Great Performances at Vanderbilt Announces Its 38th Year Offering Continuing to Stay Current with International Trends

Nashville, TN - Great Performances at Vanderbilt University continues to keep the Mid-South current with the world’s international performing trends in its 38^th year offering. This season brings a four-event lineup that offers invigorating, soul-stirring spectacle while touching upon current political and social issues . Known as New York’s greatest talent in the Obama Age, dancer Kyle Abraham/Abraham.In.Motion opens the season, September 21 with LIVE! THE REALEST MC. The work contains provocative movement and visually investigates gender roles and societal perspectives on a quest for acceptance in the world of hip hop celebrity.

The former Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane dance company member compliments the FRIST Center for the Visual Arts (www.fristcenter.org) retrospective of Carrie Mae Weems: Three Decades of Photography and Video as Great Performances pioneers performance in the FRIST Ingram Gallery, Saturday September 22.  Abraham performs a solo as an addition to Carrie Mae Weems’ opening exhibit activities.  The solo will be followed by a conversation touching upon some of the socially motivated ideas found in Carrie Mae Weems’ artwork.

The full season line up listed below:

Friday, September 21-Ingram Hall. Kyle Abraham/Abraham.In.Motion, LIVE! The Realest MC

“it’s smart and self aware, and luscious too:  the complete package.”  -The New York Times

Saturday, September 22-FRIST Center for the Visual Arts, Ingram Gallery Happening-Join Kyle Abraham in a solo as he pays tribute to Carrie Mae Weems: Three Decades of Photography and Video followed by a conversation with Bridgette Kohnhorst of Great Performances touching upon issues of class, identity, and stereotypes –parallel themes in both Abraham and Weems’ artwork.
www.fristcenter.org

Friday, October 12-Ingram Hall. New York City based La Excelencia,known as “The Next Generation of Salsa Dura,” follows with an 11-piece orchestra devoted to heavy percussion and free flowing brass to keep salsa dancers on their feet with social conscious lyrics.

“La Excelencia’s tough sound and socially conscious lyrics have led traditionalists to regard the group as outside the salsa mainstream…and the real deal.” -The New York Times

Friday, February 1- Langford Auditorium. Renowned Austin based theatre company, The Rude Mechanicals explore sex, death, and violence through a genre-defying cocktail of big ideas, cheap laughs, and dizzying spectacle in the work, The Method Gun.

“ Charming…gorgeously rendered…both stunning and haunting.” – American Theater

Thursday, April 4-Student Life Center. The year closes with Australian native, CIRCA, a contemporary circus exploring bodily extremes through acrobatics and movement.

“…so knee-trembling sexy, beautiful, and moving.”  – The Guardian, U.K.

Subscription packages for the Great Performances series are currently on sale at Sarratt Student Center, 615.322.4230 and at www.vanderbilt.edu/greatperformances. Packages range from $120-$136 with recommended purchase date before Sept. 1.  Single tickets available after September 7 and at www.ticketmaster.com. Single tickets range from $30 to $40. Vanderbilt students and staff receive discounted rates with deep subscription savings at the Sarratt Box Office. Tickets for non-Vanderbilt students are $10 with identification at Ticketmaster outlets and at www.ticketmaster.com and at the box office.

Call (615) 322-4230 for tickets and subscriptions and (615) 322-2471 for renewals and season details.