New York Sun
By MARY STAUB June 30, 2008
Durham, N.C. — The American Dance Festival, now in its 75th season, hosts big-name companies such as Paul Taylor, Martha Graham, and Pilobolus. But at least as important as these field leaders are the students who attend ADF. More than 400 dancers, anywhere between their late teenage years and early 30s, attend the festival to broaden their views and deepen their understanding of the art form's potential. They are tomorrow's potential leaders, and the exposure to dance that they get here may well influence the direction toward which they carry dance in the future.
"ADF is a great place to make connections and to find yourself more, not just in dance, but as a human being overall," a 20-year-old dancer from New York who used to study at the Martha Graham School, Navild Acosta, said. "It's a very social community, very open, with people from different walks of life and different places."
The range of students here is vast. Some dancers are still in high school, others are pursuing a bachelor of fine arts degree in college; some have danced professionally, and some are here working on a master of fine arts degree. What they all seem to have in common, though, is a certain openness — toward fellow students, various types of dance, and different teachers, performance styles, and approaches.
"It's about exploring and learning new things and expanding your idea of what dance can be," a 20-year-old local who first came to ADF four years ago, Leah Wilkes, said. "We're seeing between five and six companies per week, and there's a lot of dance we haven't previously been exposed to. For example, seeing a group like Eiko and Komo, who base their movement on butoh dancing — which is very slow movement — shows me an Eastern approach to dance that is new to me."
At ADF, unlike at most summer dance programs and intensive courses, students get to select their own classes and build a schedule based on their current interests. After an initial weekend of 30-minute sample classes, students decide what will most enhance their own development.
"It's not as regimented and structured as other places," Ms. Acosta said. "You can add a new taste to what you already know and form your experience. This allows people to rediscover themselves, or to discover part of themselves that they didn't know existed."
The presence of so many teachers, choreographers, and performers, with backgrounds ranging from West African dance to butoh to Sufism, forces dancers here to adapt to new dynamics, forms, and philosophies.
"One of the greatest things here is that I have to switch my mind quickly and work in many different styles, changing quickly, gaining versatility," a professional dancer from Beijing who spent years with the China National Song and Dance Ensemble and originally studied mainly traditional Chinese dance, Song Nan, said. "Compared to China, I find the technique might not be as strong here, but students here know how to dance. I see in them that dancing is about more than just technique; it's about the overall feeling of dance."
Monday, June 30, 2008
Thursday, June 12, 2008
An 'Aria' to Longing from Jennifer Muller/The Works
New York Sun
By MARY STAUB June 12, 2008
In a one-night gala performance on Tuesday, Jennifer Muller/The Works embodied the heartache and beauty of loss, longing, and loves unfulfilled in the premiere of Ms. Muller's new work, "Aria." The piece consists of seven vignettes, each set to a different Mozart aria, duettino, or trio from one of his operas: "The Marriage of Figaro," "Don Giovanni," and "The Magic Flute." Each vignette focuses on one emotional dynamic as distilled out of the passionate — often haunting — tone and lyrics of the accompanying music.
"Aria" is a term that in its original Italian usage meant "atmospheric, air," and implies something light. In The Works' rendition on Tuesday at the Ailey Citigroup Theater, it had weight. With delimited movement components and space defined by light, each vignette tries to flesh out and home in on the emotion that lies at its core.
In the first piece, "Dalla Sua Pace," a bookish man (a strong Pascal Rekoert) in suit and glasses seems to be searching for his own inner peace. He lurches forward, his arm shooting out as if to grab an elucidation in the distance. He turns the search elsewhere, his body taut with desperation, and hovers, his arms spanned wide, gazing down at the earth before collapsing without answer. The deep male voice of "Pace" seems to reverberate through him and magnify his being. He gazes up from the earth, rises and reaches for the heavens, seeking resolve from above.
Slowly, two ephemeral beings, draped in sheer, pale purple veils drift in for a duettino, "Canzonetta Sull'Aria." And the anonymous man disappears. Throughout "Aria," the seamless shifts from one vignette to the next allow the passions of the pieces to resonate into each other. If you have experienced loss, it seems to say, you know longing. And if you know longing, you know what love grows out of.
In "Canzonetta," the two female figures (Susanna Bozzetti and Seiko Fujita-Maekawa) seem to become one as they delicately, smoothly, and slowly shift their bodies and lean on each other for support — sometimes physically, and always emotionally. At times, they lean into or are nearly blown over by a powerful wind that gusts at their bodies from offstage. Their veils and hair fluttering in the wind, the two dancers are entirely in tune with one another. They seem to float on the two piercing voices of the sopranos throughout the piece. The dancers revel as the air caresses their skin, both supportively and threateningly.
Each vignette concentrates on one passionate, anguished struggle, whether between beings or just within one. For "Deh, Vieni Alla Finestra," a white column of fabric drops from the ceiling at the core of a wide circle of light at center stage. A male figure hastily climbs halfway up and seems to struggle against the pillar, its fabric interwoven with his body. He taunts the fabric as he spins outward, similar to a maypole dance, but here there is a living, shifting bond between man and object.
In "Porgi Amor," a sole figure seems to long for her love with increased intensity, and in the
playful "La Ci Darem La Mano," two parts of a couple play hard-to-get. She flaunts scoffing self-absorption with what borders on mime; he taunts with disinterest — an exasperating, yet in many ways honest, back-and-forth. In "Soil Ich Dich, Theurer, Nicht Mehr Sehn?" two lovers struggle to stay together as a third figure jealously cuts in between with arm slashes and devilish glee. All three figures wear striking satin blue tops with elongated sleeves, which they use to draw great arcs through the air — the lovers in an attempt to reach one another, the interloper in an effort to cut their ties.
"Aria" ends with "Ach, Ich Fuhl's (oh, how I endure / feel it)." Here, a regal figure (Elizabeth Disharoon) strides onto the stage, cloaked in yards upon yards of heavy, velvety red fabric, which she slowly lets drape behind her to the floor in a blood-red trail — of sorrow? Life? Love? Longing? She writhes in anguish, desperately reaches out for support, and contracts back into herself again and again with powerful grace. She ends up writhing herself into a fury that leaves her emotionally exposed as she grievously gathers her garment and trail and carries them offstage.
Tuesday night's performance began and ended with two earlier Muller works. In an excerpt from "Spores, Solitude & Summer Humming" (2000), the company developed into a powerful group force, continuously playing off each other. And in "Bounce" (2003), which closed the evening, their energy and precision of movement stood out. "Aria" will be a welcome addition to The Works' repertory roster during their three-week tour to China this fall.
By MARY STAUB June 12, 2008
In a one-night gala performance on Tuesday, Jennifer Muller/The Works embodied the heartache and beauty of loss, longing, and loves unfulfilled in the premiere of Ms. Muller's new work, "Aria." The piece consists of seven vignettes, each set to a different Mozart aria, duettino, or trio from one of his operas: "The Marriage of Figaro," "Don Giovanni," and "The Magic Flute." Each vignette focuses on one emotional dynamic as distilled out of the passionate — often haunting — tone and lyrics of the accompanying music.
"Aria" is a term that in its original Italian usage meant "atmospheric, air," and implies something light. In The Works' rendition on Tuesday at the Ailey Citigroup Theater, it had weight. With delimited movement components and space defined by light, each vignette tries to flesh out and home in on the emotion that lies at its core.
In the first piece, "Dalla Sua Pace," a bookish man (a strong Pascal Rekoert) in suit and glasses seems to be searching for his own inner peace. He lurches forward, his arm shooting out as if to grab an elucidation in the distance. He turns the search elsewhere, his body taut with desperation, and hovers, his arms spanned wide, gazing down at the earth before collapsing without answer. The deep male voice of "Pace" seems to reverberate through him and magnify his being. He gazes up from the earth, rises and reaches for the heavens, seeking resolve from above.
Slowly, two ephemeral beings, draped in sheer, pale purple veils drift in for a duettino, "Canzonetta Sull'Aria." And the anonymous man disappears. Throughout "Aria," the seamless shifts from one vignette to the next allow the passions of the pieces to resonate into each other. If you have experienced loss, it seems to say, you know longing. And if you know longing, you know what love grows out of.
In "Canzonetta," the two female figures (Susanna Bozzetti and Seiko Fujita-Maekawa) seem to become one as they delicately, smoothly, and slowly shift their bodies and lean on each other for support — sometimes physically, and always emotionally. At times, they lean into or are nearly blown over by a powerful wind that gusts at their bodies from offstage. Their veils and hair fluttering in the wind, the two dancers are entirely in tune with one another. They seem to float on the two piercing voices of the sopranos throughout the piece. The dancers revel as the air caresses their skin, both supportively and threateningly.
Each vignette concentrates on one passionate, anguished struggle, whether between beings or just within one. For "Deh, Vieni Alla Finestra," a white column of fabric drops from the ceiling at the core of a wide circle of light at center stage. A male figure hastily climbs halfway up and seems to struggle against the pillar, its fabric interwoven with his body. He taunts the fabric as he spins outward, similar to a maypole dance, but here there is a living, shifting bond between man and object.
In "Porgi Amor," a sole figure seems to long for her love with increased intensity, and in the
playful "La Ci Darem La Mano," two parts of a couple play hard-to-get. She flaunts scoffing self-absorption with what borders on mime; he taunts with disinterest — an exasperating, yet in many ways honest, back-and-forth. In "Soil Ich Dich, Theurer, Nicht Mehr Sehn?" two lovers struggle to stay together as a third figure jealously cuts in between with arm slashes and devilish glee. All three figures wear striking satin blue tops with elongated sleeves, which they use to draw great arcs through the air — the lovers in an attempt to reach one another, the interloper in an effort to cut their ties.
"Aria" ends with "Ach, Ich Fuhl's (oh, how I endure / feel it)." Here, a regal figure (Elizabeth Disharoon) strides onto the stage, cloaked in yards upon yards of heavy, velvety red fabric, which she slowly lets drape behind her to the floor in a blood-red trail — of sorrow? Life? Love? Longing? She writhes in anguish, desperately reaches out for support, and contracts back into herself again and again with powerful grace. She ends up writhing herself into a fury that leaves her emotionally exposed as she grievously gathers her garment and trail and carries them offstage.
Tuesday night's performance began and ended with two earlier Muller works. In an excerpt from "Spores, Solitude & Summer Humming" (2000), the company developed into a powerful group force, continuously playing off each other. And in "Bounce" (2003), which closed the evening, their energy and precision of movement stood out. "Aria" will be a welcome addition to The Works' repertory roster during their three-week tour to China this fall.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Shen Wei's Olympic Moves
New York Sun
By MARY STAUB June 9, 2008
When choreographer Shen Wei first arrived in New York from China 13 years ago, he had had limited exposure to the international culture of modern dance. At the time, the only modern dance company that existed in his homeland was his own, the Guangdong Modern Dance Company. Now, having founded his own New York company and enjoying commissions around the world, Mr. Shen is returning to China as the ambassador of that very culture, working as principal choreographer for the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics.
Despite — or perhaps because of — his now global experience, Mr. Shen has met with multiple challenges working on this worldly event in Beijing.
"I am working with dancers from Beijing with classical and Chinese dance training," Mr. Shen said from his Beijing hotel in the Olympic Village one recent morning. "These are very good dancers, amazing, wonderful dancers, but everything I do is new to them. They have no modern dance style and I have to train them and teach them from the beginning and throughout."
Most members of the (mainly Chinese) Olympic creative team are new to Mr. Shen's more modern and international artistic approach.
"In New York I live and communicate with people where there is an international culture of art," Mr. Shen said. "But here I first have to talk to people about the global culture of art where there is also a modern way to do things, not only the Chinese traditional way. I want to show China today, the modern China. We don't only want to see dragons and lanterns, but want to meld modern culture with Chinese tradition."
Due to concerns over the country's human rights record, there have been numerous international protests over China's hosting the Olympics, and several heads of state have hinted at plans to boycott the opening ceremonies altogether. Rather than a cause for contention, though, Mr. Shen sees the festivities as a chance to unite people from different countries with differing views.
"Some people say, 'Oh, you're just working on the Olympics, on games,'" Mr. Shen said in a scoffing tone. "But actually this is a huge cultural process and project and it is important to be involved. We have people coming here from all over and from all different backgrounds to work together. There were many difficulties in the beginning, but in the end we have to learn to communicate."
Mr. Shen's earlier experiences, arriving in New York in his mid-20s with just a few words of English and no cultural understanding of America, helped prepare him for certain stumbling blocks. Initially, he was shocked by aspects of New York life. He was befuddled by the American obsession with schedules and datebooks filled to the hour months in advance. He was perplexed by youngsters who received pay from their parents for odd jobs around the house.
"I saw in families that some people paid money to their children for little jobs like cutting the grass," Mr. Shen said. "I really didn't understand this because in China you should do everything for family and never ask for anything in return."
He did not, however, condemn these foreign customs. "It takes a while to understand the way a different culture works so that you don't get upset about it," Mr. Shen said. "I wasn't going to return to China just because things are different. Slowly you see that there is a different lifestyle because there is a different background, and that one lifestyle is not better than the other."
Similarly, when touring foreign countries with Shen Wei Dance Arts, Mr. Shen enters each culture with interest and openness.
"We have our own way of thinking about a country before we go there, partly from the media and from what people say," Mr. Shen said. "We all have different lifestyles, politics, philosophy. Not only the way we grew up is right."
While preparing for the Olympics, Mr. Shen is also conducting research for part three of his 'Re' triptych, which began with "Tibet" (2006) and "Angkor Wat" (2007). Part three, "Silk Road," will have its premiere sometime in 2009 and will address some of the discrepancies Mr. Shen sees between the isolated China of the past and the country's need for an openness in the future.
"I am looking at how Western culture goes into China, and how Chinese culture goes to the West; at how Chinese culture has communicated with different cultures in the past and how China changes through different cultures," he said. "Every day I spend in China is information to help me understand the country."
By MARY STAUB June 9, 2008
When choreographer Shen Wei first arrived in New York from China 13 years ago, he had had limited exposure to the international culture of modern dance. At the time, the only modern dance company that existed in his homeland was his own, the Guangdong Modern Dance Company. Now, having founded his own New York company and enjoying commissions around the world, Mr. Shen is returning to China as the ambassador of that very culture, working as principal choreographer for the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics.
Despite — or perhaps because of — his now global experience, Mr. Shen has met with multiple challenges working on this worldly event in Beijing.
"I am working with dancers from Beijing with classical and Chinese dance training," Mr. Shen said from his Beijing hotel in the Olympic Village one recent morning. "These are very good dancers, amazing, wonderful dancers, but everything I do is new to them. They have no modern dance style and I have to train them and teach them from the beginning and throughout."
Most members of the (mainly Chinese) Olympic creative team are new to Mr. Shen's more modern and international artistic approach.
"In New York I live and communicate with people where there is an international culture of art," Mr. Shen said. "But here I first have to talk to people about the global culture of art where there is also a modern way to do things, not only the Chinese traditional way. I want to show China today, the modern China. We don't only want to see dragons and lanterns, but want to meld modern culture with Chinese tradition."
Due to concerns over the country's human rights record, there have been numerous international protests over China's hosting the Olympics, and several heads of state have hinted at plans to boycott the opening ceremonies altogether. Rather than a cause for contention, though, Mr. Shen sees the festivities as a chance to unite people from different countries with differing views.
"Some people say, 'Oh, you're just working on the Olympics, on games,'" Mr. Shen said in a scoffing tone. "But actually this is a huge cultural process and project and it is important to be involved. We have people coming here from all over and from all different backgrounds to work together. There were many difficulties in the beginning, but in the end we have to learn to communicate."
Mr. Shen's earlier experiences, arriving in New York in his mid-20s with just a few words of English and no cultural understanding of America, helped prepare him for certain stumbling blocks. Initially, he was shocked by aspects of New York life. He was befuddled by the American obsession with schedules and datebooks filled to the hour months in advance. He was perplexed by youngsters who received pay from their parents for odd jobs around the house.
"I saw in families that some people paid money to their children for little jobs like cutting the grass," Mr. Shen said. "I really didn't understand this because in China you should do everything for family and never ask for anything in return."
He did not, however, condemn these foreign customs. "It takes a while to understand the way a different culture works so that you don't get upset about it," Mr. Shen said. "I wasn't going to return to China just because things are different. Slowly you see that there is a different lifestyle because there is a different background, and that one lifestyle is not better than the other."
Similarly, when touring foreign countries with Shen Wei Dance Arts, Mr. Shen enters each culture with interest and openness.
"We have our own way of thinking about a country before we go there, partly from the media and from what people say," Mr. Shen said. "We all have different lifestyles, politics, philosophy. Not only the way we grew up is right."
While preparing for the Olympics, Mr. Shen is also conducting research for part three of his 'Re' triptych, which began with "Tibet" (2006) and "Angkor Wat" (2007). Part three, "Silk Road," will have its premiere sometime in 2009 and will address some of the discrepancies Mr. Shen sees between the isolated China of the past and the country's need for an openness in the future.
"I am looking at how Western culture goes into China, and how Chinese culture goes to the West; at how Chinese culture has communicated with different cultures in the past and how China changes through different cultures," he said. "Every day I spend in China is information to help me understand the country."
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