Dallas (June 6, 2009) – TITAS, in association with the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts, announced today its 2009-2010 Season of Extraordinary Music & Dance that will be featured in the new Center’s Inaugural Season lineup. The TITAS season spans music and dance styles and talent from around the world, including music greats Philip Glass Dracula Live!, A Celebration of Bossa Nova featuring Oscar Castro-Neves and Friends, Portugal’s famed Fado songstress Mariza, Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR) and the Soweto Gospel Choir. The 2009-2010 lineup also showcases the Parsons Dance Company and East Village Opera Company in a unique collaboration, as well as the renowned Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, Dominic Walsh Dance Company and Mark Morris Dance Company. In two special additions, the TITAS season will also feature one of the world’s most famous tenors José Carreras in Concert, and the spectacular annual Command Performance gala.

TITAS audiences will experience a new era as the primary season moves to the state-of-the art performance spaces at the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts, which opens October 12 – 18, 2009.  The $354 million arts and entertainment center located in the Dallas Arts District is designed for an unparalleled visitor experience and is the most anticipated new performing arts center in more than a generation.

Executive Director Charles Santos said, “For more than 26 years, TITAS has consistently brought an eclectic mix of the world’s greatest musicians and dancers to North Texas audiences. Not only do we continue in this tradition for the 2009-2010 season, but, as we move to the incomparable Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts, this season promises to be one of the most exciting in TITAS’ history.”

In addition to presenting extraordinary music and dance, a critical part of TITAS’ mission is to further arts education in North Texas schools and throughout the community. Many of the performers from the 2009-2010 season will make appearances in local schools providing unique and direct cultural learning experiences.  Throughout the season, thousands of audience members participate in post-performance Question and Answer sessions with the artists and aspiring young artists participate in rare master classes with the internationally renowned artists TITAS brings to Dallas.

The 2009-2010 TITAS season features three winners of the MacArthur Fellows Program, or “Genius Award”: Philip Glass, Bill T. Jones and Mark Morris. The Genius Awards are granted each year to United Stated citizens or residents who “show exceptional merit and promise for continued and enhanced creative work.”

The 2009-2010 season will feature five music and five dance events, as well as two add-on specials: José Carreras in Concert and the Command Performance, which has become one of the most compelling annual dance events in Dallas. Season subscriptions are available now by calling the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts Box Office at 214.880.0202 or online at www.dallasperformingarts.org. Subscription packages begin at just $85 for five music or dance events, or as little as $160 for all ten music and dance events. In addition, TITAS offers Taste of TITAS, a subscription option in which patrons can build their own TITAS experience by selecting between five and nine dance or music events, not including Special Events.
Season sponsors for the 2009-2010 season are Heritage Auction Galleries, Radisson Central Dallas, TACA, Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs and American Airlines.

2009-2010 TITAS MUSIC SERIES:

PHILIP GLASS DRACULA LIVE! (Dallas Debut)
Saturday, October 24, 2009 at 8:00 p.m.

The Philip Glass Ensemble performs the first original score for the Universal Pictures 1931 horror film classic Dracula, starring Béla Lugosi. Glass's score marks the first-ever for a film, which the composer himself considers a classic. "Many films have been made based on Dracula since the original in 1931 - however, none is equal to the original in eloquence or the sheer power to move us." There have in fact been many screen versions of Bram Stoker's classic tale of Dracula, but none more famous or enduring than the 1931 original. Starring Béla Lugosi as the world's best-known vampire and directed by horror specialist Tod Browning, Universal Studios' Dracula creates an eerie, chilling mood that has rarely been realized since. Dracula's initial theatrical release coincided with the transition from silent pictures to "talkies." At that time limited technology existed to present the film as a sound picture, so no musical score was ever composed and there were few sound effects. Browning relied on Lugosi's legendary Hungarian accent to give the film its distinctive sound.

BOSSA NOVA: CELEBRATING THE FIRST 50 YEARS (Dallas Debut)
Featuring Oscar Castro-Neves and Friends
Tuesday, November 10, 2009 at 8:00 p.m.

Castro-Neves is the artistic director and featured performer for this musical celebration of one of the world’s most beloved musical styles.  Featuring many of Antonio Carlos Jobim’s classic songs as well as songs influenced by Bossa Nova, this evening of rich cultural music has mesmerized audiences around the globe. Castro-Neves will assemble a six piece all-star ensemble of musicians including Don Grusin, Alex Acuna, Abe Laboriel, Gary Meek and Charlie Bisharat.
Along with Jobim and João Gilberto, Oscar Castro-Neves emerged in the early 1960s as one of the founding figures of the Bossa Nova movement. In 1962, a year before "Girl From Ipanema" became a Top 10 hit, he helped lead the Bossa Nova invasion of the U.S., playing a central role as a performer and accompanist for other noted Brazilian musicians at the historic presentation of Brazil's new music at Carnegie Hall. In 1971 he made Los Angeles his permanent home, joining Sergio Mendes' Brazil '66 group.  This promises to be a new TITAS favorite event.


PORTUGAL’S MARIZA IN CONCERT
Sunday, November 15, 2009 at 8:00 p.m.

Returning to Dallas for another TITAS performance, the dynamic and ethereal Portuguese singer Mariza brings the unique sound of Fado to North Texas audiences. Compared to the American Blues, the haunting sound of Fado is a Portuguese genre, and Mariza is its most famous performer. In appreciation for her worldwide efforts on behalf of the Portuguese culture, Mariza has been nominated Ambassador for the Portuguese Tourism Institut. She was also the first Portuguese artist to be nominated for the Grammy Awards for the “Concerto em Lisboa,” nominated by the Latin Academy of Recording & Sciences for best folk album.


DBR (DANIEL BERNARD ROUMAIN) IN CONCERT (Dallas Debut)
Darwin’s Meditation for The People of Lincoln
Thursday, February 25, 2010 at 8:00 p.m.

Having carved a reputation for himself as an innovative composer, performer, violinist and band leader, Haitian-American artist Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR) melds his classical music roots with his own cultural references and vibrant musical imagination. As a composer, his works range from orchestral scores and chamber pieces to music for film, the theater, modern dance and electronica. His latest orchestral work, which will be performed in Dallas, was commissioned by the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Darwin’s Meditation for The People of Lincoln is a musical setting of a pocket play by Daniel Beaty that explores an imagined conversation between Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln, and the political relationship between England, North America and Haiti. This performance will be in collaboration with a local ensemble of musicians performing with DBR and guests.


SOWETO GOSPEL CHOIR (Dallas Debut)
Sunday, March 21, 2010 at 8:00 p.m.

Performing in Dallas for the first time, South Africa’s Soweto Gospel Choir brings earthy rhythms, rich harmonies and a capella works, as well as accompaniment by an exciting four-piece band and percussion section. Added to the mix are energetic dancing and vibrant, colorful costumes reflective of the rich South African Culture. This young dynamic choir performs both traditional and contemporary music, adding its own unique feel and interpretation to both. The choir performs in six of South Africa’s 11 official languages. The magnificent 52-member choir, styled with a contemporary feel, leaves all who hear it stunned with emotion. It is no small wonder that they are charting a meteoric rise to international fame. Those that saw the “46664 Concert” in Cape Town 2003, under the auspices of former President Nelson Mandela, witnessed Soweto Gospel Choir in action alongside other musical greats like Bono, Queen, Anastacia, Peter Gabriel, Jimmy Cliff and the Eurythmics.



2009-2010 TITAS DANCE SERIES:

PARSONS DANCE COMPANY/EAST VILLAGE OPERA COMPANY COLLABORATION – Remember Me
Friday, October 9 and Saturday, October 10, 2009 at 8:00 p.m. at McFarlin Auditorium Theater

Remember Me is a full-evening collaboration featuring internationally renowned Parsons Dance Company and the lead vocalists of the Grammy-nominated rock opera group, East Village Opera Company.  Combining contemporary dance, live and recorded rock music, a multimedia design including enriched digital lighting, special effects and projections, Remember Me is an original and dynamic performance experience that will have audiences leaping to their feet.  Remember Me will be featured on PBS’ Great Performances in fall 2009.  Don’t miss this high-impact program for music and dance audiences, featuring two TITAS favorites.

COMPLEXIONS CONTEMPORARY BALLET
(FEATURING DESMOND RICHARDSON AND SPECIAL GUEST RASTA THOMAS)
Thursday, October 29 and Friday, October 30, 2009 at 8:00 p.m.

Overflowing with power and speed, Complexions embraces diversity with 16 dancers of different ethnic and dance backgrounds as well as with its range of dazzling work encompassing everything from big, dynamic ensembles to poignant duets and solos. Complexions was founded by Desmond Richardson and Dwight Rhoden, two former stars with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.  The New York Times has called Richardson "one of the great modern dancers of our time," and Rhoden "one of the most sought-out choreographers of the day.”  Complexions will make its Dallas Center for the Performing Arts debut with a spellbinding program that merges ballet, contemporary dance, jazz and hip-hop into one thrilling experience. This special performance features renowned dancer and founder of The Bad Boys of Dance, Rasta Thomas, as well as Complexions new work to the music of U2.


BILL T. JONES/ARNIE ZANE DANCE COMPANY
Serenade/The Proposition
Friday, January 8 and Saturday, January 9, 2010 at 8:00 p.m.

The Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company is currently celebrating its 25th Anniversary season. The Company was founded after 11 years of collaboration during which Bill T. Jones and Arnie Zane (1948 - 1988) redefined the duet form and foreshadowed issues of identity, form and social commentary that would change the face of American dance. The company will perform Serenade/The Proposition, a lively, colorful rumination on the nature of history, and the first work in Jones’ choreography celebrating Abraham Lincoln. Video projections fill an iconic set of movable columns that evoke the architecture of history: the White House, the Parthenon, or the ballroom of an elegant plantation parlor. The spare staging is filled by a cast of fierce dancers in beautifully deconstructed costumes performing flowing movement that assembles into moments of still portrait-like postcards from the past. The original score draws from Mozart’s Requiem, Battle Hymn of the Republic and Dixie to create a contemporary, playful musical collage for cello, piano and soprano. Bill T. Jones, a MacArthur “Genius” Award Recipient, is considered one of the world’s most important and influential choreographers.  Always thought provoking, this evening promises to be a highlight of the TITAS season.




DOMINIC WALSH DANCE COMPANY
Wednesday, March 17 and Thursday, March 18, 2010 at 8:00 p.m.

Dominic Walsh Dance Company, considered a “Rising Star” company, comes to the TITAS season for the first time. A former Houston Ballet dancer, Dominic Walsh has attracted some of the world’s most promising artists.  His reputation for the highest standards in performance, choreography and technique, along with his spirit of exploration have earned this young company national and international accolades. The company is comprised of six to eight individually unique, classically-trained dancers from Italy, Chile, Germany, Miami, Chicago and Houston. They will perform their critically acclaimed contemporary ballet set to the works of Mozart, as well as White Swan from the famed Matthew Bourn Swan Lake.

MARK MORRIS DANCE COMPANY
Friday, June 18 and Saturday, June 19, 2010 at 8:00 p.m.

Based in Brooklyn, New York, the Mark Morris Dance Company has been touring internationally for nearly 30 years. MacArthur “Genius” Award recipient Mark Morris is considered one of the world’s most important choreographers.  Performing only to live music, the Mark Morris Dance Group is one of the most renowned dance companies in the world. For the 2009-2010 TITAS season, the company will perform one of Mark Morris’ masterworks, V, a piece created in response to 9/11.

2009-2010 TITAS SPECIAL EVENTS:

JOSÉ CARRERAS IN CONCERT
Wednesday, June 23, 2010 at 8:00 p.m.

One of the world’s most famous tenors, the Spanish Catalan singer José Carreras is known for his performances of operas by Verdi and Puccini. He has performed more than 60 roles in the finest opera houses around the world, and now will add the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House to the list. In the 1990s, he joined Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti to form The Three Tenors, bringing opera music to a wider audience.

COMMAND PERFORMANCE
Date to be announced

TITAS’ Command Performance has consistently delivered the definitive dance event of the year to North Texas, featuring the world’s greatest dance stars. World-renowned dancers from such luminous companies as American Ballet Theatre, Morphoses, The Royal Ballet, New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet and many other prestigious companies having graced the stage for this one-of-a-kind performance. It is, without doubt, one of the crown jewels of the national dance scene, and one of the most recognized ballet galas in the world for its high level of talent and first-class repertoire and presentation. Command Performance is an event without peer in the North Texas area, and it is an experience that dance fans of any level can truly appreciate and revel in the virtuosity of the performers.  Truly a not-to-be-missed event! Dancers TBA

About the AT&T Performing Arts Center:

The AT&T Performing Arts Center, a new multi-venue Center for music, opera, theatre and dance will open in October 2009, completing the 25-year vision of the Dallas Arts District. The Center will provide multi-state-of-the-art facilities woven together by an urban park covering more than ten acres to create a dynamic cultural destination that will be unparalleled in the world. The Center will feature the following:

• The Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House, designed in a modern horseshoe configuration, will seat 2,200 (with capacity up to 2,300), designed by Foster + Partners.
• The Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre will serve as a gateway to the Dallas Arts District from the downtown Dallas business center and will seat 600, designed by REX/OMA, Joshua Prince-Ramus (partner in charge) and Rem Koolhaas.
• The completely new Annette Strauss Artist Square will be the Center’s outdoor entertainment venue, designed by Foster + Partners.
• The City Performance Hall will provide main stage production space for many of Dallas’ smaller performing arts organizations, designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.
• The Elaine D. and Charles A. Sammons Park will unify the venues within a lush urban oasis and will create a dynamic cultural destination in downtown Dallas, designed by Michel Desvigne.
• Two underground parking areas that will accommodate more than 850 vehicles.

The Dallas Fort Worth Lexus Dealer Association is the title sponsor of the Center’s Lexus Broadway Series, the official vehicle of the Center and its resident companies, the official valet sponsor and the naming rights holder for the Center’s two underground parking areas. More information on the AT&T Performing Arts Center is available at www.attpac.org.

Contact:

Maria May
AT&T Performing Arts Center
214.978.2834
maria.may@attpac.org