CENTER SHINES A SPOTLIGHT ON ARTS FROM DOWN UNDER

Posted: March 22, 2012

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts showcases
dance, theater, film and more from Australia and New Zealand!

OrigiNation: A Festival of Native Cultures
April 14–15, 2012
Saturday and Sunday, Noon to 4 p.m. (Outdoors)
Free Admission

Chunky Move: Connected
Friday and Saturday, April 6–7, 2012, 8 p.m.
Tickets: $29, $39

Discovery Series Film: Crooked Earth
Friday, April 13, 2012, 8 p.m.
Tickets $10

Marrugeku: Buru
Saturday, April 14, 2012
2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Tickets: $29, $39

(SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.) – As part of its year-long Discovery Series exploring the arts of Australia and New Zealand, Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts will present OrigiNation: A Festival of Native Cultures on April 14–15. The free, weekend-long outdoor celebration is offered in conjunction with the 10th anniversary of Native Trails and the 25th anniversary of Sunday A’Fair, with support from Scottsdale Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Exploring the arts and native cultures of Arizona, Australia and New Zealand, OrigiNation will take place on the grounds outside Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts on the afternoons of Saturday and Sunday, April 14–15, from noon to 4 p.m. The Festival will kick off on Saturday with a special Native Trails performance, featuring traditional Native American music and dance, followed by guitarist Aussie Jim Gregory and a dance show by the Kilali Polynesian Revue. The Living Traditions Dance Troupe and Big Nick and the Gila Monsters will perform on Sunday.

OrigiNation also will offer the opportunity to learn about native life in Arizona, Australia and New Zealand through music, song, dance, storytelling and more. Visitors will enjoy an arts and crafts market; creative projects for kids and families; cultural demonstrations and displays in the OrigiNation Learning Village, including video shorts in Stage 2 and an exhibition from the Cairns Photographic Society of Queensland, Australia; and delicious native-inspired foods and beverages.

DISCOVERY SERIES EVENTS
As part of Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts’ Discovery Series, the acclaimed Australian dance troupe Chunky Move will perform Connected on Friday and Saturday, April 6–7, at 8 p.m. This innovative new work features dancers tethered to undulating kinetic sculptures constructed from wood, re-cycled plastic, paper and steel that float above the stage. Tickets to Chunky Move are $29–$39 and include a pre-show talk and Q&A with Artistic Director Gideon Obarzanek on Saturday, April 7, at 6:30 p.m. in SMoCA Lounge.

On Friday, April 13, at 8 p.m., award-winning director Sam Pillsbury will screen and discuss his film Crooked Earth, starring Temuera Morrison as a former army captain wrestling with the traditions of his Maori culture. Crooked Earth is presented in partnership with Scottsdale International Film Festival. Tickets are $10.

On Saturday, April 14, at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., the Australian dance-theater company Marrugeku will perform Buru, an exploration of the past, present and future of indigenous cultures. Inspired by the seasons of Western Australia’s Yawuru people, Buru blends hip-hop, stilt dancing and storytelling with original songs and music reflecting life for young people in the community of Broome. Tickets to Marrugeku are $29–$39 and include a pre-show talk with the cast at 7 p.m.

Additional information and tickets are available online at www.ScottsdalePerformingArts.org or through the Patron Services Box Office at (480) 499-TKTS (8587). Admission to the OrigiNation Festival on April 13–14 is free and does not require a ticket.

The Discovery Series is made possible in part by a grant from the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust.

Chunky Move’s performance is funded in part by the National Dance Project of the New England Foundation for the Arts. NDP is supported by lead funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, with additional funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Community Connections Fund of the MetLife Foundation, and the Boeing Company Charitable Trust.

LOCATION AND PARKING
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts is located at 7380 E. Second St. in downtown Scottsdale, four blocks south of Indian School Road and three blocks east of Scottsdale Road. Free parking is available in the public parking garage located to the west of Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts on Wells Fargo Avenue. Additional free parking is available at the Old Town Parking Corral at East Second Street and Brown Avenue and at the Civic Center Library parking garage located on Drinkwater Boulevard at East Second Street.

ACCESSIBILITY
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts offers performance accommodations to enhance audience members’ experience, including: American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation or live audio description with two weeks advance notice. Assistive-listening devices and wheelchair seating are always available. Visit www.ScottsdalePerformingArts.org or contact the Patron Services Box Office at (480) 499-TKTS (8587) [TDD: (480) 874-4694] for further details. Please inquire about services when ordering tickets.

GROUP DISCOUNTS
Attend with family and friends, or bring a group from your business, civic or religious organization. Save $4 per ticket and at least $27.50 in handling fees when purchasing 15 or more tickets to the same event (subject to availability; some restrictions apply). Instead of $2.50 per single ticket, the facility fee is only $10 total for group orders.

THE STORE
The Store @ Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts offers a unique selection of art-related merchandise, including handmade jewelry, imaginative toys, decorative objects from around the world, original furnishings for the home and office and music, books and greeting cards. Members receive a 10-percent discount, and gift-wrapping and shipping also are available. Purchases are tax-free and support the programs of Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts. The Store is open seven days a week: Monday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Sunday, noon – 5 p.m.; and throughout most evening performances (30 minutes after final curtain). Phone: (480) 874-4644.

SCOTTSDALE CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
One of the premier performing-arts halls in the western United States, Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts showcases a diverse season of dance, jazz, classical and world music, theater and film from around the world. More than 1,000 performances, educational programs, festivals and other events are presented and hosted at The Center each year serving 200,000+ visitors and contributing substantially to Scottsdale’s high quality of life and vibrant arts scene. The Center’s education and outreach programs reach more than 20,000 children and adults each year. Most performances take place in the state-of-the-art, 853-seat Virginia G. Piper Theater, recognized for its intimacy, superior acoustics and comfort. Additional venues include the 137-seat Stage 2 theater and neighboring 2,000-capacity Scottsdale Civic Center Amphitheater. Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts is located on a beautifully landscaped, 21-acre urban park, a short walk from Scottsdale’s Old Town and gallery districts.

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (SMoCA) and Scottsdale Public Art are managed by the nonprofit Scottsdale Cultural Council.

HOW TO REACH US
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts
7380 E. Second St.
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
Patron Services Box Office: (480) 499-TKTS (8587)
TDD: (480) 874-4694
Web: www.ScottsdalePerformingArts.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ScottsdalePerformingArts
Twitter: www.Twitter.com/ScottsdaleArts
Email: info@sccarts.org
Fax: (480) 874-4699

MEDIA CONTACT
Bill Thompson
Public Relations Manager
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts
Phone: (480) 874-4626
Email: billt@sccarts.org