The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County and Miami Light Project present the breath-taking, interactive fairytale performance, THE BUTTERFLY GARDEN, Friday, April 16th at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, April 17th at 11 a.m., 2 p.m., and 5 p.m., at the Carnival Studio Theater in the Ziff Ballet Opera House. Tickets are $15 and may be purchased through the Adrienne Arsht Center box office at (305) 949-6722 or online at www.arshtcenter.org.
In THE BUTTERFLY GARDEN, Italian theater company Teatro di Piazza o d’Occasione (T.P.O.) incorporates computer graphics and digital technologies to create a thrilling new experience in participatory theater. The children’s cheering carpet, a ground-breaking device that uses touch sensors, transforms the stage into a magical landscape from which beautiful botanical images, rainforest sounds, and brilliant prisms of color emerge in every direction in real-time response to the dancers’ movements. Even bigger thrills come when young ones from the audience are invited to touch and explore the glowing interactive garden themselves.
“BUTTERFLY GARDEN is a special show that blurs the boundaries between performer and audience,” said M. John Richard, President and CEO of the Adrienne Arsht Center. “Coming to Miami all the way from Italy, this production enchants young and old alike with astonishing images and cutting-edge technology. South Florida families are in for a real treat when they enter this magical, fantastical world onstage at the Carnival Studio Theater.”
THE BUTTERFLY GARDEN was initially conceptualized as an experiment in the expressive potential arising from the use of new digital languages associated with dance, music, and movement. The resulting theatrical experience is a delight for the senses — merging dance and music with software sensors to create magnificent visual projections, original sounds, and 3D animations throughout the performance space. BUTTERFLY GARDEN is a technologically sophisticated show with the heart and soul of a curious, adventurous child. The company dancers simulate the wings of butterflies, moving through space like ballerinas painting on air with their great wings. Meanwhile, members of the audience are invited to take part, entering the stage and moving among the images, which in turn react to their gestures and movements by morphing or multiplying, filling the space with light, color, and sound. BUTTERFLY GARDEN is a theatrical wonderland that brings nature and magic to life.
THE BUTTERFLY GARDEN was conceived and directed by Francesco Gandi and Davide Venturini. Since 1997, Gandi has worked with T.P.O. as an author, actor, and director. His productions typically feature large-scale images, props, and most recently, innovations in technology. Gandi currently serves as the President of the T.P.O. Cultural Association. Venturini studied sociology at Cesar Alfieri University in Florence and has been with T.P.O. since 1983. He theatrical productions highlight pedagogical aspects of art, specifically, the processes of visual communication and interrelation. His work on BUTTERFLY GARDEN explores the combination of powerful visual images with the use of high-tech devices. Venturini currently holds the post of Artistic Director of T.P.O.
THE BUTTERFLY GARDEN’s engagement at the Arsht Center also includes a dynamic community outreach component that will provide nine free performances for local community centers, social service providers, and school groups. Selected groups will participate with the company in interactive, hands-on sessions on the show’s set after designated performances, allowing the participants to be part of the multi-media theater magic.
CALENDAR LISTING
The Adrienne Arsht Center and Miami Light Project present
THE BUTTERFLY GARDEN
An interactive theatrical spectacular for audiences of all ages!
Enter a spellbinding world of The Butterfly Garden, as beautiful botanical images and captivating rainforest sounds engulf you as a simple studio morphs into a magical playground that responds to the graceful movement of two beautiful dancers. Even bigger thrills come when young ones from the audience are invited to touch and explore the glowing interactive garden themselves.
“Redefines the idea of interactive theater!” – Scoop Independent News (New Zealand)
April 16 & 17, 2010
Friday, April 16th at 7:30pm
Saturday, April 17th at 11am, 2pm, and 5pm
Carnival Studio Theater
In the Ziff Ballet Opera House
Adrienne Arsht Center
1300 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami, FL, 33132
Tickets: $15
For tickets visit www.arshtcenter.org, or call the Box Office at (305) 949-6722.