Date/Time
Date(s) - 02/01/2019 - 02/02/2019
12:00 am
Location
Kelly Strayhorn Theater
Categories
Award-winning choreographer David Roussève celebrates the life and music of the theater’s namesake — the legendary Billy Strayhorn — through jubilant movement for nine performers and sumptuous video projections.
Pittsburgh native Billy Strayhorn (1915-1967) was an American jazz composer, pianist, lyricist and arranger who was also active in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s. Many of his works have become popular standards in the American music repertoire.
“Halfway to Dawn” redefines “biography” as the intersection of fact, theory, abstraction and fantasy — and reveals the complicated emotional truths that shaped the life and legacy of legendary openly gay jazz composer. Strayhorn’s music is interpreted through dynamic dance that blends modern, postmodern, jazz and social dance with a eclectic score that includes selections from Strayhorn’s compositions from the 1940s and 50s. Roussève’s tribute expands upon the political urgency of Strayhorn’s vision, while channeling the spirit of the genius himself.
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Address
5941 Penn Avenue,
Pittsburgh,
PA
15206
United States