Don't miss NYC & Company's seventh annual CultureFest, a free celebration of the City's magnificent and diverse cultural offerings, on Saturday and Sunday, October 13 and 14.
More than 125 cultural organizations come together at Battery Park to share the magic of the upcoming season with you. This spectacular festival of music, art, dance, hands-on activities, entertainment and food is your once-a-year opportunity to discover all of New York City culture—and a chance to plan your personal arts calendar for the months ahead.
Saturday and Sunday (11am to 5:30pm)
Rain or shine
State Street and Battery Place in Lower Manhattan
1 Train to South Ferry; or 4/5 Train to Bowling Green
--- PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE ---
Saturday, October 13
Noon Taiko Masala
Experience the sounds of both ancient and modern Japan with thunderous taiko drumming by this powerful and acrobatic group. Don't miss their performance during the exhibition Kiku: The Art of the Chrysanthemum at The New York Botanical Garden on November 3 and 4.
12:30pm Chris Byars Quartet
RMA brings its critically acclaimed "Harlem in the Himalayas" series of Himalayan-inflected jazz concerts to CultureFest. The Chris Byars Quartet performs excerpts from Jazz Pictures at an Exhibition of Himalayan Art—original music inspired by visual images on display at the museum. "Chris Byars' music has a glistening veneer that recalls the 1950s heyday of Times Square." (New York magazine).
1:00pm The Smyrk
This innovative, high-energy band performs punk/grunge-driven rock music with soul-style vocals.
1:30pm Flamenco Latino
The company combines the movement and heel work of flamenco-style dance with Latin salsa rhythms to create its own exciting and unique style
2:00pm Jennifer Muller/The Works
This contemporary dance company is a New York cultural treasure, known for its dynamic and expressive style, colorful movement and valuable arts outreach programs in New York public schools. At CultureFest, The Works will perform excerpts from its expansive repertory, including a preview of Ms. Muller's newest dance, Aria, which will premiere on their China tour in January 2008.
2:30pm Parsons Dance
Internationally acclaimed for movement so vivid, raucous, and mesmerizing that the audience is left breathless, Parsons Dance performs In the End, set to the music of Dave Matthews. This intense, theatrical, and athletic piece consists of fast-paced, intricate combinations of lifts, jumps, turns, and floor work, resulting in kaleidoscope effects.
3:00pm Citigrass
Born and bred in New York City, Citigrass specializes in blending rock and jam influences with traditional bluegrass to create a hot, modern sound with worldwide appeal.
3:30pm The Metropolitan Opera's Lindemann Young Artists
Four distinguished artists from the Metropolitan Opera's Lindemann Young Artists program—Erin Morely, soprano; Ginger Jackson, mezzo-soprano; Donovan Singletary, bass baritone and Laura Poe, pianist—perform excerpts from Strauss' Die Fledermaus, Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro and Così fan Tutte.
3:45pm Avantango
Led by bassist Pablo Aslan, and featuring some of the world's leading tango musicians and dancers, Avantango reclaims the tango as a living tradition by mixing the legendary music of Astor Piazzolla with contemporary themes and rhythms.
4:30pm Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra with Arturo O'Farrill
Harkening back to the days when mambo was king, the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra brings the power of big band to CultureFest. Arturo O'Farrill first appeared with the Carla Bley Big Band and developed as a soloist performing with artists including Wynton Marsalis, Dizzy Gillespie, and Harry Belafonte. Five years ago, O'Farrill and Wynton Marsalis created the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, dedicated to performing Latin and Afro-Cuban Jazz music.
Sunday, October 14
Noon The Nashville Attitude
Homegrown on Staten Island, Marc Vincent Sica and his cosmopolitan country band bring back their original blend of honky-tonk Americana with a Northeast edge.
12:30pm Mariachi Citlalli and Ballet Folklorico Mexicano de Nueva York
Mariachi Citlalli and Ballet Folklorico Mexicano perform traditional Mexican music and dances. Highlights include internationally known Son de la Negra from the state of Jalisco.
1:00pm Bargemusic Players
At CultureFest, the Bargemusic Players will perform selections from Vivaldi's Four Seasons adapted for solo violin and string quartet. In recent years, Bargemusic's presentation of the Four Seasons has joined Bach's Brandenburg Concertos as an annual favorite among Bargemusic audiences.
1:15pm Lotus Music & Dance
Lotus Music & Dance is a cultural and educational institution dedicated to teaching and performing dance and music traditions from a variety of heritages. Here, they present The Energy Within, exhibiting the relationships of dance forms from across the world.
1:45pm INSPIRIT, a dance company
Set to the music of Nina Simone and Mocean Worker, INSPIRIT, a dance company, will perform Past Her Rites, an exposé on the culture of the modern-day professional female. Past Her Rites delves into the psyche of women who push past their identities and find themselves lost in a sea of affectations.
2:00pm Musica Reginae Productions Chamber Players
Musica Reginae Productions brings fine music to Queens' audiences through tailored concert programs and music education for children. The Musica Reginae Chamber Players will perform Piano Quintet No. 2 by Peter Schickele, also known as the fictitious composer, P.D.Q. Bach. Don't miss the last movement—a hoedown.
2:15pm Sara Joel and Kevin Gibbs
Formerly with Cirque du Soleil's Zumanity, Sara Joel will perform her own work in the physically risky solo Bearing where a miniature steel frame bed acts as a partner, becoming both pedestal and prison. Kevin Gibbs (also from Zumanity) joins her in Fling, a rambunctious duet growing into a dance of raucous intensity. Sharing weight and momentum, they resist and submit to the force of gravity.
2:30pm David Neumann/advanced beginner group
David Neumann and his modern dance company, advanced beginner group, present an excerpt from FEED FORWARD, which will premiere at Dance Theater Workshop on October 23. The foundation of this dynamic new work comes from the manipulation of athletic events. Neumann rearranges the elements to make a 'multi-disciplinary' dance piece exploring what these movements might mean in another context.
3:00pm Kids' Dash
Main Lawn. Participants (ages 3–6) pre-register at the NYC & Company booth from 11am to 2:30pm. All may come and cheer!
3:30pm Imani Uzuri
Imani Uzuri, eclectic and dynamic, is often compared to artists like Grace Jones and Nina Simone as one who defies category. Featured at numerous international venues, this bohemian spirit "...never fails to mesmerize audiences with her narcotic blend of...ethereal sounds." (Time Out New York).
4:00pm Eddie Allen Quartet
Celebrated New York City trumpeter, composer and arranger Eddie Allen heats up the music scene with versatility and creativity in jazz, R&B, pop, Latin and symphonic music. He has worked with jazz greats Dizzy Gillespie, Jon Faddis, Chico Freeman and Jimmy Heath, and currently heads a Latin/Brazilian music project.
4:45pm Frank London's Klezmer Brass All-Stars
Ecstatic carnival revelry...brass madness...these are the sounds of New York City's Lower East Side, multi-cultural Jewish power extravaganza that is Frank London's Klezmer Brass All-Stars. Their latest CD, Carnival Conspiracy: In the Marketplace All is Subterfuge was Rolling Stone's #1 Non-English CD of 2006. Fresh from rocking Bangor's American Folk Fest and Cracow's Jewish Culture Fest, Di Shikere Kapelye comes home to party with the masses.
--- PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS ---
--- PARTICIPATING RESTAURANTS ---+ Sat. Oct 13 +
Bricklane Curry House306-308 East Sixth Street
212-979-2900
bricklanecurryhouse.comIndianOpia130 E. 57th St.
212-688-3939
opiarestaurant.comModern FrenchLa Palapa Cocina Mexicana77 St. Marks Pl.
212-777-2537
lapalapa.comMexicanPeanut Butter & Co.240 Sullivan St.
212-677-3995
ilovepeanutbutter.comSandwichesRiverview Restaurant2-01 50th Ave., Long Island City
718-392-5000
riverviewny.comModern AmericanThe Treats TruckCall or visit website for daily location
212-691-5226
treatstruck.comBaked GoodsWaterstone Grill79 Pearl St.
212-943-1602
waterstonegrill.comSeafood+ Sun. Oct 14 +
Applebee's102 North End Ave.
212-945-3277
applebeesny.comAmericanBaton Rouge Restaurant & Lounge458 W. 145th St.
212-281-2336
mobayrestaurant.com/batonrougeCajunChevys Fresh Mex102 North End Ave.
212-786-1111
chevysny.comMexicanFusia Asian Cuisine677C Lexington Ave.
212-308-2111
fusia56.comAsian FusionLe Jardin Bistro25 Cleveland Pl.
212-343-9599
lejardinbistro.comFrenchKellari Taverna19 W. 44th St.
212-221-0144
kellari.usGreekNocello Fine Italian Cuisine257 W. 55th St.
212-713-0224
nocello.netNorthern ItalianWindows Over Harlem Restaurant & Catering163 W. 125th St.
212-665-4337
West African/African American
