Asian Cultural Celebration 2014
October 27 to November 1, 2014
Lighting the Past, Present and Future
Asian culture has developed over the long and complex history of many generations. In the past, it has also been responsible for ground-breaking historical and global innovations. Currently, Asian culture has many diverse aspects and made numerous contributions to contemporary society. It continues to guide the future by building off the achievements of previous generations. Join the Asian Student Association and the James Farmer Multicultural Center in highlighting the past, present, and future of Asian culture!
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Asian Cultural Celebration Keynote Performer: Onoe Ryu Dance Enterprises
Sunday, October 26 | 4 p.m. | Dodd Auditorium, George Washington Hall
Established in 1996 and hailed as a leader in the effort to preserve Japanese Culture, Onoe Ryu Dance Enterprises aims to bring “Japan to the audience…and the audience to Japan.” Onoe, a style of Japanese classical dance, melds sophisticated turns and colorful silk with diverse modern-world artistic genres and inspiring choreography to represent Japanese history and traditions. Directed by Shihan Oneo Kikuyuki, the dancers’ powerful imagery and graceful movements are meant to evoke the truths and emotions all cultures share. Kikyuki holds the natori certification to perform and the shihan certification to teach, granted by Tokyo’s most distinguished Onoe school of Japanese dance.
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Cultural Keystones: The Foundations of Modern Music and its Place in Contemporary Korean and Japanese Culture.
Tuesday, October 28 | 4 p.m. | room 411, Lee Hall
Music and society have evolved hand in hand from the very beginnings of human culture. Throughout Asia, echoes of the distant past coexist with modern culture and the contemporary music of the various regions within Asia reflects that. In Japan and Korea, the side-by-side evolution of culture and music is especially evident. Modern music in both highly-globalized countries takes influences from western sources like Jazz, Blues, Trot, Pop, Hip-hop, and EDM, and filters them through unique lenses of traditionalism to create their own distinct aesthetic of sound. Come learn about the unique facets of modern music and its deep connection to the historic past of Japan and Korea in a presentation given by Dr. Steve Rabson (Professor Emeritus of East Asian Studies, Brown University, instructor in Japanese culture, Leidecker Center for Asian Studies, UMW) and Alexandra Swords (UMW Media Studies Senior).
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Mask and Costume Art in the Peking Opera
Wednesday, October 29 | 5 p.m. | room 111, Combs Hall
Mask and costume is a special art in Peking Opera, where it distinguishes different roles and reveals their dispositions and moral qualities via artistic exaggeration, truthful portrayals and symbolism. Professors of the Chinese Studies Department of Modern Languages and Literatures will introduce different kinds of mask and costume via speech, picture and video, followed by a lesson on how to paint a Peking Opera mask.
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Asian Mystery Movie Night: “Old Boy”
Thursday, October 30 | 6 p.m.| room 411, Lee Hall
“Old Boy” is a 2003 South Korean mystery thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seats! Directed by Park Chan-wook, this film, about a man’s quest for vengeance after being locked in a hotel room for 15 years, won tremendous accolades from Quentin Tarantino and the 2004 Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival. Join the students of ASA for a night of mystery and fun!
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Taste of Asia
Saturday, November 1 | 6 p.m. | Anderson Center
Cost: $3 UMW Students/Faculty/Staff; $5 General Public; or 3 canned food items.
Co-sponsored by the Asian Student Association.
Taste of Asia is an annual celebration of Asian culture. This event educates the community about different aspects of Asian cultures and lifestyles through a fashion show, dance performances, and a variety of ethnic foods.
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For more information, please contact the James Farmer Multicultural Center at 540/654-1044 or at umwjfmc@gmail.com.
