CHICAGO-BASED RHYTHMIC PERFORMANCE ENSEMBLE DRUMS UP A RAUCOUS BREAK FROM THE HECTIC HOLIDAY SEASON

Be the Groove presents WINTER BREAK DOWN (Louder Than Your Christmas Sweater)

Chicago, IL – Be the Groove, Chicago’s revered rhythmic performance ensemble, is excited to announce their newest production WINTER BREAK DOWN (Louder Than Your Christmas Sweater) opening on December 9, 2011 at Center on Halsted’s Hoover Leppen Theatre and closing on December 18, 2011. The company will be joined by dynamic tap dance ensemble M.A.D.D. Rhythms (maddrhythms.com) on December 9 and 10 and the explosive Chicago Dance Crash (chicagodancecrash.com) on December 16 and 17.

This will be the third independently staged production since Be the Groove’s inception, following the debut of Embrace the Fire in 2008 (“Creativity, stage presence, tremendous energy, and bravura chops, too.” — Tony Adler, Chicago Reader) and 2010’s heralded Winter Showcase (“…loud, pounding and incessant, but finely detailed, too.” — Sid Smith, Chicago Tribune).

A special “industry night” performance will take place on Wednesday, December 14th, and families with children of all ages will be encouraged to attend the Sunday performances on December 11th and 18th, drawing in part from Be the Groove’s broad base of young audiences stemming from their outreach and educational programs throughout the Chicago area.

WINTER BREAK DOWN (Louder Than Your Christmas Sweater) is the perfect break from a hectic holiday season. An engaging mix of rhythmic dance, percussion, and theater, this show features classic BTG repertoire and several exciting new works. Staples like Pulse and Pole Talk will contextualize re-stagings of innovative regulars such as 4×4 and Easy As, providing a fundamental platform for adventurous new pieces, all written by members of the ensemble.  Debuts include Listen, a quirky look at how our busy lives often cause us to overlook what’s right in front of our ears, and the chaos that happens when we give into the human desire to connect. Please Don’t Go uses energetic and precise rhythmic choreography to examine and develop the sounds of a pop music track. Catch Fire is written by Artistic Director Stephanie Paul and Kevin Brown, and brings the full ensemble onstage for Winter Break Down’s rousing finale.

About Be the Groove:

Be the Groove is a rhythmic performance ensemble that believes rhythm is not just a beat—rhythm is a mode of expression. This Chicago based group fuses a variety of movement, percussion, and rhythmic techniques to create a unique style of its own. Through high-energy performances and a strong commitment to education, Be the Groove seeks to share its love of rhythm with people everywhere.

Formed in 2006 by Artistic Director Stephanie Paul and founding Executive Director Davora Sides, Be the Groove has quickly established a reputation for entertaining audiences in the Chicago dance and arts community.  The ensemble has performed at such venues as Millenium Park’s Pritzker Pavilion, Harris Theater, Ravinia, Old Town School of Folk Music, and festivals including, Dance Chicago, Taste of Chicago and the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival. In addition to these public celebrations, throughout the year Be the Groove can be spotted locally at various schools, dance studios and camps engaging audiences of all ages with interactive performances and educational workshops that meld percussion and movement.

Contact:
Jason Hanggi
Director of Operations, Be the Groove Productions
www.bethegroove.com
jason.hanggi@bethegroove.com
847-867-7046

Saturday, August 13 – 6:00 & 8:00pm
Sunday, August 14 – 6:00 & 8:00pm

Click here to view the embedded video.

Buy your tickets now!

“loud, pounding and incessant, but finely detailed, too”

“try, when you go, to stop yourself from jumping up and joining the fun. It won’t be easy.”

Read the full review…

Click here to view the embedded video.

Music. Movement. Rhythm. Just a few things on the menu for Be the Groove’s Winter Showcase this December. In addition to the fierce, precise drumming and full-bodied, dynamic choreography you’ve come to expect from Be the Groove, the company’s Winter Showcase will feature the ensemble debuting some exciting new material as well as refining many of their classic pieces.

This intimate program is a unique opportunity to catch the group honing audience favorites from the company’s past four years, while also exploring new, less familiar territories of emotional expression: communal joy, ritual, and isolation. All works in this exclusive show are written and choreographed by Be the Groove company members.

The Friday and Sunday evening performances will be followed by a post-performance talkback with members of the cast.

Fasseas White Box @ the Drucker Center
Menomonee Club for Boys & Girls
1535 N Dayton St.
Chicago, IL 60642

CHICAGO-BASED RHYTHMIC PERFORMANCE ENSEMBLE DEBUTS NEW WORK
AND HONES AUDIENCE FAVORITES
Be the Groove presents their Winter Showcase this December

Chicago, IL — Music. Movement. Rhythm. Just a few things on the menu for Be the Groove’s Winter Showcase this December. In addition to the fierce, precise drumming and full-bodied, dynamic choreography you’ve come to expect from Be the Groove, the company’s Winter Showcase will feature the ensemble debuting some exciting new material as well as refining many of their classic pieces.

This intimate program is a unique opportunity to catch the group honing audience favorites from the company’s past four years, while also exploring new, less familiar territories of emotional expression: communal joy, ritual, and isolation. All works in this exclusive show are written and choreographed by Be the Groove company members.

Come enjoy this showcase of drumming, dance, and rhythm Friday, December 3rd at 8pm and Sunday, December 5 at 4pm and 7pm at the Fasseas White Box Theater at the Drucker Center, 1535 N Dayton in Chicago. Tickets are on sale now through Brown Paper Tickets.

The Friday and Sunday evening performances will be followed by a post-performance talkback with members of the cast.

In their four years as an ensemble, the members of Be the Groove have established themselves as a potent force in Chicago’s dance, music, and performing arts scenes. They have impressed audiences at such diverse and popular venues as Millenium Park, Ravinia, the Old Town School of Folk Music, Navy Pier, and McCormick Place. The Chicago Tribune called Be the Groove “A percussive firestorm” and said, “Their bodily choreography … is as entertaining as their relentless rhythms.” The Chicago Reader said, Be the Groove has “Creativity, stage presence, tremendous energy, and bravura chops, too.”

The ensemble recently won Chicago Human Rhythm Project’s Virtual Rhythms competition with their piece “Breath” (http://vimeo.com/13752185) and was just featured on WTTW’s Fear No ART. http://fearnoartchicago.com/be-the-groove/

About Be the Groove:

Be the Groove is a rhythmic performance ensemble that believes rhythm is not just a beat—rhythm is a mode of expression. This Chicago based group fuses a variety of movement, percussion, and rhythmic techniques to create a unique style of its own. Through high-energy performances and a strong commitment to education, Be the Grooveseeks to share its love of rhythm with people everywhere.

Formed in 2006 by Artistic Director Stephanie Paul and founding Executive Director Davora Sides, Be the Groove has quickly established a reputation for entertaining audiences in the Chicago dance and arts community.  The ensemble has performed at such venues as Millenium Park’s Pritzker Pavilion, Harris Theater, Ravinia, Old Town School of Folk Music, and festivals including, Dance Chicago, Taste of Chicago and the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival. In addition to these public celebrations, throughout the year Be the Groove can be spotted locally at various schools, dance studios and camps engaging audiences of all ages with interactive performances and educational workshops that meld percussion and movement.

Contact:
Jason Hanggi
Director of Operations, Be the Groove Productions
www.bethegroove.com
jason.hanggi@bethegroove.com

Click here to view the embedded video.

You can support Be the Groove & our good friends at the Evanston Dance Ensemble while experiencing the finest in global percussive arts Thanksgiving weekend. This series of shows celebrates the culmination of Chicago Human Rhythm Project’s 20th Anniversary season by featuring earth-shaking percussive arts ensembles from around Chicago, the nation, and the world!

Mention code “CHRP-BTGEDE” and GLOBAL RHYTHMS will donate 50% of your ticket purchase directly to Be the Groove & Evanston Dance Ensemble while you and your friends and family enjoy a spectacular cultural event November 26 at the Harris Theater in Millennium Park. You will also receive 10% off of your ticket price!

Tickets are $15 – $55 and remember when you make your ticket purchase by phone, online, or at the Harris Theater Box Office, you receive 10% off of the purchase price and 50% of your ticket will directly support us and the Evanston Dance Ensemble!

Thank you for your generous support and enjoy the show!

Buy Tickets. Use code “CHRP-BTGEDE” when ordering. When you use that code, you’ll receive 10% off your ticket price AND also share 50% of your purchase price with Be the Groove and our good friends at the Evanston Dance Ensemble.

More information on our performances page…