Eisenhower Dance Ensemble (EDE), Michigan’s premier contemporary dance company, will perform Motown in Motion.  Audience members will experience the best of contemporary dance in a tribute to the music of Motown. 

This visual salute to the tunes that rocked the Motor City and made Motown Records famous includes dance vignettes performed by EDE to recordings from top Motown artists, such as the Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knight, Martha and the Vendellas, and the Supremes, among others.

Playful and humorous, Motown in Motion is designed to appeal to a diverse audience of all ages, Motown fans and dance aficionados alike.  It gives an entertaining as well as historical look at Motown, a distinctly American artistic and cultural legacy.

The Eisenhower Dance Ensemble dancers will be conducting workshops and master classes for area dancers.  Dancers from the Louanne Courtright Dance Studio have been invited to perform with EDE in the dance “I Heard it Through the Grapevine”. 

Also on the program will be various selections from EDE’s awe-inspiring repertory.   A professional contemporary dance company, EDE is known for its versatile and virtuosic dancers, as well as its entertaining and athletic choreography.  Since it’s founding in 1991, EDE has achieved the distinction of being Michigan’s premiere professional dance ensemble.  The Company maintains an active touring schedule, which has taken it as far as St. Petersburg, Russia, as well as throughout the United States.

This performance is funded in part by the Michigan Humanities Council.

Visit www.ede-dance.org.

Main Stage. Tickets $15 adults, $5 children 18 and under.

The Dogwood Center Box Office is open Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. and one hour prior to an event.  For information, phone 231.924.8885.

Led by guitarist/vocalist Vincent Hayes, and packing one of the tightest rhythm sections in Michigan, The Vincent Hayes Project is a high energy, experimental blues band on the rise.  These guys are a favorite at the Dogwood Center and will be performing pieces from their new CD “Reclamation”, which was released in late March! 

What makes this group unique is their raw power coupled with subtle dynamics and versatility.  The Vincent Hayes Project is founded on the Blues, but still manages to find the blues within other musical genres, drawing inspiration from a wide array of backgrounds in funk, reggae, soul, jazz, gospel, rock, Motown, and American folk, as allof these genres essentially trace their lineage to the Blues.

The Vincent Hayes Project includes:

Vincent Hayes - guitar and lead vocals.  As a 20 year veteran, Hayes has established himself as one of Michigan’s most respected blues guitarists.  With a fiery voice and lively stage presence, he delivers the blues with honesty and passion, fusing traditional blues with his own inspirations and modern influences.

David Alves - bass guitar and vocals.  A Detroit native, Alves grew up in the shadow of Motown, with music on virtually every street corner as well as studying classical music and attending Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp as a teenager.  Half Jamaican, he was also raised with Reggae music, and become one of Detroit’s most notable working bass players during the 80’s and 90’s. 

Donny Hugley - percussion.  Donny is truly one of the most versatile and creative drummers in West Michigan.  He is an imaginative improvisationalist, while being the driving raw power of the rhythm section.

Christian VanAntwerpen - keyboards.  The newest member of the Vincent Hayes Project, Christian has honed his chops with a long list of Michigan artists.  He also recently wrote a full-length feature article for the March 2010 issue of Keyboard Magazine sharing his impeccable knowledge of using freeware to help keyboardists achieve great live sound.

Black Box.  Tickets $10.  7:30 p.m.

The Dogwood Center Box Office is open Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. and one hour prior to an event.  For information, phone 231.924.8885.

Newaygo County Community Choir presents their spring concert, Handel’s Messiah:  Lenten and Resurrection portions with “Hallelujah Chorus”.  The choir is under the direction of Joseph Jennings.

Social reception for the community following the performance.

Main Stage.  Free will offering.  3:00 p.m.