Shen Wei Dance Arts
Shen Wei
Shen Wei Dance Arts (company)
November 30, 2011 - December 4, 2011
Wade Thompson Drill Hall
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.
Performances
Wednesday–Saturday at 7:30pm
Sunday at 2:00pm
Run Time & Content Advisory
This performance is approximately 2 hour and 23 minutes including two intermissions. Please note this performance contains partial nudity.
“[Shen Wei] took full advantage of the hall’s expanse with a mere 32 dancers.”
The New York Times
Gallery
Artists & Creatives
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Concept, Choreography, and Set Design
Shen Wei
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Original Score
Sō Percussion
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Lighting
Jennifer Tipton
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Video Design and Animation
Josh Horowitz
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Video Design and Animation
Layne Braunstein
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Video Design and Animation
Blair Neal
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Costume Design
Austin Scarlett
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Sound Design
Lawson White
Production Credits
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
Support
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.
