World Premiere
ADF Commission
Reconstructions
Performances
Durham Performing Arts Center
Friday, July 26 at 8 pm
Saturday, July 27 at 8 pm
$48, $40, $23, $18
Forces of Dance will feature work by three highly acclaimed choreographers, Martha Graham, Lin Hwai-min, and Bill T. Jones, and a world premiere by Twyla Tharp. This performance celebrates recipients of the Samuel H. Scripps/American Dance Festival Award for Lifetime Achievement Award and showcases the incredible talent of ADF students.
The performance will include 2013 Scripps/ADF Award recipient Lin Hwai-min’s 1998 solo from his masterpiece Moon Water, performed by Cloud Gate Dance Theatre dancer Chou Chang-ning. As a poetic meditation of the Taoist philosophy, the work explores the study of time and the balance found in Yin and Yang. The additional works on the program will be performed by the enormously gifted ADF students. In an unprecedented performance, Twyla Tharp will present an ADF commissioned world premiere created specifically for ADF students. Alexander Brady and Rika Okamoto will set what will be Tharp’s 130th dance work, featuring her iconic movement vocabulary and an original score created just for this occasion by David Kahne. Martha Graham, one of ADF’s four founders, has had a vast influence on the field that can be seen throughout history. In a special homage to the “mother of modern dance” Duane Cyrus will set the reconstruction of Ritual To the Sun from her legendary work Acts of Light (1981). Inspired by her revolutionary dance technique, the work celebrates the dancer as an exquisite instrument of expression. Bill T. Jones’ arresting ensemble work Love Re-Defined (1996) will also grace the stage. Drawing from Jones’ distinct and poetic style and set to a whimsical soundtrack by Daniel Johnston, the work is an energetic reflection on love and human relationships.
Lin Hwai-min will be presented with the 2013 Samuel H. Scripps/American Dance Festival Award for Lifetime Achievement prior to the performance on Friday, July 26.
Video
About Lin Hwai-min
Lin Hwai-min’s extraordinary career as a choreographer has spanned over four decades and has earned him international praise for his impact on Chinese modern dance. He is the founder, choreographer, and artistic director of both Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan (founded in 1973) and Cloud Gate 2 (founded in 1992), and his choreography continues to be presented throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia. While his works often draw inspiration from traditional elements of Asian culture and aesthetics, his choreographic brilliance continues to push boundaries and redefine the art form.
About Martha Graham
Martha Graham (1894–1991) is recognized as a primal artistic force of the 20th century and an instrumental figure in the revolution of modern dance. She created 181 ballets and a dance technique that has been compared to ballet in its scope and magnitude. Her approach to dance and theater revolutionized the art form and her innovative physical vocabulary has irrevocably influenced dance worldwide. In 1998, TIME magazine named Martha Graham “Dancer of the Century,” and People magazine named her among the female “Icons of the Century.” In 1962 she founded her company, The Martha Graham Dance Company, which continues to perform Ms. Graham’s acclaimed works today.
About Bill T. Jones
Mr. Jones choreographed and performed worldwide with his late partner, Arnie Zane, before forming the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company in 1982. He has created more than 140 works for his company. In 2011, Mr. Jones was named Executive Artistic Director of New York Lives Arts, an organization that strives to create a robust framework in support of the nation’s dance and movement-based artists through new approaches to producing, presenting and educating. He is the recipient of the 2010 Kennedy Center Honors, a 2010 Tony Award for Best Choreography of the critically acclaimed FELA!, the 2005 Samuel H. Scripps/American Dance Festival Award for Lifetime Achievement, and 1994 MacArthur “Genius” Award, among numerous others. In 2000, The Dance Heritage Coalition named Mr. Jones “An Irreplaceable Dance Treasure.”
About Twyla Tharp
Emmy and Tony award-winning choreographer and director Twyla Tharp has choreographed more than 135 dances, Broadway productions, and films during her 50-year career. Her dances, known for their creativity, wit, and technical precision combine forms of jazz, ballet, and modern dance with her own unique movement inventions. In addition to choreographing for her own company, Tharp!, she has created dances for The Joffrey Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, The Paris Opera Ballet, The Royal Ballet, New York City Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, The Martha Graham Dance Company, Miami City Ballet, and Pacific Northwest Ballet. Her 2002 musical Movin’ Out, set to the music of Billy Joel, received the 2003 Tony Award for Best Choreography. Her numerous recognitions and awards include the 1990 Samuel H. Scripps/American Dance Festival Award, the 2004 National Medal of the Arts, the 2008 Jerome Robbins Prize, and the 2008 Kennedy Center Honor.
Articles
Live review | Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan: Water Stains on the Wall
by Zachary Whittenburg, Time Out Chicago
Dance: Martha Graham Presents Acts of Light
by Anna Kisselgoff, The New York Times
Bill T. Jones: Inside the Famed Choreographer’s Rehearsal Process
by Laura Bleiburg, LA Weekly
To Dance Beneath the Diamond Skies
by Alex Witchel, The New York Times