The vivacious new trio Dancing Heart features flutist Karen Johnson, pianist Carlos-C?sar Rodriguez and percussionist John Kilkenny. Their program at the Hylton Performance Arts Center on Sunday will be a tuneful collection of traditional and contemporary works from around the world. Johnson has been heard locally at the Washington National Cathedral, the National Gallery of Art and the Kennedy Center. Her diverse collaborations range from Stevie Wonder and the Takacs Quartet to the Bach Aria Group. When she met Rodriguez at the Levine School where both teach, she discovered a kindred soul who shares her love of variety.
| On stage |
| Dancing Heart |
| Where: Hylton Performing Arts Center, Manassas |
| When: 3 p.m. Sunday |
| Info: $15 at 888-945-2468 or hyltoncenter.org |
Kilkenny, a composer and percussion teacher at George Mason University with a penchant for commissioning new music, adds the element of rhythm. His imagination is exemplified by his substitution of the marimba for the cello in the Bach cello suite they will perform.
“Dancing Heart evolved from my love of different kinds of music,” Johnson said. “I’m excited about this group because we all share the same vision of music. Our program is not traditional, but it’s easily accessible. Piazzolla’s music gives wonderful color. Carlos is from South America, so he’s an expert on the rumba, tango and other rhythms originating there. We’ll perform Piazzolla’s sonata, originally written for the flute and guitar, on the flute and marimba.”
“From Poulenc to Piazzolla” is but one distinctive program the trio presents. Other audience favorites are “Music and the Elements,” “The Contemporary Mystic,” “Ecstasy of Longing” and “The American Spirit.”
Next month, Johnson’s flute will be heard with the Cathedral Choral Society in Beethoven’s “Missa Solemnis.” She and Rodriguez are working on a flute and piano CD, “From the Americas, With Love.” Her course, Performing With Heart, coaches performers of all ages how to shed nervousness when they are on stage.
“I help them use nervous energy in a positive way through visualization and other techniques,” she said. “They learn how to have fun when they are performing instead of torturing themselves with fear.”
