Epoch Arts 05-06-2016

BENJAMIN CHASTEEN/EPOCH TIMES

C1 May 6–12, 2016

Pooja Mor

Fashion model Pooja Mor in Central Park on April 19.

on Modeling Life, New York, and What Keeps Her Grounded

By Kati Vereshaka | Epoch Times Staff

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EW YORK—Fashion modeling, as one might imagine, is not for the fainthearted. It is a world where one has to walk the line between open selfexpression and mystery, between being a blank canvas and the total embodiment of a brand’s look, and above all else, being fearless with just the right amount of vulnerability.

If you can really live every second, you will really feel the beauty of life on a much deeper level.

Pooja Mor

If one had to create such a creature, it would sound like a tall order. Yet New York-based Indian model Pooja Mor is all that and quite a lot more.

After being scouted—via Instagram—by the folks over at Louis Vuitton, many other major brands followed. She’s walked and posed for Stella McCartney, Givenchy, Calvin Klein, Alexander McQueen, Tory Burch, Narciso Rodriguez, Roberto Cavalli, Missoni, Jill Stuart, and Elie Saab. She was not just catapulted to runways and magazine covers, but as a figure of diversity for fashion fans.

Soft-spoken, humble, and wise, Mor recounted the quirky twist of fate that thrust her into the limelight and launched her career in a conversation with this Epoch Times reporter in Chelsea, Manhattan.

See Pooja on C5

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THINGS TO DO COMMUNITY EVENTS NEW IN MANHATTAN My City, My Song May 14 at noon Resnick Education Wing at Carnegie Hall Three vibrant New York City– based artists perform in My City, My Song, a colorful, interactive concert that provides an opportunity for kids to learn about New York City’s diverse musical and cultural traditions. Bronxborn drummer and vocalist Bobby Sanabria shares the driving beats of salsa, jazz vocalist Brianna Thomas explores the language of scat singing, and vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Jen Shyu presents songs from Southeast Asia. Free with RSVP. CarnegieHall.org Falun Dafa (Falun Gong) Exercises Tuesdays at 1 p.m.–2 p.m. (through June 14) Tompkins Square Library, 331 E. 10th St. A class of five exercises including meditation. Come relieve your stress and anxieties, increase your energy and vitality, and enjoy peace of mind. Free. en.FalunDafa.org

ONGOING IN MANHATTAN Magical Designs for Mozart’s Magic Flute Through August 27 New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, 40 Lincoln Center Plaza An exhibition that compares scenic and costume designs

from a select group of 20th and 21st century productions extolled for their remarkable visual achievement. Since its premiere in 1791, this opera has inspired countless teams of directors and designers to create a cornucopia of imaginative productions that have beguiled audiences of all ages. Free. LincolnCenter.org

with themes ranging from her hopes for today’s youth to her respect for the musicians who came before her. Utilizing traditional instruments— such as the ngoni, kora, and balafon—Sangho’s debut album, Ala Ta, is full of the rhythms and character of her homeland. Free.

QueensLibrary.org

handmade and the machinemade in the creation of haute couture and avant-garde readyto-wear. $12–$25 suggested.

METMuseum.org

ONGOING ELSEWHERE

Viento de Agua May 7 at 2 p.m.

Snug Harbor Cultural Center, Staten Island Latin jazz big band Viento de Agua takes its name from a Puerto Rican phrase used to describe the damp and humid air that precedes an intense rainstorm. Free.

Snug-Harbor.org

NEW IN MANHATTAN

Walking and Talking About Queens!

Sundays, April 30, May 7, & May 14, at noon–2 p.m.

Q.E.D., 27-16 23rd Ave., Queens Take a crash course on Queens, taught mostly through walking tours. The first week will feature a discussion about Queens’ history, neighborhoods, celebrities and assorted other trivia. Then it’s out into various neighborhoods the next three weeks, for walking tours. The program is led by tour guide and “Walking Queens” author Adrienne Onofri. $60. QEDAstoria.com Falun Dafa (Falun Gong) Exercises Wednesdays at 1 p.m.–2 p.m. (through June 15) Coney Island Library, 1901 Mermaid Ave., Brooklyn A class of five exercises including meditation. Come relieve your stress and anxieties, increase your energy and vitality, and enjoy peace of mind. Free. en.FalunDafa.org Awa Sangho Queens Library, 41-17 Main St., Flushing Born in West Africa, Sangho writes original songs with socially conscious lyrics in a variety of African languages,

Harbor in Bloom May 7 at 10 a.m.–4 p.m.

Carl Grillo Glasshouse, Snug Harbor Cultural Center, 1000 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island Plant sale at the Carl Grillo Glasshouse featuring a variety of plants for your spring gardens. Free admission to Staten Island Museum, Noble Maritime Collection, the New York Chinese Scholar’s Garden and Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art. Free.

Snug-Harbor.org

VISUAL ARTS NEW IN MANHATTAN Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology May 5–August 14 Metropolitan Museum of Art An exploration of how fashion designers are reconciling the

PERFORMING ARTS Juilliard Drama Presents Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost May 6–11 Stephanie P. McClelland Drama Theater at Lincoln Center, 155 W. 65th St. Director Erica Schmidt, co-scenic designers Jason Adizzone-West and Kimie Nishikawa, costume designer Jessica Pabst, lighting designer Paul Hudson, and sound designer Fabian Obispo.

Juilliard.edu

vision lives on with soprano Nina Stemme—unmatched today in the heroic female roles of Strauss and Wagner—who portrays Elektra’s primal quest for vengeance for the murder of her father, Agamemnon. From $32. MetOpera.org

NEW ELSEWHERE Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana May 3–8 Fishman Space at BAM, 321 Ashland Place, Brooklyn Flamenco Vivo presents the premieres of new contemporary flamenco dance and music inspired by the cultural richness of Andalucia, the region of Spain known as “the cradle of flamenco.” From $25. BAM.org

MUSIC NEW IN MANHATTAN

Die Entführung aus dem Serail Through May 7 Metropolitan Opera Met Music Director James Levine returns to a work he has long cherished, Mozart’s delightful comic gem of wily captives in a harem. From $25.

MetOpera.org

Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra May 6 at 7:30 p.m.

Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall Nicholas McGegan and the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra give the New York premiere of Alessandro Scarlatti’s La Gloria di Primavera. The serenata, a secular vocal work for two or more singers typically set to an allegorical story, is the ideal vehicle for the luscious and lyrical vocal writing that made Scarlatti one of the great operatic composers of his day.

CarnegieHall.org

Elektra Through May 7 Metropolitan Opera The genius director Patrice Chéreau (“From the House of the Dead”) didn’t live to see his great Elektra production, previously presented in Aix and Milan, make it to the stage of the Met. But his overpowering

Guiseppe Verdi’s Requiem May 6 at 8 p.m.

David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center Join the National Chorale and the National Chorale Orchestra, Everett McCorvey, Artistic Director, for a performance of Giuseppe Verdi’s Requiem–the drama of opera and the thrill of

ENDING IN MANHATTAN

wonderful symphonic writing combined with stellar, virtuosic solo moments. From $36.

LincolnCenter.org Calidore String Quartet May 10 at 8 p.m.

Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall The ensemble performs late quartets by Mozart and Mendelssohn as well as Hindemith’s haunting String Quartet No. 4. This concert marks the quartet’s Carnegie Hall debut. $35–$40.

CarnegieHall.org So What’s the Story?

May 10 at 7:30 p.m.

Avenues: The World School, 259 Tenth Ave. Violinist Gil Morgenstern and pianist J.Y. Song will take musical storytelling one step further by presenting intentionally programmatic work; music written with the expressed intent of narrative.

Inspired by the works of the great masters, the series will present original combinations of music with the spoken word (theater, prose and poetry), imagery (art and cinema), and movement (dance). $22–$43.

ReflectionsSeries.com

NEW ELSEWHERE The Colonials: The Trout Variations May 6 at 7:30 p.m. at Staten Island Museum, 1000 Richmond Terrace May 7 at 3 p.m. at Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd., Queens A mixed-period chamber ensemble founded in 2012, The Colonials specializes in historically informed period performance, classical chamber music, and newly written works.

As a mixed-period ensemble, members play both the historical and modern version of his or her instrument. $25.

TheColonials.org

Now on View

NEPALESE SEASONS: RAIN AND RITUAL Discover the intersection of mother nature and human nature through the stunning art and rituals of Nepal

150 WEST 17TH STREET NEW YORK, NY 10011 RUBINMUSEUM.ORG

Flying Naga; Nepal or Tibet; 14th century; gilt copper alloy; repoussé; Rubin Museum of Art; C2005.16.18 (HAR 65441)

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May 6–12, 2016 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochArts JOAN MARCUS

Theater Review

Little Guys Make the World Go Round

By Judd Hollander

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EW YORK—As the Broadway revival of the one-person show “Fully Committed” makes clear, it’s the tiny cogs in a machine that keep everything turning. Or, to put it in human terms, it’s people such as secretaries, mailroom workers, and hotel wait staff who prevent mistakes that might otherwise reverberate up the chain of command and cause a breakdown in the system. These folks rarely get enough credit for doing so.

One such person is Sam (Jesse Tyler Ferguson), a wannabe actor. He works in the cramped, windowless basement of a super trendy New York restaurant and takes calls from a myriad of potential diners begging, demanding, and cajoling for a table—despite the fact that, in terms of reservations, the place is continually fully committed.

“Fully committed” is the term the diva-like chef insists the staff use instead of the more familiar “completely booked.”

It’s a particularly bad day for Sam. His coworker Bob, with whom he shares the reservation responsibilities, is nowhere to be found.

A television project, which was all but a done deal, has fallen through. He’s still in the recovery phase of a very painful breakup, and he’s not sure if he’s going to be able to get home for Christmas, the first for his family since his mom passed away.

Trapped with a seemingly endless bank of ringing phones, unable to get away for lunch or to even use the bathroom, Sam is trapped.

All he can do is deal with one call after another and try to placate each to the best of his ability.

One caller is the editor from Bon Appétit magazine, who wants to know why the chef has been keeping her photographer waiting for hours. Another is a senior citizen who doesn’t understand why the restaurant doesn’t honor a specific discount. Then there’s a guy who wants the staff to sing “Lady and the Tramp” to his parents, who will be celebrating their wedding anniversary at the restaurant that night.

There’s also an issue with actress Gwyneth Paltrow, who insists on having a vegan tasting

The show is a literal tour de force for Ferguson.

Jesse Tyler Ferguson in “Fully Committed,” a frantic comedy by Becky Mode, now at Broadway’s Lyceum Theatre.

Jesse Tyler Ferguson plays 40 characters from the celebrity diva to the fame-hungry chef.

‘Fully Committed’ Lyceum Theatre 149 W. 45th St. Tickets 212-239-6200, or Telecharge.com Running Time 1 hour, 30 minutes (no intermission) Closes July 24

menu available, and who also wants the restaurant lighting near her table changed, as it was too harsh the last time.

The show takes potshots at the world’s powerful elites and how those below their stratosphere jump through hoops in order to make them happy. It also shows how those lower in the food chain (no pun intended) also throw their weight around from time to time. Paltrow’s assistant, Bryce, is an example of this behavior as he continually yells at his own subordinates.

Even Sam finds himself feeling forced to play the “wronged customer” card with an unsuspecting helicopter company to cover up his own mistake of forgetting to book the chef’s travel reservations. Although two wrongs don’t make a right, by the time Sam goes into his act, the audience has so identified with his putupon state that we are totally rooting for him to eek out whatever victories he can.

Also in for a ribbing is the world of acting in general, which we see through calls with Sam’s friend Jerry. Jerry seems to be further along in his acting career than Sam at the moment.

Sam has problems trying to get his agent to take his calls.

In the theater, as in most businesses, connections can be everything. Thus the importance of not upsetting those individuals you may not like at the moment is stressed. You never know just when they might be able to help you.

The show is a literal tour de force for Ferguson. The actor embodies over 40 characters,

Comedic Romp Spotlights Medley of Modern Ills NEW YORK—Leah Nanako Winkler’s “Kentucky,” now showing at Ensemble Studio Theatre, starts out lightly. A trio of girl singers, Merissa Czyz, Samantha Sembler, and Shannon Tyo, serenade us with an energetic hiphop style, and we know we’re in for an evening of flat-out hilarity.

But that’s only part of the deal. The scene shifts to a therapy session in New York. Hiro (Satomi Blair) complains to her therapist, Larry (Curran Connor), that her sister, Sophie (Sasha Diamond), is to be married down in Kentucky to a man she’s known for only six months.

Hiro’s got to get Sophie away from that land of limited possibilities and get her back to New York, where she can live a productive and happy life. Hiro can even get her a job as an administrative assistant at the company where Hiro works.

Larry’s not too keen on Hiro’s idea, but there’s no stopping his willful patient from doing whatever she wants. So he gives in and prescribes pills to help her on her stressful journey.

Now in Kentucky, we’re introduced to Hiro’s dysfunctional family. There’s her lovely mother, Masako (Ako), who is always polite and loving, even to her obnoxious husband (Hiro’s father), James (Jay Patterson).

James hasn’t a good word to say about anyone or any thing. He desperately wants to “sell his stuff” on eBay, but no one will teach him how. Anyway, he resents having to resort to some mechanical appliance just to sell stuff.

Judd Hollander is a member of the Drama Desk and reviewer for Stagebuzz.com

JODY CHRISTOPHERSON

Theater Review

By Diana Barth

making each totally identifiable and distinct.

More than simply changing his vocal inflections for the different personas, Ferguson is able to literally become the people presented through physical movements, gestures, and facial expressions.

One of the funniest moments in that regard occurs when Sam is trying to describe the menu—the restaurant specializing in molecular gastronomy—to a doctor’s receptionist from Wisconsin. Her bewilderment and incredulity increases by the moment as Sam explains some of the different items and prices.

Kudos goes to Derek McLane’s set. The area has the cramped, tight feeling of a place where a perennially underappreciated worker is forced to toil. Also very good is Jason Moore’s direction, which never allows Ferguson to take his characterizations too far over the top. Indeed, in some cases, he makes them feel quite real and familiar.

Probably the most satisfying thing about “Fully Committed” is that it shows how, just as in life, you win some battles and lose others each and every day. If you’re lucky, however, you’re able to chalk up enough in the “win” column to prepare yourself to come back and do the same thing again tomorrow.

Thanks to a very strong performance and excellent production values all around, this is one completely fulfilling and satisfying experience.

James lashes out at smartphones, saying that they make people stupid. In short, he’s anti all those elements of “progress” that possess so many of us, and he cries out, “We’re all addicts to machines!”

Grandma (Marcia Haufrecht) makes an auspicious entrance, offering shrewd comments that artfully cut to the quick. She’s someone you could love—as long as she’s not your grandmother. One might best describe her physical appearance as a carefully put-together bag lady.

Born-again Christians are on display, for Sophie is madly in love with and engaged to Da’Ran (Ronald Alexander Peet). He’s the son of preacher Ernest (Mikumari Caiyhe) and his wife, the vivacious Amy (Lynnette R. Freeman), who belts out a mean singalong number, inviting the audience to join in.

This family is African-American; Sophie and Hiro are Japanese. Thus racial intermarriage is on playwright Winkler’s agenda.

Hiro runs into her old flame, Adam (Alex Grubbs), who treats us to an emotional monologue on how he used to be “so handsome,” and how he misses the favored treatment he received back in his old school days. He’s still good-looking, but back then he was practically worshipped by young girls.

Adam tries to persuade Hiro to not return to New York; she should stay with him in Kentucky. After all, Kentucky offers horses, good whiskey, fried chicken, and a lot of other good stuff.

However, Sophie and Da’Ran’s wedding does

Racial intermarriage is on playwright Leah Nanako Winkler’s agenda.

‘Kentucky’ Ensemble Studio Theatre 549 W. 52nd St. Tickets EnsembleStudioTheatre. org Running Time 2 hours, 15 minutes (one intermission) Closes May 22

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(Left) (L–R) Adam (Alex Grubbs) stumbles upon Hiro (Satomi Blair) when she’s back in town for her sister’s wedding.

She’s on a lunch date with old friends, Nicole (Megan Hill) and Laura (Emily take place. Masako lovingly offers her home- Kunkel). cooked rice balls to the assembled guests. Even James dresses and behaves nicely for the occa(Right) sion, after previously appearing disheveled and The bride, cantankerous.

Sophie The trio of young women previously referred (Sasha to appear as bridesmaids, and in fact, have Diamond), served most entertainingly as a sort of musi- surrounded cal Greek chorus at various times through- by her out the play. bridesmaids Nicole (Megan Hill) and Laura (Emily Kun- played kel) are two old friends of Hiro’s, who offer by (L–R) their support to her at lunch one day.

Merissa Not to be omitted is Sylvie, Masako’s cat, Czyz, played with great élan by Amir Wachterman. Shannon He, or she, takes stage vividly when called Tyo, and Samantha upon, even upstaging the humans.

Terrific costumes by Suzanne Chesney dress Sembler in the players. Nick Francone’s set is minimal “Kentucky.” but effective. With all elements under Morgan Gould’s direction, Katie Spelman’s choreography and Sariva Goetz’s music direction and vocal arrangements add to the overall excellence of this production.

Presented by Ensemble Studio Theatre, in association with Radio Drama Network and Page 73, the play, which on one hand is a comedic romp, also offers food for thought on a variety of important topics. “How will this fadge?” as one of Shakespeare’s heroines once questioned. So see the play. I highly recommend it.

Diana Barth writes for various publications, including New Millennium. She may be contacted at diabarth@juno.com

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Essence of China LEO TIMM/EPOCH TIMES

Legendary Foundations of Chinese Civilization Part 1: Preface and Fu Xi

Fu Xi creates the Eight Trigrams and Yin-Yang duality.

By Leo Timm & Juliet Song Epoch Times Staff This is the beginning in a series of articles by an Epoch Times research team describing the foundations of Chinese civilization, and setting forth the traditional Chinese worldview.

The series surveys the course of Chinese history, showing how key figures aided in the creation of China’s divinely inspired culture.

In ancient times, Chinese called their land “Shen Zhou”—the land of the divine.

Legends record how the Creator established the three realms—heaven, Earth, and the underworld—and gave life to many beings within. Gods laid down and ordered the environment for human beings to survive and prosper. They taught humanity civilization and cultivation, as well as moral regulation. Later, different gods and buddhas descended to the mortal world by order of the Creator to spread the Buddha Law and a culture of cultivation.

Through self-cultivation, human beings would strive to return to their original positions in the heavens.

(Below) Pan Gu separates heaven and Earth.

In accordance with the laws of creation, Fu Xi brought order and stability to heaven and Earth.

Heaven and Earth were created by the god Pan Gu, who divided the two out of a primordial chaos. Following this, other gods created humanity in their own images. Chinese legends record how the goddess Nu Wa crafted humans from mud using her own figure as a model, and the Bible tells of man’s creation by God. Different legends from different cultures around the world record the creation of people from all races while gods refined the world of the early days.

In the beginning, nature was wild and turbulent. Harsh winds and thunder pounded the Earth, which knew neither rain nor snow.

Over eons, gods tempered and rectified the chaotic natural forces, preparing the Earth for civilized life.

Early man was ignorant and did not understand his environment. He did not have the ability to cope with nature or his neighbors.

But gods watched over humans and taught them to work and thrive. They enriched human thought and taught man independence.

Gods taught humanity to live in tribes, master fire, and protect themselves from the elements. Chinese legends record the accomplishments of divine rulers who laid the foundations for human civilizations.

Fu Xi brought order to the universe and created the two forces of yin and yang following a catastrophic flood that devastated the Earth. He left behind the Eight Trigrams for future people to use in divination. Shen Nong, the “Divine Farmer,” taught people how to work the land, plant grain, and trade goods. He also left behind indispensable knowledge of herbal Chinese medicine.

The reign of Emperor Xuanyuan, also known as the “Yellow Emperor,” is regarded as the dawn of Chinese civilization 5,000 years ago.

This monarch unified the ancient tribes and consolidated state authority through his civil and military accomplishments. He set up governmental positions, formulated decrees and regulations, and gave structure to human society while following the Dao or Way. Under the rule of the Yellow Emperor, the scholar Cangjie created Chinese writing. The pronunciation and appearance of the thousands of characters corresponded to celestial patterns and were thus first used by oracles who inscribed them on the bones of animals for divination.

Other intellects, under the emperor’s guidance, designated the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, a system of astrological symbols that connote cycles of time, direction, season, and the five elements. They made advances in engineering, medicine, music, and developed the Chinese lunisolar calendar.

As a Daoist cultivator, legends record that the Yellow Emperor achieved consummation and rode a dragon that carried him to the heavens.

The monarch had created a culture of cultivation, by which humans could become divine beings.

With the passage of time, humanity became distanced from gods. For convenience of administration, the legendary ruler Zhuanxu severed the connections between heaven and the world of mortals.

Emperors Yao, Shun, and Yu the Great led the effort to tame great floods and rebuild civilization after these cataclysms.

Qin Shi Huang, the first historical emperor of China, centralized imperial power in a system of government that lasted for over 2,000 years. Following Qin’s reign, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty enshrined the teachings of Confucius as the official state ideology.

The 5,000 years of divinely inspired culture was the process by which gods tempered and instructed humanity. Throughout the dynasties, different heavenly beings descended to the world to form karmic ties with the Creator.

Fu Xi Brings Order to the Cosmos The progenitor of today’s world and civilization was the god Fu Xi. In accordance with the laws of creation, he brought order and stability to heaven and Earth. Legends about this process are recorded in ancient texts such as the unofficial history written by Song L EO TI M M/ EP OC Dynasty-era scholar Luo Mi or H TI M ES the “Annals of Three Emperors” and the “Book of Jin” from the Tang Dynasty.

The period of Fu Xi saw great changes and cataclysms. A global flood that ravaged the world for many years, exterminated the civilizations that existed in the legendary lands of Mu and Atlantis. Only those living in the Kunlun Mountains survived.

Following the great flood, heaven and Earth were mixed together in primeval chaos. Using his divine power, Fu Xi brought the world to a state of order in a process recorded in the “Silk Manuscript of Chu.” He married the goddess Nu Wa and had four children with her. These became the gods of the seasons and directions. Through their balancing of heaven, Earth, and the stars, days were divided into day and night, the year into four seasons, and the world into four directions.

Paintings of Fu Xi and Nu Wa from the Han Dynasty depict the divinities holding carpenters’ tools, reflecting their roles in crafting the universe. Other portrayals show them holding the moon and sun.

After this process of creation, the universe again fell into imbalance. Five spirits of the wood element were dispatched to support the Earth’s four directions and restore order to the universe. Following Fu Xi, Nu Wa became ruler of the universe, but was defied by Gong Gong, the god of water. Gong Gong rebelled and Zhu Rong, the god of fire, was dispatched on a punitive expedition to subdue him.

Though Gong Gong was defeated, the god collided with Mount Buzhou in his fury, collapsing it and the pillars that held up the sky and the binds that held Earth in place. The heavens, sun, moon, and stars began to slant in a southward direction.

In writings from the early Han Dynasty, it is recorded that heaven was breached and the Earth’s crust was cracked. Fires burned and rivers flooded. Nu Wa smelted a boulder of five hues and used it to mend the gaping wound in the sky, then she used the legs from a giant heavenly sea turtle as pillars to stabilize the firmament. Her work rectified the orbits and paths of heaven and Earth, allowing humans to live and work in peace.

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May 6–12, 2016 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochArts SAMIRA BOUAOU/EPOCH TIMES

Pooja Mor

on Modeling Life, New York, and What Keeps Her Grounded Pooja continued from C1 An Unplanned Miss Ahmedabad In college, where Mor studied computer engineering, she got involved with a modeling hunt in the city of Ahmedabad called Fresh Face— as an organizer.

But as the crowd became increasingly rowdy, cheering for the contestants, she stepped on stage to curb their enthusiasm so that the event could continue smoothly.

Instead of heeding her request, the venue resounded to the name of Pooja!

It turns out her friend had submitted her name as one of the contestants as a joke.

The judges asked her to showcase her talents and, on the spur of the moment, Mor decided to simply walk, stopping at the end of the stage to do a turn and some “funny” poses.

To cut a long story short, to Mor’s great surprise, she turned out to be the “fresh face” they were looking for and won the contest.

Her first modeling stints, during Fashion Week in Delhi and then in Mumbai, gave her a taste of things to come, although she didn’t foresee that her next job would land her in Bob Hope’s futuristic house in Palm Springs where she modeled the Louis Vuitton Resort collection just last May. It has been exactly one year since Mor decided to call New York home—or at least, a home away from home. Yet dressed in skinny jeans, a black leather jacket, and comfy lace-up boots, she looks the part of a New Yorker, except that she wears no make up.

“New York is the easiest city to live in because everybody is from everywhere and there’s a common language as well. And there are so many options for everything,” she said, speaking softly.

A day off means going to see Bollywood movies with friends, cooking and eating Indian food, trips to the library, walking in Central Park, and going to Brooklyn to relax and explore outside Manhattan.

She returns to India to de-stress from the crescendo of engagements that culminate around fashion weeks, then comes back again to the energy hub that is New York.

Mor credits her seamless adjustment to the high pressure world of fashion to always maintaining a positive attitude—the rest “flows from that,” she said, including her “runway face.”

“You need to have a lot of confidence to walk in front of so many people and they’re looking at every single inch of you,” she said, punctuating every word.

“Even if it’s for 30 seconds, you really feel it. I have good thoughts.”

What also helps is the fact that Mor studied Indian classical dance in the Kathak (storytelling) style from the time she was a child, performing onstage in full costume and makeup.

“People notice that I move differently. I think dancing helped me a lot,” she said.

Mor discussed her career, her advice to models who are starting out, and some philosophies that keep her grounded on a daily basis. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Quick Q&A Epoch Times: What keeps you grounded?

Pooja Mor: I started Falun Dafa two years ago. I always keep some time for myself [in the morning], doing Dafa exercises (meditation) and then Pilates. That time is my time that connects me to myself—to look within. Being born Indian I always did meditation—yoga and meditation, you just do since you’re a kid. My family is so spiritual. That makes me look at life differently.

Epoch Times: Role models?

Ms. Mor: Blake Lively. When I was in India I was inspired when I saw her Gucci campaign, but I also like her style, and the way she carries herself is very beautiful.

Fashion model Pooja Mor in Central Park on April 19.

Turning down one thing will not stop you from doing a thousand other things.

Pooja Mor, fashion model BENJAMIN CHASTEEN/EPOCH TIMES

Epoch Times: Have you ever been surprised by the way you are captured in a photo?

Ms. Mor: It’s always so amazing to create something so different from what you are, and also to still have the connection of yourself to that.

Epoch Times: What is your beauty routine?

Ms. Mor: I don’t use soap on my face, I just rinse with water and I use coconut oil—it’s great for your skin, and hair as well.

Epoch Times: If you were to be involved with the beauty industry, what kind of products would you be involved with?

Ms. Mor: Ideally, [products for] hair, and any natural, organic skin care. And makeup is amazing—it can give you so many ideas; you can create so much.

Epoch Times: What would you do if modeling didn’t work out?

Ms. Mor: I would continue with my studies but I’m still looking to find out what I’d like to do my post-gradate studies in. I was preparing to do my MBA [Master of Business Administration] after completing my computer engineering degree, but then I started modeling.

Epoch Times: Favorite place to travel apart from your home town in Gujarat?

Ms. Mor: Paris, I love the city. The first time I went there, I felt like I was walking in a dream. I was really touched, by the architecture. Now I’m used to it, but I still remember the first time; I just walked along the river and the whole city looked so much like a dream.

Epoch Times: If you could time travel, which period would you go to?

Ms. Mor: I can answer it but I will answer

it according to Indian culture. I would like to go to the time of Satiyug [Satya Yuga]. It is the time when humans were just born, and it was the first period of time. So [in Indian culture] the periods are divided in four Yugas (ages): Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dvapara Yuga and the last one, Kali Yuga, which is now.

Epoch Times: Why Satiyug?

Ms. Mor: Because I always heard about it in stories. At that time, the culture was so deep.

[It was a time when] human and gods were very close, and you could talk to any god you want. People didn’t have much pain or suffering. They used to go to the goddess of color to get more colors. There are many TV series about these stories. And you can also read them in the scriptures.

Epoch Times: What do you hope to communicate to the world through your work?

Ms. Mor What I’ve seen here, is how people are always stressed about what is going to happen. I think if you can just let go of that, and just follow your path, it’s easier. So if you can really live every second, you will really feel the beauty of life on a much deeper level. Follow your destiny and be grounded in yourself.

Epoch Times: What about some of the decisions that models are sometimes asked to make?

Ms. Mor: The most important thing is that you should know what you want to do, and you should also know what you don’t want to do. You make your own decision. Sometimes girls do things under pressure, trying to launch their careers. But if you have the talent, your career is going to go well, any which way. Turning down one thing will not stop you from doing a thousand other things.

BENJAMIN CHASTEEN/EPOCH TIMES

Mor says doing Falun Dafa exercises like meditation every morning helps ground her.

A year after making the city her home, Mor looks every bit the New Yorker.

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May 6–12, 2016 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochArts ALL PHOTOS BY MARTY SOHL/METROPOLITAN OPERA

The Met Ends Its Season With a Powerful

‘Elektra’ N

EW YORK—Richard Strauss’s opera “Elektra” was the last work staged by Patrice Chéreau.

The director died shortly after the opening at the Aix-en-Provence Festival in 2013. Now at the Metropolitan Opera, staged by Chéreau’s assistant director Vincent Huguet and featuring a top-flight cast with Esa-Pekka Salonen conducting, “Elektra” truly electrifies.

The action takes place in one concentrated act.

The libretto, by Strauss’s most important collaborator, Hugo von Hofmannsthal, was based on Sophocles’s tragedy.

At the Palace of Mycenae, Elektra is mourning the death of her father. She is the daughter of King Agamemnon and Klytämnestra.

When the king returned from the Trojan War, he was assassinated by his wife and her lover, Aegisth. Elektra hopes to kill the wrongdoers with the help of her sister Chrysothemis and her brother Orest, who is expected to return from his travels any day.

While Elektra is consumed by anger, Chrysothemis is more conciliatory, asking her sister to relent before Klytämnestra and Aegisth lock her up in a tower. Elektra refuses to abandon her bloody plans.

Finally, the queen arrives for a heart-to-heart talk with her daughter. Klytämnestra com-

plains of insomnia and nightmares. The queen gets her hopes up when Elektra recommends a sacrifice as a cure, but is shocked when she finds out that hers is the death Elektra has in mind.

This ends the mother-daughter tête-à-tête.

After Klytämnestra leaves, Chrysothemis arrives with the sad news that Orest has died.

Undeterred, Elektra urges her sister to join her in immediately avenging their father. Chrysothemis refuses and runs away from her murderous sibling.

A stranger, who brought news of the death of Orest, claims to be one of his friends. While Elektra is plying him with questions about her brother, she notices that some of the servants are throwing themselves at his feet. He then reveals that he is really Orest and had made up the story to gain entrance to the palace. She notes that it’s strange that the servants recognized her brother while she didn’t.

In any event, he leaves to perpetrate the slaying of his mother and her lover. Elektra hears Klytämnestra’s final screams. Shortly afterward, Aegisth returns from the fields and meets the same fate as the queen.

When Chrysothemis confirms the deaths, Elektra goes into a frenetic happy dance. His morbid job done, Orest departs.

Soprano Nina Stemme is justifiably famous for the role of Elektra, and she performs it with boundless energy and determination, plus a huge sound. As is clear from her first scene, this

Soprano Nina Stemme performs with boundless energy and determination.

‘Elektra’ The Metropolitan Opera 30 Lincoln Center Plaza Tickets 212-362-6000, or MetOpera.org Running Time 1 hours, 45 minutes Closes May 7

(Top left) Nina Stemme in the title role of Richard Strauss’s opera “Elektra.”

(Bottom left) (L–R) Susan Neves as the Confidante, Waltraud Meier as Klytämnestra, and Nina Stemme in “Elektra.”

(Top right) Adrianne Pieczonka (L) as Chrysothemis and Nina Stemme in “Elektra.”

(Bottom right) Eric Owens as Orest in Elektra.” woman doesn’t have a Hamlet complex. She means murder and nothing is going to stop her.

Another remarkable singing actress, mezzosoprano Waltraud Meier makes Klytämnestra unusually sympathetic. As Chrysothemis, Adrianne Pieczonka is convincing as the most thoughtful of the characters. Bass-baritone Eric Owens is a powerful presence as Orest, the exile and enforcer.

The sets by Richard Peduzzi, lighting by Dominique Bruguière, and plain modern-dress costumes by Caroline de Vivaise all serve to enhance the somber mood.

Under Esa-Pekka Salonen’s baton, the Met orchestra was magnificent.

This is not an opera where the audience applauds the set or hums the melodies. Rather, it holds the audiences rapt from beginning to end.

Opera Review

By Barry Bassis

Barry Bassis has been a music, theater, and travel writer for over a decade for various publications.

By Linda Wiegenfeld

D

r. Roger L. DeHaan’s book “Restoring the Creation Mandate” is a wonderful combination of religious thinking, fascinating autobiography, modern philosophy, and practical tips on health. While the book is based on Christian theology, it can benefit anyone who wants to balance a spiritual life with the demands of daily living.

The premise of DeHaan’s book is that our health care system is broken. The system takes a mechanistic approach to health, which means that people are essentially thought of as marvelous machines that can be repaired through drugs and surgery.

In contrast, DeHaan looks at people as spiritual beings with a life force in their DNA. His book extensively covers vitalistic treatments such as live foods, emotional and spiritual counseling, herbs and spices, and prayer to nurture this essential flow.

As a result, he sees health care as wrongly relegated to the secular part of society. Spiritual institutions have abdicated their legitimate and proper role in health care education and assistance.

Training DeHaan grew up on an organic farm, became a veterinarian, and then did missionary work in a rainforest. This fascinating section illustrates how indigenous groups use materials found in the rainforest to successfully meet their health needs.

Later, DeHaan studied metabolic therapy and alternate healing modalities. He includes

Roger L. DeHaan looks at people as spiritual beings with a life force in their DNA.

MILESTONES INTERNATIONAL

Book Review

Balancing a Spiritual Life With Daily Living all this information so the reader knows that he is speaking from more than just a theoretical basis.

Practical Ideas About Nutrition DeHaan’s ideas about nutrition are simple.

As he says: garbage in, garbage out. DeHaan cites the famous Pottenger experiment on cats where one group of cats ate cooked denatured food, while another group of cats ate the same food in its raw live form. Dr. Pottenger observed both groups through several generations. By the third generation, the cats on the cooked food were physiologically bankrupt.

DeHaan cites other experiments with a similar outcome. His down-to-earth conclusion is for people to shop at the periphery of the grocery store and to avoid the center aisles where the canned, processed, and preserved foods are stored.

DeHaan then goes on to say that the nutritional landscape has become cluttered with supposedly “scientific” studies that often contradict one another. The basic principles of nutrition are hard to find unless one looks in the right place—the Bible. He says Creation Law requires us eating whole foods in season with “live” natural food substances to make up for severe soil and mineral deficiencies.

Variety and rotation are essential and can be achieved through balance among the various food groups. Biochemical individuality plays a role in diet, and people have the instinctive ability to choose foods that are right for themselves. This instinct has been educated out of us by astute advertising, personal addictions, social training, and cul-

tural habits.

Finally, DeHaan asks us to retrain our eating habits. Drink six to eight glasses of water a day and remember to eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and supper like a pauper. Food is a fuel, and as the day passes, the amount of your physical activity goes down.

Other Thoughts DeHaan gives the readers psychological ideas to improve their life. These include human touch, working with others to reach full creative potential, being patient when trying to reach your goal, believing in the right things, and so on.

Always a realist, he puts in a bonus section about being a well-grounded dreamer.

He reminds people not to forget daily chores such as washing the dishes and sweeping the floor.

At the end of the book, DeHaan talks about his dream of people fulfilling their destiny to make a difference in this world with a massive return to morality and responsibility.

He sees this renewal process as the greatest challenge facing modern people today.

DeHaan’s book challenges us to be the healthiest people we can. As he says, “Just as the roots, trunk, and branches of a tree all must be healthy, so too must a person’s body, mind, and spirit all be healthy if he or she is to enjoy true and full health.”

Linda W iegenfeld is a retired teacher.

Send any comments or suggestions to LWiegenfeld@aol.com

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May 6–12, 2016 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochArts

DOMENICO VACCA’S

ALL PHOTOS BY BENJAMIN CHASTEEN/EPOCH TIMES

New Concept Store Is About Flair and Personalization

By Kati Vereshaka | Epoch Times Staff

N

EW YORK—he suspense is over for Italian designer Domenico Vacca as he opens the doors to his new eponymous flagship store on May 4.

Vacca, who carved out a position for his brand by bringing fine Italian tailoring to New York 15 years ago, has since injected the same flair into the sartorial style of many film characters.

In the last 10 years he has worked on 50 movies and dressed Glenn Close in “Damages,” Denzel Washington for “American Gangster,” Jeremy Piven in “Entourage,” and more recently, Terrence Howard in “Empire,” among many others. He has also dressed Hollywood stars for the red carpet, including Daniel Day Lewis when he won the Oscar for “Lincoln.”

Now it is the designer’s turn to shine, as he unveils the space that has undoubtedly preoccupied much of his time since moving out of his Fifth Avenue premises last year. The new concept store has been painstakingly designed to fit his vision of an exclusive fashion hub that also serves as a hangout to some of the film celebrities with whom he has worked, as well as New York’s business elite.

Domenico Vacca’s Tabula Rasa The 100-story building that now bears his name was formerly known as The Branson at Fifth (15 W. 55th St.). Vaccca managed to extricate it from its checkered past as an illegal hotel, giving the building a total makeover (complete with rebranding) that cost over $20 million, with a nod to its 1920s style. The double-high Italian marble facade is arresting, but things become cozier as one enters the retail spaces, with steel gray and earth tones in the menswear section, and luminous creamy decor in womenswear.

He likes restoring old buildings and is partial to the art deco style, which characterizes the many spaces in the building. The same decor permeates through the retail spaces, the cafe, the barbershop and hair salon, as well as the 35 residences and the exclusive members-only club.

The latter is something that Vacca is passionate about, because it speaks to his longing for that Italian feeling of togetherness— much like a big family coming together to relax and socialize.

“I wanted to create something that didn’t exist. Right now, if you want to go out at night to a club it’s becoming very complicated,” he explains, pointing out the fact that going out to a members-only club entails knowing the doorman, the promoter, and then there is a minimum amount of alcohol that one must buy, and added to this injury is the insult of not being recognized by the staff among the sea of other club members.

“So then, if I have to explain everything, every time, what’s the point of being a member of a club?”

So a yearly fee of $20,000 will do away with any talk of a tab, allowing each member to bring up to three friends to hang out, eat, and drink till 1 a.m., five days a week. The number of members is, at least temporarily, set at 500, not for the sake of exclusivity, but because Vacca feels it is the right number of people for which to cater in a way that is personalized. For instance, apparently Jeremy Piven is known to do impromptu drum solos should he find himself in the vicinity of a kit, so there are plans to have a complete drum set, just in case.

Vacca emphasizes that he wants the staff to get to know the members and vice versa, so that members will always have a feeling of familiarity—and the staff also gets some respite with two days off work.

But ultimately, the centerpiece of this new concept store is Vacca’s Italian hand tailoring, characterized with a touch of modernity and color, but timelessly elegant.

“When I design for film I have a little bit of fun,” he said. “I think that when we started, we were bringing our design into the movies, and now we’re bringing some of the movies into the collection.”

He looks around the world for inspiration, but Vacca is adamant that he is not slavish to trends. He has access to the best fiber mills around the world that are very exclusive and malleable to allow him creative freedom. With 10 stores around the world, Vacca seems content to have hit the sweet spot.

“We don’t have a thousand stores so we can still play with our collections,” he said.

When we started, we were bringing our design into the movies, and now we’re bringing some of the movies into the collection.

Domenico Vacca in his exclusive members-only club above his flagship store on April 28.

Domenico Vacca

The new Domenico Vacca flagship store in Midtown Manhattan on April 28.

Are American Men Getting More, or Less Adventurous?

When he opened his first store in New York, 15 years ago, menswear was dominated by black, gray, and white. Dressing for men was a necessary chore, at best.

“We brought some flair into men’s wardrobe. We taught American men that getting dressed in the morning is not a problem—it’s actually fun,” said Vacca, whose current menswear range is nothing if not colorful. The trick, he said, was to help men understand how to put colors together, at which point they could start to parlay that confidence into having fun.

Ironically, the designer known for impeccable tailoring, chose to dress down for the media preview of the store, wearing distressed jeans, a gun-barrel-blue pullover over a white shirt, and lace-up ankle boots.

He is hopeful that menswear and womenswear will soon generate the same amount of sales in terms of volume. He offers as proof his current collection of men’s shoes, which he calls “insane,” referring to the loafers that come in a range of rainbow colors. “Ten years ago this would have been impossible—it would have been just lace-ups in black, and loafers in black, and then you’re done,” he said.

Apart from suiting, leather jackets, ties, shoes, and accessories, the designer has also launched his first eyewear collection, and his signature tableware featuring the alligator print motif that is also on all the bags alongside fragrances for him and her.

The Chic Quotient in Womenswear Just as he brought much-needed flair and color to menswear, Vacca likes to think that he also brought “that chic European look” to womenswear. Now he would like to bring that element to younger women as well.

Taking their cues from celebrities, younger women’s idea of chic is the “high-low” trend of pairing a Hermès bag with UGG boots.

“I strongly believe that you can be trendy and chic at the same time,” said Vacca, adding that there’s a common ground that nobody seems to be exploring at the moment.

Judging by his choice of dress on the occasion of showcasing his new premises, it’s hard to deny that he might be getting pulled into the American look more than vice versa.

Domenico Vacca.

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Epoch Times, May 6–12, 2016

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