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World-Class Dance Ensemble Returns to Great Artists Series Tuesday, April 29 • 7:30 p.m.
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he incomparable Alvin Ailey® American Dance Theater returns to the Great Artists Series 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 29 in the Stanley Theater.
In 1958, Alvin Ailey led a group of young African-American dancers in an event that forever changed the perception of American dance. Today, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater continues its reign as an American “Cultural Ambassador to the World”—having performed live for an estimated 23 million people in 48 states, 71 countries, and six continents. The gifted and gorgeous Ailey dancers infuse energy and emotion to classics and new works alike. Now guided by the vision of Artistic Director Robert Battle and Associate Artistic Director Masazumi Chaya, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater remains the nation’s leading modern dance company dedicated to promoting the significance of the Ailey legacy—using dance as a medium for honoring the past, celebrating the present and fearlessly reaching into the future. Tickets for this performance range from $69.50 to $24.50 with student ticket prices ranging from $22.50 to $12.50 in certain sections. Tickets may be purchased in advance at the MWPAI Performing Arts Ticket Office, on the phone at 797-0055 or 800754-0797, or online at www.mwpai.org. Tickets may also be purchased one hour prior to the performance time at the Stanley Theater.
Sponsored by
Butterflies, Geishas, and Dragons The Arts and Influence of Japan April 11 thr ough September 28
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he Museum of Art showcases the rich influence of Japanese art and culture on European and American decorative and fine arts with the exhibition Butterflies, Geishas, and Dragons: The Arts and Influence of Japan, on view April 11 through September 28.
Japan had been closed to the West for approximately 300 years when, in 1853, its ports reopened for trade, which caused a fascination for Japanese culture in late-19th-century Europe and the United States. Expositions in Paris and London introduced silk fabrics, kimonos, fans, screens, and other items to wide audiences. The craze inspired Gilbert and Sullivan to write The Mikado and had a profound influence on artists such as James Whistler and Claude Monet; indeed, it is difficult to imagine Impressionism without the decorative patterning and transitory moments of life as captured in the ukiyo-e school, or “floating world,” of Japan’s prints. Butterflies, Geishas, and Dragons features a wide array of objects, from netsuke and Japanese woodblock prints to ceramics, silver, and graphic arts created by Western artists inspired by the rich patterns, subject matter, and use of pictorial space in Japanese art. Ogasawara Shuzo, Vase, 1906, bronze, cloisonné enamel, 14 1/2 x 8 inches. Gift of Mrs. Joseph Rudd, 58.287