In the first two weeks dance performances dominate: On Friday, Sept. 26, the Hopkins Center launches its fall 2008 programming with DV8 Physical Theatre, who present their political, controversial show "To Be Straight With You," which combines dance with the spoken word.
After this dynamic kick-start to the season, the Hop welcomes Karole Armitage, the so-called "punk ballerina" of America's Generation X on Oct. 3 and 4; and then, on Oct. 7, the Polynesian performers of the Maori Dance Theatre of New Zealand follow.
Describing her interpretive choreography as one that "seeks to express the deepest emotional, existential and even spiritual realities through pure movement," Armitage has had her sensuous, gravity-embracing movements adapted for multiple foreign films and shows and has collaborated with such artists as Madonna and Michael Jackson.
For their performance at the College, Armitage and her troupe "Armitage Gone! Dance" will present two pieces: the mysterious, critically heralded "Time is the Echo of an Axe" and the beautifully simple "Ligeti Essays."
The term's musical offerings span multiple genres as well , starting with the Grammy Award"winning Takacs Quartet, which comes to Spaulding Auditorium on Sept. 27.
The Guardian describes the classical yet earthy, accessible acoustic melodies of the Takacs Quartet as an "attack" that forces listeners to acknowledge the "abundant mystery" of music itself. Internationally acclaimed for boldness and creativity, the Hungarian string quartet has been performing for over 30 years and boasts a masterful repertoire featuring Schubert, Beethoven, Mozart and Haydn.
Fans of the Takacs Quartet will enjoy the svelte jazzy cabaret of Max Raabe and the Palast Orchester (Oct. 9). Specializing in the sardonic and suggestive, swingin' style that graced many a German stage during the Weimar Republic of the 1920s and '30s, Raabe and his dapper band mates boast a worldwide fan base and have released over 20 albums since their 1986 inception. Raabe and his group epitomize the hyperactive Weimar spirit, making 80-year-old songs fresh for audiences.
Calling our ears away from the European heritage, the Cuban-American music celebrity Arturo Sandoval comes to Hanover on Oct. 21 to play a solo concert certain to wow. The world-recognized virtuoso has enjoyed a 40-year-long career playing with all of the greats, and he has been called the foremost trumpeter of his generation.
Renowned British performers Rotozaza, coming to Dartmouth on Nov. 8, invite the community to test out its acting chops in a casual, public setting.
Rotatozaza brings its cutting-edge performance "Etiquette" to the Dartmouth Bookstore, where dramatic art will be explored outside of a traditional theater context.
Believing that confusion is "the truest reflection of the world as it is and of where it's heading," as they say on their web site, Rotozaza allows any two people to play the part of thespian and audience by providing headphones for unrehearsed participants who direct them with scripted actions and lines.
The season begins to wind down that same weekend, when Hopkins Center veterans make their return.
The Barbary Coast Jazz Ensemble will perform, this time accompanied by rising star flutist Nicole Mitchell on Friday.
Renowned playwright Anne Galjour reads the final version of her no-holds-barred one-woman play about class divide in the Upper Valley, "You Can't Get There From Here" at Bentley Theatre, where she read an early draft this past spring.
Student tickets for all performances are $5.
