Shadow Cities: Ephrat Asherie Dance with Arturo O’Farrill at Weis Center

Ephrat Asherie Dance teams with Grammy Award-winning pianist and composer Arturo O'Farrill for Shadow Cities, a one-hour contemporary dance and jazz performance scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 12, at the Weis Center Concert Hall on Bucknell University's campus. A pre-performance talk featuring Ephrat Asherie and Arturo O'Farrill runs 6:45–7:15 p.m. in the Weis Center Atrium.

The work pairs Asherie's choreography, described as remixing and reconnecting street and club dance styles, with an original composition that draws on O'Farrill's trademark Latin jazz sound. Bucknell's event materials say, "Bringing together Ephrat Asherie Dance’s exhilarating choreography that remixes and reconnects various street and club dance styles and an original composition featuring O’Farrill’s trademark Latin jazz sound, Shadow Cities explores what it means to be and to feel the in-between." Company copy expands on the theme: "This dynamic fusion explores identity, connection, and transformation through rhythm and movement. Asherie’s dynamic movement phrases paired with O’Farrill’s innovative compositions invite audiences into a world that celebrates the beauty and vastness of in-between spaces, whether cultural, temporal, or emotional."

Local patrons should note the performance runs 60 minutes with no intermission, a format that concentrates the collaborative work into a single continuous hour. Production materials consistently list four musicians accompanying the dancers; sources differ on dancer count, with the company listing six dancers while local press and Bucknell student coverage reference seven. The difference has not been reconciled in public materials and may be clarified by the Weis Center or the company ahead of the performance.

Ticketing is available by phone at 570-577-1000, in person at the Weis Center lobby or the CAP Center Box Office in the Elaine Langone Center on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and online through the Bucknell Box Office. Adult tickets are $30; seniors 62+ and Subs $24; youth 18 and under $20; BU employees and retirees $20; non-BU students $20; BU students attend free. A youth dancer promotion offers $10 tickets for local dance students and an accompanying parent or guardian using promo code SHADOW, available online only.

For Union County residents, the presentation offers live music and contemporary choreography that foregrounds cross-cultural movement vocabularies and intergenerational themes. Bucknell notes that visiting artists often engage with students through master classes and workshops, though specific campus activities tied to this visit have not been detailed. Shadow Cities also appears on the company's touring slate, signaling Lewisburg's inclusion on a regional tour that brings national artists to local audiences.

Attendees seeking cast lists, musician credits, or eligibility details for the youth dancer promotion should contact the Weis Center box office. The performance provides a concentrated evening of live Latin jazz and street-influenced choreography that expands local access to contemporary performing arts and campus cultural programming.