Spring 2010
| Internship (AAS 488) |
Join the Wang Center in a hands-on, three-credit (10 hours per week) internship implementing Asian and Asian American cultural programming, including performances, festivals, films, lectures, and much more. Interns are involved in every aspect of the programming process, from researching potential attendees, to sending out press releases, creating fliers, interacting with the public, and running the box office. Some evenings and weekends required. Flier »
To apply for the internship: Email a resume and cover letter explaining how the internship would benefit you to:
Sunita Mukhi,
Director of
Asian and Asian American Programming
Sunita.Mukhi@stonybrook.edu
| Performances |
February 25
Niyaz
The Iranian music group Niyaz blends modern electronica with Persian folk songs, medieval Persian poetry, and Turkish and South Asian Sufi mysticism and musical forms. The word niyaz means "yearning" in both Farsi, the language of Iran, and Urdu, a major language of northern India and Pakistan, a connection Niyaz explores to its fullest. Don’t miss this mesmerizing spiritual and musical performance. Flier »
Thursday, February 25, 7:00 pm, Wang Theater
March 22
Kyogen: Comic Theater from Japan
Literally “mad words,” Kyogen originated during the samurai era and features humorous stories of daily life laced with biting social satire. Kyogen, the 600 year old Japanese classical comic theater, uses exuberant facial expressions, an extremely high level of vocal and physical control, stock characters, gentle humor, dialogue, and mime to celebrate and poke fun at humanity. This program is performed by the artists of the Yamamoto family, led by Yamamoto Noritoshi, designated as an Intangible Cultural Asset by the Japanese Government. The six-city North American tour of Yamamoto Kyogen Company is organized and produced by the Japan Society, New York, and is supported by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Co-sponsored with the Japan Center at Stony Brook. Flier »
Monday, March 22, 7:00 pm, Wang Theater
April 15
Wounds Unkissed
YaliniDream is a Sri Lankan Tamil raised in outside lands. She lives in the borderlands where poetry is theater is love is movement is song is prayer is rebellion. She looks to reshape reality seeking peace through justice in the lands of earth, psyche, body, and dream. Wounds Unkissed incorporates her unique blend of spoken word poetry, song, theater, and dance in a performance that speaks to the survival of spirit. From the humorous conflict between a young girl's dilemma between sexy thoughts and bedtime prayers to the heart wrenching stories of the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka to an immigrant mother coming to terms with her daughter's sexuality and her community's contradictions--YaliniDream's vigorous performance promises to bring laughter and tears. She travels this terrain through a hybrid form of dance that draws upon contemporary and classical South Asian forms, US Urban forms such as Popping, Hip Hop, and Experimental House, and the specialized aerial circus dance form--Corde Lisse. As this performance is in evolution audiences will have the opportunity to inform the future development of the piece. Come witness YaliniDream's spirit literally fly. Flier »
Tickets: **FREE FOR STUDENTS**
$35 for VIP; $20 for general admission; $15 for seniors
20% discounts for groups of five or more.
Thursday, April 15, 7:00 pm, Wang Theater
| Lectures, Workshops & Cultural Events |
Buddhism Study & Practice Group
Please check our Web site for updates, room assignments, and possible date/time changes.
To receive our weekly newsletter, please send an email to buddhism@ic.sunsyb.edu.
January 17
One-Day "Zazenkai" with Sensei Issai Chizen
Ven. Issai Chizen Denton Sensei has been studying Buddhism for nearly 40 years. He is a Dharma successor of Ven. Mitsunen Kosho Nordstrom Roshi and a lineage holder in both Soto and Rinzai schools of Zen. In addition to being head priest and resident teacher at Wagyo-ji Zen Temple in Oceanside, NY, he has been the Executive Director and Head of liturgy and training at Zenshin Temple in Yonkers. His sangha group meets every Sunday morning at 8:30 am. Please wear comfortable clothing. Arrive early, by 9:00 am. Bring a cushion, towel, socks, and sweater. FREE FOR STUDENTS. $20 teacher's donation suggested for non-students. To register, email: haideelee@yahoo.com or call (631) 344-2062.
Sunday, January 17, 9:30 am to 4:00 pm, Room 101April 15
Lecture by Dr. Marvin Levine, Dept. of Psychology, SBU
The Buddha, born and raised in India, was influenced by the Hindu outlook of his time. This same outlook influenced an emerging philosophical form of Hinduism that became known as Yoga. As a result, Buddhist and Yogic teachings are very similar. The two systems have a family resemblance; however, there is one major difference between them. The importance of this difference and the many similarities will be reviewed. Free and open to the public. Flier »
About our Guest Speaker:
Dr. Marvin Levine received his Bachelor’s degree from Columbia, his MA from Harvard, and his PhD in Experimental Psychology from the University of Wisconsin. Since 1965, he has been on the faculty of Stony Brook University where he established the program in Experimental Psychology. His research, on human problem solving, has been widely reproduced in textbooks and has resulted in two volumes, A Cognitive Theory of Learning (1975), and Effective Problem Solving (1988,1994). During his career, Dr. Levine also had an interest in Eastern Philosophy, specifically Buddhist and Yogic views. About 20 years ago he began to see connections between the Eastern conception of human nature and Western psychological viewpoints. This led to his most recent book, The Positive Psychology of Buddhism and Yoga (2000, 2009). He has an international reputation both as a researcher and as an Eastern scholar. In 1962, he received an NSF grant to collaborate on psychological research at the University of Brussels and in the spring of 2006 was a visiting professor at Hong Kong University in the Department of Buddhist Studies.Thursday, April 15, 6:30 to 8:30 pm, Wang Lecture Hall 1
May 1
Meditation Workshop: Applying Zen/Chan in Daily Life
By Abbot Guo-Xing Fashi & Nancy Bonardi, from Chan Meditation Center, Elmhurst, New York
· Are you happy, but still feel something is missing?
· Are you living peacefully, experiencing joy in every moment?
· Are you seeking contentment in everyday life?
You will learn in four stages how to observe mental and emotional changes; how to analyze such changes; how to deal with them; and how to see the reflection of the mind that leads to the utmost peace and bliss in daily life. Flier »
Abbot Guo-Xing Fashi, a Dharma heir of the renowned Chan Master Sheng Yen, was ordained in Taiwan in 1986. In 1991, he entered solitary retreat in Thailand, studying Theravada meditation. He returned to Taiwan, and for the next 20 years assisted Master Sheng Yen in leading over 50 meditation retreats in Taiwan, Southeast Asia, and the United States, including a 49-day retreat at the Dharma Drum Retreat Center in Pine Bush, NY. The Rev. Guo Xing Fashi has been a resident teacher at the Dharma Drum Retreat Center since 2008, and Abbot of the Chan Meditation Center, Elmhurst, NY since 2009.
Nancy Bonardi began practicing meditation with Chan Master Sheng-Yen of Dharma Drum Mountain in 1978. She has been teaching beginning and intermediate meditation and conducting many one-day retreats at the Chan Meditation Center for years.
Please wear comfortable clothing, arrive early by 9:00 am. Bring a cushion, towel, socks and lunch. FREE FOR STUDENTS. $20 teacher's donation suggested for non-students. To register, email: haideelee@yahoo.comSaturday, May 1, 9:30 am to 4:00 pm, Wang Room 201
February 27
Tzu-Chi Foundation New Year Blessing
Join the Tzu-Chi Foundation, an international non-profit founded in Taiwan, as it ushers in the Chinese New Year in a Buddhist ceremony. The Tzu-Chi Foundation was created in 1966, when its founder Dharma Master Cheng Yen determined that suffering in this world is rooted in material deprivation, spiritual poverty, and "lack of love for others” and created the foundation to combat these causes of suffering. Reception to follow. Flier »
Saturday, February 27, 2:30 pm, Wang Chapel
March 3
Bollywood Weddings
Lecture and Book Signing
Kavita Ramdya’s speaks about her book, Bollywood Weddings: Dating, Engagement, and Marriage in Hindu America, an anthropological study of Indian-American Hindus in the tri-state New York area. By interviewing twenty couples, Ramdya examines how this diasporic community negotiates between antiquated, Old World values such arranged marriage and modern, individualistic values such as love marriage. She finds that Bollywood culture’s fashionable aesthetic and symbolic representation of a modernised India became the method by which American-raised Indian Hindus negotiate two diametrically-opposed value sets: that of pre-modern India and mainstream America. Book signing to follow. Flier »
More about Kavita Ramdya, her book, and growing up on Long Island »
Wednesday, March 3,
12:50 pm, Wang Center
March 11
Beyond Bollywood and Broadway
Plays from the South Asian Diaspora by Neilesh Bose: Dramatic Readings and Discussion
Neilesh Bose hosts and discusses a series of dramatic readings from the plays in his edited volume Beyond Bollywood and Broadway. This anthology of 11 plays, from North America, the U.K., and South Africa, many published here for the first time, reveals the vibrant, cosmopolitan theatre of the South Asian diaspora. These original and provocative works explore the experience of diaspora by drawing on cultural references as diverse as classical Indian texts, adaptations of Shakespeare and Homer, current events, and world music, film, and dance. Dramatic Readings from the book accompany the discussion performed by Rising Circle Theater Collective.
Book signing to follow. Flier »
Thursday, March 11, 7:00 pm, Wang Center Theater
April 14
Pan-Asian Read-Aloud
Stories, performances, calligraphy, and workshops by Stony Brook students for young audiences. Co-sponsored with the Asian American Center Bridge.
Wednesday, April 14, 10:30 am, Wang Center
April 24
Long Island's Sakura Matsuri: Cherry Blossom Festival
Welcome Spring to Long Island the Japanese way, with exciting sounds of the Taiko Drums, performances of Japanese dance and music and a wondrous array of Japanese crafts, tea ceremony, and cultural events. Sponsored by the Ryu Shu Kan with the Japan Center at Stony Brook in collaboration with Asian and Asian American Programming at the Charles B. Wang Center. Free admission to exhibits. Flier » Press Release »
Performances: $10/Adults, $8/Seniors & Students, $5/Kids ages 5-12, Children 4 & under/Free.
Call (631) 698-2467.
Saturday, April 24, 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm
May 5
Who is Asia America? A Series of Performance Art Happenings
Through ritual and conceptual performances, human tableaus and sculptures, and live art, the Wang Center comes alive with a plethora of performance art "happenings" that explore and explode the complexity, wealth, diversity, humor, and nuanced musings about Asian American identity, history, and cultures.
Wednesday, May 5, 12:50 pm, Wang Center
Community Yoga with Elizabeth Heifferon
Tuesdays, 6:00 pm
Please join us for multi-level yoga classes (appropriate for beginners and more advanced students), designed to stretch and strengthen your body, increase your inner peace, and bring mind, body, and spirit into alignment. This is hatha yoga, meaning it incorporates the physical practices of yoga: asana (poses), pranayama (breath control), and meditation. Bring along a mat (if you have one) and an intention for positive change, and grow with us in the Wang Center gardens, as we explore the practice of yoga: the total mind-body workout that doesn't feel like a workout. Please wear comfortable clothing that you can move in and (if you can) bring a suggested donation of $5. Learn more about the instructor » Flier »
For a complete schedule click here.
Tuesdays, 6:00 pm, Wang Center
May 15
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Celebration
View full program at scaaab.org. Flier »
• Asian cultural, vendor, and corporation displays
• Food court introducing delicious Asian recipes
• Health Spa Expo: Reiki, massage, Chinese
medicine
• Health & Wealth Lecture:
Suffolk County Offices for aging, housing, etc.
Corporation (banking, real estate, financing information)
Police Department, Social Security Lawyers
• Asian snack bar introducing Asian beverages, snacks and sweets
• Consignment auction (Kimonos, Indian dress, and more)
• Artists Corner
Ticketed Events
Martial Arts Expo
Introduction to traditional martial arts
12:30 pm to 1:30 pm, Chapel
Tickets: $5, $3 for students in uniform
Seven Asian Countries Professional Performing Art Show
China, India, Japan, Korea, Phillipines, Taiwan, Thailand
1:30 pm to 2:30 pm & 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm, Theater
Tickets: $5, $3 for children under 12
Asian Dinner Reception
Mixed Asian buffet and international karaoke singing contest
with prizes
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
$25
Combination Ticket: Mulitcultural Show and Asian Dinner Ticket:
$28
Purchase your tickets online »
Or make checks payable to Wellbrook Foundation and mail to:
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
PO Box 693
Eastport NY 11941
May 16
Zhang Style Tai Chi by Shifu Tyron Wei
Zhang Style Tai Chi (or Tai Ji Chuan) is a proven effective exercise for mastering one’s Qi
(energy). While practicing TJC, the posture and detail of each form have to be correctly taught by
a very experienced Master (Shifu) as this is an essential for your safe practice and health benefits.
The forms developed from Zhang Style Tai Chi contain many components including posture
alignment, weight distribution, breathing techniques, and most importantly, the proper application of
Yi (mindfulness). You will learn the application of each form and how to apply your mindfulness
into each form, how to effectively use proper posture, position, timing and concentration to deal
with external force. Master Wei has developed a very unique approach based upon traditional
Chinese Tai Chi and martial arts skills to improve both mental and physical health. Zhang Style
Tai Chi focuses on creating a strong health foundation through daily practice of forms, push hands
study, and applications practice.
Shifu Tyrone Wei began his study of martial arts in Taiwan at young age. Since then he has
studied under many renowned Tai-Chi and Martial Arts Masters: Cheng Man Ching Tai Ji Chuan,
Wu Jian Martial Arts School, Zhang Style Tai Ji Chuan, Yang Style Tai Ji Chuan and the founder
of Zhang Style Tai Ji Chuan. For more information about Tai Ji Chuan, please e-mail Shifu Wei
at: formosatw@live.com. Free for students. Donation of $5 suggested for non-students. Flier »
April 11, 18, 26, and May 2, 9, 16, Wang Center, Room 301
April 19–May 22
Imagining the Wang Center Exhibit
2010 PH Tuan Annual Wang Center Photography Contest
Cast your vote: Unique interpretations of the Charles B. Wang Center for the annual Imagining the Wang Center Photo Contest by photographers from around the world are on view in the Wang Center's Theater Lobby from April 19 to May 22. Choose your favorite from these top twenty five submissions previously chosen by PH Tuan, esteemed architect of the Center, for the People's Choice Award and Global Choice Award through April 28. Flier »
| $400–1st Prize | $300–2nd Prize | $200–3rd Prize |
| New for 2010 | ||
| $250–People's Choice Award |
$100–Global Choice Award |
The People's Choice Award must be chosen from the photos that are exhibited in the Wang Center's Theater Lobby. Voting boxes will be located in the Gift Shop and Suite 302. One vote per person. To vote for the Global Choice Award, please click here » Votes for the Global Choice Award and the People's Choice Award must be made by April 28, 5:00 pm.
Awards Ceremony and Reception for top three winners and Choice awardees:
April 29, 7:00 pm, Wang Center Chapel
RSVP required: Call 631-632-4400 or email wangcenter@stonybrook.edu
All are welcome.
Questions? E-mail wangphotocontest@gmail.com or call (631) 632-4400 or (631) 831-6062. Co-sponsored by Wang Center architect P.H. Tuan, [AA]2 AA E-Zine, and Charles B. Wang Center Asian and Asian American Programs
Exhibit: April 19–May 22
Reception: Thursday, April 29, 7:00 pm, Wang Center Chapel
For more information, go to scaaab.org or call Aki Naito-Gearns at 516-510-6951 or Jim Young at 631-949-0313.
Sponsored by:
Charles B. Wang Center • Suffolk County Offices of Minority Affairs •
Asian American Advisory Board • Asian Pacific American Association at BNL • Taiwanese
American Association of Long Island • Press Division of Taipei Economic and Culture
Office In New York • Filipino American Community Organizations of Long Island • United
States Census 2010 • Korean American Public Affairs Committee (KAPAC) • Bethpage
Federal Credit Union • Hampton Realty
| Films |
February 11
Vincent Who?
Vincent Chin was a 27 year old Chinese American draftsman and celebrating his upcoming marriage in Detroit when he was attacked with baseball bats in 1982 by Ronald Ebens, a Chrysler supervisor and Michael Nitz, Ebens’ laid-off stepson. The fatal assault, motivated by anti-Japanese sentiment among autoworkers due to Japan’s successful entry into the United States automobile market, ended in Chin’s death and galvanized Asian and Asian Americans around the country to form a real community and movement. This documentary, inspired by a series of town hall meetings organized by Asian Pacific Americans for Progress on the 25th anniversary of the case, features interviews with the key players at the time, as well as a whole new generation of activists. Vincent Who? asks how far Asian Americans have come since then and how far they have yet to go.
Sgt. Robert Reeks of the Suffolk County Police Department provides an introduction to the state of hate crimes and their investigations in Suffolk County followed by the screening of Vincent Who? and discussion with director Curtis Chin. Flier » Watch trailer »
Producer and co-director Curtis Chin (featured in the documentary) is an award-winning writer and producer who has worked for ABC, NBC, Disney Channel, and more. As a community activist, he co-founded the Asian American Writers Workshop and Asian Pacific Americans for Progress. In 2008, he served on Barack Obama's Asian American Leadership Council where he participated in helping the campaign reach out to the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. Since then, he has been invited to the White House twice, including for the 40th Anniversary of Stonewall and the signing of the White House Initiative on AAPI's. Curtis has also been active in LGBT rights, serving as the chair of the Gay Asian Pacific Islander Men of New York and as a member of API Equality in Los Angeles. He and his partner are one of the 18,000 couples officially married in California before Prop 8. He has been featured on CNN, MSNBC, in Newsweek, and other leading media.
February 11, 7:00 pm, Wang Theater
February 18
Flesh and Soul: Dance on Camera Films
Interpreting dance through cinema and cinema through dance, these six films from Asia and throughout the world take movement and the visual arts to new syncretic levels. Flier »
Horizon of Exile
Isabel Rocamora, UK/ Spain, 2007; 22m
Set to a soundtrack by Jivan Gasparyan and punctuated by voice testimonies of Iraqi exiles, Horizon employs choreographed gesture to consider issues of land and identity. The bodies betray a serene violence, travelling as though released from consciousness or gravity, falling and recuperating, haunted by an irrepressible past.
Mysteries of Nature
Dahci Ma, 2008, South Korea; 10m
Through beautiful and complex imagery, the film relies on contemporary technology and cinematic capture to illustrate the interdependence of the three realms, sky, earth, and human, which is a core trinity of Korean religion.
Caught in Paint
Rita Blitt, USA, 2003; 6m
A film that has been shown at over 60 film festivals nationally and has won seven awards, Caught in Paint is a film that brings together the painter Rita Blitt, choreographer David Parsons and his Parsons Dance Company, and photographer Lois Greenfield, in an inventive union of paint, dance and photography.
Reincarnation
Takeshi Kushida, Japan, 2008; 5m
Kaiji Moriyama performs in this mesmerizing film about the voluptuous moments during the fusion of a soul and a flesh.
La Vie Est Belle
Tristan Duhamel, France, 2004; 3.13m
A character of street-art painted by Jerome Mesnager is dancing and running on the walls of Paris, animated by Tristan Duhamel on a rock music of Delenda.
Bahudha
Ranan, India, 2006, 12m
Bahudha is originally a part of a series of Kathak duets interacting with other art forms that was first conceived, choreographed and performed by Debashree Bhattacharya and Vikram lyengar in January 2002. When performed on stage, the two dancers perform before projected images of themselves.
Discussion with Deirdre Towers, Artistic Director for The Dance Films Association, and Randy Thomas of The Center for Dance, Movement and Somatic Learning.
Thursday, February 18, 7:00 pm, Wang Center Theater
April 8
Autumn Gem
Autumn Gem is about the extraordinary life of the Chinese revolutionary heroine and women’s rights activist Qiu Jin (1875–1907). During the reign of the last dynasty in China, Qiu Jin boldly challenged traditional gender roles and demanded equal rights and opportunities for women. At a time when women’s lives were often marked by repressive practices such as footbinding, arranged marriages, and denial of education, she envisioned a future where women would free themselves from the confines of tradition and emerge as strong and active citizens of a new and modern nation, offering a fresh perspective on women in China by sharing the story of a figure known as the country’s first feminist. A short introduction on the making the film and historical background will be given by producer Rae Chang. Q&A to follow. Flier »
Thursday, April 8, 4:00 pm, Wang Theater
April 19
Burma VJ: Reporting from a Closed Country
Filmmaker Anders Østergaard's gripping documentary profiles the courageous efforts of a renegade band of Burmese reporters who, in the face of a repressive regime and media censorship, refuse to be silenced. Calling themselves the Democratic Voice of Burma (aka the Burma VJs), these fierce "video warriors" place themselves in peril as they smuggle footage documenting their government's abuses across the border and to the world at large.
(85 min., Burmese with English subtitles, 2008)
Free for students, $5 for all others.
Part of the Port Jefferson Documentary Series by Greater Port Jefferson-Northern Brookhaven Arts Council. Watch trailer » Flier »
Monday, April 19, 7:00 pm, Wang Theater
April 26
Voices from El-Sayed
In an Israeli town where many cannot hear, Salim defies tradition by allowing his deaf son to receive a cochlear implant. This documentary traces the boy's adjustment to a life of sound and the varied reactions of his neighbors. With an artful eye, director Oded Adomi Leshem offers a fascinating glimpse into this close-knit Bedouin village, where the world's largest deaf community integrates seamlessly into daily life.
(75 min., Arabic/Hebrew with English subtitles, 2008)
Free for students, $5 for all others
Part of the Port Jefferson Documentary Series by Greater Port Jefferson-Northern Brookhaven Arts Council. Watch trailer » Flier »
Monday, April 26, 7:00 pm, Wang Theater
Summer 2010
| A Celebration of Celebrations: The 2010 Origami Heaven Exhibition and Festival |
July 31–August 6
Exhibition Hours:
Monday–Friday: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
Saturday: 10:00 am to 7:00 pm
Sunday: 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Day Long Festival: Wednesday, August 4,
11:00 am to 4:00 pm, Wang Center Theater.
Suggested Donation of $5.00.
Come fold with a folder from 12:00 to 1:00 pm everyday at the exhibition area.
Come celebrate the ultimate celebration of celebrations with us. Origami Heaven 2010 brings you familiar and new holidays celebrated worldwide in this weeklong exhibition of intricate paper sculptures made by origami artists from throughout the Unites States and the world. The day-long participatory festival slated for Wednesday, August 4, 11:00 am to 4:00 pm, features storigami, workshops, teaching tables, a kimono dressing performance and Korean drumming by Vongku Pak. Celebrate the beautiful art of origami with the whole family.
See You Tube Video about Origami Heaven 2009.
For more information, visit origamiheaven.org. Exhibition curated by Shrikant Iyer.
Co-sponsored with Long Island Folding Enthusiasts and Japan Center at Stony Brook.
Origami Heaven festival schedule »
Exhibition: Saturday, July 31 to Friday, August 6, Wang Center, Room 201
Come fold with a folder from 12:00 to 1:00 pm everyday at the exhibition area.
Festival: Wednesday, August 4,
11:00 am–4:00 pm, Wang Theater
Events Archive
The Wang Center
is open to the public Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Guided
Tours for school groups and groups of 10 or more are available by appointment.
Stony Brook University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity educator and employer. If you need a disability-related accommodation, please call (631) 632-6320.
