Anya M. Wassenberg's Blog: Art & Culture Maven, page 124
September 16, 2014
Just Released: Wadada Leo Smith - The Great Lakes Suites (TUM CD 041-2 - September 16, 2014)
From a media release:
Just Released:
WADADA LEO SMITH
The Great Lakes Suites
TUM CD 041-2 - September 16, 2014
CD–1: 01 Lake Michigan / 02 Lake Ontario / 03 Lake Superior
CD–2: 04 Lake Huron / 05 Lake Erie / 06 Lake St. Clair
• Buy the CD
Featuring:
Wadada Leo Smith - trumpet
Henry Threadgill - alto saxophone, flute and bass flute
John Lindberg - double bass
Jack DeJohnette - drums
With The Great Lakes Suites, composer and trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith brings to us another classic recording of extended works: six compositions that are each dedicated to and inspired by the Great Lakes located between the Province of Ontario in Canada and six states in the United States.
For the Great Lakes Suites, Smith composed an extended new work for each of the five lakes that traditionally are considered to comprise the Great Lakes, and also added a sixth composition, “Lake St. Clair,” which is dedicated not only to that smaller lake in the same region wishing to be considered a Great Lake, but also to saxophonist Oliver Lake, undoubtedly another Great Lake.
“My inspiration for composing the music on The Great Lakes Suites is centered around the idea of the Great Lakes being located in the uppermost part of the Northern hemisphere and the fact that it took a long time for them to develop and form as a large body of water. My score reflects the idea of the flatness of the lakes´ surfaces. The lakes´ flatness does not, however, imply for me stasis or inactivity. What I wish to express compositionally is the simultaneous notions of the lakes being flat and their volatility as the fundamental characteristics of the Great Lakes. Restrained, yet explosive,” says Wadada Leo Smith. “The other quality I
wanted to express in the compositions was multiple sectional forms, ideally, thinking of each composition as being a suite or set of multiple pieces.”
Wadada Leo Smith (b. 1941), whose roots are in the Delta blues and who was part of the first generation of musicians to come out of Chicago’s AACM, has established himself as one of the leading composers and performers of creative contemporary music. In the late 1960s, Smith formed the Creative Construction Company together with saxophonist Anthony Braxton and violinist Leroy Jenkins and, since the early 1970s, he has mostly performed and recorded with his own groups. He currently leads four principal ensembles: the Golden Quartet, Mbira, Organic and the Silver Orchestra. In May 2012, Smith released his most extensive recording to date: Ten Freedom Summers, a four-CD collection of 19 compositions inspired by the civil rights movement in the United States, which was recently a Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Music and has garnered wide praise and accolades. In 2013, Smith released another important recording of larger works, Occupy The World (TUM CD 037-2), comprised of six extended compositions performed by TUMO, a 22-member improvising orchestra.
The Great Lakes Suites features composer and trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith’s latest small ensemble: The Great Lakes Quartet, a true super group in creative music. Three musicians in this quartet were born and spent their youths in cities near the Great Lakes, saxophonist/flutist Henry Threadgill and drummer Jack DeJohnette in Chicago and bassist John Lindberg in the greater Detroit area, whereas Wadada Leo Smith himself lived in Chicago for several personally crucial years in the late 1960s. Wadada Leo Smith already played with Threadgill and DeJohnette in Chicago in the late 1960s during the early days of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) whereas John Lindberg has been a frequent collaborator of Smith in various ensembles particularly in the past decade.
From one of the Ten Freedom Summers concerts last year:
Just Released:
WADADA LEO SMITH
The Great Lakes Suites
TUM CD 041-2 - September 16, 2014
CD–1: 01 Lake Michigan / 02 Lake Ontario / 03 Lake Superior
CD–2: 04 Lake Huron / 05 Lake Erie / 06 Lake St. Clair
• Buy the CD
Featuring:
Wadada Leo Smith - trumpet
Henry Threadgill - alto saxophone, flute and bass flute
John Lindberg - double bass
Jack DeJohnette - drums
With The Great Lakes Suites, composer and trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith brings to us another classic recording of extended works: six compositions that are each dedicated to and inspired by the Great Lakes located between the Province of Ontario in Canada and six states in the United States.For the Great Lakes Suites, Smith composed an extended new work for each of the five lakes that traditionally are considered to comprise the Great Lakes, and also added a sixth composition, “Lake St. Clair,” which is dedicated not only to that smaller lake in the same region wishing to be considered a Great Lake, but also to saxophonist Oliver Lake, undoubtedly another Great Lake.
“My inspiration for composing the music on The Great Lakes Suites is centered around the idea of the Great Lakes being located in the uppermost part of the Northern hemisphere and the fact that it took a long time for them to develop and form as a large body of water. My score reflects the idea of the flatness of the lakes´ surfaces. The lakes´ flatness does not, however, imply for me stasis or inactivity. What I wish to express compositionally is the simultaneous notions of the lakes being flat and their volatility as the fundamental characteristics of the Great Lakes. Restrained, yet explosive,” says Wadada Leo Smith. “The other quality I
wanted to express in the compositions was multiple sectional forms, ideally, thinking of each composition as being a suite or set of multiple pieces.”Wadada Leo Smith (b. 1941), whose roots are in the Delta blues and who was part of the first generation of musicians to come out of Chicago’s AACM, has established himself as one of the leading composers and performers of creative contemporary music. In the late 1960s, Smith formed the Creative Construction Company together with saxophonist Anthony Braxton and violinist Leroy Jenkins and, since the early 1970s, he has mostly performed and recorded with his own groups. He currently leads four principal ensembles: the Golden Quartet, Mbira, Organic and the Silver Orchestra. In May 2012, Smith released his most extensive recording to date: Ten Freedom Summers, a four-CD collection of 19 compositions inspired by the civil rights movement in the United States, which was recently a Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Music and has garnered wide praise and accolades. In 2013, Smith released another important recording of larger works, Occupy The World (TUM CD 037-2), comprised of six extended compositions performed by TUMO, a 22-member improvising orchestra.
The Great Lakes Suites features composer and trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith’s latest small ensemble: The Great Lakes Quartet, a true super group in creative music. Three musicians in this quartet were born and spent their youths in cities near the Great Lakes, saxophonist/flutist Henry Threadgill and drummer Jack DeJohnette in Chicago and bassist John Lindberg in the greater Detroit area, whereas Wadada Leo Smith himself lived in Chicago for several personally crucial years in the late 1960s. Wadada Leo Smith already played with Threadgill and DeJohnette in Chicago in the late 1960s during the early days of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) whereas John Lindberg has been a frequent collaborator of Smith in various ensembles particularly in the past decade.From one of the Ten Freedom Summers concerts last year:
September 10, 2014
Broadway News: Dexter's Michael C. Hall to Take Over Lead in Hedwig and the Angry Inch October 16 2014
From a media release:
Dexter's Michael C. Hall to Take Over Lead in
HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH
GOLDEN GLOBE & DRAMA DESK AWARD WINNER
TO JOIN TONY AWARD WINNER LENA HALL
BEGINNING THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2014 AT THE BELASCO THEATRE
• Get Hedwig and the Angry Inch Tickets
NEW YORK CITY - Golden Globe and Drama Desk Award winner Michael C. Hall will star in HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH, the Tony Award winning Best Musical Revival, starting Thursday, October 16 at the Belasco Theatre (111 West 44th Street). HEDWIG will mark Hall’s first musical theatre role in over a
decade having previously made acclaimed runs in the Broadway productions ofCabaret and Chicago.
Michael C. Hall’s limited engagement in HEDWIG is through Sunday, January 4, 2015. Andrew Rannells, who is currently playing the role of Hedwig, will play the final performance of his limited engagement on Sunday, October 12.
HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH, with book by John Cameron Mitchell and music and lyrics by Stephen Trask, directed by Michael Mayer, also stars Tony Award winner Lena Hall as Yitzhak. The production has received rave reviews and is winner of four Tony Awards and won Best Musical Revival by the Tony Awards, the Drama Desk Awards, Drama League Awards, and Outer Critics Circle Awards.
“Internationally ignored song stylist” Hedwig Robinson (Michael C. Hall) brings her fourth-wall-smashing rock and roll saga to New York to set the recordstraight about her life, her loves, and the botched operation that left her with that “angry inch.”
HEDWIG has inspired a generation of young theatre writers and audiences. This wickedly funny and heartbreaking show was called “the Best Rock Musical Ever” by Rolling Stone and “the most exciting rock score written for the theatre since, oh, ever,” by Time Magazine.
HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH was originally produced by David Binder off off Broadway at Westbeth and then, under the direction of Peter Askin, ran over two years at the Jane Street Theatre beginning in February 1998. The musical won the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Off-Broadway Musical and both John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask won Obies in 2001. It won a 1998 New York Magazine Award and Entertainment Weekly’s “Soundtrack of the Year” Award. Time Magazine named
HEDWIG the Top Musical of 1998.
The film of HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH, directed by John Cameron Mitchell, won the Audience Award and Best Director Awards at Sundance. Mitchell won the Best New Director from the National Board of Review, the Gotham Awards, and the LA Critics Society. Stage productions have played for many years in Japan and in 2008, Korea hosted a popular televised reality show about the search for a new star to play Hedwig.
The creative team for HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH features Emmy Award nominee Spencer Liff (musical staging), Tony Award nominee and Drama Desk Award winner Julian Crouch(scenic design), Tony Award and two-time Oscar nominee Arianne Phillips (costume design), four-time Tony Award winner Kevin Adams (lighting design), Mike Potter (hair and makeup design), Tony Award nominee and platinum-selling record producer Tim O’Heir (sound design), Benjamin Pearcy for 59 Productions (projection design), John Bair/Phosphene(animation), James Calleri (casting), Tony and Grammy Award nominee Ethan Popp (music supervisor & music coordinator), Justin Craig (music director), Liz Caplan (vocal supervision),Stephen Gabis (dialect coach), and Johanna McKeon (associate director).
The members of “The Angry Inch,” Hedwig’s band, are music director Justin Craig (guitar and keyboards), Matt Duncan (bass), Tim Mislock (guitar), and Peter Yanowitz (drums).
David Binder, who first produced HEDWIG in 1997, is producing the musical on Broadway with Jayne Baron Sherman, Barbara Whitman, Latitude Link, Patrick Catullo, Raise The Roof,Paula Marie Black, Colin Callender, Ruth Hendel, Sharon Karmazin, Martian Entertainment, Stacey Mindich, Eric Schnall, and The Shubert Organization. 101 Productions, Ltd are the executive producers.
TICKETING INFORMATION
Tickets for HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH are available now by calling 212-239-6200 or visiting Telecharge.com, or via the Belasco Theatre Box Office (111 West 44th Street). Ticket prices range from $142 – $47.
The Broadway production with current star Andrew Rannells
Dexter's Michael C. Hall to Take Over Lead in
HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH
GOLDEN GLOBE & DRAMA DESK AWARD WINNER
TO JOIN TONY AWARD WINNER LENA HALL
BEGINNING THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2014 AT THE BELASCO THEATRE
• Get Hedwig and the Angry Inch Tickets
NEW YORK CITY - Golden Globe and Drama Desk Award winner Michael C. Hall will star in HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH, the Tony Award winning Best Musical Revival, starting Thursday, October 16 at the Belasco Theatre (111 West 44th Street). HEDWIG will mark Hall’s first musical theatre role in over a
decade having previously made acclaimed runs in the Broadway productions ofCabaret and Chicago.Michael C. Hall’s limited engagement in HEDWIG is through Sunday, January 4, 2015. Andrew Rannells, who is currently playing the role of Hedwig, will play the final performance of his limited engagement on Sunday, October 12.
HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH, with book by John Cameron Mitchell and music and lyrics by Stephen Trask, directed by Michael Mayer, also stars Tony Award winner Lena Hall as Yitzhak. The production has received rave reviews and is winner of four Tony Awards and won Best Musical Revival by the Tony Awards, the Drama Desk Awards, Drama League Awards, and Outer Critics Circle Awards.
“Internationally ignored song stylist” Hedwig Robinson (Michael C. Hall) brings her fourth-wall-smashing rock and roll saga to New York to set the recordstraight about her life, her loves, and the botched operation that left her with that “angry inch.”
HEDWIG has inspired a generation of young theatre writers and audiences. This wickedly funny and heartbreaking show was called “the Best Rock Musical Ever” by Rolling Stone and “the most exciting rock score written for the theatre since, oh, ever,” by Time Magazine.
HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH was originally produced by David Binder off off Broadway at Westbeth and then, under the direction of Peter Askin, ran over two years at the Jane Street Theatre beginning in February 1998. The musical won the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Off-Broadway Musical and both John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask won Obies in 2001. It won a 1998 New York Magazine Award and Entertainment Weekly’s “Soundtrack of the Year” Award. Time Magazine named
HEDWIG the Top Musical of 1998.The film of HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH, directed by John Cameron Mitchell, won the Audience Award and Best Director Awards at Sundance. Mitchell won the Best New Director from the National Board of Review, the Gotham Awards, and the LA Critics Society. Stage productions have played for many years in Japan and in 2008, Korea hosted a popular televised reality show about the search for a new star to play Hedwig.
The creative team for HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH features Emmy Award nominee Spencer Liff (musical staging), Tony Award nominee and Drama Desk Award winner Julian Crouch(scenic design), Tony Award and two-time Oscar nominee Arianne Phillips (costume design), four-time Tony Award winner Kevin Adams (lighting design), Mike Potter (hair and makeup design), Tony Award nominee and platinum-selling record producer Tim O’Heir (sound design), Benjamin Pearcy for 59 Productions (projection design), John Bair/Phosphene(animation), James Calleri (casting), Tony and Grammy Award nominee Ethan Popp (music supervisor & music coordinator), Justin Craig (music director), Liz Caplan (vocal supervision),Stephen Gabis (dialect coach), and Johanna McKeon (associate director).
The members of “The Angry Inch,” Hedwig’s band, are music director Justin Craig (guitar and keyboards), Matt Duncan (bass), Tim Mislock (guitar), and Peter Yanowitz (drums).David Binder, who first produced HEDWIG in 1997, is producing the musical on Broadway with Jayne Baron Sherman, Barbara Whitman, Latitude Link, Patrick Catullo, Raise The Roof,Paula Marie Black, Colin Callender, Ruth Hendel, Sharon Karmazin, Martian Entertainment, Stacey Mindich, Eric Schnall, and The Shubert Organization. 101 Productions, Ltd are the executive producers.
TICKETING INFORMATION
Tickets for HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH are available now by calling 212-239-6200 or visiting Telecharge.com, or via the Belasco Theatre Box Office (111 West 44th Street). Ticket prices range from $142 – $47.
The Broadway production with current star Andrew Rannells
EstroGenius 2014 Theater Festival October 2nd through November 2nd in New York City
From a media release:
EstroGenius 2014
October 2nd through November 2nd
a Celebration of Womens' Voices in New York City
Join us October 2 – November 1 at Stage Left Studios and The 4th Street Theatre for the 15th anniversary of EstroGenius!
• Tickets
• Check the website for more details
NEW YORK CITY - Can you believe EstroGenius is 15? As you can imagine, plans are in the works for a suitably special festival this fall.
We are thrilled to announce the 15 short plays and 11 one woman warrior performances for Sola Voce for this season. The 15 plays will run in rep over three weeks starting October 16th through November 1st with our Estro Encores on November 2nd.
Sola Voce is our showcase of powerful solo performances by women. This program will run from October 2nd through October 11th. Please visit www.estrogenius.org/2014-sola-voce for the complete schedule.
Manhattan Theatre Source’s EstroGenius Festival, an annual celebration of female voices, is one of New York City’s largest women’s arts festivals.
Founded by Fiona Jones in 2000, the festival debuted with a program of 10 short plays and music. Since then, it has grown into a multi-week event including short plays, solo shows, teen performances, visual art, and dance. In past years, we’ve also had stand-up comedy, live music, fundraisers for African girls’ education, and full-day networking events with panels and workshops.
Almost completely volunteer run, the EstroGenius Festival has provided thousands of artists the chance to shine; showcased award-winning playwrights Sheila Callaghan, Quiara Alegria Hudes, T.D. Mitchell and Melissa Maxwell; presented Bessie Award-winning choreographers Marta Renzi and Jennifer Nugent; and provided scholarships for girls to attend school in Niger, ranked the poorest country in the world by the United Nations.
We are committed to providing opportunities to female artists – in a variety of disciplines – ranging from the emerging to the seasoned professional.
Many thanks!
Fondly, Jen, Melissa, Vinnie, Cheryl, Heidi, Kia, Sandy, Andi, Deb, Sarah and the rest of the Estro team.
EstroGenius 2014
October 2nd through November 2nd
a Celebration of Womens' Voices in New York City
Join us October 2 – November 1 at Stage Left Studios and The 4th Street Theatre for the 15th anniversary of EstroGenius!
• Tickets
• Check the website for more details
NEW YORK CITY - Can you believe EstroGenius is 15? As you can imagine, plans are in the works for a suitably special festival this fall.We are thrilled to announce the 15 short plays and 11 one woman warrior performances for Sola Voce for this season. The 15 plays will run in rep over three weeks starting October 16th through November 1st with our Estro Encores on November 2nd.
Sola Voce is our showcase of powerful solo performances by women. This program will run from October 2nd through October 11th. Please visit www.estrogenius.org/2014-sola-voce for the complete schedule.
Manhattan Theatre Source’s EstroGenius Festival, an annual celebration of female voices, is one of New York City’s largest women’s arts festivals.
Founded by Fiona Jones in 2000, the festival debuted with a program of 10 short plays and music. Since then, it has grown into a multi-week event including short plays, solo shows, teen performances, visual art, and dance. In past years, we’ve also had stand-up comedy, live music, fundraisers for African girls’ education, and full-day networking events with panels and workshops.
Almost completely volunteer run, the EstroGenius Festival has provided thousands of artists the chance to shine; showcased award-winning playwrights Sheila Callaghan, Quiara Alegria Hudes, T.D. Mitchell and Melissa Maxwell; presented Bessie Award-winning choreographers Marta Renzi and Jennifer Nugent; and provided scholarships for girls to attend school in Niger, ranked the poorest country in the world by the United Nations.We are committed to providing opportunities to female artists – in a variety of disciplines – ranging from the emerging to the seasoned professional.
Many thanks!
Fondly, Jen, Melissa, Vinnie, Cheryl, Heidi, Kia, Sandy, Andi, Deb, Sarah and the rest of the Estro team.
Richard III, The Pleasures of Violence - A New Interpretation - September 10 to 28 2014 in Toronto
From a media release:
Kadozuke Kollektif Celebrates 10th Anniversary with
Richard III, The Pleasures of Violence
- a visually seductive new interpretation
directed by Tatiana Jennings -
September 10 to 28, 2014
Thursday-Sunday at 7:30pm
Zuke Studios, 1581 Dupont Street, Toronto ON, M6P 3S5
Tickets: $35
• Tickets available by calling 647-705-9117 or online at http://www.eventbee.com/v/kadozuke10/boxoffice
Toronto - Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Toronto experimental theatre company Kadozuke Kollektif, in partnership with Bad New Days, presents the world premiere of Richard III, The Pleasures of Violence, Artistic Director Tatiana Jennings' provocative and innovative multimedia reimagining of the William
Shakespeare classic. Richard III previews September 9, opens Wednesday September 10 and runs through to September 28 at Zuke Studios, the company's storefront home in the Junction.
Kadozuke Kollektif's most ambitious and complex work to date,Richard III, The Pleasures of Violence puts a humanistic spin on Shakespeare's political propaganda play. Intensely visual and highly choreographed, Jennings' Richard III explores the passion, violence and disaster that erupted in the family of three York brothers - Edward, Clarence and Richard - following the impulsive and secret love and marriage of Edward IV, King of England to Elizabeth Woodville.
Jennings transforms the work into a sensual exploration of the humanity of the characters, partly by making unseen events of the traditional story visible for the first time. While faithful to Shakespeare's original text, Jennings subverts its overtly propagandistic content through the unexpected and extremely detailed behaviour of the performers onstage. A more real, human picture of the characters - including that of Richard III himself - emerges.
Shakespeare's text is combined with 3D projection mapping, dynamic sets manipulated by actors and a poetic, physical style of acting that the company has developed over the last decade. The piece is performed by the ensemble with each of the performers playing multiple parts, seamlessly switching genders and ages: Barbara Amponsah (Elizabeth), Lacey Creighton (Lady Anne), Scott Edwards (Duke of Buckingham), David Fish (King Edward IV), Sefton Jackson (Earl Rivers), Shawn Lall (Lord Hastings), Lee McDonald (King Richard III), Caitlin Morris-Cornfield (Margaret, and Stage Manager) and Tyler Winn (Duke of Clarence).
Jennings' fusion of striking organic stage sets with elaborate movement choreography and the detailed, almost filmic, acting style of the company creates a highly engaging audience experience. The long development periods, and unique style of collaboration, provides for an unmatched level of experimentation and accomplishment. See a teaser for the production here: http://zuke.ca/projects/richard-iii/
During the play's two-year development, the body of the real Richard III was discovered under a parking lot in Leicester, England; his identity confirmed by decoding the mitochondrial DNA of a Canadian man descended from the slain monarch's older sister. England's favourite villain king, the last of the Plantagenet dynasty, has become a more sympathetic figure as historians re-evaluate the role of this much maligned royal whose death marked the dawn of the modern era.
In addition, Kadozuke Kollektif has expanded its reach into the community to create a series of outdoor performance installations that will be presented in the ten days leading up to the event. Members of the community, and the public in general, are invited to work with Jennings and her artists in a workshop setting to present these theatrical interventions. To get involved, or for more information, contact Jenny-Anne McCowan: jenny.mccowan@gmail.com.
Tatiana Jennings is a multimedia visual artist, director and choreographer. Born and raised in Moscow, she studied theatre, film and dance. She appeared as a leading actor at the Meyerhold Centre for Experimental Theatre and her solo performance piece Madame Marguerite played to sold-out Moscow audiences for three years. In 1989 she received an award for the best performance at the International Moscow Festival of Theatre Arts. She has been teaching theatre at Humber College since 1999 where she created and directed more than a dozen original productions. Kadozuke Kollektif was founded in 2004 by Jennings and 11 Humber College graduates to develop large-scale, highly visual, original work. http://www.zuke.ca
Bad New Days was created in 2008 by Adam Paolozza, a Dora award-winning performer, director, writer and producer. Since its inception, Bad New Days has created, developed and co-produced over 10 original productions, including Spent and The Double, exploring Paolozza's vision of a poetic theatre of gesture. www.badnewdays.com
"Kadozuke" literally means "players at the gate" and comes from an ancient Japanese tradition: since the Japanese performers were not allowed to enter the premises, they staged their art at the periphery, in-between two worlds. Drawing on this tradition, Kadozuke creates an artistic interlude, a place in between two worlds where one can pause to contemplate.
Kadozuke Kollektif in partnership with Bad New Days presents
Richard III, The Pleasures of Violence
A visually seductive new interpretation of a Shakespearean classic
Directed by Tatiana Jennings
Performed by Barbara Amponsah, Lacey Creighton, Scott Edwards, David Fish, Sefton Jackson, Shawn Lall,
Lee McDonald, Caitlin Morris-Cornfield, Tyler Winn
Set design by Vladimir Kovalchuk and Tatiana Jennings, Costume design byTatiana Jennings - Video projections design by Montgomery C Martin
Images - colour by Tatiana Jennings; b/w by Dmitri Levanov
- Shawn Lall, Caitlin Morris-Cornfield
- Caitlin Morris-Cornfield, Shawn Lall
- Foreground: David Fish
Kadozuke Kollektif Celebrates 10th Anniversary with
Richard III, The Pleasures of Violence
- a visually seductive new interpretation
directed by Tatiana Jennings -
September 10 to 28, 2014
Thursday-Sunday at 7:30pm
Zuke Studios, 1581 Dupont Street, Toronto ON, M6P 3S5
Tickets: $35
• Tickets available by calling 647-705-9117 or online at http://www.eventbee.com/v/kadozuke10/boxoffice
Toronto - Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Toronto experimental theatre company Kadozuke Kollektif, in partnership with Bad New Days, presents the world premiere of Richard III, The Pleasures of Violence, Artistic Director Tatiana Jennings' provocative and innovative multimedia reimagining of the William
Shakespeare classic. Richard III previews September 9, opens Wednesday September 10 and runs through to September 28 at Zuke Studios, the company's storefront home in the Junction.Kadozuke Kollektif's most ambitious and complex work to date,Richard III, The Pleasures of Violence puts a humanistic spin on Shakespeare's political propaganda play. Intensely visual and highly choreographed, Jennings' Richard III explores the passion, violence and disaster that erupted in the family of three York brothers - Edward, Clarence and Richard - following the impulsive and secret love and marriage of Edward IV, King of England to Elizabeth Woodville.
Jennings transforms the work into a sensual exploration of the humanity of the characters, partly by making unseen events of the traditional story visible for the first time. While faithful to Shakespeare's original text, Jennings subverts its overtly propagandistic content through the unexpected and extremely detailed behaviour of the performers onstage. A more real, human picture of the characters - including that of Richard III himself - emerges.
Shakespeare's text is combined with 3D projection mapping, dynamic sets manipulated by actors and a poetic, physical style of acting that the company has developed over the last decade. The piece is performed by the ensemble with each of the performers playing multiple parts, seamlessly switching genders and ages: Barbara Amponsah (Elizabeth), Lacey Creighton (Lady Anne), Scott Edwards (Duke of Buckingham), David Fish (King Edward IV), Sefton Jackson (Earl Rivers), Shawn Lall (Lord Hastings), Lee McDonald (King Richard III), Caitlin Morris-Cornfield (Margaret, and Stage Manager) and Tyler Winn (Duke of Clarence).
Jennings' fusion of striking organic stage sets with elaborate movement choreography and the detailed, almost filmic, acting style of the company creates a highly engaging audience experience. The long development periods, and unique style of collaboration, provides for an unmatched level of experimentation and accomplishment. See a teaser for the production here: http://zuke.ca/projects/richard-iii/
During the play's two-year development, the body of the real Richard III was discovered under a parking lot in Leicester, England; his identity confirmed by decoding the mitochondrial DNA of a Canadian man descended from the slain monarch's older sister. England's favourite villain king, the last of the Plantagenet dynasty, has become a more sympathetic figure as historians re-evaluate the role of this much maligned royal whose death marked the dawn of the modern era.In addition, Kadozuke Kollektif has expanded its reach into the community to create a series of outdoor performance installations that will be presented in the ten days leading up to the event. Members of the community, and the public in general, are invited to work with Jennings and her artists in a workshop setting to present these theatrical interventions. To get involved, or for more information, contact Jenny-Anne McCowan: jenny.mccowan@gmail.com.
Tatiana Jennings is a multimedia visual artist, director and choreographer. Born and raised in Moscow, she studied theatre, film and dance. She appeared as a leading actor at the Meyerhold Centre for Experimental Theatre and her solo performance piece Madame Marguerite played to sold-out Moscow audiences for three years. In 1989 she received an award for the best performance at the International Moscow Festival of Theatre Arts. She has been teaching theatre at Humber College since 1999 where she created and directed more than a dozen original productions. Kadozuke Kollektif was founded in 2004 by Jennings and 11 Humber College graduates to develop large-scale, highly visual, original work. http://www.zuke.ca
Bad New Days was created in 2008 by Adam Paolozza, a Dora award-winning performer, director, writer and producer. Since its inception, Bad New Days has created, developed and co-produced over 10 original productions, including Spent and The Double, exploring Paolozza's vision of a poetic theatre of gesture. www.badnewdays.com
"Kadozuke" literally means "players at the gate" and comes from an ancient Japanese tradition: since the Japanese performers were not allowed to enter the premises, they staged their art at the periphery, in-between two worlds. Drawing on this tradition, Kadozuke creates an artistic interlude, a place in between two worlds where one can pause to contemplate.
Kadozuke Kollektif in partnership with Bad New Days presentsRichard III, The Pleasures of Violence
A visually seductive new interpretation of a Shakespearean classic
Directed by Tatiana Jennings
Performed by Barbara Amponsah, Lacey Creighton, Scott Edwards, David Fish, Sefton Jackson, Shawn Lall,
Lee McDonald, Caitlin Morris-Cornfield, Tyler Winn
Set design by Vladimir Kovalchuk and Tatiana Jennings, Costume design byTatiana Jennings - Video projections design by Montgomery C Martin
Images - colour by Tatiana Jennings; b/w by Dmitri Levanov
- Shawn Lall, Caitlin Morris-Cornfield
- Caitlin Morris-Cornfield, Shawn Lall
- Foreground: David Fish
Recently Released: Billy Roberts and the Rough Riders - The Last of the Originals (Independent - August 19 2014)
Recently Released:
Billy Roberts and the Rough Riders
CD: The Last of the Originals
Independent - August 19, 2014
• Buy the CD
The Last of the Originals is the first album from Australian country-rockers Billy Roberts and the Rough Riders.
Billy may be from Down Under but his music has a distinctly American flavour - something he's actually found a bit of an issue. In his native Australia, he's something of an anomaly; mainstream country music isn't the sensation it in North America. It means he's had trouble finding musicians to play with and ended up recording his debut albumm in a studio in Nashville with producer Billy Anderson at Cumberland Studios.
He lists - no surprise - American artists like Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Pearl Jam, Neil Young and Crazy Horse as his inspirations, along with more modern acts like Arcade Fire and the Black Keys. Billy is a songwriter in the storytelling folk/country tradition with a post-modern kind of sensibility to the lyricss. An understated sense of humour shines through here and there in tales about real people at or near the bottom end of the scale.
The first track, with its refrain
Mrs. Jones your baby ain't a lady anymore...
has a nice, loose energy - an organic swing that's typical of the whole album. It's an approach that enlivens uncomplicated arrangements. There's an appealing, straight-ahead kind of energy to the arrangements with a solid drummer to add rhythmic interest.
In My Baby Gone Cold, he delivers the vocals with a kind of neo-country gravity - but you could get much more melodramatic with this kind of material. Stylistically the tracks display his range of influences from elements of traditional acoustic country roots to country rock and a contemporary pop edge.
Never Know has a nice sense of melancholy; a minor chord progression set against a swingy rhythm section that works really well. No More Mr Nice Guy is not an Alice Cooper cover; here it's an uptempo two-step with a nice fat harmonica line. Again his voice is perfect in tone but could snarl with just a little more emotion.
Some songs, like Not That Special with its singing slide guitar or the twangy old school I Was Young definitely fall into the country category but others could easily cross into contemporary rock or even alt rock territory. Davey Crocket and the Alamo has a trippy, psychadelic edge and the last track, Red Head Baby is a bluesy rocker.
There's nothing terribly new here but it's well done with a variety of modes and nice production quality that puts the emphasis on guitar.
Billy Roberts and the Rough Riders
CD: The Last of the Originals
Independent - August 19, 2014
• Buy the CD
The Last of the Originals is the first album from Australian country-rockers Billy Roberts and the Rough Riders.
Billy may be from Down Under but his music has a distinctly American flavour - something he's actually found a bit of an issue. In his native Australia, he's something of an anomaly; mainstream country music isn't the sensation it in North America. It means he's had trouble finding musicians to play with and ended up recording his debut albumm in a studio in Nashville with producer Billy Anderson at Cumberland Studios.He lists - no surprise - American artists like Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Pearl Jam, Neil Young and Crazy Horse as his inspirations, along with more modern acts like Arcade Fire and the Black Keys. Billy is a songwriter in the storytelling folk/country tradition with a post-modern kind of sensibility to the lyricss. An understated sense of humour shines through here and there in tales about real people at or near the bottom end of the scale.
The first track, with its refrain
Mrs. Jones your baby ain't a lady anymore...
has a nice, loose energy - an organic swing that's typical of the whole album. It's an approach that enlivens uncomplicated arrangements. There's an appealing, straight-ahead kind of energy to the arrangements with a solid drummer to add rhythmic interest.
In My Baby Gone Cold, he delivers the vocals with a kind of neo-country gravity - but you could get much more melodramatic with this kind of material. Stylistically the tracks display his range of influences from elements of traditional acoustic country roots to country rock and a contemporary pop edge.Never Know has a nice sense of melancholy; a minor chord progression set against a swingy rhythm section that works really well. No More Mr Nice Guy is not an Alice Cooper cover; here it's an uptempo two-step with a nice fat harmonica line. Again his voice is perfect in tone but could snarl with just a little more emotion.
Some songs, like Not That Special with its singing slide guitar or the twangy old school I Was Young definitely fall into the country category but others could easily cross into contemporary rock or even alt rock territory. Davey Crocket and the Alamo has a trippy, psychadelic edge and the last track, Red Head Baby is a bluesy rocker.
There's nothing terribly new here but it's well done with a variety of modes and nice production quality that puts the emphasis on guitar.
August 27, 2014
Wondagurl and Rich Kidd's "Cooking Beats" demo Part of IMSTA FESTA Toronto Celebration of Music Technology September 6 2014
From a media release:
WONDAGURL AND RICH KIDD’S “COOKING BEATS” DEMONSTRATION ANNOUNCED FOR IMSTA FESTA TORONTO
IMSTA FESTA - A CELEBRATION OF MUSIC TECHNOLOGY
SEPTEMBER 6, 2014
• Admission is free with registration at: www.imsta.org
TORONTO: Toronto’s finest beat-making duo, WondaGurl and Rich Kidd are announced as industry panelists for IMSTA FESTA Toronto on Saturday, September 6th, 2014. Hosted by The International Music Software Trade Association (IMSTA) and in partnership with the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN), the annual celebration of music technology event will take place at the Ryerson’s Rogers Communications Centre.
Providing an environment where top Musical Instrument Technology companies can interact with music makers face-to-face, IMSTA presents five educational and interactive panels featuring music industry experts. As part of the IMSTA FESTA Professional Panel Series, WondaGurl and Rich Kidd will inspire, inform and entertain those attending with a bird’s eye view of the art of live beat making. “Cooking Beats” will demonstrate step-by-step how to construct professional beats from start to finish.With the instant popularity of WondaGurl’s instrumental for Jay-Z’s song Crown, the 17 year-old Brampton producer has collaborated with hip-hop artists such as Travis Scott, Ryan Leslie and Rich Kidd. As a hip-hop artist, record producer and film/video director, Rich Kidd is known for the quality and depth he brings into his production. He was nominated for a Juno Award in 2012 for his debut album The Closers.
With more special high profile panelists to come, the IMSTA FESTA Professional Panel Series will provide tips and tricks on developing your business, self-promotion, as well as information about publishing and licensing within the music industry.
IMSTA FESTA Toronto will educate music software and hardware users on the value of purchasing the products they use rather than using pirated versions of products. The event helps promote their important message to ‘Buy the software you use.’
Admission is free with registration at: www.imsta.org
Monday Nights & Bloody Family at the Theatre Centre Toronto Through September 2014
From a media release:
The Theatre Centre announces upcoming programming at its live arts hub and incubator
6th Man Collective's Monday Nights - September 5 to 20, 2014
Philip McKee and Tanja Jacobs’ Bloody Family - September 26 to October 5 2014
• Check out both shows on their website
Toronto, ON – To celebrate the first six months in their permanent home, The Theatre Centre today revealed 2014 programming highlights. Two productions developed in residency will animate the live arts hub
and incubator: 6th Man Collective’s immersive basketball experience, Monday Nights, and Philip McKee and Tanja Jacobs’ interpretation of a classic Greek tragedy, Bloody Family.
Development of new artists and their work has always been an integral part of The Theatre Centre’s mandate, whether it’s through providing space, subsidy or mentorship within the cultural sector. Since opening their permanent home, The Theatre Centre is delighted to be able to highlight a selection of their residency partnerships through programming.
“We’re constantly working with artists at different points of project development in their relationship with The Theatre Centre,” said Franco Boni, general & artistic director. “By working with artists and groups in residency, we can provide them with funding and mentorship to nurture ideas still in infancy. Our new space means we’re able to further that support by giving them a stage for their work.”
Created and performed by 6th Man Collective, the interactive basketball performance, Monday Nights, tips off Sept. 5 and runs until Sept. 20. In the summer of 2008, five guys came to the basketball court at Queen’s Quay and Bathurst. Religiously, every Monday night, they stayed until the lights turned off. Now, audiences will meet these guys on the court at The Theatre Centre, to join in their basketball bromance. With opportunities to join the team and show off your best slam dunk, or to just watch, everyone is welcome.
Next is Bloody Family (Sept. 26 to Oct. 5), a story of a family ripped apart by idealism. Philip McKee and Tanja Jacobs’ personal and volatile adaptation of the ancient Greek tragedy The Oresteia is an experimental work that contrasts compassion with necessity, and examines the birth and failure of justice. A father kills his daughter for honour, a wife kills her husband for revenge, and a son kills his mother for justice.
Full details about The Theatre Centre’s upcoming programming will be announced at a special opening night party for Monday Nights on Monday, Sept. 8 at 9:30 p.m. Tickets for Bloody Family and Monday Nights are on sale now at The Theatre Centre box office (1115 Queen St. W), online at www.theatrecentre.org, or by phone 416-538-0988.
Image: #TeamRed, Byron Abalos, takes on #TeamGreen, Jeff Yung, in Monday Nights
Facebook: The Theatre Centre
Twitter: @TheatreCentre
Twitter Hashtag: #MondayNights; #BloodyFamily
The Theatre Centre announces upcoming programming at its live arts hub and incubator
6th Man Collective's Monday Nights - September 5 to 20, 2014
Philip McKee and Tanja Jacobs’ Bloody Family - September 26 to October 5 2014
• Check out both shows on their website
Toronto, ON – To celebrate the first six months in their permanent home, The Theatre Centre today revealed 2014 programming highlights. Two productions developed in residency will animate the live arts hub
and incubator: 6th Man Collective’s immersive basketball experience, Monday Nights, and Philip McKee and Tanja Jacobs’ interpretation of a classic Greek tragedy, Bloody Family.Development of new artists and their work has always been an integral part of The Theatre Centre’s mandate, whether it’s through providing space, subsidy or mentorship within the cultural sector. Since opening their permanent home, The Theatre Centre is delighted to be able to highlight a selection of their residency partnerships through programming.
“We’re constantly working with artists at different points of project development in their relationship with The Theatre Centre,” said Franco Boni, general & artistic director. “By working with artists and groups in residency, we can provide them with funding and mentorship to nurture ideas still in infancy. Our new space means we’re able to further that support by giving them a stage for their work.”
Created and performed by 6th Man Collective, the interactive basketball performance, Monday Nights, tips off Sept. 5 and runs until Sept. 20. In the summer of 2008, five guys came to the basketball court at Queen’s Quay and Bathurst. Religiously, every Monday night, they stayed until the lights turned off. Now, audiences will meet these guys on the court at The Theatre Centre, to join in their basketball bromance. With opportunities to join the team and show off your best slam dunk, or to just watch, everyone is welcome.Next is Bloody Family (Sept. 26 to Oct. 5), a story of a family ripped apart by idealism. Philip McKee and Tanja Jacobs’ personal and volatile adaptation of the ancient Greek tragedy The Oresteia is an experimental work that contrasts compassion with necessity, and examines the birth and failure of justice. A father kills his daughter for honour, a wife kills her husband for revenge, and a son kills his mother for justice.
Full details about The Theatre Centre’s upcoming programming will be announced at a special opening night party for Monday Nights on Monday, Sept. 8 at 9:30 p.m. Tickets for Bloody Family and Monday Nights are on sale now at The Theatre Centre box office (1115 Queen St. W), online at www.theatrecentre.org, or by phone 416-538-0988.
Image: #TeamRed, Byron Abalos, takes on #TeamGreen, Jeff Yung, in Monday NightsFacebook: The Theatre Centre
Twitter: @TheatreCentre
Twitter Hashtag: #MondayNights; #BloodyFamily
New Grunge: The Lost Poets' Insubordia (Independent, April 27, 2014)
Recently Released:
The Lost Poets
Insubordia (Independent, April 27, 2014)
David Rosengren (Vocals, guitar) and Petter Ossian Strömberg (drums, bass)
• Buy it on iTunes
From Stockholm, Sweden, The Lost Poets released their debut EP earlier this year, featuring five tracks that establish them firmly in the New Grunge movement.The lead single is Ode to K, and according to vocalist/guitarist David Rosengren, the song tells a story. "Ode to K" was one of those songs that just came out of nowhere. It's essentially about a man selling his soul to the devil and how his life was before and after he died. It's also an homage to the love of his life for trying to help him. It's all very suggestive and the inspiration, as always, comes from my own life in a twisted sort of way."
When I stand at the gates of hell
That's when I know what I was ready to sell
The five tracks offer more of the same - grungy atmospheric rock with a dystopian, down the rabbit hole view of the world. The lyrics are thoughtful and observant rather than bombastic and the Eddie Vedderesque vocals remain the focal point of all the tracks, fuzzy guitar licks nothwithstanding.
The songs are rhythmically interesting, some with the churning, hypnotic vibe reminiscent of North African and Middle Eastern trance. Overall, the Lost Poets' sound has a languid rather than frenetic kind of energy.Die To Live slows down the pace further, featuring acoustic guitar and keyboard. The song is imbued with melancholy - then kicks into an electric and more rhythmic phase with distorted vocals and ends with a fuzzy snarl of guitar.
David's voice is interesting enough to carry the weight - expressive and strong. The title track is a stand out that begins with an insistent rhythm and subdued vocals.
Careful what you think of
Might just say it...
Insubordia
A jangling guitar and stronger vocal line gradually rise from a subdued state. It all works together for effect. The EP ends with Inside the Cage, an atmospheric rock spoken word track.
August 19, 2014
Japan Society New York City Announces 2014-15 Performing Arts Season with Music, Dance,Theater & More
From a media release:
JAPAN SOCIETY NEW YORK CITY ANNOUNCES
2014-2015 PERFORMING ARTS SEASON
FEATURING EVENTS IN MUSIC, DANCE, THEATER & BEYOND
New York, NY - Japan Society announces its 2014-2015 Performing Arts Season, featuring works by visionary artists in music, dance and theater. In this season, the Performing Arts Program proudly presents two large-scale series of events: in music, The Shamisen Sessions in Fall 2014; and in Spring 2015, Stories from the War: Reflecting on WWII through Theater, a series of theater events marking the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII; in addition to long-running programs such as the Contemporary Dance Showcase,
Annual Play Reading Series, a commission premiere and related events.
The season commences in September with The Shamisen Sessions, four distinct music events centered on Japan's unique centuries-old three-stringed instrument, from modern and experimental interpretations to world-class traditional explorations. The Shamisen Sessions, Vols. 1-4 offer a rare look at the versatility and evolution of one of Japan's most enduring instruments through distinct performances by star shamisen players, supported by related events and workshops spanning September - December 2014.
In dance this season, Japan Society presents the Contemporary Dance Showcase in January 2015, marking the 16th installment set to run in conjunction with The Association of Performing Arts Presenters' (APAP) annual New York City conference. In June, the Society presents the New York Premiere of Kota Yamazaki/Fluid hug-hug's OQ, a Japan Society commission.
To honor the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII, Japan Society presents three timely and topical theater offerings: the plays Zero Hour: Tokyo Rose's Last Tape (January) and Yokohama Rosa (April), and a rare double bill offering plays from the modern and traditional noh repertoires, New and Traditional Noh: Holy Mother in Nagasaki and Kiyotsune (May). Additionally in theater, Japan Society delivers the 11th installment of the Play Reading Series: Contemporary Japanese Plays in English Translation with Dancing with the Bird, written by Seiji Nozoe, translated and directed by James Yaegashi (March). Productions and related events
and workshops are detailed below. All events are at Japan Society, located at 333 East 47th Street. For tickets or more information, please visit www.japansociety.org, or call 212-715-1258. Tickets are available to Japan Society members now by calling or visiting the box office; tickets are available to the general public beginning Monday, August 11.
JAPAN SOCIETY PERFORMING ARTS SCHEDULE
SEPTEMBER 2014 - JUNE 2015
The Shamisen Sessions
September - December 2014, as detailed below.
From traditional stages to contemporary rock, pop and jazz concerts, the three-stringed shamisen has forged art and entertainment culture in Japan for centuries and continues to shape new spheres of world music today. These four sessions spotlight some of the most sought-after shamisen musicians in Japan performing the full gamut of today's musical styles. The series includes: Hiromitsu Agatsuma + Akiko Yano (September 27), Yumiko Tanaka's shamisen improvisational accompaniment for Teinosuke Kinugasa's silent film Crossroads (November 15), A Salute to Tradition (November 20) and the Okinawan folk/pop duo SAKISHIMA meeting (December 12).
Purchase tickets to two The Shamisen Sessions events and save $4, to three and save $6, and to all four and save $8 (available for general and member-priced tickets). Discount available by visiting or calling the box office at (212) 715-1258 or by downloading the Ticket Order Form from www.japansociety.org/performingarts.
The Shamisen Sessions, Vol. 1
Hiromitsu Agatsuma + Akiko Yano
Saturday, September 27 at 7:30pm (followed by a MetLife Meet-the-Artists Reception)
Virtuosic rock, pop and jazz player Hiromitsu Agatsuma on tsugaru-shamisen (the shamisen which originated in Northern Japan) and musical luminary pianist/singer-songwriter Akiko Yano perform together for the first time ever. Agatsuma's fast and aggressive playing style is showcased alongside Yano's engaging vocals and prodigious piano skills. The two are united by their inimitable ability to transform the sentimental strains of Japan's beloved folk songs (min'yo), a genre each artist has explored extensively throughout his/her career, into compelling jazz/pop tunes.
The Shamisen Sessions, Vol. 2
Crossroads (Jujiro), a silent film by Teinosuke Kinugasa,
with shamisen improvisational accompaniment by Yumiko Tanaka
Saturday, November 15 at 7:30pm
Internationally active experimental shamisen musician Yumiko Tanaka provides a thrilling improvisational soundscape to the silent film Crossroads (Jujiro, 1928). This audacious film by Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or winner Teinosuke Kinugasa (1896-1982) depicts the love between a poor brother and sister, and features hallucinatory imagery and boundary-pushing German Expressionism-inspired set design. The program is held as part of Japan Society's 2014 Monthly Film Series, The Dark Side of the Sun: John Zorn on Japanese Cinema, curated by musical maverick and film and Japanese culture aficionado John Zorn.
Crossroads (Jujiro): 1928. 87 min. 35mm, b&w, silent. Directed by Teinosuke Kinugasa. With Junosuke Bando, Akiko Chihaya, Yukiko Ogawa, Ippei Sohma, Kazuo Hasegawa.
Monthly Film Series The Dark Side of the Sun: John Zorn on Japanese Cinema begins October 18, 2014.
The Shamisen Sessions, Vol. 3
A Salute to Tradition
Thursday, November 20 at 7:30pm
(followed by a MetLife Meet-the-Artists Reception)
Immerse yourself in the diverse styles of traditional shamisen music. The instrument, originally from China, reached Japan in the 16th century, where it underwent changes in shape, size and sound. The three-stringed shamisen has since become a central element in Japan's unique performing arts and entertainment culture including kabuki and bunraku theaters, salon, folk and vaudeville music and more. This evening showcases three major traditional shamisen musical styles-- nagauta (kabuki), gidayu (bunraku) and jiuta (tatami salon concerts) as performed by Japan's preeminent shamisen players and chanters, including a Living National Treasure and a traditional nihon buyo dancer. Artists include: Fujii Hirokazu (jiuta chanter/shamisen), Takemoto Komanosuke (gidayu hanter, Living National Treasure), Tsuruzawa Yumi aka Yumiko Tanaka (gidayu shamisen), Imafuji Chotatsuro (nagauta shamisen), Kineya Katsujuro (nagauta shamisen), Kineya Mitsuya (nagauta chanter) and Hanayagi Genkuro (nihon buyo traditional dancer). Program includes: Kanjincho (nagauta style), Zangetsu (jiuta style), Tamagawa (nagauta style) and Komochi Yamamba (gidayu style).
Pre-Performance Lecture led by Dr. K. Natasha Foreman, Lecturer in Musicology and Ethnomusicology at Wayne State University. One hour before curtain. FREE and open to ticket holders only.
Related Workshop: Shamisen Workshop with Imafuji Chotatsuro and Nihon Buyo Workshop with Hanayagi Genkuro
The Shamisen Sessions, Vol. 4
Sakishima meeting, folk/pop duo from Okinawa
Friday, December 12 at 8:30pm / Cash bar opens at 7:00pm
For the final concert of the The Shamisen Sessions, Japan Society presents the smooth music of the Okinawan folk/pop duo SAKISHIMA meeting. Duo members Yukito Ara on sanshin (Okinawan shamisen) and vocals and Isamu Shimoji on guitar and vocals serenade the crowd with tunes that blend the sounds and traditions of Okinawa, Japan's southernmost islands, with popular Western riffs and beats. This cabaret-style concert takes place in Japan Society's Murase Room just off the lobby, where food and drink will be available for purchase.
16th Contemporary Dance Showcase: Japan + East Asia
Friday, January 9 at 7:30pm (followed by a MetLife Meet-the-Artists Reception)
Saturday, January 10 at 7:30pm
The Dance Showcase, which since 1996 has "opened a window onto the East Asian scene" (The New York Times) returns with a standout lineup of groundbreaking artists from the other side of the globe. This year's showcase includes from Japan: Nobuyuki Hanabusa's group enra ("mesmerizing ... versatile ... fantastic" -The Huffington Post) performing Newton, an out-of-this-world amalgamation of motion graphics and choreography; Mikiko Kawamura's street style solo Alphard set to a bold soundscape with J-pop and classical music ("a visual feast" -Vietnam Breaking News); and Marmont, by Kaori Seki ("one to watch in the contemporary dance scene" - MadameFigaro.com) in which bodies morph into nebulous creature-like positions. From Taiwan: I-Fen Tung's fresh duo How to Say ("astonishing" - LaCultureria.com), a piece that grapples with communication through words and dance; and Shang-Chi Sun's Traverse, in which graceful martial arts-like movements oscillate between combat speed and tranquility ("extraordinary...unique charisma" -Leipzig Almanach).
Stories from the War: Reflecting on WWII through Theater
January - May, 2015, as detailed below.
This Society-wide series, Stories from the War: Reflecting on WWII through a Contemporary Lens, which centers around three theatrical programs and includes a film series, lectures and family programs, encourages reconsideration and reflection on the events, figures and issues surrounding the war and its impact on the people of the United States and Japan from a 2014 vantage point. WWII marks an important time in the shared histories of the U.S. and Japan and the seven decades since its end have been shaped by reconciliation and friendship. The theater series includes: Miwa Yanagi's Zero Hour: Tokyo Rose's Last Tape (January 29-31), Michiko Godai's Yokohama Rosa (April 25-26) and New and Traditional Noh: Holy Mother in Nagasaki and Kiyotsune (May 14-16).
Miwa Yanagi's Zero Hour: Tokyo Rose's Last Tape
North American Premiere
Thursday, January 29, 7:30pm (followed by MetLife Meet-the-Artists Reception)
Friday, January 30, 7:30pm
Saturday, January 31, 7:30pm
The center piece of the Spring WWII series is Miwa Yanagi's Zero Hour: Tokyo Rose's Last Tape, which recounts the story of "Tokyo Rose," the young Japanese-American woman who was stranded in Japan during WWII, forced to serve as a broadcaster for a propaganda radio program controlled by the Japanese Imperial Army and subsequently tried for treason by the United States. Seventy years later, this historic incident is brought to life through a visually stunning theatrical whodunit conceived, written and directed by internationally renowned visual artist Miwa Yanagi (one of the featured artists in Japan Society's 2011 gallery exhibition Bye Bye Kitty!! Between Heaven and Hell in Contemporary Japanese Art). Brimming with iconic imagery from her rich body of photographic work, Zero Hour tells the multi-layered story of a woman caught between two nations during the war. This marks Yanagi's North American debut as a theater artist. Performed in English and Japanese with English subtitles
Japan Society-produced and organized North American tour includes: The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, DC; Asian Arts & Culture Center at Towson University, Towson, MD; Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre, Toronto, Canada; REDCAT (Roy and Edna Disney / CalArts Theater), Los Angeles, CA.
Michiko Godai's Yokohama Rosa
North American Premiere
Saturday, April 25 at 7:30pm (followed by a MetLife Meet-the-Artists Reception)
Sunday, April 26 at 2:30pm
Continuing the WWII theater series, legendary actress Michiko Godai presents Yokohama Rosa, an intimate portrait of a woman whose life was forever changed by WWII. In this original one-woman tragicomedy inspired by the sight of a mysterious old woman frequently observed on the streets of Yokohama and known by locals as "Merii-san," Godai transforms on stage from a vulnerable young woman to a confident prostitute out on the streets, to a lovesick middle-aged woman and finally, to a frail but compassionate lady, who is homeless. Performed in Yokohama annually on the anniversary of the end of WWII in Japan, Godai's captivating piece reveals the war's deep and lasting consequences on the most personal level. Performed in
Japanese with English subtitles
New and Traditional Noh, featuring Holy Mother in Nagasaki and Kiyotsune
Thursday, May 14 at 7:30pm (followed by a MetLife Meet-the-Artists Reception)
Friday, May 15 at 7:30pm
Saturday, May 16 at 7:30pm
Japan Society presents a rare double bill offering plays from the modern and traditional noh repertoires. In keeping with the theme of the Society's WWII series, the evening features the poignant new play Holy Mother in Nagasaki in which a pilgrim is told about the legend of a woman who appeared to console the victims of the atomic bomb, surmised to have been the Virgin Mary herself. As a companion piece, the evening features Kiyotsune, one of the centuries-old masterpieces by Zeami, in which a grieving widow meets her warrior husband in a dream to learn of his final battle. These two complementary plays, led by renowned noh actor Kanji Shimizu of the celebrated Tessen-kai Noh Theater Association, round out the Society's WWII series, illustrating that the tragedies of war are timeless and borderless. Performed in Japanese with English subtitles
Play Reading Series: Contemporary Japanese Plays in English Translation
Dancing with the Bird written by Seiji Nozoe, directed by James Yaegashi
Monday, March 9 at 7:30pm
For the 11th installation in this annual series that aims to introduce New York-based actors/directors to contemporary and topical Japanese theater artists and plays, the Society presents Dancing with the Bird, a Hitchcock-esque cliffhanger that describes a young woman whose hair is stuck in a fan nearly eight feet in the air, and the conversation that ensues with a man appearing to come to her rescue.
Dancing with the Bird is written by Kishida Kunio Award-winning playwright/director Seiji Nozoe of Japan's Haegiwa theater company whose plays are known for their amusing portrayal of the inner self within unusual but convincing realities. New York-based director, actor and filmmaker James Yaegashi translates the play and leads a cast of American actors in this minimalist three-person play that unleashes a world of emotion. Playwright Seiji Nozoe joins in a post-performance conversation with
Kota Yamazaki/Fluid hug-hug's OQ
New York premiere; Japan Society commission
Friday, June 5 at 7:30pm
Saturday, June 6 at 7:30pm
Japan Society presents the New York premiere of a new work by New York-based Bessie Award-winning choreographer Kota Yamazaki, entitled OQ (okyu is the phonetic reading of the Japanese word for "palace"). Inspired by ritual poetry readings held at the Japanese Imperial Palace, Yamazaki's OQ features dancers from diverse cultural and dance backgrounds including Western contemporary, butoh, hip-hop and Jamaican dance. Within a space designed by New York's award-winning architect collective SO-IL (founders: Florian Idenburg, the Netherlands and Jing Liu, China) that complements the dancers' fluid motions, Yamazaki creates a palace with its very own rituals and customs.
MEET THE ARTISTS: WORKSHOPS
Observer tickets may be available for workshops after participant tickets are sold out.
Shamisen Workshop with Imafuji Chotatsuro
In conjunction with The Shamisen Sessions Vol. 3
Friday, November 21 from Noon to 2:30pm
The shamisen is one of the most important and versatile instruments in Japanese traditional music. Imafuji Chotatsuro, a most sought-after nagauta (the style developed for kabuki accompaniment) shamisen player, leads a workshop that introduces the traditional Japanese pentatonic scale and special shamisen playing techniques. Max 12 participants. Some string instrument-playing experience required.
Tickets: $48/$42 Japan Society members
Shamisen + Nihon Buyo Workshop package: $96/$86 JS members. Discount available by visiting or calling the box office at (212) 715-1258 or by downloading the Ticket Order Form from japansociety.org/performingarts
Nihon Buyo Workshop with Hanayagi Genkuro
In conjunction with The Shamisen Sessions Vol. 3
Friday, November 21 from 3:00pm to 5:00pm
Experience Japan's traditional kabuki dance with rising-star nihon buyo dancer Hanayagi Genkuro. In this workshop, participants learn a variety of typical character movements (including male, female and animal roles) using fans and tenugui towels as props. Max 15 participants. Some movement-based professional performance experience required. Participants must wear socks and activewear (no jeans).
Tickets: $54/$48 Japan Society members
Shamisen + Nihon Buyo Workshop package: $96/$86 JS members. Discount available by visiting or calling the box office at (212) 715-1258 or by downloading the Ticket Order Form from japansociety.org/performingarts
Noh Workshop and Demonstration with Yamai Tsunao
Sunday, February 8 from 11:00am to 4:00pm
Chosen this year as a "Japan Cultural Envoy" by the Agency for Cultural Affairs of the Japanese Government, noh actor Yamai Tsunao returns to Japan Society for a full-day workshop on noh theater's
stylized movement and vocalization. A member of the Komparu school of noh, Yamai is active in bringing the noh tradition to audiences in Japan and abroad. Workshop participants will have the opportunity to chant an excerpt from the noh play Takasago, learn basic moves from Hagoromo and try on costumes and masks. The workshop concludes with a special collaborative presentation with Yamai and pianist Kentaro Kihara from Japan. Max 25 participants. Some dance experience preferred. Participants must wear socks and activewear. Tickets: $120/$100 Japan Society members - Tickets include a bento box lunch with the artists.
Butoh/Movement Workshop with Kota Yamazaki
In conjunction New York premiere OQ
Saturday, May 30 from Noon to 2:30pm
New York-based Japanese choreographer Kota Yamazaki teaches the somatic movement techniques that he has developed out of his training in butoh and Noguchi Gymnastics. In this workshop, Yamazaki offers a series of exercises that guide participants in the composition of renga collaborative poems through movement. These poems act as a source of inspiration for his newest work OQ. Max 20 participants. All levels welcome. Participants must wear activewear (no jeans). Tickets: $30/$25 Japan Society members
JAPAN SOCIETY NEW YORK CITY ANNOUNCES
2014-2015 PERFORMING ARTS SEASON
FEATURING EVENTS IN MUSIC, DANCE, THEATER & BEYOND
New York, NY - Japan Society announces its 2014-2015 Performing Arts Season, featuring works by visionary artists in music, dance and theater. In this season, the Performing Arts Program proudly presents two large-scale series of events: in music, The Shamisen Sessions in Fall 2014; and in Spring 2015, Stories from the War: Reflecting on WWII through Theater, a series of theater events marking the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII; in addition to long-running programs such as the Contemporary Dance Showcase,
Annual Play Reading Series, a commission premiere and related events.The season commences in September with The Shamisen Sessions, four distinct music events centered on Japan's unique centuries-old three-stringed instrument, from modern and experimental interpretations to world-class traditional explorations. The Shamisen Sessions, Vols. 1-4 offer a rare look at the versatility and evolution of one of Japan's most enduring instruments through distinct performances by star shamisen players, supported by related events and workshops spanning September - December 2014.
In dance this season, Japan Society presents the Contemporary Dance Showcase in January 2015, marking the 16th installment set to run in conjunction with The Association of Performing Arts Presenters' (APAP) annual New York City conference. In June, the Society presents the New York Premiere of Kota Yamazaki/Fluid hug-hug's OQ, a Japan Society commission.
To honor the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII, Japan Society presents three timely and topical theater offerings: the plays Zero Hour: Tokyo Rose's Last Tape (January) and Yokohama Rosa (April), and a rare double bill offering plays from the modern and traditional noh repertoires, New and Traditional Noh: Holy Mother in Nagasaki and Kiyotsune (May). Additionally in theater, Japan Society delivers the 11th installment of the Play Reading Series: Contemporary Japanese Plays in English Translation with Dancing with the Bird, written by Seiji Nozoe, translated and directed by James Yaegashi (March). Productions and related events
and workshops are detailed below. All events are at Japan Society, located at 333 East 47th Street. For tickets or more information, please visit www.japansociety.org, or call 212-715-1258. Tickets are available to Japan Society members now by calling or visiting the box office; tickets are available to the general public beginning Monday, August 11.JAPAN SOCIETY PERFORMING ARTS SCHEDULE
SEPTEMBER 2014 - JUNE 2015
The Shamisen Sessions
September - December 2014, as detailed below.
From traditional stages to contemporary rock, pop and jazz concerts, the three-stringed shamisen has forged art and entertainment culture in Japan for centuries and continues to shape new spheres of world music today. These four sessions spotlight some of the most sought-after shamisen musicians in Japan performing the full gamut of today's musical styles. The series includes: Hiromitsu Agatsuma + Akiko Yano (September 27), Yumiko Tanaka's shamisen improvisational accompaniment for Teinosuke Kinugasa's silent film Crossroads (November 15), A Salute to Tradition (November 20) and the Okinawan folk/pop duo SAKISHIMA meeting (December 12).
Purchase tickets to two The Shamisen Sessions events and save $4, to three and save $6, and to all four and save $8 (available for general and member-priced tickets). Discount available by visiting or calling the box office at (212) 715-1258 or by downloading the Ticket Order Form from www.japansociety.org/performingarts.
The Shamisen Sessions, Vol. 1
Hiromitsu Agatsuma + Akiko YanoSaturday, September 27 at 7:30pm (followed by a MetLife Meet-the-Artists Reception)
Virtuosic rock, pop and jazz player Hiromitsu Agatsuma on tsugaru-shamisen (the shamisen which originated in Northern Japan) and musical luminary pianist/singer-songwriter Akiko Yano perform together for the first time ever. Agatsuma's fast and aggressive playing style is showcased alongside Yano's engaging vocals and prodigious piano skills. The two are united by their inimitable ability to transform the sentimental strains of Japan's beloved folk songs (min'yo), a genre each artist has explored extensively throughout his/her career, into compelling jazz/pop tunes.
The Shamisen Sessions, Vol. 2
Crossroads (Jujiro), a silent film by Teinosuke Kinugasa,
with shamisen improvisational accompaniment by Yumiko Tanaka
Saturday, November 15 at 7:30pm
Internationally active experimental shamisen musician Yumiko Tanaka provides a thrilling improvisational soundscape to the silent film Crossroads (Jujiro, 1928). This audacious film by Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or winner Teinosuke Kinugasa (1896-1982) depicts the love between a poor brother and sister, and features hallucinatory imagery and boundary-pushing German Expressionism-inspired set design. The program is held as part of Japan Society's 2014 Monthly Film Series, The Dark Side of the Sun: John Zorn on Japanese Cinema, curated by musical maverick and film and Japanese culture aficionado John Zorn.
Crossroads (Jujiro): 1928. 87 min. 35mm, b&w, silent. Directed by Teinosuke Kinugasa. With Junosuke Bando, Akiko Chihaya, Yukiko Ogawa, Ippei Sohma, Kazuo Hasegawa.
Monthly Film Series The Dark Side of the Sun: John Zorn on Japanese Cinema begins October 18, 2014.
The Shamisen Sessions, Vol. 3
A Salute to Tradition
Thursday, November 20 at 7:30pm
(followed by a MetLife Meet-the-Artists Reception)
Immerse yourself in the diverse styles of traditional shamisen music. The instrument, originally from China, reached Japan in the 16th century, where it underwent changes in shape, size and sound. The three-stringed shamisen has since become a central element in Japan's unique performing arts and entertainment culture including kabuki and bunraku theaters, salon, folk and vaudeville music and more. This evening showcases three major traditional shamisen musical styles-- nagauta (kabuki), gidayu (bunraku) and jiuta (tatami salon concerts) as performed by Japan's preeminent shamisen players and chanters, including a Living National Treasure and a traditional nihon buyo dancer. Artists include: Fujii Hirokazu (jiuta chanter/shamisen), Takemoto Komanosuke (gidayu hanter, Living National Treasure), Tsuruzawa Yumi aka Yumiko Tanaka (gidayu shamisen), Imafuji Chotatsuro (nagauta shamisen), Kineya Katsujuro (nagauta shamisen), Kineya Mitsuya (nagauta chanter) and Hanayagi Genkuro (nihon buyo traditional dancer). Program includes: Kanjincho (nagauta style), Zangetsu (jiuta style), Tamagawa (nagauta style) and Komochi Yamamba (gidayu style).
Pre-Performance Lecture led by Dr. K. Natasha Foreman, Lecturer in Musicology and Ethnomusicology at Wayne State University. One hour before curtain. FREE and open to ticket holders only.
Related Workshop: Shamisen Workshop with Imafuji Chotatsuro and Nihon Buyo Workshop with Hanayagi Genkuro
The Shamisen Sessions, Vol. 4
Sakishima meeting, folk/pop duo from Okinawa
Friday, December 12 at 8:30pm / Cash bar opens at 7:00pm
For the final concert of the The Shamisen Sessions, Japan Society presents the smooth music of the Okinawan folk/pop duo SAKISHIMA meeting. Duo members Yukito Ara on sanshin (Okinawan shamisen) and vocals and Isamu Shimoji on guitar and vocals serenade the crowd with tunes that blend the sounds and traditions of Okinawa, Japan's southernmost islands, with popular Western riffs and beats. This cabaret-style concert takes place in Japan Society's Murase Room just off the lobby, where food and drink will be available for purchase.
16th Contemporary Dance Showcase: Japan + East AsiaFriday, January 9 at 7:30pm (followed by a MetLife Meet-the-Artists Reception)
Saturday, January 10 at 7:30pm
The Dance Showcase, which since 1996 has "opened a window onto the East Asian scene" (The New York Times) returns with a standout lineup of groundbreaking artists from the other side of the globe. This year's showcase includes from Japan: Nobuyuki Hanabusa's group enra ("mesmerizing ... versatile ... fantastic" -The Huffington Post) performing Newton, an out-of-this-world amalgamation of motion graphics and choreography; Mikiko Kawamura's street style solo Alphard set to a bold soundscape with J-pop and classical music ("a visual feast" -Vietnam Breaking News); and Marmont, by Kaori Seki ("one to watch in the contemporary dance scene" - MadameFigaro.com) in which bodies morph into nebulous creature-like positions. From Taiwan: I-Fen Tung's fresh duo How to Say ("astonishing" - LaCultureria.com), a piece that grapples with communication through words and dance; and Shang-Chi Sun's Traverse, in which graceful martial arts-like movements oscillate between combat speed and tranquility ("extraordinary...unique charisma" -Leipzig Almanach).
Stories from the War: Reflecting on WWII through Theater
January - May, 2015, as detailed below.
This Society-wide series, Stories from the War: Reflecting on WWII through a Contemporary Lens, which centers around three theatrical programs and includes a film series, lectures and family programs, encourages reconsideration and reflection on the events, figures and issues surrounding the war and its impact on the people of the United States and Japan from a 2014 vantage point. WWII marks an important time in the shared histories of the U.S. and Japan and the seven decades since its end have been shaped by reconciliation and friendship. The theater series includes: Miwa Yanagi's Zero Hour: Tokyo Rose's Last Tape (January 29-31), Michiko Godai's Yokohama Rosa (April 25-26) and New and Traditional Noh: Holy Mother in Nagasaki and Kiyotsune (May 14-16).
Miwa Yanagi's Zero Hour: Tokyo Rose's Last Tape North American Premiere
Thursday, January 29, 7:30pm (followed by MetLife Meet-the-Artists Reception)
Friday, January 30, 7:30pm
Saturday, January 31, 7:30pm
The center piece of the Spring WWII series is Miwa Yanagi's Zero Hour: Tokyo Rose's Last Tape, which recounts the story of "Tokyo Rose," the young Japanese-American woman who was stranded in Japan during WWII, forced to serve as a broadcaster for a propaganda radio program controlled by the Japanese Imperial Army and subsequently tried for treason by the United States. Seventy years later, this historic incident is brought to life through a visually stunning theatrical whodunit conceived, written and directed by internationally renowned visual artist Miwa Yanagi (one of the featured artists in Japan Society's 2011 gallery exhibition Bye Bye Kitty!! Between Heaven and Hell in Contemporary Japanese Art). Brimming with iconic imagery from her rich body of photographic work, Zero Hour tells the multi-layered story of a woman caught between two nations during the war. This marks Yanagi's North American debut as a theater artist. Performed in English and Japanese with English subtitles
Japan Society-produced and organized North American tour includes: The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, DC; Asian Arts & Culture Center at Towson University, Towson, MD; Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre, Toronto, Canada; REDCAT (Roy and Edna Disney / CalArts Theater), Los Angeles, CA.
Michiko Godai's Yokohama Rosa
North American Premiere
Saturday, April 25 at 7:30pm (followed by a MetLife Meet-the-Artists Reception)
Sunday, April 26 at 2:30pm
Continuing the WWII theater series, legendary actress Michiko Godai presents Yokohama Rosa, an intimate portrait of a woman whose life was forever changed by WWII. In this original one-woman tragicomedy inspired by the sight of a mysterious old woman frequently observed on the streets of Yokohama and known by locals as "Merii-san," Godai transforms on stage from a vulnerable young woman to a confident prostitute out on the streets, to a lovesick middle-aged woman and finally, to a frail but compassionate lady, who is homeless. Performed in Yokohama annually on the anniversary of the end of WWII in Japan, Godai's captivating piece reveals the war's deep and lasting consequences on the most personal level. Performed in
Japanese with English subtitlesNew and Traditional Noh, featuring Holy Mother in Nagasaki and Kiyotsune
Thursday, May 14 at 7:30pm (followed by a MetLife Meet-the-Artists Reception)
Friday, May 15 at 7:30pm
Saturday, May 16 at 7:30pm
Japan Society presents a rare double bill offering plays from the modern and traditional noh repertoires. In keeping with the theme of the Society's WWII series, the evening features the poignant new play Holy Mother in Nagasaki in which a pilgrim is told about the legend of a woman who appeared to console the victims of the atomic bomb, surmised to have been the Virgin Mary herself. As a companion piece, the evening features Kiyotsune, one of the centuries-old masterpieces by Zeami, in which a grieving widow meets her warrior husband in a dream to learn of his final battle. These two complementary plays, led by renowned noh actor Kanji Shimizu of the celebrated Tessen-kai Noh Theater Association, round out the Society's WWII series, illustrating that the tragedies of war are timeless and borderless. Performed in Japanese with English subtitles
Play Reading Series: Contemporary Japanese Plays in English Translation
Dancing with the Bird written by Seiji Nozoe, directed by James Yaegashi
Monday, March 9 at 7:30pm
For the 11th installation in this annual series that aims to introduce New York-based actors/directors to contemporary and topical Japanese theater artists and plays, the Society presents Dancing with the Bird, a Hitchcock-esque cliffhanger that describes a young woman whose hair is stuck in a fan nearly eight feet in the air, and the conversation that ensues with a man appearing to come to her rescue.
Dancing with the Bird is written by Kishida Kunio Award-winning playwright/director Seiji Nozoe of Japan's Haegiwa theater company whose plays are known for their amusing portrayal of the inner self within unusual but convincing realities. New York-based director, actor and filmmaker James Yaegashi translates the play and leads a cast of American actors in this minimalist three-person play that unleashes a world of emotion. Playwright Seiji Nozoe joins in a post-performance conversation with
Kota Yamazaki/Fluid hug-hug's OQ
New York premiere; Japan Society commission
Friday, June 5 at 7:30pm
Saturday, June 6 at 7:30pm
Japan Society presents the New York premiere of a new work by New York-based Bessie Award-winning choreographer Kota Yamazaki, entitled OQ (okyu is the phonetic reading of the Japanese word for "palace"). Inspired by ritual poetry readings held at the Japanese Imperial Palace, Yamazaki's OQ features dancers from diverse cultural and dance backgrounds including Western contemporary, butoh, hip-hop and Jamaican dance. Within a space designed by New York's award-winning architect collective SO-IL (founders: Florian Idenburg, the Netherlands and Jing Liu, China) that complements the dancers' fluid motions, Yamazaki creates a palace with its very own rituals and customs.
MEET THE ARTISTS: WORKSHOPS
Observer tickets may be available for workshops after participant tickets are sold out.
Shamisen Workshop with Imafuji Chotatsuro
In conjunction with The Shamisen Sessions Vol. 3
Friday, November 21 from Noon to 2:30pm
The shamisen is one of the most important and versatile instruments in Japanese traditional music. Imafuji Chotatsuro, a most sought-after nagauta (the style developed for kabuki accompaniment) shamisen player, leads a workshop that introduces the traditional Japanese pentatonic scale and special shamisen playing techniques. Max 12 participants. Some string instrument-playing experience required.
Tickets: $48/$42 Japan Society members
Shamisen + Nihon Buyo Workshop package: $96/$86 JS members. Discount available by visiting or calling the box office at (212) 715-1258 or by downloading the Ticket Order Form from japansociety.org/performingarts
Nihon Buyo Workshop with Hanayagi Genkuro
In conjunction with The Shamisen Sessions Vol. 3
Friday, November 21 from 3:00pm to 5:00pm
Experience Japan's traditional kabuki dance with rising-star nihon buyo dancer Hanayagi Genkuro. In this workshop, participants learn a variety of typical character movements (including male, female and animal roles) using fans and tenugui towels as props. Max 15 participants. Some movement-based professional performance experience required. Participants must wear socks and activewear (no jeans).
Tickets: $54/$48 Japan Society members
Shamisen + Nihon Buyo Workshop package: $96/$86 JS members. Discount available by visiting or calling the box office at (212) 715-1258 or by downloading the Ticket Order Form from japansociety.org/performingarts
Noh Workshop and Demonstration with Yamai Tsunao
Sunday, February 8 from 11:00am to 4:00pm
Chosen this year as a "Japan Cultural Envoy" by the Agency for Cultural Affairs of the Japanese Government, noh actor Yamai Tsunao returns to Japan Society for a full-day workshop on noh theater's
stylized movement and vocalization. A member of the Komparu school of noh, Yamai is active in bringing the noh tradition to audiences in Japan and abroad. Workshop participants will have the opportunity to chant an excerpt from the noh play Takasago, learn basic moves from Hagoromo and try on costumes and masks. The workshop concludes with a special collaborative presentation with Yamai and pianist Kentaro Kihara from Japan. Max 25 participants. Some dance experience preferred. Participants must wear socks and activewear. Tickets: $120/$100 Japan Society members - Tickets include a bento box lunch with the artists. Butoh/Movement Workshop with Kota Yamazaki
In conjunction New York premiere OQ
Saturday, May 30 from Noon to 2:30pm
New York-based Japanese choreographer Kota Yamazaki teaches the somatic movement techniques that he has developed out of his training in butoh and Noguchi Gymnastics. In this workshop, Yamazaki offers a series of exercises that guide participants in the composition of renga collaborative poems through movement. These poems act as a source of inspiration for his newest work OQ. Max 20 participants. All levels welcome. Participants must wear activewear (no jeans). Tickets: $30/$25 Japan Society members
The best in Canadian Dance: Harbourfront Centre announces NextSteps 2014/15 Season
From a media release:
The best in Canadian Dance:
Harbourfront Centre announces NextSteps 2014/15 Season
• Check it out online
TORONTO, ON – Harbourfront Centre is thrilled to announce the lineup for the NextSteps 2014-15 dance season, September 2014 – June 2015. From explosive movement to evocative compositions, this season continues the 40-year legacy of dance at Harbourfront Centre.
Championing and cultivating dance in Canada has been a priority for Harbourfront Centre, making NextSteps one of Canada’s largest and most respected dance seasons. The 2014-15 programme features a stunning array of emerging, established, national and international dance talent. From Can-Asian to flamenco, contemporary to kathak – the 2014/15 season encourages audiences to experience, explore and connect with a vast spectrum of cultures, aesthetic and styles.
"Harbourfront Centre has supported dance from the beginning, over 40 years ago, before the site even had buildings. There have been so many performances, companies and dancers that have developed alongside Harbourfront Centre and have helped create the dance ecology in Canada,” says Lynanne Sparrow, Artistic Associate for Dance in Performing Arts at Harbourfront Centre. “The 2014/15 season truly celebrates the healthy growth of the dance community and all that it has to offer.”
Take the next step. Tickets go on sale August 12, 2014 via Harbourfront Centre’s Box Office. Offering ticket packages as flexible as the dancers this season, call (416) 973-4000, visit 235 Queens Quay West and/or go online for all ticket inquiries. Notable ticket offerings include the NextSteps Flex Pass, which provides savings of up to 50% (on sale until October 11, 2014), the CultureBreak programme for students and those 25 years and under as well as additional discounts for seniors and arts industry professionals.
The NextSteps lineup will be growing as the season progresses, please check the website for the most up to date schedule. For additional information, including photos, videos and artist interviews, please visit harbourfrontcentre.com/nextsteps and connect with dance @HarbourfrontTO #danceTO.
For information about getting here during the Queens Quay revitalization, visit harbourfrontcentre.com/gettinghere.
NextSteps 2014/15 Season Lineup:
DanceWorks DW207: adelheid – elsewhere
September 25-27, 2014 (Harbourfront Centre Theatre)
Tickets: $19–37
Through five remarkable dancers, choreographed by Heidi Strauss, elsewhere speaks to resilience in the face of unknowing — an uncomfortable point where what has happened leaves traces on our bodies, gestures and the space between.
ProArteDanza - Season 2014
October 1–4, 2014 (Fleck Dance Theatre)
Tickets: $20–40
Celebrating 10 years of “high-energy, blow-out physicality,” Season 2014 features the award-winning work ...in between..., and highlights from the repertoire of “the best small-scale contemporary ballet company in Canada” (The Globe and Mail, 2013).
60x60 Dance Toronto - 60x60 Dance Toronto 2014
October 16, 2014 (Harbourfront Centre Theatre)
Tickets: $22.25|
60 Toronto choreographers collaborate with 60 Canadian composers in consecutive one-minute miniatures. Under the directorship of Viv Moore, 60x60 spans the gamut of exciting contemporary, traditional and hybrid disciplines.
BoucharDanse/ Théâtre La Tangente - L’Implorante & L’éternel voyage
October 23–25, 2014 (Harbourfront Centre Theatre)
Tickets: $15-35
From ethereal to earthbound, this production traces a journey of human dilemmas — the unknown, fragility
and undiscovered strengths. With stunning visuals and a cast of stellar performers, prepare to follow the beating of your own heart.
Toronto Dance Theatre - Pond Skaters, Early Departures and a new work by Christopher House
November 4–8, 2014 (Fleck Dance Theatre)
Tickets: $20–40
Toronto Dance Theatre’s amazing dancers return in a bold mixed programme featuring Thomas Hauert’s Dora-nominated Pond Skaters, Christopher House’s 1991 masterwork Early Departures, and a new, dynamic full-company work also by House.
Ballet Creole – Soulful Messiah
November 28–29, 2014 (Fleck Dance Theatre)
Tickets: $20–45
Ring in the holidays with Ballet Creole’s signature seasonal favourite. Soulful Messiah infuses tap,
African-Caribbean, ballet, jazz and modern dance into a unique holiday classic to the soundtrack of Quincy Jones’ Grammy Award-winning rendition of Handel’s Messiah.
Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre - WinterSong — dances for a sacred season
December 12–13, 2014 (Fleck Dance Theatre)
Tickets: $22.50–38
WinterSong will warm the hearts of family audiences with its breathtaking tapestry of seasonal dance inspired by the world’s rich solstice traditions. Highlights include a premiere by dance sensation Belinda McGuire, plus To Repel the Demons by New York’s acclaimed Kevin Wynn.
Dance Ontario – DanceWeekend 2015
In association with Harbourfront Centre
January 16–18, 2015 (Fleck Dance Theatre)
Tickets: $10 minimum donation
|A fabulous showcase of Toronto’s globally inspired professional dance companies. From the polished performances of traditional styles to edgy new works from debut choreographers, it’s a weekend to inspire every dance fan.
DanceWorks DW208: Vincent Sekwati Mantsoe – NTU/ Skwatta
January 29–31, 2015 (Harbourfront Centre Theatre)
Tickets: $19–37
Vincent Mantsoe presents his newest riveting solos. Watch as he embodies limitless spirituality steeped in the realities of his South African homeland.
DanceWorks DW209: Sylvain Émard Danse – Ce n’est pas la fin du monde (It’s not the end of the world) February 28, 2015 (Fleck Dance Theatre)
Tickets: $19–37
Acclaimed choreographer Sylvain Émard plunges seven male dancers into the hurly-burly of a contemporary world undergoing massive change where bodies are electrified by a shared feeling of urgency.
DanceWorks DW210: Marie France Forcier & Tracey Norman - Scars Are All the Rage/what goes between
March 12–14, 2015 (Harbourfront Centre Theatre)
Tickets: $19–37
Through works aesthetically different but astutely crafted and rich in imagery, choreographers Forcier and Norman explore the impact of loss and transformation.
Kaeja d’Dance - Kaeja d’Dance 25th Anniversary Season
March 24–28, 2015 (Harbourfront Centre Theatre)
Tickets: $22.50–40
Award-winning contemporary dance company Kaeja d’Dance kicks off their 25th anniversary year with world premieres by Karen and Allen Kaeja, both of which play with the notions of fate, coincidence and choice. Enigmatic, provocative and hyper physical, celebrate 25 years with this extraordinary double bill. (Seen below in development of X-ODUS)
Ritmo Flamenco Dance & Music Ensemble – SIROCCO
March 27–29, 2015 (Studio Theatre)
Tickets: $25–35
A “Sirocco” is a powerful Mediterranean wind from the Sahara that crosses North Africa to settle in Southern Spain. Award-winning choreographer Anjelica Scannura moves beyond geographical and stylistic boundaries searching for the obscure Arab roots of flamenco.
Ballet Creole - Agua Como Vida
April 17–18, 2015 (Fleck Dance Theatre)
Tickets: $20–45
For its 25th anniversary season, Ballet Creole presents intriguing new works that combine the artistic sensibilities of Artistic Director Patrick Parson, Associate Choreographer Gabby Kamino and guest collaborators to explore the universal connectivity of Earth’s most valuable resource, water.
Esmeralda Enrique Spanish Dance Company
April 24–26, 2015 (Fleck Dance Theatre)
Tickets: $23–45
The power of flamenco is presented with elegance and passion by this award-winning company of singers, musicians and dancers who never fail to bring enthralled audiences to their feet.
DanceWorks DW211: Raagini Dance/Bageshree Vaze – Paratopia
April 23–25, 2015 (Harbourfront Centre Theatre)
Tickets: $19–37
Discover 21st century kathak and Indian classical dance in a contemporary, global reality. Bageshree Vaze’s solos and new group work highlight complex footwork, sparkling pirouettes, dynamic movements and
intricate facial and hand gestural language.
CanAsian Dance Festival - 2015 CanAsian International Dance Festival
April 30–May 2, 2015 (Harbourfront Centre Theatre)
Tickets: $25–30
The 2015 CanAsian International Dance Festival features exceptional dance by outstanding Canadian and international artists inspired by Asian ideas and practices.
Sampradaya Dance Creations - nirantara — beyond space and time
May 21–23, 2015 (Fleck Dance Theatre)
Tickets: $20–35
Launching Sampradaya’s 25th anniversary year, Lata Pada’s bharatanatyam-based work explores worlds known and unknown, interwoven into a continuum, perpetual and elusive. It features a stunning dance ensemble performing to live music by India’s acclaimed, versatile pianist and composer Anil Srinivasan and Carnatic vocalist, Sikkil Gurucharan. (Seen below in last year's tour)
Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre - Space Interrupted
May 29–30, 2015 (Fleck Dance Theatre)
Tickets: $22.50–38
Californian Colin Connor explores uncharted waters, casting CCDT Artistic Director Deborah Lundmark in his domestic tempest, The Weather in the Room. Also featuring Ofilio Sinbadinho Portillo’s acclaimed 2014 Harbourfront Centre commission, Anomykz.
The best in Canadian Dance:
Harbourfront Centre announces NextSteps 2014/15 Season
• Check it out online
TORONTO, ON – Harbourfront Centre is thrilled to announce the lineup for the NextSteps 2014-15 dance season, September 2014 – June 2015. From explosive movement to evocative compositions, this season continues the 40-year legacy of dance at Harbourfront Centre.
Championing and cultivating dance in Canada has been a priority for Harbourfront Centre, making NextSteps one of Canada’s largest and most respected dance seasons. The 2014-15 programme features a stunning array of emerging, established, national and international dance talent. From Can-Asian to flamenco, contemporary to kathak – the 2014/15 season encourages audiences to experience, explore and connect with a vast spectrum of cultures, aesthetic and styles."Harbourfront Centre has supported dance from the beginning, over 40 years ago, before the site even had buildings. There have been so many performances, companies and dancers that have developed alongside Harbourfront Centre and have helped create the dance ecology in Canada,” says Lynanne Sparrow, Artistic Associate for Dance in Performing Arts at Harbourfront Centre. “The 2014/15 season truly celebrates the healthy growth of the dance community and all that it has to offer.”
Take the next step. Tickets go on sale August 12, 2014 via Harbourfront Centre’s Box Office. Offering ticket packages as flexible as the dancers this season, call (416) 973-4000, visit 235 Queens Quay West and/or go online for all ticket inquiries. Notable ticket offerings include the NextSteps Flex Pass, which provides savings of up to 50% (on sale until October 11, 2014), the CultureBreak programme for students and those 25 years and under as well as additional discounts for seniors and arts industry professionals.
The NextSteps lineup will be growing as the season progresses, please check the website for the most up to date schedule. For additional information, including photos, videos and artist interviews, please visit harbourfrontcentre.com/nextsteps and connect with dance @HarbourfrontTO #danceTO.For information about getting here during the Queens Quay revitalization, visit harbourfrontcentre.com/gettinghere.
NextSteps 2014/15 Season Lineup:
DanceWorks DW207: adelheid – elsewhere
September 25-27, 2014 (Harbourfront Centre Theatre)
Tickets: $19–37
Through five remarkable dancers, choreographed by Heidi Strauss, elsewhere speaks to resilience in the face of unknowing — an uncomfortable point where what has happened leaves traces on our bodies, gestures and the space between.
ProArteDanza - Season 2014
October 1–4, 2014 (Fleck Dance Theatre)
Tickets: $20–40
Celebrating 10 years of “high-energy, blow-out physicality,” Season 2014 features the award-winning work ...in between..., and highlights from the repertoire of “the best small-scale contemporary ballet company in Canada” (The Globe and Mail, 2013).
60x60 Dance Toronto - 60x60 Dance Toronto 2014
October 16, 2014 (Harbourfront Centre Theatre)
Tickets: $22.25|
60 Toronto choreographers collaborate with 60 Canadian composers in consecutive one-minute miniatures. Under the directorship of Viv Moore, 60x60 spans the gamut of exciting contemporary, traditional and hybrid disciplines.
BoucharDanse/ Théâtre La Tangente - L’Implorante & L’éternel voyage
October 23–25, 2014 (Harbourfront Centre Theatre)
Tickets: $15-35
From ethereal to earthbound, this production traces a journey of human dilemmas — the unknown, fragility
and undiscovered strengths. With stunning visuals and a cast of stellar performers, prepare to follow the beating of your own heart.Toronto Dance Theatre - Pond Skaters, Early Departures and a new work by Christopher House
November 4–8, 2014 (Fleck Dance Theatre)
Tickets: $20–40
Toronto Dance Theatre’s amazing dancers return in a bold mixed programme featuring Thomas Hauert’s Dora-nominated Pond Skaters, Christopher House’s 1991 masterwork Early Departures, and a new, dynamic full-company work also by House.
Ballet Creole – Soulful Messiah
November 28–29, 2014 (Fleck Dance Theatre)
Tickets: $20–45
Ring in the holidays with Ballet Creole’s signature seasonal favourite. Soulful Messiah infuses tap,
African-Caribbean, ballet, jazz and modern dance into a unique holiday classic to the soundtrack of Quincy Jones’ Grammy Award-winning rendition of Handel’s Messiah.
Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre - WinterSong — dances for a sacred season
December 12–13, 2014 (Fleck Dance Theatre)
Tickets: $22.50–38
WinterSong will warm the hearts of family audiences with its breathtaking tapestry of seasonal dance inspired by the world’s rich solstice traditions. Highlights include a premiere by dance sensation Belinda McGuire, plus To Repel the Demons by New York’s acclaimed Kevin Wynn.
Dance Ontario – DanceWeekend 2015
In association with Harbourfront Centre
January 16–18, 2015 (Fleck Dance Theatre)
Tickets: $10 minimum donation
|A fabulous showcase of Toronto’s globally inspired professional dance companies. From the polished performances of traditional styles to edgy new works from debut choreographers, it’s a weekend to inspire every dance fan.
DanceWorks DW208: Vincent Sekwati Mantsoe – NTU/ Skwatta
January 29–31, 2015 (Harbourfront Centre Theatre)
Tickets: $19–37
Vincent Mantsoe presents his newest riveting solos. Watch as he embodies limitless spirituality steeped in the realities of his South African homeland.
DanceWorks DW209: Sylvain Émard Danse – Ce n’est pas la fin du monde (It’s not the end of the world) February 28, 2015 (Fleck Dance Theatre)Tickets: $19–37
Acclaimed choreographer Sylvain Émard plunges seven male dancers into the hurly-burly of a contemporary world undergoing massive change where bodies are electrified by a shared feeling of urgency.
DanceWorks DW210: Marie France Forcier & Tracey Norman - Scars Are All the Rage/what goes between
March 12–14, 2015 (Harbourfront Centre Theatre)
Tickets: $19–37
Through works aesthetically different but astutely crafted and rich in imagery, choreographers Forcier and Norman explore the impact of loss and transformation.
Kaeja d’Dance - Kaeja d’Dance 25th Anniversary Season
March 24–28, 2015 (Harbourfront Centre Theatre)
Tickets: $22.50–40
Award-winning contemporary dance company Kaeja d’Dance kicks off their 25th anniversary year with world premieres by Karen and Allen Kaeja, both of which play with the notions of fate, coincidence and choice. Enigmatic, provocative and hyper physical, celebrate 25 years with this extraordinary double bill. (Seen below in development of X-ODUS)
Ritmo Flamenco Dance & Music Ensemble – SIROCCO
March 27–29, 2015 (Studio Theatre)
Tickets: $25–35
A “Sirocco” is a powerful Mediterranean wind from the Sahara that crosses North Africa to settle in Southern Spain. Award-winning choreographer Anjelica Scannura moves beyond geographical and stylistic boundaries searching for the obscure Arab roots of flamenco.
Ballet Creole - Agua Como Vida
April 17–18, 2015 (Fleck Dance Theatre)
Tickets: $20–45
For its 25th anniversary season, Ballet Creole presents intriguing new works that combine the artistic sensibilities of Artistic Director Patrick Parson, Associate Choreographer Gabby Kamino and guest collaborators to explore the universal connectivity of Earth’s most valuable resource, water.
Esmeralda Enrique Spanish Dance Company
April 24–26, 2015 (Fleck Dance Theatre)
Tickets: $23–45
The power of flamenco is presented with elegance and passion by this award-winning company of singers, musicians and dancers who never fail to bring enthralled audiences to their feet.
DanceWorks DW211: Raagini Dance/Bageshree Vaze – Paratopia
April 23–25, 2015 (Harbourfront Centre Theatre)
Tickets: $19–37
Discover 21st century kathak and Indian classical dance in a contemporary, global reality. Bageshree Vaze’s solos and new group work highlight complex footwork, sparkling pirouettes, dynamic movements and
intricate facial and hand gestural language.CanAsian Dance Festival - 2015 CanAsian International Dance Festival
April 30–May 2, 2015 (Harbourfront Centre Theatre)
Tickets: $25–30
The 2015 CanAsian International Dance Festival features exceptional dance by outstanding Canadian and international artists inspired by Asian ideas and practices.
Sampradaya Dance Creations - nirantara — beyond space and time
May 21–23, 2015 (Fleck Dance Theatre)
Tickets: $20–35
Launching Sampradaya’s 25th anniversary year, Lata Pada’s bharatanatyam-based work explores worlds known and unknown, interwoven into a continuum, perpetual and elusive. It features a stunning dance ensemble performing to live music by India’s acclaimed, versatile pianist and composer Anil Srinivasan and Carnatic vocalist, Sikkil Gurucharan. (Seen below in last year's tour)
Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre - Space Interrupted
May 29–30, 2015 (Fleck Dance Theatre)
Tickets: $22.50–38
Californian Colin Connor explores uncharted waters, casting CCDT Artistic Director Deborah Lundmark in his domestic tempest, The Weather in the Room. Also featuring Ofilio Sinbadinho Portillo’s acclaimed 2014 Harbourfront Centre commission, Anomykz.
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