BALAM Dance Theatre to Present Mythic Treasures: Old and New. Entertainment for the Gods at Lehman College

NEW YORK, NY, April 24, 2012 (Press-News.org) BALAM Dance Theatre will perform Mythic Treasures: Old and New-Entertainment for the Gods, a collection of epiphanic dance and music from both Balinese and western cultures, in a free performance open to the public on Thursday, May 10 from 12:30-1:45 p.m. at Lehman College's The Recital Hall / Music Building, Room 306.

Limited seating is available and reservations are required. To make a reservation, call 646-361-9183.

BALAM, a New York City-based company, offers a new vision of contemporary dance by fusing ballet, modern and diverse cultural dance styles with Balinese theatre. The company's diverse program offers a glimpse into Balinese and Baroque court dances, as well as presenting contemporary fusion dance inspired from sacred myths. The program features guest artists Leah Gale Nelson on Baroque violin; Barbara Romero from Danzas Españolas; and belly dancer, Irina Akulenko; as well as ten students from the Frank Sinatra High School of the Arts.

Presented by the City and the Humanities program, Joseph McElliott, Co-Director at Lehman College, this program offers traditional works from various cultures alongside new works inspired by traditional themes. Mythic Treasures: Old and New, an engaging and meaningful program, is part of BALAM's community service Out & About series.

PROGRAM

• Welcome Dance will be performed by ten sophomore dance students from the Frank Sinatra High School of the Arts, as a greeting to the audience in the Balinese dance style choreographed by the company's artistic director, Carlos Fittante.

• Oleg Tambulilingan (Love Dance of the Bumblebee) danced by Nani Devi, BALAM's Resident Balinese Guest Artist, will enrapture the audience in this scintillating traditional Balinese dance solo.

• Ramayana-Abduction of Sita (excerpt) is BALAM's signature fusion work and an action packed story ballet inspired by the Hindu epic blending Balinese, ballet, partnering, karate and Baroque dance.

• Passacaglia for solo violin by Heinrick Biber (c. 1678), also known as the Guardian Angel violin solo, will be performed live by guest Baroque violinist Leah Gale Nelson.

• Entree d'Apollon, a compelling Baroque choreography by Raoul Auger Feuillet (c.1700), will be performed in a period costume from the court of Louis the XIV by BALAM dancer Olsi Gjeci, who makes his debut in this role wearing a mask and dancing to harpsichord music by Jean Baptiste Lully.

• Amantes, Carlos Fittante's signature solo fusing a Balinese mask with Latin pop music by Mexican musical star Juan Gabriel, portrays a haunting character of indeterminate gender.

• El Vito will feature guest artist Barbara Romero of Danzas Españolas in a Spanish dance of the mid-19th century created in homage to a famous bullfighter of the day. This solo is performed in soft slippers with castanets and a shawl and is the first female role where a woman danced dressed as a male toreador.

• Wayang Blues depicts a newlywed couple's descent into happily ever after and incorporates Balinese shadow puppets with Blues music sung by the late, great Etta James.

• Sunda Upasunda features guest belly dancer Irina Akulenko, as the seductive celestial nymph Tilottama from the Mahabharata. Choreographed by Toshinori Hamada to an original gamelan score composed and recorded by the Sanggar Semara Ratih of Ubud, this hypnotic dance drama fuses masks, karate, Balinese, belly and Spanish dance styles to enact a story of ambition, lust, jealousy and murder.

The company's work has received critical recognition from the New York Times and Village Voice. The Governor and people of Bali and the Indonesian Consulate of New York have highly commended its performances.

Location

The Recital Hall, Room 306 / Music Building at Lehman College
250 Bedford Park Boulevard
(Take the D or 4 trains to Bedford Park Boulevard)
(Publicity by Luhrs & Associates)

For further information, please call 646-361-9183 or visit BALAM Dance Theatre. Stay updated about the company's new work, events, activities and announcements on Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/balamdancetheatre.

About BALAM Dance Theatre

BALAM Dance Theatre (BALAM) offers a new vision of contemporary dance that emanates from a cutting-edge
fusion of diverse cultural dance styles and movement techniques blended with Balinese theatre. The company's
fusion repertoire presents an opulent dance theatre that integrates contemporary choreography, eclectic music,
striking masks, imaginative props, and vibrant costumes to create a performance that appeals to audiences of all
ages and backgrounds. For further information, contact us at (646) 361-9183 or info@balamdance.org.