Dance DZUL - Saturday Jan 8 - 2011

Hot news and and a hot way to start 2011: The Millbrook Arts Group is proud to announce the beginning of it's 2011 Season with DANCE DZUL. Join us for an exciting evening and an unique opportunity to watch Dance Dzul's latest show prior to their NYC season.

"Dzul Dance fuses dance with aerial arts as a means to communicate indigenous pre-Hispanic ritual and mythology and create dialogue between contemporary art and historical heritage. By transforming bodies into earthbound and airborne forces of nature Dzul breaks physical, cultural and political boundaries. This daring and unique company connects the bridges between the ancient and the modern in order to illuminate the vast array of drama and beauty inherent to the universal human condition and the natural world."

Artistic Director Javier Dzul and his diverse company of dancers and aerialists have been presented throughout New York and Mexico and in South America, Europe, Asia and the Virgin Islands garnering reviews along the way that hail Dzul’s “acrobatic wizardry” and his ability to turn his dancers of “remarkable elasticity” into “creatures of the air as well as of the earth” (The New York Times). His choreographies have been described as “electrifying” by Magazine.Art, “sophisticated and eloquent” by Attitude: The Dancers’ Magazine and “beautiful…extremely effective” by The New York Times.

Millbrook Arts Group presents Dzul Dance

Saturday, January 8th at 7:30PM at
the new Millbrook High School Theater
$15 General Admission
FREE for Millbrook elementary, middle and high school students

for more info: www.dzuldance.com

Sat July 31st: Boréal Tordu

We tried desperately hard to have them come last year... Fortunately the stars aligned and we are able to host Boréal Tordu in Millbrook this Saturday!

This may be the most unique group we'll have this summer. They are traveling from Maine for this concert. We're positive that you'll enjoy it.

A brief description from their website: Boréal Tordu began when fiddler Steve Muise and singer Robert Sylvain discovered a mutual interest in the music of their shared Acadian heritage. While signs of their parents' French culture can still be found in Maine, it was almost lost to their generation, after years of forced assimilation. More than a revival, their music represents a continuation of musical traditions passed down from the Acadians, the Québécois, and the unique French-speaking people of the the Republic of Madawaska and milltowns all over New England.

Reviews:
"...this bringing to life of traditional Canadian, American and French music is altogether new, made particularly appealing by the love of what they are doing and the contagious beat of the music." Esther Perne - Summertime in the Belgrades

"Friendly reminder from Boréal Tordu: Cajun wasn't born on the Bayou." Portland Press Herald

"...a fun brand of rootsy acoustic music that’s accessible... and features some top-notch musicality and singing." The Portland Phoenix

"The simplistic music, coupled with excellent vocals earns “La Bonne Vie” four-peppers."
Zydeco Road

Saturday July 3rd: The Big Band Sound Jazz Orchestra

David Cole is bringing the Big Band Sound back to Millbrook for another holiday weekend concert. The Big Band Sound concert is perhaps our largest concert of the season. Invite a friend, bring a cooler and watch the stars come out to the sounds of this great local jazz band.

Check out the bands facebook and web sites:

"The Big Band Sound 20-piece jazz orchestra recreates the swinging sounds of the big band era, performing compositions that span an entire century of music, including classics made famous by Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller, Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Stan Kenton, Harry James and Tommy & Jimmy Dorsey. In the tradition of these great orchestras, The Big Band Sound is a 20-piece jazz band consisting of six saxophones, four trombones, four trumpets, guitar, bass, piano, drums, and male and female vocalists."

Big Band Sound Face book site

Big Band sound Website

2010 Season Line up

Here it is, full line up... 7 concerts in all. Too Blue played a great concert last Saturday. All concerts are at 7:00, except the 5:00pm Stolen Heart concert at the Fireman's chicken BBQ.

Sat 6/26: TOO BLUE
“Dynamic Acoustic Bluegrass that Swings”
Sat 7/3: BIG BAND SOUND
“Journey Back to the Big Band Era”

Concert sponsored by the LIONS
Sat 7/17: THUNDER RIDGE
“Kickin' New Country & Country Rock”
Sat 7/31: BOREAL TORDU
“Original Music of Acadian Maineiacs”
Sat 8/14: DR. PETER MUIR, STEVE FABRIZIO & BARBARA RANKIN
“A Celebration of Classic Singers & Music”
Sat 8/28: SHORTY KING’S CLUBHOUSE
“Jump, Swing, Rhythm & Blues of from the Vault”
Sat 9/11: STOLEN HEART
“Contemporary and Classic Country Music”
(5pm Millbrook Village green)

Summer Season starts THIS SATURDAY: Too Blue

MAG is pleased to hold the (22nd? it's been a long time!) 2010 season, featuring 7 Saturday evening concerts.

The season kicks off with TOO BLUE, performing their own unique blend of bluegrass & swing music. TOO BLUE features Standfordville local Joan Harrison on banjo and lead vocals. Betsy Rome (guitar , vocals) and Jamie Doris (bass, vocals) hail from nearby Connecticut. Michael Sassano (mandolin) is from Mahopac.

"Joan's clear and compelling voice brings new interpretations to standards from Patsy Cline to Bill Monroe, and creates new vocal stylings for Too Blue's original songs. Betsy's award-winning guitar playing has been featured in "Flatpicking Guitar" magazine, and she is one of very few female performers in this demanding bluegrass style of "flatpicking". Jamie is the newest addition to the Too Blue crew. (Jamie) attended the Jazz and Contemporary Music program at the New School University in New York City. (Michael) has been playing the mandolin for over 25 years and has been greatly influenced by his first teacher, the renowned Jay Ungar, as well as Andy Statman. A founding member of the eclectic string band 'Out To Lunch', Michael has been performing throughout the Northeast and Canada for the last 2 decades."

Bios and clips are available at: http://www.toobluemusic.com/

Friday April 30th: A Mid-Summer's Night's Dream

Friday April 30th, MAG is pleased to host the the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival for a second year. This year the play will be the Boscobel troupe's fresh look at A Mid-Summer's Night's Dream.

Thanks to grants from Millbrook Educational Foundation and Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, the troupe will be presenting a workshop for the Millbrook HS students during the week. MAG is presenting the play for the entire community Friday Night.

The play is appropriate for the entire family. Last year's Macbeth will be hard to beat, as the opening scene with the witches as kabuki characters was fantastic. We're excited to see what new insight the troupe has in store this year.

- Friday April 30th, 7:30

- Millbrook High School Auditorium
- $10/Adult. Children & Seniors Free.

This Friday, March 26: the Yale University ALLEY CATS

A great way to greet spring is with a March concert: The Millbrook Arts Group is pleased to present the Yale Alley Cats, one of the nation's most renowned collegiate a cappella groups. Also performing will be the Madrigals, Millbrook high school's own a cappella group.

The Alley Cats are providing a workshop for the high school choral groups earlier on Friday thanks to a grant from the Millbrook Educational Foundation.

As one of the nation's most renowned collegiate a cappella groups, the Yale Alley Cats have been spreading music around the world since 1943. The group's roots are in jazz, but the repertoire has grown to include Motown, pop, classical, and many more genres. The quality of the arrangements, all written by former and current Cats, sets the group apart.

Friday 7:00 Millbrook Auditorium
Tickets are $10 for adults. Students and Seniors are free.