Dance Crosses Cultural Divides

Dance Talks

What captivates us most about ephemeral arts like dance is that long after the performance has ended the message can still inspire us. Dance as a physical cultural art form resonates for most of us because the information is expressed through the one thing all human beings have in common: the body.

Choreography allows dancers to show us what the body feels without having to ‘tell us’ with words. That’s exactly the point of Waiting in Seoul Walking in Tokyo. This upcoming spring dance concert, produced by Sonoma State University Department of Theatre Arts & Dance in collaboration with Global Dance Stamp runs April 21 through April 29.

The Global Dance Stamp is a research and performance container for the creation of international cultural collaborations in dance.

This unusual piece draws upon the creativity of university faculty, university dance program students and acclaimed guest choreographers. The result is a contemporary dance that bridges the United States and Asia. 21 dance program students take audiences on a journey through the streets of Seoul, Tokyo and San Francisco with movement, imagery, cityscape sounds and original music. They reveal the anonymity as well as connection one experiences as an adventurer/traveler.

They can also shed light on what it feels like to be a stranger in a strange land. This can help us to step outside our attitudes and beliefs about people from difference cultures. Along the way we ‘see’ basic human hopes and longings regardless of ethnic origin.

I recently asked Co-Directors and Co-Choreographers Christine Cali and Jennifer Meek Satoh a few questions about how this dance concert can provide valuable insights about ourselves and others.

Q: In what specific ways does this dance express what it means to be a foreigner?

A: Jennifer Meek Satoh: You might notice some awkwardness or hesitancy in some of the movements, much like you would feel if you are visiting a new country or culture for the first time. You may also see movements that show ways in which we might hold back from expressing ourselves to make sure you don't offend anyone.

Satoh who teaches contemporary dance at Sonoma State University, noted that dance is an effective vehicle for this because as dancers impart certain feelings, the audiences’ mirror neurons allow them to experience level what the dancer is experiencing. The result, she said, allows for a deeper and richer connection.

Q: Can you provide an example of a distinctly ‘Asian” dance move?

A: Christine Cali: I wouldn't say that there are specifically "Asian" dance moves within the contemporary dance aesthetic. There may be some identifiable qualities of movement or choreographic approaches that one might consider more East Asian, but within those cultures, there are many varying dance forms and rituals that have influenced movement aesthetics in contemporary dance.

Cali, an Assistant Professor in Theater Arts & Dance at Sonoma State University, director of CALI & CO dance in San Francisco and former visiting dance professor in Seoul, South Korea explained that the sound clips and video footage also used in Waiting in Seoul Walking in Tokyo were created to immerse and transport the audience and performer to these Asian cities and cultural hubs.

Both Cali and Satoh agree that this dance was designed to highlight the fact that we are more alike than we are different. In removing the labels we place upon ourselves and others we might have a greater experience of our shared movement through a select time and space.

If You Go:

Run Dates: April 21-29, 2017. Opening performance includes a post-show discussion.

April 27 is "Friends and Family Night”: Special $5 rate for SSU faculty, staff, alumni and students; $5 for general, seniors and visiting students.

Tickets are $5-$17. Parking fee required.

Location: Sonoma State University, Evert B. Person Theatre, 1801 E. Cotati Ave., Rohnert Park, CA 94928.

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Photo by David Papas