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28 Aug 2009 09:16:58
A taste of the Orient will be coming to the University of Bedfordshire this September for a new event in the dance calendar.
The Step Out Arts Showcase ’09 presents the best of British East Asian choreography, with four acts performing over two hours. It is at the University’s Bedford campus on Friday, 25 September, from 6.30-8.30pm.
It is the first of only two shows nationally, with the other at the Greenwich Dance Agency a week later.
Originally established in 1995 to promote Chinese arts through educational and cultural events, producer Step Out Arts (SOA) sees this showcase as the start of the emergence of a British East Asian dance sector.
Aware of British East Asian under-representation in the UK’s dance industry, SOA’s artistic director, Jih-Wen Yeh, feels the need to challenge the status quo.
She said: “There is a serious lack of encouragement and opportunity awareness within the BEA dance sector, and no significant promotion of choreographic talent. As a result it is difficult for BEA artists to maintain their visibility and stability outside the East Asian community.”
So the British East Asian Choreographers Development Scheme (BEACDS) came into existence, a project geared towards the development of promising choreographers, with funding provided by Arts Council England.
Following a nationwide selection process earlier this year, the scheme has helped four successful candidates in the development of their art.
The four chosen choreographers represent the best in upcoming British talent, East Asian or otherwise.
Annie Pui Ling Lok explores the processes of translation and mistranslation in her performance ‘Half Truth and Allegories’, while deaf dancer Chisato Minamimura confounds preconceptions to focus on visual sound/music in ‘BEATS’;
British Laotian Khamlane Halsackda explores the universals of love, childhood and memory in ‘ACT 1’, and Quang Kien Van portrays the dangers of social exclusion in ‘Patient 319’.
This cross-cultural, cross-genre performance line-up is followed by a Q&A session which offers an opportunity for the choreographers to communicate with their peers, potential promoters, and audience.
Helen Bailey, Head of Performing Arts and English, said: "This is a very exciting partnership for us which is another indication of the excellence of the University’s standing in the UK dance scene. This event chimes with the cultural diversity of our Performing Arts programmes and provides a springboard for the University’s plans to develop a professional season at the Bedford campus theatre."
Ticket prices are £6 adults (£5 concessions). They are 50 per cent discounted for University of Bedfordshire students, ie £2.50 each. Call the University of Bedfordshire’s box office on 01234 269519. Early booking is suggested as capacity is limited.
Latest news» 2009» August» Taste of the Orient in exciting dance event
