Celebrate Spring with Philadanco

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - April 1, 2012 (WPVI) -- Philadanco is coming home to the Kimmel Center with a spring performance designed to celebrate the dance troupe's Philadelphia connections.

Philadanco's program is a tribute to all things Philly, from the soulful Philadelphia Sound of Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff to the world premiere of a new dance by North Philly's Rennie Harris, exploring the roots and evolution of hip hop.

The dancers kick off the show with Gatekeepers, a work by internationally acclaimed choreographer Ron K. Brown, known for fusing Latin American, African and Caribbean dance with modern and urban movements. Philadanco commissioned the work in 1980.

Founder of Philadanco, Joan Meyers Brown said, " It's about welcoming people into Heaven and they have to pass through the gatekeepers and you know you have to prove yourselves worthy of going through the gate.".

In Tribute, the dancers pay homage to the legendary music of Gamble and Huff.

"It's a selection of maybe 10 different works by the artists of Philadelphia International records and it's definitely a tribute to the music and we're dancing our cans off," said Brown.

The dancers will also perform Suite en Bleu, a classical ballet by Philadanco's longtime resident choreographer, Gene Hill Saga and end with the world premiere of a new dance by Rennie Harris called Wake Up.

"And it's about identifying ourselves and wake up and talk about your own self. Don't allow other people to identify you. It's a typical Rennie Harris blockbuster, show stopper and it's a Philadelphia piece," added Brown.

Philadanco will put on four performances at the Kimmel Center starting April 20th. In the meantime, the troupe is headed to Macedonia &.the first ever American dance troupe to be featured in Macedonia's annual festival of modern dance.

For tickets to their Philadelphia show, go to Kimmel Center.

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