Events

japan program cover

The Board of the Alabama Asian Cultures Foundation wishes to invite our "Circle of Friends" to the reception opening the exhibition of the World Heritage Site Panels from Japan. The reception and opening of the Exhibition will begin at 5:00 pm on Friday, October 12, 2012, in the Japanese Cultural Pavilion in the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. There will be a performance of Sho No Ryu offered during the reception, and light refreshments will be offered. The Exhibition ribbon cutting will take place at 6:00 pm at the entrance to the Blount Wing of BBG's Garden Center.

If you are unable to attend the reception, the Exhibition, titled "Birmingham Exhibition of World Heritage Photo Panels : Insights into the Soul of Japan,” will be on display free to the public from October 12 - November 3, 2012, during BBG's regular business hours.

We encourage you to join us as a "Circle of Friends" of the Foundation member by going to our website,www.alabamaasiancultures.org, clicking on the "Donate" tab, and choosing either an Individual membership or a Family membership. There is a tax-deductible donation option also.

We are pleased to announce our participation in the following event:

Birmingham International Street Fair
May 12th 11am-7pm
3rd Avenue North and 20th Street Downtown
Music, art, dancers, food and beer
... Free Admission (Suggested $5 donation)
For info on performances and schedule time go to www.BirminghamMulticultural.org and click on the Street Fair link
Bring your lawn chair and plan to make a day of it!

Come meet us, learn about our activities and goals, and browse the Asian items we will offer for sale to the public. Remember Mother's Day is May 13, so look for something unusual for her. Use cash, checks, or credit cards. Sales support the activities of the Foundation.

ht chen

May 8, 2009

(Excerpt from article on al.com by Michael Huebner)

Notions about Chinese dance often gravitate toward martial arts groups such as Shaolin Warriors or the highflying circus acts of companies like the Peking Acrobats. Both of those companies have had tour stops in Birmingham in recent years.

But a New York dance troupe has planted a seed that is more in line with contemporary Chinese diaspora.

Choreographer H.T. Chen has been bridging east and west for decades, and has established his H.T. Chen & Dancers as a hybrid of western modern and traditional Chinese dance. Taking elements of tradition, such as the Lion Dance, and fusing them with modern sensibilities, his aim is to establish a unique aesthetic, which he has conveyed to his 12-member troupe. Comprised of seven Chinese or Chinese-Americans, three Japanese and two Americans, the company will relay Chen's multicultural vision in performances Friday and Saturday at the Alys Stephens Center.

medium Chen 329.JPG "Good art is good art, no matter if it's east or west," Chen said recently from his studio in New York's Chinatown. "Finding the right dancers is very important, their body movements, their individual movement vocabulary."

Chen Dancer's in "Heart of Grace"

In "Heart of Grace," one of the works on next week's program, the Lion Dance is infused with tradition, then stripped of it.

"You will see elements of the Lion Dance technique," said Dian Dong, Chen's wife and the troupe's associate artistic director. The research was done in Taiwan. You have to perch on top of someone's head, and do over-the-shoulder lifts. For the lion head itself, we take off the papier-mache to the bamboo frame, so you actually see inside the frame. The traditional element is there, but it's a little different. You recognize the tradition and see the contemporary."

Another work on the program, "Between Heaven and Earth," is a series of dances set to the music of Chinese-American composers Chen Yi and Zhou Long, both of whom merge Chinese folk melody and instrumental color with contemporary Western styles. It was premiered in March, with the Orchestra of St. Lukes performing.

"We have worked together with both composers for the past two years, so it's not a first-time collaboration," Chen said.

Also during its five-day residency in Birmingham, the dancers will give workshops at Birmingham-Southern College and the University of Montevallo, as well as a "Meet the Artist" performance for middle and high school students Thursday morning at the Stephens Center.

"H.T. has always been influenced by Chinese calligraphy in his choreography," said Dong, "Often there are words or poetic phrases hidden inside the movements. We reveal those and demystify the choreography for the students, at the same time giving a mini-introduction to Chinese written language."

Students may also hear about Chinese labor and immigration during the building of the transcontinental railroad in the 19th century.

"They will learn stories that were not in the history books because they were omitted," said Dong. "These are all based on true stories from different historical societies."

The residency is a fundraiser for the Birmingham Chinese Garden and Asian Cultural Foundation, which hopes to build an 8-to-10 acre classical garden and center in Birmingham. A model of the proposed garden will be on display at a reception for Chen following Friday's performance.

"We're excited to help kick off the efforts to move forward in this plan," said Dong. "The Chinese have been in the South for a long time. For an institution to emerge and blossom in the community is a historic event. We're glad to be a part of it."

Michael Huebner is fine arts writer and classical music critic. E-mail him at mhuebner@bhamnews.com. Blog: blog.al.com/mhuebner

children festival

April 4, 2009

The Birmingham Chinese Garden and Asian Cultural Center Foundation is pleased to announce that its annual "Birmingham Asian Cultures and Food Festival" and fundraiser is set for Saturday, April 4, 2009, from 10:30 am (opening ceremony) until 3:30 pm at the Cedars Club of Birmingham(301 Green Springs Avenue South), two blocks east I-65.

Not only will there be many varieties of Asian cuisine available for purchase, but there will also be an Asian bazaar and a silent auction featuring Asian art and other fine items from many Asian countries (credit cards will be accepted). Entertainment includes performers who will sing, play authentic musical instruments, and perform traditional dances from various Asian cultures (Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese). A fashion show of Asian costumes is also on the agenda.

One of the highlights of the festival for adults and children alike is Ms. Kathryn Fairlee, a world-travelling Asian storyteller from California who will dramatically recount stories, myths, and legends from China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and other countries. Asian kite design and highest flying kite contests, with prizes, will be conducted, and a "Dragon Moon-Walk" will also be available on-site. One of the goals of the Foundation is to build a classical Chinese garden in Birmingham. A model of the preliminary design produced by a world-class design team from Suzhou, China, when they visited Birmingham in 2007, will also be on display.

Another highlight of the event will be an exhibition and two lectures with audience participation on Japanese Sumi-e by expert and practitioner, Ms. Mary Rodning of Mobile. There is something for the whole family! The price of admission is $12.00 for adults and $6.00 for children 12 and under. The adult price includes a basic dinner (3 items and drink), while the child's admission covers two items and a drink. Additional food tickets may be purchased for those who wish to sample the many additional foods available.

visions china

October 3, 2009

Birmingham Public Library to Host "Visions of China: Exploring China's History and Culture Through Early Photography"

Saturday, October 3, 2009, at 3:00 p.m. in Central's Arrington Auditorium

The Alabama Asian Cultures Foundation (the former Birmingham Chinese Garden & Asian Cultural Center Foundation) in partnership with the Birmingham Public Library, will present a Curator's Talk entitled "Visions of China" by Dr. Gregg Millett of Schenectady, New York, at 3:00 pm on Saturday, October 3, 2009, in the Arrington Auditorium of the Central Library.

This lecture will compliment an exhibition of the earliest known color photographs ever taken in China on display in Bloch Hall at the University of Montevallo from October 1-23, 2009.

Imagine viewing rickshaws, sampans, water-buffalo, bound feet, "criminals" in stocks, and Qing Dynasty princesses. This photographic journey will begin in 1945 in Kunming (Yunnan Province) with the earliest known color photographs of China, taken by an Army doctor (Dr. Gregg Millett's father) who became captivated by the people and surroundings he saw daily. The presentation then takes viewers back to the early 20th century, following the coast of China, with glass "Magic Lantern" slides and stereoviews. The journey will end in the late 19th century back in Yunnan, with the earliest motion picture footage of China. Dr. Millett will share his pictures and hand-painted glass slides using a digital projector. However, magic lantern and carousel projectors and a stereoscope will be demonstrated and on display at the lecture.

If you have any questions about the program, please contact 226-3742.

Check below for a complete listing of the Exhibition and Lecture Schedule:

October 1-23, 2009*

Exhibition

University of Montevallo - Bloch Hall Gallery

Visions of China: World War II and The Burma Road -- The World War II Photographs of Dr. Clinton Millett