The Modesto Junior College Dance program gets a groove on this summer with the Off the Beat 7 – Hip Hop Dance Concert on Wednesday, June 14 and Thursday, June 15 at 7 p.m. in the Auditorium of the Performing and Media Arts Center on East Campus, 435 College Ave., Modesto.
The Off the Beat 7 “Mixtape” concert theme offers an eclectic playlist of music that has inspired the choreographers to showcase their style, vibe and groove moves. The mixtape playlist will feature music artists such as Drake, Beyonce, Rhianna, Queen, Macklemore, Michael Jackson, Mac Dre and E-40.
Tickets are $11 general admission and $9 for students of all ages and seniors (62 or better). Tickets can be purchased in advance online at www.mjc.tix.com and will be available at the door beginning 90 minutes prior to show time.
This year’s Off the Beat show is a fundraiser for the MJC Dance Program to send 13 dancers and two faculty to Jacob’s Pillow in Becket, MA. MJC is one of five colleges in the United States invited to this prestigious event. The MJC dance trip is scheduled Aug.22-25, 2017.
This funky, fresh hip hop dance performance brings together a cast of over 40 performers who take the stage directed by MJC Dance Professor Kim T. Davis, along with guest choreographer Nhan Ho from Sacramento State University, Nick Bentley from Juline School of Dance, Jennifer Pirrone from Gregori High School, and student choreographers Shean Bautista, Jessica Espinoza, Andrew Merrill and Rene Matute.
Jacob’s Pillow is a recipient of the National Medal of Arts and home to America’s longest-running international dance festival.
“A dancer’s dream is to one day visit, perform, or to study at the famed Jacob’s Pillow in their outdoor Amphitheatre with a panoramic view of the Berkshire Hills,” said Professor Davis. “Influential dance artists and companies have graced the stages and grounds at Jacob’s Pillow since 1931. Please show your support by attending this year’s Off the Beat 7 - Mixtape Hip Hop Show. You will be helping our dancers’ dreams come true.”
Jacob’s Pillow Dance is lauded worldwide as a “hub and mecca of dancing” (TIME Magazine), “one of America’s most precious cultural assets” (Mikhail Baryshnikov), and “the dance center of the nation” (The New York Times).
