Image courtesy of UH Outreach College
By Staff Reports
(Honolulu)– Tickets are now on sale for the second biennial Asia Pacific Dance Festival (APDF) July 8 – 26, when Honolulu erupts with dance from around the Pacific Rim as some of the world’s most acclaimed performers, teachers and critics from Hawaii and the Asia Pacific Region converge on Oahu. Featured artists are New Zealand’s Atamira Dance Company, Taiwan’s Taipei National University of the Arts, Korea’s Samulgwangdae and Hawai‘i’s Hālau Nā Kamalei O Līlīlehua, kumu hula Robert Cazimero.
The Asia Pacific Dance Festival is a co-production of the East-West Center Arts Program and the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa’s Outreach College. Tickets for the Festival’s various performances, classes and events are available at www.etickethawaii.com/orc.html, UH Mānoa Campus Center ticket office, Stan Sheriff Center box office, and Rainbowtique Downtown or Ward Centre. Charge by phone at 944-BOWS (2697). Several events are free and open to the public. For more information, call 956-8246. or visit http://www.outreach.hawaii.edu/community/asiapacific/.
To give the community a sense of the scope and magnitude of the festival, Olelo will air selections from the inaugural Asia Pacific Dance Festival (2011) on July 3 at 12 noon (FOCUS 49) and July 6 at 8 a.m. (NATV 53).
Asia Pacific Dance Festival 2013 Schedule of Events:
Asia Pacific Dance Festival Summer IntensiveJuly 8 – 26, University of Hawaii at Manoa The Summer Intensive provides a wonderful opportunity for students to experience some of the dynamic traditions of dance from the Asia Pacific region. Over the course of three weeks students can enjoy technique and repertory classes taught by the 2013 Festival artists, as well as a Dance in World Cultures academic class taught by UH dance faculty with guest lectures by the APDF visiting artists. A professional teaching seminar is also offered for those who wish to learn how to incorporate material on dance in Asia and the Pacific into curricula. The concentrations for 2013 are Hula, traditional and contemporary Maori dance, indigenous Taiwanese dance, and Chinese contemporary dance. Credit and noncredit options available. Course descriptions and registration information are available at the Asia Pacific Dance Festival Summer Intensive page here or call 808-956-8246.
Living the Art of Hula Thursday, July 11, 7:30 p.m., Kennedy Theatre This stunning performance brings together three kumu hula who have been leaders in the hula community for the past three decades. The concert begins with an intimate conversation with kumu hula Robert Cazimero, Vicky Holt Takamine and Michael Pili Pang, exploring their personal journeys in hula, how they maintain traditions, and the process they go through to create new hula choreography. “We are often asked how we can call ourselves traditionalist while at the same time we focus on creative endeavors. This concert is meant to start that conversation,” said Pang. Performances will be woven throughout the conversation to enhance the discussion. The concert culminates in performances showcasing the creative choreography of each of the featured kumu hula and their respective hālau: Hālau Nā Kamalei O Līlīlehua (Cazimero), Hālau Hula Ka No‘eau (Pang), Pua Ali‘i ‘Ilima (Takamine). Samulgwangdae
Sunday, July 14, 2 p.m., Kennedy Theatre Samulgwangdae is a globally renowned samulnori group from Korea. The four core percussionists, who started out as boyhood friends and protégés of samulnori master drummer Kim Duk Soo, are masters of the changgo (hourglass-shaped drum), kkwaenggwari (small gong), buk (barrel drum), and ching (large gong). On stage, the ensemble’s musicians and dancers create a captivating blend of Korea’s traditional farmers’ band music, acrobatic military exercises and shamanistic ceremonies with its own modern compositions and theatricality. Asia Pacific Dance Festival Welcome Ceremony
Friday, July 19, 6 p.m., East-West Center Friendship Circle With APDF featured artists Atamira Dance Company, Taipei National University of the Arts, and Hālau Nā Kamalei O Līlīlehua. Free.
“Journeys” Performances Saturday, July 20, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, July 21, 2 p.m.
Kennedy Theatre A different performance each day with APDF featured artists Atamira Dance Company, Taipei National University of the Arts, and Hālau Nā Kamalei O Līlīlehua. Festival Public ForumSunday, July 21, 4:45 p.m., East-West Center (Jefferson Hall Imin Conference Center) Sunday’s “Journeys” performance is followed by a discussion with the visiting artists and special guest dance critics Deborah Jowitt and Steve Villaruz. Moderated by UH Mānoa Assistant Professor Tammy Baker. Free.
ABOUT THE FEATURED ARTISTS
Atamira Dance Company is the leading creator and presenter of Maori contemporary dance theatre of Aotearoa, New Zealand. Their work embodies the essence of their unique landscape shaped by the cultural identity of their people and their stories. The choreographers, dancers and designers reflect the diverse cross-section of voices in Aotearoa today through the artistic expression of their rural and urban backgrounds. The company creates compelling, high quality Maori contemporary dance theatre that reaches out to audiences and reflects the many aspirations of Mana Whenua. Founded in 2000 as a response to the need for a platform for Maori urban identity through dance in New Zealand, the collective vision and history of Atamira Dance Company through the support of its community and supporters has continued its rapid rise as a world force in indigenous contemporary performing arts.
Hālau Nā Kamalei O Līlīlehua. In 1975, one man brought about a permanent change in the practice of hula. His name is Robert Cazimero and his vision was Hālau Nā Kamalei, the only all male hālau hula in the Hawaiian Islands. Today, Robert Cazimero is considered one of the most respected kumu hula of Hawaiian dance. The men of Nā Kamalei perform around the world, and for 35 years, they have carried on the tradition of male hula. Through the years, Robert Cazimero and Hālau Nā Kamalei have blazed their journey with Hawaiian pride, dispelling deep-rooted stereotypes of grass skirt girls and coconut bras. The men of hula have swayed the heart of hula by reclaiming the masculine side of the ancient dance.
Taipei National University of the Arts (TNUA) is equated with excellence in Taiwan and around the world. Since the establishment of the university in 1983, a world-class faculty of choreographers, performers, scholars and educators has led the program and facilitated the development of young artists. Throughout the years, TNUA alumni have gained respect and international acclaim as professional choreographers, dancers, teachers and researchers. TNUA graduates possess a signature language of dance coupled with a distinctive performing style. The evidence resides in the accomplishments of the faculty and alumni who lead the contemporary dance scene in Taiwan and bring recognition back to TNUA from around the world.
Funding for the Asia Pacific Dance Festival is provided by the Friends of Asia Pacific Dance Festival, Hawaii Council for the Humanities, Hawaii Pacific Rim Society, Korean American Foundation Hawaii, Mayor’s Office on Culture and the Arts, New Zealand Consulate, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, UHM Center Philippine Studies, Hawaiinuiakea School of Hawaiian Knowledge, School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Student Activity Program Fee Board, Student Athletic Fee Committee, and Department of Theatre and Dance and contributors to the EWC Foundation including members of the Arts Ohana.