Whittier College News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Whittier College
Office of Public Relations
Phone: 562.907.4912 or 562.907.4277

Dance Company’s Electric Blue to Entertain and Enlighten

WHITTIER, CA (APRIL 3, 2007) – The acclaimed Iona Contemporary Dance Theatre will perform Electric Blue, one of their latest productions, April 25, 8 p.m., Ruth B. Shannon Center for the Performing Arts, 6760 Painter Ave. $20. (562) 907-4203 or www.ShannonCenter.org.

Electric Blue is inspired by a loss of reverence for the planet. In it, dancers use sand as a performance tool and the ocean, presented in underwater footage, to convey messages of preservation and the erosion of the planet’s ecosystems. The production blends dance, aerials, spoken word and interactive video.

Electric Blue was written by Victoria Nalani Kneubuhl. Documentary and underwater footage was done by Sergio goes and Mike May. The production originally debuted in 2006.

Described as a “visionary coup de theatre,” “provocative,” and “perplexing,” the Iona Contemporary Dance Theatre was founded in 1990 by choreographer Cheryl Flaharty. Flaharty’s Iona Contemporary Dance Theatre melds visual ingenuity, international mythology and allegory with rigorous dance technique and artistry. The company is based in Hawaii.

Founded by Quakers in 1887, Whittier College is an independent, four-year college offering a traditional liberal arts program integrated with both professional and pre-professional courses of study. With an emphasis on diversity, community, and curricular innovation, the College’s primary mission is to endow students with the education, skills, and values appropriate for global leadership and service. Whittier College is a designated Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI).

Whittier Law School, which is accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools, is located on a separate campus in Orange County.