 "Photo: Alex Pines")
An accomplished photographer, painter, performer and philanthropist, Shen Wei is just about as well rounded as they come. Usually, a photographer chooses to stick with his camera, and a vocalist doesn't give up performing to devote all her time to sculpture, but Wei is an exception. And last night, he brought this blend of art to Syracuse University.
Wei, founder and choreographer of Shen Wei Dance Arts, previewed his Triptych series at Syracuse Stage last night. The performance was the culminating event of the Shen Wei Dance residency, which began on Feb. 24. During both the residency and performance, Wei and company inspired students with their creativity and artistic versatility.
"Even just these small excerpts gave incredible insight into Shen Wei's creative process. The dancers are really remarkable," said Kim DiNicola, a sophomore in the College of Visual and Performing Arts.
The Triptych series, appropriately named after a type of three-paneled painting, was composed of three individual dance pieces, called "Re- Parts One, Two and Three." Because Wei's inspiration comes from photographs and sound recordings, slideshows of Wei's photos were shown before each piece.
Re- Part One was inspired by Shen's two trips to the mountains of Tibet, where he met monks in the monasteries, spent time with children in orphanages and took in the pure landscapes that play a large role in his choreography. The piece was performed as a chant sung by a native of Tibet. It focused heavily on breathing, something that Shen Wei found difficult at the region's high altitudes.
Part Two hailed from Shen's experiences in modern Beijing, where he choreographed parts of the 2008 Olympic Opening Ceremony. Shen Wei wanted to characterize the balance between Eastern and Western culture that exists in modern China. He was struck by how the city had changed into a bustling metropolis in the years he had been away.
The final chapter in the series was set to recordings of creatures in the jungles of Cambodia. These dances were the most abstract of the three-part performance, expressing the balance between man and nature.
Since its arrival at SU last month, the 12-member Shen Wei Dance Arts company has interacted with students from the Maxwell School of Public Citizenship and Public Affairs and the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.
Wei has organized an effort to help the children at the orphanages he visited. Proceeds from the sales of a book of his photography will be sent back to Tibet.
"It was too short, it was so captivating that it left me wanting more," Alex Rabinowitz, a senior in VPA, said.
The company's open rehearsals have been the object of art class observations, and the Renée Crown University Honors Program formed a course, Performing Culture on a Global Stage, around the residency. Shen Wei Dance Arts also conducted several workshops and taught classes to both SU and community students.
The company's residency was made possible by university grants and support from its primary patron, the New York State Council on the Arts.
Shen Wei Dance Arts has visited universities across the country since it was founded in New York City in 1995. Previously, Wei had worked with the prestigious Hunan Arts School, where he was a student from age nine, and the Hunan State Xian Opera Company, where he danced until 1989. In 1991, he helped found the Guangdong Modern Dance Company, the first modern company in China.
Shen Wei Dance Arts was the first long-term residency at SU, and there are plans for more in the future. The company will return to the Civic Center in September for another performance.
hkwarren@syr.edu
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