Titled Born to Run in celebration of the concert’s headline piece to music from Springsteen’s legendary 1975 release, the program features two world premieres, two reconstructions of great works from the past, a collection of choreography from the emerging and leading choreographers of today, and the return of artist-in-residence Rasta Thomas.

The concerts take place Friday, September 7 and Saturday, September 8 at 8pm in the Lansburgh Theatre, 450 7th Street NW, Washington, DC. Tickets are priced at $35 and $20. Tickets are available in person at the Lansburgh Theatre Ticket Office (450 7th Street NW, Washington, DC), online at www.HarmanCenter.org, or by phone at 202.547.1122. A limited number of reduced-price seating may be available for $15. Call 202.547.1122 for information.

This performance marks CityDance’s first as an artistic partner with the Shakespeare Theatre Company. Under this partnership, CityDance will present an annual four-weekend season in the 451-seat Lansburgh Theatre, the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s current theatre which will become part of the new Harman Center for the Arts upon its opening in October 2007.

“Collaboration has been at the foundation of the Harman Center for the Arts from the very beginning,” notes Nick Goldsborough, Managing Director of the Shakespeare Theatre Company. “Having world class dance and music to accompany the work that the Shakespeare Theatre Company does is the realization of a dream for both myself and Michael [Kahn]. As an artistic partner, CityDance exemplifies what we are looking for in a collaboration.”

“Performing an annual season in downtown DC has always been a goal of CityDance’s,” adds CityDance Ensemble Artistic Director Paul Gordon Emerson. “The Harman Center will invite new audiences and new perspectives, and we are eager to partner with the Shakespeare Theatre Company and all the other organizations who will call this beautiful new center ‘home.’”

CityDance’s world premiere performance of Born to Run is driven by the iconic music and legendary lyrics of Bruce Springsteen as it celebrates the spirit of youth, adventure, and growing up in America. With choreography by Mr. Emerson, the Born to Run suite features the title track, as well as Springsteen’s She’s the One, Meeting Across the River, and Backstreets.

“Springsteen’s music defined rock and roll for several generations,” comments Mr. Emerson. “The opportunity to stage dance to that music is both a privilege and a challenge, and I can’t think of any better music to accompany our premiere performance on the Lansburgh Theatre stage.”

Another program highlight is the world premiere of an experimental collaboration between technology and movement titled I Can Hear You. Can You See Me? Funded through the New Media Grant program of the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities, the work employs state-of-the-art technology, software, and computer programming to map the stage and enable any movement by a dancer to trigger a sound—turning dancer into composer and musician as well as mover. Using a soundscape created by Levine School of Music’s Director of Composition Frances (Sis) McKay from sounds she recorded in DC’s Rock Creek Park and hardware and software programmed and designed by Princeton University doctoral candidate Scott Smallwood, this project is the realization of a dancer’s endless dream to “be the music,” wrapped in a work of mystery and mythology developed by Mr. Emerson and company members Kyra Jean Green and Bruno Augusto.

The program also features international dance star Rasta Thomas performing Little Rhapsodies, a solo created by world-renowned choreographer Lar Lubovitch. Mr. Thomas, widely regarded as one of today’s top male dancers, has performed with such companies as American Ballet Theatre, Dance Theatre of Harlem, and the Kirov Ballet. He returns to CityDance this season as Artist-in-Residence and assumes the role of Senior Artistic Advisor, working closely with Mr. Emerson.

CityDance continues its commitment to reviving great works of modern dance by presenting Jane Dudley’s Harmonica Breakdown, created in 1938 as a tribute to the challenges and accomplishments of the common man during the Depression. Reconstructed on CityDance by Sheron Wray, Harmonica Breakdown demonstrates the simple, clean, and exceptionally clear aesthetic that made modern dance both significant and sustainable. CityDance also honors the late Eric Hampton, a DC-based dancer and choreographer who passed in 2001, with the revival of his UnRavel, a charming and witty quartet set to the music of Maurice Ravel.

The program is completed by Eclipse, a poignant, tortured trio by celebrated choreographer Doug Varone; Bubbles, a quirky duet by company member Kyra Jean Green and fellow Juilliard graduate Idan Sharabi; and Salaam, a passionate, theatrical work by CityDance’s longtime artistic collaborator, choreographer, and filmmaker Ludovic Jolivet.

About CityDance Ensemble, Inc.
CityDance Ensemble, Inc. is the parent organization to CityDance Ensemble, an award-winning contemporary repertory dance company; Early Arts, an arts outreach program for youth serving more than 25,000 students each year; CityDance Education Centers, facilities committed to excellence in dance training for youth and adults; and FilmWORKS, a creator and presenter of dance-on-camera. The mission of CityDance Ensemble, Inc. is to advance the appreciation for and participation in the art of dance through excellence in performance, education, film, and artistic innovation.