Far East Meets Midwest II
February 28, 2004!
Check out the photos!
Far East Meets Midwest
In a Nutshell:
The Circus Day Foundation is thrilled to present Far East Meets Midwest, a boundary-crossing, bridge-building, multi-cultural performance using Chinese circus arts, other Asian cultural arts and local St. Louis youth to connect and entertain people in a wonderful way. For this show, the St. Louis Arches youth circus troupe will perform several Chinese circus arts acts: Chinese hoop diving, Chinese yo-yos a.k.a. diabolos, Chinese poles and group bicycling. Other performers include St. Louis Osuwa Taiko Drummers, Lion Dancers from the St. Louis Modern Chinese School, Zheng (Chinese harp) virtuoso, Xiaoyu Yan, Japanese master top-spinner, Hiroshi Tada and special guests Three Rivers Aikido and Farshid Soltanshahi from Farshid Etniko.
This year’s Far East Meets Midwest features several unique and wonderful collaborations. The St. Louis Arches and St. Louis Osuwa Taiko Drummers will perform an act called Tumble Drum in which Taikos tumble and Arches drum. The cross-cultural cross training has been fun and demanding for both troupes. The result is exhilarating! Another first is the act that has Xiaoyu Yan playing the Zheng (Chinese harp) to accompany three young girls from the Arches as they perform a new Triple Trapeze act. Four beautiful young women from China, Illinois, Bridgeton and St. Louis display strength and grace in this marvelous mingling of music and aerial artistry. Since you can’t get from the Far East to the Midwest without going through the Middle East, Iranian master musician, Farshid Soltanshahi will play the Persian setar to accompany a martial arts demonstration by members of Three Rivers Aikido. These creative collaborations are part of what makes Circus Day Foundation’s Far East Meets Midwest an incredible, inspirational, international treat for all who attend.
The show will take place in the everydaycircus ring on the third floor of City Museum, Saturday, February 28 at 4 and 8 PM. Tickets can be purchased by calling 314/436-7676 and are $15 in advance/ $20 at the door for adults, $10 in advance/ $12 at the door for seniors and students. Between the two shows, from 6 to 8, for an additional $15 per adult, $12 per senior and $5 per child, guests may attend a Gala Reception and Silent Auction featuring Asian and Midwestern cuisine, performing artists and great items to bid on. The Reception/Auction benefits the Circus Day Foundation.
THE PERFORMERS:
ST. LOUIS ARCHES
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The St. Louis Arches are the sensational, performing youth circus troupe from the Circus Day Foundation. They are currently comprised of youth aged 7 -14 years old from throughout the St. Louis area. The Arches perform a wide variety of circus skills including tumbling, trapeze, juggling, stilt walking, tightrope walking, unicycling, rolling globe, mini-trampoline and partner acrobatics. Since their inception in 1989, they have been coached and choreographed by Circus Day Foundation’s artistic/executive director, Jessica Hentoff.
Audiences everywhere flip over this talented troupe. The Arches have performed at an array of local events and have been seen literally coast-to-coast performing at such wonderful venues as: the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina and Scottsdale Center of the Performing Arts in Arizona. They appeared this year on Warner Bros. nationally televised Steve Harvey’s Big Time. This acclaimed and accomplished group of young people can be seen almost every weekend amazing audiences at City Museum. The St. Louis Arches embody the Circus Day Foundation’s mission statement: “We work to build character and expand community for youth of all ages, cultures, abilities and backgrounds. Through teaching and performance of circus skills, we help people defy gravity, soar with confidence, and leap over social barriers, all at the same time.” That’s why they call them the Fabulous, Flying St. Louis Arches!!!
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ST. LOUIS OSUWA TAIKO DRUMMERS
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Literal translation of a Japanese word “taiko” is “big/fat drum,” although, there is a variety of shapes and sizes of taiko available and used. Taiko is an indigenous part of the Japanese culture dating back more than 1400 years. Long ago, the taiko drum was beaten in warfare to boost the moral of the troops and to fool invading armies into believing that a formidable opposition was on the march. It was also used as a communication method among the neighboring villages as taiko’s deep, thunderous sound traveled for miles. Taiko has also been associated with the gods and religions of Japan. Above all, however, the most popular use of taiko, past and present, has been at festivals.
The first formal introduction of taiko to the United States was in 1968 by Master Seiichi Tanaka with the formation of the first North American taiko group—San Francisco Taiko Dojo. Since then, taiko has not only become popular but has also become a part of the universal musical language drawing our world closer together. Grandmaster Daihachi Oguchi in Suwa, Japan formed the original Osuwa Taiko, and since then he has helped the foundation of other Osuwa Taiko branches throughout the world. Approximately 15 years ago, Oguchi visited St. Louis (sister city of Suwa) with a generous donation of handmade drums to the City, and helped form the first Osuwa Taiko in St. Louis. St. Louis Osuwa Taiko was restarted at Washington University in September of 1996. Since then, the group has grown and has been invited to perform at numerous events and occasions throughout the mid-west United States. They hope to broaden the awareness of this rich Japanese tradition and culture to the general public.
The St. Louis Osuwa Taiko Drummers will be performing in a combined act with the St. Louis Arches where drummers and tumblers will exchange places. This innovative act combines people of a variety of ages, backgrounds and nationalities in a foot-tapping, heart-pounding sound and motion fete that shows there is more than one way to keep rhythm!
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ST. LOUIS MODERN CHINESE SCHOOL
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The mission of the St. Louis Modern Chinese School is to promote Chinese language and culture, to help the younger generation to preserve and appreciate Chinese heritage, and to promote understanding between Chinese and other ethnic groups. Staffed by volunteers, the St. Louis Modern Chinese School currently teaches Chinese language and culture to around 300 students of all ages.
Students from the School perform two major shows each year and are also invited to participate in many special events around St. Louis, most notably the Chinese Festival at the Missouri Botanical Gardens and the St. Louis Chinese Association’s Chinese New Year Celebration. For Far East Meets Midwest, the School will present traditional Chinese Lion Dancers. This act combines elements of dance, music, martial arts and traditional Chinese costuming and choreography.
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ART OF KOMA-MAWASHI (Top Spinning) by HIROSHI TADA
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Koma-mawashi is the Japanese children’s play of top spinning. Over more than half a century, Hiroshi Tada has evolved the simple children’s play into an art of family entertainment. He performs a rather non-traditional presentation of a traditional ethnic art. This low-tech, but highly scientific, art relies on sheer skill to manipulate a plain, primitive toy top with a rope using some elements of juggling, yo-yo and even magic. Tada’s routines include many unique and amazing feats not found anywhere else.
In the words of the Riverfront Times “The laws of gravity are putty in the hands of this guru of the gyro.” Hiroshi Tada is a regular attraction at Missouri Botanical Garden’s Japanese Festival, Missouri History Museum’s International FunFest, Queeny Park’s International Folk Fest and Tower Grove’s Festival of Nations, to name just a few. Dr. Tada is also an affiliate professor of Mechanical Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis and is an internationally recognized expert in his field.
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XIAOYU YAN
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If you want to see the personification of dedication and hard work combined with art and heart, look no further than Xiaoyu Yan. This Parkway high school student’s amazing abilities belie her young years. Xiaoyu chose to play the Zheng when she was only 4 years old. The Zheng (or Guzheng) is one of the most ancient instruments in China. It is Chinese traditional instrument that measures 64" in length, 13" in width, and 5" in thickness. The whole instrument is made out of wood and it is hollowed inside to make an echoing sound. Elegant carvings embellish the smooth sides. There are twenty-one individual bridges supporting each of the twenty-one strings on the face of the instrument. The outstanding structure of Zheng and its touching and melodious sound are greatly admired.
By the time she was just 11 years old, Xiaoyu was so accomplished on the Zheng that she was chosen as a Young Diplomat of China. In this role, she toured the United States and was presented to the Chinese Ambassador. Xiaoyu has received numerous trophies and awards for her Zheng playing. She has now achieved the highest level on this difficult instrument. Xiaoyu credits her teachers (starting with her kindergarten Zheng teachers, Mrs. Li), her mother (who has supported her every step of the way), her father (who transports her and her beautiful but bulky instrument) and her audiences (who have listened with respect) for her achievements on the Zheng.
Xiaoyu is known for her ability to paint pictures with her music. For her solo piece she will play a song called “A Productive Harvest”. This allegro is a quick and fluent music. It portrays people’s convivial feelings and the jovial atmosphere at time of harvesting. Later in the show, Xiaoyu will accompany the triple trapeze act performed by three girls from the St. Louis Arches, Elliana, Shaina and Kayla. To our knowledge, this is the first such collaboration anywhere. We are proud to present these four young, talented women as they form this bridge between circus and music, between China and the United States.
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THREE RIVERS AIKIDO
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Three Rivers Aikido is located in Maplewood. Elliot Freeman is Chief Instructor. He has been training and teaching in Aikido for over 25 years, and has been in the martial arts almost 35 years. His teacher is Master Steven Segal, 7th degree black belt. Segal is their link to Hombu Dojo, the founding world Aikido organization. Aikido is a relatively recent martial art developed in Japan by Morihei Ueshiba (1883-1969), generally referred to as O'Sensei (or “great teacher”) among students of Aikido. The word Aikido, which Ueshiba decided upon in 1942, is derived from three word symbols that can be approximately translated as “The way of harmonizing energy.” The techniques of Aikido redirect the aggressive energy of an attacker, causing them to be thrown, immobilized, or otherwise thwarted depending on the skill and intentions of the practitioner. Aikido training is taught in a non-competitive and cooperative manner, emphasizing defense: not getting grabbed, not getting struck and not getting taken down to the ground. This is what makes Aikido unlike the kicking, punching, and blocking of Karate or wrestling aspects of Judo.
Three Rivers Aikido has classes for all ages and also teaches Tai Chi and Qi Gong. Their special Aiki-kids program believes that just as a good parent would not hand a child a loaded gun to go to school, children should not be given tools of destruction. They empower and give children the tools of neutralization and peaceful resolution. They also emphasize the benefits of “deep calm” in even the most chaotic of situations, teaching kids to be in control of themselves regardless of the situation. Three Rivers’ performance with Far East Meets Midwest starts with the simple motion of sweeping and evolves into an intricate display of gentle martial arts. This Japanese self-defense discipline will be performed accompanies to the music of an ancient Persian lute, known as a setar, and played by multi-talents, multi-cultural musician Farshid Soltanshahi.
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FARSHID SOLTANSHAHI
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Farshid Soltanshahi’s confluence of Persian, Latin, jazz, blues and world music brings audiences a new experience in listening pleasure. Born in Iran in 1966, Farshid started playing guitar at the age of 16. After moving to Strasbourg, France in 1983, he began collaborating with local rock and pop bands. Attracted to the Blues, he developed a passion for improvisation. After studying in France, his focus turned toward composing and performing music. Farshid felt a growing attraction to traditional Persian music, especially the setar, a Persian lute. Farshid met Angela, an established Tango and Salsa singer, who taught him the nuances of Latin music. He also performed in an all-percussion band. After moving to the United States, his collaboration with Amir Arab led to the creation of Acoustic Internote. They performed throughout St. Louis and at several special events such as opening for Carlos Santana and performing at the Whitaker Jazz Festival. Interested in exploring different influences, Farshid created Ensemble Esphahan (traditional Persian, contemporary and improvised music) with the bassist Willem Von Hombracht. Today, he is working on his musical adventure with his critically acclaimed band, Farshid Etniko. St. Louis Today.com said “Whatever you want to call Farshid Etniko”s eclectic blend of genres, the results are magnificent.”
For Far East Meets Midwest, Farshid is collaborating with his longtime friend, Sensei Elliott Freeman of Three Rivers Aikido. Farshid will be playing the Persian setar to accompany the martial artists form Three Rivers Aikido.
Farshid Etniko will be part of Circus Day Foundation’s newest project, Circus Harmony that will debut on July 17th.
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BROTHERS KAPUTNIK
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Josh Routh and Michael Hagerstrom a.k.a. the Brothers Kaputnik, met at the prestigious Clown Conservatory at the Circus Center in San Francisco, where they both graduated as Class Clowns. Josh is an accomplished acrobat and juggler, Michael a well-versed magician and sideshow performer. They have performed with a number of circuses including The New Pickle Circus, Make-A-Circus, San Francisco Youth Circus, Velocity Circus, and Much Ado Circus. They can be booked through everydaycircus at 314-645-4445. Together they bring real skills together with real humor and are clowns who can truly amuse and amaze you. Look for them this spring in their new production of Circus Kaput.
For Far East Meets Midwest, they will perform a classic Chinese clown routine called “The Happy Chef”. Along with two of the St. Louis Arches, Josh and Michael have been attending Chinese Lion Dancing classes at the St. Louis Modern Chinese School. You will see the results of teaching these old clowns some new Lion tricks, this evening!
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FAR EAST MEETS MIDWEST brings together these Midwestern and Asian arts and artists in a glorious evening of inspirational entertainment. At the Circus Day Foundation, we say, “we teach the art of life through circus education” and we really mean it. Circus and life are both about juggling your responsibilities and balancing your priorities. They are about cooperation and communication. They are about what we do, rather than who we are. Circus and life are both about connecting with the world around us. We are thrilled to use circus to bring together these different facets of the St. Louis community.