LOS ANGELES - East West Players will kick off its 45th season with "One Night Only: Hip Hop and Hot," a one-night benefit performance featuring some of Southern California's best dance crews on Aug. 14."Our 'One Night Only' fundraiser gives us the opportunity to highlight Asian American talent ranging from hip hop dance crews to breakdancers," said Tim Dang, the producing artistic director. "We want to show that Asian Americans can dance and break down the stereotypes. These performances will match the level of entertainment that [East West Players] is known for and will leave you wanting more." Dance crew Velvet Nation, soul singer Sue Jin and beatbox crew Fresh Beats Inc. are scheduled to perform at the event. Velvet Nation is a Janet Jackson impersonation show. Raymond Stover plays Jackson, while dancers play the role of "nation." Stover and co-creator Rynn Chua have reconstructed Jackson's original choreography to create a show described as "nearly identical to Miss Jackson's very best moments." Sue Jin is well-known in the world of Asian-American artists. After graduating in 2005 with a BA degree in Anthropology from UCLA, she decided to pursue her passion in music. Since then, she has performed throughout Los Angeles and Hollywood, and was a top 10 finalist on "Asian American Popstar." She also appeared on MTV's "My Own." Fresh Beats Inc. formed in 2009 with members Beat Rhino, KayG, Q-Flush and Airickq. The crew performs as individual artists and as a group. They won first place in the Kiwins Club District Convention Talent Show, and have performed at the OCC Club fundraiser. They also organized and co-hosted Orange County's first official beatbox competition with Irvine's Youth Action Team. Tickets to "One Night Only: Hip Hop and Hot" start at $60.The event will be held at the David Henry Hwang Theater at the Union Center for the Arts in Los Angeles. For more information, visit www.eastwestplayers.org.

********** Published: July 22, 2010 - Volume 9 - Issue 14