **
- Nov. 20 – Decatur High School Performing Arts Center - Atlanta, GA
- Dec. 4 – Northwestern University McCormick Tribune Theatre- Evanston, IL
- Dec. 5 – Bahamas International Film Festival – Nassau, Bahamas
- Dec.  16 – NYU – New York, NY **

** These screenings include Q&A sessions with the filmmakers, Crazy Legs, and other cast members from the documentary.

click to watch trailer

Please visit the Bouncing Cats‘ site for additional screening announcements at http://www.bouncingcats.com/screenings.

Bouncing Cats Cast:
Abraham “Abramz” Tekya:
Abraham Tekya, commonly known as “Abramz,” is the director and founder of Breakdance Project Uganda, an organization launched in February 2006 that uses breakdance and other elements of hip hop culture to promote positive change and social responsibility. A native of Mengo, Kampala, Uganda, Abramz grew up quickly, as most children in Uganda are forced to. At the age of seven, he lost both of his parents to AIDS and was orphaned, shuffled between distant relatives and different homes. Despite these circumstances, Abramz used his life experience and love of hip hop to educate, inspire and unite youth in Uganda and beyond. http://www.bouncingcats.com/cast/tekya.php

Richard “Crazy Legs” Colòn:
To call Richard “Crazy Legs” Colòn a pioneer is an understatement. It is nearly impossible to have a conversation about b-boying without giving mention to the legendary Crazy Legs. Not only is he a veteran of hip hop as a culture, boasting more than 3 decades as the driving force behind the hip hop dance movement, but he’s also an outstanding citizen and role model. He has lent his time, experience, and influence to aiding and encouraging the positive advancement of hip hop culture. http://www.bouncingcats.com/cast/crazylegs.php

Jolly Grace Okot:
Jolly Grace Okot, a Nobel Peace Prize nominee, was among the first wave of children abducted and forced to be a child soldier in the beginning of Uganda’s civil war. She is the Uganda Country director for Invisible Children (IC) and has been involved with the organization since the beginning. Her guidance enabled Bouncing Cats‘ filmmakers to see and understand the plight of children in Northern Uganda, and her leadership and direction helped create IC’s initiatives on the ground. Okot also runs H.E.A.L.S., a program that provides play therapy for war-affected children.

Additional details on cast members are available at http://www.bouncingcats.com/cast.

Additional Credits & Film Details:
Bouncing Cats was produced by Red Bull Media House and directed by Nabil Elderkin. All proceeds from the film are going to Breakdance Project Uganda.

Nabil Elderkin, Director:
Director Nabil Elderkin, originally a native of Australia, began his photography career when he picked up a camera to shoot portraits of fellow surfers. What started as a hobby, rapidly developed into a working career. From surf portraits, Elderkin began shooting musicians and anyone that inspired him. He later moved to the United States to continue to expand his career. Today, Elderkin lives and works in Los Angeles at his studio downtown. He shoots musicians, sports, fashion, and portraiture. Elderkin has recently published a book titled Glow in the Dark with Kanye West through Rizzoli and has directed several music videos and documentaries from here to Africa. Traveling is his passion. He created the film in order to bring attention to the situation in Uganda as well as support the inspiring work Abramz is doing through BPU.  http://www.nabil.com

- Executive Producers: Amy Taylor, Scotty Bradfield, Karma Gardner, Charlie Rosene
- Producers: Nyla Hassell, George Mays, Claude Merkel, Charles Spano
- Film Editing: Isaac Hagy
- Sound Editor: Andrew Le Guier
- Genre: Documentary / Music
- Runtime: 75 minutes
- Country: USA
- Language: English
- Color: Color
- Filming Locations: Uganda, USA

Awards:
- Newport Film Festival “Outstanding Achievement in Documentary Filmmaking”
- Urbanworld Film Festival “Best Documentary Feature Film”
- DocUtah – Southern Utah International Documentary Film Festival “Audience Favorite Award”
- Bahamas International Film Festival Audience Award for “Best Feature Documentary”

“In short – the movie features some serious hip hop cameos, incredible landscapes, and dancing, and is certain to be one of the most celebrated documentaries of 2010.” –Chris Farone, Boston Phoenix

Bouncing Cats Links:
- Official Site: http://www.bouncingcats.com
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/bouncingcats
- Twitter: http://twitter.com/bouncingcats
- Trailer: http://vimeo.com/12234800

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For more information, or to request screeners, images, and interviews, please contact Green Galactic’s Lynn Tejada (née Hasty) at 213-840-1201 or lynn@greengalactic.com.

Breakdance Project Uganda reaches youth in the slums of Kisenyi, Uganda (photo credit: Nabil Elderkin)

* Former UNICEF head Carol Bellamy has called northern Uganda “pretty much the worst place on earth to be a child;” over 20,000 children – some as young as six years old – have been abducted by the rebel-led Lords Resistance Army (LRA), forced to serve as child soldiers, sex slaves and laborers. http://www.warchild.org/projects/WC_Canada/Uganda/uganda.html