FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MONDAY, APRIL 22, 2024
CELEBRATE SPRING AND THE ARTS
WITH A FREE SHOWCASE IN WEST PHILLY
Poet-tree En Motion Returns on May 1 to The Rotunda
with Fire Arts and Multidisciplinary Cultural Presentations
WEST PHILADELPHIA – The arts are aflame once again and everyone is welcome to enjoy a free multidisciplinary art showcase when Poet-tree En Motion, now in its 17th year, returns from 7-10 p.m. on Wednesday, May 1 to The Rotunda in University City, West Philadelphia.
This will be Poet-tree En Motion’s annual Rites of Spring celebration. It is keeping with the tradition of spring festivals that humans have celebrated on this date for millennia. It is known by different names, such as May Day, Walpurgis by the Germanic people, and Beltane by the Celtic Gauls and modern-day neo pagans.
Most spring celebrations involve festivities outdoors as well as rituals involving bonfires and fire dancing. Poet-tree En Motion always culminates its May 1 event with a fire show. This year it will feature the fire arts of Philadelphia fire troupe B.A.D. Blaze, and TanookiTwirls. Witness amazing fire tricks, including fire eating, fire breathing, fire poi, fire hoops, dragon staff, fire fans, and more.
“We need to look back on these sacred flames to remember and to be inspired by the flame of desire that burns deep within us all so that we may stay connected rather than disconnected in the age of communication,” says artistic director Gabrielle de Burke.
It was fire, storytelling, poetry, dancing, and other art forms that united our ancestors.
“[We have a] dependence on experiencing performance solely on the social media stages of mass communication,” she explains. “I try to bring us all together to celebrate so that inner fire does not get extinguished by the modern dilemma in isolation.”
De Burke, who goes by the stage name Plum Dragoness, will perform theatrical dance and spoken-word poetry in honor of her Celtic tribal ancestry. There will also be musical performances by Ihba B’askette’s Beat of Burden World Ensemble and The Primaries all-women rock band, live painting by Maximilliana Mango, and DJ’ed dance beats by DJ Cuz.
The seasonal Poet-tree En Motion events are supported by grants from the University of Pennsylvania. Admission is free. Donations at the door are suggested to benefit the Ramallah Friends School on the West Bank of Gaza. Tips for the artists are also welcome.
The Rotunda is located in the University City section of West Philadelphia at 4014 Walnut St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19104. For information about The Rotunda, log on to www.TheRotunda.org.
For information about Poet-tree En Motion, email plumdragoness@gmail.com. To be updated about the seasonal events, join the Facebook group at www.facebook.com/groups/116980678334215.
Watch a recap video of a previous Poet-tree En Motion here: https://tinyurl.com/PEMrecap .
ABOUT POET-TREE EN MOTION:
Poet-tree En Motion works to inspire both artist and audience to connect and work together toward cultivating the arts community in Philadelphia, welcoming artists of all kinds to experience performances local to the neighborhood, and offering the opportunity at each show for community participation to sign up in the all-genre open mike/stage and jam session component of the events.
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MEDIA CONTACTS:
Gabrielle de Burke (artist Plum Dragoness)
Founder/Event Organizer Poet-tree En Motion
484-557-9605
Gina Renzi
Director of The Rotunda
FOR EVENT LISTINGS:
Poet-tree En Motion: “In Celebration of the Rites of Spring,” a multidisciplinary performing arts showcase 7-10 p.m. Wednesday, May 1 at The Rotunda 4014 Walnut St. University City, West Philadelphia. Doors open at 7 pm. The free community arts event will feature live music by Ihba B’askette’s Beat of Burden World Ensemble, live painting by Maximilliana Mango, spoken-word poetry and theatrical dance by Plum Dragoness, live music by The Primaries all-women rock band, DJ’ed dance beats by DJ Cuz and a fire arts performance by B.A.D. Blaze and Tanooki Twirls. Donations at the door will benefit the Ramallah Friends School on the West Bank of Gaza. Donations for individual artists are encouraged. For information, email plumdragoness@gmail.com or visit www.facebook.com/groups/116980678334215 and www.therotunda.org.
PERFORMER BIOS:
IHBA B’ASKETTE’S BEAT OF BURDEN WORLD ENSEMBLE
This is the latest, energetic collaboration of multi-talented Ihba B’askette and friends. Ihba combines West African drumming, funk and rock techniques. He also plays a variety of world instruments and delights audiences with his spirited moves and words.
Ihba frequently performs dub reggae as Dubsmith with his partner, Ryoko, a classically trained and accomplished multi-instrumentalist and board-certified music therapist. Dubsmith has entertained audiences in Philadelphia, New York, North Carolina, Saint Croix, and Jamaica. It currently holds a residency at the Cool Dread Bar in Tokyo.
The third featured member of B’askette’s Beat of Burden World Ensemble is saxophonist Mark Brown who is devoted to the uplifting power of music and the communal aspects of the group’s shows and workshops. His career is a diverse collection of adventures, from roaring rock at the iconic Peppermint Lounge to jug band music at the Philadelphia Folk Festival, funky roots, swing and blues at colleges, festivals, and some of the north east’s most beloved venues.
With a growing auxiliary of like-minded performers, Ihba B’askette’s Beat of Burden World Ensemble expands to make a grand entrance and deeper dance groove.
PLUM DRAGONESS
Native to West Philadelphia, Plum Dragoness (aka Gabrielle de Burke) is a multi-talented thespian, dancer, martial artist, instructor, poetess, and writer who has been involved with performing arts since childhood. She is known for her poetic style, vocal performance, fire dance, flow arts, and choreographic flair throughout Philadelphia and abroad.
Over the past 17 years, she has toured as a solo artist, founding member/core performer/assistant artistic director of Archedream for HumanKind among many others. She has independently released two albums of original work with the project Plum Dragoness & the Elements, known for its fusion of multimedia, live world-beat musical infusions, spoken-word vocals, and lyrical poetry. She has also helped bring together the all-female performance group trio The Femme-Mynistiques, who released their debut EP “Here She Comes…” in the summer of 2016.
Since 2007, Plum Dragoness has been a resident performance artist, as well as host and organizer for the successful performing arts series Poet-tree En Motion. This has allowed her the opportunity to share her own creative performances (including collaborative projects she initiated) and work created by many unique artists within the West Philadelphia community and beyond.
Her work as a healing arts practitioner and instructor continues to intersect with her work as an interdisciplinary performance artist through the incorporation of internal and martial arts forms in combination with dance, poetry, and theater presentation. She has been teaching in the Philadelphia area and abroad since 2000.
Instagram: @plumdragoness @dragonspiritarts
THE PRIMARIES
The Primaries is a Philadelphia-based musical trio, consisting of Blue (Susan Rosetti), Yellow (Morgan Pinkstone) and Red (Michelle Armour). These three rad colors joined forces in 2014 with the vision of pushing their limits and widening the spectrum, and now their mission is to get you singing and dancing along to pop songs: fun and funky, silly and sultry, retro, red-hot and rockin'! The Primaries are known to welcome impromptu guest performances and collaborations, as long as their guests are Complimentaries, Tertiaries, Hues, Shades, and sometimes even Metallics.
www.facebook.com/wearetheprimaries
MAXIMILLIANA MANGO
Maximilliana Mango, a graduate of Tyler School of Art, is a versatile multimedia artist exploring new materials and techniques in all creative endeavors. With a particular focus in portraiture and drawing live performance, Max thrives from the energy exchange in the moment while capturing the essence of creative individuals expressing themselves. Max finds inspiration in the beauty of everyday moments and believes that art has the power to transcend boundaries and connect people from all walks of life.
Social media: @MaxiMangoArts; @SelfLove4H8rs
B.A.D. BLAZE -- Fire Arts Troupe:
Instagram: @b.a.d._blaze_philly
Ambra Robinson, aka Ambra Renee, is a Philly-based fire performer. Her journey with fire spinning began in 2017 after performing with Setu Tribe in the Great Circle at “the big burn.” Inspired by her Setu sisters and the PEX community, she continues to tell her stories through movement and fire dancing. Her favorite prop is fire fans.
Ambra is also a radio co-host on 98.5 FM’s “Uptown Date Night.” When she’s not spinning fire, Ambra enjoys experimenting with flow props while roller-skating.
On Instagram: @ambra_luv
Bryce Adams, aka Bryce is Nice, is a professional break-dancer, acrobatics coach, flow artist, and fire performer. He has been practicing his art for over 10 years. He is also a professional Parkour athlete and all-around entertainer who will dazzle you with his backflips.
Instagram: @bryceiznyce
TANOOKI TWIRLS
Tiffany Tung / TanookiTwirls is a fire and LED performer and instructor, with experience spanning over nine plus years. She has always loved movement, starting with karate at the age of 10 and badminton at the age of 13. In the last decade, she has fallen in love with circus arts, flow arts, fire arts and also obtained her Aerial Yoga Floor Yoga 300 certification.
Tanooki is an accomplished fire dancer, enchanting audiences with fire hoops, fire fans, dragon staff, fire sword, palm torches and more.
Tanooki teaches private lessons out of her studio in East Falls, Philadelphia. Her services include hula hoops, silk veil fans, fire fans, or yoga lessons. In 2022, she launched her Patreon, which allows her to reach hoop students all over the globe.
In January 2024, she brought her popular Hula Hoop 101 virtual workshop to the Philadelphia School of Circus Arts. She will be hosting workshops with PSCA on a quarterly basis moving forward. Every first Tuesday of the month, Tanooki hosts a community adult hoop classes in Northern Liberties, Philadelphia.
Email newsletter registration and website: https://www.tanookitwirls.com/
Follow:
www.facebook.com/tanookitwirls
www.instagram.com/tanookitwirls
www.youtube.com/@TanookiTwirls
On Demand Virtual Hoop Lessons:
DJ BIG CUZ
Big Cuz is the program director of 98.5 FM (Uptown Radio) since 2018 in Philadelphia, the eighth biggest radio market in the United States.
Working with a small group of motivated individuals, 98.5 FM has grown from one weekly show to 30 original programs and a shining beacon for North Philadelphia.
Michael started off in the music business in 2002 as an emcee. Then he became a host, an event planner, and now a DJ. Since 2006, Michael has been working with Philadelphia At Risk Youth professionally as a social worker. Michael’s work specialized in transitioning youth out of the system and into successful roles as adults.
Michael is the founding member of the Philadelphia Freedom Project 501c3, which teaches leadership training through community service. Michael created Most Slept On Radio, a FM radio brand devoted to showcasing local and worldwide independent talent. Michael created Travel Gang International, a travel brand that encourages people to travel outside their comfort zone. Travel Gang Intl has partnered with groups in Puerto Rico to assist with hurricane relief efforts.
Instagram: @mostsleptonradio
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