Escape The Heat At McCallum Theatre

Tickets are $15 for each performance, $45 for a festival pass, and $5 for children 12 and under.

The festival begins with The Ugly Duckling performed by Voices of the South on Monday, June 15th at 1:30pm. Voices of the South imbues the familiar H.C. Andersen tale with a distinctly southern flair. Employing elements of traditional southern folk art, colloquial language, live music and dance, this adaptation of Andersen's beloved narrative is deeply rooted in the Mississippi Delta Soil.

In The Music of Brubeck on Tuesday, June 16th at 4pm, Smith 'n Jones Jazz Quartet explores the music and style of one of the true innovators of the jazz of "cool" - pianist Dave Brubeck. Smith 'n Jones brings their own particular talents and style into some of Brubeck's most famous "odd meter" pieces to unveil the magic and beauty of jazz.

Nationally acclaimed storyteller David Gonzalez performs Cuentos -Tales from the Latino World on Thursday, June 18th at 1:30pm. In Cuentos, Gonzalez paints a vivid picture of the people and rich cultures of the Spanish-speaking world with colorful tales from the Caribbean, South America, and the Bronx! These tales are filled with memorable characters and fantastic plots.

The Festival concludes with Jump Rhythm Jazz Project on Friday, June 19th at 1:30pm. Since 1990 this company has thrilled audiences and students nationally and internationally with its rich blend of percussive musicality and emotion-charged dance theatre. This company of rhythmically exuberant dancer's, celebrate the timeless core of all jazz performance - dancing and singing in swinging, high-energy burst of body rhythms to the beat-driven sounds of syncopated music.

Performances are presented in conjunction with the Institute's Aesthetic Education Program (AEP) Professional Development. AEP is a multidimensional arts education program developed in partnership with New York's Lincoln Center Institute. Workshops will be held throughout the week of June 15-19 and are perfect for Pre-K through grade 12 teachers, school or arts administrators, teaching artists, curriculum developers, college or university professors, and art docents. -- www.mccallumtheatre.com