The JCC Orchestra will be presenting Dance the Night Away a collection of popular, symphonic dances that feature The Three-Cornered Hat by Manuel de Falla, Slavonic Dances by Antonin Dvorak, and The Beautiful Blue Danube by Johann Strauss at the Jewish Community Center on Sunday, October 3, at 7:30 P.M.
Composed for ballet and premiering in 1919, The Three-Cornered Hat uses traditional Spanish folk rhythms, the type that often accompanies flamenco music. Flamenco guitar playing and former Love Boat guest star extraordinaire Charo is not expected to attend, however. The orchestra will be performing Scenes and Dances Suite No. 1.
Dvorak's Slavonic Dances are the foundations of the four-hand piano repertoire and have become even more popular in their orchestral versions. The Slavonic Dances are part of a series of 16 of Dvorak's orchestral pieces and were inspired by Brahms's Hungarian Dances.
The Beautiful Blue Danube, a waltz composed by Strauss in 1867, has become one of the most consistently popular pieces of music in the classical canon. The sentimental Viennese connotations of the piece have made it into a sort of unofficial Austrian national anthem. Many concertgoers may recognize it as the music played over the closing credits of the film 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Music Director Aaron Boaz is a fixture with the JCC Orchestra, and he is taking the podium for his fifth season at the helm of the orchestra. Before he became conductor, Boaz served as Artist in Residence for several years and was often a featured violin soloist.
Louisvillians may not realize that the JCC Orchestra was founded way back in 1916 (26 years after the opening of the Jewish Community Center) and was the predecessor to the Louisville Orchestra. It is one of the oldest continuous community orchestras in the country. Today the orchestra performs an engaging and diverse range of selections featuring romantic classical standards to mainstream Broadway fare that appeals to a wide audience, even the classically challenged among us.
Single tickets for the performance are available for $12 for non-members, $10 for JCC members and seniors and $8 for students. Tickets are available by calling 502-459-0660 or in person by visiting the Jewish Community Center at 3600 Dutchmans Lane. Group tickets are available upon request.
JCC Membership and services are offered to the Jewish and general community as the organization pursues its mission of strengthening the individual, family and community. So, if you've ever gone to JCC to exercise and work out, Dance the Night Away offers you a chance to attend a different type of event there and just relax and enjoy; no need to break a sweat. Leave the hard work to the woodwinds section.
