Roxane Butterfly's Worldbeats

Roxane Butterfly's Wordbeats is a mediterranean-jazz ensemble fusing Flamenco and tap-dance to north-african grooves

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All of the company work expresses a deep wish to reconnect with the improvisational and celebrative spirit of Tap as a communal (trance)-dance, an aspect long lost with the evolution of Jazz as a music to be ‘listened’ to and no longer danced. By taking Tap out of its stereotypical representations and exploring contemporary paths all the way back to the Motherland, Butterfly hopes to bring new and rhythmically challenging interpretations of Tap as a LANGUAGE, while reflecting on the theme of mixed-identities.

Ensemble history:
Born in 1998 in New York City thanks to the support of Cobi Narita’s Universal Jazz Coalition, Roxane Butterfly’s Worldbeats (formely BeauteeZ’n The Beat) premiered as an all-women cast at the famous jazz Church of Saint Peter’s. It has since toured internationally and has included artists from all around the world and from many disciplines including poetess Sarah Jones, b-girl, Rockafella, tango-dancer Pablo Veron (via video installations), singer Elizabeth Kontomanou, electro-jazz composer Graham Haynes, flamenco artist Raul Ortega, and many more. The ensemble includes an international cast of dancers who live in Barcelona and New York. Depending on the touring itinerary, the company uses the european or american cast, and sometimes both.

-American cast (New York based): Ali Bradley (tap and vocals), Claudia Rahardjanoto (tap), Sol (flamenco dance), Yoel Ben SImhon (ud), ‘Espiritu Gitano’ (flamenco guitar), Peter Basil (percussion), Damon Banks (bass), Graham Haynes (cornet) -European cast (Barcelona/Madrid based): Moulay Sherif (oud, darbuka, bendir, guimbre, vocals), Terry Butler (flute, effects), Raul Ortega (percussion and flamenco dance), Jose Manuel (Flamenco dance), Mariano Martos (bass), Javi Gavarra (flamenco guitar)

Company Selected Performances
-Sant Andreu Teatro (Barcelona July 2008)
-Symphony Space, Peter Norton (Women Of The Word serie, May 2008)
- Lincoln Center, Summer of Love serie (NYC 2007)
- Festival Nuits d’Afrique (Kola Note-Montreal, Canada 2007)
- Teatro Bartrina, Reus (Spain 2007)
- Espai Maragall, Gavà (Spain 2007)
- Auditorium de Lyon/Festival d’Un Monde à l’Autre (France 2007)
- Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center (University of Maryland, USA 2007)
- Festival de Danse Jazz de Mortagne au Perche (France 2007)
- The Egg For The Performing Arts (Albany, USA 2007)
- Opus Jazz (Paris 2007)
- Summerstage, Central Park (NYC 2006)
- Tanzhaus of Dusseldorf (Germany 2006)
- GlobalFest 06/Public Theater (NYC 2006)
- Joe’s Pub (NYC 2006)
- Duke on 42nd street/ Harkness Dance Project Annual Festival (NYC 2005)
- Hudson Opera House (NY 2005)
- Sheboygan Arts Center (Michigan, USA 2005)
- Symphony Space / for 3 consecutives seasons (NYC 2002, 03, 04)
- Dance Theater Workshop (NYC 2003)
- Montreal Jazz Festival (Canada 2002)
- Wortham Center/ Dance Salad Festival (Houston, USA 2002)
- Alliances Françaises of Houston (Houston 2002)
- Chinese New Year, Miller Theater (Columbia University 2001)
- New York City TownHall (2000)
- The Supper Club (NYC 1999)
Selected past community-oriented performances (USA)
- ‘Where The Rivers Meet’, Clemente Soto Velez Center (NYC 2005)
- Makor (NYC 2003)
- Gay Pride NYAAC (NY 2002)
- Cutting Room (NYC 2002)
- Jamaica Center For Arts and Learnings (NYC 2000)
- Brooklyn Museum For Children (2000, 2001)
- Festival del Barrio (Spanish Harlem 2001)
- Saint Mark’s Church/Dance Space Improvisation Festival (NYC 1999)
- Saint Clement’s Church (NYC 1999)
- Kids Café Festival/ Tribeca Performing Arts Center (NYC 1999)
- Rallye for the Repeal of the Rockefeller Drug Law (Harlem, USA 1999)
- Saint Peter’s Church (NYC 1998)
Tap Jam Sessions with live-music created and led on-goingly by Roxane Butterfly
- 2000- 2002: clubs Gishen Café (Harlem), Maxim’s (Korea town), Izzy Bar (East Village) and Taperia (Upper East Side)
- 1999: Internet Café and Teddy’s (Brooklyn) with saxophonist Hayes Greenfield.
- 1996 : Rhythmic Club (London)- until 1998: The Cooler (14th sth)
- 1995 at the Bar des Roses, Café Houdon and La Balle Aux Bonds

participating in

  • WOMEX 2008

Members

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