kisselgoff forgiveness review

New York Times

August 31, 2004

DANCE REVIEW; Humans Reach Out in Resignation And Touch Each Other in Infinity

By ANNA KISSELGOFF

''Forgiveness/Mourning,'' an unusually stimulating program that the Asia Society calls an ''evening of movement theater'' features two sets of leading experimental artists dealing with themes of war or loss.

The event, which has its final performance tonight, is part of the Imagine Festival of Arts, Issues and Ideas and although the works were not new they might be related to questions about the war in Iraq.

The choreographers Eiko and Koma first performed ''Mourning'' in 1984 when they called it ''Night Tide.'' Lying apart onstage on Sunday night, they inched slowly toward each other, their chalk-white nude bodies transformed into ever-changing forms. Almost imperceptibly, these biomorphic shapes became humans reaching to make contact before collapsing into resignation, perhaps death.

Although the piece's original title did not evoke a theme of mourning, the work is intensely moving, enhanced by the mix of sound and wailing composed and performed by Joe Jennings on tape. Call it ''Mourning'' or ''Night Tide,'' the work is a lament.

The first half of the program consisted of three excerpts from ''Forgiveness,'' a piece (2000) conceived and directed by Chen Shi-Zheng with an eclectic score by Eve Beglarian.

Perhaps the fact that the entire work was not on view accounted for a certain lack of depth, but a fragmentary structure seemed natural to its penetrating images.

Rachel Cooper, director of cultural programs and performing arts at Asia Society, noted that the piece dealt with events involving China, Japan and Korea in World War II. Mr. Chen, best known for his production of ''The Peony Pavilion,'' is working in a theater of mixed forms and his impact here comes from cumulative effect. In the first excerpt Kenny Endo, sat on his knees under Clifton Taylor's merciless lighting. While assembling a small drum, he recited ''Samurai Song,'' a poem by Robert Pinsky.

The poetic image was of a samurai stripping himself of humanity (''detachment is my strategy''). Hitting the drum after a short warlike chant, Mr. Endo remained the focused and disciplined soldier while interacting with other performers. Wu Man exhibited her usual virtuosity as she played the pipa, a Chinese stringed instrument.

In the second segment, Song Hee Lee danced on a latticed lighting pattern as one of the Korean women sexually exploited as ''comfort women'' for Japanese troops during World War II. Ms. Beglarian's score at this point was a collage in English of phrases related to rape, shame and humiliation. Ms. Lee's solo was not literal, but the scarf she manipulated and left behind was white, the color of mourning in Asia.

Ms. Wu's playing became frenzied at one point. This climax was complemented by a formal intercultural conclusion. Margaret Lancaster's Western flute mimicked a Japanese flute in Ms. Beglarian's score at the start. Corey Dargel sang the composer's setting of the Pinsky poem. He was presumably the alter ego for Zhou Long, a veteran Beijing Opera performer, who offered an expert opera-style martial display with a pole.

Performing to the same text, samurai and Chinese warrior were equated as humans trained to go to war. Whether aggressor and victim are the same is a complex question.


	New York Times August 31, 2004 DANCE REVIEW; Humans Reach Out in Resignation And Touch Each Other in Infinity By ANNA KISSELGOFF ''Forgiveness/Mourning,'' an unusually stimulating program that the Asia Society calls an ''evening of movement theater'' features two sets of leading experimental artists dealing with themes of war or loss. The event, which has its final performance tonight, is part of the Imagine Festival of Arts, Issues and Ideas and although the works were not new they might be related to questions about the war in Iraq. The choreographers Eiko and Koma first performed ''Mourning'' in 1984 when they called it ''Night Tide.'' Lying apart onstage on Sunday night, they inched slowly toward each other, their chalk-white nude bodies transformed into ever-changing forms. Almost imperceptibly, these biomorphic shapes became humans reaching to make contact before collapsing into resignation, perhaps death. Although the piece's original title did not evoke a theme of mourning, the work is intensely moving, enhanced by the mix of sound and wailing composed and performed by Joe Jennings on tape. Call it ''Mourning'' or ''Night Tide,'' the work is a lament. The first half of the program consisted of three excerpts from ''Forgiveness,'' a piece (2000) conceived and directed by Chen Shi-Zheng with an eclectic score by Eve Beglarian. Perhaps the fact that the entire work was not on view accounted for a certain lack of depth, but a fragmentary structure seemed natural to its penetrating images. Rachel Cooper, director of cultural programs and performing arts at Asia Society, noted that the piece dealt with events involving China, Japan and Korea in World War II. Mr. Chen, best known for his production of ''The Peony Pavilion,'' is working in a theater of mixed forms and his impact here comes from cumulative effect. In the first excerpt Kenny Endo, sat on his knees under Clifton Taylor's merciless lighting. While assembling a small drum, he recited ''Samurai Song,'' a poem by Robert Pinsky. The poetic image was of a samurai stripping himself of humanity (''detachment is my strategy''). Hitting the drum after a short warlike chant, Mr. Endo remained the focused and disciplined soldier while interacting with other performers. Wu Man exhibited her usual virtuosity as she played the pipa, a Chinese stringed instrument. In the second segment, Song Hee Lee danced on a latticed lighting pattern as one of the Korean women sexually exploited as ''comfort women'' for Japanese troops during World War II. Ms. Beglarian's score at this point was a collage in English of phrases related to rape, shame and humiliation. Ms. Lee's solo was not literal, but the scarf she manipulated and left behind was white, the color of mourning in Asia. Ms. Wu's playing became frenzied at one point. This climax was complemented by a formal intercultural conclusion. Margaret Lancaster's Western flute mimicked a Japanese flute in Ms. Beglarian's score at the start. Corey Dargel sang the composer's setting of the Pinsky poem. He was presumably the alter ego for Zhou Long, a veteran Beijing Opera performer, who offered an expert opera-style martial display with a pole. Performing to the same text, samurai and Chinese warrior were equated as humans trained to go to war. Whether aggressor and victim are the same is a complex question.
	back to announcements to newsnotes table of contents