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| "It's not about the shoes, it's about what you do in them." -MICHAEL JORDAN |
The Asian Grand Prix Mission International Ballet Competition is an international platform created to inspire and recognise the artistic excellence of passionate and dedicated ballet dancers.
This competition aims to provide an opportunity for talented ballet dancers to demonstrate their talents, explore their potentials, and learn from their peers as well as from the professionals.
Outstanding dancers receive cash awards for advancing their career in professional ballet companies or receive scholarships to further their training in renowned ballet schools.
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| LISA MACUJA CEO and Director Ballet Manila, Philippines |
- AGP Mission
This year, Ballet Manila will grace the Y-Theatre of their newest masterpiece called "Flight". Its most talented dancers were sent off to participate in the Gala Performance on August 8 (7:30pm) and August 9 (2:30pm).
"Flight" is a combination of all its famous best selling pieces choreographed by world class teachers namely, Agnes Locsin, Augustus Damian III, Gerardo Francisco and the late Tony Fabella.
For those who would like to see them perform, Filipino groups will get huge discounts (HK$80 each) if your group is composed of 20 people and up. Please do leave a comment below if you're interested.
Ticket prices are:
HK$80, HK$180, HK$280, HK$380, HK$480
Another dance project to watch is the Transcendance Project: "Children of War". Presented by Nina Gelladuga, it is about the war the modern world is currently facing. It says a lot about the precariats, who continuously thrive after the war had been survived. As life's challenges constantly shakes them up, what happens?
That you will get a chance to see on August 15 and 16 from at 8pm in McAulay Studio, Hong Kong Arts Centre. Tickets are available at URBTIX. Click here to book it. For ticketing enquiries, you may also call 3761-6661 and for credit card telephone booking, 2111-5999. For programme enquiries, you may call 6332 7301 or email children.of.war@gmail.com.
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| "Each body is affected by its form-of-life as if by a clinamen, a leaning, an attraction, a taste. A body leans toward what leans its way. This goes for each and every situation. Inclination go both ways." - Tiqqun, Introduction to Civil War |
"Children of War" is a dance performance reflecting on the social and psychological impact of war on children. As if to offer us relief from the normalisation of war, this performance piece reminds us of the children as both prime symbol of the disruptive impact of a life without reprieve from and an embodiment of an aspiration for gentle, peaceful, settled and dignified life. "Children of War" upholds the lives that children deserve - a life safe from harm, from the traumatic sojourn of refuge, from being orphaned and free from overlapping sound of bombs. In looking at their conditions through dance, bodily propositions, and visual environment, this work not only calls attention to how children have become vestiges of war but of how the adults are themselves children, or to be more precise, surviving children of war.
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| Proceso Gelladuga II behind him are his paintings |
Further more, it is the inaugural project of Transcendance, an arts initiative that aims to stimulate collaborative multimedia projects by bringing together like-minded artists, dancers, former dancers, dance students and enthusiasts. It endeavours to encompass the limits of what dance performances are expected to be and propose alternative methods of presentation and production of dance. Let by husband and wife, Pro and Nina Gelladuga, Children of War also features dancers Sarah Tang, Johnny Amar, Vincent Egido with lights by Billy Wong, visual design by Koala Yip and music and sound design by Fional Lee. This production is made possible through a venue subsidy grant from the HK Arts Center.
If you have time, please do support my friends, Nina, Pro and Vincent for they truly are creative geniuses. Their passion had brought life to this project. I've known Pro for the remarkable portraits we have at home and I know Nina to be one of the bests in her craft. I've seen Vincent also and his core and technique had been reliable enough for him to be able to dance his heart out. And for me, every artists should be able to emulate the way he does. He's one of a kind. Very soulful and free.
1st Dance and Nature Project 2015 which will happen from August 17th to 29th in Finca Manantial De Tara, Arafo, located in Camino del Portugues 42, 38550 Arafo, Canarias, Spain, is a unique fusion between nature and the art of dance. It is infusing all nature's 5 elements, into the essence of dance.
The work we will delve into will be primarily focused on one hand on great dance styles such as Flying Low and Passing Through, Contact Improvisation, Release, Physical Theatre and Choreographic methodologies, and on th either on the traditional Alchemy and Fusion energy-meditiations and practices from Taoist and Chi Gong lineage. To enhance the practice, we will infuse Buddhist values and philosophies as well as Kundalini Yoga meditations and Kriyas.
Brief Schedule:
Morning classes: Chi Gong and Kundalini Yoga
Breakfast
Afternoon classes: Technique and Improvisation
Lunch
Late afternoon class: Improvisation and Creation
Dinner
Free time and space for rehearsals and discussions
Vangelis is organizing this project so as to integrate dance with nature and the five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, water) from the Taoist and Chi Gong lineage. We will have intensive workshops but also space and time to develop solo and duets inspired by nature. It is a project where we can reconnect back to mother earth, to find our true nature of being and also reconnect with each other; to reconnect with people from different countries, backgrounds and experiences. We will work in studio but also in Nature, we will have cars to take us to the island so as to work, research and develop in unique place of nature in this beautiful island. Vangelis focuses this project on solo and duet works so as to delve deeper on personal and individual practice and develop our dance language and choreography through a process of self-reflection and introspection.
We have confirmed performance on the 29th of August at the Teatro Victoria with the special support by Roberto Torres, and also to be confirmed we will have performances at the theatre of Arafo and site specific performances as part of the local festivities of municipality of Arafo. Vangelis invites people from all diverse backgrounds and continents so as to collectively create an artistic environment where all participants will evolve not only as artists but also as personalities.
Classes description:
Embodied Unity
Vangelis will teach flying low and passing through improvisation class in combination with five elements Chi Gong. After many years of research Vangelis has created this unique class of fusion of energy work, contact improvisation, flying low and passing through. It is a high technical improvisation class, by working on original flying low sequences and principles to find the right foundation to express and expand from.
In the afternoon classes Vangelis will facilitate choreography and composition intensive workshops through his yearlong research on Chi Gong and five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, water) including the meridians from Chinese Traditional Medicine. This will be enhanced influenced by great teachers that have inspired him for many years: William Forsythe, Julyen Hamilton, Gill Clarke and David Zambrano. He will open the space for creating solos and duets to present at the end of the project in the theatre of Arafo and Teatro Victoria in Santa Cruz. We will delve deeper on individual and partnering interconnections but even more important we will connect all five elements (earth, metal water, wood, fire) with nature and the human organs to find a sense of being instead of doing.
Release and Reconnect
Kuan will be teaching release technique improvisation based, floor work, and contact improvisation based on the various and diverse experience she has. We will be using situational games to enhance the body-mind connection and mindfulness awareness. Movement qualities will be a main focus so as to investigate deeper and develop our dance language. During her classes you will explore and confront your own vocabulary through improvisation, contact and partnering. The class will be physical and challenging to reawaken and reconnect the body with the mind. By reconnecting you will explore what moves you in different unique ways so as to express from within.
Physical Theatre |
Voice and Movement from the Body to Nature
Gamze will focus on waking up the energies of the body with Tao Vinyasa, golden Seed flow and strong breathing technics. We will work in the studio but also in nature so as to take be influence and stimulated through the five elements. We will feel the power of nature within the body so as to explore unknown potentials and nurture unlimited creativity. We will work on improvisational body and voice games and tools, and throughout unearthed feelings we will reflect on our inner self-potentials to express ourselves genuinely and authentically. We will create different embodied movements that will form sequences and choreographic phrases that can present our inner essence influenced by nature itself. We will work on meditation and Chi Gong alongside to the voice, motion, and physical theatre.
How to apply:
Send your CV and a motivation letter to
vangelis.legakis@googlemai
Costs for participants:
450 Euros including accommodation and food
400 Euros if apply before 5 July
Contact details:
For more information and a full file of all the activities, teachers, schedule, workshops and theatre performances please contact vangelis.legakis@googlemai
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| 2013, Kuan's Birthday, Red Bar, Hong Kong |
I am more than thankful that I get to meet Kuan for she is one of the most talented people I know in Contemporary Dance. She had become a friend and a colleague and in support of what she has to share, I would like to let you know that she would be gracing the students with her knowledge in dance fresh from the classes she had in New York. In pursuit of combining it with nature, Kuan's Chinese culture speaks out. Our bodies and minds co-exist and keeping it in balance is the main objective.
If you will be in Spain during these dates, you might be interested to go for a retreat.
For more of these kind of artistic presentations, shows and getaways, follow the hashtag, #swagginsaturday. You can also follow me by enlisting your email. This way, you wouldn't miss out on anything. Check out the column on the right for submission. If you also would like to showcase some of your projects, missions and get togethers that may need faster announcements, invite me in Facebook as soon you put up the event and/or write me a personal message.
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