A beloved and entertaining classic, Camille Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals is a musical portrait of various animals – including a lion, an elephant, and a swan – often performed with narration. Our narrator, Rochester storyteller Jay Stetzer, describes the animals in words with his own humorous take on a text by Ogden Nash. BIODANCE dancers join Cordancia musicians with choreography by Missy Pfohl Smith and costumes by Natalia Lisina.
The carnival atmosphere continues with Darius Milhaud’s Le Boeuf sur le toit (The Ox on the Roof), performed by Cordancia and further enhanced by digital media projection by W. Michelle Harris. The lively opening theme returns again and again, with playful interjections of Brazilian tangos and other dances.
Compass is a solo dance work that premiered in June 2024, inspired by Paul Klee’s painting “Strong Dream.” The piece features dancer Alaina Olivieri and new quadrophonic music (surround sound) by Austin White. This non-narrative, dynamic, and edgy work plays with sound, light, and movement as if a “deer in headlights,” a metaphor for someone in a mental state of high arousal caused by anxiety, fear, panic, surprise, or confusion.
Cordancia Chamber Orchestra performs classical music concerts throughout the year at various locations in the greater Rochester area. Their award-winning programming blends eclectic, vibrant, lesser-known music with traditional classical repertoire.
BIODANCE is a contemporary repertory dance company based in Rochester, NY, and directed by Missy Pfohl Smith, who also directs the Institute for the Performing Arts and the Program of Dance and Movement at University of Rochester.
Location: The Hochstein School, 50 North Plymouth Avenue, Rochester, NY 14614
TICKETS
$15 for general admission, $10 for students with ID and free for kids 12 and under
Online: rochesterfringe.com
Phone: (585) 957-9837 (additional fees apply)
In person: At the door of the venue or at the One Fringe Place Box Office, corner of Main & Gibbs