The Freshman Year Initiative Program at Lehman College
Celebrates Contemporary and Traditional Balinese Dance
a Free Performance Open to the Public of
Building Bridges with Friends
--Guest Starring Balinese Artist, Anom Putra* from Ubud, Bali--
At Lovinger Theatre, Tuesday, March 20, 11:00 A.M.
Anom Putra as the Baris
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Joyce Luhrs, Publicist, 201-592-9126,
Carlos Fittante, Artistic Director, 646-361-9183
(New York, New York)—March 3, 2007--BALAM Dance Theatre (BALAM), a unique New York dance ensemble directed by retired Lehman faculty member Islene Pinder, unveils Building Bridges with Friends, a captivating program of traditional Balinese and fusion dance with celebrated guest dancer Anak Agung Anom Putra (Anom) from Ubud, Bali. This informative, family friendly production presented by the Freshman Initiative Program is free-of-charge, open to the public, and supported partially by a grant from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.
Anom, the artistic director of the distinguished Semara Ratih Gamelan, has toured internationally and received numerous awards and prizes in Bali for his riveting performances of the role Baris (warrior dance), which he will perform in Building Bridges with Friends. This performance marks Anom’s first appearance in the United States in 20 years. He will also perform Oleg Tambulilingan (love dance of the bumble bees) with his 15- year-old daughter Ratih Rismaputri, who is making her debut performance in the United States.
“Anom is one of those rare artists, who captures through dancing the ferocious magic of Bali. His ‘taksu’ (performing charisma) inspires the BALAM dancers and adds vitality to the company’s fusion of flashing eyes, spiraling arms, leaps, turns and partnering,” said Islene Pinder, BALAM’s founding director and Balinese dance specialist.
Building Bridges with Friends also features Nani Devi, a Balinese dance artist living in New York and the Director of Nani Devi’s Indonesian Dance Group. Devi will appear in the lovely solo Tari Lilin, a candle dance from Sumatra.
BALAM principal dancer Toshinori Hamada will perform the Noh play Yashima, a compelling Japanese warrior dance. The dance company will also present two fusion signature works: Tigerlily and the Dragonfly, a courtship on point with original gamelan music, and Hanuman the Monkey King, the “ROCKY” of the forest. A highlight will be active student participation in the performance and a Balinese dance lesson with the star--Balinese guest artist Anom Putra.
Pinder draws upon her background in movement research and choreographic talent to express the mystique of Balinese dance in BALAM’s fusion repertoire. “The Balinese perceive the dancing body as the consummate physical expression for mystical forces, feelings and imagination. BALAM enriches contemporary dance through the inclusion of Balinese aesthetics,” she said.
BALAM’s range of multi-cultural, contemporary work has been critically praised by several reviewers for its haunting, yet powerful impact. The Village Voice’s Deborah Jowitt described artistic director Carlos Fittante’s choreography and performance in “Amantes” as “…serenely beautiful…”. In 2006, the Cleveland Plain Dealer described his “Folia de Espaňa” as “…dynamic…elegance…”
The BALAM History
Islene Pinder, a CUNY dance educator, founded the company in 1979 to bring the mesmerizing Balinese dance and theater style to New York. Under the directorship of choreographer Carlos Fittante, BALAM presents a cutting-edge vision of contemporary world dance that appeals to audiences of all ages and backgrounds. Its repertoire, shaped by the artistic team of Pinder and Fittante, emanates from the dancers’ individual movement skills (ballet, Baroque, Lester Horton, and Karate movement techniques) fused with Balinese dance.
BALAM creates and performs original works inspired by traditional Balinese theatre. BALAM has been featured at numerous festivals and venues, including First Night New York, Lincoln Center Out-of-Doors, La Mama Experimental Theatre, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, and internationally at the Bali Arts Festival in Denpasar, Bali and the 2nd Encuentro Internacíonal de Danza Contemporánea in Cancún, Mexico.
The company’s work has been commended and highly praised by the Governor of Bali, the Semara Ratih Gamelan of Ubud, Bali, and the Indonesian Consulate of New York.
Performance Program, Schedule, & Tickets
| Baris (traditional Balinese warrior dance) Students’ Balinese dance lesson on stage with guest star Anom Putra Yashima, a Japenese Noh Dance Tari Lilin (Candle dance) from Sumatra Oleg Tambulilingan (Balinese Love Dance of the Bumblebees) Tigerliliy and the Dragonfly (BALAM contemporary fusion duet) Hanuman the Monkey King ((BALAM contemporary fusion duet) Students teach their teachers Balinese dance on stage Question and answer between audience and artists |
(10 min) (10 min) ( 4 min) ( 5 min) (10 min) ( 8 min) ( 4 min) ( 8 min) ( 5 min) |
Tickets:
Free. (general seating)
Location
Lovinger Theatre at Lehman College, 250 Bedford Park Boulevard West, Bronx, NY
(Publicity by Luhrs & Associates)
For further information, please call 212-563-9111 or visit BALAM Dance Theatre on the web at: www.balamdance.org .