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| An Oakland University dance professor and dance alum will join forces on stage at Varner Recital Hall for an unforgettable evening of modern dance Saturday, February 7, 2009 at 8 p.m. Associate Professor of Dance Gregory Patterson, founder and artistic director of Patterson Rhythm Pace, teams with alum Rodney A. Brown, founder of The Brown Dance Project. Their evening of premiere performances will include guest artists the Dayton Contemporary Dance Second Company, performing Brown's work 'LIGHT', a trio commissioned for DCDC2's upcoming season. 'LIGHT' pays tribute to both the Apollo 1 and 8 missions. A jazz based dance company founded in the summer of 2000, PRP strives to bring professional jazz dance to the Midwest region through master classes, workshops, and performances. Gregory Patterson, former member of the Eisenhower Dance Ensemble, has made several guest teaching appearances throughout the Midwest promoting his company. Since the summer of 2000 PRP has performed at many venues including Jazz Dance World Congress in Buffalo, NY, American College Dance Festival in Ann Arbor, Michigan Dance Day in Lansing and Varner Recital Hall at Oakland University. Conceived in 2007 by Rodney A. Brown, The Brown Dance Project is a community-based dance company comprised of a diverse group of dance artists. Brown, as he is affectionately called, is a choreographer, performer, educator and activist. He shaped The Brown Dance Project out of his necessity to continue creating his own work. Brown has served as Resident Choreographer for the Dayton Contemporary Dance Second Company and performed throughout the U.S. with various choreographers and companies including Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Umbigada Dance Company, Biza Sompa and Bichini Bia Congo Dance Theatre, Leyya Tawil’s Dance Elixer, Eisenhower Dance Ensemble, Ann Arbor Dance Works, Sankofa Dance Theatre, Patterson Rhythm Pace Dance Company, Danstigate Dance Company, Carol Bristol-Henry, John Malashock, Peter Sparling Dance Company and Compton Dance Theatre Foundation. Tickets are $16 for general admission and $8 for students. This event is part of our Professional Artist Series. Tickets available at the Varner Box Office, open one hour before performances and 3-6 p.m., Tuesday-Friday. Also at www.starticketsplus.com. For more information, visit www.oakland.edu/mtd |