Molodi LIVE!: Las Vegas Dance Troupe to Take UF Stage

Molodi, a Las Vegas dance show that is now touring the United States, will be performing at the University of Findlay on Saturday, April 9 at 8 p.m. in Winebrenner Theological Seminary’s TLB Auditorium.
Molodi is a performance ensemble that uses only their bodies as instruments, taking body percussion to the extreme. Consisting of artists from Stomp, Cirque du Soleil, Step Afrika!, Stomp the Yard and the International Body Music Festival, their unique blend of collegiate stepping, gumboots, beatbox, poetry, hip hop dance, guerilla theatre and robust personalities bring to life a high-energy, immersive experience.
The troupe’s day in Findlay will begin with a free arts and education workshop for children in grades K-12. The workshop will include several high-energy performance pieces from Molodi’s repertoire featuring stepping, tap, beatbox and South African gumboots with insights into the cultural histories of the art forms and inspirational stories from the artists. It includes an interactive stepping workshop that gets everybody on their feet and moving, beginning with a fun, rhythmic warm up and culminating in a competitive step show challenge between the attendees. The workshop will finish with a question-and-answer session and final encore performance.
The workshop is being hosted at the Black Heritage Library and Multicultural Center located at 817 Harmon Street here in Findlay. There is no pre-registration nor fees to participate. The workshop will be held from 11 a.m. to noon.
Admission to the family-friendly public show, to be held on Campus Saturday evening, will be free with valid UF I.D. Community members will be charged $10 at the door. Tickets may be purchased at the University of Findlay’s Student Activities/Campus Program Board Office located in the Alumni Memorial Union, office 8-A. Tickets will be available beginning Monday, April 4. Hours of sales will be Monday through Friday from 9:30-11:30 a.m. and from 1:30-4:30 p.m.
The Villager newspaper in New York City described the group as giving a “soulful and energetically intense performance” that leaves audiences “in awe of their abilities to blend the traditional percussive dance forms.”
Poetic interludes, dynamic solo performances, innovative beat-box/DJ fusions, introspective views on culture and comedic views on cooking and Shakespeare sample the variety of pieces interwoven in this interactive, eclectic and often striking production. The finale drives home the intricate rhythms and precise choreography of this highly-skilled troupe, leaving audiences saying “Gimme some Mo!”
Molodi has traveled the world gleaning from rich cultures and performing with other world-class artists. In the summer of 2015, Molodi joined the creative collaboration to choreograph and perform at both the opening and closing ceremonies of the European Games in Baku, Azerbaijan. Molodi has been invited to perform and teach at the International Body Music Festival on several occasions and participated in the 7^th Annual IBMF in Bali, Indonesia.
In addition to performing on the world stage, Molodi holds home, Las Vegas, close to heart performing locally and teaching through the arts in education program, Molodi Unplugged.
Working with such organizations as Opportunity Village, Molodi serves the community and continues to enrich lives by inspiring the artist in each of us!
At the conclusion of the show, Molodi will be available for a “meet and greet” and autographs and pictures.
Molodi is presented by the University of Findlay’s Campus Program Board, a student-led group that strives to bring high-quality, diverse entertainment to campus. Call (419) 434-4606 for more information.