Kupferberg Center for the Arts at Queens College announces an evening of dance and live music in celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the CUNY Dance Initiative. On Saturday, November 16, 2024 at 7 PM, LeFrak Concert Hall will resonate with the rhythms of two alumni of this groundbreaking residency program: Los Ricos and Afro Latin Soul. Tickets are $30 with no additional fees and can be purchased at https://kupferbergcenter.org/event/los-ricos-afro-latin-soul/. LeFrak Concert Hall is located at 65-30 Kissena Blvd, Flushing, NY, 11367.

The CUNY Dance Initiative (CDI), which is spearheaded by the Kupferberg Center for the Arts at Queens College, is an expansive residency program for NYC choreographers at 13 CUNY colleges across all five boroughs. The double-bill on November 16th highlights two remarkable alumni of the program: Los Ricos, featuring flamenco powerhouses Sonia Olla & Ismael Fernández, and Afro-Latin Soul, featuring Sekou McMiller & Friends, a force in the Afro Latin dance movement.

Both companies will perform excerpts of work created during their past CDI residencies. Sekou McMiller & Friends will present Afro Latin Soul, an exuberant exploration of the Jazz and African roots of salsa dance and music, developed during the company’s 2023-24 residency at LaGuardia Community College. Sonia Olla & Ismael Fernández will reprise the “palmas” section from ELLA, created during a 2018 residency at Queens College.

“We are excited to step out of our ‘admin’ role with CDI and into our ‘presenter’ one for CDI’s 10th anniversary show,” says Jon Yanofsky, Director of the Kupferberg Center for the Arts. “With this double-bill performance, we’re spotlighting two of the talented 247 New York City choreographers CDI has supported over the past decade. We’re proud to be a part of this ground-breaking initiative on both sides of the stage!”

Los Ricos, featuring Sonia Olla & Ismael Fernández, are known for bridging the culture of traditional Flamenco dance with contemporary global influences. Sonia, originally from Barcelona where she earned her degree at the Instituto de Teatro y Danza, has been hailed by The New York Times as “a furnace of earthy sensuality.” Ismael has been described by The Washington Post as the “most charismatic performer” and praised for his “connection to the Gypsy source.” Ismael grew up performing in flamenco festivals throughout the world with his internationally renowned family, La Familia Fernández. Sonia and Ismael’s approach to the art form does not stop at its traditional roots: the couple was tapped by the pop-icon Madonna to choreograph the worldwide “Rebel Heart Tour” (2015-2016), with Ismael providing vocals. They also provided the same for Ricky Martin for the “Lola Lola” Flamenco choreography in his Las Vegas concert All In!

Sekou McMiller is a pioneer at the forefront of a new movement in Afro Latin dance. His choreographic style, rich with Afro-Caribbean essence – salsa/mambo, cha-cha-cha, rumba, and Yorubá – combined with urban dance, modern, jazz, and contemporary styles, has earned him recognition worldwide. Sekou’s career ranges from performing off-Broadway in Celia: the Musical and Afro-Tango, to choreographing for Bravo TV, NUVO TV and Good Morning America. Known for his explosive energy on and off stage, he has worked with top artists including Gilberto Santa Rosa, Willie Colón, Cheo Feliciano, Johnny Pacheco, Tito Rojas, Tito Nieves, Pit Bull, and pop icon Madonna. As an instructor and choreographer, Sekou has worked with the Radio City Rockettes, The Alvin Ailey School and Joffrey Ballet School. McMiller appears in the Warner Bros. theatrical feature In the Heights and in the newly released documentary Uprooted: The Journey of Jazz Dance. In addition, he was a special guest performer/ choreographer for the United Nations Unveiling of the Monument the Ark of Return, which honors the victims of Slavery and lives lost through the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade.

In 2024, CUNY Dance Initiative (CDI) marks a decade of supporting the NYC dance field by connecting artists with CUNY communities. The program was developed in response to the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation’s 2010 report, “We Make Do,” which cited how destabilizing the shortage of affordable rehearsal space in New York City is to the dance sector. A successful pilot supporting residencies on four CUNY campuses in 2013 led to CDI’s formal launch in 2014. Since then, CDI has become key player in New York City’s performing arts ecosystem, leading a consortium of 13 CUNY colleges and three arts organizations to host 20+ residencies for NYC choreographers and dance companies each year. In the past 10 years, CDI has granted 247 residencies to emerging and established choreographers, providing invaluable resources to artists, while enhancing CUNY students’ education and cultural experiences. The CUNY Dance Initiative’s 10th Year Impact Report can be seen at https://www1.cuny.edu/sites/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2024/01/cdi_impact_report.pdf.

The CUNY Dance Initiative receives major support from the Howard Gilman Foundation and the Mertz Gilmore Foundation. Additional support is provided by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund’s Charles E. Culpeper Arts & Culture program, SHS Foundation, Harkness Foundation for Dance, and the National Endowment for the Arts. www.cuny.edu/danceinitiative

Kupferberg Center for the Arts (KCA) is the largest multi-disciplinary arts complex in Queens. We present world-class artists in our on-campus venues, showcase regional talents in our off-site neighborhood performances, and produce professional shows by Queens College students and faculty.

The mission of Kupferberg Center for the Arts (KCA) is to provide high quality accessible and affordable cultural attractions to the Queens College community and the borough’s 2.4 million residents. The largest indoor year-round multi-disciplinary arts entity in the borough, KCA features world class artists and performances at its main stage campus venues and showcases the talents of emerging and regional artists in off-site, neighborhood settings. A leader in the cultural landscape of Queens, KCA connects residents of the most ethnically diverse region of the nation to their unique cultural heritages, showcasing these arts to a broader audience and highlighting the contributions each makes to the distinct nature of our campus and community.

KCA was created in 2006 to honor alumnus Max Kupferberg for his $10 million gift to the College in support of the arts. KCA is charged with marketing cultural events, developing cross-disciplinary collaborations among the arts units and between the arts units and off-campus partners, raising funds, and working with an Arts Advisory Board comprised of academic and community stakeholders. Every year since 1961, Kupferberg Center (formerly Colden Center for the Performing Arts) has presented public programs for all ages on and off the campus of Queens College, which serve thousands of people from throughout the borough and region. https://kupferbergcenter.org/

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