The Santa Barbara Symphony presents:
1st International Percussion Festival
Dancing Drum is pleased to announce a new collaboration with the Santa Barbara Symphony, to present Santa Barbara's 1st International Percussion Festival! This performance-filled event promises to satisfy your inner drummer, with a great line-up of incredible performers from a wide variety of different drumming traditions. Visit the Santa Barbara Symphony's website for a complete listing of events and information on how to purchase tickets. Many events are FREE for kids!
Dancing Drum will be involved in a number of different events during the 10-day festival. Here is a summary:
Saturday, January 12th, 3:00pm FREE!
Festival Kick-Off
featuring the Dancing Drum Community Ensemble
Location: Casa de la Guerra, across from De La Guerra Plaza
The Dancing Drum Community Ensemble is a diverse group of people who perform at community events throughout Santa Barbara, under the musical direction of Dancing Drum. This inclusive ensemble is open all levels of drumming experience. (Cick here for info on joining the Community Ensemble.) The show will be followed by a drum circle facilitated by Dancing Drum, open to anyone in attendance. All ages are encouraged to join in the fun! Free shaker instruments will be handed out to the first 200 attendees!
Monday, January 14th, 5:00-6:00pm FREE!
Afro-Cuban Drum Clinic with Luis Conte
Location: Dancing Drum Rhythm & Art Center, 810 E. Gutierrez
Grammy-winner Luis Conte is an acknowledged master of percussion. Named "Percussionist of the Year" and "Percussion Clinician of the Year" by Drum! Magazine in 2007, his celebrated career includes touring and/or recording work with some of the greatest names in contemporary music, including Madonna, Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, Santana ("Supernatural" album), Ray Charles, Tony Bennett and Cuban legends Arturo Sandoval and Cachao. He can also be heard on the soundtracks to such box office smashes as Transformers, Superbad, The Lost City, Mission Impossible, Rain Man, Waiting To Exhale, Coming To America, & many more.
Special 1-hour workshop/clinic limited to 30 participants.
All levels of experience welcome. A limited number of drums and percussion instruments will be provided. Reservations recommended. Call (805) 682.8250 to reserve your space.
January 15th, 7:30pm FREE for KIDS 12 and under!
Luis Conte: The Marimbula Concert
Location: Marjorie Luke Theatre
Most recently seen and heard performing on the hit TV show “Dancing with the Stars,” Luis Conte is a Grammy award-winner who integrates the powerful rhythms of his native Cuba with American pop music. He will perform with guitarist Barry Coats and several special guests, covering Cuban styles of music including rhumba, Latin jazz, bata drumming and more, featured on his new CD, Marimbula.
The special opening act features Barry Nitikman's 5th grade class from Harding School, performing African and Latin rhythms under the direction of Dancing Drum, funded by the Santa Barbara County Arts Commission.
tickets: $20 in advance / $25 at the door
Dates: the week of January 7th
Santa Barbara Symphony & Dancing Drum present:
"Ashikos to Xylophones: the ABCs of Percussion"
Locations: Notre Dame School, McKinley School, Franklin School
Travel the world from the drums of West Africa to the Xylophones of today's modern symphony orchestra. This special program features a new partnership between Dancing Drum and the Santa Barbara Symphony's lead percussionist, Jon Nathan, in an entertaining and interactive school assembly program.
Dates: January 8-16
Dancing Drum performs
"Drumming Up World Music"
at Santa Barbara Public Libraries - FREE!
Central Library: Jan 8th, 3;30pm
Goleta Library: Jan 11th, 10:30am
Eastside Library: Jan 16, 10:30am
Montecito Library: Jan 16, 3:30pm
Bring your kids to experience the rhythms of the world with Dancing Drum! This high-energy interactive performance provides plenty of opportunities for audience participation through drumming and dancing to the rhythms of West Africa, the Caribbean, and the USA. Most appropriate for ages 4-10.
These shows are free to the public! Please contact the libraries for additional information.
