An Hour of Spring and The Ultimate Dancer
Bellydance fusion: the differences that make a difference
creative genius: a loaded notion
A day late and a peso short….
I have been in Cali, Columbia performing with an international dance festival. Being in a foreign land and still dancing I feel connected to National Dance Week.
The official National Dance Week website offers advocacy tools as well as links to proclamations and guides to youth activities. Here is a state-by-state listing of National Dance Week events.
A message for 2009 about National Dance Week:
The future of dance lies where there are persons who do not dance.
These belong to two categories: those who simply did not learn, and those who think that they are not able to dance. They represent the greatest challenge for the dance teacher's profession.
In line with UNESCO's struggle against prejudice and discrimination, we are trying to expand the boundaries of dance and to change the current perception of what a dancer is.
Dance performances are not necessarily exhibitions of extreme physicality, accurate precision, or bursting emotion - they can be celebrations of interaction between performers. We can enrich dance concerts with dancers, singers, actors, narrators, mimes, acrobats etc., of all ages and all degrees of ability.
Bringing the 'excluded' into dance is a moral duty, but also opens a great door in times of economic crisis and unemployment. In every country there are millions of persons with physical or mental disabilities. We believe they are ready to dance.
They will create jobs to thousands of dance teachers. They can be assisted by the Ministry of Health, whose budget is many times bigger than that of the Ministry of Culture.
Integrating marginalized persons into the practice of dance is as important as integrating them into the workforce.
CID holds to the philosophy that everyone can dance.
Dance Day 2009 is dedicated to inclusive dance. Let us include all members of society into our classes and our performances.
Prof. Alkis Raftis
President of the International Dance Council CID
UNESCO, Paris
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1. The official Dance Day message is mailed to over 150,000 dance professionals in 200 countries. It is translated to dozens of languages. Please ask for a translation, or translate the message to the language of your country; send it to dance organizations and the media. You can find guidelines and previous messages at the CID web site.
2. Dance Day has been established in view of attracting attention to the art of dance, every year on the 29th of April. On that day, dance companies, dance schools, organizations and individuals, professionals as well as amateurs, are asked to organize an activity addressing an audience larger than their usual one.
3. The International Dance Council (Conseil International de la Danse - CID) is the official umbrella organization for all forms of dance in all countries of the world.
- CID is recognized by UNESCO, national and local governments, international organizations and institutions.
- Its members are the most prominent federations, associations, schools, companies and individuals in more than 150 countries.
- It is the supreme forum bringing together international, national and local organizations, as well as prominent individuals active in dance.
- It was founded in 1973 within the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, where it is based.
- UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
Speech by Ms Choy Su-Ling, ADC Launch
Speech by Ms Choy Su-Ling at the ADC launchGood afternoon ladies and gentlemen.
Thank you so much for coming today.
I would like to share with you how AsiaDanceChannel came to be.
AsiaDanceChannel is first and foremost a corporate social responsibility programme with the objective of promoting dance and preserving dance heritage.
In the scope of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues, ADC’s CSR projects fall under ‘Social.’ While many Environmental and Governance projects are already in place, ADC provides one of the most comprehensive touch points to address Social issues, using dance as a channel.
When we talk about dance in the context of Asia, it often cannot be separated from music and theatre because all these are intrinsically linked together as the manifestation of the culture, custom, and lifestyle of a certain community. We need to make a collective effort to preserve these multi-cultures without which the substance for interculturalism would not exist.
As a nation, we are not only blessed with natural resources but also cultural resources. As we transit into an innovation-fuelled economy, the driving force in the next phase of our development will be the imaginative and creative capacity of our people. The new architects of the global economic landscape are those who apply their imagination, creativity and knowledge to generate new ideas and create new value. Multi-dimensional creativity – including artistic and literary creativity – will be the new currency of success.
Many countries now see the creative industries as a key competitive advantage in the globalised economy. Ideas and imagination have become valuable assets and drivers of economic opportunities and growth. We must harness creativity and the power of innovation to forge ahead in a competitive and globalised economy. To succeed and thrive, we must tap on the creative cluster - which are arts, culture, design and media – and recognise them as one of the vanguards of economic growth.
Industries which are inspired by cultural and artistic creativity have the potential to create economic value through the generation and exploitation of intellectual property. For example, dance repertoires are intellectual property.
The efforts include developing creative capabilities, stimulating sophisticated demand and strengthening industry players to become credible and significant players in the global creative landscape. This is a tall order and we cannot do it alone. AsiaDanceChannel strive to bridge dance communities with business communities. For a start, we are making an effort to lobby for cultural philanthropy in corporate CSR agenda. We need to create a unique people-private-public collaborative platform providing various levels of support, including facilitation and funding.
The emerging social contract dictates that profit seeking must be carried on within a broader context than the traditional economic calculus. The corporation is a social organization as well as an economic organization and its performance will be appraised in social as well as economic terms. Businesses must restructure its objectives so that social goals are put on par with economic goals.
If I were to ask you who is the Martha Graham or Merce Cunningham of Asia? Nobody knows. This is a pity because in Asia we have so many Grand Masters and dance exponents who are custodians of dance heritage. In 2005, UNESCO declared mak yong, a traditional dance-drama from northern Malaysia, a “Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.” AsiaDanceChannel.com wants to put Asian talents and culture on the world map. By promoting and raising the profile of Asian dance and dancers, we hope that the younger generation would develop an interest in inheriting these art forms.
Most of the large continents such as USA, Europe and Australia, have dance magazines, so why not Asia? Asia comprise of an aggregate of the cultural heritage of many nationalities, societies, religions, and ethnic groups in the region. AsiaDanceChannel.com, as a new media channel fills the gap for rich Asian content and gives dance in Asia the share of voice it deserves.
The objective of the dance magazine is to create dance ‘audienceship’ converting individuals with no prior inclination towards dance to someone that does.
Last but not least, I would like to take the opportunity to thank the Media, Dance and Southeast Asia Departments of University Malaya for their collective efforts in putting up the International Dance Day celebrations. I would also like to thank Creative Technology Advances Sdn Bhd, our technology sponsor, for taking the lead in cultural philanthropy through the provision of their technology support.
And finally, happy International Dance Day!
Thank you.
AsiaDanceChannel.com – Asia’s First Online Dance Magazine Launch
“Most of the large continents such as USA, Europe and Australia, have dance magazines, so why not Asia? Asia comprise of an aggregate of the cultural heritage of many nationalities, societies, religions, and ethnic groups in the region. AsiaDanceChannel.com fills the gap for rich Asian content and gives dance in Asia the share of voice it deserves,” said founder Ms Choy Su-Ling, a dance blogger.
“Who is the Martha Graham or Merce Cunningham of Asia? Not many people know. This is a pity because in Asia we have so many Grand Masters and dance exponents who are custodians of dance heritage. In 2005, UNESCO declared mak yong, a traditional form of dance-drama from northern Malaysia, a “Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.” AsiaDanceChannel.com wants to put Asian talents and culture on the world map. By promoting and raising the profile of Asian dance, we hope that the younger generation would develop an interest in inheriting these art forms.”
However, the online dance magazine does not only cover traditional and classical dance forms. It also covers contemporary, ballet, modern, jazz, Latin American and other dance forms practiced and enjoyed in Asia. The online dance magazine now features dance reviews, interviews, event listings, and videos. Readers are able to plan ahead for shows and festivals not only in their own country but even as they travel Asia. The magazine not only targets dancers and dance enthusiasts but also people who have a general interest in culture and art, and travellers. In fact, the goal of creating dance ‘audienceship’ is to convert individuals with no prior inclinations towards dance to someone that does.
More sophisticated modules of the website are in the pipeline and AsiaDanceChannel.com has Creative Advances Technology Sdn Bhd (CAT), the technology sponsor, to thank. CAT is the developer of the highly successful VirtualMalaysia.com, the official e-tourism portal for the Ministry of Tourism, Malaysia, which today receives over 30 million hits and 1 million pageviews a month. Following the success of the portal, CAT developed the Malaysian Tourism Online Unified Reservation System (myTOURS), a consolidated tourism e-business platform funded by the MDeC development grant.
International Dance Day was celebrated jointly with the Media, Dance and Southeast Asia Departments of University Malaya. Students put up an afternoon of performance featuring the taklempong ensemble, and Zapin, Ngajat Iban, Bharatanatyam and contemporary dances. According to tradition, the International Dance Day Message circulated around the world by the International Dance Committee of the International Theatre Institute UNESCO (ITI/UNESCO) was read out.
In 1982, the ITI/UNESCO founded International Dance Day to be celebrated every year on 29 April. The date commemorates the birthday of Jean-Georges Noverre, born in 1728, who was a great reformer of dance. In 1995, in an effort to unite dance, the ITI/UNESCO entered into a collaborative effort for the celebration of International Dance Day with World Dance Alliance as their only official partner. Every year, a message from a well-known dance personality is circulated throughout the world. This year, the honour goes to Mr Akram Khan, an acclaimed choreographer of Bangladeshi decent. The intention of International Dance Day and the Message is to bring all dancers together on this day, to celebrate this art form and revel in its universality, to cross all political, cultural and ethnic barriers and to bring people together in peace and friendship with a common language - Dance.
29 Abril dance day!
AKRAM KHAN (Bailarín y coreógrafo, Londres 1974)
Akram Khan
This very special day is dedicated to the one language
that everybody in
this world can speak, the inherent language of our bodies
and our souls, of
our ancestors and of our children.
This day is dedicated to every god, guru and grandparent
that ever taught and
inspired us,
To every song and impulse and moment that's ever moved us
to move.
It is dedicated to the little child that wishes it could
move like its star,
And to the mother who says, 'you already can'.
This day is dedicated to every body of every creed, colour
and culture that
carries the traditions of its past into stories of the
present and dreams of
the future.
This day is dedicated to Dance, to its myriad dialects and
its immense power
to express, transform, unite and delight.
Creation Dance – Beginners Dance 2009-04-29 19:53:00
If you’re 18 or over,
love to dance,
are up for a laugh
and want to star
in a new show on TMF
go to mtv.co.uk/casting
and register!!!
MTV UK are looking for fun, funny and daring contestants for a new TV Series
The format is complicated so pay attention:
People Dance to their favourite music videos and take their clothes off.
But it is not what you think…this is not a lewd, crude show, this is MTV!! And we are not only looking for professionals to take part, we are looking for all kinds of people, all shapes and sizes with all sorts of unique, weird and wonderful quirks to shake their thang!
If you are PROUD of your body, want to SHOWCASE your moves then we are looking for YOU!
It’s fun, carefree and of course it’s all done in the best possible taste, but more than that, it is going to be a MASSIVE LAUGH!!
So if you would like to apply for an audition to take your clothes off and shake your thing in front of our cameras, then send us your details!
If you are successful, auditions will take place on London in late May and/or early June
Anyone (so long as you’re over 18 years old) can apply to audition, if you think you’re brave enough….log on to www.mtv.co.uk/casting for more details.
Good luck!!!
Kate Bush – The Dreaming
1982: Kate Bush releases The Dreaming. Panned by critics and dismissed by the public, it is a critical and commercial disaster. 2006: Having had over two decades to sink in, Bush’s self-produced and wildly ambitious album is considered by many to be her masterpiece. Mule braying, orchestrated car crashes, looming helicopters, and Rolf Harris on dijeridu are just a hint of the amalgam of sounds you’ll find seamlessly woven into The Dreaming. Equally focused and demented, precocious and ferocious, at its bare bones The Dreaming is storytelling set to music. Devoid of filler, each of the ten songs is a tour de force that must be heard to be believed. In “There Goes A Tenner,” Bush retells the story of a bank heist gone awry in her finest cockney swagger. “Pull Out The Pin,” a song about a Vietnamese soldier in combat who tracks American soldiers by scent, finds Kate in character screaming, “I love life!” to caterwauling voices and hovering aircraft. Having had more than a few production tricks up her sleeve, Kate even went so far as to compose a backwards vocal for the end of “Leave It Open,” offering two distinct messages for listeners to decipher. Chaotic, fantastical, unnerving, and painstakingly brilliant, The Dreaming is like nothing you’ve heard before and will be hard-pressed to forget.
Bruce Scott
katebush.com
Dancing With the Stars…Melissa is Safe
