Australia's Sydney Dance Company presents Grand, live piano and dazzling dance at the Rose Lehrman Arts Center located on the Harrisburg campus of HACC, Central Pennsylvania's Community College on Tuesday, March 27 at 7:30 pm. The sponsor is the Lois Lehrman Grass Foundation. The media partner is WITF TV.
The iconic image of the piano is the driving force and inspiration behind Grand. Choreographer Graeme Murphy gives us a compelling collaboration exploring the dynamic relationship between dance and the piano. This eclectic and amazing series of dances are performed with live piano accompaniment on stage. Murphy explores his passion for the piano through a journey into the heart of this remarkable instrument. From Bach and Beethoven to blues and jazz, the Australian-based company will dazzle.
Grand is a theatrical exploration of the mechanisms of the piano, a superbly entertaining physical and visual representation of the strings and keys, soft felts and shiny surfaces, and to the art of playing the piano itself. The dancers become the parts of the piano, pounded and plucked in flowing style. The choreography flows as smoothly as the internal workings of a finely tuned instrument.
Graeme Murphy's latest work, Grand, has been an exhilarating journey and a very personal quest. Grand is dedicated to his mother, Betty, who inspired in him a lifelong love of the piano. Growing up, his mother accompanied him on the piano; she improvised the music to match the mood that he was dancing. After her death, Murphy took stock of the influence she had in shaping his formative years and subsequent career, thus inspiring Grand; a homage to his mother.
An accomplished dancer and choreographer, Murphy has a remarkably diverse repertoire of dance works, including thirty full-length productions. Additionally, he has created works for The Australian Ballet including Nutcracker and his 2002 award winning Swan Lake, conceived in collaboration with his muse and partner Associate Director Janet Vernon. Murphy has received countless awards and honors for his works and career. Murphy and Vernon have announced that this nine-city American tour, ending March 31, 2007, of Grand will be their finale. After 30 years, Murphy will be relinquishing his helm at Sydney Dance Company to pursue other creative options.
Founded in 1969, Sydney Dance Company has become one of Australia's most successful and well-known contemporary dance companies performing each year nationally and internationally. Sydney Dance Company has become one of the most in-demand performing arts companies in Australia and an active proponent of Australian culture around the world. Sydney Dance Company's ensemble of ninteen dancers are acclaimed internationally for their technical finesse and artistry.
Tickets for the performance are $30 adult, $25 senior citizen/student. RLAC Box Office phone is 717-231-ROSE (7673). TIX sales online www.hacc.edu/rose.