News

Annenberg Center Announces 2018-19 Season

April 16, 2018

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 16, 2018

The Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Pennsylvania Announces 2018-19 Season

NextMove Dance returns to the Annenberg Center in new co-presenting partnership, consolidating Philadelphia’s two major dance presenters under one roof

New series “The Philadelphians” explores Philadelphia’s long history of diverse cultures and traditions which have influenced the city

Dance Theatre of Harlem, under the direction of Philadelphia native Robert Garland, will be the Annenberg Center’s Artist-in-Residence

The 2018-19 season offers a robust calendar of jazz, world music, theatre, classical, early music, family, and holiday programming

(Philadelphia – April 16, 2018 – The Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Pennsylvania, under the direction of Executive and Artistic Director Christopher A. Gruits, has announced its 2018-19 season. Subscriptions to the Annenberg Center’s 2018-19 season are on sale now at AnnenbergCenter.org or 215.898.3900. Single tickets will go on sale at a later date.

ANNENBERG CENTER LIVE 2018-2019 SEASON
The Annenberg Center’s 2018-19 season continues a commitment to innovative, critically acclaimed productions—top contemporary dance ensembles, cutting edge theatre productions, a diverse array of celebrated jazz, classical, and world music artists, enriching family programs, and festive holiday celebrations. Recently announced partner, NextMove Dance, returns to the Annenberg Center for a co-presented series of 11 exceptional dance companies, including four performing in Philadelphia for the first time. A new series, The Philadelphians, explores the populations that came to and forever changed Philadelphia, through period performance juxtaposed with new interpretations that look back on the city’s history. Early music graces the Annenberg Center stage for the first time, while two site-specific performances, in Rittenhouse Square and a local pub, bring the Annenberg Center’s programming beyond conventional theatre walls. The Artist-in- Residence program continues with the renowned Dance Theatre of Harlem, featuring a world premiere by Philadelphia native and resident choreographer Robert Garland. Jazz pianists will be in the spotlight, with intimate shows by three vibrant, young artists, and The Crossing, Philadelphia’s Grammy® Award-winning chamber choir, makes its Annenberg Center debut in a unique holiday concert. It is a season replete with exciting Philadelphia debuts, exciting world, U.S., and local premieres.

“The Annenberg Center plays an important role on the University of Pennsylvania campus and in the cultural landscape of Philadelphia, nurturing and presenting innovative programming in dance, music, theatre, and more, ” says Executive and Artistic Director Christopher A. Gruits. “We are thrilled that our co-presenting partnership with NextMove Dance will combine Philadelphia’s two major dance presenters under one roof, ensuring a healthy future for contemporary dance in Philadelphia. Our 2018-19 season celebrates this integration and uses the performing arts to reflect on current events and explore our common connections through a wide array of musical styles, cutting-edge theatre and exciting dance. It’s truly a season that showcases the power of the arts to transform lives.”

SEASON OPENER
The Annenberg Center opens its 2018-19 season September 28 and 29 with Australia’s bold, contemporary circus troupe, Circa, performing the U.S. premiere of Humans, a tour de force about the power in physical and emotional strength. The “stunning athleticism and heart-stopping acrobatics in this innovative circus work” (ArtsHub) explore the expressive possibilities of the human body at its extremes. Circa is a co-presentation with FringeArts.

THE PHILADELPHIANS: MIGRATIONS THAT MADE OUR CITY
Philadelphia has been shaped by a long history of diverse cultures and traditions. In The Philadelphians, the Annenberg Center will explore the populations that migrated to and influenced the city, uncovering a unique, shared identity. Audiences will experience two periods in time, a contrast of colonial-era early music with new works that look back on our history. Along with junto-style discussion groups, period performance and modern interpretations will connect audiences with those who created our cultural landscape.

ANNENBERG CENTER ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE: DANCE THEATRE OF HARLEM
The preeminent Dance Theatre of Harlem will serve as the Annenberg Center’s artist-in-residence for the 2018-19 season. Known around the world as a classical ballet ensemble with impeccable dancers and masterful repertoire, Dance Theatre of Harlem will perform a world premiere work by Philadelphia native and resident choreographer, Robert Garland, for two public performances as well as a special Arts4Youth show for local school students. Members of the company will also conduct masterclasses, ballerina meet-and-greets and additional community outreach activities.

DANCE
The Annenberg Center’s co-presenting partnership with NextMove Dance will bring 11 dance ensembles to Philadelphia in the 2018-19 season.


THEATRE


CLASSICAL MUSIC


JAZZ


WORLD MUSIC


FAMILY PROGRAMS


RINGING IN THE HOLIDAYS

CHRISTOPHER A. GRUITS
Christopher A. Gruits is Executive and Artistic Director of the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Pennsylvania. The 2017-18 season was the Annenberg Center’s first fully-programmed season under his leadership. Gruits’ vision returns the Annenberg Center to its roots as Philadelphia’s premier curator of innovative and groundbreaking programs, presenter of sought-after debut artists, and champion of multifaceted collaborations. A signature of his leadership is the cultivation of partnerships across the community, reflecting the Annenberg Center’s commitment to serving the University of Pennsylvania, the West Philadelphia neighborhood in which the Annenberg Center resides, and the Greater Philadelphia region. Gruits is the former Vice President and Executive Producer of Presentations, the programming and arts broadcasting division of Interlochen Center for the Arts. Previously, he was Director of e-Strategy at Carnegie Hall and Commercial Director for DilettanteMusic.com, the web's first and largest social music network for classical musicians and listeners. He began his career at the Seattle Symphony. Gruits holds a bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary humanities with a concentration in arts management from Michigan State University, and a master's in business administration with a focus on strategy from the University of Edinburgh.

ABOUT NEXTMOVE DANCE
NextMove Dance Artistic Director Randy Swartz created the first annual dance series in Philadelphia at the Walnut Street Theatre in 1970. In 1983, he launched the Dance Celebration series at the Annenberg Center for a 32-year run and initiated a new annual series at the Prince Theater in October 2015. Dance Affiliates, renamed NextMove Dance, is recognized as one of the nation’s finest dance presenters. Known internationally for award-winning presentations for almost four decades, NextMove Dance provides a wealth of opportunities for the Delaware Valley community to interact with the artists through talk-backs, master classes, artistic collaborations, workshops, children’s programs and much more. Visit www.nextmovedance.org.

ABOUT THE ANNENBERG CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
The Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts serves as a major cultural destination and crossroads connecting Penn and the greater Philadelphia region through innovative human expression in theatre, music, dance, and film, serving an annual audience of almost 50,000. The Annenberg Center also serves as a key resource for the arts at Penn, connecting master artists with Penn students in support of and as an enhancement to the arts curriculum. Student performing arts groups are also key users of the Annenberg Center’s multiple performance and rehearsal spaces, while also staffing many operational roles throughout the academic year. In reflection of Penn’s core values as a world-respected academic institution, the Annenberg Center emphasizes artistic and intellectual excellence, diversity, and rigor in its presentations; prioritizes broad inclusiveness in the artists, audiences, and groups it serves; manages outstanding performance, conference, and meeting facilities; and stresses comprehensive event planning, production support, and customer service. The Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts is a major provider of performing arts access for school children and actively engages a broad range of primary, secondary, and post-secondary student audiences and inclusive constituencies from the campus, community, and greater Philadelphia region. Visit www.AnnenbergCenter.org.

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