Recent Highlights: Sep – Dec 2024
The Philadelphia media have been touting our
Beyond Boundaries season, and several of our shows have earned must-see status from the press!
Read more...5 Questions with Le Patin Libre's Alexandre Hamel
Dance
Performing in Philadelphia for the very first time Dec 13-14,
Le Patin Libre is the world’s only contemporary ice-skating company. With
Murmuration, inspired by the mysterious aerial ballet of bird flocks, the company reimagines complex scientific algorithms into mesmerizing choreography. In today’s 5 Questions feature, we speak to Alexandre Hamel, Le Patin Libre’s artistic director, choreographer and skater, to learn more about what art excites him, his experience innovating a new performance medium and what to expect from the company’s work.
Read more...Summer Internship Reflections – Part 2
It may be November, but we’re not finished celebrating the experiences of the students who participated in our
Arts & Entertainment Career Connections this past summer. Through these funding awards and internships, some students pursued opportunities in live performance, while others explored multiple facets of the media and entertainment industry, from writing headlines to analyzing market data.
Read more...Limón Dance Company brings Rarely Seen Masterworks and Two Premieres
Dance
“A spectacle of the highest artistic level... and still the most unique and original American dance company,” (
Il Messaggero, Italy) the Limón Dance Company makes a glorious return to Penn Live Arts Nov 22-23 with rarely seen works from the 1950’s and two Philadelphia premieres.
Read more...Summer Internship Reflections – Part 1
This summer, our
Arts & Entertainment Career Connections program supported seven students as they explored the professional world of arts and entertainment. While PLA has provided funding towards student internships for several years, this was the first year in which students could take advantage of specific opportunities offered in partnership with alumni employers – a step that allowed students to strengthen their networks while gaining crucial work experience and professional education.
Read more...Student Performing Artists Engage with the Community
Welcome to the vibrant world of student performing arts at Penn! Our campus is home to more than 80 extracurricular student performing arts groups, practicing disciplines from a cappella to dance, theatre to spoken word, music to comedy, and stage tech to design. Platt Student Performing Arts House is the advisory hub for extracurricular student performing arts on campus, providing students with the resources to train, collaborate, rehearse, fundraise, and realize their artistic values on stage. Read more...
Complexions Contemporary Ballet Celebrates 30 Years of Incredible Artistry
Posted September 23, 2024
Dance Philadelphia Premieres World Premieres
The incomparable Complexions Contemporary Ballet, considered “America’s original multicultural dance company,” returns to Penn Live Arts October 18-19. Get ready for the power, poetry and pathos of this unforgettable ensemble.
Read more...2024 Summer Hiatus
Our 23/24 season has come to a close. Thank you to our incredible artists, dedicated patrons and generous supporters. We are so grateful you joined us as we explored our world, both global and local, through the lens of music, dance and theatre. We put a spotlight on the rich culture of Ukraine and created experiences on stage and off in Toll the Bell, looking at the uniquely American tragedy of gun violence. The performing arts give us the rare opportunity to be local and global in the same moment. Through diverse artistry, innovative ideas and visionary perspectives, the arts continue to be a force for positive change, one audience at a time. Read more...
Looking Back at Toll the Bell
On June 7, National Gun Violence Awareness Day, our season-long
Toll the Bell project concluded with a sound installation at 44 sites across the city and beyond. A massive community collaboration,
66 partners came together to honor the victims of gun violence and raise awareness for those working to have a positive impact in our city. Toll the Bell was not a profile of tragedy, but a sonic device that disrupted the day-to-day and urged everyone to
take action now.
Read more...The Kaplan-Perry Student Ticket Initiative
It’s not every day that a college student can see Grammy®-winning artists perform up close, steps from their dorm room. At Penn Live Arts, we are thrilled to make this a reality by offering economically accessible tickets that bring our professional season artists within reach for Penn students.
This initiative wouldn't be possible without the generous support of our donor community. A special thanks goes to PLA Board Member Arthur Kaplan, C’67, and his husband Duane Perry, whose gift established the Kaplan-Perry Student Ticket Initiative. This program provides $3 tickets to Penn First Plus students, including those who are the first in their families to attend college as well as students with modest financial resources.
Read more about how we launched our partnership with Penn First Plus students in this Inspiring Impact article.
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