TITAS - Extraordinary Dance & Music

An Amazing Preview of the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts

2008-04-17T13:43:00.000-07:00

TITAS is very excited to begin presenting our season at the brand new, glorious DCPA in the Fall of 2009. Although it's still very much under construction, you can get a great idea of what it will look like in this virtual tour:

Check out this recent Aspen Santa Fe Ballet video

2008-04-17T13:21:00.001-07:00

TITAS is presenting a return engagement by the ultra-hip Aspen Santa Fe Ballet on Friday & Saturday, April 18 & 19 at 8:00 PM at McFarlin Auditorium. To get a good idea of what this company is about, check out this new video:

East Village Opera Company on Houston Public Radio

2008-04-17T13:08:00.000-07:00

TITAS is presenting an encore concert by New York's East Village Opera Company on Thursday, May 1 at 8:00 PM at McFarlin Auditorium. For those that don't know, this rock band + string quintet + 2 world class vocalists = Opera with a Rock Twist. Classic opera arias are presented with a rock twist for a completely new and unique music experience.

To get some great insight on the band and what they do, listen to this interview conducted by Houston's KUHF radio.

Monterey Jazz All-Stars Leave Audience Wanting More

2008-02-04T14:09:00.000-08:00

Last Friday's performance by the Monterey Jazz Festival 50th Anniversary All-Stars was one of the most impressive and infectious musical shows that TITAS has ever presented. With musicians spanning nearly 50 years in age, these jazz masters were a fantastic representation of the wealth of talent and glorious musicianship that has participated in the Monterey Jazz Festival. Terence Blanchard's performance of a pair of cuts from his A Tale of God's Will (A Requiem for Katrina) was particularly jaw-dropping.

Thor Christensen from The Dallas Morning News was similarly impressed:

Sax ace James Moody first played the Monterey Jazz Festival 47 years ago – back when, as he put it Friday night, "none of these gentlemen were even born."

He wasn't joking. The male players in the festival's 50th Anniversary Tour ranged from 27-year-old drummer Kendrick Scott to 45-year-old trumpeter Terence Blanchard. And the band's token female, singer Nnenna Freelon, is still almost 30 years younger than the 82-year-old Mr. Moody.

But for a group with such far-flung experience levels, it meshed seamlessly in its TITAS concert at McFarlin Auditorium. This wasn't one of those all-star bands that seem like a disjointed parade of egos.

Click here for rest of review.

Ted Gioia of Jazz.com had a great review of the show on jazz.com as well:

Not every musician is game for such a long and winding road-trip. But I am especially impressed that James Moody, now 82 years old, signed on for the tour. Moody first played the Monterey Jazz Festival some 47 years ago – which is before any of his fellow all-stars were born. Of course, Moody doesn’t look his age, certainly doesn't act it, and his playing shows no signs of excess mileage. Perhaps he was right in crediting his younger bandmates – who also include trumpeter Terence Blanchard, pianist Benny Green and bassist Derrick Hodge – for keeping him feeling robust.

For the rest of the review, click here.

TITAS to MOVE IN TO DALLAS CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS IN 2009!

2007-11-08T10:43:00.000-08:00

It's finalized!

On Tuesday, November 6, TITAS and the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts announced their partnership and TITAS will move the bulk of our season to the phenomenal new venue, slated to open its doors in 2009.

For the complete story, follow this link to The Dallas Morning News' story.

The fact that TITAS will be a prominent part of what will become one of the world's most impressive performing arts facilities is truly an honor and shows the importance of TITAS' programming to the Dallas arts scene. We can't wait!

Doug Varone and Dancers Take McFarlin by Storm

2007-11-08T10:36:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, TITAS wound up 2007 by presenting NYC's Doug Varone and Dancers. In two impressive performances, the renowned company dazzled audiences with their trademark ingenuity and fluid abilities.

Margaret Putnam of The Dallas Morning News wrote, "Doug Varone and Dancers tumbled, skittered, fell, slid and swirled for two heady hours Friday night at Southern Methodist University's McFarlin Auditorium. This is the third time for TITAS to present the company, and none can match it for its spins and swoops, of endless shifts in direction, of complex interplay.

If the three works displayed the same scattershot momentum, they offered striking contrasts in mood: the impetuous Castles, the haunting Boats Leaving and the dreamy Lux."

For the complete review, click here.

2007-10-05T09:27:00.000-07:00

Portuguese sensation MARIZA will be making her TITAS debut on Saturday, October 20, 2007 at 8:00 PM at McFarlin Auditorium. Call today for tickets, as she is really picking up steam lately and rapidly becoming one of the hottest artists in the world music scene today.

Recent Mariza News:

Mariza performs at the Late Show with David Letterman on October 11th
Mariza is David Letterman's guest in the famous comedy talk show broadcast by CBS on October 11th. Mariza will perform live on National American television. More info: www.cbs.com/lateshow

Mariza Latin Grammy Award nomination

Mariza nominated for Latin GRAMMY Award
We are proud to announce Mariza has been nominated for a Latin GRAMMY Award! Mariza's album Concerto Em Lisboa has been selected by the judges in the category of 'Best Folk Album'.

The album is a live recording of Mariza with symphonic orchestra Sinfonietta de Lisboa, conducted by Jaques Morelenbaum in the lush gardens of Belem, Lisbon. It was released in Europe in November 2006 (EMI/World Connection) and in March 2007 in North America (Times Square Records/ World Connection).

Mariza is the first Portuguese artist ever nominated for the Latin GRAMMY Awards!

The 8th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards will be held at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on Nov. 8 and will be broadcast on the Univision Network at 8 p.m./7C. http://www.grammy.com/latin/8_latin

PBS Special “Concerto Em Lisboa” on American Television
Mariza’s live performance, recorded in Belem, Lisbon in 2005 during the recordings of the GRAMMY nominated album Concerto Em Lisboa, will be broadcasted on American Television. Stay tuned to PBS website and the World Connection site for the broadcasting date.

Angelique Kidjo Sings For Education in Benin

2007-09-13T09:58:00.000-07:00

TITAS is presenting Benin-based vocalist and four-time Grammy nominee Angelique Kidjo on Thursday, February 28, 2008 for the first time on our season. She recently opened for Josh Groban at the American Airlines Center in Dallas and released her new album "Djin Djin" that features contributions from Groban, Alicia Keys, Peter Gabriel, Joss Stone, Carlos Santana, and more.

She recently performed a concert in Benin to help support education:

Benin diva Kidjo lulls girls into school with song

By Samuel Elijah 2 hours, 17 minutes ago

SO-AVA, Benin (Reuters) - Belting out her "Lost Children" anthem against child exploitation, Benin pop diva Angelique Kidjo launched a campaign this week to get thousands of African girls into school.

Her native country has acquired a name as a hub for trafficking children into domestic servitude and many children attend "voodoo convents," meaning large numbers, especially girls, miss out on a school education.

The singer, whose two-decade career spans a range of musical styles and high-profile collaborations, has launched the U.S.-registered Batonga Foundation to get girls across Africa out of domestic work or prostitution and into classrooms.

"I am proud to be from Benin, but my pride will not be complete until all our girls go to school. We are poor because we don't send our children to school," she told crowds of young people on Tuesday at the lagoon-side town of So-Ava, 20 km (13 miles) from the West African country's main city Cotonou.

"Girls who go to school know how to protect themselves against disease. They have more chance of having healthy babies and they are better able to manage the household accounts to break out of poverty," said Kidjo, who is a goodwill ambassador for U.N. Children's Fund UNICEF.

Click here for the full story.

Mariza teams up with Frank Gehry

2007-07-19T10:31:00.000-07:00

Architect Gehry builds fantasy with fado singer

Sun Jul 15, 2007 10:41AM EDT

By Mary Milliken

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Powerful people all over the world would do just about anything to get renowned architect Frank Gehry to design for them. All Mariza had to do was sing.

Her interpretation of fado, the soulful music of Portugal, has moved Gehry to turn the stage of the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the steel-clad architectural gem he created for Los Angeles, into a cozy tavern.

Their joint creation will last a single night, October 28.

"When I met Mariza and heard her sing I was immediately connected to a whole bunch of things and Lisbon became symbolic of the greatest place on earth," Gehry said in an interview on Friday.

Gehry was seduced by the light and character of Lisbon, where majestic pastel-colored buildings reflect off the waters of the Tagus river and evoke the riches of Portugal's colonial empire.

"Lisbon somehow connected California to Europe for me," he said.

That was five years ago. Mariza, born in the former Portuguese colony of Mozambique in 1973, has since become an international star, performing in the likes of Royal Albert Hall in London, New York's Carnegie Hall and yes, the Disney Concert Hall.

"Once she did a concert here, I was staggered by how she understood this room quickly. She just got it," said Gehry as he sat with Mariza on stage, the soaring ceiling overhead.

Mariza had been wowed by the outside of the building, but the inside, she said, was a masterpiece of a music hall, that felt intimate on contact and pushed her to sing a cappella.

"Only a person who really loves art and music could think about what the artist is going to feel on stage," said Mariza, who goes by that single name.

So Gehry asked Mariza if he could design a Lisbon "taverna" on stage and her costume the next time she came.

"For the first time in my life, I am going to have my own taverna," said Mariza, who grew up around her father's tavern in the traditional Mouraria neighborhood on a Lisbon hillside.

'MAYBE MY OWN FANTASY'

Gehry won architecture's highest honor, the Pritzker Prize, in 1989 and his best-known work, the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, made him one of the world's most sought-after architects.

He remains in high gear at the age of 78, working on projects all over the world including the large-scale redevelopment of downtown Los Angeles.

But he has never collaborated with a performer like he has with Mariza.

"I don't really go looking for stuff like this. I wouldn't do it with many people," said Gehry, who was born in Canada but moved to Los Angeles early in life.

"This is very important. I would like to see her more visible in the U.S. and I would like people to hear about and understand the connection between Southern California and Lisbon, the light, and the quality and the character of life."

Fado, which translates to fate in English, is often associated with melancholy and the waves of Portuguese emigrants afflicted by "saudade," or longing.

But Mariza insists it is not sad, and she herself bears no resemblance to the black-clad, somber fado singers of the past, such as grande dame of fado Amalia Rodrigues. She is tall, lithe, wears vertiginous high heels and sports shortly cropped blond hair.

"You can have a happy concert, because fado and Lisbon have that side too, not just the melancholy side," said Mariza. "They have the happiness, the fashion, the love, the saudade, everything."

Gehry nodded as he soaked up Mariza's words, but he maintained he is a fan of Mariza more than a fan of fado.

"When I hear her sing, she represents Lisbon to me. Maybe it's my own fantasy and I've built it up into something. But she does. It's Lisbon and Lisbon is a great story."

Portuguese Fado Singer MARIZA to Make Dallas Debut

2007-05-31T07:42:00.000-07:00

Continuing our tradition of seeking out world-class talent and bringing it to Dallas for the first time, TITAS is proud to present MARIZA, a Portuguese Fado sensation. Be one of the first to see her on Saturday, October 20, 2007 at 8:00 PM at McFarlin Auditorium!

Read this recent review of her performance in Washington D.C. to get a better idea of what this up-and-coming star will bring:

WASHINGTON POST by Stephen Brookes
26/03/2007

Mariza

The traditional Portuguese music known as fado is not for the timid. Passionate and uninhibited, it revels in drama, diving recklessly into the dark pathos of the human heart. In the hands of its best interpreters, fado's power can be primal and almost overwhelming -- and it's starting to catch on with audiences around the world.

Much of the credit for that goes to Mariza, a 33-year-old fadista whose superb contralto voice and fearless sense of drama have made her a star on the rise. Born in Mozambique and raised in Portugal, she's been reviving and reinventing the traditional fado style, and the results -- as she showed at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall on Friday night -- are nothing short of spectacular.

Backed by a percussionist and a trio of guitars, Mariza sang a mix of newer and more traditional fado. "Cavaleiro Monge" and "Maria Lisboa" were fine-tuned and intricately detailed, her voice sweeping effortlessly from searing cries to whispered confessions. Full of longing, awash in sadness and regret, it was an evening of defiantly emotional music. And when Mariza unleashed the full power of her voice -- as she did in the wrenching "Primavera" -- it was one long, devastating cry from the heart.

The program was originally to include the Mexican singer Eugenia Leon, who had to cancel due to an injury. Unfortunate as that was, Mariza and her accompanying band -- particularly the amazing Luis Guerreiro on the round-bodied Portuguese guitar -- more than made up for the loss, winning multiple ovations from the packed house.

TITAS to present ANGELIQUE KIDJO next season

2007-05-31T07:34:00.000-07:00

As part of the 2007-2008 Music Season, TITAS will be featuring African singing star ANGELIQUE KIDJO on Thursday, February 28, 2007 at 8:00 PM at McFarlin Auditorium.

For ticket information, please call the TITAS Box Office at 214-528-5576.

Check out the most recent news on Ms. Kidjo:

ANGELIQUE KIDJO RINGS IN HIGHEST ALBUM DEBUT EVER WITH "DJIN DJIN"

LOS ANGELES (Starbucks Entertainment) - International music star Angelique Kidjo's has notched her highest chart position ever, as her new album DJIN DJIN (pronounced "gin gin") bows at No 61 on the Billboard Top 200 Album chart, selling nearly 11,000 copies in its first week. The album has also entered Billboard's World Music chart at No 1 and comes in at No 56 on the Canadian Album chart.

DJIN DJIN was co-released on May 1st by Starbucks Entertainment and Razor & Tie Entertainment and has received rave reviews from the press. The Associated Press declared the album "lush, dense and beautiful", while The New York Times said of Kidjo's performances on the new album, "she handily reinforces her stature as an upbeat heroine of contemporary Afro-pop." The Washington Times stated, "Despite having been nominated four times, Ms. Kidjo has yet to take home a Grammy. If she continues putting material out like this, it's only a matter of time before she does." Kidjo and guest star Ziggy Marley will be performing a track from the album, "Sedjedo", on NBC's The Tonight Show on Tuesday, May 22nd and will appear on The CBS Saturday Early Show on Saturday, July 14th. The first single from DJIN DJIN, "Salala", featuring Peter Gabriel can be heard nationwide on such tastemaker radio stations as KFOG/San Francisco, WBOS/Boston, KCRW/Los Angeles and many more.

Kronos Quartet Gives Memorable Ending to 06-07 Season

2007-05-08T09:16:00.000-07:00

As the final notes and images of Kronos Quartet's "Sun Rings" dissolved, the 2006-2007 TITAS Season came to a close.

Scott Cantrell wrote of the show:

Sometimes undergirded by synthesizer pulses, the music was certainly easy on the ear: foot-tapping dances (sometimes with quirky asymmetries), gentle songs, pretty quasi-chorales. The Kronos players (violinists David Harrington and John Sherba, violist Hank Dutt and cellist Jeffrey Zeigler) played very well indeed, and they waved hands over sensors to set off some of the celestial sound effects. Mark Grey was credited as sound designer, Brian Mohr as audio engineer.

By turns, and then together, the choruses sang soothing lines and harmonies. Of the unidentified texts I caught only the children's prayer "Now I lay me down to sleep." Led by Timothy Seelig, the singers sounded well-rehearsed and mostly assured.

Click here for the full review.

TITAS Faves DIAVOLO Leave Audience Wanting More

2007-04-02T14:35:00.000-07:00

Diavolo made their triumphant return to the TITAS Dance Season last weekend, and once again, one of the most unique and inventive modern dance ensembles in existence today showed off their remarkably athletic and acrobatic originality.

"Diavolo flirted with danger Friday night at McFarlin Auditorium, as dancers catapulted from a 15-foot ladder, leapt across a pitched deck and flew blindly into a comrade's arms.

It was heady stuff, and the derring-do reached new heights with each work. But hidden beneath the LA-based troupe's acrobatic-cum-martial arts feats lay tantalizing metaphor."

For the full Dallas Morning News review, click here.

Noche Flamenca Burns Up McFarlin Again

2007-03-13T08:38:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, Spain's Noche Flamenca once again left TITAS audiences wanting more. As Margaret Putnam of The Dallas Morning News wrote, " Few dance troupes can make your pulse race, but Noche Flamenca sure did."

" Time and place faded away Friday night at McFarlin Auditorium, pulling us into a smoky Andalusian cafe, where nothing mattered other than the wail of a voice, the strum of a guitar and the intense stamping of feet."

Read the complete review.

Canada's BJM DANSE Thrills TITAS Audience

2007-02-06T10:36:00.000-08:00

"Heady stuff, and good for the soul," wrote The Dallas Morning News dance critic Margaret Putnam in reviewing [bjm_danse]'s performance last weekend at McFarlin Auditorium. For the second time, this modern dance company appeared on the TITAS Dance Season and proceeded to dazzle the audience with their unique choreography and energy.

"From the first appearance of a solo man moving Slinky-like, a distinctive style of deliberate quirkiness made a statement, and that statement manifested itself in thousands of variations."

To read the complete review, click here.

TITAS Gets High Praise From The Dallas Morning News

2007-01-11T09:26:00.000-08:00

TITAS recently received high accolades from The Dallas Morning News, earning TWO of the Top Ten Dance Events for 2006, and a place in the Top Ten Concerts of 2006. LYON OPERA BALLET'S Dallas debut performances earned Margaret Putnam's TOP SPOT for the year, and another debut, RICHARD ALSTON DANCE COMPANY, was number eight. These results show that even while continuing to take risks in presenting new and cutting edge companies, TITAS continues to deliver top notch entertainment to the Dallas area.

Margaret Putnam's comments:

1. Lyon Opera Ballet Three female choreographers brought farce, fantasy and form to a program that showed the company's secure range of styles. Most memorable was Belgian choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker's Die Grosse Fuge, meeting Beethoven's contrapuntal composition with daring assurance.

8. Richard Alston Dance Between the pools of light, haunting score and movement that made simples steps an evocative statement, this London based company seems to breathe in music and turn it into a shimmering world.

TITAS also presented one of The Dallas Morning News' Top Ten Concerts of the year - ACOUSTIC AFRICA. This wonderful combination of Vusi Mahlasela, Dobet Gnahore and Habib Koite was number nine in Thor Christensen's 2006 wrap-up.

Here's to a wonderful 2007!

Cherryholmes on NPR!

2007-01-02T08:46:00.000-08:00

Cherryholmes was featured on NPR last year, and you can read the story, listen to songs and the NPR feature here.

Remember, they'll be here in Dallas on Friday, January 19 at 8:00 PM at McFarlin Auditorium. Call 214-528-5576 for tickets or order online here.

East Village Rocked Dallas

2006-11-20T10:50:00.000-08:00

East Village Opera Company came and went, but no doubt left quite an impression on the audience last Friday night. As Matt Weitz from The Dallas Morning News wrote, "this re-casting of classical themes was a crowd-pleasing collection of operatic standards done with rock 'n' roll instrumentation."

Click here to read the entire review.

East Village Opera Company - A Preview & Review

2006-11-15T12:18:00.000-08:00

PREVIEW
New York's East Village Opera Company, who make their Dallas debut this Friday, Nov. 17 at 8:00 PM, performed in Kalamazoo, MI last weekend. The Kalamazoo Gazette ran a lengthy pre-show article that gives good insight in to this ambitious and hyper-talented band:

"If a greatest-hits album were to include more than what today's pop culture esteems, you would have to include songs like ``Habanera'' from Bizet's ``Carmen'' or ``Nessun dorma'' from Puccini's ``Turandot.''

You can hear songs like these everywhere -- in TV commercials, cartoons and movie soundtracks -- and not even know they're opera arias.

Now they've been ramped up through a full-tilt rock approach in a new interpretation of the classics by the East Village Opera Company."
Read the complete preview, with interview, here.

REVIEW:

HIGH-OCTANE EAST VILLAGE OPERA APPEALS TO ROCK LOVERS
Friday, November 10, 2007
By Gordon Bolar
Kalamazoo Gazette

Here's a confession from a reviewer more comfortable with rock than opera. I didn't know what to expect from East Village Opera Company at Miller Auditorium on Thursday. I was apprehensive.
The evening began on a good note. I breathed a sigh of relief after hearing a few bars from the Who's ``Won't Get Fooled Again'' during the company's ``Overture'' from ``Le Nozze di Figaro.'' I felt more encouraged when at the end of Puccini's ``Che Gelida Manina'' from ``La Boheme'' the company sampled ``Who Are You?'' also by the Who.

When arranger and keyboard player, Peter Keisewalter, told the appreciative audience that the group would be performing ``songs, not arias,'' then assured us that we didn't have to speak Italian, I knew I'd come to the right place. The realization that I was familiar with many of the songs in the program, such as the ``Flower Duet'' (``Lakme'') or ``Habanera'' (``Carmen'') from a variety of contemporary pop culture sources helped clinch the deal.

What followed was an hour-and-40-minute performance by 10 musicians, including a small string section, who were clearly thrilled to present classic pieces in a rock format. They seemed to be playing music they loved and reclaiming it for their audience.

For those who followed the English lyrics in the darkened theater (I tried) there was a solid connection between the words, sung in Italian, and the emotions rendered by vocalists Tyley Ross and AnnMarie Milazzo. Milazzo's bold delivery of ``Un Bel Di'' from ``Madama Butterfly'' was one of the evening's many highlights.

Although most of the songs are faithful to the original lyrics and melodies, the company frequently intersperses the work of contemporary performers, such as Eminem, to round out pieces and underscore their relevance to present-day life. The company also adds a strong dose (too strong in some numbers) of pulsating colored-light changes, free-ranging movement, dynamic gestures and body language.

All of the pieces are supercharged with pounding drums and powerful guitar solos. As Tyley Ross, an energetic and gifted singer, concluded his dynamic ``Nessun Dorma,'' Ben Butler took stage beside Ross with his soaring lead guitar. The visual interplay between vocalist and guitarist, which would be missing in a traditional opera, added to an already powerful finale.

East Village Opera Company on NPR

2006-11-14T11:22:00.000-08:00

TITAS' final show of 2006 is the Dallas debut of New York's East Village Opera Company on Friday, November 17 at 8:00 PM at McFarlin Auditorium. This incredibly talented band fuses rock with many of opera's greatest arias to produce an original take on the classical art form.

Their latest CD was reviewed on NPR recently, and in an interview that you can hear online, their producer discusses the band's origins and inspirations. Click here for the NPR feature.

Michael Feinstein is the Real Deal

2006-11-07T09:34:00.000-08:00

The McFarlin audience was witness to true musical genius last night as crooner-extraordinaire conducted a crash course in The Great American Songbook. Other vocalits may try to mine this fertile musical ground (Rod Stewart?), but Michael Feinstein embodies this genre and presents these songs with an authenticity and passion that is unmatched.

"Mr. Feinstein's show, presented by TITAS, seemed determined to prove that quality will prevail. Although born in Ohio and apprenticed in Los Angeles, he was very much in touch with the Brill Building and Tin Pan Alley roots that nourish popular American song."

Click here for the complete Dallas Morning News review.

Classical Savion Wows McFarlin

2006-11-07T09:31:00.000-08:00

I overheard several members of the audience on Saturday night mention that they had seen "Classical Savion" the previous night and returned because they were so blown away by Mr. Glover's relentless performance.

The Dallas Morning News agreed:

"Why should a hoofer who is the master of jazz and funk even considered venturing into classical music? The answer is simple. Because he is Savion Glover, and because he can.

Mr. Glover didn't so much tackle classical music Friday night at McFarlin Auditorium in a program aptly called "Classical Savion," as embrace it."

Check out the entire review.

Savion Glover Will Dazzle Audiences in "Classical Savion"

2006-11-03T08:16:00.000-08:00

TITAS is presenting the Dallas debut of tap master Savion Glover's "Classical Savion" on Friday and Saturday, November 3 & 4, 2006 at 8:00 PM at McFarlin Auditorium. Most recognize Mr. Glover's name from his Tony Award winning "Bring in Da Noise, Bring in Da Funk", but in "Classical Savion", he's shuffling and flapping his way over classical and jazz music.

The Village Voice wrote an excellent piece on the show:

"He doesn't court the audience, but rather lures us into his intense concentration and lets his delight in the performance show, tackling with equal sensitivity Astor Piazzolla's gloss on the Seasons, the first movement of Bach's third Brandenburg, two other Bach selections, Bartók's "Rumanian Folk Dance," and Mendelssohn's Octet—pulling out something a little different for each.

For the finale, "The Stars and Stripes Forever (For now)," patterned by Glover and pianist Tommy James after John Coltrane's "My Favorite Things," Glover hits his jazz stride, introducing James, bass player Andy McCloud, saxophonist and flute player Patience Higgins, and drummer Brian Grice as they appear, but also drawing the chamber players into the mix, naming them and having each riff briefly on McCloud's eight-note pattern."

Click here to read the entire article.

Lyon Opera Ballet Fills McFarlin with Wonder

2006-10-16T11:29:00.000-07:00

Margaret Putnam of The Dallas Morning News reviewed TITAS' presentation of Lyon Opera Ballet this past weekend and gave a glowing acount of the performance:

"Lyon Opera Ballet brought farce, fantasy and form to McFarlin Auditorium on Friday night under the auspices of TITAS, earning an A plus. The program featured the work of three European choreographers of vastly different tastes."

Read the entire review here.

LYON OPERA BALLET LANDS IN THE STATES!

2006-10-11T19:53:00.000-07:00

The opening act of the 2006-2007 TITAS Season, France's LYON OPERA BALLET, kicked off their North American tour in New York City last weekend, a week before their Dallas performances (Oct. 13 & 14).

The New York Times reviewed their performance:
"Anyone anticipating classical ballet from the Lyon Opera Ballet this weekend at Purchase College must have been grievously disappointed. This troupe counts as the second in France, and its most world-wandering. It has made some 20 tours to the United States; this one started on Friday and lasts most of this month."

To read the entire review, click here.

Lyon Opera Ballet review in New York Times

2006-09-13T12:17:00.000-07:00

Lyon Opera Ballet was honored to be the opening performance at the Lyon Biennale over the weekend. The New York Times reviewed the festival, and had glowing praise for Lyon Opera Ballet:

"Yorgos Loukos’s Lyon Opera Ballet is famous for its diversity of dance techniques. This is Contemporary Ballet in capital letters, with dancers — for all their undoubted skill in every conceivable style — seemingly chosen as much for their physical beauty as for any other reason."

Read the entire review here.

LYON OPERA BALLET is Coming!!

2006-09-08T07:46:00.000-07:00

The 2006-07 Season of Dance & Music opens in October, and TITAS is extremely excited and proud to present the Dallas debut of a true French treasure, LYON OPERA BALLET, on October 13 & 14 at 8:00 PM at McFarlin Auditorium.

"Over the last 15 years the Lyon Opera Ballet has built up a contemporary dance repertoire with a large number of pieces in a wide variety of styles, commissioning works from young choreographers, and performing pieces by major modern choreographers." (Read the entire article here, with audio and video links.)

This is truly a company that any dance lover cannot afford to miss! Be on the cutting-edge of arts lovers in Dallas - be one of the first to see this renowned company!

"Lyon Opera Ballet is touted as predicting the future of ballet. Technical versatility and experimental repertory are its trademarks." ~ The Berkshire Eagle

Kathy Griffin Takes No Prisoners.

2006-06-27T10:06:00.000-07:00

Kathy Griffin's performance last night at the Meyerson was over-the-top, crude, blasphemous and downright offensive. What did you expect? She was more pointed and hilarious than advertised and brought the capacity audience to tears with laughter. Check the reviews:

"Kathy Griffin, D-list presence on the tube, A-list humor in person." -Matt Weitz, The Dallas Morning News. Click here for the full review.

"...the audience was more than up for her patented brand of celebrity dish and unsubstantiated Hollywood rumor." -Todd Camp, Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Read the full review.

Post your comments on the show!

Catch Kathy Griffin's latest TV special on Bravo.

2006-05-17T09:24:00.000-07:00

TITAS is presenting comedian and TV star Kathy Griffin on Monday, June 26 at 8:00 PM at the Meyerson Symphony Center. If you want to catch a glimpse of the "no-holds-barred" stylings of this notorious comic, you need to catch her latest stand-up special on the Bravo network, "Kathy Griffin: Strong Black Woman".

For listings and more info, click here. There are a couple video clips and a good synopsis of the special.

"Kathy Griffin: Strong Black Woman" features an unapologetic Kathy, who refuses to curb her political incorrectness in a hilariously entertaining performance. Find out why Kathy was stroking Celine Dion's hair in a backstage greenroom and the ongoing battle against Steven Spielberg and Dakota Fanning."

Don't miss this night of high comedy! No one is safe from Kathy's barbs!
Call today: 214-528-5576 or order online at www.titas.org.

Parsons shines- closes the TITAS Dance Season in style.

2006-05-08T12:46:00.001-07:00

The 2006-2007 TITAS Dance Season has come to a close. Parsons Dance Company provided a memorable finale:

"Too many modern-dance companies have abandoned their roots in ballet or in the aesthetics of everyday movement that distinguish them from classical dance. Instead, they emulate the high-flying physicality of Olympic gymnasts or trapeze artists in a stab at commercial dazzle. But if your feet never touch the ground, it's not dance. It's Cirque du Soleil.

Choreographer David Parsons, who brought his company to Southern Methodist University's McFarlin Auditorium this weekend to close the TITAS dance season, manages to reach for wider appeal without selling out."

Click here for the full Dallas Morning News review.

Parsons shines- closes the TITAS Dance Season in style.

2006-05-08T12:46:00.000-07:00

An excellent article about Kathy Griffin

2006-05-03T08:46:00.000-07:00

TITAS is bringing Kathy Griffin to Dallas! June 26, 8:00 PM at the Meyerson.

If you don't know about this sharp-tongued comedian, check out this article. After reading it, there's no way you'll miss this show.

"That's one of the things that makes Griffin so endearing. She pops the bubble of celebrity. Really, who wouldn't want to wipe that smug little smile from Gwyneth Paltrow's face? And isn't Barbara Walters just a little too full of herself? Griffin sees the stars the same way we do: She just has a platform to talk about it." (Arizona Republic)

2006-04-24T09:06:00.001-07:00

Another jaw-dropping Command Performance of International Ballet has come and gone, but the aftershocks are still reverberation. The 2006 version of this annual gala event was perhaps the most jaw-dropping and impressive yet, with amazing performances by all of the world-class dancers. From the classic Le Corsaire Pas de Deux to the modern strobe-lighted Caught, the repertoire was incredibly diverse and rewarding for all of those in attendance.

Check the reviews:

Fort Worth Star-Telegram:
"...this show is nothing but highlights." Click for the full review.

The Dallas Morning News:
"The stakes are high, the expectations fierce. Year after year, TITAS turns up the heat for itself with its annual star-studded Command Performance of International Ballet, building up expectations that few other arts can match.

Deliver it did."

Read the full review.

And if you missed Caught at the Command Performance last weekend, make a point to come to David Parsons Dance Company on May 5 & 6- it's a piece you can't afford to miss!

2006-04-24T09:06:00.000-07:00

Another jaw-dropping Command Performance of International Ballet has come and gone, but the aftershocks are still reverberating. The 2006 version of this annual gala event was perhaps the most jaw-dropping and impressive yet, with amazing performances by all of the world-class dancers. From the classic Le Corsaire Pas de Deux to the modern strobe-lighted Caught, the repertoire was incredibly diverse and rewarding for all of those in attendance.

Check the reviews:

Fort Worth Star-Telegram:
"...this show is nothing but highlights." Click for the full review.

The Dallas Morning News:
"The stakes are high, the expectations fierce. Year after year, TITAS turns up the heat for itself with its annual star-studded Command Performance of International Ballet, building up expectations that few other arts can match.

Deliver it did."

Read the full review.

And if you missed Caught at the Command Performance last weekend, make a point to come to David Parsons Dance Company on May 5 & 6- it's a piece you can't afford to miss!

Ladysmith a Smash!

2006-04-13T10:21:00.000-07:00

The Ladysmith Black Mambazo show on April 11 was a resounding success! The large, enthusiastic crowd was thoroughly enthralled by the sounds of these vocal masters.

The Dallas Morning News agreed- check the review.

Get to know Ladysmith Black Mambazo

2006-03-29T12:05:00.000-08:00

World music superstars Ladysmith Black Mambazo are coming to Dallas on April 11 at McFarlin Auditorium. With that in mind, I thought a couple of insightful articles about the group would help you get to know them better.

-A great interview and review of Ladysmith's Long Walk to Freedom album by JazzReview.com.

-About.com gives a nice overview of the band and their history.

-View an excerpt of their DVD, On Tip Toe, on this site.

-And finally, Ladysmith's own site has a wealth of sound clips, video clips and biographical data.

The Dallas Morning News' Momix Review

2006-03-27T09:48:00.000-08:00

The Dallas Morning News' Margaret Putnam wrote a glowing review of Lunar Sea:

"Somewhere in a remote galaxy, strange creatures swoop skywards, dart, tumble and disappear in a flash. That is the world of Lunar Sea, Moses Pendleton's new creation for MOMIX, an 85-minute visual and auditory fantasy of life far, far away.

Like Mr. Pendleton's Opus Cactus that TITAS brought here two years ago, but grander and more mysterious in scale, Lunar Sea is a masterpiece of illusion."

Click here for the full review.

Audience reaction to Momix

2006-03-27T09:41:00.000-08:00

After this past weekend's Momix performances, several audience members chimed in with their reviews of the show.

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BRAVO!!

The MOMIX show on Friday was absolutely wonderful--in fact, my wife claims it was the finest performances she's ever seen (I guess she forgot the Moscow Cat Circus my daughter and son-in-law took us to see over Christmas--that's a joke). We had seen MOMIX before but never at this level. By the way, I called people the next day to tell them to get tickets for Saturday's performance--which they did.

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Momix was Awesome!!

Just wanted to send you a quick note to say how much we enjoyed MoMix. It was awesome!! Once again, TITAS pulls through with what has come to be expected: an A+++++ performance!!

Thanks again.

Looking forward to Command Performance and Parsons Dance Company coming up soon!

Moses Pendleton comments on Momix's "Lunar Sea"

2006-03-23T08:31:00.000-08:00

Momix founder and choreographer gives his insight to creating Lunar Sea (in Dallas for the first time THIS WEEKEND- March 24 & 25)

"I was basically trying to devise a ballet as if you were witnessing it on the Moon with one-sixth of the Earth's gravity by using various tricks and techniques to elevate the body. The reality is that much of it is very difficult physical pas de deux partnering work."

"Unomathemba" - Ladysmith Black Mambazo

2006-03-22T14:38:00.000-08:00

"TITAS is presenting Ladysmith Black Mambazo on Tuesday, April 11. ONE NIGHT ONLY!!

These South African vocal legends have won a Grammy, have appeared with Paul Simon on the groundbreaking 'Graceland' album, and have become the most popular African vocal ensemble performing today.

Check out a track from them:
"Unomathemba" - Ladysmith Black Mambazo:

Command Performance dancer websites

2006-03-21T13:59:00.000-08:00

The 2006 Command Performance of International Ballet is approaching quickly! What has been called, "the Dance Event of the Year in Dallas" will take place April 22 at Fair Park Music Hall. For more info, go to the TITAS website.

Several of the world-class performers have their own websites where you can find out about anything from the career resumes to their favorite color.

Check them out:

Paloma Herrera- Principal, American Ballet Theatre

Rasta Thomas- International Ballet Star

Danny Tidwell- Complexions Contemporary Ballet

Other dancers are profiled on their company's websites:

Aleksandar Antonijevic- Principal, National Ballet of Canada

Xiomara Reyes- Principal, ABT

Adrienne Canterna- Complexions Contemporary Ballet

Joaquin De Luz- Principal, New York City Ballet

Sonia Rodriguez- Principal, Nat'l Ballet of Canada

Feel free to post some of your own feedback and links to the dancers or about the Command Performance!

An excellent article about Momix & "Lunar Sea"

2006-03-17T10:11:00.001-08:00

For some more background on the visually stunning dance company Momix and their newest full-length piece Lunar Sea, check out this article from The Boston Globe.

Remember, TITAS is presenting Lunar Sea on March 24 & 25- visit www.titas.org for more information.

Moses Pendleton's haunting ''Lunar Sea" begins with eight glowing, curvaceous one-legged creatures emerging from behind a scrim covered with projections of sunflowers, bumblebees, and moonscapes. They tilt back and forth, then lift off, leaving gravity behind to float cloudlike a few feet above the stage...
Click for the full article

2006 Command Performance Roster & Repertoire

2006-03-16T13:58:00.000-08:00

The roster for this year's "Dance Event of the YEar" is set! This star-studded lineup will set the Fair Park Music Hall stage on fire- don't miss the Command Performance of International Ballet on Saturday, April 22 at 7:00 PM. Tickets available at www.titas.org.

ROSTER:

Rasta Thomas (International Ballet Star)
Paloma Hererra (American Ballet Theater)
Dancing Don Quixote Pas de Deux
Verano Porteno Pas de Deux

Danny Tidwell (Complexions Contemporary Ballet)
Adrienne Canterna (Complexions Contemporary Ballet)
Corsaire Pas de Deux
Debut work by Dwight Rhoden

Joaquin de Luz (New York City Ballet)
Xiomara Reyes (American Ballet Theatre)
La Sylphide
Diana and Actaeon

Aleksandar Antonijevic (National Ballet of Canada)
Sonia Rodriguez (National Ballet of Canada)
Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux
Romeo and Juliet Balcony Pas de Deux

Guest appearance by MOMIX

A satisfied "Sing, Sing, Sing!" fan

2006-03-16T13:56:00.000-08:00

What a GRAND evening of entertainment TITAS presented with Ken Peplowski and the Kingdom of Swing Big Band! The musical tribute to Benny Goodman could only have been more complete if Mr. Goodman himself were alive and on that stage last night performing.

Mr. Peplowski’s heartfelt, artistic expression was absolutely delightful to experience, not to mention his charm and natural ability to captivate the audience. Experiencing the interaction between the orchestra and the audience, as well as being the band leader, was most delightful to be a part of.

From my observations, the majority of the audience would agree. During the entire production, if the roars of approval weren’t enough, you could watch heads bobbing in rhythm, hands tapping on armrests or the tops of their legs, and feet that just couldn’t be still. Considering the average age in attendance last night, there sure was a lot of swingin’ going on!!! (You might suggest someone at McFarlin check to make sure the seats are still bolted down!!)

TITAS was able to present an evening full of pleasant memories from a golden age of the past for the older audience, while at the same time give the younger generation the opportunity to experience that big band sound first hand. Kudos to TITAS!

Please continue to give your approval and support to that type of exceptional, revitalizing, musical production.

Congratulations! Job well done!

BoccaTango review

2006-03-16T13:55:00.000-08:00

HELLO,

I AM BUBBLING FROM A FABULOUS PERFORMANCE OF THAT DIVERSIFIED ARGENTINE GROUP OF TALENTED FOLKS.
THEIR DANCING AND VOICE RENDITIONS OF UPBEAT LATINA MUSICA OFFERED
SHARLENE AND I AN EVENING WE WILL CHERISH.

YOU ONLY PICK WINNERS!