Spectrum Dance Theater’s FAREWELL: A Fantastical Contemplation on America’s Relationship with China is at The Moore Theatre, from February 18 – 20, 2010.
FAREWELL is a full-length vanguard and original dance theater production that explores key human rights and economic issues involving the United States and China. Through text, music, highly personal movement, and choreography, created by Spectrum’s artistic director Donald Byrd, in continuing collaboration with Seattle-based, second-generation Chinese-American composer, Byron Au Yong and Spectrum’s world-class company dancers – FAREWELL is a feverish and dreamlike theatrical meditation.
Developed and presented in two parts, FAREWELL examines the commonality of the impact of the tragic events of 9/11 and Tiananmen Square on the collective psyches of the United States and China, respectively.
Part I, entitled Considering Beijing Coma, takes the writing of exiled Chinese author Ma Jian (whose works are banned in China) as inspiration. Using Jian’s novel Beijing Coma, which focuses on a young man’s experience at Tiananmen Square and the horrific stories of Chinese’s Cultural Revolution, as a jumping off point, Byrd’s Considering Beijing Coma creates a parallel American hero. Injured and comatose from the attacks of 9/11, this figure also reflects on his personal past as well as his country’s recent historic and political events.
Part II, With Begging Bowls in Hand, uses the quote “Foreigners come with begging bowls in hand. This is the future,” to examine the relationship between America and China in regards to their financial ties and how it may change the nature of diplomacy between these two leading world powers.
In addition, The Moore Theatre will completely reconfigure and transform the performance space so rather than seating the audience in the auditorium, they will be seated on stage on seats specifically created for this engagement. A maximum of 375 people will be seated in this “arena” type seating structure creating an intimate atmosphere where dancers perform in the center at close range to the audience, who surround them on three sides. There will be no late seating!
Spectrum Dance Theater’s FAREWELL: A Fantastical Contemplation on America’s Relationship with China performs February 18-20, 2010. Tickets are $25, or $15 for those aged 25 years and under. For more info and tickets, visit www.stgpresents.org.
