MEDIA CONTACTS Michelle Tabnick, Publicist, 646-765-4773 Rick Berubé, Marketing and Communications Director, 718-951-4600 x3331

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 1, 2016

Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts announces its 2016-17 season Featured performances include Argentinian tango company Estampas Porteñas, Emmy nominee Tony Danza, Grammy winner Patti Austin, the much-anticipated return of the National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica, and more! Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College announces its 2016-17 season of music, dance, theater, and family programming, reflecting the multicultural diversity of Brooklyn. Hailing from Argentina, Haiti, Jamaica, China, Cuba, and across the United States, the award-winning artists include both Brooklyn Center premieres and returning favorites. Most performances will be held in Walt Whitman Theatre on the campus of Brooklyn College; select performances will take place at the Kumble Theater at LIU Brooklyn. “We are excited to continue to reflect our borough’s ever-changing diversity through our upcoming 2016-17 season,” says Jon Yanofsky, the Director of Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts. “From Afro-Cuban jazz and The Great American Songbook to Argentine tango and step dancing, the 62nd season at Brooklyn Center brings artists from all over the country and the world to Brooklyn for another year of incredible music, breathtaking international dance, and innovative family performances.” Tickets for Brooklyn Center’s 2016-17 season are currently on sale and can be purchased at BrooklynCenter.org or by calling the box office at 718-951-4500 (Tue-Sat, 1pm-6pm). Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts’ 2016-17 season includes:  Black Violin  Buenos Aires Tango: Stories of Longing and Desire  Tony Danza: Standards & Stories  Dance Theatre in Westchester’s The Colonial Nutcracker  Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company’s Lunar New Year Celebration – Year of the Rooster  Treehouse Shakers’ Coyote’s Dance  Dr. Lonnie Smith Trio  Emeline Michel  National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica  Step Afrika!  Patti Austin: Happy 100th, Ella!  Dallas Children’s Theatre’s Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters: An African Tale  Tenth Annual National Grid Earth Day Celebration  The Golden Dragon Acrobats  Yosvany Terry Afro-Cuban Sextet -- more –

Black Violin Sat, Oct 29, 2016 at 8pm, $25 Virtuoso violinists Kev Marcus and Wil B return to Brooklyn with their electrifying mash-up of R&B, hiphop, classical, and bluegrass. With more than 200 shows a year and past appearances including the Billboard Music Awards, three NFL Super Bowls, and performing for the troops in Iraq, this dynamic duo never fails to take audiences by storm with their unique spin on music for strings. Direct from Buenos Aires, Argentina

Deseos: Stories of Longing and Desire Sat, Nov 5, 2016 at 8pm, $36-$55 Founded in 1997 by the distinguished dancer and choreographer Carolina Soler, Argentine tango company Estampas Porteñas returns to the U.S. with a spectacular new production celebrating the greatest artistic elements of Argentina including the indomitable tango, the athletic malambo of the gauchos, and passionate musical styles ranging from soulful to celebratory. Tony Danza: Standards & Stories Sun, Nov 20, 2016 at 3pm, $36-$55 Perhaps best known for his iconic television roles on Taxi and Who's the Boss?, Tony Danza has also established himself as a Broadway star (Honeymoon in Vegas, The Producers), a best-selling author, and one of America's most esteemed performers. Hailed by The New York Times as “a live wire who radiates irresistible charm,” this Emmy-nominated song-and-dance man combines selections from the Great American Songbook with storytelling, a dash of soft shoe, and a healthy dose of charisma. The Colonial Nutcracker Sun, Dec 11, 2016 at 2pm, $15 An annual holiday favorite, Dance Theatre in Westchester performs its family-friendly, full-length version of Tchaikovsky’s ballet set in wintry colonial Yorktown, complete with a red-coated mouse army, an enchanted nutcracker prince, and simultaneous narration to help young audience members enjoy this timeless classic. Fourth Annual

Lunar New Year Celebration: Year of the Rooster Sun, Jan 22, 2017 at 3pm, $25 The prestigious Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company performs an all-new celebration of Chinese arts commemorating the Year of the Rooster, cousin to the mythical Phoenix, whose song awakens the world each morning and whose confidence and loyalty is well regarded. Delightful red lions, golden dragons, and white peacocks frolic and play to the exotic sounds of traditional instruments, while graceful dancers and astounding acrobats showcase the rich culture of one of Brooklyn’s most vibrant communities. Treehouse Shakers

Coyote’s Dance Sat, Feb 11, 2017 at 2pm, $15 Kumble Theater, LIU Brooklyn Campus This whimsical, interactive children’s show follows the exploits of Coyote, the trickster character from the folklore of many North American Indian Nations. Using narration, puppetry, live and recorded music, Native American-influenced costumes, and beautifully choreographed movement, the performers of Treehouse Shakers will take families on a delightful and humorous journey of deceit and adventure. Recommended for ages four and up. -- more --

Dr. Lonnie Smith Trio Sat, Feb 25, 2017 at 8pm, $35 Kumble Theater, LIU Brooklyn Campus Master of the Hammond B-3 organ for more than five decades, Dr. Lonnie Smith is an unparalleled musician and composer who has been featured on more than 70 jazz, blues, and R&B recordings. He recently reunited with the iconic Blue Note Records label on his 2016 release Evolution. Considered to be one of the premier purveyors of funk/soul jazz, he was recently honored as a 2017 Jazz Master by the National Endowment for the Arts, the nation’s highest award in jazz. Emeline Michel Sat, Mar 4, 2017 at 8pm, $35 She has been called “the Joni Mitchell of Haiti” and the “new goddess of Creole music.” Indeed, singersongwriter Emeline Michel has been instrumental in putting Haitian music on the world music map, touring the globe both as a performer and in her role as a Red Cross Ambassador. With “a voice serene and warm like the breeze” (The New York Times), she performs both in French and Haitian Creole, frequently addressing social issues with a deep caring and affection for her native land. National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica Sat, Mar 18, 2017 at 8pm, $40-$75 Sun, Mar 19, 2017 at 3pm, $36-$45 One of the premier dance companies in the Caribbean, NDTC blends the folklore, music, and dance of Jamaica, Africa, and the American South with modern and classical forms to create a vibrant celebration of West Indian culture. Celebrating their 55th Anniversary, their much-anticipated return to Brooklyn Center will feature two programs combining evocative new works with favorites from their extensive repertoire. Step Afrika! Sat, Apr 1, 2017 at 8pm, $25 With its origins in African American fraternities and sororities, stepping is known for its intricate, synchronized patterns of stomps, kicks, claps, and call-and-response. As the world’s first professional company dedicated to this art form, the dancers of Step Afrika! use their bodies as instruments, integrating stepping with African traditional dance and other dance forms to create a high-energy, sharply choreographed, and incredibly entertaining performance. Patti Austin: Happy 100th, Ella! Sat, Apr 22, 2017 at 8pm, $36-$55 Grammy Award-winning jazz vocalist Patti Austin celebrates the 100th birthday of the incomparable Ella Fitzgerald with an intimate concert featuring selections from her 2002 Grammy-nominated album For Ella, including legendary hits such as “How High the Moon,” “The Man I Love,” Too Close for Comfort,” and many more. Celebrate National Jazz Appreciation Month with this unforgettable tribute to the legendary First Lady of Song. Dallas Children’s Theatre on tour presents John Steptoe’s

Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters: An African Tale Adapted for the stage by Karen Abbott, Music & Lyrics by S-Ankh Rasa Sat, Apr 29, 2017 at 2pm, $15 When a great African king desires a wife, only the most worthy maidens are invited to meet him. Both of Mufaro’s daughters are beautiful, but does either have the inner beauty of a potential queen? Told through African dance, drumming, narration, and song, this story celebrates goodness, generosity, and kindness of heart. Recommended for ages five and up. -- more --

Tenth Annual National Grid Earth Day Celebration Sat, Apr 29, 2017 at 3pm, FREE Children and adults alike will enjoy live music, arts and crafts, and street performers at this free community festival, where interactive family activities highlight the need to create a more sustainable future and care for the earth. Golden Dragon Acrobats Sun, Apr 30, 2017 at 3pm, $25 Recognized internationally as today’s premier Chinese acrobatic touring company, The Golden Dragons combine award-winning acrobatics, spectacular costumes, ancient and contemporary music and theatrical techniques to present an unforgettable show of breathtaking skill and beauty, representing the best of a time honored tradition that began more than twenty five centuries ago. Yosvany Terry Afro-Cuban Sextet Sat, May 6, 2017 at 8pm, $35 Since his arrival in the United States in 1999, Cuban saxophonist/percussionist/composer Yosvany Terry has been at the forefront of the Latin and Afro-Cuban jazz scene, both in New York City and nationally. Known equally for his improvisational artistry and his virtuosic compositions, his unique confluence of authentic Cuban roots music and jazz has, according to The New York Times, “helped redefine Latin Jazz as a complex new idiom.” Multibuy discounts (four or more shows) save 15% off individual ticket prices. Multibuyers enjoy flexible ticket exchanges and discounted parking for purchased performances. A 50% discount for children ages 12 and under is offered for select performances. Discounts are also available for seniors, students, Brooklyn College faculty/staff/alumni, active/retired military personnel, and groups. $10 student rush tickets available day-of-show. Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts Whitman Theatre at Brooklyn College, 2900 Avenue H, Brooklyn Kumble Theater at LIU Brooklyn, 1 University Plaza, Brooklyn (February 2017 performances only) Online orders: BrooklynCenter.org Box Office: 718-951-4500, Tuesday-Saturday, 1pm-6pm Groups of 15 or more: 718-951-4600 x3331

About Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts Founded in 1954, Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College presents outstanding performing arts and arts education programs, reflective of Brooklyn’s diverse communities, at affordable prices. Each season, Brooklyn Center welcomes over 65,000 people to the 2,400 seat Whitman Theatre, including up to 45,000 schoolchildren from over 300 schools who attend their SchoolTime series, one of the largest arts-in-education programs in the borough. Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts’ programs are supported, in part, by public funding from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. Brooklyn Center’s 2016-17 season is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. -- more --

Major support for the 2016-17 season is provided by: Brooklyn College, Con Edison, TD Bank, National Grid, The Howard Gilman Foundation, the Jazz Touring Network, the Alice Lawrence Foundation, the Pierre and Tana Matisse Foundation, the Mertz Gilmore Foundation, the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, and the TD Charitable Foundation. Additional support provided by CNG Publications, The Brooklyn Eagle, Brooklyn Media Group, and WBGO Jazz 88.3 FM. The Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott New York Brooklyn is the official hotel of Brooklyn Center’s 2016-17 season. Backstage catering is graciously provided by Applebee’s. Brooklyn Center also acknowledges the following programmatic support for its 2016-17 season: Step Afrika! is made possible through the ArtsCONNECT program of the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation with support from the National Endowment for the Arts; the Dr. Lonnie Smith Trio and the Yosvany Terry Afro-Cuban Sextet are made possible through the Jazz Touring Network program of the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation with support from the National Endowment for the Arts; Coyote’s Dance and Emeline Michel are part of The New York State Presenter-Artist Partnership Project made possible through a regrant from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts gratefully acknowledges generous support from New York State Assembly members Annette Robinson and Helene Weinstein; New York City Council Member Jumaane D. Williams; New York City Council Cultural Affairs Committee Chair Jimmy Van Bramer; New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, and Commissioner of Cultural Affairs Tom Finkelpearl.

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