Ballet Creole, African and Caribbean dance, returns to the Orillia Opera House

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  (January 28, 2013)   

ORILLIA –   The Orillia Opera House welcomes back Ballet Creole, the quintessential leader of African and Caribbean Dance in Canada, for a special one night only performance on Wednesday, February 20, 2013 at 7 p.m.

Entitled TOUNKANDE, the performance is a unique and creative collaboration between Patrick Parson (Ballet Creole, Artistic/Executive Director), M'bemba Bangoura (world-renowned master drummer and teacher) and Reimundo Sosa (Cuban master drummer). This project brings together song, dance and rhythms of Guinea, West Africa and celebrates the rich cultural heritage of the Malinke people. It shares the importance of connecting the social and historical understanding of their traditions with the present day.

“Ballet Creole offers a wonderful performance and an affordable experience for the entire family. Come celebrate this unique spectacle of colourful costumes, leaping and twirling dancers and a dynamic evening of music,” said Darcy Hoover, Marketing Manager for Orillia’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Culture.

Ballet Creole exemplifies seamless synergy of contemporary dance drawn from the African/ Caribbean aesthetics.  As the company dances through its third decade, Artistic Director Patrick Parson remains passionate about the company that he created in 1990 after seeing a need for professional representation of Afro-Caribbean dance in Canada. Little did he know that his company would quickly be hailed as “one of Toronto’s top dance companies with terrific dancers and strong choreography that is appealing and stimulating” by The Globe and Mail’s dance critic, Paula Citron.

Tickets for Ballet Creole in the Orillia Opera House Gordon Lightfoot Auditorium are on sale now for $30 per person and $20 for all students and children. They are available box office, 20 Mississaga St. W or by calling 705-326-8011 or 1-888-ORILLIA. Box office hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. until curtain time on performance days.Or buy your tickets online by visiting www.orilliaoperahouse.ca or email the box office at

boxoffice_operahouse@on.aibn.com.

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