SUNY Oswego - Alumni Association - September E-Newsletter

Fall 2010

Artswego Season Offers Globe-Spanning Feast of Music, Dance, Comedy

Artswego at SUNY Oswego launched its 2010-11 Performing Arts Series with a free, pulse-pounding appetizer of a performance by Step Afrika and moves on to music and dance entrees of international flair, with a side order of classic American comedy.

Step Afrika performs “With upbeat performances blending cultures of five continents, this season offers outstanding entertainment with a broad worldview,” said Mary Avrakotos, Artswego coordinator. “We’re excited to share these world-class artists.”

Step Afrika celebrates stepping, an art form born at African-American fraternities and based on African traditions. The first professional company dedicated to stepping, Step Afrika’s intricate kicks, stomps and rhythms pound the floor and fill the air.

Attention turned to Latin America and beyond in September, when Boston-based ensemble Sol y Canto joined the Sweet Plantain string quartet for a lively evening of original music that crosses borders and generational tastes called “Sabor y Memoria” (“Flavor and Memory”). The program also celebrated regional foods that resonate in the memory.

Other musical performances this season include world music star Zakir Hussain, Norwegian-born jazz guitarist Lage Lund.

Things take a comic turn with Dan Kamin. Evoking the best of Charlie Chaplin, Steve Martin and Marcel Marceau, his classic artistry enchants audiences worldwide. Kamin trained Robert Downey Jr. for his Oscar-nominated title role in the Hollywood film “Chaplin.” The performance, “Funny Bones,” is Kamin’s tribute to the master of silent film, and takes place Feb. 2 in Waterman Theatre.

Fresh from an apprenticeship with the Batsheva Dance Company in Israel, choreographer Andrea Miller makes waves on the New York City dance scene with her new company, Gallim Dance. High-energy performances and agility are Miller trademarks. Gallim ends the Artswego Performing Arts season with a show titled “I Can See Myself in Your Pupil” Feb. 18, in Waterman Theatre.

Season passes and tickets for all Artswego performances may be purchased at SUNY Oswego box office locations, by phone at 312-2141, or online.

SUNY Oswego students who have paid an activity fee are eligible for one ticket per event at the discounted price when available. Valid Oswego ID must be presented at the time of purchase to qualify for any discounts.

— Jeff Rea '71

PHOTO CAPTION:
Step Afrika, a high-energy dance troupe skilled in the African art of stepping, provided a free show to open the 2010-11 Artswego Performing Arts Series in August.

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Who doesn’t want to save the world? Michael Kite ’02 does that for a living through World Wildlife Fund.

As marketing specialist for one of the world’s leading conservation organizations, Kite and his team of three work to raise more than $5 million each year. The majority of that money comes from licensing partnerships and promotions with the likes of Barnes & Noble, Gap, Hewlett-Packard, Dial and Coinstar.

Retail partnerships help WWF spread its message to the general public and raise funds for its conservation work around the globe. For example, Bank of America contributes $100 for every special Visa account opened and Nabisco is supporting WWF’s “Year of the Tiger” initiative with special packaging and a $100,000 donation. The new CVS Green Bag Tag program rewards reusable bag-toting customers, and generates five cents for WWF for each tag sold.

All support WWF’s mission of protecting the future of nature, down to the finest details, Kite said.

“We like to see that the product is made from recycled material and is recyclable itself, and somehow ties into our mission,” Kite said. The Green Bag Tag, for instance, is made from a corn-based material and features a 100 percent recycled silicone lanyard.

As a broadcasting major at Oswego, Kite got involved with WRVO-FM and WNYO-FM.

“I think it gave me a lot more confidence in talking to people,” he said. It was an important part of his early career in broadcast sales and remains an important piece in the message he “sells” today.

“The best part of my job is seeing a product in the store with the WWF logo after months of working with a company to launch it,” said Kite, who joined the organization in 2006. “It’s rewarding to give people a fun, unique way to protect our planet.”

— Shane M. Liebler