Sponsored by
​Sislers Stone
April 2 - April 23, 2016
​
Creative Cauldron presents "Passport to the World"  a unique series that celebrates the music and dance of cultures around the world. This is the sixth year for this excitingly eclectic series and the groups performing represent a broad spectrum of genres:  jazz, swing, latin, classical, opera, klezmer and folk music. Traditional music and dance bands are featured along with fusion bands and contemporary artists that draw inspiration from world music. Audiences will be treated to a captivating trip around the world, without ever leaving Falls Church!
​Presented in Collaboration with the Folklore Society of Greater Washington
​Curated by Lynn Véronneau and Ken Avis

OPEN HOUSE, APRIL 16

Observe Workshops
Come observe our workshops in action and meet our teaching artists!

Learning Theater Ensemble
April 16 10am - 12pm
See our Director Laura Connors Hull and Teaching Artist Matt Conner at work with our budding actors in the Learning Theater program. Students will be beginning their workshops for creating The Wind int eh Willows, our June Learning Theater production!

Learning Theater Studio
April 16 12pm - 1pm
Laura and Matt continue with our newcomers to the craft of acting. Observe them teaching this small studio class the basics, such as how to create characters, memorize dialogue, and use your voice, body and emotions as acting tools.

Creative Drama
April 16 1pm - 2 pm
Our very own director, Laura Connors Hull, leads improvisational exercises that nurture sensory awareness and creative ideas through dramatic play for children ages 4 - 5.
FREE PERFORMANCE!!
​Juan Cayrampoma and the Andean Scissors Dancers
April 16 at 2pm

Juan Cayrampoma from the Andean/Latin fusion group Raymi will join forces with traditional Andean Scissors Dancers in a concert that will transport you to the deepest highlands of Peru. Juan's music brings the haunting sounds and mystic power from the Andes to the rest of the Americas and the world, using traditional instruments such as zamponas, moscenos, quenas and tarkas.

The Danza de las tijeras (scissors dance) is an original dance from one of the deepest highland regions of Peru. The scissors dance is an impressive manifestation of physical art and skill, but to the Andean man it represents a complex ritual. Together with musicians, the dancers perform a choreographed duel of step-dancing, acrobatics and increasingly demanding movements.

Reservations strongly recommended!

RSVP HERE

OCEAN Celtic Quartet
"Songs of Love, Lust,
and the Arrival of Spring"
​Saturday, April 2 at 7:30 PM

“Nothing short of spellbinding…”- The Washington Post 
Come hear Washington, D.C.’s award-winning Celtic ensemble, the OCEAN Quartet, in a program of traditional and original music celebrating the return of the Sun and the greening of the land. OCEAN’s soaring vocals, fiery fiddle tunes, and rollicking button accordion will have your heart swelling and your toes tapping, while you sing along with songs that stretch back for centuries… Songs of Love, Lust, and everything in between. There will even be a special guest appearance by the ancient Green Man, also known as Jack-in-the-Green!  
 
OCEAN’s members are bandleader/multi-instrumentalist Jennifer Cutting (Washington Area Music Association’s “Musician of the Year”); vocalist Lisa Moscatiello (whose voice Billboard Magazine called "one of the most gorgeous vocal instruments in all of folk-tinged pop"); champion Scottish fiddler Andrew Dodds; and traditional singer / Ph.D. folklorist Stephen Winick.
 
Join us for this joyful Spring celebration to mark the end of the cold and dark, and the return of the light and warmth. If you didn’t have Spring Fever when you came, you’ll definitely catch it by the time this concert is over! 

See more at oceanorchestra.com

Seth Kibel Trio with Lena Seikaly
​Sunday, April 3 at 6:00 PM

Seth Kibel is one of the Mid-Atlantic’s premier woodwind specialists, working with some of the best bands in jazz, swing, and more. Wowing audiences on saxophone, clarinet, and flute, Seth has made a name for himself in the Washington/Baltimore region, and beyond. 
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Lena Seikaly is a fresh voice on the national jazz scene from Washington, D.C. Named “one of Washington’s preeminent jazz singers” and “brightest voices in jazz” (The Washington Post), as well as a “major league young talent in jazz” by Duke Ellington’s biographer, Dr. John Hasse, Lena is already making her mark as both a revivalist of traditional jazz vocals, as well as an innovator in contemporary vocal jazz styles. 

See more at sethkibel.com

Cristian Perez Quintet
Thursday, April 7 at 7:30 PM

Defying all musical labels, Argentine guitarist/composer/teacher Cristian Perez weaves together genres from throughout the world to reveal the universality of music.  With a strong foundation in classical, jazz and South American music, he crafts a singular voice rich in sensitivity and nuance that freely explores the possibilities of the art form.
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Cristian’s quintet (consisting of guitar, bass, drums, flute and bandoneon) is a hybrid group melding elements of a chamber ensemble, a jazz combo, and a world music band. It features some of Cristian's original compositions and arrangements. Exploring sounds from around the world with the subtlety of classical music and the freedom of Jazz, this group’s relentless quest for beauty takes the listener on a journey with no boundaries.

See more at cristianperezguitar.com

Cissa Paz
Friday, April 8 at 7:30 PM

Cissa Paz is a Brazilian singer-song writer. The diversity of her cultural experience merges with her fearless taste for new combinations, as she creates and rearranges songs that are melded with the rich traditions of Afro-Brazilian and Luso-African concepts. Cissa’s captivating stage presence and soulful voice bring music that is fresh, fun and rhythmic. 

Cissa performs songs in Portuguese, Portuguese Creole, Spanish, French and English. With a voice that is soft and soulful and a vibrant stage presence, Cissa is fun to watch and enjoys talking about the lyrics and teaching audiences about the styles of music she performs.

See more at cissapaz.com

Words and Music Presents:
Native American Premiere "Found Again"
Saturday, April 9 at 7:30 PM

Words & Music, Inc. is a Northern Virginia based vocal chamber ensemble, presenting innovative programs of classical and contemporary music. Now in its fifth season, Words & Music has commissioned award-winning Native American composer Jerod Tate to write an original, multi-movement work for vocal quartet, piano, and optional small chorus.
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Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate, a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation, is dedicated to the devel- opment of American Indian classical composition. Mr. Tate was lauded by The Washington Post: “Tate’s connection to nature and the human experience was quite apparent in his piece...rarer still is his ability to effectively infuse classical music with American Indian nationalism.” 
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“Found Again,” will feature settings of five poems by Joy Harjo. Ms. Harjo, a member of the Mvskoke Nation, has been recognized for her poetry with numerous awards, most recently the academy of american Poets Wallace stevens award. She is a founding board member of the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation. A native of Oklahoma, she now resides in New Mexico.

See more at jerodtate.com

Akua Allrich
Sunday, April 10 at 6:00 PM

Jazz vocalist and DC-native Akua Allrich has proven herself to be a musician of extraordinary talent and crowd-moving passion. With finesse and charisma, this vocalist, composer and teacher, has successfully etched out a place for her unique musical expression, electrifying audiences with sold-out performances. The innovative sound of her albums, A Peace of Mine, Uniquely Standard, Akua Allrich Live!, and latest album, Soul Singer has earned the young artist’s music and performances international acclaim. Akua Allrich has inspired music lovers from all walks with her exceptional work and brilliant artistry. 

See more at akuaallrich.com

Hot Club of Baltimore with Alexis Tantau
Friday, April 15 at 7:30 PM

Founded by acclaimed guitarist Michael Joseph Harris in 2013, The Hot Club of Baltimore has quickly become the premier Django Reinhardt style swing band in the U.S. The captivating Alexis Tantau brings the added dimension of French vocals to the group for Passport to the World Series this Spring.  Alexis Tantau and the Hot Club of Baltimore will perform songs from jazz manouche (French Gypsy Jazz). Soloist Tantau will be accompanied by Hot Club members Eddie Hyrbyk, bass, Michael Joseph Harris, guitar, and Sami Arefin, guitar.

Since making the transition from classical singing to jazz, Tantau has taken the Baltimore/Washington jazz scene by storm. She has performed at Germano's, Petit Louis Bistro, the Creative Alliance, and the French Embassy among other venues. Her renditions of famous French songs by the likes of Edith Piaf, Eartha Kitt, and Charles Trenet, wonderfully compliment the World War II era vibe of the Hot Club and show off Tantau's vocal timbre and French diction. She can be heard on the group's last album, Place de Brouckère, released this past summer and their upcoming album, Coquette, coming in March.
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French Gypsy Jazz style, or "jazz manouche", is attributed to Belgian born Jean Baptiste "Django" Reinhardt. Django founded the Quintet du Hot Club de France in Paris in the 1930s. A main characteristic of gypsy jazz, in addition to string instrumentation, is the use of rhythm guitar in place of drum.

See more at hotclubofbaltimore.bandcamp.com

Juan Cayrampoma and
the Andean Scissors Dancers
​Saturday, April 16 at 2:00 PM
FREE PERFORMANCE!

Juan Cayrampoma from the Andean/Latin fusion group Raymi will join forces with traditional Andean Scissors Dancers in a concert that will transport you to the deepest highlands of Peru.  Juan's music brings the haunting sounds and mystic power from the Andes to the rest of the Americas and the world, using traditional instruments such as zamponas, moscenos, quenas and tarkas.

The Danza de las tijeras (scissors dance) is an original dance from one of the deepest highland regions of Peru. The scissors dance is an impressive manifestation of physical art and skill, but to the Andean man it represents a complex ritual. The scissors dance takes its name from the pair of polished iron rods, resembling scissors blades, wielded by each dancer in his right hand. Together with musicians, the dancers perform a choreographed duel of step-dancing, acrobatics and increasingly demanding movements.

The origin of the dance is shrouded in mystery but it likely began before Spanish colonization in Quechua communities in the southern Central Andes of Peru.  It was used to celebrate, reveal and worship Andean deities.

Audiences will be transported by the athleticism and skill of these incredible dancers.  This is a concert not to be missed!

Shenandoah Run
Saturday, April 16 at 7:30 PM

​Shenandoah Run blends vintage and contemporary folk music in a manner that appeals to all listeners.  The band presents the songs and sounds of American folk music, with an occasional infusion of songs from other lands and from the worlds of country and bluegrass.  From the esoteric to the toe-tappingly familiar, their songs are treated to a lush six-part vocal harmony and skillful instrumental backing that defines what is becoming their instantly recognizable sound. Their arrangements are fresh, varied, and unique, while keeping with the spirit of the folk-music sound and delivered with a chemistry that delights both audiences and performers.

See more at www.shenandoahrun.com

Carpathia Folk Dance Ensemble
Sunday, April 17 at 2:00 PM

Carpathia Folk Dance Ensemble presents dances from a variety of Central & Eastern European countries including Ukraine, Poland, Germany, Romania, and Bulgaria, among others. Their dances represent the wide variety of couple and line dance styles found throughout the region. As well as performing several suites of dances, Carpathia will also teach a variety of dances for both adults and children alike.

See more at thedancingherbalist.wix.com/carpathia

They will be joined by the Tisza Ensemble and Orfeia Vocal Ensemble.
Tisza Ensemble, founded in 1982, has performed and taught throughout the east coast and Canada, including the Hungarian Embassy, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, and the Kennedy Center, as well in Hungary.  Their performances focus on improvisation, true to the social roots of the dance.  
Founded in 2006 by the legendary Bulgarian singer Tatiana Sarbinska, Orfeia celebrates the rich and varied folk music traditions of Bulgaria and the Balkans. From the motifs of village life to the sacred and spiritual, from medieval to modern adaptations, Orfeia presents an authentic Balkan sound in the context of its cultural and folkloric traditions.

Dave Kline Band
​Sunday, April 17 at 6:00 PM

In 2002, Dave Kline formed the Dave Kline Band, a Washington, D.C. based group recognized for its vibrant world sound. The Dave Kline Band blends the modern genres of rock, blues, jazz and folk with music from the ancient cultures such as Africa, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Europe and Latin America. Currently a 4 piece ensemble with electric violin, electric guitar, bass and drums, the band presents an exciting new sound with all original instrumentals. The combustion of high energy original instrumentals, creates a deep emotional impact with the audience.

See more at daveklineband.com

Urban Arias "Craigslist Cabaret"
Friday, April 22 at 8:00 PM

UrbanArias presents 8 hilarious REAL Craigslist ads set to music  - PLUS, the witty BUYER BEWARE: SONGS FROM A SUPERMARKET BULLETIN BOARD, and the touching FARMBALL SONGS.  Featuring three acclaimed singers: Melissa Wimbish, Ben Lurye and Jeffrey Gates. Urban Arias is the DC area's premier contemporary opera company, with a flair for crossover. Join us for a witty and different cabaret.

See more at urbanarias.org

Veronneau
Saturday, April 23 at 7:30 PM

International acoustic quartet VERONNEAU have been captivating festival, concert hall and jazz club audiences across North America and Europe with their vocal and guitar based world-jazz. A delicious blend of bossa nova, jazz, samba and swing performed in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese. 
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Based in Washington DC, Veronneau have attracted capacity crowds to venues such as the Kennedy Center, Strathmore, and Blues Alley. Featuring musicians from Canada, UK and USA, Veronneau's international tours, radio and internet airplay have won them world-wide fans. 

See more at veronneaumusic.com