Sunday, May 15, 2016

12:00 noon

Sunday, May 15, 2016

12:00 PM

Dragon Dance around the Ellis Island main building to open the festival Performers: Asian American Dragon/Lion Association - Henry Lee, Director

Opening in the Great Hall

Welcome by Dr. Daniel Julius, Provost, New Jersey City University

Opening Remark by Honorable Sue Pai Yang, First Chinese American Judge in NJ (Retired)

Lullabye Choreographer: Nai-Ni Chen

Music: C. Ronn Yedidia

Costumes: Ana Alisa Belous

Musicians: The Ahn Trio - Angella Ahn, violin; Maria Ahn, cello; Lucia Ahn, piano

Dancers: Greta Campo, Walter Filmore, Jia Yin Goh, Guixuan Zhuang

Contrasting to the title of the music, the choreography explores the conflict and disturbance that sometimes happens in

relationships. The harmony in the music is the yearning of the heart seeking to settle in peace.

Purple Rain by Prince

Space Oddity by David Bowie

Skylife by Daivd Balakrishnan Musicians: The Ahn Trio - Angella Ahn, violin; Maria Ahn, cello; Lucia Ahn, piano

Morinkhuur Imagination Musician: Jigjiddorj Nanzaddorj, Mongolian Horsehead Fiddle

Dancer: Ying Shi, Guixuan Zhuang

Mastery of the Mongolian horse-head fiddle (morin khuur) is considered to be a supreme expression of Mongolian art-

istry, and a powerful example of cultural and intellectual heritage. The virtuoso Jigjiddorj Nanzaddorj plays the instru-

ment with lyricism and complexity beyond his years, performing modern and traditional Mongolian pieces alongside

contemporary Western classical works in his international repertoire.

Automne Etude Op. 55 Composer: Cecile Chaminade

Performer: Isaac Ezekiel Del Rosario, piano (NJCU Student)

Prelude from Suite No. 6 in D Major Composer: J.S. Bach

Performer: Nan-Cheng Chen, cello

Undercurrent Choreographer: Nai-Ni Chen

Music: Gerald Chenoweth

Musician: Nan-Cheng Chen, cello

Dancers: Greta Campo, Jia Yin Goh, Candace Jarvis, Bo Pang

The choreography was inspired by the music. The repetitive pulses of the string-plucking seems like the hidden energy

under a calm water surface, and the up burst produced by the bowing is like the strong force of water currents running

through in which it reminds the choreographer of a surge of passion and inner string of a female mind.

Spring at Tian Shan Mountain

A Rose for My Beloved Musician: Chen Fan of the Chinese Music Ensemble of New York

1:00 PM

Performance in the Outdoor Wall of Honor Area

Lion Dance Performers: Asian American Dragon/Lion Association

Henry Lee, Director

America the Beautiful by Samuel Ward (arr. Michael Dadap)

Hamabe No Uta - Japanese Folk Song (arr. Michael Dadap)

J.S.G.D. by Sierra Wojtczack

Holberg Suite (select movements) by Edvard Grieg

Traditional Songs of the Visayas (arr. Michael Dadap)

Folkloric Suite for Trumpet, Guitar and Orchestra - Visayan Traditional (arr. Michael Dadap) Performers: The Children’s Orchestra Society (COS)

Dr. Yeou-Cheng Ma, Executive Director

Maestro Michael Dadap, Artistic & Music Director

Raindrops Choreographer: Nai-Ni Chen

Music: Henry Wolff, Robert Rich, Sainkho Namtchylak

Costumes: Olu-Orondava

Dancers: Greta Campo, Jia Yin Goh, Candace Jarvis, Bo Pang

The choreographer draws inspiration from her childhood memory of the Taiwanese city in which she was born, Keelong,

also known as the "Rain Harbor."

Cosmic Dance Choreographer: Akhilandeshwari Vasudevamurthy

Music: Gopala Krishna Bharthi (1811-1896)

Dance Company “Kalagangothri”: Akhilandeshwari Vasudevamurthy (lead performer), Chetan Hebbar (guest artist), Sai

Aishwaryaa Sathish, Medha Gurukiran, Vismitha Prashanth, Ananya Kondur, Sivaatmika Subramony, Kushi Hebbar,

Rohini Srivatsan, Anushka Kondur, Inchara Motanna

Lord Nataraja is the cosmic dancer as per Indian Philosophy. The dance elaborates about this great dancer and his dance.

Meaning of the song:

Can there be another god like Nataraja - the SabApati of Cidambaram?

Can we get another merciful one like him on this earth?

Just once, calling on Nataraja of Cidambaram, is enough. do you have to do any other penance for ages?

All the sages attained his feet, says the scriptures.

ABOUT THE PERFORMERS

Hailed as “exacting and exciting musicians” by the LA Times, the three sisters of the

AHN TRIO (Lucia on the piano, Angella on the violin, and Maria on the cello) have

earned a distinguished reputation for embracing 21st -century classical music with their

unique style and innovative collaborations. In 2011, President Obama invited the Ahn

Trio to perform at the White House for a State Dinner honoring South Korea. The Ahn

sisters were born in Seoul, Korea, and educated at the Juilliard School in New York

City. Reflecting the two cultures they grew up in, the Trio brings a new energy and

excitement to the chamber music world. Such luminary composers such as Michael

Nyman, Maurice Jarre, Pat Metheny, Paul Schoenfield, Mark O’Connor, Kenji Bunch,

Nikolai Kapustin and Paul Chihara have written works for them. In two decades of

touring, the Trio has performed in all 50 states and in over 30 countries and has record-

ed six albums. Maria, Lucia and Angella thrive on dissolving the barriers between art

forms. They have fused their work with a range of artists and musical genres, from

dancers and lighting designers to DJ’s. Next Ahn Trio concert: Bergen Performing Arts Center, Englewood, NJ May 18th!

www.ahntrio.com The ASIAN AMERICAN DRAGON & LION ASSOCIATION (AADL) was established in 1998

to promote and preserve the art of traditional Chinese Dragon and Lion Dance through edu-

cation, physical training and performances. AADL performance teams — based out of

northern New Jersey — have graced stages ranging from senior city homes and community

centers to wedding halls, for audiences at Lincoln Center to IZOD Center, and at the pleas-

ure of the President of the United States. Henry Lee, Executive Director / Trainer at the

Asian American Dragon & Lion Dance Association headquartered in Wayne, NJ has been

promoting the art of Chinese Dragon & Lion dance through lessons and performances since

1998. www.aadragonlion.org

Praised for his “Beautiful Tone” by New York Concert Reviews in 2011, award winning cellist NAN-CHENG CHEN is passionate about

sharing music with music lovers. At only age of 25, Nan-Cheng is the executive director and founder of the

New Asia Chamber Music Society (NACMS), a member of Sonic Escape, Chen Trio, and many other active

music ensembles in NYC. An active soloist, Nan-Cheng has collaborated with Simon Bolivar Orchestra,

Queens Symphony Orchestra, Metro-West Symphony, Quincy Symphony and Symphony Pro Musica,

which received a review states: “It was the kind of performance one might hear live only once a decade”,

from Worcester Telegram and Gazette. A Native of Taiwan, Nan-Cheng Chen came to United States at the

age of twelve and attended Idyllwild Arts Academy in California, studying under Eleonore Schoenfeld. He

then entered the New England Conservatory Preparatory Program at Walnut Hill School in Natick, MA to

study with Mark Churchill. Nan-Cheng recently earned Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees

from The Juilliard School, studying with Joel Krosnick, renowned cellist of The Juilliard String Quartet.

www.cellistncc.com

Now celebrating their 47th Season, the CHILDREN’S ORCHESTRA SOCIE-

TY is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to "Teaching Children the

Language of Music" and has since become one of the flag bearers of early

childhood music education. Dr. Yeou-Cheng Ma, herself an alumni of the

society, has been Executive Director since 1992. As a Developmental

pediatrician, she uses music in her work with children with development

disorders in the Bronx and Queens. Maestro Michael Dadap has served as

Principal Conductor and Music Director/Artistic Director since 1984.

Bringing his musical prowess and vision to COS, Mr. Dadap maintains a

busy career as an internationally acclaimed guitar soloist/composer and in

2000, was named “Artist of the Year” by the Flushing Council of Culture and Arts. COS offers a multitude of programs including four or-

chestras, seven chamber ensembles, and AP Musicianship (theory/ear training). Today’s performance features the COS Chamber Ensem-

ble, comprising of the elite young talents of the top two orchestras of the Children’s Orchestra Society. Notable alumni include internation-

al cello soloist Yo-Yo Ma, Astrid Schween of the Juilliard String Quartet and Caroline Kennedy. www.childrensorch.org

A non-profit organization founded in 1961, the Chinese Music Ensemble of New York is the oldest, largest, and only full-scale Chinese

orchestra in the United States and the Americas. Its present membership of more than forty musicians plays almost all kinds of Chinese

instruments and music. Its repertory ranges from ancient classical to modern compositions, spanning some fifteen hundred years of history.

With the goal of promoting Chinese music, the Ensemble has performed at major concert halls in New York and at schools, colleges, librar-

ies, and museums throughout the Eastern seaboard. www.chinesemusic.org

As a freelance musician, ISAAC EZEKIEL DEL ROSARIO spends a majority of his time in the greater New York

City area. He performs mainly as an accompanist in the styles of classical, jazz, and theatre music. Specializing in

music education, Isaac has an affinity for teaching piano and general music studies. In his free time, he provides

audio/visual assistance for DJ's across the Tri-State area. Isaac hopes to combine his passion for music and formal

education in building a lifelong career in the music industry.

Vidwan Sri. CHETAN HEBBAR and VIDHUSHI AKHILANDESHWARI - dynamic and spellbinding dancer

couple from India have over the years carved their names as dedicated creative Bharathanatyam artists on

the global arena. The duo has been credited with injecting a great deal of innovation, creativity, enthusi-

asm and imagination to classical dance. Dancing duo are the recipients of prestigious “Purandara

Anugraha” Award – 2014 for their services in the dance field by TTD, Trust, Tirupati, India and have

received “Nritya Mayuri” & “Nritya Ranjaka” titles by Swara Raga Sudha Kala Academy, New Jersey,

USA. They have honed skills in ‘Nritta’ - Pure Dance Form, ‘rasabhinaya’ with decades of practice

under these great Gurus and also attending different workshops conducted by Legends in Bhara-

thanatyam. In the year 2005, they established a DANCE COMPANY “KALAGANGOTHRI” at the cultural

capital of Karnataka State – Mysore and runs their company in India & US for the purpose of propaga-

tion of Knowledge of Ancient Art & Culture which in turn imbibes Love, Peace and Humanity among

the younger generation. Kalagangothri is recognized and affiliated with prestigious Conseil International

de la Danse – UNESCO. They have trained & nurtured several young talents in Bharathanatya, Indian

Classical Music and Yoga. Their performances, choreographies are aesthetic based on intense research

work, filled with in depth ‘Rasabhinaya’, breath taking neat postures and high on rhythmic technicalities. They have performed at top dance

festivals across India & abroad sponsored by Government of India and other leading organizations.

Bringing the dynamic freedom of American modern dance together with the elegant splendor of

Asian art, the NAI-NI CHEN DANCE COMPANY is one of the most visible Asian American dance

companies in America. Ms. Chen's unique choreography transports audiences beyond cultural

boundaries to the common ground between tradition and innovation, discipline and freedom, and

form and spirit. Since its inception in 1988, the company has earned a broad base of public sup-

port and has toured extensively to major performing arts centers throughout more than thirty states.

Presented by some of the most prestigious concert halls in the United States, from the Joyce Thea-

ter in New York to the Ordway Center in Minnesota and the Cerritos Center in California, the

Company has mounted more than twenty national tours and nine tours abroad. Ms. Chen’s work

has been presented by such acclaimed international festivals as the Silesian International Contem-

porary Dance Festival and the Konfrontations International Dance Festival, both in Poland, the

Chang Mu International Arts Festival in Korea and the Beijing International Dance Festival. The

Company was also honored by a distinctive grant award from both the President's Committee on

Arts and Humanities and the Department of State to represent the United States in a seven-city tour

arranged by the Tamaulipas International Arts Festival in Mexico. The Nai-Ni Chen Dance Com-

pany has the unique honor of having received more than twelve awards from the National Endow-

ment for the Arts and numerous Citations of Excellence and grants from the New Jersey State

Council on the Arts. Other funders include the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation; the Fund for US

Artists at International Festivals & Exhibitions; the Hyde and Watson Foundation; Horizon Foundation, the Connelly Foundation; the E.J.

Grassman Trust; the Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust; the Lillian Pitkin Schenck Fund; the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council; Verizon;

Sony; Live Music for Dance; Chase Manhattan Bank; the Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation and others. In addition to its extensive season of

touring and performing, the company has developed Arts in Education residency programs in school districts to bring culture and arts into

educational settings. It’s colorful and engaging in-school assembly program “The Art of Chinese Dance” has been presented in hundreds of

schools in NJ, NY, CT and PA, reaching hundreds of thousands of youth. www.nainichen.org

JIGJIDDORJ NANZADDORJ studied at the Music and Dance College of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia from 2003-2013

under the instruction of Yo.Batbayar, State Meritorious Teacher of Mongolia, and graduated as a professional

Morin khuur musician. He has been a member of the Morin khuur Ensemble of Mongolia since 2008 and has

been a solo performer in dozens of works by Mongolian and foreign composers. As a part of ethno jazz band

Arga-Bileg, he has recorded two albums ‘Deelt’ and ‘Dev’. In 2012 he recorded his first solo album ‘Portrait

of Morin Khuur’. He has performed on many world renowned stages, including the Bolshoi Theater in Mos-

cow, Russia, the National Grand Theater in Seoul, Korea, the China National Grand Theater in Beijing, the

UNESCO Hall in Paris, France, United Nations Hall in New York, American Museum of Natural History and

The Rubin Museum of Art in New York. In 2016, He has recorded on original soundtrack for the Netflix’s TV

series Marco Polo in New York. Jigjiddorj (or Jiigee, as he is called) won first place at the first international

contest of professional Morin khuur musicians in 2015, in addition to many international awards, and has

twice been named the state laureate artist of Mongolia.

Of Rice and Spice

The Asian American Experience as viewed through the lens of photographer Corky Lee

Hindu couple who met on website, name shown behind them, at start of Indian Independence Day Parade.

NYC 2007

Filipino “Santa Cruz” festival procession of its “Reyna Elena Queen, Maureen I. Javier”. Jersey City, NJ 1995

Top: Sikh American candlelight vigil in Central Park, for

9/11 victims of terrorist attack on World Trade Center

Towers. NYC. 2001

Former internee of Japanese-American Concentration

Camps and Japanese-American Internment Day of Remem-

brance. Washington, DC. 2001

New York-based Corky Lee is a second

generation Chinese-American and a

self-taught photographer, often referred

to as the “undisputed unofficial Asian

American Photographer Laureate.” His

mission has been to ensure that the fac-

es and experience of the diverse Asian

and Pacific American communities are

recognized by the mainstream media

and also become an integral part of

American history.

Festival Committee

MICHAEL AMATO Chief of Interpretation of Ellis Island/Statue of Liberty National Park

REGINA ANDRIOLO Board President, Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company

ANDREW CHIANG Executive Director, Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company

CORKY LEE Artist, Historian, Photographer

ARIUN SANJAAJAMTS

Founder, President, Mongolian Connections

DOUGLAS TREEM Ranger, Ellis Island National Park Services

DR. JOSEF V. TUAZON Founder, A Better Life Physical Therapy & Sports Rehab

ADINA WILLIAMS Senior Manager of Public Programs, American Museum of Natural History

Advisors

VIRGINIA NG Chapter President, OCA NJ

SIMONE NGUYEN Member of Asian American Bar Association of NY

MIN KIM Department Chair, NJCU Music, Dance, Theatre

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