EDWARDSVILLE — Latin music meets tap dance in “Latin Pulse” at the Wildey Theatre in Edwardsville at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 5. in a collaboration between the dancers of STL Rhythm Collaborative and the musicians of Acoustik Element.
Maria Majors, executive director for STL Rhythm Collaborative and artistic director for mostSTLy TAP, credits Wildey manager Al Canal for connecting her organization with Acoustik Element. Canal invited Aaron Burlbaw, musical director for Acoustik Element, to a show at the Wildey led by Majors.
“Aaron said to use whatever we want, and whatever songs move you, you can change them and do what you want with them,” Majors said. “We left a little bit of pressure, but we were truly honored because this is music that they have been playing for a long time and they’ve spent a lot of time honing it to make it perfect for their live shows.”
Choreography for “Latin Pulse” includes works by dancers Majors, Amy Gammon, Megan Mayer and Anthony J. Russo, with arrangements by Burblaw, a musical artist and composer.
Rehearsals for “Latin Pulse” began in May and continued throughout the summer.
“We try to make our performances as collaborative as possible and I think that’s what makes them so great,” Majors said. “The more artists we have involved, the more creativity there is, and we inspire one another.”
No other performances of “Latin Pulse” are currently scheduled, but Majors said that STL Rhythm Collaborative and Acoustik Element intend to perform it again.
Reserved seating for “Latin Pulse” is $25 for adults, $20 for seniors (60 and over) and $20 for students, plus a small service charge.
For more information contact the Wildey Theatre at 618-307-1750 or wildeytheatre.com.