Pacific Dance Ensemble (PDE), is offering a fun packed weekend, February 7, 8 and 9, featuring two separate fantastic shows “RIZO” and “Dances from the Heart: a Showcase of Original Works” at the Newport Performing Arts Center. PDE alumni Amelia Zirin-Brown, AKA Lady Rizo will be performing her latest show on Saturday and Sunday evenings, February 8 and February 9 at 7:30. “Dances from the Heart”, PDEs 34th annual FREE performance and benefit auction with showcase PDE alumni and dancers in their latest choreography on Friday, February 7 at 7pm and a Sunday matinee, February 9 at 2pm. So, make it a weekend of extravaganza of fun and fancy at the Newport Performing Arts Center.
Pacific Dance Ensemble (PDE), is excited to present Newport’s own daring darling, Amelia Zirin-Brown aka “Lady Rizo” aka “Rizo”, returning to wow us once again with her latest genius, Saturday February 8th and Sunday February 9th at 7:30pm. As Rizo has been a sold-out performance in past years, PDE is thrilled to be able to offer 2 nights with the glamorous, hilarious, and incredibly talented RIZO at the Newport Performing Arts Center! Rizo, who is a PDE alumni, is now a NYC based performance artist, comedienne, singer, composer, and actor. Received with critical raves three years in a row at the Assembly Festival in Edinburgh, she won the inaugural Time Out London and Soho Theatre Award, and the 2013 London Cabaret Award. She is also a Grammy winner for a 2010 collaboration with Yo-Yo Ma on the Holiday album Songs of Joy and Peace.
“Dances from the Heart: A Showcase of Original Choreography” is PDE’s latest effort to bring the arts home as PDE alumni go out into the world weaving themselves into the fiber of new communities and then sharing their worlds with us through their choreography. This year’s “Dances from the Heart” will feature choreography by PDE alumni Cecily Wechter, Kurt Danna, Roseena Robinson, Anabel Tucker as well as PDE Artistic Director, Nancy Mittleman, and PDE members, Erika Sugrue and Maria Barten. This Annual Valentine’s celebration offers a FREE performance and a silent auction featuring items donated by local and regional artists and businesses.
The success of PDE’s process is clearly evident as one looks at the many PDE alumni performing worldwide. PDE dancers who have gone on to study and perform in such places as Juilliard (NYC), Mark Morris Dance Group (NYC), The Jose Limon Dance (NYC), Chris Elam’s Misnomer Dance Co. (NYC), Coyote Dance (NYC), Martha Graham Studio (NYC), Amanda Selwyn Dance Theater (NYC), the Fringe Festival in NYC, Edinburgh and Annapolis, San Diego Dance Theater, Ballet Austin (TX), San Francisco Ballet, Paco Gnomes and Co. (SF), Requisite Dance (SF), Lineage Dance Co. (LA), Headwaters Dance Co, (Missoula, MT), Dancer’s Workshop (Jackson, WY), Eugene Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet (WA), Cornish Institute for the Arts, California Institute for the Arts, The Laban School (London), Interlochen (MI), Bennington College (VT), and Tisch at New York University.
So get your tickets now for “RIZO” and just come and enjoy “Dances from the Heart” for FREE and treat yourself to an unforgettable pre-Valentine’s special gift of music, love and laughter February 7th, 8th and 9th at the Newport Performing Arts Center. For tickets call 541-265-ARTS.