(Canscene) — Looks like Dan Brambilla and his team at Hummingbird Centre for the Performing Arts has circled the globe to create their upcoming season. It reflects the diversity of Canada and audiences can visit the world without having to buckle themselves to airplane seats.

In the Fall, they can take off to Taiwan and experience an aboriginal art form with Eye of the Storm performed by Ten Drum Art Percussion,a renowned drumming group that has over four hundred performances under its belt, including performances at the Sydney Olympic Torch Relay in 2000 and at the Arts Festival for Korea World Soccer Games in 2002.

Ten Drum has been honoured as the city of Tainan’s outstanding arts and cultural team and is devoted to passing on the art and traditions of percussion through teaching. The group’s specialty is a hybrid drumming style, which uses a wide variety of drums from different drumming styles and disciplines, as they bring together the drumming cultures of the world.

Next stop, Japan………
….. for Sankai Juku’s Kagemi: Beyond the Metaphors of Mirrors, directed, choreographed and designed by Ushio Amagatsu with music by Takashi Kako and Yoichiro Yoshikawa.

Kagemi
Precise yet delicate, this preeminent butoh dance troupe, creates visually stunning performances where each movement is a work of art. The “Kage” of Kagemi is shadow; the light of contrast, the image in the mirror of water’s surface. The “mi” is seeing and being seen.

The riveting masterwork, Kagemi, is said to be most stunning yet. Beginning with a forest of giant lotus flowers, stark white-painted dancers create seven scenes constructed with sand and water, ash and blood, life and death. Defying both motion and stillness, obsessions are repeated, allowing the audience to savour them again and again.

Sankai Juku was founded in 1975 by Ushio Amagatsu, they have performed in 40 countries and visited more than 700 cities, and is Japan’s finest dance export

Then to South Africa, for the Soweto Gospel Choir, an awe-inspiring vocal ensemble, performing in eight different languages, in an inspirational program of tribal, traditional and popular African gospel. Earthy rhythms, rich harmonies, a capella and charismatic performances combine to uplift the soul and express, through a vocal celebration, South Africa’s great hopes for the future.

Soweto Gospel Choir
Soweto Gospel Choir has achieved major success in Europe and in South Africa. Drawing on the best musical talents from the many churches and communities in and around Soweto, the concert will feature a dynamic four-piece band, traditional dancers and drummers.

And for a touch of Gallic lyricism, Charles

A brief visit to France will also offer you a performance by veteran composer-singer-actor Charles Aznavour many of whose songs like The Old Fashioned Way, Yesterday When We Were Young and Happy Anniversary now number among world-class favourites.

In the most diverse season in its 46 years, The Hummingbird Centre is establishing a policy of cultural richness with shows from around the world from Broadway to the U.K. to Australia.

For more information about The Hummingbird’s 2006/2007 Season visit www.hummingbirdcentre.com
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