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Beijing Dance Academy to Perform with BYU Philharmonic
24 September 2012–Provo, UT– The Beijing Dance Academy (BDA) and Brigham Young University (BYU) Philharmonic will unite in a concert of contemporary dance and music on Wednesday, Oct 3.
Since 1979, BYU performing groups have toured China 26 times and now the BDA is coming to Utah.
Stephen Jones, Dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communications at BYU, said, “The Beijing Dance Academy is revered as China’s most prestigious dance training institute. Their concert with the BYU Philharmonic is an historic event, and the School of Music is so pleased to perform with them.”
Chinese National Television featured the collaboration between BYU and the BDA. Success resulting from the relationship prompted President Xu Li of the BDA and Jones to sign a letter of cooperation for future collaboration between the two schools.
Of their collaborative experience with BYU, Li said, “Both teachers and students from our academy established friendships with Brigham Young University and benefitted from the precious teaching methods offered by BYU. It was communication that had transformed us from strangers to acquaintances and finally to friends.”
Wang Wei, BDA artistic director, and Kory Katseanes, BYU Philharmonic conductor, will lead their respective groups in a concert expected to be “quite spectacular” Katseanes said.
'This concert with the BDA represents a significant international collaboration between China’s finest dance training institution and the BYU Philharmonic,” Katseanes said. 'The efforts of all those involved in the creation of this new work, including the choreography by BYU colleague Jiamin Huang, is going to result in a beautiful performance.'
The program will include The Butterfly Lovers’ Violin Concerto by Chen Gang and He Zhanhao, as well as a newly choreographed piece by Huang When We Encounter, set to Copland’s Four Dance Episodes from Rodeo. The concert will culminate with The Yellow River from the Yellow River Piano Concerto, with choreography by Yao Yong and Zhang Yujun.
“Intrinsic to the education of every student at BYU is the idea that the cultures of the world are important,” Jones said. “We have to make sure that students in today’s world, which is a global environment, understand and respect one another’s cultures and are able to create and collaborate across cultural boundaries.”
Huang has facilitated the relationship between BYU and the BDA. Last year, upon hearing that the BYU Chamber Orchestra would tour China, Huang proposed that BYU and BDA come together for a collaborative performance.
Last year’s collaboration in China between the BDA and BYU will be featured on BYUTV.
The performance will take place on Wednesday, October 3 at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall at the Harris Fine Arts Center. Tickets can be purchased at the Fine Arts Ticket Office, or online at http://arts.byu.edu/tickets/index.php. Prices are $15 for the general public, $12 for seniors and $5 for students with a valid student ID.# # #
About the College of Fine Arts and Communications (CFAC)
One of 10 colleges at BYU, the College of Fine Arts and Communications was founded in 1925 and includes five academic units: Communications, Dance, Music, Theatre and Media Arts, and Visual Arts. The college has 4,000 students majoring in 38 degree programs. Through its performances, exhibitions, newspaper, and art museum, students and faculty of the college share their creative work and scholarship with the world. Since 1971, ensembles from the Department of Dance and School of Music have toured in all 50 US states and 100 foreign countries, performing before audiences totaling nearly 12 million people. The BYU Young Ambassadors first toured China in 1979. BYU groups have traveled to China 26 times since then, reaching millions of Chinese through radio and television broadcasts.
About Beijing Dance Academy (BDA)
Beijing Dance Academy is China's only institute of higher education for professional dance that offers the highest level of learning. In its previous incarnation, it existed as the Beijing Dance School that was established in 1954. In 1978 it was elevated to university status and its name was changed to Beijing Dance Academy. In 1999 a masters research program was begun and in 2010, in cooperation with Beijing University, a doctorate of arts program was begun. Located in Beijing's Haidian District, it sits to the north of Zizhuyuan Park amidst the Beijing Higher Education and Technology Development zone. Covering an area of over 57,000 square meters (500,000 square feet), it employs more than 500 faculty and has 2000 enrolled students.