H.T. Chen and Dancers will return to Hamilton College on Sunday, Dec. 14 at 4 p.m. in Minor Theater to present a program that celebrates the modern dance company's 25th anniversary. The program will include excerpts from Opening the Gates (1993) and Warriors of Light (1998) in addition to "13 Sounds, 25 Years," a short documentary film about the 25 year history of HT Chen and Dancers.
The excerpt from Opening the Gate reinvents traditional elements such as "13 Sounds," the small flower drum, and Chinese martial arts movements to explore individual and societal search for self and humanity. Opening the Gate was supported through the NPN Creation Funds, and co-commissioned by Miami-Dade Community College, Painted Bride Art Center, and La MaMa E.T.C.. NPN is a project of Dance Theater Workshop, and made possible with major funding from the Ford Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, The Pew Charitable Trusts, the Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Fund, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Warriors of Light is an abstract journey, evoking images of the human spirit as it seeks to attain enlightenment. Traditional props such as lanterns and poles, are used in a contemporary way use to lead the path on a spiritual journey. The excerpt of Warriors of Light is from a full-length work, which premiered at St. Marks Church in June 1998, with support from the Surdna Foundation and the New York State Council on the Arts.
H.T. Chen and Dancers appeared at Hamilton in 2001 when they performed Bian Dan as part of a three-week residency that drew on the talents of community dancers from across the Mohawk Valley. Eighteen children and adult participants and eleven Hamilton College students were included on stage as part of the final production.
Chen and Dancers is an innovative modern dance company, which has created a brilliant Chinese-American expression by embodying the cultural heritage of bold nations. The company has enchanted audiences across the U.S., Europe and Asia. Their a dynamic fusion of the spirited energy of American modern dance and the poise of traditional and contemporary Asian aesthetics is the outgrowth of Shanghai-born artistic director H.T. Chen's background in ballet, modern dance and traditional Chinese dance.
This presentation is a project of the Mohawk Valley Dance Partnership, which combines the talents and resources of three community partners: Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute, Hamilton College and the Central New York Community Arts Council Arts in Education Institute.
Tickets are $6 for adults, $4 for senior citizens and students and $3 for Hamilton College students. Seating is limited in Minor Theater and reservations are recommended. For reservations and more information call the Department of Theatre and Dance at 859-4057.
