Press Release - March 10th 2007
BALAM's 2007 NYC Season
Baris Off-Broadway / Blues Meets Bali
(Choreography by Islene Pinder and Carlos Fittante)
Guest Starring Renowned Balinese Artist, Anom Putra*
Anom Putra in Baris
Sat. March 17 at 7:30pm & Sun. March 18 at 3pm
The Theatre at Dance New Amsterdam , 280 Broadway 2nd Fl, New York, NY 10007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Joyce Luhrs, Publicist, 201-592-9126,
Carlos Fittante, Artistic Director, 646-361-9183
(February 1, 2007—New York, NY) BALAM Dance Theatre (BALAM), a unique chamber-sized dance ensemble fusing Balinese with contemporary dance styles, launches its 2007 season with two captivating performances of Baris Off-Broadway , a program of traditional Balinese and fusion dance with a special guest artist, Anom Putra from Ubud, Bali.
The premiere, Wayang Blues (choreographed by Carlos Fittante) is a humorous duet following a bride and groom's descent into "happily ever after” set to recorded hits by jazz legend Etta James. This witty dance-theatre piece incorporates video imagery of icons from Pop culture, as well as shadow puppets and masks from Balinese theatre.
Guest artist, Anom (Anak Agung Anom Putra) , ranks among Bali’s most celebrated dancers. As the artistic director of the renowned Semara Ratih Gamelan, Anom has toured internationally to Japan, Australia, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Finland, Canada, the United States, and several other locations. His dance artistry and skill has been widely recognized with numerous awards, including a first prize in an all island competition for one of his most celebrated roles, Baris (warrior dance). In Baris Off-Broadway , Anom will perform Baris and Topeng Tua (masked old man dance).
“Anom is one of those rare artists who through dancing captures the ferocious magic of Bali. His ‘taksu’ (performing charisma) inspires BALAM dancers and adds vitality to the synthesis of flashing eyes, spiraling arms, leaps, turns and partnering,” said Carlos Fittante, Artistic Director.
“The Balinese perceive the dancing body as the consummate physical expression for mystical forces, feelings and imagination. BALAM embraces this viewpoint and enriches contemporary dance through the inclusion of sacred Balinese sensibilities,” said Islene Pinder, BALAM’s founding director and Balinese dance specialist.
Program
Wayang Blues - Premiere with choreography by Carlos Fittante - a humorous duet following a bride and groom's descent into "happily ever after," featuring recorded hits by Jazz legend, Etta James, with video by David Bengali, masks and shadow puppets.
Baris * (warrior dance)
Ramayana-Abduction of Sita - action packed story ballet
Amantes - a seductive masked solo with music by Juan Gabriel
Topeng Tua * (masked old man dance)
Tigerlily & the Dragonfly - love duet on point to original gamelan music
Hanuman the Monkey King - the "ROCKY" of the forest
Monkey Mother & Son – cameos by founding director, Islene Pinder and Anom Putra
The company’s work has been acknowledged by the Governor of Bali, the Semara Ratih Gamelan of Ubud, Bali, and the Indonesian Consulate of New York.
Tickets : $20, $15 Students & Seniors (general seating)
purchase at theatre day of performance or call BALAM: 212-563-9111
Bring a Friend - Discount : Buy a ticket and bring a friend for $15
Location
Dance New Amsterdam (DNA), 280 Broadway 2nd Fl, New York, NY 10007
(The entrance is on Chambers Street between Broadway & Elk Street across from City Hall Park)
Dance New Amsterdam is wheelchair accessible. Call: 212-625-8369.
www.DNADance.org
Subway Directions
R/W to City Hall, 4/5/6 to City Hall, J/M/Z to Chambers,
A/C/E to Chambers, 1/2/3 to Chambers, 2/3 to Park Place