Darwin The Dinosaur Program

Darwin The Dinosaur CAST Ian Carney Corbin Popp Eleanor B. Carney Anna Morris Stephen Charles Nicholson Meg Paul Whitney Popp Michael Quintana Tierney St. John This show is performed without intermission.

ABOUT DARWIN THE DINOSAUR Our story begins with Henslow, the Magical Scientist. We find him in his workshop, putting Darwin together piece by piece. With a wave of Henslow’s magical wand, Darwin is brought to life.

Darwin is much more than a pet: he is a dinosaur – a wild and primitive creature. Though Darwin learns to take his first steps from his creator; he is, after all, a dinosaur. His animal instincts eventually take over and he has no choice but to succumb.

Just as it’s becoming too late, Henslow realizes something must be done to change him, so he creates compassion for the creature by giving him a heart.

Darwin is transformed. A beautiful

Darwin The Dinosaur

bond develops between creator and beast. And as must eventually happen, it is time for Darwin to explore his own world.

In Darwin’s explorations, he encounters many different types of living creatures, learning the value of both good and bad, love and hate, friends and enemies. What Darwin takes from these life lessons are up to him, and only he can decide his fate.

It seems Darwin’s fate is to rescue Henslow—when given a choice between his life or Henslow’s, Darwin chooses to give up his heart to save his Master, to return the compassion that was once shown to him. …Perhaps if we truly believe in what life brings, maybe love can conquer all.

Company Profiles Ian Carney (co-director, co-creator, co-choreographer) Born in Portsmouth, N.H., Ian was raised in New Orleans, La., where he began dance training with Harvey Hysell and Diane Carney.

He continued his studies as a scholarship student with David Howard in New York and Devon Carney of the Boston Ballet. Ian graduated from Tulane University with a Bachelor of Arts in English literature while continuing to perform with Ballet Hysell in New Orleans. Ian then joined Montgomery Ballet with his wife Eleanor in 1996.

He has danced principal roles in Coppelia, The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Scheherazade, Petrouchka, and Les Sylphides to name a few. Ian danced the lead roll on Broadway in Billy Joel and Twyla Tharp’s musical Movin’ Out for three years and served as the dance captain. Ian is currently a guest artist with Youth America Grand Prix and performs across the United States as dancer, teacher and choreographer.

Corbin Popp (co-director, co-creator, co-choreographer) From Lincoln, Neb., Corbin’s interest in dance was sparked at the Lincoln Midwest Ballet Company.

Pausing to pursue academics, Corbin graduated with a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry and a minor in math and physics from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln in 1999. He spent the next year in Germany as a Fulbright scholar. Corbin began his professional dance training during his final years at UNL, and has since continued dancing professionally with Twyla Tharp, the Sacramento Ballet and Complexions.

On Broadway, Corbin has performed in

Billy Joel and Twyla Tharp’s Movin’ Out and The Phantom of the Opera. Corbin is married to fellow Darwin The Dinosaur performer, Whitney Popp, and is a proud parent of twins, Addyson and Zoe. Eleanor B. Carney (company manager, ensemble) Originally from New Orleans, La., Eleanor began her dance training with Harvey Hysell and Joseph Giaccobbe. She graduated from Southern Methodist University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance and a Bachelor of Arts in anthropology. Eleanor has danced professionally with Indianapolis Ballet Theater, the Lexington Ballet, Ballet Arkansas, Delta Festival Ballet and Montgomery Ballet. Some of Eleanor’s principal roles include Aurora in Sleeping Beauty, The Moor’s Pavane, Romeo and Juliet, Giselle, Sugarplum Fairy in The Nutcracker, Cinderella and Swanhilda. Eleanor is currently guesting and teaching throughout the United States and performing with her husband Ian Carney in Darwin The Dinosaur.

Anna Morris (ensemble) Born and trained in Zimbabwe, Anna performed with the internationally acclaimed Tumbuka Dance Company and later went on to teach its dance foundation course. Anna has staged several collaborative projects in Zimbabwe and South Africa with Dance People and the Stillwater Collaboration, and has created a series of solo performances.

Anna received a Bachelor of Arts in drama and human kinetics from Rhodes University in South Africa. While at Rhodes Anna taught and performed at

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The First Physical Theater Company.

She also taught at the Grahamstown Township Dance Project, which provides free dance classes for underprivileged girls. Now based in New Orleans, Anna currently performs with companies including Tsunami Dance Company, the John/Allen Project and CORBIAN. Stephen Charles Nicholson (ensemble) Born and currently residing in New York City, Stephen grew up near Syracuse, N.Y. He began performing in local theatrical and dance productions in New Orleans in 1995 and moved to NYC to study acting in the spring of 1996. Stephen holds a Bachelor of

Arts from Colgate University majoring in religion with an Asian studies minor.

He has studied at the graduate level in elementary education and spent two years teaching the second and third grades with Teach For America in the Louisiana public schools. Stephen holds a Master of Fine Arts in acting from The Actors Studio Drama School at The New School. Stephen has appeared in a number of off-Broadway stage productions, as well as independent films.

He is pleased to be joining the cast of Darwin The Dinosaur.

Meg Paul (ensemble) As a principal dancer with the Joffrey Ballet, Meg has performed leading roles including The Sugar Plum Fairy, Italian Suite, Valentine, Les Patineurs, Light Rain and Les Presages. On Broadway, Meg worked as dance captain with Twyla Tharp on the Tony Award-winning show Movin’ Out in the roles of both Brenda and Judy. She is currently director of dance at the Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts.

Whitney Popp (ensemble) Originally from eastern Washington, Whitney began her training at the Tri-Cities Academy of Ballet. She trained with the MidColombia Ballet under the direction of Debra Rogo. Whitney later studied with the Pacific Northwest Ballet under the wing of Patricia Barker, leading her to northern California where she spent five years as a principal dancer with the Sacramento Ballet. There, she performed many roles including Odette/ Odile in Swan Lake and The Cowgirl in Agnes de Milles Rodeo. After moving to New York, she was discovered by Twyla Tharp and later received honorable re-

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views for works such as The Fugue and Surfer at the River Styx. Whitney spent three years with Movin’ Out, dancing the lead roles of Brenda and Judy.

Recently Whitney has enjoyed dancing works by CORBIAN and Twyla Tharp, both locally and internationally with her husband Corbin Popp.

Michael Quintana (ensemble) A native of Oxnard, Calif., Michael currently studies dance through the Tulane School of Continuing Studies. In 2007, he received an Ambie Award. Michael has performed in New Orleans for two years with the Anne Burr Dance Company, the Newcomb Dance Company and recently gave his debut performance with D-Project at the Contemporary Art Center. Michael would like to thank all those who opened doors that would have otherwise blocked his way.

Tierney St. John (ensemble) Originally from Montclair, N.J., Tierney began to cultivate a love for modern dance under the direction of Kathy Costa of Danceworks Studios. She received a Bachelor of Arts in dance and sociology from Tulane University, where she was involved with Newcomb Dance Company. Tierney is currently performing and choreographing with the New Orleans-based Tsunami Dance Company. She has had the honor of working with talented choreographers, nationally and internationally, and credits her mentors, John Allen, Jeffrey Gunshol and Michaela Cannon for the inspiration to pursue performance and choreography seriously.

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About corbian visual arts and dance CORBIAN Visual Arts and Dance is committed to bringing a new type of theatrical experience to people everywhere. Through a unique combination of puppetry, dance and storytelling we strive to rethink the way the public views conventional theater.

Our shows can be performed in any blackout setting available, from the beaches of a small Caribbean island to the remote mountains of Tibet. We rely on no outside source of power.

Our shows have the potential to reach an enormous amount of theater and arts-starved communities.

Our intent is two-fold. First, we want to entertain. We are committed to performing the highest quality theatrical experience possible. Second,

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our goal is to educate people in arts and science.

The basis for our medium is simple.

Using flexible electroluminescent wire sculpted with rigid aluminum and copper wire, we create different creatures and characters. These light, wire creatures are brought to life by wearing or manipulating them with our hands and body in a blackout theatrical setting. With music, dialogue, interesting choreography and visual effects, we create short vignettes or shows for audiences of all ages. Much of our work includes stories or tales that include lessons or moralistic value.

With that said, we use the process of creation in our shows for an educational experience.

A salute to our VIP Sponsors We proudly recognize our very important partners. Not only do our VIP Sponsors offer essential financial contributions, they also provide valuable and enthusiastic promotion of Lied Center performances to their customers, employees and the community. Their commitment to the performing arts allows us to provide education activities, free school performances and highquality events each year. We honor our VIP Sponsors throughout the season on our electronic sign and with onstage recognition at their selected performances. We hope you will also thank them when you visit their businesses. For more information regarding our sponsorship program, contact the Lied Center Director of Development, Megan Poindexter, at 785-864-2788.

Darwin The Dinosaur

TAP DOGS

CATS

Pilobolus Dance Theatre

Dave & Gunda Hiebert Pilobolus Dance Theatre

Darwin The Dinosaur

Ballet Folklórico de México

Haochen Zhang, Gold Medalist Van Cliburn Competition

SHIDARA

Amanda Shaw

Straight No Chaser

Glenn Miller Orchestra

A salute to our media sponsors Media sponsors provide important underwriting for Lied Center performances.

Their contributions give invaluable support for advertising, promotions and marketing.

For information on becoming a media sponsor, please call 785-864-2794.

Avenue Q

Orquestra de São Paulo

The Drowsy Chaperone

Ira Glass