Dancing Across Cultures (at the Smithsonian)

by Keith Stanley
(copyright 2003)


Cambodian Dance - traditional	Cambodian Dance - traditional	Cambodian Dance - traditional

Yesterday (May 3, 2003), at the Freer Gallery's (Smithsonian) Meyer Auditorium, I saw two dance performance sets and heard a panel discussion. The first set was traditional Cambodian dance & music (live), two pieces, plus a short slide bio of each member of the group (the Cambodian Classics Ensemble). The second set featured two dance pieces by Tomie Hahn. One was a traditional Japanese piece and the other was modern, with the aural accompaniment derived totally from sensor’s on the dancer’s body, which sensors monitored her motions. The panel discussion afterwards was well worthwhile . . . maybe even the best part of the program, as the artists spoke of their vision and passion (for dancers--the joy of motion, the vocabulary of dance), of the desire to preserve traditional forms (contrasted with the living, organic evolution of the art), and of the challenges of performing in a multi-cultural setting (especially for performers from an ethnic group different from that in which their traditional art arose). The following pictures are from the two dance performances. I'm grateful to the Smithsonian for making such events available to the public (all without charge to the public).


Musicians for Cambodian Classics Ensemble	Cambodian Dance - traditional	Cambodian Dance - traditional

Cambodian Dance - traditional	Cambodian Dance - traditional	Cambodian Dance - traditional

Tomie Hahn - Pikapika	Tomie Hahn - Pikapika	Tomie Hahn - Pikapika

Tomie Hahn - traditional	Tomie Hahn - traditional	Tomie Hahn - traditional

	Tomie Hahn - traditional