"Take the ball-handling of the Harlem Globetrotters, the kick-line formation of the Rockettes and the dance iconoclasm of Pilobolus and you're well on your way to PUCCI:SPORT the winning new work by Peter Pucci." - Newsday
PUCCI:SPORT, sponsored by Brenner Family of Dealerships, features more than nine innings of fabulous sports inspired dances. The media sponsor for the show is PennLive.com. The show will open like a sporting event with HACC Wildwood Chorale members singing The Star Spangled Banner. The "Seventh Inning Stretch" on stage will feature the talents of local cheerleaders from Cheer Tyme, Inc. located in Lemoyne. The local cheerleaders will be doing a special routine to the music Take Me Out To The Ballgame.
The Rose Lehrman Arts Center will turn into a "sports" center for this special evening. The front porch area will feature a tented area with Brenner motorcars on display, sports games, music and (weather permitting) Cheer Tyme cheerleaders will give an informal exhibition on the grass. The arts center lobby will be transformed with colorful banners, indoor pre-show warm-up activities and games. After the performance, the audience is invited to a post-show (non-alcoholic) end-of-the-season tailgate party. The party will feature free hot dogs, popcorn, peanuts, candy and drinks, sports games with prizes, and a chance to meet the Pucci dancers.
Pucci Plus Dancers was founded in 1986 by Peter Pucci. Peter had been a member of Pilobolus Dance Theatre for nine years and had served as principal dancer, co-choreographer, and rehearsal director before starting his own dance company. Pucci Plus Dancers has since earned a reputation as one of the leading and most exciting modern dance companies in the U.S.
The company is defined by an approach to modern dance that bridges the worlds of theatre, athletics and the arts and a commitment to make dance and the performing arts accessible to everyone. One of Pucci's greatest strengths as a choreographer is his ability to spark an interest in dance among diverse audiences. Pucci's work is imbued with a sense of athleticism, play and humor, together with a keen and thoughtful artistic vision and a true integration of music and dance, the show appeals to a range of ages and backgrounds. He recognizes the power of music to engage, and his taste in music runs from Mozart to Rachmaninoff and from Tommy Dorsey to contemporary composers.
PUCCI:SPORT reflects Pucci's own personal background and depicts his love of sports, dance and theatre and his commitment to opening those worlds to young people. As a child growing up in public housing in Baltimore, Pucci was drawn to sports, playing football at age eight and adding baseball, basketball and track during high school. He earned an athletic scholarship to Essex College and was a member of their all-American mile relay team before discovering dance. He then went on to earn a scholarship to the North Carolina School for the Arts where he studied modern dance and choreography without ever losing his interest in sports.
Pucci has never forgotten that sports and the performing arts allowed him to move from the streets to the theatre, and he maintains an extraordinary commitment to bringing his own brand of dance education to young people. By showing the interconnections between dance and sports, and by showing that an athlete can also be a dancer, Pucci has encouraged countless children and teenagers to stretch to new limits.
PUCCI:SPORT will be at the Rose Lehrman Arts Center at HACC on Thursday, May 6 at 7:30pm. Pre-show activities begin at 6:30pm. Tickets are $27 for adults and $21 for students and senior citizens. Box Office phone is (717) 231-ROSE (7673). RLAC season is online at the Web site below.