Dance Happens Here

Sat., Dec. 8, 8 p.m., $8-$20; dance classes earlier in the day, 10:30 a.m. for tap and noon for flamenco, reservations required (call 215-726-1106), $5 per class, Painted Bride Art Center, 230 Race St., 215-925-9914, paintedbride.org.

by Deni Kasrel

dance

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Following tradition need not mean staying stuck in the past, as is clearly the case with Germaine Ingram and Ensemble and Flamenco del Encuentro, two dance acts that play off the past while adding personal and contemporary kicks to their respective genres. Both appear on Philadelphia Folklore Project's Dance Happens Here program at the Painted Bride this weekend. Ingram offers energetic footwork that blends old-timey moves with her own dynamic syncopations spiced with original live jazz music and text. Here, she and three hoofers join a jazz ensemble led by Tyrone Brown to present an entertaining and informative piece inspired by African-American author John A. Williams. Flamenco del Encuentro is led by the fiery fingerings of guitarist Tito Rubio and dancer Anna Rubio, who performs in a manner that puts added emphasis on crafting emphatic upper-body movements. Their company presents a new work featuring the hot-blooded drama of flamenco — with the added bonus of Spanish guest dancer/choreographer Antonio Hidalgo, whose theatrical style instills frequent approving shouts of "Ole!"

Sat., Dec. 8, 8 p.m., $8-$20; dance classes earlier in the day, 10:30 a.m. for tap and noon for flamenco, reservations required (call 215-726-1106), $5 per class, Painted Bride Art Center, 230 Race St., 215-925-9914, paintedbride.org.