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UPDATED: February 28, 2014
NYU Announces Visions + Voices: China
Spring brings Chinese-focused works to New York University's Skirball Center for Performing Arts
By Corrie Dosh
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Hedda (left): Zhou Yujun (YIN XUEFENG)

In its second annual series of global-themed performances, Visions + Voices, New York University announced they will focus on the cultural traditions of China with a modern perspective. The university's Skirball Center for Performing Arts will host works from six artistic groups, including the all-female Hangzhou Yue Opera Company and the National Theatre of China.

Michael Harrington, the center's Executive Director said the focus on international programming is aimed to be a catalyst for international dialogue and education. Future seasons will include partnerships with Germany, Israel, Abu Dhabi and London.

"As the performing arts center operating within one of the world's great universities, we feel this kind of engagement is central to our mission and critical for both the NYU community and the general public to encourage deeper understanding, cultural diplomacy, creative thinking, and to implicate young audiences members with a sense of the potential and relevancy of live performances," Harrington said.

The series opened on February 20 with two performances by Tao Dance Theater, led by choreographer Tao Ye. The contemporary dance group aims to explore the potential of the human body as a visual element, devoid of storytelling or representation. Human bodies writhe and twist, pulled by magnetic forces yet never touching in the performance of "4".

The group also made its U.S. premiere of "5", in which the mass of limbs and bodies are continually touching in a smooth, squirming flow of energy. Both performances featured scores by Xiao He, a Chinese indie-folk-rock composer.

"When seen side by side, '4' and '5' are gripping explorations of magnetic pull, not only between dancers, but between the viewer and the dance. Tao has an ability to draw you inside his austere, meditative world; if you go willingly, you realize that the body is a sacred place," wrote Gia Kourlas for the New York Times.

The all-female Hangzhou Yue Opera Company will transform two Ibsen classics, "Hedda" and "The Lady From the Sea" into one of the most popular Chinese opera genres. Yue Opera began as a form of storytelling and ballad singing, and has now evolved into a theatrical genre with dramatic structure and an orchestra, according to series organizers. The delicate arias evoke the special beauty of southern China.

Also in the line-up is the March 26 U.S. debut of a performance of Richard III by the National Theatre of China. The Shakespearean tale of ruthless ambition will be adapted in Mandarin with traditional Chinese props, wigs, masks, costumes and musical instruments. The production earned rave reviews during London's Globe to Globe Shakespeare festival and Cultural Olympian in 2012.

"Each of these first presentations will be surrounded by opportunities to dive further into the artistic forms and subject matter, interact with the artists and build context through panel discussions, master classes and post-show question and answer sessions," said Harrington.

On May 12, Grammy Award-winner Tan Dun will work with the NYU Symphony Orchestra to present "The Map", a masterpiece blend of Tan Dun's signature ancient Chinese folkloric instruments and Western avant-garde sensibilities. The work has toured more than 30 countries and the score has been adopted into the Carnegie Hall Composers Gallery. The one-night performance will also feature Tan's "Concerto for String Orchestra and Pipa" featuring pipa virtuoso Zhou Yi.

Throughout the season, Skirball Center will display the works of contemporary artists Zhang Jianjun, Zhang Huan and Wu Jian'an in collaboration with Chambers Fine Art gallery and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

NYU President Emeritus and Skirball Center Executive Producer L. Jay Oliva said the type of cultural education that Visions + Voices offers cannot be underestimated. Students who seek out cultural differences will learn a great deal.

"Everyone should have an international experience because it creates a sense of difference and an appreciation of a way of learning, a way of encountering societies and encountering pieces of the world that you would never think about," Oliva said. "Change is the way you see the world. Change is the way you grow."

The theatre and performance is a way to share a foreign experience that will lead audiences to a greater understanding, Oliva added.

"The theatre is the door to the world," he said.

The author is a contributing writer to Beijing Review, living in New York City



 
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