Oriki Omi Oddara presents ORIKI A CUBA: REZO POR TI!

Saturday March 3rd at 8:00pm
Sunday, March 4th at 7:00pm
Student Matinee - Friday, March 2nd at 10:00am

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Theater
120 West 46th Street, NYC (Between Broadway and 6th Avenue)
B,D,F,V to Rockefeller Center; R,W to 49th Street
Tickets: $20, $25, $30, call 718-622-9956 / www.locoamorsalsa.com

Oriki Omi Oddara, a 2006 grant recipient from the Urban Artist Initiative/New York City, will début their first full-length performance of traditional and original dance, music, and song rooted in the Afro-Cuban Culture entitled ORIKI A CUBA: REZO POR TI!  Oriki Omi Oddara, was founded by and is under the Artistic Direction of the legendary Felix “Pupy” Insua.  Leaving his beloved Cuba, Insua came to New York to share his culture and extensive knowledge of ancient traditions and bridge their relevance across cultures and generations through his innovative choreography and musical vision.

Sensual and aggressive, invigorating and chilling, Insua’s choreography draws inspiration from natural forces such as the ever-changing tides of the sea and the seduction of gentle winds. These movements are personified in the dance of the “Orishas” (Afro-Cuban deities), and also communicate a commonality between earth, the human experience, and the spiritual realm of possession and release. The repertoire conjures images of ancestral spirits and rituals, and illuminates hidden passages into mystical universes both in days past and modern times. Insua’s choreographic vocabulary is based in the traditions of the Yoruba, Congo, Carabali, and Dahomey cultures, complimented through the use of ballet and modern techniques. 

In keeping with Insua’s mission and his belief that dance and its expression is not limited to a select few, this production incorporates professional musicians and dancers from Cuba as well as professional and student dancers from New York City who have been trained under Insua.  In conjunction with the performance, dance students from JKO High School (“Fame”) will study with a principal company dancer and later share the stage with Oriki for both evening performances.

Oriki Omi Oddara’s Music Director Roman Diaz, one of Cuba’s finest percussionists, reinvents traditional rhythms into explosive arrangements. Master singer and percussionist Pedro Martinez, will join Oriki. Oriki’s company dancers are Rosalia Gamboa, Jennifer Donello, Ann Mazzocca, and Zoe Klein, Additional dancers and special musical guests to be announced.

For more information, contact Jennifer Donello at 718-824-0316 or email
to: obbalubbe@orikiomioddara.com
For Box Office: Shambhala Yoga and Dance: 718-662-9956.

Visit Oriki on the web at www.orikiomioddara.com - http://orikiomioddara.com/show1.htm