CRITICS CHEER THE CENTER'S SUMMER SHOWS

Photo Credit: Shelley Kenneavy / KERA News

The AT&T Performing Arts Center’s diverse and always enjoyable performances are the toast of the town. From classical dance and jukebox musicals to DJ parties and new media art installations, we’ve been serving up experiences that are enriching lives in North Texas.

Aurora

The one-of-a-kind light, sound and performance event is back! On October 16, the Dallas Arts District will be a walkable canvass filled with interactive art and amazing visuals for the whole family.

Dallas Observer
“Dude, remember that time the entire Arts District was filled with light sculptures and art? I don’t mean some half-assed, boring event that says it’s going to blow your mind but then because it’s set such high expectations inevitably lets you down. Aurora is the biennial art event that puts all other art events to shame.”

Twyla Tharp

Dance legend Twyla Tharp’s 50th AnniversaryTtour premiered in Dallas, a historical milestone for the Center. The piece was co-commissioned by the greatest performing arts venues in the nation and is the most significant dance event of the year.

The New York Times
“… for the 50th-anniversary tour that opened at the Winspear Opera House here on Friday and will conclude in New York in November, Ms. Tharp has fashioned a pair of new pieces: ‘Preludes and Fugues’ and ‘Yowzie.’ These are unmistakably the work of a master. There is so much in them: so much variety, so much life.”

Fort Worth Star Telegram
“As your feet tap to the music, your heart flutters and your face fills with smiles. Dance can evoke many emotions, but it’s impossible to leave after seeing these works without understanding the world is a better place for having them in it.”

The Dallas Morning News
“Still at it in the 21st at age 74, Tharp and her crack company of 12 dancers lived up to the massive buildup to this pair of world premieres by delivering a funny, complex and thrilling evening Friday at Winspear Opera House to open the TITAS Presents season.”

Pin Drop Disco

Spinderella, Sarah Jaffe and other local DJ’s turned Annette Strauss Square into a silent party, each pair of headphones blaring tunes that had everyone dancing the night away.

GuideLive
“If you were driving or walking by Annette Strauss Square on Saturday night, you might have seen what looked like a crowd of people, dancing to … absolutely nothing. It wasn’t a case of group insanity; it was a new event called Pin Drop Disco.”

Art and Seek
“DJs playing music simultaneously on an outdoor stage for a big crowd. Sounds like a recipe for a noise citation. But a new concept lets you customize your club experience, choose your own music – and dance away without disturbing the peace, thanks to specially designed headphones.”

Motown the Musical

The Dallas Observer
“The costumes are great, and the energy the actors bring to their performances and choreography — such as the Jackie Wilson “Reet Petite” number (Rashad Naylor, in multiple roles like most of the actors) — was often enough to elicit chatter from the audience during the Wednesday night performance reviewed. Whispers and cries of “I love that song,” “Oh yeah!” and “Sing it, brother!” were regularly heard.”

TheaterJones
“With 60 songs, including a couple of Motown’s later artists, like Rick James and Teena Marie, there’s major splash happening on stage in glitzy costumes, shiny suits, bouffant wigs and show-stopping lighting, especially in the eye-popping 1960s portion of the record label’s history.”