SUNY Orange presents Urban Ballet Theater on Oct. 15

Dances tell the story of one man’s hunger for life Middletown — The Urban Ballet Theater will perform as part of a cultural affairs program at Orange County Community College on Sunday, Oct. 15, at 3 p.m. The performance will consist of three dances, two works in the first half and one long piece after intermission. “Of Dust and Bone,” is based on the poetry of award-winning New Mexican poet Levi Romero and presented in English and Spanish, threading six poems together while telling the story of a young man’s hunger for life. “Tangoed” is a ballet dealing with the world of men, the world of women, and the relationship developed between a man and a woman. The interweaving of the worlds is demonstrated through complicated dance steps and a complex musical score. “Mambo” is Urban Ballet Theater’s signature work. The piece celebrates the diverse culture of Latino communities as it explores its heritage. This ballet demonstrates the colliding of cultures within Latino communities - Chicano, Caribbean, and the Americas - and the resolution and acceptance of one’s own identity. Artistic Director Daniel Catanach has developed the dances performed by the Urban Ballet Theater from a storyteller’s prospective. The dances are influenced by his Hispanic heritage as well as the Native American cultures of the Southwest. During his career, Catanach came to believe that ballet is viewed as an elite form of expression, limited in its exposure to audiences outside of privileged social classes. Because of this, he decided to take this classical art form and use it to express modern societal issues with a new voice. Tickets: adults - $10; faculty/staff/alumni - $9; senior citizens - $8; non-SUNY Orange students - $6; SUNY Orange credit students - free; group rates are available. Orange Hall Theater Orange County Community College corner of Grandview and Wawayanda Avenues, Middletown. Orange Hall is universally accessible. Sponsored by Orange and Rockland Utilities. Questions may be directed to Cultural Affairs at 341-4891 and cultural@sunyorange.edu and Web site www.sunyorange.edu.