A breezy and flavorful New Orleans vibe infuses the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company’s 14th annual Soulstice fundraising gala Saturday, May 13 at America’s Packard Museum.
Titled “Beignets on the Bayou,” the event will particularly incorporate the vibrancy of a street fair. Patrons will have opportunities to mingle with company members while also being entertained by special guests The Dean Simmons Satchmo Band and The Red Hot Second Line Brass Band. Dance renditions of folklore and fairy tales from bayou country are part of the festivities as well.
“New Orleans is such a festive place,” said DCDC Artistic Director Debbie Blunden-Diggs. “It is a city where people typically roam from one block to another, which is what I wanted this event to be. The Packard Museum is a beautiful space, but it’s not necessarily a venue in which you go into a room, sit down, eat your dinner and leave. So, we’re creating an atmosphere where people can roam from one part of the museum to another. Throughout the evening there will be wonderful music, a silent auction and great New Orleans style food. The DCDC dancers will be spread throughout the museum so the audience will definitely have a chance to be elbow-to-elbow with our wonderful dancer-artists. We really hope everyone can come and have a good time.”
Soulstice marks the season finale for the company, but Blunden-Diggs eagerly awaits announcing details of the troupe’s 49th season at the event, including next season’s Soulstice slated to be “A Masked Affair” at the Dayton Art Institute. In fact, plans for the 50th anniversary season are also taking shape.
“We will be celebrating our 50th anniversary season over the course of three seasons,” she explained. “The kickoff performance for that season will be in February 2018. But specifically for the 2017-2018 season, it launches in October with a performance to the music of Wynton Marsalis in collaboration with the Dayton Jazz Ensemble. We will end the season in June 2018 with the return of ‘Street Beats,’ which will take place at Courthouse Square.”
Looking back on this season, Blunden-Diggs is proud of the troupe’s accomplishments and has high hopes for another standout lineup of concerts.
“We created a lot of stunning art this year (such as) ‘Body Talk’ at the Schuster Center and ‘Vantage Points’ at the Victoria Theatre,” she said. “It’s been a season full of highlights. We want to keep our work fun, exciting and challenging.”
HOW TO GO?
What: "DCDC Soulstice: Beignets on the Bayou"
Where: America's Packard Museum, 420 S. Ludlow St., Dayton
When: 6 to 11 p.m.; Saturday
Cost: $150
Tickets/more info: Call Ticket Center Stage at (937) 228-3630 or visit www.ticketcenterstage.com
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