FRIDAY WORKSHOPS
Expressing
Woman through Dance
Description: A brief introduction to the style of dance
known as Bharatha
Natyam, originating from southern India. This interactive workshop will
expose participants to some basic moves, forms, and expressions of this
art
form. Using the theme of women, we will explore how women are portrayed
in this
style of dance; how this dance style has come to represent what is valued
as
the 'culture' and 'ethnic heritage' of India; and the possibilities
for
expression, education, communication, and growth that such an art form
might
hold.
Leader(s): Pavithra Vasudevan has trained in classical
Bharatha Natyam
under Shri Adyar Lakshman of Chennai, India, and Smt. Padma Rasiah-Cantu
of
Yogaville, Virginia. Pooja Sharma is a disciple of Smt. Ramya Ramnarayan
of
Camden NJ. Both seek ways to creatively use dance to organize and educate.
Filipino
Dance
Description: Indigenous tribes, Spanish colonial rule,
provincial culture, and Muslim traditions have influenced Filipino dance
culture. This workshop will teach basic moves used in Filipino dance
and the meaning and significance of those moves. A brief history of
the dance, its music, and its relation to current Asian American culture
will be discussed. The workshop will include demonstrations by the workshop
leader and the opportunity to learn the movements.
Leaders: Jheanne Malit is a senior International
Studies major at UNC-Chapel Hill. She was born in the Philippines, but
grew up in New Jersey. She has been dancing all her life, specifically
taking dance classes in ballet and modern dance. She performs with the
Filipino-American Dance Group and has danced in pieces including Subli,
Pandanggo sa Ilaw, Sinkil, and Jota Cavitena. She is also a sister of
alpha Kappa Delta Phi and a member of UNC's Modernextension Dance Company.
Bhangra
Dance
Description: The Bhangra dance began in the villages of
Punjab to celebrate the harvest, and imitates farming movements such
as sowing, hoeing, and selling crops. Bhangra is currently performed
for a variety of reasons, including celebrating the harvest season,
weddings, and winning battles in war. A brief history of the dance,
a history of Punjabi culture, its relation to modern Asian American
youth culture will be discussed. The workshop will include demonstrations
by the workshop leader. A video showing some of the best dancers in
North America will also be presented.
Leaders: The UNC Bhangra Elite (BE) was founded
on the UNC campus five years ago. The purpose of B.E. is to represent
Punjabi culture through a variety of mediums. Bhangra Elite has performed
dances for many on-campus events such as The Masala Fashion Show and
has won the Dance Marathon for the last 2 years. B.E. was selected to
perform at the Bhangra Blowout in Washington, D.C. last year, which
showcases the 10 best Bhangra teams in the U.S. and Canada.
Tai
Chi/Martial Arts
Description: This workshop gives you a glimpse into the
world of Chinese martial arts. We focus on Chan Style Tai Chi and New
Style Wu Shu. We do brief performances and hold short lessons. Come
join us!
Leaders: Cliff Chow hails from Hong Kong, China.
Hestarted practicing Wu Shu (Chinese martial art) since he was seven.
He is now a sophomore at Duke, majoring in political science.
Fusion
Dance
Description: Fusion dance is hip-hop and street dancing combined
with elements of jazz and funk. Sometimes called commercial hip-hop,
the performance dance style strives to hype an audience of popular culture.
This workshop will serve as an information exchange forum on fusion
dance troupes. What are their functions? Do they speak a strong voice
for the Asian American experience or are they simply groups of college
students, friends, who love to perform? If you have ever belonged to
such a group, seen one perform, or want to start your own, join us for
an intense discussion and dance class.
Leader(s): Kristin Liu (Columbia College) is the founder
and President of Raw Elementz, Columbia University’s co-ed fusion
dance troupe. She has been dancing since age four and has trained in
Ballet, Jazz, Modern, Tap, and Hip-Hop. She is also a former member
of the Culture Shock dance troupes of Los Angeles and New York. Born
in Taiwan, Kristin spent six years of her childhood in Saudi Arabia
before moving to California. At school, she is studying Economics and
Computer Science. Kristin was Chair of Entertainment for the 2001 ECASU
conference.
The
Art of Feng Shui
Description: Feng Shui is a Chinese discipline rooted in the
wisdom of the East and reveals how people respond to place. Today's
challenge is to integrate Feng Shui's knowledge into all fields touching
on the experience of place. By validating this discipline's cosmology
with contemporary social and physical sciences, Feng Shui can become
an umbrella, setting the goal of architecture, design and city planning
with a key ingredient. Feng Shui can be a tool with which to shape positive
experiences.
Leaders: Nancilee Wydra is the most published American
author on Feng Shui. She will explore the principles of Feng Shui and
help participants understand its mechanisms by substantiating its ideas
with contemporary social and physical sciences.
An
Ethnographic Study of Western Medical Terminology at Chinese Medical
Clinics
Description: Doctors and patients speak of Chinese medicine
and Western medicine as two different medical systems. When asked, they
usually say that not only the terminology, but also the epistemology
and diagnosis and treatment methods of the two systems are different.
At clinics of traditional Chinese medicine, however, distinctions between
the two medical systems are not so clear and certain. How are Western
medical entities integrated into the fundamental theories and practice
of Chinese medicine? This workshop will present the different uses of
Western medical terminology encountered at Chinese medical clinics both
in Beijing and Xiangfen, China. Charlie Jia will explore some of the
reasons that Chinese doctors use these "foreign" terminologies,
and discuss the underlying meaning of these practices based on observations
at local Chinese medical clinics.
Leaders: Charlie Jia received a diploma in Traditional
Chinese Medicine from the Fencheng Health School of Shanxi, China, in
1972. He holds a PhD in Medical Anthropology from the University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill, based on his research on the ethnography
of Chinese traditional medicine in China. Currently, Dr. Jia serves
as a Clinical Assistant Professor at UNC-CH's School of Nursing, where
he has been awarded the John T. Lupton Award for the development of
graduate and undergraduate curriculum on traditional Chinese medicine.
Dr. Jia also holds a B.A. in Chinese and English from the Beijing Institute
of Foreign Languages II and an M.P.H. in Health Policy and Administration
from UNC's School of Public Health.
The
Sound and the Fury: The Language of Spoken Word
Description: Through this workshop, participants will
explore the ways in which language can be utilized to convey an emotion,
create a mood, and make a point in spoken word poetry. The impact of
Hip Hop, the use of figurative language (imagery and metaphor), and
the "controversy" of profanity will be addressed. Participants
will be encouraged to question, examine, and challenge themselves and
each other on these topics. Culminating in the writing and sharing of
pieces, this workshop asks participants to discover the language that
will enable their hearts to speak.
Leaders: Yellow Rage (Michelle Myers and Catzie Vilayphonh)
Pop
Culture Forum:
Description: This workshop features a screening of the
video 'yellow apparel: when the coolie becomes cool' (30 mins) followed
by a discussion. The video and the discussion focus on the commodication
and appropriation of Asian cultural elements (e.g. Chinese character
tatoos, bindis, henna) into mainstream America and the effect of this
'trend' on Asian Americans. The workshop will address whether this commodification
of Asian culture signals the acceptance of Asian Americans into the
cultural fabric of America, and will consider the contradictions between
the current fashionability of Asian symbols and the history of oppression
suffered by Asian Americans.
Leaders: Anmol Chaddha is a South Asian American
fourth-year student at UC-Berkeley studying Economics and Ethnic Studies,
with a focus on racial economic inequality. He is an editor of hardboiled,
a monthly Asian American student paper, and is currently gathering footage
for a documentary about the Ghadar Party an organization founded
by early Indian immigrants on the West Coast in 1913 that fought for
Indian independence while living in America.
Career
Professional Panel:
Description: This panel offers career perspectives from
Asian Pacific American professionals working in a variety of fields.
From the sciences to the media to the arts, participants can ask questions
and receive real-world responses about how being APA has affected their
career paths or advice and firsthand knowledge about a specific field.
More details to come.
Panelists: To be announced.
