Author Archives: twebb1

Spring 2011 New Class: Integrated Media for Performance with Professor Lars Jan!!!

INTEGRATED MEDIA FOR PERFORMANCE: MEDIA & TECHNOLOGY DESIGN (THEA 004D)

PROF. LARS JAN ‘00

SPRING SEMESTER 2011

MONDAYS 1:15-4:00 PM & 4:15-6:15 PM

OPEN TO ALL STUDENTS WITHOUT PREREQUISITE

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the application of various visual and audio technologies in live theater and dance performance.  The course also will explore the emerging phenomenon of hybrid creative practices that utilize technology to further expand 21st-century storytelling, design, and genre.  Discussion of the historical and theoretical context of contemporary mixed-media performance will be combined with an orientation to the available technologies found at Swarthmore and beyond, with an emphasis on video. The class will include the conceptualization and preparation of a series of individual studio projects. The course is designed to serve all students regardless of prior experience in theater production.

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LARS JAN is a director, designer, writer, and media artist.  He will be teaching INTEGRATED MEDIA as well as directing PRODUCTION ENSEMBLE (THEA 022) in Spring 2011.

The son of first-generation émigrés from Afghanistan and Poland, Lars is committed to international artistic research and exchange.   He has studied and worked extensively in Japan (Tondo Ningyo Joruri Theatre, 2003-04), Afghanistan (2005), and Ukraine.  Lars is a 2000 graduate of Swarthmore College and completed his MFA in Directing and Integrated Media at CalArts with the support of a Jack Kent Cooke Fellowship.  Lars is the recipient of the 2008 Sherwood Award, granted by Center Theatre Group to an innovative theatre artist in Los Angeles.  He has created new work and taught in residence at Princeton University’s Atelier Program as well as at Mount Holyoke, Swarthmore, and Amherst Colleges.

In 2009 and 2010, Lars Jan researched and created new works while a resident fellow at The MacDowell Colony (Peterborough, NH), EMPAC (Troy, NY), Brookfield Properties Arts Program (Los Angeles, CA) and The Maggie Allesee National Center for Choreography (MANCC; Tallahassee, FL). His work has been supported several times by the Swarthmore Project in Theater.  His original performance, film, and installation works have been seen at The Whitney Museum of American Art (New York, 2005/2010), Symphony Space (New York, 2005), REDCAT (Los Angeles, 2006/2009), PianoSpheres (Los Angeles, 2010), The Kirk Douglas Theatre (Los Angeles, 2010), The Philadelphia Live Arts Festival (2004-2010), and The Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC) at RPI (Troy, NY, 2010).

He is the founding artistic director of Early Morning Opera, a multi-disciplinary art lab based in Los Angeles that specializes in live performance. He will premiere selections of a new opera, Makandal, at Art Basel (Miami) in December 2010.

Alumni in the News: Katia Lom (Class of 2006) opens in London

Katia’s latest London performance of “Elvis I Love You” on Thursday 18 November as part of an evening that was curated at Rich Mix
entitled “The Feminine Body”, which will also see work by choreographers Kamala Devam and Niall Cullen (Preface Morn).

Following a great reception in London at The Place at the Resolution! platform earlier this year, “Elvis I Love You” went on to be performed at the Siobhan Davies Studios, the West London Synagogue and St-Paul’s Church in Bristol.

Marking the 75th Anniversary of Elvis Presley’s birth this year, “Elvis I Love You” pays tribute to The King and sees five performers rediscover a passion for dance and love.  “Imagine Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker having a pink-toned fever-dream … and you’ll have an inkling” (Donald Hutera – *Dance Europe*).

For bookings and additional information please follow this link: http://www.richmix.org.uk/aandc_femininebody.htm
For more on Katia:  www.katialom.co.uk

Alumni in the News: Katia Lom (Class of 2006) opens in London

Katia’s latest London performance of “Elvis I Love You” on Thursday 18 November as part of an evening that was curated at Rich Mix
entitled “The Feminine Body”, which will also see work by choreographers Kamala Devam and Niall Cullen (Preface Morn).

Following a great reception in London at The Place at the Resolution! platform earlier this year, “Elvis I Love You” went on to be performed at the Siobhan Davies Studios, the West London Synagogue and St-Paul’s Church in Bristol.

Marking the 75th Anniversary of Elvis Presley’s birth this year, “Elvis I Love You” pays tribute to The King and sees five performers rediscover a passion for dance and love.  “Imagine Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker having a pink-toned fever-dream … and you’ll have an inkling” (Donald Hutera – *Dance Europe*).

For bookings and additional information please follow this link: http://www.richmix.org.uk/aandc_femininebody.htm
For more on Katia:  www.katialom.co.uk

The William J. Cooper Foundation and the Department of Music and Dance present SOLEDAD BARRIO AND NOCHE FLAMENCA

The Department of Music and Dance at Swarthmore College and the William J. Cooper Foundation will present SOLEDAD BARRIO AND NOCHE FLAMENCA on Friday, October 29th, 2010 at 8PM in the Lang Performing Arts Center’s Pearson-Hall Theater.  The event will be free and open to the public without reservations.

Founded in 1997 by Martin Santangelo and his wife, Soledad Barrio, the award-winning SOLEDAD BARRIO AND NOCHE FLAMENCA is Spain’s most successful and authentic flamenco touring company.  Performances feature Soledad Barrio, who has received awards for her riveting performances in over twelve countries including the prestigious Bessie Award from New York City.  Soledad Barrio was born and lives in Madrid, Spain and has appeared with many notable flamenco companies throughout her career including Ballet Espanol de Paco Romero, Cristobal Reyes, and El Toleo.  She has performed throughout the world with artists such as Alenjandro Granados, Isabel Bayón, Jesus Torres, Rafael Campallo, Belen Maya and numerous others.

All aspects of flamenco: dance, song, and music, are integrated and given equal weight in the presentations of SOLEDAD BARRIO AND NOCHE FLAMENCA, creating a true communal spirit within the company that reflects the very heart and soul of flamenco. Flamenco’s cultural heritage includes the music and rhythms of the ancient Romans and the folk music of the Gypsies, Jews and Arabs who fled expulsion into Andalucia, Spain during the tumultuous Middle Ages.  Flamenco, as we know it today, evolved slowly over time until the 19th century, when it rapidly gained in artistic stature as well as popularity. Under the artistic direction of Martin Santangelo and Soledad Barrio, NOCHE FLAMENCA draws on the rich traditions of flamenco music and dance, offering audiences the unique opportunity to feel the emotional impact of this ancient art.  SOLEDAD BARRIO AND NOCHE FLAMENCA is recognized as one of the most exciting flamenco companies in the field today. The company brings to the stage the essence, purity, and integrity of one of the world’s most complex and mysterious art forms.

SOLEDAD BARRIO AND NOCHE FLAMENCA will hold a Lecture/Demonstration in the LPAC Pearson-Hall Theater (Mainstage) on Thursday October 28th at 10AM.  Please contact Susan Grossi (sgrossi1@swarthmore.edu), Administrative Assistant for Music and Dance in LPAC 004 or at x2019 for more information.

SOLEDAD BARRIO AND NOCHE FLAMENCA will also host a Master Class in the LPAC Boyer Dance Studio (LPAC 003) on Thursday October 28th at 4:30PM. This event is free and open to students, but please contact Professor Kim Arrow (karrow1@swarthmore.edu) at x8670 or Susan Grossi (sgrossi1@swarthmore.edu) Administrative Assistant for Music and Dance in LPAC 004 at x2019 to reserve a space.

For further information about these events, contact Tara Webb at 610-328-8260 or twebb1@swarthmore.edu.

The William J. Cooper Foundation and the Department of Music and Dance present SOLEDAD BARRIO AND NOCHE FLAMENCA

The Department of Music and Dance at Swarthmore College and the William J. Cooper Foundation will present SOLEDAD BARRIO AND NOCHE FLAMENCA on Friday, October 29th, 2010 at 8PM in the Lang Performing Arts Center’s Pearson-Hall Theater.  The event will be free and open to the public without reservations.

Founded in 1997 by Martin Santangelo and his wife, Soledad Barrio, the award-winning SOLEDAD BARRIO AND NOCHE FLAMENCA is Spain’s most successful and authentic flamenco touring company.  Performances feature Soledad Barrio, who has received awards for her riveting performances in over twelve countries including the prestigious Bessie Award from New York City.  Soledad Barrio was born and lives in Madrid, Spain and has appeared with many notable flamenco companies throughout her career including Ballet Espanol de Paco Romero, Cristobal Reyes, and El Toleo.  She has performed throughout the world with artists such as Alenjandro Granados, Isabel Bayón, Jesus Torres, Rafael Campallo, Belen Maya and numerous others.

All aspects of flamenco: dance, song, and music, are integrated and given equal weight in the presentations of SOLEDAD BARRIO AND NOCHE FLAMENCA, creating a true communal spirit within the company that reflects the very heart and soul of flamenco. Flamenco’s cultural heritage includes the music and rhythms of the ancient Romans and the folk music of the Gypsies, Jews and Arabs who fled expulsion into Andalucia, Spain during the tumultuous Middle Ages.  Flamenco, as we know it today, evolved slowly over time until the 19th century, when it rapidly gained in artistic stature as well as popularity. Under the artistic direction of Martin Santangelo and Soledad Barrio, NOCHE FLAMENCA draws on the rich traditions of flamenco music and dance, offering audiences the unique opportunity to feel the emotional impact of this ancient art.  SOLEDAD BARRIO AND NOCHE FLAMENCA is recognized as one of the most exciting flamenco companies in the field today. The company brings to the stage the essence, purity, and integrity of one of the world’s most complex and mysterious art forms.

SOLEDAD BARRIO AND NOCHE FLAMENCA will hold a Lecture/Demonstration in the LPAC Pearson-Hall Theater (Mainstage) on Thursday October 28th at 10AM.  Please contact Susan Grossi (sgrossi1@swarthmore.edu), Administrative Assistant for Music and Dance in LPAC 004 or at x2019 for more information.

SOLEDAD BARRIO AND NOCHE FLAMENCA will also host a Master Class in the LPAC Boyer Dance Studio (LPAC 003) on Thursday October 28th at 4:30PM. This event is free and open to students, but please contact Professor Kim Arrow (karrow1@swarthmore.edu) at x8670 or Susan Grossi (sgrossi1@swarthmore.edu) Administrative Assistant for Music and Dance in LPAC 004 at x2019 to reserve a space.

For further information about these events, contact Tara Webb at 610-328-8260 or twebb1@swarthmore.edu.

The Yes Men in the LPAC Cinema on October 7th!

SWARTHMORE COLLEGE’S DEPARTMENT OF THEATER AND THE WILLIAM J. COOPER FOUNDATION PRESENT A PERFORMANCE-LECTURE WITH THE YES MEN

September 15, 2010—The Department of Theater at Swarthmore College and the William J. Cooper Foundation will present THE YES MEN in a performance-lecture on Thursday October 7th at 4:15PM in the Lang Performing Arts Center’s Cinema.  The event will be free and open to the public without reservations.  Live presentations by THE YES MEN are hilarious, insightful, disturbing, and thoroughly entertaining. The prolific pranksters discuss their legendary hoaxes and identity corrections through storytelling and multimedia – featuring props used in the pranks and unreleased footage from their recent and classic exploits.

THE YES MEN are a group of activist performers started by two notorious pranksters who organize events in order to bring attention to corporate, government, and institutional policy contradictions. The two founding artists, Mike Bonnano and Andy Bichelbaum bring their backgrounds in the fine and performing arts to raise awareness about issues of social concern. THE YES MEN have gained international acclaim and notoriety for exposing dehumanizing business practices and helping to keep critical issues in the international spotlight. They do this through impersonating representatives of powerful corporations and government organizations such as ExxonMobil, McDonald’s, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. THE YES MEN’s famed hoaxes include a collaboratively produced fake New York Times announcing the end of the Iraq War, inserting queer soldiers as characters in a video game, and the false announcement of the World Trade Organization’s dissolution in order to shift focus to helping the poor.  One of their earliest interventions was commissioned by the artists’ collective RTmark and involved switching the voice boxes of Barbie and GI Joe dolls in stores at Christmastime.  Their recent activities have involved posing as members of particular corporations and policy organizations to affect potential outcomes. For example, Andrew Bichelbaum appeared on CNN as a spokesman for Dow Chemical, taking full responsibility for the Bhopal disaster and promising to use $12 billion to compensate victims. In this sense, his appearance as a corporate spokesmen announced the position the company should have taken. They call this “pranking for progress,” which involves telling “little lies to get at big truths – the idea is to reveal the real hoaxsters.” These “culture jammers” try to bring attention to inequities or hypocrisies through performance practices that model alternative behaviors and possible outcomes. The faculty advisors for the project are Assistant Professor Erin B. Mee in the Department of Theater and Associate Professor Janine Mileaf in the Department of Art.

THE YES MEN will also host a Workshop in the LPAC Frear Ensemble Theatre titled “Developing Performance Pranks for Social Activism” on Friday October 8th from 2:00 – 5:00PM. This event is free and open to students, but please contact Professor Erin Mee (emee1@swarthmore.edu) to reserve a space.  THE YES MEN will also be organizing an on-campus action with Workshop participants.  Please contact Blaine O’Neill (boneil1@swarthmore.edu) for more information.

For further information about these events, contact Tara Webb at 610-328-8260 or twebb1@swarthmore.edu.

The Department of Music and Dance presents the Intergenerational Drum and Dance Project

Fall 2010

COME JOIN US FOR
the
Intergenerational Drum and Dance Project

***Do ask about our scholarship and internship opportunities!***

COMMUNITY, MERRY MAKING, DISCOVERY
Presented by:
Jeannine Osayande, Founder & Director, Dunya Performing Arts Company
& Sharon Friedler, Director of The Dance Program

Swarthmore College Department of Music and Dance

Featuring Traditional Drum and Dance from Mali and Guinea
Jeannine Osayande and Ira Bond, Arts Educators
Ages: 5 – Well Seasoned Adult

When:
Saturdays, October 16, 23, 30,
and November 13 & 20
10:00am-12:00pm (Arrive 10 minutes early)

Where:
Swarthmore College
Lang Performing Arts Center (LPAC)
Boyer Dance Lab

Fees:
$100.00 participant (child)
$10.00 off each additional child
$100.00 participant (adult)
$75.00 parent accompanying child

To Sign up Now Contact:
Jeannine Osayande at 484-431-4378
or Satya at satyanelms@gmail.com

The Department of Music and Dance presents the Intergenerational Drum and Dance Project

Fall 2010

COME JOIN US FOR
the
Intergenerational Drum and Dance Project

***Do ask about our scholarship and internship opportunities!***

COMMUNITY, MERRY MAKING, DISCOVERY
Presented by:
Jeannine Osayande, Founder & Director, Dunya Performing Arts Company
& Sharon Friedler, Director of The Dance Program

Swarthmore College Department of Music and Dance

Featuring Traditional Drum and Dance from Mali and Guinea
Jeannine Osayande and Ira Bond, Arts Educators
Ages: 5 – Well Seasoned Adult

When:
Saturdays, October 16, 23, 30,
and November 13 & 20
10:00am-12:00pm (Arrive 10 minutes early)

Where:
Swarthmore College
Lang Performing Arts Center (LPAC)
Boyer Dance Lab

Fees:
$100.00 participant (child)
$10.00 off each additional child
$100.00 participant (adult)
$75.00 parent accompanying child

To Sign up Now Contact:
Jeannine Osayande at 484-431-4378
or Satya at satyanelms@gmail.com

Coming to campus October 1, 2010: Telephone Bronco does CARTOGORAPHASIA

Come see Telephone Bronco’s Cartogoraphasia, on FRIDAY OCTOBER 1ST at 8PM in the Frear Ensemble Theater, LPAC. Cartogoraphasia was developed for this year’s Philly Fringe and originally performed at the Circle of Hope Church in Philadelphia.

from the Broncos:
We tethered together myriad strings: memory, subjectivity, personal and political borders, sexuality, and the nature of the mind. Cartogoraphasia is the result of our explorations along all these paths. No surprise, then, that it’s also a celebration of anyone who is an intrepid adventurer, whether they’re exploring the caverns of their own subconscious or the contours of a lover’s hand. Cartogoraphasia’s themes ran together as our synapses fired, drawing distant connections and logics together. Eventually a web appeared, and the entire project of Telephone Bronco unfolded. We hope that as you take in the performance, the links will become clearer and more complex.

Telephone Bronco Theater Company is comprised of Theater Department alums and current students Nell Bang-Jensen ’11, Isa St. Clair ’11, Emma Ferguson ’10, Eric Holzhauer ’10, McFeely Sam Goodman ’10, Louis Jargow ’10, and Jessie Bear ’09. Take this once-in-a-lifetime chance to see Cartogoraphasia right on campus!

Khmer Court Dance and Music Workshops and Performances

Through September and October, Bryn Mawr College will sponsor several events highlighting the classical arts of Cambodia including dance, music, theater and discussions with the artists.

The performance of The Lives of Giants (see below for more information) is a ticketed event.  All other events are free.

MASTER CLASSES IN CLASSICAL CAMBODIAN TECHNIQUE with KHMER ARTS ENSEMBLE
Wednesday, October 20, 4:30-6:00 ~ Swarthmore College, LPAC Troy Dance Studio

Thursday, October 21, 4-5:30 ~ Bryn Mawr College, Pem Dance Studio

Saturday, October 23, 10:30 ~ Cambodian Association North Center Dance Studio:  5412 North 5th Street (appropriate for younger students)

Saturday, October 23, 1:00 PM~ The Performance Garage: 1515 Brandywine, Philadelphia (appropriate for dancers with more extensive training in Cambodian or other techniques)- Studio accessible by #2 bus or Orange-Broad street line

“LEARNING TO LISTEN” with KHMER ARTS ENSEMBLE
Cambodian Music Demonstration / Discussion
Saturday, October 23rd, 7 PM
Goodhart Free Admission. Reservations
required (Office for the Arts 610-526-5210)
Teaching artist, Ros Sokun

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