On Feb. 24, world-renowned dancer and choreographer Shen Wei and
Shen Wei
Dance Arts, the company he founded, begin a three-week residency at Syracuse
University. Shen and the company will be based at the former Cathedral School in
downtown Syracuse as they develop and rehearse a new work, the third piece in a
triptych titled "Re-."
During the residency, Shen and the company will meet with many members of the
greater Syracuse community, including dance groups and students from the
Syracuse City School District and SU. The Syracuse community at large will have
the opportunity to engage with Shen during "A Conversation with Shen Wei," a
University Lectures presentation on Thursday, Feb. 26, at 7:30 p.m. in Hendricks
Chapel. The event is free and open to the public; reduced-rate parking will be
available in the Irving Garage. A sign language interpreter will be available for the
lecture.
In the conversation, moderated by former New York Times Chief Dance Critic Anna
Kisselgoff, Shen will share his personal story, including reflections on growing up
during China's Cultural Revolution; the creative process and development; the
philosophy behind his work; reflections on his contributions to the Olympic Opening
Ceremonies in Beijing; and the development of his new work.
Aside from his work with the company, Shen is also a renowned photographer. He
will share a selection of his photographs during the University Lectures presentation.
Shen has been hailed by the Washington Post as "one of the great artists of our
time." In 1995, at age 26, Shen left his native China and traveled to the United States.
That year, he presented his work at the prestigious American Dance Festival. An
international audience immediately took notice. In 2000, he founded Shen Wei Dance
Arts, which has become one of the premier dance ensembles in the world.
The Shen Wei residency is SU's first extended dance residency, and Shen Wei Dance
Arts will be creating this prototype with SU for future extended performing arts
residencies. This residency is sponsored by Shen Wei Dance Arts, the New York State
Council on the Arts, the Office of the Chancellor and the University Performing Arts
Presenter.
"Re-," the work that will be developed during the residency, complements two of the
company's previous pieces, and the three pieces draw from Shen's personal
experiences and reactions from his time in and study of Tibet, Cambodia and China's
Silk Road. The work developed here during the residency will be debuted at the
American Dance Festival in Durham, N.C., in June. The company will return to
Syracuse in September to showcase the work in public performances, including The
College of Arts and Sciences' Milton First-Year Lecture.
A native of the Hunan Province in China, Shen is the son of Chinese opera
professionals. He left home at age 9 to study opera and subsequently won a position
with the Hunan State Xian Opera Company, with which he performed leading roles
from 1984-89. As a dancer and choreographer, he became a founding member of the
Guangdong Modern Dance Company, the first of its kind in China.
After moving to the United States and his debut at the American Dance Festival,
Shen produced work seen on stages around the world. Since its inception, Shen Wei
Dance Arts has toured extensively on five continents. The company has had repeated
engagements at the American Dance Festival, Lincoln Center Festival, the Venice
Biennale, Los Angeles Music Center, Het Muziektheater and the John F. Kennedy
Center for the Performing Arts. Shen has created more than 10 new works, and for
each work he creates the set design, costume and makeup designs.
Shen Wei Dance Arts recently finished a residency with Duke University and has a
five-year residency with the Kennedy Center. The company is scheduled to perform
on three continents this year.
Shen received a MacArthur Foundation Genius Award in 2007 and is a United States
Artists/Prudential Fellow. He has received a John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship, a
New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship and the American Dance Festival's Ben
Sommer Fellowship, among numerous other awards and commissions.
Now in its eighth year, University Lectures maintains its tradition of bringing to the
SU campus some of the most influential movers and shapers from around the world.
The series is supported by the generosity of the University's trustees, alumni and
friends. Upcoming lectures in the 2008-09 season include Janine Benyus, biologist
and founder of the Biomimicry Institute (March 3 at 4 p.m.) and Robert Ballard,
renowned oceanographer and photographer (March 24 at 7:30 p.m.)
For more information, visit http://lectures.syr.edu.
