The Historic Orpheum Theatre, now in its 109th year in Downtown Galesburg, IL is thrilled to announce that America’s Got Talent Finalist – CATAPULT Dance will premiere a brand-new show on Saturday March 15th at 7:30p, sponsored by Holiday Inn Express and F&M Bank!
CATAPULT founder and director Adam Battelstein has traveled the world as a professional performer and director, soloed at Carnegie Hall, performed at the 2007 Academy Awards, danced on the Oprah show, and absolutely blew audience’s (and the judge’s) minds as finalists in Season 8 of America’s Got Talent!
Now, he and his company of 8 dancers are spending two weeks in this rural town of 50,000 in March preparing, creating, and perfecting their new show as they use the “Jewel of Galesburg”, The Orpheum Theatre as the launching point for this brand new tour.
Beyond the premiere performance, their two week residency at The Orpheum Theatre will also include two special shortened shows for local school groups, providing an opportunity for 1,800 area elementary students to experience this once-in-a-lifetime performance LIVE!
CATAPULT’s time in Galesburg will also prove to involve more than the rehearsals and the performances as The Orpheum Theatre and the show sponsors Holiday Inn Express and F & M Bank plan to curate multiple public dining experiences where the community will have the opportunity to enjoy a meal next to the dancers at one of the treasured restaurants and really show them what Central Illinois hospitality is like.
So what is CATAPULT Dance and what makes it so unique and special?
These incredible dancing visionaries tell stories by creating a series of shadows with light projected from the back of the theatre towards a scrim on the front of the stage. Shadow dance is all about the body and its ability to transform with pinpoint specificity and precision.
“To some degree, the shadow shapes are illusion,” says Battelstein. “They come together a little like a magic trick. It’s kind of an improbable art form, it’s not even the dancer you’re seeing, it’s the shadow of the dancer. It is kind of a magic moment when it comes together.”
CATAPULT prides itself on melding cutting-edge technology with classic technique. Dancers use their bodies to mutate into everything from a dragon to a helicopter and everything in between. The family-friendly performances are full of humor, emotion, and engaging stories, and feature contemporary and classical music choices alongside the shadow-illusion dance.
The premiere performance of this new CATAPULT Dance tour will be March 15th at 7:30pm. Tickets are available now for $30 – $35 per person plus fees at GalesburgOrpheum.org, or by calling (309)-342-2299. Group ticket rates are available for groups 20 or more. The Orpheum Theatre is located at 57 South Kellogg Street in Downtown Galesburg, with office hours Tuesday through Friday, 10am-2pm.
About the show’s sponsors:
Holiday Inn Express provides a world-class travel experience with state of the art facilities. They offer a quality experience for visitors to the area founded on service and integrity. Located conveniently near downtown, and right off the interstate, they are our preferred accommodation for our visiting artists and performers!
F&M Bank actively works to help build a better community, not simply to offer banking and lending services. At F&M Bank, their involvement in the community extends outside of the bank doors. In addition to the financial support they offer in the form of loans and donations, F&M Bank and their employees have been and are currently involved in dozens of community organizations, schools, churches and other groups and clubs. They lend their talents, knowledge and time to ensuring Galesburg, Brimfield and Peoria and the surrounding communities continue to be great places to live, work and raise a family.
This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Art Council.
###
The Orpheum Theatre in Galesburg, Illinois exists as a beacon for performing arts and humanities in Central Illinois. By offering engaging programming and preserving its original splendor, The Orpheum serves as a community gathering space and tourist destination, hosting movies, music, dance, comedy and theatre.
***Courtesy of The Orpheum Theatre***