Camille A. Brown & Dancers showcase culturally charged ‘Mr. TOL E. RAncE’

The 2014 Bates Dance Festival presents the internationally acclaimed Camille A. Brown & Dancers with an evening-length work exploring images of
African American performers in the media.

Known for high theatricality, gutsy moves and virtuosic musicality, Brown and company return to Bates to perform “Mr. TOL E. RAncE,” their newest work, at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Saturday, July 17 and 19, in Bates College’s air-conditioned Schaeffer Theatre, 329 College St.

Tickets cost $25 for the general public, $18 for seniors and $12 for students. These may be purchased online, by phone at 207-786-6381 from 1-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday, by mail or in
person. Learn more about buying tickets: http://batesdancefestival.org/tickets.php.

Drawing on the legacy of blackface minstrelsy in America, “Mr. TOL E. RAncE” examines black performers in both past (“Amos and Andy,” “The Jeffersons”) and contemporary media (rappers, reality TV). With a live piano score by Scott Patterson supporting the fierce and funny dancing of
Brown’s company, the piece is a culturally charged mix of images, associations and references.

Brown & Dancers hold a free Show & Tell lecture-demonstration at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 15, in Schaeffer, and offer question-and-answer sessions following the July 17 and 19 performances. Dance writer Debra Cash precedes the July 19 performance with an Inside Dance lecture at 7 p.m.
For more information, please visit: http://www.batesdancefestival.org/EventNotes/CamilleBrown14.html.

Brown is much recognized for the daring nature of her work. She has received the 2013 International Association of Blacks in Dance Founders Award, the prestigious Princess Grace Award (Choreography), the Mariam McGlone Emerging Choreographer Award from Wesleyan University and the 2012 City College of New York Celebration of Women in Arts and Culture Award.