[Press Release] : Free festival performances number 50

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
Contact: Kay McCarthy, Cultural Program Specialist - (573) 874-6387

Free festival performances number 50

COLUMBIA, MO (September 22, 2008) - Fifty live performances will be
featured at the 17th annual Columbia Festival of the Arts, held at the
Boone County Courthouse Square and surrounding streets in downtown
Columbia Sept. 27- 28, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. The festival is free
and open to the public.

Performances of jazz, folk, bluegrass, classical, contemporary dance,
classical ballet, children’s theater, puppetry and storytelling will
fill three different stages throughout the festival weekend. Special
attractions this year are performances by Dancing Wheels, a professional
troupe comprised of standing and seated (wheelchair) dancers, and I am
Kenny J, a lively group of dancers that will get audiences moving with
their “Sophisticated Funk” style.

Musicians and dance groups performing on Courthouse Square Stage
include:
Saturday performances (as part of All Dance: All Day!)
● Dancing Wheels…modern dance that integrates professional standing
and seated (wheelchair) dancers
● I Am Kenny J…interactive sophisticated funk dancing
● Olé Music & Dance of Spain
● Poetry in Motion…break dancing
● DanceArts of Columbia…tap, jazz, musical theatre, hip hop and
ballet
● Stephens College Dance Co…ballet, modern, theater and jazz
● Mid-Missouri Dance Theatre…classical ballet and modern dance
Sunday performances
● The Hennessy Brothers…jazz quartet featuring original and standard
compositions
● MU Steel Drum Band…Caribbean music on steel drums
● East Viillage Quartet…vocal and instrumental
● St. Louis Osuwa Taiko Drummers…traditional and contemporary
Japanese drumming
● Exorna…Celtic Music 
● Matt Mason…touring poet performing his original work
● Megan Boyer Band…acoustic blues and roots music

Performances on the Children’s Stage include:
● Dale Jones…one-handed juggling and comedy
● Bobby Norfolk…high energy storytelling
● Dr. Goodfoot…clowning and puppetry
● Bamboo Steve…woodwinds and percussion
● I Am Kenny J…interactive sophisticated funk dancing
● Margaret Waddell…interactive song tales and singing games
● Babaloo Music & Fun…interactive musical comedy
● Kincaid Karacter Puppets…puppetry with audience participation
● Stoneking Irish Step Dancers…traditional Irish jigs and reels

Artists on the Literary Arts Stage include:
● Walter Bargen…Poet Laureate of Missouri, reading from his
collection of works
● One Read, Daniel Boone Regional Library...readings from The
Whistling Season
● Allison Smythe…reading her original poetry
● Matt Mason…touring poet, performing his original poetry
● Hickman Review…Hickman High School literary arts goup
● Betty Cook Rottmann…reading from her work
● Jim Coffman…reading his original poetry
● Rich Smith…reading his original poetry
● Jessica Garratt…reading her original poetry
● Columbia Chapter of the Missouri Writer’s Guild...essays, poetry
& short stories
● Gregory Dunne…Japanese Poetry in translation, readings from the
16th century
● Lania Knight…reading her original short story, Starry Night
● Elizabeth Langemak…reading her original poetry from A Brief History
of Sainthood 
● Marc McKee…reading his original poetry
● Harbinger...Stephens College literary magazine

Additional special performances planned in the Visual Arts Area on
Saturday and Sunday include classical music by Prairie Strings and
woodwind music by Bamboo Steve. 
For specific performance times and stage locations, consult the special
festival insert in the Columbia Daily Tribune’s Sept. 25 issue, call
the Office of Cultural Affairs at (573) 874-6386, e-mail
Festival at GoColumbiaMo.com or log on to www.GoColumbiaMo.com (search:
arts festival). For further information on the Mid-America Arts
Alliance, call (816) 421-1388.

The Columbia Festival of the Arts is a program of the City of Columbia
Office of Cultural Affairs. Financial assistance has been provided by
Boone County National Bank, CenturyTel, Columbia Convention & Visitors
Bureau Tourism Development Fund, Columbia Daily Tribune, Columbia Home
and Lifestyle Magazine, Commerce Bank, Dave Griggs’ Flooring America,
Days Inn and Travelodge, Deck the Walls, KBIA 91.3, KOMU 8 and
Mid-Missouri CW, MFA Oil, Missouri Arts Council, Mid-America Arts
Alliance, National Endowment for the Arts and the Regency Hotel
Downtown.

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