Highlights – Particle, Juggling, Dance and ART

Particle
Los Angeles based Particle are headed to George’s for their lone stop in Arkansas on Tuesday night. The band forged their signature sound playing high profile festivals like Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits Festival, Coachella and New Orleans Jazzfest. After releasing their debut album Launchpad in 2004, they formed a percussive driven electronic side project with Grateful Dead percussionist Mickey Hart called Hydra. With the addition of Ben Combe on guitar and vocals, the band released a DVD and Live CD with special guests Joe Satriani, Robbie Krieger, Blackalicious, and DJ Logic. Another big time show here in F’ville, folks. Get out for it.

Juggling Festival
An annual event that started a few years ago is becoming more and more popular, with bigger names every year. It’s the annual Jones Center Juggling Festival, which will be this Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Springdale center. This year’s featured performer is Book Kennison, the Twisted Juggler, who has performed on David Letterman, Jay Leno and tours with Circus Smirkus. Other featured performers include local jugglers Galen Harp, Ella Winters and the Jones Center juggling club along with Tony Pezzo from St. Louis.

The event kicks off with open juggling from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, with open juggling also from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday. Classes with Kennison, Harp, Winters and Jared Davis will run from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday. Saturday afternoon there will be a variety of contests, including a unicycle race. The grand show will be at 7 p.m. Saturday. Joel Henderson will be the emcee for the event which is free and for all ages.

Art times two
Fayetteville is an art town. If you don’t believe it, block out Friday night on your calendar and you’ll become a believer. From 5 to 8 p.m. the new ddp gallery at 7 E. Mountain St. will host Matt Richards whose Calder inspired stainless steel mobiles will be on display at the gallery this month. Then from 6 to 11 p.m. the quarterly one-night Art Market will take place at B Unlimited on the south end of the old warehouse building at the south end of the Walton Arts Center parking lot at 509 W. Spring St. Art Market features the work of new and emerging NWA artists. The Friday Art Market will include work by Ben Strawn, Aaron Lovell, Laura Terry, Kevin Arnold, Joshua Pickens, Matt Depper, Henry Turner, Jason Barnes, Stephanie Price, Jake Aslin and Steven Moore.

Dance times two
Two very different kinds of dance offerings will take place this weekend—the Dance Coalition’s annual spring concert and an Irish and traditional dance and music fundraiser.

The Dance Coalition, a group of choreographers and dancers from throughout Northwest Arkansas will present two shows at the Walton Arts Center Starr Theater with performances at 7 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. This year’s program will include new choreography in many styles of dance, including classical and contemporary ballet, jazz and lyrical, modern dance, Irish dance, Afro Cuban dance, and Chinese Folklore inspired dance with elements of Tai Chi and Chinese calligraphy. Participating in the performance are choreographers and guest artists Heather Chappell of the Benton County School of the Arts, Roselyn Cicerone of the Fayetteville Dance Center, Emily Viator of the Elite School of Performing Arts, Hannah Peabody of the Art of Motion, Mary Trulock of Rhythm and Shoes, Beth Hickman of Aspire Dance Academy and Emily Dyson who recently won the Dance Coalition’s So You Think You Know how to Dance? competition. Also performing are Sally Ashcraft, Amy Kessler and the McCafferty Irish Dancers. Tickets are available at the Walton Arts Cener and are $15 adults and $10 for 12 and under.

Irish step-dancing, Cape Breton Scottish country dancing, Irish songs and traditional music will all be part of a family-style benefit to raise money for needed improvements for the Elkins Community Center. The event will begin at 7 p.m. Saturday at the community center, 162 Doolin Dr. in Elkins. Performing will be the ragtime fiddle and banjo band The Old ‘78s—Clarke Buehling, Curly Miller and Carole Anne Rose—and performances by dancers from the McCafferty School of Irish Dance, the Fayetteville International Folk Dancers, Mim Heinrich and Skye McGowen. There will also be contra dances and circle dances. The cost is $4 and under 12 free.