Tag Archives: Cincinnati Arts Association

March 4, 2015 · 4:22 pm

CAA Announces 2015 Overture Award Winners

CAA ANNOUNCES
2015 OVERTURE AWARD WINNERS

$45,500 Awarded for Excellence in the Arts
New Arts Educator Award Winner Also Announced    

CAA_Overture Awards logoCINCINNATI, OH – The Cincinnati Arts Association is pleased to announce the winners of its Overture Awards Competition, held on Saturday, February 28, 2015 at the Aronoff Center’s Jarson-Kaplan Theater, and the winner of its new Arts Educator Award for Excellence in Arts Instruction. The competition awarded $4,000 to six area students for education and training, with 18 runners-up each winning $1,000, while the Arts Educator Award winner received $2,500 and two finalists were awarded $500 each.

The Overture Awards recognizes, encourages and rewards excellence in the arts among Tri-state students in grades 9-12 and is the area’s largest solo arts competition. Students are nominated by their schools and/or private studios to compete in one of six disciplines: Creative Writing, Dance, Instrumental Music, Theater, Visual Art, and Vocal Music. There are three levels of competition: Regional, Semi-Final, and Final.

The Arts Educator Award promotes and rewards excellence in arts instruction throughout Greater Cincinnati. An educator who teaches any of the following arts disciplines may be nominated: Creative Writing, Dance, Instrumental Music, Theater, Visual Art, and Vocal Music. They can be a high school arts specialist, teaching artist working with high school students, or an arts professional or educator providing private lessons or instruction. Video nominations for the award must come from students between the ages of 14-19 who are currently enrolled in high school. The Arts Educator Award finalists and winner are selected by a panel of judges who are arts professionals.

The Arts Educator Award was first introduced during the 2006-07 Season as the “Theater Educator Award” and was originally created by Jackie Demaline, former Cincinnati Enquirer theatre critic and arts reporter, as one of the first initiatives of the Enquirer’s Acclaim Awards for Excellence in Cincinnati Theatre. In recent years, the Theatre Educator Award was hosted and presented by the League of Cincinnati Theaters at its annual theatre award ceremony. With its move to the Cincinnati Arts Association’s Overture Awards program, the Theatre Educator Award has broadened its scope to become the Arts Educator Award.

The Overture Awards Regional Competitions were held on January 10 at the Aronoff Center for the Arts, Immanuel United Methodist Church (Lakeside Park, KY), Saint Ursula Academy, University of Cincinnati – Blue Ash College, and Xavier University. The top twenty percent of competitors in each discipline advanced to the Semi-Finals, which were held at the Aronoff Center on January 16 and 17.

Now in its 19th year, The Overture Awards was launched in 1996 by the Cinergy Foundation (now Duke Energy) and Leadership Cincinnati (a program of the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce). The Overture Awards is funded and administered by the Cincinnati Arts Association, which operates and manages the Aronoff Center and Music Hall. The Overture Awards also relies on hundreds of volunteers from the community who help raise funds, adjudicate and manage the competitions, and nurture the program.

Overture Awards Program Sponsors:  Carey Digital; Citi; The Eleanora C.U. Alms Trust, Fifth Third Bank, Trustee, Fort Washington Investment Advisors, Inc.

Scholarship Sponsors: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation; The William O. Purdy, Jr. Foundation; Summerfair Cincinnati; Western & Southern Financial.

Competition Sponsors: Buddy Roger’s Music, Immanuel United Methodist Church (Lakeside Park, KY), St. Ursula Academy, University of Cincinnati – Blue Ash College, Xavier University.

2015 Overture Awards Winners

CREATIVE WRITING:  Zoe Cheng – Walnut Hills High School, grade 12
HOMETOWN: Hyde Park, OH – Zoe is a senior at Walnut Hills High School, where she is editor-in-chief of the student newspaper and president of Film Production Club. Last June, her stage play Pillow Talk was produced by The Blank Theatre in Hollywood, and her poetry has been published in The Best Teen Writing of 2012 and 2014. Zoe believes that sharing stories can foster both empathy and hope, and aspires to work as either a screenwriter or international journalist.

DANCE:  Joseph Harrington – Just Off Broadway/School for Creative & Performing Arts, grade 10
HOMETOWN: Eastgate/Clermont County, OH – Joseph has studied dance since age 3 and would tell you his greatest inspiration has been his big sister Allix. Outside of school, Joseph trains at Just Off Broadway in Mt. Carmel. He attends class and workshops across the U.S., has been the recipient of multiple dance awards, and most recently was named “Breakout Artist” for NUVO. Joseph is also an accomplished actor and vocalist and has many Broadway, regional, (and Off Broadway!) shows to his credit.

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC:  Matthew Repka – Conner High School, grade 12
HOMETOWN: Hebron, KY – Matthew Repka is a senior at Conner High School and has performed in percussion for seven years. He has participated in the Kentucky All-State Bands, Northern Kentucky Select Bands, Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestra, and the Fillmore Wind Band. He has been the Percussion Captain for the Conner High School Marching Band and has been recognized for his musical achievements by the Boone County Board of Education. Upon graduation, he plans on majoring in Music Education.

THEATER:  Kalie Kaimann – Seton High School, grade 12
HOMETOWN: Delhi, OH – Kalie is proud to be participating in the Overture Awards Finals Competition again this year! She’s a senior at Seton High School and a full-time vocal student with Karl Resnik at the Musical Arts Center. Kalie is a performer with We Duet All Entertainment, and she can be seen onstage with Cincinnati Landmark Productions. Kalie plans to pursue Musical Theatre as a career after college and hopes this competition can help her on her journey!

VISUAL ART:  Phoenix Brown – School for Creative & Performing Arts, grade 12       
HOMETOWN: College Hill, OH – Phoenix Brown is a Visual Arts major at School for Creative & Performing Arts. Her work has been exhibited many times in local galleries around Cincinnati. As an illustrator, she wants her art to feel familiar to the thoughts and memories of the people who view it. Challenging the viewer to create a narrative of their own is the most powerful concept of her illustrations.

VOCAL MUSIC:  James Rootring – Karl Resnik Studio / Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy, grade 11
HOMETOWN: Mt. Lookout/Hyde Park, OH – James studies with Karl Resnik and participates in MAC’s Young Artists Preparatory Program, directed by Lincoln Chapman. James performs in Encore choir, Electric Jazz Orchestra, and Chapel band. James is honored to participate in the Overture finals again this year. James was recently named a 2015 National YoungArts Foundation Winner. James will make his professional debut in the chorus of Cincinnati Opera’s Turandot this summer. James plans a dual major in vocal performance and business.

2015 Arts educator award Winner

Gina Cerimele-Mechley, Cincinnati Actor’s Studio & Academy
Discipline: Theatre
#Years working/teaching: 25
Nominated by Kate Coley
View the winning nomination video.

The 2015 Overture Awards Finalists

Winners listed in bold.

 CREATIVE WRITING

  • Zoe Cheng—grade 12, Walnut Hills High School
  • Katie Hibner—grade 12, William Mason High School
  • Meg Spencer—grade 12, Beechwood High School
  • Alexandra Sukin—grade 12, Cincinnati Country Day School

DANCE

  • Jordan Betscher—grade 11, Just Off Broadway/Homeschool
  • Joseph Harrington—grade 10, Just Off Broadway/School for Creative & Performing Arts
  • Megan Kernan—grade 12, Just Off Broadway/Turpin High School
  • Mary Moore—grade 11, School for Creative & Performing Arts

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC

  • Emma Burge—grade 11, Sycamore High School
  • Isabella Geis—grade 11, Walnut Hills High School
  • David Godar—grade 9, CCM Preparatory/Sycamore High School
  • Matthew Repka—grade 12, Conner High School

THEATER

  • Kennedy Carstens—grade 12, Ursuline Academy
  • Sam Johnson—grade 11, Boone County High School
  • Kalie Kaimann—grade 12, Seton High School
  • Victoria Shields—grade 11, Bray Music Studio/Lakota East High School

VISUAL ART

  • Claire Bowman—grade 12, Walnut Hills High School
  • Phoenix Brown—grade 12, School for Creative & Performing Arts
  • Clair Hopper—grade 12, Ursuline Academy
  • Jaye Johnson—grade 11, Wyoming High School

VOCAL MUSIC

  • Mackenzie Jacquemin—grade 12, Wyoming High School
  • Jake Kolesar—grade 12, Walnut Hills High School
  • James Rootring—grade 11, Karl Resnik Studio/Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy
  • Logan Wagner—grade 11, Dixie Heights High School

2015 Arts educator award Finalists

Sarah Kim
Discipline: Instrumental Music
#Years working/teaching: 15
Nominated by Nina Fatuzzo

Karl Resnik, Musical Arts Center
Discipline: Vocal Music
#Years working/teaching: 43
Nominated by James Rootring

2015 Arts educator award honorable mention

Elena Kholodova, private teacher
Discipline: Vocal Music
#Years working/teaching: 10
Nominated by Mackenzie Jacquemin

Shawn Mlynek
Discipline: Vocal Music
#Years working/teaching: 7
Nominated by Benjamin Eglian

CLICK HERE to view the video nominations of the Arts Educator nominees listed above.

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February 2, 2015 · 12:10 pm

Overture Awards Finals Competition and Awards Ceremony | Sat., Feb. 28, 2015 | Aronoff Center – Jarson-Kaplan Theater

CAA_Overture Awards logoCINCINNNATI, OH – The Cincinnati Arts Association (CAA) is proud to present the 2015 Overture Awards Finals Competition. The Overture Awards provides $4,000 each to six area high school students for education and training expenses, with 18 finalists each winning $1,000.

The Overture Awards Finals Competition and Awards Ceremony will be held on Saturday, February 28, 2015 at 1:00 PM at the Aronoff Center’s Jarson-Kaplan Theater. Winners will be announced immediately following the competition.

This year, 465 students were nominated by their schools to compete in one of six artistic disciplines: Creative Writing, Dance, Instrumental Music, Theater, Visual Art, and Vocal Music. The Overture Awards was developed to recognize, encourage, and reward excellence in the arts among Tri-state students in grades 9-12. It also provides students an opportunity to share their talents and interests among their peers in a supportive environment outside of their individual schools. There are three levels of competition: Regional, Semi-Final, and Final.

The Overture Awards Regional Competitions were held on January 10 at the Aronoff Center for the Arts, Immanuel United Methodist Church (Lakeside Park, KY), Saint Ursula Academy, University of Cincinnati – Blue Ash College, and Xavier University. The top 20 percent of competitors in each discipline advanced to the Semi-Finals, which were held at the Aronoff Center on January 16 and 17. Twenty-four finalists (four in each discipline) will compete in the Finals Competition at the Aronoff Center’s Jarson-Kaplan Theater on February 28.

Now in its 19th year, The Overture Awards was launched in 1996 by the Cinergy Foundation (now Duke Energy) and Leadership Cincinnati (a program of the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce). The Overture Awards is funded and administered by the Cincinnati Arts Association, which operates and manages the Aronoff Center and Music Hall. The Overture Awards also relies on hundreds of volunteers from the community who help raise funds, adjudicate and manage the competitions, and nurture the program.

Overture Awards Program Sponsors:  Carey Digital; Citi; The Eleanora C.U. Alms Trust, Fifth Third Bank, Trustee

Scholarship Sponsors: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation; The William O. Purdy, Jr. Foundation; Summerfair Cincinnati; Western & Southern Financial.

Competition Sponsors: Buddy Roger’s Music, Immanuel United Methodist Church (Lakeside Park, KY), St. Ursula Academy, University of Cincinnati – Blue Ash College, Xavier University.

THE 2015 OVERTURE AWARDS FINALISTS

CREATIVE WRITING

  • Zoe Cheng—grade 12, Walnut Hills High School
  • Katie Hibner—grade 12, William Mason High School
  • Meg Spencer—grade 12, Beechwood High School
  • Alexandra Sukin—grade 12, Cincinnati Country Day School

DANCE

  • Jordan Betscher—grade 11, Just Off Broadway/Homeschool
  • Joseph Harrington—grade 10, Just Off Broadway/School for Creative and Performing Arts
  • Megan Kernan—grade 12, Just Off Broadway/Turpin High School
  •  Mary Moore—grade 11, School for Creative and Performing Arts

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC

  • Emma Burge—grade 11, Sycamore High School
  • Isabella Geis—grade 11, Walnut Hills High School
  • David Godar—grade 9, CCM Preparatory/Sycamore High School
  • Matthew Repka—grade 12, Conner High School

THEATER

  • Kennedy Carstens—grade 12, Ursuline Academy
  • Sam Johnson—grade 11, Boone County High School
  • Kalie Kaimann—grade 12, Seton High School
  • Victoria Shields—grade 11, Bray Music Studio/Lakota East High School

VISUAL ART  

  • Claire Bowman—grade 12, Walnut Hills High School
  • Phoenix Brown—grade 12, School for Creative and Performing Arts
  • Clair Hopper—grade 12, Ursuline Academy
  • Jaye Johnson—grade 12, Wyoming High School

VOCAL MUSIC   

  • Mackenzie Jacquemin—grade 12, Wyoming High School
  • Jake Kolesar—grade 12, Walnut Hills High School
  • James Rootring—grade 11, Karl Resnik Studio/Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy
  • Logan Wagner—grade 11, Dixie Heights High School

Founded in 1992, the Cincinnati Arts Association (CAA) is a not-for-profit organization that oversees the programming and management of two of the Tri-state’s finest performing arts venues – the Aronoff Center for the Arts and Music Hall – and is dedicated to supporting performing and visual arts. Each year, CAA presents a diverse schedule of events; serves upwards of 600,000 people in its venues; features the work of talented local, regional, and national artists in the Weston Art Gallery (located in the Aronoff Center); and supports the work of more than one dozen resident companies. Since the inception of its acclaimed arts education programs in 1995, CAA has reached more than 1.3 million students.

CAA is proud to be a member of Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber, Greater Cincinnati Alliance for Arts Education, Cincinnati USAConvention & Visitors Bureau, Greater Cincinnati Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Greater Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky African American Chamber of Commerce, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Over-the-Rhine Chamber of Commerce, and Performing Arts Center Consortium.

WHAT:                 2015 Overture Awards – Finals Competition and Awards Ceremony

WHERE:               Aronoff Center – Jarson-Kaplan Theater

WHEN:                 Saturday, February 28, 2015 – 1:00 PM

TICKETS:               $15 • $10

INFO:                    The 2015 Overture Awards competition provides $4,000 each to six area high school students for education and training expenses with 18 finalists each winning $1,000. Students compete in one of six artistic disciplines: Creative Writing, Dance, Instrumental Music, Theater, Visual Art, and Vocal Music. The Overture Awards was developed to recognize, encourage, and reward excellence in the arts among Tri-state students in grades 9-12.

TICKET INFORMATION – on sale now

www.CincinnatiArts.org
(513) 621-ARTS [2787]
Aronoff Center Ticket Office

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January 27, 2015 · 4:48 pm

ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER | March 3-4, 2015 | Aronoff Center

ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER
Featuring the American Masterpiece Revelations along with a Variety of Premieres and Classics

 Presidential Medal of Freedom Acknowledges Powerful Legacy of Alvin Ailey that Continues to Thrive
Under Leadership of Artistic Director Robert Battle with Inspiring Performances

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Glenn Allen Sims. Photo by Andrew Eccles.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Glenn Allen Sims. Photo by Andrew Eccles.

(Cincinnati, OH) – Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, beloved as one of the world’s most popular dance companies, will share its inspiring artistry with Tri-state audiences at the Aronoff Center’s Procter & Gamble Hall for two nights only, March 3-4, 2015 at 7:30pm. The much-anticipated dance event is part of the Cincinnati Arts Association’s 2014-15 Season.

Prior to the launch of Ailey’s exciting new season, Artistic Director Robert Battle visited the White House to accept the Presidential Medal of Freedom – the nation’s highest civilian honor – on behalf of Alvin Ailey. Bestowed 25 years after the passing of the Company’s legendary founder, President Obama proclaimed that “through him, African-American history was told in a way that it had never been told before – with passionate, virtuoso dance performances that transfixed audiences worldwide.”

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater carries on Alvin Ailey’s pioneering legacy of uplifting, uniting, and celebrating the human spirit as Ailey’s extraordinary dancers bring life to a wide variety of premieres, new productions, and classic works. The Cincinnati engagement will include six unique dance works split between the two performance dates, resulting in a different program for each performance. Both performance dates will include Ailey’s popular classic masterpiece, Revelations. (Program selections subject to change.)

TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 7:30 PM  

Grace (1999)
Choreography by Ronald K. Brown
Music: Duke Ellington, Roy Davis Jr., Paul Johnson, and Fela Anikulapo Kuti

This landmark creation for Ailey returned to the Ailey repertory in a rapturous, spiritually-charged new production for the 2012-13 season.  Infused with Brown’s signature blend of modern dance and West African idioms, this moving journey acknowledging the grace that surrounds us all is set to Duke Ellington’s classic “Come Sunday,” Roy Davis’ hit “Gabriel,” and the powerful rhythms of Fela Kuti’s Afro-Pop.

Episodes (1989)
Choreography:  Ulysses Dove
Music: Robert Ruggieri

Ulysses Dove, former Ailey Company member, created this explosive choreographic masterpiece – a passionate interpretation of expressing feelings and power struggles involved in human relationships – set to a percussive score by Robert Ruggieri.

Revelations (1960)
Choreography by Alvin Ailey
Music: Traditional Spirituals

An American classic acclaimed as a must‐see for all, Alvin Ailey’s signature masterpiece is a tribute to his heritage and a testament to his genius. Using African-American religious music – spirituals – this suite fervently explores the places of deepest grief and holiest joy in the soul.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 7:30 PM 

Polish Pieces (1995)
Choreography by Hans van Manen
Music:  Henryk Mikolaj Górecki

In Polish Pieces, Dutch choreographer van Manen displays his mastery for building dazzling creations from simple motifs and geometric patterns. Driven by the rhythms of Henryk Górecki’s score, the 12 dancers in this colorful ensemble work to create a brilliant kaleidoscope through endlessly shifting formations that contrasts with two sensual pas de deux. Hans van Manen began his ballet career in 1951 as a member of Sonia Gaskell’s Ballet Recital. He created his first ballet for the Nederlandse Opera Ballet in 1957 and created over 50 ballets for the Nederlands Dans Theater, where he was also the artistic director and a dancer. He has created over 120 ballets and his works have been staged by companies all over the world including the Stuttgart Ballet, Berlin Opera, the National Ballet of Canada, Pennsylvania Ballet, the Royal Ballet, the Royal Danish Ballet, and the State Opera in Vienna.  In 1992, the year of his 35th anniversary as a choreographer, he was given a Knighthood in the Order of Orange Nassau by the Queen of The Netherlands. He has been honored for his work many times, including the prestigious German Dance Prize for his influence on German dance, the much-heralded Erasmus Prize for his outstanding achievements in Dutch dance, and the Benois de la Danse for Lifetime Achievement.  At the occasion of his 75th birthday at the gala premiere of the Hans van Manen festival, Amsterdam’s mayor honored him with the Commandeur in de Orde van de Nederlandse Leeuw. Robert Battle comments: “Hans van Manen’s work has a great sense of humor and mischief in it. He’s a master of creating grand, kaleidoscopic works from very simple motifs. Polish Pieces has allusions to folk dance, which give it a timeless feeling that’s a wonderful complement to our repertory.”

Awassa Astrige/Ostrich (1932)
Choreography by Asadata Dafora
Music: Carl Riley

Sierra Leone-born choreographer Asadata Dafora blended his vision of a traditional African dance with Western staging in Awassa Astrige/Ostrich – a groundbreaking 1932 solo set to Carl Riley’s score of African drumming and flute. With arms flapping like wings, torso rippling, and head held high, a warrior is transformed into the proud, powerful ostrich ­– the king of birds. Dafora is recognized as one of the first to present African dance on the concert stage, influencing many future artists like Pearl Primus and Katherine Dunham. Asadata Dafora, a native of free town Sierra Leone, West Africa, was 40 years old when he came to New York in 1929. Earlier, he had been in Europe teaching African dance while studying music, and for a time, sang at La Scala. However, his true interest was always the rich heritage of African art and culture. Not only did he study the folklore of his own country, but he traveled extensively throughout Africa seeking additional knowledge as well. His unique talents burst upon the New York entertainment scene with a short run of the Opera Kykunkor, subtitled The Witch Woman. Kykunkor not only shattered many myths concerning the potential of Black ethnic materials as themes for concert dance, but proved that black dancers could be successful on the American concert stage. His company, Shologa Oloba, was made up of 25 Africans and African Americans whose dancing was acclaimed by critics and audiences. Robert Battle comments:  “I’ve always loved the mystery of this piece by Asadata Dafora; it’s one of the first fusions of African and Western styles of dance. Preservation is very important, and I wanted to give audiences a chance to see some of the early, historic works that shaped what we know as modern dance.”

Four Corners (2013)
Choreography: Ronald K. Brown
Music: Carl Hancock Rux, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, and Yacoub

Four Corners is celebrated choreographer Ronald K. Brown’s fifth work for Ailey’s extraordinary dancers, who have become known as inspiring interpreters of his phenomenal dance storytelling. Set to the music of Carl Hancock Rux and various artists, the 11 dancers on a spiritual journey bring to life the vision of four angels standing on the four corners of the earth holding the four winds.

Revelations (1960) – see above (Tuesday, March 3)

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater grew from a now-fabled performance in March 1958 at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. Led by Alvin Ailey and a group of young African-American modern dancers, that performance changed forever the perception of American dance. The Ailey company has gone on to perform for an estimated 25 million people at theaters in 48 states and 71 countries on six continents — as well as millions more through television broadcasts.

In 2008, a U.S. Congressional resolution designated the Company as “a vital American cultural ambassador to the world” that celebrates the uniqueness of the African-American cultural experience and the preservation and enrichment of the American modern dance heritage. When Mr. Ailey began creating dances, he drew upon his “blood memories” of Texas, the blues, spirituals, and gospel as inspiration, which resulted in the creation of his most popular and critically acclaimed work, Revelations. Although he created 79 ballets over his lifetime, Mr. Ailey maintained that his company was not exclusively a repository for his own work.

Today, the Company continues Mr. Ailey’s mission by presenting important works of the past and commissioning new ones. In all, more than 235 works by over 90 choreographers have been part of the Ailey company’s repertory. Before his untimely death in 1989, Alvin Ailey named Judith Jamison as his successor, and over the next 21 years, she brought the Company to unprecedented success. Ms. Jamison, in turn, personally selected Robert Battle to succeed her in 2011, and The New York Times declared he “has injected the company with new life.”

Audience members are also invited to join in the dance during their next New York City visit with a complimentary class at The Ailey Extension for first-time visitors by using a ticket stub from any Ailey performance.  The Ailey Extension’s popular program of 80 weekly “real classes for real people” has been enjoyed by over 85,000 at Ailey’s ‘The Joan Weill Center for Dance’, New York’s largest building dedicated to dance.  Each “Ticket to Dance” special offer is good for one year from the performance date for first-time students, and when purchasing a 10-class card for classes for returning students.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater inspires all in a universal celebration of the human spirit using the African-American cultural experience and the American modern dance tradition.  For further information, visit www.alvinailey.org.

CINCINNATI ARTS ASSOCIATION SPONSORS

SEASON SPONSORS:  AMERITAS (Founding Season Sponsor), FIFTH THIRD BANK (Lifetime Endowment Partner),FURNITURE FAIR, LOCAL12 WKRC, The P&G FUND of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation

SEASON PRESENTING SPONSORS:  21C Museum Hotel, Cincinnati Herald, CityBeat, Garfield Suites Hotel, Heidelberg Distributing, Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza, Pepsi, Skyline Chili

ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER PRESENTING SPONSOR:  Macy’s

ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER MEDIA PARTNERS:  Cincinnati Herald, 1230 The Buzz, Old School 100.3

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January 23, 2015 · 11:47 am

DANCING FOR THE STARS 2015 | Sat., April 11, 2015 | Music Hall Ballroom

CAA_Dancing for the StarsCINCINNATI, OH – Who will be voted Cincinnati’s best celebrity dancer?  Which stars have the right moves to rule the dance floor?  Find out on Saturday, April 11, 2015 when the Cincinnati Arts Association (CAA) presents its ninth annual DANCING FOR THE STARS at the Music Hall Ballroom to benefit CAA’s Overture Awards – the nation’s largest locally-run high school arts scholarship competition – and arts education programs.

Inspired by the hit ABC-TV show Dancing with the Stars, DANCING FOR THE STARS will feature eight Cincinnati celebrities paired with some of the area’s finest professional dancers in a competition program, at which the audience will vote for their favorite celebrity dancer. The competitive dance for the evening will be Salsa, and each dance pair will have 90 seconds to woo the crowd and the judges.

In addition, DANCING FOR THE STARS will feature:

  • Silent auction
  • Showcase performance by a 2015 Overture Award finalist in dance
  • Dance music by guest DJ “Rockin’ Ron” Schumacher, WGRR-FM
  • Pre-event reception and wine tasting
  • Open dancing before and after the competition
  • Lite bites provided by some of Cincinnati’s finest restaurants and caterers
  • Cash bar

Last year’s event introduced the DANCING FOR THE STARS Fundraising Champion – the celebrity dancer who raises the most revenue toward the event’s fundraising goal through table/ticket sales and donations from fans, who can add a donation under their favorite celebrity’s name at the time of ticket purchase, or simply make a donation if they cannot attend the event.  These donations will help one of the fans’ favorite celebrities win the Dancing for the StarsFundraising Champion award, which will be announced the evening of the event.  These direct donations (outside of the event ticket price) are 100% tax deductible.

The event will benefit the stars of tomorrow – the talented high school artists who participate each year in CAA’s Overture Awards – as well as CAA’s diverse arts education programs. DANCING FOR THE STARS committee includes: Dr. Tracey Skale (chair, Dancing for the Stars 2011 winner), Phil Schworer, Christina Bolden, Terry Foster, Sue Gilkey,Jim Howland, Ginger Loftin, and Rosemary Schlachter.

Tickets are currently on sale at the following levels (a portion of the ticket price is tax-deductible):

$100 – Patron (includes pre-event reception and two drink tickets)
$1,000 – Corporate Table (ten Patron level tickets and a half-page black-and-white program ad)
$1,500 – Celebrity Circle Table (premium “first-row” viewing of competition area, ten Patron level tickets, full-page black-and-white program ad, recognition on event signage)

RESERVATIONS AND INFORMATION:
(513) 977-4188
Aronoff Center Ticket Office
www.CincinnatiArts.org 

THE STARS:

  • Cristen Appleton (Northern Kentucky real estate agent; reality TV star)
  • Mary Bettman (owner, Chef’s Café – Sharonville)
  • Doug Bolton (managing principal, DTZ, formerly Cassidy Turley)
  • Johnny Chu (owner, AmerAsia Kungfood Restaurant)
  • George Foster (former member of the Cincinnati Reds’ ”Big Red Machine”; Cincinnati business owner)
  • Barbara Hauser (manager, Ohio Government & Community Relations, Procter & Gamble)
  • Diana Maria Lara (corporate director of media & public relations, UC Health)
  • Devinder Mangat, MD, FACS (founder, Mangat-Kuy-Holzapfel Plastic Surgery Centers)

THE PROS with Star pairing:

  • Leigh Bradshaw (Cincinnati Ballroom Company) – Doug Bolton
  • Bonita Brockert (independent dance instructor) – Devinder Mangat, MD, FACS
  • J. Patrick Clements (Step-n-Out Studio) – Cristen Appleton
  • Doreen Beatrice (Step-n-Out Studio)- Johnny Chu
  • Brian McNamee (Cincinnati Ballroom Company) – Barbara Hauser
  • Jeremy Mainous (Arthur Murray Dance Studio – Cincinnati) – Mary Bettman
  • Desiree Mainous (Arthur Murray Dance Studio – Cincinnati) – George Foster
  • Jozsef Parragh (independent dance instructor) – Diana Maria Lara

THE HOSTS:  Chris O’Brien & Janeen Coyle (“Married With Microphones,” 103.5 WGRR-FM)

THE JUDGES:

  • Douglas Beal (independent dance instructor)
  • Britney  Ruby-Miller (director of operations,  Jeff Ruby Culinary Entertainment;  Dancing for the Stars alum, 2014)
  • Third judge to be announced

PRESENTING SPONSOR:  UC Health

EVENT SPONSORS:  Alleen Company, Arthur Murray – Cincinnati, Bonita Brockert, Carey Digital, Cincinnati Ballroom Company, Heidelberg Distributing Company, Jozsef Parragh Pebble Creek Group, and Step-n-Out Studio.

Cincinnati Arts Association’s Arts Education Programs
CAA’s Education Department promotes life-long learning through its programs, which are diverse, multidisciplinary, and accessible to all ages and cultural groups. SchoolTime presents a series of programs that feature nationally-recognized artists at CAA’s two venues (the Aronoff Center and Music Hall), and Artists On Tour brings the finest local artists in the region to Tri-state schools for interactive arts experiences aligned with the curriculum.

The Overture Awards Scholarship Competition is the largest locally run arts scholarship competition in the country.  The program annually provides a $4,000 scholarship to six area high school students for education and training, with 18 finalists each winning a $1,000 scholarship. Each year, more than 450 students are nominated by their schools to compete in one of six artistic disciplines: Creative Writing, Dance, Instrumental Music, Theater, Visual Art or Vocal Music. There are three levels of competition: Regional, Semi-Finals, and Final.

The Overture Awards was developed to recognize, encourage, and reward excellence in the arts among Tri-state students in grades 9-12. It also provides students an opportunity to share their talents and interests among their peers in a supportive environment outside of their individual schools.  Now in its 19th year, The Overture Awards was launched in 1996 by the Cinergy Foundation and Leadership Cincinnati (a Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce program).

Founded in 1992, the Cincinnati Arts Association (CAA) is a not-for-profit organization that oversees the programming and management of two of the Tri-state’s finest performing arts venues – the Aronoff Center for the Arts and Music Hall – and is dedicated to supporting performing and visual arts. Each year, CAA presents a diverse schedule of events; serves more than 600,000 people in its venues; features the work of talented local, regional, and national artists in the Weston Art Gallery (located in the Aronoff Center); and supports the work of more than one dozen resident companies, including Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati Opera, Cincinnati Symphony/Pops Orchestras, May Festival, and Fifth Third Bank Broadway in Cincinnati, presented by TriHealth. Since the inception of its acclaimed arts education programs in 1995, CAA has reached more than 1.3 million students.

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December 19, 2014 · 2:16 pm

Tango Buenos Aires: ” Song of Eva Perón” | Mon., Jan. 26 | Aronoff Center

CAA_Tango Buenos AiresPerforming a journey through dance and music of the life of Eva Perón

Tickets are on sale now at www.CincinnatiArts.org, (513) 621-ARTS [2787], and the Aronoff Center Ticket Office.  Group discount tickets for 10 or more are available by calling (513) 977-4157. Half-Price Student Rush tickets will be available two hours before curtain, with a limit of two tickets per person with a valid student ID at the Aronoff Center Ticket Office only (subject to availability).

Tango Buenos Aires was created for the “Jazmines” festival at the famous Buenos Aires cabaret “Michelangelo” by renowned composer and tango director Osvaldo Requena. The company, with its athletic, sensual dancers and authentic Tango orchestra, met with tremendous success and was immediately added to the season of the General San Martin Municipal Theatre.

The company’s “Song of Eva Perón” is a Tango dance and music presentation inspired by the most important woman in Argentinian history, Eva Perón. Tracing her epic life – from her ascent to fame in the 1930s, to becoming the First Lady of Agentina, to her death in 1952 – this is a sparkling and poignant spectacle that is not to be missed.

“Song of Eva Perón” presents the flowering of a humble and beautiful woman.  Starting from nothing, but propelled by the influence of the Tango, which she first heard while growing up inthe slums of Buenos Aires, Eva attains stardom and blooms to be Argentina‘s First Lady. Her story brought her worldwide acclaim and still resonates with her millions of admirers. The “Song ofEva Perón” is the tale of this mythical figure put into traditional Tango dance and music from Buenos Aires.

The Argentine tango has a mixture of African and Spanish antecedents, and also a strong influence from the Argentine milonga which is sung by Gauchos, the Argentine “cowboys.” In itsbeginnings, the tango was an ill-famed dance, being very fashionable in dance halls and cabarets, and also because the choreography called for the couple to hold each other very close. Tangochoreography allows for a lot of creativity, requiring breaks in the rhythm and perfect coordination between the dancers.

The tango’s constant companion is the piano, although it has been accompanied by the violin, guitar and flute. Currently, the most typical instrument is the bandoneón, which is an accordion.

CINCINNATI ARTS ASSOCIATION SPONSORS

SEASON SPONSORS:  AMERITAS (Founding Season Sponsor), FIFTH THIRD BANK (Lifetime Endowment Partner), FURNITURE FAIR, LOCAL12 WKRC, The P&G FUND of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation

SEASON PRESENTING SPONSORS:  21C Museum Hotel, Cincinnati Herald, Coldwell Banker/West Shell, CityBeat, Garfield Suites Hotel, Heidelberg Distributing, Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza, Pepsi, Skyline Chili

TANGO BUENOS AIRES MEDIA PARTNERS:  WVXU-FM / WGUC-FM, The Spanish Journal

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