BAM delegation moves on to Sri Lanka

 

BAM Executive producer Joe Melillo with Heshma Wignarajah, Artistic director, Chitrasena Dance Company


BAM Executive producer, Joe Melillo, and DanceMotion USA(sm) Project director, Michael Blanco, continue their travels through South Asia.   In Colombo, Sri Lanka, they met with the artistic director of the Chitrasena Dance Company, Ms. Heshma Wignarajah.  Ms. Wignarajah is the grand-daughter of the company founder, Chitrasena ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chitrasena ).

BAM delegation honored with demonstration at Chitrasena-Vajira Dance Foundation

BAM Executive producer, Joe Melillo, and DanceMotion USA(sm) Project director, Michael Blanco, were in Colombo, Sri Lanka and received an invitation to view a demonstration by the Chitrasena-Vajira Dance Foundation.  The Foundation nourishes the legacy of Chitrasena and his extraordinary work furthering not only Kandian but also South Asian dance.  His daughters and grand-daughters are continuing the patriarch's mission by teaching this beautiful dance form to the next generation of artists.  We were thrilled and honored to witness this work in person.

https://www.facebook.com/ChitrasenaDanceCompany

Dhaka, Bangladesh - Interview by Radio Today

BAM Executive producer, Joe Melillo, and DanceMotion USA(sm) Project director, Michael Blanco, continue their travels through South Asia.  In Dhaka, Bangladesh, Joe was interviewed by Radio Today, a local radio station with national reach (over 15 million listeners!) in Bangladesh. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_Today)  The interview is scheduled to broadcast on July 4, 2012.

Dhaka, Bangladesh - Prachyanat Theater School

BAM Executive producer, Joe Melillo, and DanceMotion USA(sm) Project director, Michael Blanco, continue their travels through South Asia.  In Dakha, Bangladesh, the members of the Prachyanat Theater School shared their ideas and a song.  http://prachyanat.wordpress.com/ 

BAM delegation in Bangladesh

BAM Executive producer, Joe Melillo, and DanceMotion USA(sm) Project director, Michael Blanco, continue their travels through South Asia.  In Dakha, Bangladesh, they were treated to a dance presentation at the National Academy of Fine and Performing Arts (Shilpaka Academy  http://bdshilpakala.org/site/ ) commemorating the 150th birth anniversary of renowned poet Rabindranath Tagore.

BAM delegation in Nepal

BAM Executive producer, Joe Melillo, and DanceMotion USA(sm) Project director, Michael Blanco, traveled to Kathmandu, Nepal to meet with Public Affairs staff at the US Embassy in Kathmandu to discuss DanceMotion USA(sm).   They visited Darbar square and the Patan Palace museum. (http://www.asianart.com/associations/patan-museum/index.html)

 

No Barriers! Jazz Tap Ensemble

Here is a favorite photo of mine. Taken after JTE concert in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.

 April 27, 2012

Pictured are the JTE musicians along with a local group of Jazz Singers (and on the left, an embassy staffer) who had enjoyed our performance (enough so that they almost pulled Doug, our pianist, off the stage when offering their congratulations)!  This pic shows the nature of our tour in nutshell, the universal nature of this music and how barriers do not exist between people who are listening.

Jerry Kalaf , Music Director/Drummer - Jazz Tap Ensemble

Jammin' in Mozambique

April 17, 2012 in a suburb of Maputo, Mozambique.

The JTE band was invited to sit in at this jam session. Afterwards, Stewart Sukuma, one of the most famous Mozambican performers (standing in center) came and sang and then invited all of us to attend his band's rehearsal later in the week as they prepared for their own tour, which was a highlight of the trip.

Doug Walter, Pianist/Saxophonist - Jazz Tap Ensemble

Jazz Tap Ensemble - Bass Players

These are the three Congolese bassists that played with the "Kinshasa All Stars" at the Halle De La Gombe. I love these guys!  These three bassists epitomized the profound musicality, voracious appetite for learning, and generosity of spirit we experienced from all the musicians we met on our tour of Africa. Their  music teacher, Gabriel WADIGESILA is hoping to create a “Bass Day” in Kinshasa.

David Dunaway - Bass Player/Jazz Tap Ensemble

Reflections on Seoul, Korea

From Artistic Director Trey McIntyre:

Spending the entire week in Seoul, Korea was a wonderful way to wrap up our tour of Asia.

The embassy there did a great job of making sure our week was filled with meaningful exchange: We were able to see lots of local dancers and shared the stage in an informal performance with local contemporary dancers, followed by a dinner that turned into an all-out dance party.

Master classes with Sejong University, Sun Hwa Arts High School, and the dancers in the Dong-A International Dance Competition also punctuated the week. We had dance workshops with the homeless, intellectually disabled children, and a hip-hop program for young people who had been victims of school violence.

The week ended with our final performance of the tour at the Goyang Aram Nuri Opera House followed by a wonderful post-performance reception with Sung Kim, the U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea.

Learning Traditional Korean Drum Dance in Seoul

Exploring Asian traditional dances brought to mind the idea of Americans one day having dances the young and elderly know and learn, dances that bring us together through our shared history, dances passed down from our ancestors.

Dancers we met in the Philippines, Vietnam, China and Korea took such pride in their country’s traditional dances—many young dancers go to university to study and earn degrees in traditional dance. TMP felt so lucky to experience some of these dances.

 Annali, Brett and Chanel learned a traditional Korean drum dance.

The Incredible Culture of Seoul, Korea

Spending the whole week is Seoul, Korea allowed us to really immerse ourselves in Korean culture.
The U.S. Embassy in Seoul scheduled us for a jam-packed week of events so that we could experience nearly everything that Korean culture has to offer. With only one show at the end of the week, the rest of the week was dedicated to master classes and community engagements...

We took a workshop with intellectually disabled teens.

Jeongbal Middle School students taught us some fly hip-hop moves.

We conducted a master class with Sejong University dance majors.

We learned steps from a traditional Korean drum dance from students at Sunhwa Arts High School.

We shared the stage with five local dance companies at a small, intimate show in the backyard of the Public Affair Officer’s home.

After the backyard show, everyone enjoyed a spontaneous dance party inside.

Through all of this, we saw again how dance has the ability to heal people, can transcend language barriers and can bring people together, no matter who they are. High fives all around!