Clockwise from top: all choreography by Artistic Director Eleanor Yung
Helen Tran in Water Portrait 1975, Boo Teo and Marie Alonzo in The Camp 1986,
Ray Tadio in Kampuchea 1981, Eleanor Yung in Sheng Sheng Man 1976
History
The Asian American Dance Theatre (AADT) began as the Asian American Dance Workshop,
a program of the Basement Workshop in New York's Chinatown. The founders of the
Basement Workshop, Eleanor Yung and her brother Danny Yung, began a separate organization
in 1974, the AADT, to create and promote Asian American dance. AADT was active from
1974-1990 with multiple types of programming including performances, presentations, and
educational events. In 1987, with a significant increase in visual arts programming, the AADT
changed its legal name to the Asian American Arts Centre (AAAC), encompassing dance,
visual arts, and folk arts programming in performances, exhibitions, research, and education.
New York Season
Asian American Dance Theatre's Annual Season in New York City from 1976-1990 presented works by Artistic Director Eleanor Yung and guest choreographers....
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ID1. 1976.
Premiered at Synod House, Cathedral of St John Divine
Choreography: with Danny NT Yung
Dancers: Kwok Yee Tai and Lauren Dong
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Midare. 1980.
Premiered at Dance Theater Workshop
Dancer: Satoru Shimazaki
Music: Ton De Leeuw
Mask: Robert Lee
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Origami. 1982.
Dancers: Company
Music: The French Impressionists
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Passage. 1978.
Dancers: Lauren Dong and Young Soon Kim
Costume: Kwok Yee Tai
Music: Korean Shaministic
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Silkroad. 1984.
Dancers: Tamir Yardenne, Yung Yung Tsuai, and Young Ha Yoo
Performances were presented at venues including the Clark Center, the Riverside
Dance Festival, Dance Theater Workshop, Open Eye Theater, the theater at
Marymount Manhattan College, Schimmel Center at Pace University and Synod
House at the Church of St. John the Divine.
Performances received much recognition from the dance field and reviews from many publications, including the New York
Time, Dance Magazine, New York Post, Village Voice and many others.
"[Yung] has made dances that, while they literally refer to nothing outside themselves,
nevertheless possess the emotions of the original experiences that inspired them. They are
fascinating dances. And its awareness of cultural crosscurrents makes the Asian American
Dance Theater a fascinating company."
- Jack Anderson, The New York Times, April 25th 1978, reviewing Identification in Progress and
Madhouse
“Eleanor S. Yung’s extraordinary ‘Passages’. . . came closest to that fusion (of modern and traditional dance
styles) . . . one was drawn, mesmerized, into the unfurling of its design.”
- Jennifer Dunning, The New York Times, 10/27/79
Dancers performing during the AADT season over the years included Marie Alonzo,
Annie Bien, Vivien Chen, Evelina Deocares, Lauren Dong, Tomie Hahn, Mei Hsieh
Guobis, Audrey Jung, Junko Kikuchi, Young Soon Kim, Wendy Lai, Jean Lee, Julio
Leitao, Yen Leung, Yuen Wah Leung, Lynn Macri, George Mars, Haruka Namiji, Pam
Noschese, Rumiko Oka, Elizabeth Roxas, Nancee Sasaki, Ray Tadio, Nayo Takasaki,
Michiyo Tanaka, Josephine Teng, Boon Teo, Helen Tran, Muna Tseng, Yung Yung
Tsuai, Sanghi Wagner, Debbie Yamaki, Tamir Yardenne, Young Ha Yoo, and many
many others.
Invited guest choreographers shared the program and shared their art in the
creation of Asian American dance. Some of them were Danny Yung,
Sincha Hong, Haruka Namiji,
Sharon Hom, Saeko Ichinohe,
Audrey Jung, Junko Kikuchi, Satoru Shimazaki, Sachiko
Takahashi and Yung Yung Tsuai.
The company also performed as part of larger programs at the Metropolitan
Museum of Art, Lincoln Center, New York University, Statue of Liberty, and touring
with the traditional repertoire at numerous locales across the country, including the
Carver Community Cultural Centre in Texas, Mid-Fest in Ohio, Urban-Fest in North
Carolina, and many others.
The AADT was notable for its two distinct repertoires: the traditional and the contemporary. The traditional repertoire celebrated and addressed the cultural roots of Asians in America, featuring diverse folk and classical dances of many countries of Asia, while the contemporary repertoire consisted of works by Artistic Director Eleanor Yung....
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AADT on marquee, circa 1988
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Company on Tour 1984 - Tomie Hahn and Marlene Pitkow
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Company on Tour 1984 - Deena Burton, Gede, and Young Lan Lee
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Rehearsal shots of Origami. 1984.
University of Wisconsin
Choreography: Eleanor Yung
Dancers: Boon Teo and Marie Alonzo
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Rehearsal shots of Origami. 1984.
University of Wisconsin
Choreography: Eleanor Yung
Dancer: Boon Teo
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Rehearsal shots of Origami. 1984.
University of Wisconsin
Choreography: Eleanor Yung
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Preparation for Performance. 1984.
Wisconsin
Kathakali Dancer: Marlene Pitkow
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Preparation for Performance. 1984.
Wisconsin
Japanese Dancer: Tomie Hahn
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Preparation for Performance. 1984.
Wisconsin
Peking Opera Performer: Kuang Yu Fong
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Korean Fan Dance. 1984.
University of Wisconsin
Dancer: Young Lan Lee
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Filipino Hat Dance. 1978.
PS 124 Yung Wing School
Dancer: Luna Borromeo and Nancy Latuja
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Tahitian dance outdoors under the Brooklyn Bridge. 1982.
The AADT traveled extensively nationally to colleges and universities and to arts festivals throughout the 80s. In the early years, the company performed both traditional and contemporary styles. An ensemble of 8-12 dancers included soloists performing a repertoire of selected dances of Asia, as well as the company's contemporary works.
"In its contemporary repertory, the company draws upon traditional Asian dance and American modern dance for its aesthetic; both forms are the richer for it."
- Josie Neal, Dance Critic for The San Antonio Light, May 20th 1984
When the cost became too difficult to manage, the touring company began to focus primarily on traditional dance. They performed both indoors and outdoors, as well as on smaller scales, in lecture performances that continued to enthrall all audiences. They brought their deeply rooted art forms to an American audience that had rarely seen traditional Asian dances. They were the ambassadors of that segment of American culture and people.
Beautiful and gifted performers from Asia visited or immigrated to the U.S. in the 70s and 80s, many landed in New York City, the cultural hub. Whether the AADT sought them out or they found AADT, they became a invaluable part of the AADT dancing family. These were dancers from China, Japan, Korea, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Polynesia. They brought with them and expressed their cultural heritage, enriching the American dance scene and the lives of their audiences. They illuminated the multi-faceted layers of our multicultural country. They offered to their local audiences a global experience.
Some of the dancers not pictured here included: Suarni (Balinese), Deena Burton and Carla Scheele (Javanese), Tomie Hahn (Japanese), Swati Bhise (Indian Bharata Natyam), Mao Zie Ming (Chinese), Young Lan Lee and Nayon Yun (Korean), Luna Borromeo and Ray Tadio (The Philippines).
In their performances, the dancers expressed their art of dance in beauty and aesthetics, spirituality and the sublime, simplicity and complexity, heart and mind, and most importantly the universal language of expression. In full costumes on stage, they not only enriched people's sense of their own heritage, they also expanded the understanding of dance and choreographic aesthetics for Americans and artists alike.
The AADT touring company traveled to Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Connecticut, North Carolina, Louisiana, New Mexico and upstate New York. Some notable locations included the Sister Fire Festival in Washington, DC, the Michigan Womyn's Music Festival, and a 9-campus tour for the Penn State University system.
D'Asia Vu
The D'Asia Vu Performance Series (1986-1990) was the accumulated result of the Dance
Discussions held by AADT dancers to voice their concerns related to the field of dance in the
U.S. The D'Asia Vu Series presented Asian and non-Asian artists in Asian or fusion dance,
theater, and music performances....
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Brochure for 1988-1989 Season, pages one and four
Design: Garson Yu
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Brochure for 1988-1989 Season, pages three and five
Design: Garson Yu
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Program cover, Jan 1987 Year of the Rabbit celebration
Papercut by visiting folk artist Chen Hwei
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Announcement Flyer of “Asia in the U.S.”
December 1987
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Announcement Flyer of “Works Influenced by Asia”
April 1986
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AADT Newsletter on Dance Discussion and D’Asia Vu series
December 1984
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AADT Newsletter on Dance Discussion and D’Asia Vu series
One of the AADT's goals was to nurture upcoming choreographers and dancers, and to create
space for Asian American dance, particularly at a time when ethnic and minority arts had
scant exposure and found little support. At its home in New York Chinatown, the AADT initiated
Dance Discussions to explore and voice their concerns as dancers trying to survive in NYC
while still maintaining an art close to their hearts. Two related major issues were the lack of
performance venues and the lack of performance opportunities. The outcome was the
launching of the D'Asia Vu series. The idea for this unique series was to expand the scope of
art forms presented while providing opportunities for performing artists to reach new
audiences in an intimate setting. It was a showcase of Asian and Asian-influenced
performances in puppetry, theater, music, dance, and performance art. The pieces were often
experimental and some focused on syntheses of elements from different performing traditions.
The AADT opened its studio for D'Asia Vu from 1986-1990, presenting approximately 20
productions.
Some notable performances included the East West Fusion Theater founded by Teviot
Fairservis Pourchot, Kuang Yu Fong's A Day at the Office, created through a
commissioned grant from NYSCA, Tomie Hahn's Leaf, with original music by Curtis
Bahn, Gary Gewant's Leela Puppets and performance artist Rumiko Tsuda, music scholar
Bell Yung's performance on the
traditional zither instrument, the Guqin, Kwok Man Ho's The Frog King, work by Margaret Wolfson and Paula Bing of World Story
and Music, work by The Odyssey Theater Company, traditional music by New York Music from
China, Hai Yuen Chorus from Chinese Musical Arts, folk and contemporary Chinese dances by
Yung Yung Tsuai and work by Comyn Mo and Pia Ho
of Zuni Icosahedron of Hong Kong, Skip LaPlante and Deena Burton, Jason Hwang and
Genevieve Lam, Sun Ock Lee, Charlie Chin, Gerri Yoshida, Claire Iwatsu, Fred Houn, and Barbara Chang.
Arts-in-Education
The Arts-in-Education program expanded from local presentations in community schools,
libraries and community centers, to lecture performances, Pointed Brush Workshops, and the
Intensive Indian and Chinese Dance Workshops offered citywide....
Beginning in the mid 1970s, with a grant from Lincoln Savings Bank, the AADT did
performances of Asian dance in eight neighborhood public schools - five elementary schools, one
junior high and two high schools - reaching the entire student body of young residents of
New York Chinatown. The children saw authentic traditional Asian dance and one contemporary work.
The AADT offered the students a unique opportunity, as the one and only company that
presented such a diverse Asian repertory at the time.
For many years, the AADT was engaged through the organization Young Audiences to give lecture
performances throughout the five boroughs of NYC. In 1978, the AADT began an Arts-in-Education
program through the NYC Department of Education's Arts and Cultural Education
Network program developing culturally diversified programs for public schools, presenting
lecture performances on traditional Asian dance in public schools throughout NYC. The
lecture performances were assembly programs featuring two dancers representing two Asian
cultures. They used language, storytelling, dance movements and gestures, as well as their personal
background and knowledge, to create cultural exchanges with the children.
In addition to the lecture performances, the AADT also taught Intensive Indian or Chinese Dance
Workshops. For a duration of four weeks, two dance teachers would teach selected classes
culminating in a performance. This Intensive Workshop Program would be accompanied by
an extensive 30-page Teachers Guide to help classroom teachers expand upon the workshop goals and
contents.
"We tried to present Asian dancers in schools a lot. I felt that children in schools had no
exposure to the art forms of these cultures. The dancers were like ambassadors for their
culture. Even people in Asian communities living here didn't get to see and experience these
dances."
— Eleanor Yung, Excerpted from Chinese Women Traversing Diaspora: Memoirs, Essays, and
Poetry (pp. 165-187), Sharon K. Hom (Ed.), 1983
During those years in the 1980s, New York City was becoming more diverse with many children from
Asian immigrant families attending the city schools. As part of the New York City Board of
Education's programs, the AADT brought Asian culture and heritage through the performing arts
to 60,000 public school children in 80 engagements each year.
The Pointed Brush workshops, the visual arts component of the Arts-in-Education exploring
the creative use of the Asian brush, took place side by side with the lecture performances.
The AADT saw these cross-cultural programs as a crucial tool for children to help prepare them
to live in a culturally diverse society.
Community School of Dance and Art
In 1974, when AADT first began, dance classes were held at the Chatham Square Library on the vacant third floor. The first classes offered were creative dance for little kids, to teach them how to freely express themselves, free from the confine and pressure of immigrant life. In 1976, when the organization moved to its loft space at 26 Bowery, the school was expanded and many more classes were added, including children's ballet. Classes occupied all Saturdays and Sundays....
The accompaniment of a pianist and installation of mirrors added to the professionalism of the instruction and the atmosphere of the dance studio. Students came from within Chinatown community to as far as the Bronx and Staten Island.
The Community School was also able to connect with some merchants in Chinatown. There was only one shoe store in Chinatown that carried ballet slippers and leotards, and all AADT students received a discount to shop there.
On some weekend evenings, for limited time, adult movement classes were offered. These included Chinese dance, Jazzercise, Alexander technique, Tai chi, Indonesian dance, and, for a short period of time, by popular demand, Ballroom dancing. The studio was very well used.
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Open House
Children Creative Class with teacher Vivian Chen
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Open House
Children Creative Class with teacher Oilin McBreen
Periodically, families and friends of students were invited to Open House events.
These were opportunities for parents especially, to see how their children were learning, and an opportunity to view the learning environment.
Amongst children dance teachers were Chen Min, Nai-Ni Chen, Vivien Chen, Miranda Chin, Yen Leung, Oilin McBreen, Linda Reiff, and Boon Teo.
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Everybody on stage group picture, 1983
PS124 Yung Wing School in Manhattan Chinatown
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Let’s get ready for recital 1983
Big Kids Ballet led by teacher Yen Leung
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Taking turn run across stage led by Linda Reiff 1983
PS 124 Yung Wing School
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Bunny Dance led by teacher Yung Yung Tsuai 1983
PS124 Yung Wing School
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Flower Dance led by teacher Oilin McBreen 1984
PS124 Yung Wing School
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Happy and Light led by teacher Miranda Chin 1984
PS124 Yung Wing School
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Scarf Dance led by teacher Yen Leung 1985
New York Public Library Chatham Square Branch
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Chinese Ribbon Dance led by teacher Yung Yung Tsuai 1984
PS 124 Yung Wing School
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Adult Indonesian Dance led by teacher Deena Burton 1984
Every year, the school activities would culminate in an Annual School Recital in the auditorium of PS124, a neighborhood public school for the community at large.
These recitals would also include adult class performances, for example, jazzercise, Chinese dance, and Indonesian dance.
These recitals were covered by the local newspapers, and were both a boost to the school and a celebrated community event.
Since 1980, the school expanded its offerings to include art classes for children, and in the weekday evenings for adults, Chinese painting,
calligraphy, life drawing, and Chinese seal carvings. Some of these works would become a part of the Annual Recital, and would be exhibited in the hallway of PS 124.
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Class
Teacher: On Omegi
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Children Art works display. PS 124 Chinatown, 1983. Concurrent School Recital.
Teacher: Nina Kuo
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Children Art works display. PS 124 Chinatown, 1983. Concurrent School Recital.
Teacher: Nina Kuo
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Art Exhibit with Pointed Brush workshops. PS 124 Chinatown, 1983. Concurrent School Recital.
Teacher: Nora Shih
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Children Art Self Portraits. Other children art teachers: Evelyn Yee, Ko Chat Hay, On Omegi, and Eun Young Choi
Teacher: Robert Lee
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Children Art Self Portraits. Other children art teachers: Evelyn Yee, Ko Chat Hay, On Omegi, and Eun Young Choi
Teacher: Robert Lee
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Children Art Self Portraits. Other children art teachers: Evelyn Yee, Ko Chat Hay, On Omegi, and Eun Young Choi
Teacher: Robert Lee
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Children Art Self Portraits. Other children art teachers: Evelyn Yee, Ko Chat Hay, On Omegi, and Eun Young Choi
After the student massacre in Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989, in
response to the massacre, a dance performance was held outdoors in
Chinatown, with choreography by company manager and choreographer
Marie Alonzo and guest Barbara Chang.
The following year in 1990, AADT initiated and organized a 10-hour
performance marathon at the Triplex Theater in the Borough of Manhattan
Community College in protest of the student massacre on June 4, 1989 in China.
This Memorial performance in 1990 included many well known New
York artists such as Hikari Baba, Fred Houn, and the Susan Marshall Dance
Company, to name a few. The main feature in the evening was Zuni
Icosahedron of Hong Kong, a company of 12 who flew to NYC to perform
China is a Big Garden, choreographed and directed by AADT co-founder Danny Yung.
Credits
Photo Credits: Cheung Ching Ming, Sandy Geis, Nina Kuo, Corky Lee, Nathaniel Tileston and Tom Yahashi.
Graphic Design Credits: Lauren Dong, CN Lee, David Moy and Garson Yu.
Asian American Arts Centre
