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Shen Wei Dance Arts

“One of the great artists of our time … infinitely absorbing.”
The Washington Post

Rite of Spring
Premiered: 2003 (American Dance Festival)
Choreography, Sets, and Costumes: Shen Wei
Music: Igor Stravinsky (Four-hand piano version recorded by Fazil Say)
Lighting: Jennifer Tipton

Folding
Premiered: 2000 (originally created for China’s Guangdong Modern Dance Company)
Choreography, Set, Costume, and Make Up: Shen Wei
Music: John Tavener and Tibetan Buddhist Chants
Lighting: Jennifer Tipton

Undivided Divided
(world premiere)
Commissioned by Park Avenue Armory

Concept, choreography and set design: Shen Wei
Original score: Sō Percussion
Lighting: Jennifer Tipton
Video design and animation: Josh Horowitz, Layne Braunstein, and Blair Neal
Costume design: Austin Scarlett
Sound design: Lawson White

Following his year-long creative exploration as a Park Avenue Armory artist-in-residence, Artistic Director Shen Wei and his company, Shen Wei Dance Arts, will perform Undivided Divided, a bold new work that heralds the next direction for the ensemble. Created during the Company’s residence at the Armory, this site-specific world premiere will combine handcrafted scenic elements with an expansive digital projection in a performance that makes dynamic use of the boundless possibilities available in the Wade Thompson Drill Hall. The evening-length program will also include the restaging of two of Shen Wei’s most celebrated works: Rite of Spring (2003), a study of deliberate versus reflexive movement set to Igor Stravinsky’s intricate music; and Folding (2000), which combines highly stylized movement with the ethereal melodies of John Tavener and traditional Tibetan Buddhist chants. The evening will culminate with Undivided Divided, which will take over the entire drill hall.

Major support provided by The Rockefeller Foundation.
Additional support provided by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the National Endowment for the Arts, The Peter Jay Sharp Foundation, The Marc Haas Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, The Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, The Vidda Foundation, Harkness Foundation for Dance, and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

Photo: Christy Pessagno

 

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