2015 Ringling International Arts Festival

RINGLING INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL OCT 15 – 18 • Sarasota / Bradenton, FL

2015 RINGLING INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 1

THANK YOU TO OUR 2015 SPONSORS

ASSOCIATE PRODUCER

Bank of America

DIRECTOR

Gerri Aaron Huisking Family Fund of Community Foundation of Sarasota County Charlotte and Charles Perret Publix Super Markets Charities Ina Schnell

PATRON

Lucia and Steven Almquist Blalock Walters, P.A. Kathy and Michael Bush The Cowles Charitable Trust Cumberland Advisors Icard Merrill Dorothy and Charles Jenkins Macy’s Muse at The Ringling Dick and Betty Nimtz Nancy and Chuck Parrish Lisa Reese/The L. Marie Charitable Fund Stephen and Judith Shank So Staged Event Rentals SpringHill Suites by Marriott SunTrust Private Wealth Management Willis A. Smith Construction Woman’s Exchange Inc.

WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK OUR MEDIA SPONSORS

ABC7—Your Suncoast News Bright House Networks Herald-Tribune Media Group Sarasota Magazine

Scene Magazine SRQ Media WUSF Public Media

THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS FOR THEIR SUPPORT OF RIAF 2015

Big Top Brewing Company

Dr. Susan M. Brainerd and Alan R. Quinby

Bernice Sapirstein Davis Gold Coast Eagle Distributing

Gulf Coast Destinations, Inc.

The Ringling International Arts Festival is funded in part by the Asian Cultural Council, a nonprofit organization that supports US-Asia exchange through the arts.

The presentation of The Ringling’s Art of Performance is made possible by the New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Dance Project, with lead funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, with additional support from the National Endowment for the Arts.

5401 Bay Shore Road Sarasota, FL 34243 941.359.5700 ringling.org Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums GOVERNOR

The Honorable Rick Scott FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY

John E. Thrasher President

OFFICE OF THE PROVOST

Dr. Sally E. McRorie Interim Provost

COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS

Peter Weishar, Dean

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Steven High

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Michael E. Urette, Chair Paul G. Hudson, Vice Chair Nancy J. Parrish, Treasurer Frances D. Fergusson, Secretary Madeleine H. Berman Thomas J. Charters Daniel J. Denton Rebecca Donelson George R. Ellis Kenneth J. Feld Darrel E. Flanel Priscilla M. Greenfield Patrick J. Hennigan Jeffrey R. Hotchkiss Dorothy C. Jenkins Thomas W. Jennings Jr. Patricia R. Lombard Thomas B. Luzier Michael R. Pender, Jr. Michéle D. Redwine Margaret A. Rolando Ina L. Schnell Judith F. Shank Jane Skogstad Howard C. Tibbals James B. Tollerton Clifford L. Walters, III Larry A. Wickless

Welcome to the 7th Annual Ringling International Arts Festival, featuring seven genre-defying productions that represent the dynamism of contemporary performing artists across the vast continent of Asia. Why Asia? As we anticipate the opening of our new Center for Asian Art in early 2016, it is an auspicious moment to explore the institution’s commitment to an expanded focus on Asian visual art and performance and how it will reinforce for our community the importance and relevance of Asian culture in the twenty-first century.

To help us identify RIAF’s performance artists this year, The Ringling had the pleasure of working with Stanford Makishi, now Vice President of Programming for New York City Center, and previously Deputy Director and Director of Programs for the Asian Cultural Council in New York. As RIAF’s Artistic Advisor for 2015, Stanford worked closely with Dwight Currie, The Ringling’s Curator of Performance, to select those artists who exemplify the range and high standards of artistic practice in Asia today.

A special note of thanks goes to the Office of Senator Bill Nelson for assistance in securing performance visas for our many artists from Asia.

Our Season of Asia began on October 9th with Royal Taste: The Art of Princely Courts in Fifteenth-century China. We partnered with the Hubei Provincial Museum, a premier institution in China, and brought 140 Ming Dynasty treasures to the United States never before shown outside of China. The exhibition is now open for all RIAF attendees, just keep your ticket stub as a pass to Royal Taste and all the exhibitions of The Ringling.

RIAF would not be possible without the support of many people in our community; those who attend, those who provide financial support, and the foundation and grant organizations who have recognized the opportunities that the festival provides for our community including the Asian Cultural Council, New England Foundation for the Arts, Cowles Charitable Trust, and the Woman’s Exchange.

I hope you have a fantastic RIAF 2015! I encourage you to return for the exciting schedule of contemporary performance in our New Stages series, and I invite every one of you to the Grand Opening of the Center for Asian Art on February 20th.

Thank you for your support of the Ringling International Arts Festival.

EX-OFFICIO BOARD MEMBERS

Roberta J. Schaumleffel, Chair, Volunteer Services Advisory Council Barbara A. Swan, Chair, Docent Advisory Council

Steven High Executive Director

2015 RINGLING INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 1

WELCOME TO RIAF 2015

For four extraordinary days, artists and audiences from across America and around the world are coming together to experience the phenomenon that is RIAF! This year, we proudly present seven compelling perspectives on beauty, innovation, and artistry by performers representing the many and varied cultures of Asia.

SHANK’S MARE / TOM LEE HISTORIC ASOLO THEATER OPENING NIGHT, 7:00 PM / FRI, 8:00 PM / SAT, 5:00 PM / SUN, 2:00 PM

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ORKES SINTEN REMEN HISTORIC ASOLO THEATER FRI, 5:00 PM / SAT, 2:00 PM + 8:00 PM / SUN, 5:00 PM

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RONNARONG KHAMPHA COOK THEATRE OPENING NIGHT, 7:00 PM / FRI, 5:00 PM / SAT, 2:00 PM

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JEN SHYU / SOLO RITES: SEVEN BREATHS COOK THEATRE FRI, 8:00 PM / SAT, 5:00 PM / SUN, 2:00 PM

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PENI CANDRA RINI COOK THEATRE FRI, 2:00 PM / SAT, 8:00 PM / SUN, 5:00 PM

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KHMER METAL / PHARE: THE CAMBODIAN CIRCUS MERTZ THEATRE OPENING NIGHT, 7:00 PM / FRI, 2:00 PM / SAT, 8:00 PM / SUN, 2:00 PM

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TAO DANCE THEATER / WEIGHT X 3 MERTZ THEATRE FRI, 8:00 PM / SAT, 2:00 PM / SUN, 5:00 PM

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WHERE TO EAT

WHILE ATTENDING RIAF Muse at The Ringling

in the John M. McKay Visitors Pavilion Full service, contemporary American restaurant, serving lunch and dinner daily FRI – SUN, 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM

Museum Cafe

in the John M. McKay Visitors Pavilion Full coffee and drink menu, cold sandwiches, and snacks FRI & SAT, 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM SUN, 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM

OPENING NIGHT COURTYARD CELEBRATION

Banyan Cafe

BOLLYWOOD DREAMS

Fresh grab-and-go food in the heart of The Ringling

Bollywood singer, choreographer, MC, & DJ, PRASHANT KAKAD and his performers have one simple agenda: to make people dance all night long to the world’s greatest dance beats.

near the Original Circus Museum

FRI – SUN, 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Morton’s on the Mezzanine

at the FSU Center for the Performing Arts For lunch, dinner, or to just relax between shows

THU, OCT 15, 8:00 – 10:00 PM

Pyrotechnics presented by Fireworks Displays Unlimited, LLC

FRI & SAT, NOON – 8:00 PM SUN, NOON – 5:00 PM

ENHANCE YOUR RIAF EXPERIENCE GATEHOUSE GATHERINGS FRI – SUN, OCT 16 – 18, 3:00 – 5:00 PM

FESTIVAL BOX OFFICE

Historic Asolo Theater John M. McKay Visitors Pavilion 941.360.7399 or ringling.org THU FRI SAT SUN

OCT 15 OCT 16 OCT 17 OCT 18

10:00 AM – 7:00 PM 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

FSU Center for the Performing Arts Box Office is open one hour before performances.

• All performances begin promptly. Latecomers will be seated at the discretion of Management.

There are no refunds for latecomers.

• Cameras and tape or video recorders are not permitted in the theater.

• Please turn off cell phones, beepers, wristwatch alarms, and PDAs. • Wheelchair seating is available in all theaters, if requested in advance.

• All theaters are equipped with hearing assistance systems.

Festival productions employ I.A.T.S.E. Local 412 Stagehands and Technicians

In between afternoon performances, please stop by the Gatehouse Patio at the John M. McKay Visitors Pavilion and join other Festival patrons for lite-bites, libations, and lively conversations. Food and beverages are available for purchase. No admission fee.

JAZZ SUNSETS

With the Don Mopsick All Stars

FRI & SAT, OCT 16 & 17, 5:00 – 8:00 PM Join us under the tent at the bayfront for classic jazz with the Don Mopsick All Stars.

Admission is free of charge with any Festival Stage Production ticket, and food and beverages are available for purchase.

THE RINGLING FRI & SAT, OCT 16 & 17, 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM SUN, OCT 18, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Those holding tickets to Festival stage productions may enjoy the galleries and gardens of The Ringling free of charge during RIAF 2015.

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HISTORIC ASOLO THEATER THU OCT 15 7:00 PM OPENING NIGHT FRI OCT 16 8:00 PM SAT OCT 17 5:00 PM SUN OCT 18 2:00 PM

SHANK’S MARE CREATED BY TOM LEE (USA) AND KORYU NISHIKAWA V (JAPAN) DESIGNED AND DIRECTED BY TOM LEE PRESENTED BY YARA ARTS GROUP PUPPETEERS: CHRIS CARCIONE, CB GOODMAN, TAKEMI KITAMURA, LEAH OGAWA, JUSTIN PERKINS, JOSH RICE, LAKE SIMONS MUSIC: BILL RUYLE LIGHTING: JEANETTE OI-SUK YEW MASTER PUPPET CARVER: KEVIN WHITE MASTER WIGMAKER: AKIKO TAKAHASHI ASSISTANT DIRECTOR AND PUPPET CAPTAIN: JOSH RICE ANIMATION: ROBIN STARBUCK COSTUMES: CAROL PELLETIER AND KATHERINE FERRIER DRAMATURG: CLAUDIA ORENSTEIN PRODUCTION TRANSLATOR: KANAKO HIYAMA

Shank’s Mare is generously supported by Yara Arts Group, Japan Foundation NY, Jim Henson Foundation and was developed in residencies at Sarah Lawrence College, Hachioji Kuruma Ningyo (supported by the Asian Cultural Council) and Puppetry at the Carriage House.

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Tom Lee is a participant in the Global Connections–IN the LAB program, funded by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and administered by Theatre Communications Group, the national organization for the professional not-for-profit American theatre.

THE ART OF KURUMA NINGYO PUPPETRY Kuruma ningyo puppetry is a tradition unique in Japan and the world. A single performer seated on a small rolling cart (rokuro kuruma) operates a puppet figure by holding the puppet’s feet between his toes. The puppet’s head and left hand are controlled by the puppeteer’s left hand. The puppeteer manipulates the puppet’s right hand with his right hand. Devised by Koryu Nishikawa I in Hachioji in the mid-1800s as the sanninzukai (three person manipulation) style began to wane in Tokyo, the kuruma ningyo tradition has been refined over generations to create a unique one-to-one relationship between puppeteer and figure.

The American-made puppets in Shank’s Mare use kuruma ningyo-style puppetry but also break the convention to be used in many ways.

THE CREATORS OF SHANK’S MARE TOM LEE (Design and Direction) Born in Korea and raised in Hawai’i, Tom Lee is a theatre designer and director based in New York who specializes in Asian-inspired forms of puppet theater.

His work frequently incorporates live feed video and projection design with puppetry, exploring the synthesis of manipulated objects, miniatures and figures with the language of film and animation.

Mr. Lee was a member of the original Broadway cast of War Horse and is a principal puppeteer in the NY Metropolitan Opera’s Madama Butterfly directed by the late Anthony Minghella. Other puppetry performance includes Lee Breuer’s La Divina Caricatura, Le Grand Macabre with Maestro Alan Gilbert (NY Philharmonic) as well as Basil Twist’s Petrushka. He has performed in Dan Hurlin’s Obie-award winning puppet work Hiroshima Maiden and Disfarmer, on tour and at St. Ann’s Warehouse in Brooklyn. Mr. Lee was a performer and puppetry director for the 2015 London tour of the NY Philharmonic’s Petrushka, staged by Giants Are Small.

In 2005, supported by the NEA/TCG Career Development Program for Designers, Tom spent two months studying traditional and contemporary puppetry throughout Japan. Here he met and studied with Koryu Nishikawa V, headmaster of Hachioji Kuruma Ningyo (cart puppet theatre of Hachioji) with whom he has maintained an ongoing creative relationship. Shank’s Mare is their first full length collaboration.

Mr. Lee is on the theatre faculty of Sarah Lawrence College where he teaches design with a focus on puppetry and technology. www.tomleeprojects.com

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Photos by Ayumi Sakamoto

I first met Koryu-san almost nine years ago at his theater in Hachioji. The scent of the wood in those halls, the portraits of his forefathers, and the puppets and costumes from countless performances will always be a part of my memories of Japan. Koryu-sensei introduced me to the staggering breadth of Japanese traditional puppet theater, from the revered Bunraku National Theatre to companies all throughout Japan engaged in a huge diversity of techniques. He is a unique traditional master, combining the responsibility of 160 years of Hachioji Kuruma Ningyo with an openness to share his artistry with a new generation of artists and young people. I hope our work together celebrates and honors the power of the traditional form and finds new ways of expression for the ancient art of puppetry.

Shank’s Mare means, literally, your legs. It is an archaic reference to walking, inspired by the Japanese traditional classic Tokaidochu Hizakurige.

Our journey by “shank’s mare” is a story of life paths that wander and intersect, with the recognition that everything comes from somewhere.

– Tom Lee

KORYU NISHIKAWA V (Co-creator, Master Puppeteer) Born October 25, 1953, as Ryo Senuma, Koryu Nishikawa V is the fifth generation headmaster of the 160 year-old traditional puppet theatre company, Hachioji Kuruma Ningyo (cart puppet theatre of Hachioji) – designated an Intangible Folk Custom Cultural Asset by the Japanese government. This unique form of puppetry was developed by the first Koryu Nishikawa at the end of the Edo Era, in Hachioji, a suburb of western Tokyo.

As a child, Koryu Nishikawa V received instruction in kuruma ningyo from his grandfather (Koryu Nishikawa III) and his father (Koryu Nishikawa IV). At age 23, he studied sanninzukai (threeperson manipulation technique) as an apprentice at the Bunraku National Theatre. In September 1996, he received his stage name Koryu Nishikawa V, as the hereditary successor to lead Hachioji Kuruma Ningyo. Koryu Nishikawa V teaches and directs for traditional puppet theatre companies throughout Japan and is a proponent of educating future generations about the kuruma ningyo form and its history. He has taught kuruma ningyo as a guest artist

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for The Swedish National Puppet Theatre Company, the Swedish Puppetry Institute and numerous companies and colleges in the Europe and America.

In addition, Nishikawa’s company has performed in over forty countries, including the Union Internationale de la Marionette (UNIMA) festivals in the Soviet Union, England, Belgium, India, Hungary, and France. Other notable performances include the 1976 US Bicentennial celebrations, Belgian Music Festival, the Lisbon International Puppet Festival, and the 2014 Festival Internacional Cervantino in Mexico. In 2000, Mr. Nishikawa participated in the Uruguay Theatre Festival, where he received the Florencia Sánchez Prize for best foreign performance. In 2004, Koryu Nishikawa was chosen as the Cultural Ambassador of Hachioji City and, in 2006, he received the Hachioji City Cultural Testimonial Award. Hachioji Kuruma Ningyo regularly performs with Shinnai Joruri Narrative Song master Tsuruga Wakasanojo XI, a designated Living National Treasure. Koryu Nishikawa V has led Hachioji Kuruma Ningyo for 29 years.

Photos by Ayumi Sakamoto

SHANK’S MARE

BILL RUYLE (Composer/Hammer Dulcimer) has been a musician and collaborator for new music, theater, and dance in NYC and abroad for over thirty years. As an accomplished player of all instruments in the percussion family, Bill has performed in a variety of settings from Lincoln Center to international festivals in Europe and Asia, Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off Broadway. He has performed with the ensembles Newband, The Locrian Chamber Players, Sequitur, Counter)induction, The Manhattan Marimba Quartet, Last Forever (with Dick Connette), Guy Klucevsek, Bob Een, Peter Zummo, and The Hudson Valley Philharmonic. His own compositions have been performed domestically and internationally.

Bill is a faculty member of the Music Advancement Program at The Juilliard School.

JEANETTE OI-SUK YEW is a lighting designer for live performances and a puppetry artist. Her designs have been seen at venues such as Miami Light Project, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), Rose Theater at Lincoln Center, HERE Arts Center, St. Ann’s Warehouse, La Mama ETC, ArtsEmerson, Manhattan School of Music, REDCAT, Highways Performance Space, Live Arts Exchange (LAX) Festival and internationally at Havana, Lima, Prague, Graz and Edinburgh.

Specifically for puppetry, Jeanette has designed for The Saint Plays (an adaptation from Erik Ehn’s Saint Plays collection), Automata’s toy theater production of Frankenstein, The Little Fakers’ marionette serial drama The Sunset Chronicles, Torry Bend’s The Paper Hat Game and Hidebound from Erik Ehn’s commemorative cycle Soulographie: Our Genocides. She also serves as the lighting director for Great Small Work’s International Toy Theater Festival since 2008. Through puppetry, Jeanette has created innovative and interactive performances. Her most recent production, Are They Edible? premiered at La MaMa to sold-out houses and it was called “bold” and “inventive”. Other recent designs: Aya Ogawa’ Ludic Proxy (Bel Geddes Design Enhancement award), Caborca’s Zoetrope Part 1+2 (Encuentro 2014), Gloria – A Pig Tale with Doug Fitch and Alan Gilbert (NY Philharmonic), Scarlet Ibis and Thumbprint with Prototype, Company XIV’s Rococo Rogue and Nutcracker Rogue (Drama Desk nominations), Matthew Paul Olmos’ So Go the Ghosts of Mexico Part One (Best Lighting Design nomination), NPR’s WATER +/- with Kenny Leon, Andrea’s Thome’s Pinkolandia, Kara Lee Corthron’s AliceGraceAnon, and Aron Eli Coleite’s The Family Room. Jeanette was the recipient of the NEA/ TCG Career Development Program and teaches at New York State’s Stony Brook University. www.jeanetteyew.com

THE PUPPETEERS CHRIS CARCIONE is a director and theatre artist based in New York who creates immersive and site-specific theatrical events. He has worked at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, Second Stage Theatre, Roundabout Theatre Company, The Huntington Theatre Company, and Stoneham Theatre. He holds an MFA in Theatre from Sarah Lawrence College.

CB GOODMAN is a New York based visual theatre artist. Her work has been seen at venues including La MaMa, the New York Clown Theatre Festival, Physical Theatre Festival, New Orleans Fringe, and Fusebox Festival. CB has trained with SITI Company, Atlantic Theatre Company, Theatre de Complicite, Philipe Gaulier, Aitor Basauri, Mick Barnfather, and holds an MFA in theatre from Sarah Lawrence College.

TAKEMI KITAMURA is a native of Osaka, Japan. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a BA in Dance-Education from Hunter College, where she received the Choreographic Award from the Dance Program. Her most recent puppeteer credits include The Oldest Boy at Lincoln Center Theater and Memory Rings by Phantom Limb Company.

LEAH OGAWA is delighted to be part of Shank’s Mare as a puppeteer. She is a recent graduate from Sarah Lawrence College where she began her puppetry training with Dan Hurlin and Tom Lee. This will be her first production since she graduated in May. Leah has recently participated in the National Puppetry Conference at the O’Neill Theatre Center where she studied with Alice Gottschalk and Teatro Hugo and Ines.

JUSTIN PERKINS is a Brooklyn-based puppeteer and actor who performs frequently in New York. He also creates puppets, props and costumes for theater and teaches puppetry, theater and filmmaking to children and teens, most recently for Soho Rep. Justin earned his BA at Vassar and his MFA from Sarah Lawrence.

JOSH RICE (Assistant Director) is a theatre artist specializing in physical performance, improvisation, and puppetry. Original work: (Almost Definitely) Questionable Acts at the NYC Clown Theatre Festival, the New Orleans Fringe Festival, and the Physical Festival (Chicago, IL); The Vaudevillains at the first annual La MaMa Puppet Slam. Puppetry credits: Petrushka with the NY Philharmonic Orchestra (London tour); The Scarlet Ibis at HERE Arts Center; and Janie Geiser’s Reptile Under the Flowers at St. Ann’s Warehouse; and an upcoming collaboration on Dan Hurlin’s Italian Futurist piece premiering in 2017. Josh has collaborated on projects with David Neumann, Lake Simons, Geoff Sobelle, and Kristin Marting. He is a Teaching Artist with Pace University, Sarah Lawrence College, and the New Victory Theater and is the founder and director of the Mnemonic Theatre Project, a puppetry program for seniors living with Alzheimer’s and Dementia.

LAKE SIMONS is an artist specializing in devising theatre productions utilizing movement and puppetry. She has created over a dozen original productions as well as collaborated with others as a puppet designer and director. Lake served as a puppetry associate for both the Broadway production of War Horse and its national tour. Over the last sixteen years Lake has been a guest director at the Hip Pocket Theatre in Ft. Worth, Texas. Lake was nominated for a 2014 Doris Duke Impact Award and has been awarded six Jim Henson Foundation Grants. She holds theater degrees from University of North Carolina School of the Arts and Ecole Internationale de Theatre Jacques Lecoq in Paris, France.

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HISTORIC ASOLO THEATER FRI OCT 16 5:00 PM SAT OCT 17 2:00 PM SAT OCT 17 8:00 PM SUN OCT 18 5:00 PM

ORKES SINTEN REMEN UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF

DJADUK FERIANTO DJADUK FERIANTO, VOCALS SILIR PUJIWATI, VOCALS ANITA SISWANTO, VOCALS INDRA GUNAWAN, CAK (JAVANESE UKULELE) FAFAN ISFANDIAR, BIOLA (VIOLIN) DHANNY ERIAWAN, BASS AGUS SAFENDI, ACOUSTIC GUITAR KENDAR ISWAHYUDI, CUK (UKULELE/KRONCONG GUITAR) MARSA JULIANTARA, CELLO BENY FUAD HERAWAN, CAHON/PERCUSSION ANTON WIDI ATMOKO, SOUND ENGINEER

Formed in 1997 under the leadership of Djaduk Ferianto, Orkes Sinten Remen brings renewed vigor and vitality to keroncong – the uniquely Indonesian musical styling that traces its roots to the ukulele-like instruments that were first brought to the islands by the Portuguese in the 16th century.

With a mission to revitalize and reintroduce keroncong to a younger generation, Ferianto and his musicians have reinvigorated the traditional musical form with a robust array of rhythmic beats from around the world – dangdut, jazz, pop, blues, reggae, etc. At the same time, they have moved beyond the romanticized lyrics of an idealized tropical paradise to embrace a satiric wit and humor that more accurately reflect the realities of 21st-century Indonesian life. The result is Orkes Sinten Remen’s unique

mélange of musical sounds that is both refreshingly new and hauntingly nostalgic. It is a music that is variously characterized as “rowdy,” “old-fashioned,” “crazy,” and even “mad” – but in bringing the exuberance of keroncong to audiences around the world, Orkes Sinten Remen both preserves and celebrates traditional Indonesian culture by infusing it with the pulse and poetry of today.

The recordings of Orkes Sinten Remen (Parodi Iklan, Komedi Putar, Maling Budiman and Kumpulan Parodi) have been widely embraced by people of all ages for their humorous depictions of contemporary Indonesian life.

Photo courtesy of artist

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THE ARTISTS OF ORKES SINTEN REMEN Orchestra founder and vocalist DJADUK FERIANTO credits his creative talents to being the son of famed Indonesian choreographer and painter, Bagong Kussudiardja. He studied at the Indonesian Institute of the Arts in his native Yogyakarta, and in addition to his work with Orkes Sinten Remen, he is a contemporary ethnic musician, the leader of the musical ensemble Kua Etnika, a musical director for film, and an actor.

As a Sinden, SILIR PUJIWATI specializes in the singing of traditional Javanese music, while also exploring jazz, dangdut, and keroncong with Orkes Sinten Remen. The colorful pop interpretations for the group are provided by vocalist ANITA SISWANTO. The string players for Orkes Sinten Remen include keyboard player INDRA GUNAWAN on Cak (the Javanese ukulele); FAFAN ISFANDIAR who began his violin studies at the age of 10; DHANNY ERIAWAN, playing his hand-crafted five-string Bass; Acoustic Guitarist and keroncong instructor AGUS SAFENDI; KENDAR ISWAHYUDI who has devoted his career to performing the slightly larger ukulele known at the Cuk; and MARSA JULIANTARA on Cello.

The “beat keeper” for Orkes Sinten Remen is BENY FUAD HERAWAN, a Master of Percussion from the Indonesian Institute of the Arts.

ANTON WIDI ATMOKO brings 15 years of experience as a sound engineer to the group.

COOK THEATRE THU OCT 15 7:00 PM OPENING NIGHT FRI OCT 16 5:00 PM SAT OCT 17 2:00 PM

RONNARONG KHAMPHA KHAMPHA DANCE THEATER I don’t know how people look at me!

I don’t what people are saying about me!

I don’t know what people are thinking about me!

I don’t know whether my father will like what I do and who am I or not, because I can’t ask him any more any more!

But I think he sees me when I dance with his gift that he gave me.

This is all I know!

Photo by Wang Yuanqing

Khampha Dance Theater was founded by choreographer and performing artist, Ronnarong Khampha of Northern Thailand (Lanna). Having grown up in a small village in the northern Thai province of Phayao before later studying at Chiang Mai University, he is steeped in traditional Lanna culture. Using this as the base, Ronnarong has ventured into modern aesthetics.

He founded Khampha Dance Theater to create a new art of

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performance which takes pride in Lanna tradition, and at the same time, is evolving alongside contemporary life.

For RIAF 2015, Khampha Dance Theatre is presenting three pieces of performance; two traditional and one contemporary – all created and performed by Ronnarong Khampha.

FON LEB FINGERNAIL DANCE MUSIC: KONG TOK SENG BY CHANG TAM Fon Leb, the so-called “fingernail dance,” is the most famous dance of Lanna. Originally it was performed by girls in the village, but without the fingernail extensions used today. However, in the early 20th century, the Lanna princess Dara Rasmi (who had become a consort of Thai King Rama V) brought back curved golden fingernails from Bangkok. She took the village dance, added the extensions, and created Fon Leb. After Princess Dara Rasmi, Fon Leb went back into the villages. Each town developed its own variation, and the girls vied with each other to create more beautiful costumes and graceful movements, using the traditional courting dance to attract the attention of the boys.

The music used with this dance is Tok Seng – stately and classical, using trumpet, drums and cymbals.

TOP MA PHAP MARTIAL ARTS DANCE MUSIC: KONG PHUJEA BY CHO KHOM While the girls were dancing Fon Leb, the boys attracted the girls by showing off the tattoos that covered their legs from the waist downwards – and with their prowess in martial arts. They did this through a dance called Top Ma Phap.

The boy slaps his thighs to show he is ready for a fight, then kneels and pays homage to his teachers (as in Thai kick boxing) before leaping high to show his nimbleness. In this dance you can see influences from all along the Mekong: Burma, China, Laos, and Cambodia.

Top Ma Phap uses only the hypnotic repetition of a drum and cymbal as accompaniment.

MY NAME IS ONG CHOREOGRAPHER & DANCER: RONNARONG KHAMPHA DIRECTOR: JON KINZEL MUSIC CREDITS LANNA CONTEMPORARY: WITHAYA PHONWITHUN and TORPONG SAMERJAI SONGS: HIMMAPHAN FOREST ALBUM by CHANG SATON

KHON SUD TAAI by SAYAN SUNYA

MARN MONG KHON VOICE: BRENDAN RAGAN SET DESIGN: NETI PHIKROH COSTUME & LIGHTING: RONNARONG KHAMPHA Ong has been developing this contemporary work since its first showing it in Kobe, Japan, in 2010.

Most recently, it was performed in July 2013 at the International Choreographers Residency program at American Dance Festival in Durham, North Carolina.

It is a fiercely personal piece about growing up in a small village in Pong; about taking his first steps to dance as a little boy, about what people said and thought, and what it is to be a dancer.

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RONNARONG KHAMPHA WHO IS ONG AND WHERE DOES HE COME FROM? Ong’s real name is RONNARONG KHAMPHA. In Thailand, everyone uses nicknames (even the newspapers call the Prime Minister by his or her nickname).

So he is called Ong, which means “little emperor.”

Ong comes from Lanna, the old kingdom centered around Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand. His village, Pong, in the province of Phayao, lies far to the east of Chiang Mai, in a valley not far from the Lao border.

The Lanna kingdom survived right into the 20th century, after which it was absorbed into modern Thailand. However, the people of Lanna have preserved their distinctive culture – a different language and unique forms of architecture, painting, dance, and music. It is the culture of the peoples of the Mekong River.

Compared to Royal Bangkok, it is freer, shamanistic, playful, and at the same time delicate and graceful.

Ong went to college at Chiang Mai University and became a student of Professor Vithi Phanichphant, the leader of what has become known as the Lanna Renaissance. Vithi’s students have gone on to be prominent contemporary painters, designers, musicians, and dancers. Of this group, Ong is considered to be the leading male dancer of Lanna.

Photo by Wang Yuanqing

JON KINZEL (Director, My Name is Ong) has presented interdisciplinary work, including numerous commissions and solo shows, in a variety of national and international venues since 1988: receiving critical praise for Responsible Ballet (2009), Responsible Ballet and What We Need Is a Bench to Put Books On (2010), hurry (2013), and Someone Once Called Me A Sound Man (2013) - Best of 2013 in ARTFORUM Magazine. His visual art has been exhibited in New York City and featured in publications such as SCHIZM and MR Performance Journal.

BRENDAN RAGAN (Voice, My Name is Ong) is the Co-Artistic Director of the Urbanite Theatre in downtown Sarasota. As a founding ensemble member of Baltimore’s award-winning Single Carrot Theatre, Brendan developed a passion for producing thought-provoking, cutting-edge new work for diverse audiences. As an actor, Brendan’s credits from around the country include Gorilla Theatre, Asolo Rep, CENTERSTAGE, Waterside Theatre, Stageworks Theatre, Baltimore Shakespeare Festival, Colorado Shakespeare Festival and Nebraska Shakespeare. He is a member of AEA, and earned his MFA in Acting from the FSU/Asolo Conservatory.

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After graduating, Ong moved to Indonesia, where he studied Balinese and Javanese dance at the old court of Surakarta (Solo). In Solo, where he spent two years, he learned not only traditional dance, but was influenced by the contemporary dance scene in Indonesia. This was followed by half a year in Japan studying Noh drama in Kyoto.

Ong describes his work as “contemporary dance with a traditional base.”

In Ong’s dance can be seen the courtly refinement of Solo and the meditative stillness of Noh, re-imaged with a contemporary sensibility and approach. At the source is the shamanistic joy of Lanna, which Lanna people call phithi – joy.

THE CULTURE AND DANCE OF LANNA Lanna was the name of the old kingdom of Northern Thailand, centered on the walled city of Chiang Mai, the largest of among many small regional kingdoms such as Lampang, Phae, and Nan. The culture of this area, which makes up most of northern Thailand today, is known as Lanna, a work meaning “a million rice fields.”

Lanna, with the Mekong River running to the east, covered a wide area. It bordered the Shan States of Burma (now northeast Myanmar), Laos, Siam (central Thailand), and until recently shared close bonds with Yunnan (southern China). The area was home to many Thai ethnic groups, most of which have origins in neighboring countries. These groups inter-traded and frequently moved because of warfare.

Chiang Mai alternated during its history between periods of independence and times when it was conquered and controlled by its powerful neighbors, Siam and Burma. Lanna culture is therefore rich with influences from many peoples in the upper Mekhong and eastern Himalayan foothills. Its dance, rituals, and ceremonies reflect the input of ethnic Thai groups such as the Tai Yuan, Tai Lue, Tai Lao, Tai Keun, and Tai Yai (the Shan states of Burma), as well as influences from Siam, central Burma, Yunnan, and the many other so-called “hill tribes” who live in the area.

Lanna Dance shows influences from all the tribes and empires that influenced Lanna. It is open to people of all ages and skill levels. In contrast to central Thai court style, Lanna dance is flexible, instantaneous, and comes from inside you.

Although there are traditional patterns, it has no right or wrong. This flexibility runs throughout Lanna dances, especially the Trance Dance.

COOK THEATRE FRI OCT 16 8:00 PM SAT OCT 17 5:00 PM SUN OCT 18 2:00 PM

JEN SHYU

SOLO RITES: SEVEN BREATHS JEN SHYU: COMPOSITION, VOCALS, DANCE, TAIWANESE MOON LUTE, PIANO, GAYAGEUM, EAST TIMORESE LAKADOU GARIN NUGROHO: DIRECTOR DANANG PAMUNGKAS: CHOREOGRAPHER KRISTEN (KRIT) ROBINSON: SET & PROPS DESIGNER GHIA JAVAQUEEN / KRISTIN ISOLA: COSTUME DESIGNERS

Thank you for embarking on this journey with me.

Although some of these sounds and languages may be unfamiliar to you, I hope they take you on a voyage to discovering the many sources of inspiration for Solo Rites: Seven Breaths.

As I traveled to the “cornerest of corners” as I like to say—from the remote mountains of East Timor to the river communities of East Kalimantan, Indonesia—I had the privilege of meeting the most beautiful and sincere people.

They claimed to be simple farmers, but they truly were master singers. My first reaction was humility.

Next was wanting to lead others to experience the power of the human voice through these masters and to see tradition in a new light. Seven Breaths’ Photo by Steven Schreiber

Photos courtesy of artist

director Garin Nugroho often mused that the lines between tradition and modernity are so blurry that we’d do best if we did not define ancient versus modern, but rather, unite them. In my travels, I was often shown an ancient custom that had been almost forgotten that it seemed like the greatest innovation to my eyes, proving again how much tradition can teach us.

So sit back and close this printed program, as I guarantee you’ll understand the languages you’ll experience through sight, sound, and feeling. We are all human, after all, as the Timorese song toward the end of the show reminds us: “We are not strangers; we are not separate beings; we are brother and sister only.” – Jen Shyu Continued on next page

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SOLO RITES: SEVEN BREATHS All music, text, and translations by Jen Shyu unless otherwise noted.

All video documentation was shot by Jen Shyu and edited by Garin Nugroho. Content is used with permission.

VIDEO FIELDWORK CREDITS • First Breath. Atauro, East Timor, 2010: Annual festival of San Pedro in Makili village • Second Breath. Jawa, Indonesia, 2012: Javanese singer (Pesindhen) and one of Jen’s teachers: Nyi Ngatirah, Gendèr: Pak Sutanto in Semarang • Third Breath. Taidong, Taiwan, 2008: 5-year harvest ceremony in Draba village • Fourth Breath. Pyeonghae, South Korea, 2013: South Korean East Coast shaman ritual. Musicians: the descendents of master drummer and shaman Kim Seok-Chul

I. FIRST BREATH | World of Home (East Timor) Audio: Atauro, East Timor, 2010: Annual festival of San Pedro in Makili village Introduction The name Daddy gave me — Chiu Yan The Autumn Goose that flies South When the cold comes I will go But I’ll return Then go again...

Song of the Passion Woman Based on traditional song from Passabe, district of Oecusse, sung by singer Luiza Sufa. Lyrics based on the 13 districts of Timor and villages Shyu is especially close to.

Dili, Oecusse / Aileu, Same, Manufahi / Maubisse, Liquica / Makadade, Makili, Passabe And he asked her before she flew Don’t you want to be free?

‘Cause in his heart he knew She’d move ways he’d never see Baucau, Ainaro / Ermera, Bobonaro / Manatutu, Lautem / Viqueque, Cova-Lima, Atauro He said, Oh, you fall into a place, yes you do / So shouldn’t you be free?

‘Cause in his heart he knew She’d move ways he’d feel —but never see II. SECOND BREATH | World of Deep Meditation, Woman, and Fate (Java, Indonesia) Introductory Text: Garin Nugroho In the land of Jawa The Selendang, if worn, is more than a cut of cloth, woman It makes you dance of life and fate Aku yang Lahir dari Air Mata (Translation from Indonesian: I Was Born from a Tear) Poetry: Slamet Gundono, Music: Jen Shyu & Slamet Gundono I was born from a tear I made rain from my sweat I, shining, upon the wrong turn But I believe that God was there In the moment of sadness, I surrender and become dust

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• Fifth Breath. Kalimantan, Indonesia, 2012: “Belian Sentiu” healing ceremony. Singer and Dancer: Pak Renon; Dancer: Pak Marlan • Sixth Breath. Dili, East Timor, 2013: Ana Shyu (Jen’s mother) returning home to East Timor for the first time in 40+ years; with Jen’s father, T. Pin Shyu • Sixth Breath. Manatutu, East Timor, 2010: Annual festival of St. Antonio • Sixth Breath. Atauro, East Timor, 2010: Singer: Maria de Jesus of Makili village

Bawa Sida Asih, Macapat Dhandhangula Lyrics: Ki Narto Sabdho, Translation from Javanese: Slamet Gundono, Endang Tri Winarni, & Jen Shyu. Audio: Jawa, Indonesia, 2012: Javanese singer [Pesindhen] and teacher: Nyi Ngatirah. Gendèr: Pak Sutanto. Song: Ladrang Wilujeng Laras Slendro Pathet Manyura My hope, my beloved Is that we are always in harmony and unity At every moment, day or night Never apart, not even one hair’s width Though far, you are close in my heart When you’re near, you’re always my focus Loving each other for all time Like two fish swimming side by side Let us carry out life’s obligations together Sida asih bebrayan Settling down to love each other Para Pembakar Ombak (Burning the Waves) Poetry & translation from Indonesian: Dorothea Rosa Herliany When the horizon turned to rain the twilight quivered, the soul’s borders were like vague oceans, fortunately the boat had a twin noah and a million faded histories following the sun’s footsteps from the head of the river to the sea, the man came from deep inside the well, smashed to pieces by limitless longing, walking in steps which cross the whole day following a lonely path why don’t you go home, woman, endlessly walking carrying longing, friend, shedding the smell of tears / sorrowful grief at the edge of the garden perhaps she is searching for the heaven god faithfully places in the innermost recesses of the believer’s heart at the body’s edge painful wounds sing distant like the melody we hear from the stern we are tired father curses us and we choose to be silent, as silent as our memories...

JEN SHYU III.THIRD BREATH | World of Story Told (Taiwan and Vietnam) Pansori epic Simcheongga* (Translated from Korean) They arrive at a certain place. This is the Indang Waters. It is as if a fish and a dragon fought with each other. It is as if thunder fell down. A wind generates waves in the wide sea.

A heavy fog moves around. They have a long way to go. It is dark in all four directions. The sky and the sea are desolate. Strong currents hit hard on the bow of the boat.

Waves run wildly around the boat. The leader of the sailor and the rest quickly prepare for a rite. They cook a bag of rice. A sound cow is killed. A jar of wine, soups of various colors, and diverse fruit are put in appropriate places. A live pig is slaughtered. It is hung on a big knife. Behold the leader of the sailors. He has Sim Cheong take a bath and sit at the bow. Behold the leader. He puts on ritual robes and holds two drumsticks.

Audio: Taidong, Taiwan, 2008: 5-year harvest ceremony in Draba village Spoken Text: Garin Nugroho Work: your legs that dance, awakening the sleeper Work: the song that ignites the heart Work is dance, work is song Legs, legs, ignite the heart IV. FOURTH BREATH | World of Ceremony and Mysticism (Ritual World of South Korea) Binari (Well-Wishing in Korean) Part 1 Music & Lyrics: tradition from Korea usually sung by male singer. Translation from Korean by Dr. Ju-Yong Ha. Billions and thousands of stars throughout the universe opened up the sky and the earth was formed.

The peaceful nation was established by Seong Gye Lee, born in the year of tiger in the warm spring.

While he built the capital city in Seoul, the Mountain Samgaksan arose, and the spiritual phoenix was born (which we call “The Phoenix Land.”)

The palace was built above the phoenix land and the six official political positions were arranged.

Oyeongmun [the Five Gates] were built around the city, and provinces and cities were newly created.

The Blue Dragon was represented by the town named Wangsipni, and the white tiger was represented by the eastern fields.

Jongnam Mountain became Ansan while being brightened by the volcanic mountain, Gwanak.

Building a dam blocking the eastern rivers made the Han River surrounding the city of Seoul.

The actual land is made of gold which was offered to the lives of the common people.

The nation is now called Daehan Minguk (Korea).

Let me exorcise all their negative energy, releasing them for better health.

Pansori epic Simcheongga* (Translation from Korean) Three years have passed since Empress Simcheong was in the Sea Palace. Blind Sim, who cries at every thought of his daughter, has become more and

Photo by Steven Schreiber

more white-haired. She asks the official: “Hey, officer! Ask the blind man about his address, wife, and child.”

Mr. Sim scarcely hears the words of wife and children when tears fall down from his blind eyes. “Let me report to you, sir.

I lived in my hometown, Peach Blossom Village. My name is Sim Hak-gyu. My wife died of a disease after childbirth. I held my daughter, who lost her mom, with a small blanket.

I managed to raise her by begging around for milk. Her filial piety was great. She sold herself to sailors at 300 bags of rice to open her father’s eyes at the age of fifteen. She died as a sacrifice at Indang Water three years ago. I haven’t yet opened my eyes. I only sold my daughter. What would be the use of forgiving a parent who sold his child? Please kill me right away.”

Empress Sim is stunned. She pulls the blind away and runs to him without putting on shoes. She hugs her father’s neck.

“Oh, father!”

Mr. Sim is surprised. “Who is calling me father? Am I your father? What are you saying? My daughter, only child, was drowned to death three years ago. Who is calling me father?”

“Oh, father! Haven’t you opened your eyes yet? Your bad daughter, Sim Cheong, came back alive. Father, please open your eyes and take a look at me. Oh, father!”

Upon hearing her, Mr. Sim is at a loss for what to say.

“What? Are you Sim Cheong? What did you say? What did you say? Am I dead in the Sea Palace? Am I dreaming now? My daughter, Cheong, has died. How can you say she came back here alive?

If you are my daughter, let me see you. Let me see my daughter! Oh god! I need eyes to see my daughter. Alas. I feel choked! Let me see my daughter!” Mr. Sim blinks his eyes repeatedly. He suddenly opens them thanks to Buddha.

Fourth Breath Text: Garin Nugroho This Bamboo carries you to the heavens The Bamboo’s roots grab the earth Grab the bamboo with your hands, Your work, your song, your dance Continued on next page

Binari Part 2 (Translation from Korean): Yeombul (Buddhist Chanting) for Blessing¬. Translation by Dr. Ju-Yong Ha. Sanggilgyeon (one of the liturgical scriptures of Buddha), identifies that there are hundreds and thousands of negative energies.

Ahhhh hae………

Give love to others ten out of ten.

Bong oh, ehhhhhh!

Bong oh, ehhhhhh!

I am offering you blessing, good wishes and good fortune.

A blessing for your family; From the bottom of my heart, I will pray to my deities.

Although you and your family may have some negative energy, if you are joined with me, all the negative energy will disappear!

Although some were born into prosperity, some will die young; Some people live long without having a prosperous life; So, I will extend your life as long as a large river, living for a hundred years without illness. *Simcheongga is about a girl named Simcheong and her transformative filial piety to her blind father, Sim Hak-Gyu, usually called Sim the Blind (“Sim-Bongsa”).

To help her father regain his sight as a Buddhist monk promised, Simcheong trades herself for 300 bags of rice to merchant sailors looking for a virgin sacrifice to the Dragon King of the Sea, and from their ship she commits suicide by jumping into the ocean.

Three years later, the Dragon King, moved by her filial piety, returns her, wrapped in a lotus flower, back to earth where the emperor finds her and makes her his empress. In an effort to find her father, she holds a banquet and invites all the blind.

Sim-Bongsa manages to arrive at the banquet and tells his life story before her, which proves his identity. At that moment, Simcheong discovers not only her father, but also the fact that even after three years from when she sacrificed herself, he is still blind.

At the shock of hearing his daughter’s voice after believing she had drowned long ago, his desire to see her is so great that he suddenly regains his sight. At that moment, like a wave across the earth, all people and even animals recover from blindness and see the bright world.

V. FIFTH BREATH | Loss of Macrocosmos (Kalimantan, Indonesia) Introductory Text: Garin Nugroho The water intervenes The earth is angry The wind has no home Fire runs adrift...

Text from an interview on Kaharingan spiritual beliefs and the environment, conducted by Wendy Miles on June 9, 2012 with the Mantir Adat (traditional leader) of Katunjung village, Bapak Mudin Jaman. Translation from Dayak Ngaju-Kapuas by Rut Dini Prasti H. and Migraliette Urvidya Purbaranti

Mantir: How humans take care of fire is important, they have to give an offering.

Interviewer: How do you give offerings to the fire spirits?

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Mantir: By doing the Manyanggar ceremony.

Interviewer: But you did Manyanggar and there was still fire?

Mantir: Yes, it’s because the spirits were neglected.

We were taking from the forest and neglected the ones who live in the fire, the wind, the water, the land, the woods...

Audio: Kalimantan, Indonesia, 2012: Belian Sentiu healing ceremony. Singer and Dancer: Pak Renon; Dancer: Pak Marlan. The song is asking permission from the spirits to perform this ceremony.

She Held Fire Inspired by dream of poet-artist Kiki Ze Lara from East Timor She held Fire in one hand and Water in the other Soon she held the power to command Fire, Water, and the Land Fifth Breath Mantra. Text from an interview on the history of land and livelihood changes on the Kapuas River, conducted by Wendy Miles on May 5, 2012 with Mantir Adat Mudin Jaman. Translation by Rut Dini Prasti H. Mantir: Mountain is part of earth Wave is part of water Wind makes the wave on the water VI. SIXTH BREATH | World of Return (East Timor)

Ba O’, J (For you, J) Poetry and translation from Tetum: Naldo Rei Day is getting darker The waves of the sea grow menacing and wild Savage wind, bitter wind Leave the world in darkness Leave story in darkness Leave me behind in darkness Will we meet again?

Your shadow always appears in this land Your footsteps marked the history In this land I wait for you Song for Naldo: Silenced again, Never again Dedicated to Ana Shyu (Jen Shyu’s mother) and Naldo Rei, author of Resistance. Last section based on text from Chega! The Report of the Commission for Reception, Truth, and Reconciliation, Timor-Leste, Executive Summary. Intro: Lakadou song as taught by Mestre Marsal, from Aileu: Translation from Tetum to English by Naldo Rei and Jen Shyu

In the past, at least our ancestors left us culture, and it’s

like gold (“red money” means gold in Tetum)

You can be big, you can be rich, but at least keep your

culture safely in place

My friend was a weaver of words and he began to write

His voice was young, with the soul of a sage

He wrote of our motherland and the violation by a

bigger nation

My friend was a weaver of dreams I read his words one night Then fell asleep, my cheek upon the page with his images haunting me

JEN SHYU

and my transformation by his etched reflection And I dreamed of another time and I saw her there My mother But she looked different, with white skin and short golden hair but in the dream I knew it was her In a colorless cell surrounded by guards with guns torturous questions When finally, they pressed her face into a shield of thorns a silver shield of thorns Mother! Then I appeared like an angel unheard and concealed and I ran to her To lay her face in a veil of ice Mother! to heal her bleeding brow I thought she had died but she survived to sing the Timorese woman’s sorrow: I saw the forceful harvest of sacred hairs in front of male soldiers.

I saw the rape of pregnant women including once when a woman was raped the day before she gave birth To a child of this troubled earth Silenced again never again

Never again (Song from Aileu continued): We are not strangers; we are not separate beings; we are brother and sister only)

VII. SEVENTH BREATH | World of Zero, Epilogue Anonymous World Audio: Atauro, East Timor, 2010: Singer: Maria de Jesus of Makili village. From songs Rakais and Reknote - Tebe Nian Maubisse There is an opening of land off the Flecha road Where the earth spreads wide its grassy skins ’Til it breaks and reveals red clay Flesh where the wild horses graze Just beyond From afar their exhales fluttering Sighs in the expanse I knew not where I was, whom I strove to be It was cold Mother, I give you the sign I grabbed the first warm hand I rush home, and I see I was home all the time Continued on next page

Photo by Tom Shea

Photo by Tom Shea

JEN SHYU, COMPOSER-PERFORMER 2014 Doris Duke Impact Award recipient JEN SHYU, born in Peoria, Illinois, USA, from Taiwanese and East Timorese parents, is an experimental jazz vocalist, composer, multi-instrumentalist, dancer, producer, and Fulbright scholar. Larry Blumenfeld (Wall Street Journal) writes, “...Ms. Shyu is among New York’s most invigorating vocal presences. And perhaps the most enigmatic.”

She has produced six albums: For Now; Jade Tongue; Inner Chapters; Raging Waters, Red Sands; with Sounds and Cries of the World on Pi as her newest release; and is the first female artist and vocalist as bandleader on the widely praised album Synastry with legendary bassist Mark Dresser.

After graduating from Stanford University, she became the vocalist of 2014 MacArthur Genius Award saxophonist Steve Coleman’s Five Elements from 2003 to 2011 and has presented her own music at Lincoln Center, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Bimhuis (Netherlands), Salihara Theater (Indonesia), National Gugak Center, National Theater of Korea, to name a few. She has also performed with Dave Burrell, Chris Potter, Michael Formanek, Mat Maneri, among others, and in Anthony Braxton’s operas Trillium E and Trillium J. Known for her specialization in lesser known and disappearing traditional musical forms in Taiwan, Korea, China, and East Timor, Shyu studied Javanese Sindhenan and dance for two years on a Fulbright scholarship in Indonesia 2011-2013. She then received six-month fellowships from the National Gugak Center to study Pansori and Gayageum Byeongchang in 2013 and then from Korea Foundation to study Korean at Sogang University, and has also won fellowships from Asian Cultural Council, Bronx Council on the Arts, Jerome Foundation, New Music USA, and

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commissions from Chamber Music America’s New Jazz Works, the Jazz Gallery and Roulette Intermedium, Inc. in Brooklyn, NY. Shyu currently leads her band Jade Tongue (Ambrose Akinmusire, Dan Weiss, Thomas Morgan, Mat Maneri), and is releasing her latest album Sounds and Cries of the World at the Rubin Museum of Art in NYC. She is touring SOLO RITES: SEVEN BREATHS, directed by renowned Indonesian filmmaker-director Garin Nugroho. It premiered on May 28, 2014, at Roulette in NYC. The research for this solo work has been supported by Asian Cultural Council, Jerome Foundation, Fulbright Program, Bronx Council of the Arts, and the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and Timor Plaza. www.jenshyu.com and jenshyu.bandcamp.com GARIN NUGROHO, DIRECTOR Garin Nugroho’s creative output in the arts ranges from making films, commercials, music videos, theater works, installation art, and books of cultural communication, to authoring numerous newspaper columns. He is the founder of Jogja-Netpac Asian Film Festival and the L.A. Indie Movie Festival. Nugroho’s films have garnered numerous awards at many international film festivals and have also been presented at films festivals such as Cannes, Venice, and Berlin. His works represent social issues, culture, politics, and the mapping of Indonesia, which consists of over 13,000 islands. Nugroho has made films on location and in the local languages of Papua, Aceh, Sumba, Java, and Bali.

He has written three books related to cultural communication, and writes a monthly column in KOMPAS, the leading newspaper in Indonesia.

JEN SHYU

DANANG PAMUNGKAS (Choreographer) was born in Surakarta, Indonesia on 30 December, 1979, received formal training from a young age, and graduated from the Indonesian Institute of the Arts (ISI), Surakarta. He also learned traditional Javanese dance at Mangkunegaran Palace of Surakarta, where he is currently a principal dancer. Credits: Spring In Solo with Pappa Tarahumara Dance Company from Japan (Solo 2002); English National Opera in Monteverdi’s Orfeo and The Coronation of Poppea produced

by Cheng Shi-Zheng at London Coliseum and Schubert Theatre Boston (2006-2007); Choreographed Panyot Pun Padam (First Prize Winner at The Next Wave Indonesian Choreographer in Jakarta and Surabaya Art Festival in 2004) and Song of Body performed in Salihara Theatre, Jakarta (2009); Member of Cloud Gate Dance Company led by Taiwanese artistic director Lin Hwai Min in Taiwan (2008 – 2011); Beat Project supported by Kelola Foundation and performed at Teater Arena Taman Budaya Jawa Tengah In Surakarta (aka TBS, 2011) and Salihara Theatre, and Indonesian Dance Festival 2012, Jakarta; Choreography credits: Gandamayu with Garasi Theater, Gedung Kesenian Jakarta (2012); Garin Nugroho’s Opera Jawa: Selendang Merah, Jakarta Theatre (2013); A Part of Passion, Teater Arena TBS (2013); and performed at Salihara Festival 2014 in Jakarta; Occupy the Museum Break the Harmony, Welt Museum Impulstanz Festival 2013 in Vienna, Austria; Fly on the Earth, Welt Museum Vienna, Austria (2013); Residence program from Austrian Ministry of Education Vienna, Austria (2013); Fly on the Earth with Maya Dance Theater of Singapore at Sub Station Singapore 2013.

KRISTEN (KRIT) ROBINSON (Set & Props Designer) was born to a family of rural artists in Ohio, where she grew up building forts and painting pictures. She received her liberal arts with a focus in painting and design for theatre from Centre College.

At Yale she participated in a fellowship program, collaborating with Parapanda Theatre Lab in Tanzania. Recent credits include Chorus of All Souls, Abron’s Art Center/Experiments in Opera; The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Atlantic Theatre’s Acting School; My Friend’s Story, a new opera, International Festival of Art’s and Ideas; The Princess Plays 1&2: a site-specific work; American Night the Ballad of Juan José, Yale Repertory Theatre. Kristen is a 2013 Princess Grace Theatre Fellowship, Pierre Cardin Award winner. MFA, Yale, Set Design.

KRISTIN ISOLA (Costumer Designer) Design credits include: Two Point Oh (59E59), A Doctor in Spite of Himself (Yale Repertory Theatre, Berkley Repertory Theatre) As You Like It (Yale Summer Cabaret), A Streetcar Named Desire; Twelfth Night (Yale School of Drama), The Mad 7 (NYC Fringe Festival, McCarter Theatre’s INFestival), Funnyhouse of a Negro, Passing, Radiostation (Yale Cabaret), The Chimes; Missing Celia Rose (NYC Summer Play Festival), Once Upon A Mattress; La Clemenza di Tito (Westminster Choir College), Much Ado About Nothing; Sunday in the Park with George; In the Next Room, The Vibrator Play; A Streetcar Named Desire; Hedda Gabler; Uncommon Women and Others (Princeton University), Kiss Me, Kate!; Floyd Collins (Syracuse University). Assistant Design credits include: Love’s Labour’s Lost (Shakespeare in the Park), The Last Goodbye (The Old Globe), Tales from Red Vienna (Manhattan Theatre Club), Sumeida’s Song (HERE Arts Center), Disgraced (LCT3), Don’t Go Gentle (MCC), The Talls (2Stage Uptown). She received her MFA from Yale University and BFA from Syracuse University.

Solo Rites: Seven Breaths’ premiere performance at Roulette Intermedium, Inc, Brooklyn, NY, on May 28, 2014, was made possible by the Jerome Foundation, Ministry of Education and Culture, Republic of Indonesia / The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia, NATMA Foundation Medical Humanities & Arts- Chairman Dr. Y. Norman Chiou, Timor Plaza, North America Taiwanese Women’s Association II (NATWA II), Asia Society, Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in New York, National Chamber Music Month, and Indonesia Diaspora Network Tri-State. Though this is an incomplete list, special thanks to Jim Staley, Asian Cultural Council, Rachel Cooper, the Roulette staff, “Team Seven” (Garin, Danang, Krit, Solomon, Kristin, Alyssa, Jason, Woramon, Stephen, Michelle), Djaduk Ferianto, Fulbright Program, National Gugak Center, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Korea, Tony and Onna Jape, Wendy Miles, Sujin Lee, Shin Sang-Hyun, Patrícia Magalhães, Naldo Rei, Kiki ZeLara, Alessandro Boarccaech, Nelson Turquel, David Palazon, Seungmin Cha, Dedy and Elly Luthan, Darlis Chaniago, the late Slamet Gundono, and all my teachers, friends, and family around the world.

Thank you to Ana, T. Pin, Linus Shyu, and Craig Taborn for the constant love and support.

AYU GHIA SUGANDHI, A.K.A. GHIA JAVAQUEEN (Costumer designer of white dress) is a graduate of Fine Arts State University of Jakarta, Indonesia. Ms. Sugandhi has earned numerous awards such as Best Young Fashion Designer of SMK Dki Jakarta, 2003; 1st place winner of fashion design competition of IKK UNJ, 2003; Insan kreatif Indonesia supported

by Kemenkop (Kementerian Koperasi); Indonesia Young Entrepreneurship Award, 2013. Exhibitions: Gebyar SMK DKI JAKARTA, 2003; Dreamland Jakarta, 2008; Shock in Romance Yogyakarta, 2011; Jogja Fashion Week, 2012 & 2014; Fashion on the Street, 2013. Ms. Sugandhi is currently based in Jogjakarta, Indonesia.

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COOK THEATRE FRI OCT 16 2:00 PM SAT OCT 17 8:00 PM SUN OCT 18 5:00 PM

PENI CANDRA RINI SING WITH YOUR BODY AND DANCE WITH YOUR VOICE MUSIC AND LYRICS: PENI CANDRA RINI INSTRUMENTS: IDUD SENTANA ART PHOTOGRAPHS: PANDJI VASCO DA GAMA COSTUME DESIGNS: PANDJI VASCO DA GAMA, IDUD SENTANA ART, SOLO BAGGIO

Tradition does not imprison artistic expression—it keeps it alive. Within the sounds and structures of traditional music, new and innovative interpretations are revealing the beauty of the Indonesian vocal culture. If we listen carefully and open our hearts to these contemporary expressions, what has long been familiar is given renewed life. New vocal creations are building a bridge between the old and the new as they echo the sounds of traditional instruments in an infinite soundscape of the imagination.

In this solo performance, freedom of expression is realized through adherence to tradition. While indigenous instrumentation gives voice to a diverse array of cultural expression, the contemporary voice is liberated in a new dance. – Peni Candra Rini

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PENI CANDRA RINI is an Indonesian composer, song writer, educator, and one of a few female contemporary vocalists performing sindhen, a soloist style of singing. She has received several awards including a OneBeat Fellowship in 2014, an Asian Cultural Council Grant in 2010, an APPEX Asian Pacific Performance Exchange Fellowship in 2010, and the silver medal for Best Vocal Performance at the 26th April Spring Friendship Art Festival in Pyongyang, North Korea.

As a prolific collaborator, Peni has worked with a wide array of acclaimed artists from around the world. In Asia she has worked with Indonesian artists such as Rahayu Supanggah, Sardono W. Kusuma, Idud Sentana Art, and Garin Nugroho and has also collaborated with Thai dancer Ronnarong Khampha, Japanese artist Hiroshi Koike, and Singapore musician Neil Chua. Additionally, work has been created with Roman Stolyar in Russia, Albert Chimedza and Mbira Centre in Zimbabwe, the Geisser Mazzola Duo in Switzerland, Kamal Musallam in Dubai, Gilles Saissi in France, and Ade Shuarto in Australi. Her long list of collaborators in the US includes Jen Shyu, Jessika Kenney, Meredith Monk, the CAGE Cornell Avant Garde Ensemble, Kit Young, Susan Allen, Suzanne Teng, the Los Angeles Electric 8, and Leslie K Gray.

As a soloist, Peni has performed internationally as Sinden with a number of gamelan artists, including Garasi Seni Benawa and Candrarini Gamelan in Indonesia; Kusuma Laras in New York; Gamelan Pacifica in Seattle, Sumunar in Minnesota, Venerable Shower of Beauty Gamelan in Oregon, Gamelan Kyai Dorodasih at CalArts, Gamelan Raga Kusuma in Richmond, Gamelan Widosari in Amsterdam), and Gamelan Istika of Den Haag.

Photos courtesy of artist

Major festival performances include the Harare International Festival of the Arts (2008, 2011, 2012), Lincoln Center White Light Festival (2011), World Festival of Sacred Music of Los Angeles (2011), Jeonju International Sori Festival, Korea (2012), Pekan Komponis Indonesia (2013), World Gamelan Festival Terengganu (2013), International Gamelan Festival Amsterdam (2008, 2010, 2016), ASEAN Enchanting Puppets Festival in Chiang Mai, Thailand (2013), Spoleto56 Festival Dei Due Mondi 2013 Italy, OzAsia Festival (2013), Australian Performing Art Market (2014), WOMADELAIDE Festival (2014), Ubud Writers & Readers festival (2014), the 2014 OneBeat Fellows tour of California, Arizona, and New Mexico, the 50th Anniversary of the Asian Cultural Council, and Cinars Biennale 2014 in Montreal.

In addition to her extensive work as a performer, Peni is also a lecturer at the Indonesian Arts Institute in Surakarta, Central Java. With a grant from the Asian Cultural Council, she has served as an artist in residence at the California Institute of the Arts, University of Richmond, Lewis & Clark College, Cornish College of the Arts, and University of Washington. She has taught classes in ensemble improvisation, world music, gamelan, and performance with Jessika Kenney & the Cornell Avant Garde Ensemble at the Cornell University 2014, and has released three albums of recordings: Bramara (2008), Sekar (2012), and Giri Bahari (2015).

MERTZ THEATRE THU OCT 15 7:00 PM OPENING NIGHT, US PREMIERE FRI OCT 16 2:00 PM SAT OCT 17 8:00 PM SUN OCT 18 2:00 PM

KHMER METAL PHARE: THE CAMBODIAN CIRCUS STAGE DIRECTION: CHANTHOEUN NEM, with assistance from PHOUNAM PIN, SAMNANG HENG, and the active participation of all members of the troupe MUSICAL COMPOSITION: SOTHAN KHEAV ARTISTS: CHANDANN CHHUON, SAMNANG HENG, CHANTHOEUN NEM, SOTHEA NEM, PHOUNAM PIN, SAMOL PON MUSICIANS: SOTHAN KHEAV, SREY TOUCH, PITEY PEOU STAGE TECHNICIANS: SOPHEAK SAM, SINATH SOUS

With a mix of humor, drama, heart-pounding rock music, and breathtaking acrobatics and circus acts, Khmer Metal turns social convention on its head and gives the audience a glimpse of the wilder side of urban Cambodia.

One evening in a grungy Phnom Penh bar, owner Bang Son and his brother Chhaya reign over the bar’s regulars, watching as they look for adventure, passion, and love in all the wrong places. A man is seduced away from his girlfriend by an alluring stranger. A waiter gets caught in an unexpected romance. A customer’s iPad is stolen and sold back to him.

The storyline, music, and acts of Khmer Metal were created in a unique collaborative process between international choreographers and Cambodian performers. The show presents a realistic, gritty, yet still upbeat view of present-day Cambodian life. The cast features nine Cambodian artists: six acrobats and three musicians.

Thanks to MICHAEL LAUB, LORN LOEUM, BOB PASSION, and GARNIOUZE for their valuable contributions.

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Photos by Peter Phoeng

PHARE: THE CAMBODIAN CIRCUS Uniquely Cambodian, daringly modern, and decidedly “more than just a circus,” Phare: the Cambodian Circus uses theater, music, dance, and modern circus arts to tell uniquely Cambodian stories; historical, folk, and modern.

Phare artists are graduates of the Phare Ponleu Selpak Circus School in Battambang, Cambodia. The school was founded in 1994 by nine young men returning home from a refugee camp after the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime. They had taken art therapy courses at the camp and wanted to share the power of art to heal among the poor, socially deprived, and troubled youth in Battambang. They started with drawing classes taught to a handful of students. Soon they opened a public school, then a music school, theatre school, and circus school. Today, more than 1,200 pupils attend the public school daily, and 500 attend the vocational arts training programs.

In 2013, the school created Phare: The Cambodian Circus as a social enterprise based in Siem Reap, Cambodia, home to Angkor Wat and one of the fastest growing tourist destinations in the world. The mission was to create job opportunities for graduates of the circus school and give back almost 75% of its profits to support the school’s programming. Phare: The Cambodia Circus performs nightly under a big top in Siem Reap and has been seen by tens of thousands of people. Their productions have also toured extensively across France.

For more information about Phare, The Cambodian Circus and Phare Ponleu Selpak, visit pharecambodiancircus.org and phareps.org.

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PHARE: THE CAMBODIAN CIRCUS THE ARTISTS OF KHMER METAL are part of the third generation of students from the circus school of Phare Ponleu Selpak Association. They are between 21 and 30 years of age and are mostly from disadvantaged families in the community surrounding the Association. Having trained daily for nearly nine years, they have now reached a professional level.

Other Phare productions created by the artists include Sokah, a depiction of Cambodia under the rule of the Khmer Rouge and its subsequent rebirth; Putho! – meaning Oh My God!; and My Village. These productions have been performed extensively in Cambodia as well as in Japan, Singapore, and Thailand. Additionally, Putho! toured Europe in 2009, 2010, and 2011; and Sokha toured France in 2012, 2013, and 2014. The Ringling International Arts Festival marks the troupe’s US Debut.

WHAT DOES KHMER METAL MEAN TO YOU AS AN ARTIST?

PHOUNAM PIN (Performer) Khmer Metal has been a dangerous venture for me. As a contortionist, this show has been a departure from my normal skill set as I do a number of aerial stunts. This excitement has matched the risqué themes of the performance. The show has also felt like the turning point in my dream to take my abilities to the next level and travel the world as an artist.

CHANTHOEUN NEM (Show creator & performer) It’s about the complexities of life in a particular bar scene and all of the drama that comes with it. My role as the “bar owner” has actually helped grow my leadership skills as if I actually owned a bar! The role has also made sense for me as our group leader and has helped me in keeping our crew together.

SAMOL PON (Performer) Working on Khmer Metal has been a long journey – we artists don’t always get along when we work – and creating this show has been a labor of love. This fits with the show’s theme; it’s about the real world in Cambodia as seen through life at a watering hole in Phnom Penh. As the bar’s bouncer, who drinks his own share, I can relate to my character’s struggles with an impatient work-world that gives you grief for moving slow on the job. I’m a beer lover myself!

SOTHEA NEM (Performer) I’ve loved being a part of the show because its themes are hard for many Khmer people to accept because it does not represent traditional norms. It’s a modern piece, showing that there are new problems for a new generation to face and solve together.

For me it’s a show about the truth of what is happening today in Cambodia, and I’m glad we’re delivering the message publicly in such a humorous style.

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SAMNANG HENG (Performer) I love the group and the show and want to work on the performance even more, make it even sharper. I’m grateful for the challenges the show has brought up between me and the other members because my skills have increased as a result – making me stronger.

CHANDANN CHHUON (Performer) For me, the show has meant challenging new techniques and hard work – and this has brought big payoffs with improved skills in a number of areas. In many ways the show has been a maturing experience – I feel like I’ve finally grown up! With this realization I’ve also come to understand that there will always be more to learn in the future.

PITEY PEOU (Musician) For me it’s a story of strength—meaning the show has improved my skills at working with a diverse group. Also, I’ve been excited to be a real part of the theatrics—in other shows the musician is side-lined, but Khmer Metal gets me up and running around with all the other performers!

SOTHAN KHEAV (Composer and Musician) Khmer Metal has been a growing process where I’ve had the freedom to fuse modern and classical Khmer music forms – even getting to produce sounds from random items like a household kitchen bowl! All elements of the show have been incredibly rewarding as I’ve been able to bring my own ideas to guiding the shows rhythmic flavor.

SREY TOUCH (Musician) I’ve loved being able to be up and dancing with the rest of the performers – unlike many other shows in the past where I show up, play, and leave, never getting to truly interact with anyone!

And of course, the modern themes have been exciting to deliver to visitors to Cambodia.

MERTZ THEATRE FRI OCT 16 8:00 PM SAT OCT 17 2:00 PM SUN OCT 18 5:00 PM

TAO DANCE THEATER WEIGHT X 3 CHOREOGRAPHY: TAO YE DANCERS: DUAN NI, FU LIWEI, MAO XUE, LI SHUNJIE MUSIC: STEVE REICH (Drumming Part 4, Piano Phase, Drumming Part I) COSTUMES: TAO YE LIGHTING: TAO YE, MA YUE PREMIERE: 5 SEPTEMBER 2009, ORIENTAL PIONEER THEATER, BEIJING

PART I DANCERS: FU LIWEI, MAO XUE

PART II A FILM BY TAO DANCE THEATER DANCER: DUAN NI

PART III DANCERS: MAO XUE, LI SHUNJIE PRODUCER / MANAGEMENT: PING PONG PRODUCTIONS TOUR MANAGER: ZHANG WEINA Continued on next page Photo by Jin Hai

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A STATEMENT OF MY THOUGHTS AND BELIEFS

By Tao Ye, 2015.08.12 My artistic ambition is to forge a pathway towards truth through dance. Truth is both eternal and hard to be defined. The essence of art, however, is to act against the fear that is brought about by the passing of life. Art compels one to re-consider oneself, to determine oneself, to teach oneself, and to enlighten oneself.

Working towards these goals provides one with a primitive, active force, as well as the courage to consume oneself. As this process is reiterated cyclically, and as it is experienced repeatedly, such repetition not only affords experience, it dissolves the very distinction between beginning and end; negates the ultimate truth that serves as the faith of life; and reinstates one back against the fear that arises with the consumption of life.

Through my practices, I have come to understand that “body” is the most meaningful interpretation of the concept “modern”.

As body—the bearer and the matrix of the origin of life—moves, it naturally creates and simultaneously answers and resolves problems such as reproduction and consumption, limitation and limitlessness.

To this end, I choose to concentrate my artistic efforts on the repetition-ritual of the natural sequence of body. Through repetition, the variations of movements are reduced and progress towards a state that is pure and minimal in form. This is because the repetitive movements produce inertia and weight, and diminish the dancers’ physical strength; and because the keeping of the same and coherent movements challenges the will of the dancers; it is also because the repetition of the same rhythm also challenges the viewers’ concentration. Throughout this entire process, the weight that is conveyed and born by the movements accretes and aggravates.

This state, as it wrenches the body and drains out every drop of water, presents depletion itself. The same state, as it abandons all external distractions, also formulates a dedicated

self. The weightiness and exhaustion, on the dancers’ part and on the viewers’ part, that result from being continuously in this state reflects the true limitations that is imposed on our bodies. On the other hand, the repeating, consistent and slender movements of the dancers transcends the timeless repetitiveness of the human body. Insofar as such perpetual, progressive, endless movements brings about a sense of weightiness, I challenge every viewer not to live the present moment without active self-awareness. For each present moment is always in need of dedication and self-awareness for its completion. This announces the rational understanding for “process”, and announces the search for truth of bodies. This search points towards our self-sufficient life-force, and the ultimate significance of growth. This search also embodies our taking-instride of our own limitations, and our desire for transcendence.

In my opinion, art is not merely about inventing something new—as each fleeting moment passes away, “new” never ceases to become newer still, and “old” never really exists. Only “process” per se exists, is actual, and deserves artistic revelation. My work, “series of numbers” accumulates the logic of movement and presents the repetition-ritual of natural sequence through numbers—an aggravation of the way the human penetrates nature’s rational structure. I believe, through the kaleidoscope of our bodies, through hard work and faithful dedication, I can create the possibility for more rational understanding of our bodies, and realize the full potential of what our bodies can do, albeit with all kinds of limitations.

To this end, each of us at the TAO Dance Theater will spend each and every moment practicing what we advocate!

Photo by Jin Hai

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TAO DANCE THEATER

TAO DANCE THEATER Since its founding in March, 2008, TAO Dance Theater has swiftly become one of the most sought-after contemporary dance companies world-wide. The New York Times critic Alastair Macaulay has praised the company’s “theatrical force and authority. [The dancers’] athletic control is remarkable. Powerful drive…physicality and momentum…extraordinary and appealing.”

TAO was the first contemporary dance company from China invited to perform in Lincoln Center Festival (US) and the Sydney Opera House (AU); the second invited to perform at the American Dance Festival (ADF); and the first Chinese company invited to be artists-in-residence for ADF’s six-week festival. Sadler’s Wells (UK) has commissioned the company three consecutive years and invited the company numerous times to perform in London.

The company has already performed in more than 40 countries on five continents, including tours in the USA, UK, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Israel, Spain, Austria, Korea, Germany, Sweden, Poland, Belgium, Finland, Switzerland, France, Indonesia etc.

Festivals include Sydney Opera House Spring Dance, London’s Dance Umbrella, Amsterdam’s Julidans, New York Fall For Dance, Canada’s National Arts Centre, Suzanne Dellal Tel Aviv Dance Days, Singapore Arts Festival, Madrid en Danza, Wiener Festwochen, Taipei Novel Dance Series, Hong Kong New Vision Arts Festival, India Attakkalari Biennale, etc. among more than 70 major festivals and venues.

TAO Dance Theater has stirred the attention of China’s fashion industry, leading to cooperation with various fashion brands, magazines and photographers. VOGUE China has featured the company three times and invited them to collaborate with renowned photographers and videographers.

In 2014, Time Out New York named TAO Dance Theater’s performances one of the “10 Best Dance Shows of 2014,” the only company on the list from Asia.

In 2015, Asian Arts Theatre in Gwangju, Korea, Sadler’s Wells in London, and Shanghai International Arts Festival in China are commissioning the company’s newest work, “8”.

Choreographer and founder Tao Ye is committed to developing a new training technique that allows dancers to explore the potential and extremes of the human body, continuously pushing past physical limits and mental expectations. He has been invited to teach workshops at the American Dance Festival, New York University Tisch School of the Arts, Amsterdam Henny Jurriëns Stichting, Singapore Arts Festival, Dongyi University of Korea, Beijing Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing Dance Academy and Taipei National University of the Arts among others.

TAO YE (Artistic Director/Choreographer) Born in Chongqing, Tao Ye is a graduate of the Chongqing Dance School. He has danced with the Shanghai Army Song & Dance Ensemble, Shanghai Jin Xing Dance Theater, and Beijing Modern Dance Company. In March 2008 he founded TAO Dance Theater.

Main works include: Weight x 3, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7. In 2012, leading Asian style magazine Men’s UNO awarded Tao Ye the 2012 Elegance Award, recognizing leaders in China’s culture and entertainment field.

That same year, Tao Ye was selected by Sadler’s Wells (UK) as one of only six choreographers worldwide to be a “New Wave Associates” artist. In 2013, The Beijing News awarded him the 2013 Innovator Award for Dance.

DUAN NI (Rehearsal Director/ Dancer) Born in Xi’an, Duan Ni graduated from the Shaanxi Art College.

In 2004 she graduated from the Beijing Dance Academy modern dance choreography department (Guangdong branch), led by dance education pioneer Madam Yang Meiqi, founding director of the Guangdong Modern Dance Company, China’s first modern dance company. During school, Duan Ni received a scholarship to attend the American Dance Festival. After graduating, she danced with Shanghai Jin Xing Dance Theater, London’s Akram Khan Dance Company, and New York’s Shen Wei Dance Arts. In August 2008, she joined TAO Dance Theater. With the latter three companies, she has performed at New York’s Lincoln Center. Each time, her performance was singled out by The New York Times, lauded by critics as “extraordinary” and “formidable.”

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TAO DANCE THEATER

FU LIWEI (Dancer) was born in Hunan, graduated from the Dance Department of the Wu Han Music Academy, and in February, 2013, he joined TAO Dance Theater.

MAO XUE (Dancer) was born in Henan, and graduated in 2009 from the Shandong Province Weifang Art School. In 2013, she graduated from the Dance Department of the Beijing Contemporary Music Academy, and in December of that year, she joined TAO Dance Theater.

LI SHUNJIE (Dancer) was born in Inner Mongolia, and graduated in 2010 from the affiliated high school of the Chinese Opera Academy. In 2014, he graduated from the Beijing Dance Academy Classical Dance Department, and in September of that year, he joined TAO Dance Theater.

WANG HAO (Founding Dancer/Administrative Manager) was born in Hubei, and graduated in 2002 from the Central University for Nationalities Dance Academy preparatory school. In 1998 she won first place for her performance in the Beijing City Sixth Annual Dance Competition. In 2006 she graduated from the Central University for Nationalities Dance Academy undergraduate

program. While in school, she won First and Third Place awards respectively at the Eighth Annual Beijing Dance Competition and the Seventh Annual China National Dance Competition. In 2005 she won a Second Place award in the Ninth Annual Beijing Dance Competition. From 2006-2008 she was a dancer in the Beijing Modern Dance Company. In March, 2008, Wang Hao became a founding dancer of TAO Dance Theater.

MA YUE (Technical Director) was born in Tianjin, and is the director of design for the Shanghai Run Lan Lighting Design Co., Ltd. He majored in lighting design at the Shanghai Theatre Academy. In December, 2012 he joined TAO Dance Theater.

PING PONG PRODUCTIONS (Producer/Management) is a producing and consulting organization whose mission is to bring China and the world together through the performing arts. Founded

by Alison M. Friedman, PPP has teams in Beijing and the US, and produces for international arts groups in China and Chinese groups abroad. Clients include TAO Dance Theater, Mark Morris Dance Group, Tim Robbins and The Actors’ Gang, Wang Chong, National Theatre Company of China, and others. www.pingpongarts.org

ROYAL TASTE:

THE ART OF PRINCELY COURTS IN FIFTEENTH-CENTURY CHINA ON VIEW THROUGH

JAN 10, 2016 One of a pair of hairpins in phoenix shape, Ming Dynasty, Mid-16th century. Gold, Length 25cm, Qichun County Museum, China.

SPONSORED BY:

This exhibition is organized by The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, USA, in association with the Hubei Provincial Museum, China.

Support for this exhibition was provided in part by Sarasota County Tourist Development Tax revenues. Additional support was provided in part by the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation, the Ting Tsung and Wei Fong Chao Foundation Endowment, and the Arthur F. and Ulla R. Searing Endowment.

Photos, left to right: Kate Weare, UNSTRUCK, photo by Paula Lobo; Alex Ketley/The Foundry, Deep South; Dušan Týnek, Joseph’s Coat; David Neumann/Advanced Beginner Group, I Understand Everything Better, photo by Maria Baranova.

NEW STAGES 2015-2016: THE ART OF MAKING DANCE Four choreographers return to The Ringling in an on-going exploration of what informs, shapes, defines, and animates their diverse and dynamic creations of contemporary dance.

DEEP SOUTH

UNSTRUCK

Alex Ketley, The Foundry of San Francisco NOV 6 & 7, 7:30 PM Historic Asolo Theater

Kate Weare Company FEB 12 & 13, 7:30 PM Historic Asolo Theater

Following his success with No Hero (New Stages 2014), Alex Ketley engaged the people of America’s rural South in an exploration of their personal and cultural relationship to dance. The result is Deep South, a testament to our shared humanity as told through live dance and documentary video gathered as the artist traveled and danced throughout the southeastern US.

Kate Weare returns for her third New Stages engagement with UNSTRUCK—a new work in movement and sound, created in collaboration with composer Curtis Macdonald. In this intimate trio, Weare continues to reveal the power and clarity of spontaneous movement as she employs unceasing contact and energetic exchange to create an ever-morphing sculpture of dance.

RELATED PROGRAM:

RELATED PROGRAM:

Conversation with the Choreographer NOV 7 AT 2:00 PM

Conversation with the Choreographer Feb 13 at 2:00 PM

JOSEPH’S COAT

I UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING BETTER

Dušan Týnek Dance Theatre DEC 18 & 19, 5:00 PM Museum of Art, Turrell Skyspace

David Neumann / Advanced Beginner Group MAR 11 & 12, 7:30 PM Historic Asolo Theater

Dušan Týnek Dance Theatre returns with the full-length presentation of a new work inspired by The Ringling’s James Turrell eponymous Skyspace (previewed in New Stages 2015).

Six dancers create an ever-evolving kaleidoscope – shifting, expanding, and contracting in rapid movements and subsequent stillness that evoke the permutation of Turrell’s sculpting of light.

Through a union of theater and dance-making methodologies, David Neumann (Art of Performance’s first Artist Residency) incorporates technology, weather reports, and personal narratives in an exploration of our impulse to report on calamity, the consciousness of traumatic change, and of the human spirit in proximity to dying.

RELATED PROGRAM:

RELATED PROGRAM:

Conversation with the Choreographer Dec 19 at 2:00 PM

Conversation with the Choreographer Mar 12 at 2:00 PM

NEW STAGES Tickets: $30, $25 / $27, $22.50 for Members ringling.org or 941.360.7399