Music, dance, and boxing come together in unique ways at Gleason’s on March 16

THE INTERNATIONAL STREET CANNIBALS
Gleason’s Gym
77 Front St., DUMBO
Saturday, March 16, $20, 8:00
718-797-2872
www.gleasonsgym.net
www.streetcannibals.com

The best boxing matches are like vibrant dances, the sights and sounds coming together in exciting yet violent ways. On March 16, New York City’s own International Street Cannibals, a new music collective whose goals include bringing contemporary and classical music to new performance venues, educating young audiences, expanding the instrument repertoire, and putting together unique collaborations that combine music, dance, voice, and, yes, boxing, will be presenting their latest “Strike!” show at legendary Gleason’s Gym in DUMBO. Led by director Dan “Lefty” Barrett, ISC will play chamber-music pieces in between live boxing matches, with everything taking place in three rings. The music schedule features ten-to-twelve-minute sets of three-minute works by Barrett (“Philomela,” “Technical Knock Out,” “March of the Balonie Sandwiches”), Dan Cooper (“Hoof & Mouth,” “Ephemeral Blues,” “Soca”), Gene Pritsker (“Aeon II,” “Dust and Mirages of the Communal Mind”), John Clark (“Full Count,” “Horn Call,” “Going Coastal”), Paul Hindemith (“Marsch,” “Lied,” and “Musikstück”), Daniel Palkowski (“Bela’s Pusette,” “Duet for a Wet Space”), and Dave Taylor (“Brother,” “Dance”) as well as Johann Sebastian Bach and a Dixieland version of “Die Gedanken sind Frei.” Barrett will be conducting Clark on French horn, Tish Edens on cello, Rachel Golub on violin, Franz Hackl on trumpet, Gregor Kitzis on violin, Cesare Papetti on percussion, Pritsker on electric guitar, Troy Rinker on bass, Taylor on bass trombone, Linda Wetherill on flute, and Chala Yancy on viola. Getting into the ring, which has been home to 132 champions, from Ali, Frazier, Foreman, Tyson, and Holmes to Hearns, Qawi, Hagler, La Motta, and Chavez, will be nine boys and girls between the ages of twelve and seventeen, duking it out in three rounds of three minutes each: Paul Anthony, Kevin Barker, Jennifer Guzman, Eryan Rodriguez, Matt Nicelli, Kevin Anderson, Antonio Arca, Isabella Arca, and Nicole D’Alessio. In between rounds, there will be music as well as dance by Andrew Broaddus, Adrienne Misko, Amanda Mottur, Cat Murcek, Max Pollak, and choreographer Megan Sipe. The event is a benefit for Gleason Gym’s “Give a Kid a Dream” program, which uses boxing to help disadvantaged youths both mentally and physically.