Dance Month 2014 at the Kaplan Theatre: Celebrating 34 Years of Presenting Dance

Houston, TX –The Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center of Houston presents the 34th annual Dance Month at the Kaplan Theatre January 10 – February 9, 2014.

Dance Month starts with a fun-filled weekend of enthusiastic and energetic Israeli dancing.  Tirkedu Houston! workshop will be led by Israeli teacher, Yaron Carmel, January 10- 12, 2014.  Carmel is world renowned in the genre of Israeli dance and has taught Israeli folk dance not only in his native country of Israel, but here in the States.

            Join us for a diverse and intriguing concert of dance ranging in styles from modern, contemporary to world dance with Houston Choreographers X6, January 25 at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, January 26 at   3:00 p.m. featuring six of Houston’s dance professionals including Rebekah Chappell, Randall Flinn, Ashley Horn, Kristina Koutsoudas, Cori Miller and Heather Nabors.  Come 45 minutes early for our pre-show Motion Captured, Dance on Film which will be screened in the Joe Frank Theatre. Experience this visual feast of site-specific, innovative choreography by local and national choreographers and filmmakers that combines dance and technology.

            Four in the Mix is an exhilarating array of Houston pre-professional groups, this year featuring Dance of Asian America, HBLV8 (Houston Ballet Academy Level 8), USDC2 (Urban Souls Dance Company 2), and Inertia.  Four in the Mix, a wonderful introduction to performance dance for elementary through high school-aged students will be presented February 1 at 8:00 p.m.

For 30 years, the Union, New Jersey-based Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company has entertained, educated and inspired countless audiences. The ten-member company, is led by founder and artistic director, Carolyn Dorfman, whose creative drive focuses on communicating human experiences, interactions, perceptions and truths. You will experience a uniquely talented contemporary dance ensemble, highly acclaimed for artistic excellence and range and extraordinary ability to communicate to audiences about dance and the creative process.

Come engage with Carolyn Dorfman in Woman to Woman, The Power of the Arts to Transform Lives, February 5 at 9:30 – 11:00 a.m. as Dorfman talks about the arts and more specifically, “dance with a capital D…” How she and her dynamic, multi-ethnic company affect individual and collective change through choreography, performance and community engagement. This multi-media presentation and conversation is free and open to the public.

Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company is known throughout the country for its superb artistry and engaging Backstage Pass performances. Backstage Pass, February 8 at 7:00 p.m. is a family performance, where the audience both observes and participates. The performance ends with audience members joining CDDC on stage and in their seats to create a final dance together.

The Carolyn Dorfman residency concludes with a concert on February 9 at 3:00 p.m. in Kaplan Theatre. Since founding her company in 1982, she has created more than 50 works for her ten-member ensemble which appear at major theaters, dance festivals, universities and schools regionally, nationally and internationally. The Company, described by critics as “ingenious” (The Star-Ledger) and emotionally resonant” (The New York Times) presents new and repertory works by Ms. Dorfman.

              In addition to presenting performances by renowned companies, Dance Month at the Kaplan Theatre brings extraordinary companies to teach master classes to Houston dancers at affordable prices in partnership with SPA at the ‘J’.  This year Dance Month will host master classes with Pilobolus on January 9 and Mark Morris Dance Group on January 30.

            Dance concerts take place in the Kaplan Theatre, I W Marks Theatre Center, The Gerald Rauch Cultural and Performing Arts wing of the ERJCC. Master Classes take place in the ERJCC dance studios.  To purchase tickets online, visit our website at www.erjcchouston.org/dancemonth or call the box office at 713.551.7255.  Find us on Facebook.

Dance Month at the Kaplan Theatre is funded in part by the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center Patrons of the Arts, a grant from the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance, Houston Endowment Inc, JPMorgan Chase & Co, and RBC Wealth Management. United Airlines is the official airline of the ERJCC.  Marriott Houston Westchase is the official hotel for Dance Month.