Local Dance Students Get a Chance to Shine
Daydreams is an innovative dance show featuring ballet, tap, jazz, modern, contemporary dance, spoken word, and original music. The journey explores the kids we were, the adults we became, and the dreams we’re still chasing. The show’s music consists of original jazz and rock songs composed by the band Call Me Crazy. This production will coincide with the release of the Daydreams soundtrack on CD.
We don’t live to sit and work at computers, wait tables, or drive trucks. We do these things while we’re busy making other plans. Our daydreams keep us going in a time of increasing pessimism. We can make better lives for ourselves and others, and it all starts with a daydream on a playground, at a desk at school, on the drive to work, or while brushing our teeth.
The dance pieces range from a contemporary dance set to a power ballad, to an a cappella tap dance piece set in a subway station; from a vaudeville medley to a ballet piece danced “en pointe” and set to jazz music. Daydreams features a modern dance piece called Fear that is accompanied only by sounds and images, no music. There is even a tribute to the Great American Songbook of jazz standards, but featuring original songs. This show is as dynamic and unpredictable as our dreams themselves. The pieces are interconnected by the Daydreams Diary, a series of journal-type monologues performed by the dancers.
About The Call Me Crazy Dancers
The Call Me Crazy Dancers are a spinoff of the Philadelphia based band Call Me Crazy. John Curtis, producer and lead singer of the band, created the dance troupe with Choreographer Amy Smith. The NYC based ensemble is comprised of dancers from NYC, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Maryland, and Washington, DC. The dancers began accompanying the band in outdoor summer concerts, cabarets, and other theatrical performances.The dancers then presented their own full length production, Daydreams, during the 2011 Philly Fringe Festival at Temple University’s Conwell Dance Theater. The show included some local student dancers from the Philadelphia area.
The mission of our group is to provide opportunities for young emerging dancers to work professionally outside of their home studios. There is a wealth of talent outside of our home area in NYC, and we go out and find it. Daydreams exclusively uses music written by me and Call Me Crazy.
Everything we do in this group is original: the music, the choreography, and the spoken word segments; it is what we do, and it is perfect for unconventional performance vehicles like the Capital Fringe. Our dancers enjoy being part of the full creative process with our material.
This special production for the Capital Fringe will include three student dancers from the local Flint Hill School in Oakton, VA. It turned out that my Co-Producer Amy Smith went to Temple University with DC area dancer and choreographer Jenelle Mrykalo, who also teaches at Flint Hill School in Oakton, VA. Amy thought of Jenelle as we were planning the DC run. We looked at it as a great way to get some local dancers in the DC area involved with this run. Mrykalo will prepare the local area dance students for special pieces in the show in which they will dance alongside DC area professional dancers.
Where:
Gala Hispanic Theatre at Tivoli Square
3333 14th St NW Washington, DC 20010
Columbia Heights Metro Station, Green Line
When:
Saturday, 7/21, 5pm;
Wednesday, 7/25, 6pm;
Friday, 7/27, 7:45pm;
Saturday, 7/28, 10pm.
Tickets:
Purchase them here starting June 18th or by calling 866-811-4111.
LINK
Daydreams website.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3DvoTbb4n4
