The Hope College Great Performance Series will feature Deeply Rooted Dance Theater on Thursday and Friday, Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, at 7:30 p.m. at the Knickerbocker Theatre in downtown Holland.
Based in Chicago, Ill., the company draws on nationally renowned choreographers focusing on the African-American tradition of dance. The company is known for its energetic performances, and its pieces often delve into current social issues.
The "Chicago Sun Times" has said, "[Deeply Rooted is] the city's answer to the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, yet with a profile very much its own... spiritual fervor, physical prowess, and sheer, unalloyed joy in movement."
Kevin Iega Jeff and Gary Abbott founded Deeply Rooted Productions in 1995 as a world-class professional dance entity and a vehicle for personal growth and self-actualization through the medium of dance. As a culturally specific performing arts organization, DRDT, the professional dance company of Deeply Rooted Productions, creates and performs choreography based on African-American traditions of storytelling and universal themes in a contemporary modern dance style that is accessible and unforgettable, reflecting powerful humanity and emotion.
"We're blessed to have people in our lives who support our talents, dreams and aspirations, unsung heroes who help to make us possible," Jeff said. "There are also heroes we each admire from afar, 'sung' heroes loved the world over. These powerfully rooted and intuitive connections help shape Deeply Rooted's process and remain vital to ensuring our sustainability. I Am Deeply Rooted is a celebration of that intimately rich continuum."
The Deeply Rooted Dance Theater performances are supported by the Performing Arts Fund, a program of Arts Midwest funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes that a great nation deserves great art, with additional contributions from Michigan Council for Arts & Cultural Affairs, General Mills Foundation, and Land O'Lakes Foundation.
Individual tickets are $18 for regular admission, $13 for senior citizens, and $6 for children 18 and under, and are available at the ticket office in the main lobby of the DeVos Fieldhouse.
Season tickets are also available for the 2010-11 series, which will feature six visiting performing groups between September and March. Season subscriptions are $63 for adults, $50 for senior citizens and $140 for a family (no matter how many children). The subscriptions are such a savings that they are equivalent to seeing two shows for free.
Both individual tickets and season subscriptions are available at the ticket office in the main lobby of the DeVos Fieldhouse, which is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and may be called at (616) 395-7890.
The DeVos Fieldhouse is located at 222 Fairbanks Ave., between Ninth and 11th streets. The Knickerbocker Theatre is located at 86 E. Eighth St.
Additional information about Deeply Rooted Dance Theater may be obtained online by visiting www.deeplyrootedproductions.org or www.hope.edu/gps.