Introducing the Korea National Contemporary Dance Company

We are very excited to announce that Seoul-based Korea National Contemporary Dance Company will be performing in BAM's Next Wave Festival with Trey McIntyre Project.  TMP traveled to Korea this spring as part of their Asian tour with DanceMotion USA, and requested to collaborate further with dancers from this company.

Three dancers from KNDCDC will join TMP in their home state, Idaho, to collaborate on a new work. Then, additional KNCDC members will come to New York for joint performances featuring the new collaboration and work by each of the two companies here at BAM in November.

Meet the Korea National Contemporary Dance Company
Established in August 2010, the Korea National Contemporary Dance Company is the country’s first national ensemble dedicated to contemporary dance. Artistic Director Sung-yop Hong has identified several goals for the company: to encourage creative work by Korean choreographers; to popularize contemporary dance by creating access for regional and local communities; and to contribute to the global contemporary dance scene through international collaboration and partnership.

Joining Trey McIntyre Project
This week, Dance Magazine wrote on their blog, "So what makes McIntyre's work American? Just the music? The can-do confidence? The sense of daring? The mix of ballet and quasi-party dance? The willingness to break with the past? Whatever it is, he’s turned the American city of Boise, Idaho, into a dance-loving city."  

This spring, TMP toured as part of DanceMotion USA to China, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Korea - where they met KNCDC.  During their tour, Trey McIntyre and his dancers not only presented their uniquely American style, but also embraced and studied Korean traditions:

Now, they will further Korean-American dance exchange on their home soil. 

We can't wait to see what these two companies devise together.  Don't miss it!

© Lois Greenfield 2011

• See the show at BAM

• Photos of Trey's trip to Seoul last week on our Facebook page
• More KNCDC videos

DanceMotion USA 2012 by the Numbers

4 companies
41 artists
14 countries
18 U.S. embassies & consulates
33 cities
85 days
36 performances
118 exchange & education activities
460 books & DVDs distributed to 20 libraries
12,000+ web site visitors
23,156 audience members & participants
1,000,000+ media impressions

From March through June of 2012, four American dance companies embarked on journeys across the globe. As part of the second installment of DanceMotion USAsm, dancers from Los Angeles’ Jazz Tap Ensemble, Philadelphia’s Rennie Harris Puremovement, New York City’s Seán Curran Company and Boise, Idaho’s Trey McIntyre Project set out as artist diplomats – to share and exchange their work as American dancers with artists, students, and audiences from cultures and backgrounds entirely different from their own.

The power of these dancers’ travels has been seen in the stories told in this blog - through photos, videos, and anecdotes of their time abroad. As the program continues, the reports speak volumes about dance’s incredible ability to connect people across cultures, borders, and boundaries. These numbers only touch the surface in describing the connections made with audience members, workshop participants, fellow artists, and students – and the stories born from those experiences.

(c US Embassy Ashgabat)

Seán Curran Company after a workshop in Turkmenistan

 

Jazz Tap Ensemble with new friends in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe

 

 Rennie Harris Puremovement after a workshop at the

Rabbea Murkus Dance Studio in Kfar Yassif, Israel

 

 Trey McIntyre Project studying Tai Chi in Guangzhou, China

DanceMotion USA would like to thank everyone involved in its second year of tours for their fearless dedication to connecting Americans to the rest of the world through dance. Because of your work, the world is shrinking geographically and expanding creatively, growing in its capacities for global collaboration, innovation, and peace-building.

Stay tuned for more details and information on the DanceMotion USA program over the next week!

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!

Reflections on China

From Artistic Director Trey McIntyre:

As we fly away from Chengdu, it's shocking to realize that we're already three weeks into this amazing tour.

China was another jam-packed week with performances in both Guangzhou and Chengdu. We began with a very warm welcome from the students of the Guangzhou Ballet Academy, whose dancers were all gifted with near perfect ballet facility.

Ben taught them a section from Ma Maison--inspired by New Orleans, Louisiana, literally half a world away for them--and they embraced the new experience with excitement, humility, and vigor.

In Chengdu, we did a lecture demonstration for the students at Sichuan Normal University, followed by an afternoon of master classes.

On Saturday, we visited the home of the Giant Pandas, visited the Chengdu International S.O.S. Children's Village, and were guests of the Sichuan Provincial People's Association at an amazing dinner with live traditional music and an overflowing bottle of baijiu.

The embassies in every city have been amazing and made our visits truly special.

(As always, more photos--check out the pandas--at treymcintyre.com/blog. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter, too.)

Learning, Dancing, and Eating in Guangzhou, China

Guangzhou is a huge city with a population of 14 million and it isn't even the largest city in China.

We were so lucky to get a day off in Guangzhou and we were invited to join in a Tai Chi class led by a Tai Chi master. Some of us got up early and headed to Martyrs' Park for the class. When we arrived, we discovered that the people who take the class every morning had prepared three dances for us: a fan dance, a sword dance, and a traditional Tai Chi dance. It was amazing--we were inspired to start doing Tai Chi in Ann Morrison Park when we get home to Boise. 

After they danced for us, they asked if we would do something for them. We performed a SpUrban and, suddenly, we were surrounded by people from the park. It was an incredible spontaneous moment of cultural exchange. 

Trey McIntyre Project is the first American dance company asked to be guests at the Guangzhou Art School and we were so honored to be invited. When we arrived, we saw a huge banner welcoming us to the school. We taught a master class to some of the students. The students live at the school year round and it is the home of the Guangzhou Ballet Troupe. We taught a master class to some of the students. 

Later, we had a show in Guangzhou, where we shared the stage with both the Art School students and the Guangzhou Ballet. The students are studying Chinese folk dance and they were amazing. They take such pride in their culture and that showed in every step of their performance. It was so cool to see. 

TMP and students of the Guangzhou Art School

We were also introduced to the "angry noodle guy" at a shop in Guangzhou. A bowl of noodles and a beer costs about $2.25 and we were entertained by the owner of the shop, who walks around yelling at employees and clients alike.

 

TMP's Ben Behrends, Chanel DaSilva, Lauren Edson, and Travis Walker
enjoying inexpensive eats in Guangzhou, China. 

We are thankful for our time in Guangzhou and all the people who made that time so special.

Reflections on Vietnam

From Artistic Director Trey McIntyre:

In Jungian dream psychology, the car is often considered a representation of the ego.

As we rode in a bus from the airport to the hotel, thousands of motor-scooters and small cars buzzed around us in a natural system, like water against rocks or an army of ants, seemingly without rules but generous and efficient. As a pedestrian in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, crossing the street requires a Zen-like moment of trust and abandon. There are no obvious breaks to pass, and one must simply step out in a slow easy pace, communicating with eye contact.

It is a shock to a Western viewpoint, where the space around you belongs to you, and any violation of that is an act of aggression. Coexisting in Vietnam is an act of community and cooperation. It is comforting. There were clear societal differences in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, the former being more conservative and historical, while the latter is an eclectic, open, metropolitan city.

Our time in Hanoi consisted of visits with the Vietnam Theater for Music, Dance and Song; a visit with the kids at SOS Children's Rescue Center; a shared performance with the excellent students of the Vietnam Dance College; and a performance at the Au Co Arts Center. The company got to spend some time wandering around the vendors in the Old Quarter and many went to see the traditional Water Puppet Show, which was accompanied by amazing live music.

TMP and Life is Beautiful

Ho Chi Minh City began with my first Vietnamese press conference. We did an exchange with Bong Sen Song and Dance Theatre and they choreographed a dance on both companies together that we would later perform as part of an encore that evening. The next day was spent doing master classes with local companies that included the wonderful dancers of Arabesque Dance Troupe.

We spent our evening sharing, and then eventually having an all-out dance party with the people at Life is Beautiful Clubhouse, a resource center for the disabled.

Off to China!

(More photos at treymcintyre.com/blog)

Hello Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam!

We arrived in Ho Chi Minh City (also known as Saigon) a couple of days ago and haven't stopped yet!

Benjamin Behrends and Annali Rose (far left) look on as Trey McIntyre and John Michael Schert (far right) are welcomed in front of the Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Opera House.

We worked with dancers from the Bong Sen (Lotus) Song and Dance Theatre, which has been performing traditional Vietnamese dance in Ho Chi Minh for over 50 years.

They taught us a small segment of a larger piece that we then performed as the finale at the Ho Chi Minh City Opera House show later that night. We performed to a full house and the audience went wild!

We created lasting memories for everyone inside the theater--including ourselves--and there was such a sense of connection in the air as we shared the stage with the local dancers.

John Michael, Chanel, and Brett had the opportunity to wear traditional Vietnamese garments, which added another level of excitement inside the theater.

It was another great night of dance and exchange in Vietnam!

A Day of Cultural Exchange in Hanoi, Vietnam

Trey McIntyre Project had a huge engagement day in Hanoi, Vietnam.

We started out the day working with dancers from the Theater for Vietnamese Music, Dance and Song.

We showed them an excerpt from a ballet we perform and then they showed us two pieces that they perform. Then we dove right into cultural exchange.

The Vietnamese group taught us a women's dance with bells and a men's dance with a woodwind instrument. We taught them The More I See You, which is one of our SpUrbans (Spontaneous Urban Performances).

Then we traveled to an SOS Children's Village, where they care for orphaned and abandoned children and help disadvantaged families.

We danced for them, we taught them the Hand Jive, and we gave them DanceMotionUSA shirts.

We ended the day with a performance at Vietnam Dance College where we shared the stage with some of the college's students.

It was a wonderful performance--so much talent!

It was a full and inspiring day and we are all so thankful for the experience.

More photos of TMP in Hanoi at treymcintyre.com/blog.

Reflections on the Philippines

From Artistic Director Trey McIntyre:

Landing in the Philippines was probably the gentlest way for this group of Americans to have their first experience in an Asian country. Most everyone spoke English and the excellent staff at the Cultural Center of the Philippines made our time there very smooth.

Our first cultural interaction was with the dancers and students from the Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group in Manila. Our tour bus was greeted by young dancers outside the studio in traditional garb, dancing and playing music. It was a moving welcome and a great start to two days of intense training, learning the basics of many of their traditional dances. 

Later in the week, we traveled to Iloilo and met with indigenous dancers from the Panay-Bukidnon region. Many of them had traveled for more than a day on foot to be with us...including an 84-year-old woman who was so full of childlike joy and wonder. She was an inspiring person to meet. 

Many master classes and delicious meals later, we ended our week in the Philippines with a performance at Manila's Market! Market!, a free showcase in which we shared three of our own ballets along with performances by Ramon Obusan and Ballet Philippines.

Learning, Dancing, and Eating in Iloilo, Philippines

We visited Iloilo, Philippines after a few days stay in Manila and were all very excited to experience another part of the Philippines.

While there, we got to work with indigenous artists from the Panay-Bukidnon community from the mountains outside of Iloilo. They were such incredible artists and it was an honor to meet and learn from them. 

It was interesting to see the similarities with the dances from the Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group in Manila. Both groups pull inspiration from birds, but the rhythms that they stomp with their feet are different from region to region. 

We shared the stage with the artists from the Panay-Bukidnon for an incredible evening performance at the Central Philippine University and it was an experience we will never forget.

P.S. The food in Iloilo was outstanding. They are known for their seafood and we had a feast every meal!

Brett Perry

Meeting the Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group in Manila, Philippines

After a day of travel, TMP arrived in Manila, Philippines last week to start our adventures with DanceMotion USAsm. We started the first day with Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group and spent about four hours learning traditional Filipino folkloric dances. It was tough! Many of the dances we learned were inspired by the Filipino hawk, which is a beautiful animal.

We got to see some traditional dance garments, which are stunning and the detail is exquisite. 

It was a lovely moment when we got to show them a segment from one of Trey's ballets, "A Day In the Life," with music from the Beatles. 

What a fantastic way to start out our tour in southeast Asia. We are all hoping we can remember the dances so that we can share them with our friends back in the United States!

You can see more photos at http://treymcintyre.tumblr.com.

Brett Perry