Unfurl

April 28th & 29th, 2023
Old Town Center for the Arts

Photo by James Ismert Photography

Three Showings:

First Showing
Friday April 28, 2023
7:00 pm

Second Showing
Saturday April 29, 2023
2:00 pm matinee

Third Showing
Saturday April 29, 2023
7:00 pm

Painting Exhibition for artists Gretchen Lopez and Debra Williamson begins 1 hour before each show time.
Featuring live original music by the Moving Order Band.

TICKETS

Unfurl by Hydrangea Sky Movement Arts
Presented at Old Town Center for the Arts, Three Showings:
Friday, April 28, 7:00 PM
Saturday, April 29, 2:00 PM (matinee)
Saturday, April 29, 7:00 PM

hydrangeasky.com/unfurl

Old Town Center for the Arts is pleased to present Hydrangea Sky Movement Arts’ Unfurl, a multimedia performance which will dazzle the eyes and mesmerize the ears across three showings: Friday, April 28, at 7:00 PM, and Saturday, April 29, at 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM. Fans of Cirque du Soleil and anyone who has found themselves breathlessly taking in the grandeur of Mother Nature are sure to enjoy themselves at this concert.

Unfurl is Hydrangea Sky’s full-length spring show following the intricate and interwoven lives of plants and elements of the natural world. It will feature a full ensemble cast (13 artists) performing aerial dance (silks, trapeze, corde lisse, aerial chains, stage pole, lyra), martial arts (Tai Chi and Kung Fu), club juggling, grounded dance (modern dance, belly dance), and acrobatics (Cyr wheel, stilt-walking).

Each movement artist will embody a range of flora and fauna, elements, and seasons, moving in a dynamic way to represent the essence of each while telling its story in newly imagined and creative ways as live musicians craft an all-original soundtrack.

Photo by James Ismert Photography

The Moving Order Band, consisting of all-star musicians William Eaton, Allen Ames, Claudia Tulip, and Logan Turner, will accompany the movement arts unfurling on and high above the stage.

William Eaton

William Eaton is a GRAMMY-nominated harp guitarist and luthier, one of the founders and the current director of Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery, and co-director of Old Town Center for the Arts. Eaton has recorded over 19 albums, including latest release “Spiral Rendezvous” with R. Carlos Nakai and Will Clipman.

Claudia Tulip

Claudia Tulip is a flutist who blends classical, jazz, and ethnic elements utilizing silver flute, Indigenous flutes, and vocals. She has composed music for ensembles, dance companies, and documentaries, including contributing to Jerry Jacka’s Emmy Award-winning Native American art documentary “Beyond Tradition” and the NAMMY Award-winning CD “Colors of My Heart” by Sharon Burch. Claudia Tulip has released five albums with Canyon Records and currently plays with the William Eaton Ensemble, alongside Eaton and Ames.

Allen Ames

Allen Ames is a multi-instrumentalist versed in everything from classical to jazz, flamenco, and multi-cultural improvisational music, who has played with various musical groups including the Arizona Opera and Ballet Orchestras, Nouveau West and La Forza Chamber Orchestras, Amabile and Philharmonic String Quartets, and the William Eaton Ensemble.

Logan Turner

Logan Turner is a classically trained percussionist, multi-instrumentalist, and graduate of the Crane School of Music, specializing in world percussion.

Each showing of Unfurl will feature a special one-hour artist exhibition prior, showcasing the original works of local professional visual artists Gretchen Lopez (oil painter, watercolorist, plein air) and Debra Williamson (watercolorist), each of whom have created themed works for Unfurl. The exhibition of visual art will include oil paintings of Hydrangea Sky dancers by Gretchen Lopez and botanical and wildlife artwork by Debra Williamson.

Watercolor for Unfurl event by Debra Williamson

Watercolor by Debra Williamson

Gretchen Lopez creating underpainting of artist Mazzy Rose

Gretchen Lopez painting artist Mazzy Rose

Gretchen Lopez working on painting of Mazzy Rose

Gretchen Lopez painting artist Taylor Marie

Homemade organic beverages and earth-conscious sweet treats will also be sold by local tea artisan / artist collective duo Amuse-Toi prior to each showing and at intermission in an ethereal forest wonderland-themed tea room.

Coinciding with National Arbor Day this April 28, 2023, Unfurl celebrates plant life, and the natural world, evoking the joy of spring as petals and leaves unfurl, reaching toward the sun, nourished by and rooted in the earth. The show title was inspired by the modern dance duet of the same name originated by professional dancer Christine Eaton of Nikolais Dance Theatre and featuring her daughter Taylor Marie in 2012. To unfurl is to awaken, unravel, and to begin with hope renewed in spring.

Unfurl follows the success of Hydrangea Sky’s Ephemera, which debuted at Old Town Center for the Arts this past November. Hydrangea Sky Movement Arts is a multi-disciplinary movement company exploring the space from floor to air through modern dance, acrobatics, martial arts, flow arts, and aerial arts based out of Sedona and the Verde Valley, specializing in performing to live original music.

Learn more at oldtowncenter.org, gretchenlopezart.com, and debradwilliamson.com