The Siuslaw news., March 30, 2016, WEDNESDAY EDITION, Page Page 4, Image 29

Pu b l i c i nv i t e d t o co m e D a n c i n g w i t h S e a L i o n s
Porter the Sea Lion will take the stage
in her many artistic incarnations thanks to
the work of 20 area artists, each of whom
has created his or her own one-of-a-kind
creation using a large fi berglass blank canvas
of Porter. The original 20 life-sized sea lion
statues arrived at the Florence Events Center
in February and then were dispersed to each
of the artists participating in the Dancing
with Sea Lions project.
After submitting their ideas and
acquiring their sponsors, the artists have
spent the last two months preparing for
their “big reveal” April 8 at a special VIP
reception, followed by a public showcase
April 9 at the FEC.
The statues are part of the FEC’s 20th
anniversary celebration, “Dancing with Sea
Lions.”
All 20 sea lions will gather at the FEC
for display before being installed at locations
in Florence, as well as spots between
Reedsport and Newport.
The April 9 public showcase will be
from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Co m e ex p e r i e n ce a o n e - o f - a - k i n d S h u f f l e Co n ce r t
“You choose, we play,” say the members
of the world-class ensemble, Shuffl e Concert.
“From Baroque to classical and
romantic; from jazz, to pop and Broadway,
this group is so multitalented they let the
audience select the pieces they will play,”
says Nancy Pearson, director of SEAcoast
Entertainment Association
which
is
producing the concert. “You’ve never been
to a concert like this. Every performance
is a completely customized and memorable
experience. It really is like putting your iPod
on shuffl e; only better because it’s live.”
Shuffl e Concert will perform in a rare
Thursday evening concert April 7, at 7 p.m.,
at the Florence Events Center. They will give
a pre-concert talk at 6:15 p.m. Also, Shuffl e
Concert members will present an informal
performance at the Florence Senior Center
on April 8, as part of SEAcoast’s arts and
cultural outreach and enrichment program.
The 1 p.m. event is free and open to the
public.
“At a Shuffl e Concert performance,
the audience does not receive a traditional
program as they enter the concert hall.
Instead, they get a number and a ‘musical
menu,’” explains Pearson. “Members of
the group pick a number out of a hat, the
audience member holding that number then
selects the piece they want to hear from the
menu.”
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And the menu is amazing.
Between 40 and 50 items including styles
from Americana to French, from Spanish/
Latin to Jewish; and covering periods from
Baroque to Romanic to Classical to early-
and mid-20th century. Performances by
Shuffl e Concert, and Quattrosound last
October, were in part sponsored by a grant
from the Western States Art Federation and
National Endowment for the arts, secured
by SEAcoast board director Sandy
Kuhlman.
The New York City-based, mixed-
genre Shuffl e Concert was born in 2010
while founder and artistic director
Eliran Avni was exercising on the
elliptical machine at the gym. His MP3
player jumped from a Pretenders song to
the fi rst movement of Prokofi ev’s Fifth
Symphony, nearly causing him to lose
his balance. The six core members —
Avni (piano), Ariadne Greif (soprano),
Brendan Speltz (violin), Moran Katz
(clarinet), Sofi a Nowik (cello), and
Hassan Anderson (oboe) — are all
classically trained chamber musicians,
but can handle (Handel?) everything
from Beethoven to Björk to Gershwin
to Stevie Wonder.
Anand Giridharadas, critic for The
New York Times, writes: “To be in the
room that evening was to discover the
tension and the drama of never knowing
what’s next... As they played, they swayed...
They moved as if the music were something
they were riding atop, not creating.”
“SEAcoast’s season wraps up Friday,
May 13, when The New Hot Club of
America heats up the FEC,” says Pearson.
“This dazzling ensemble is comprised of
some of today’s top gypsy jazz artists in
North America. You’ll want to tango in your
seat as they recapture the sound, style, and
spirit of the 1930’s-era Hot Club of France.”
Tickets, artist profi les, show times,
video clips and more are available at
SEAcoast EA.org. Tickets are $30 or $10 for
those age 17 and younger.
Tickets can also be purchased at the
Florence Events Center box offi ce, 715
Quince Street; by phone at 541-997-1994 or
online at eventscenter.org.
The Florence Events Center website: www.eventcenter.org