Asian American Dance Theatre facts for kids
The Asian American Dance Theatre (AADT) was a special group in New York City. It was a non-profit organization that focused on dance performances and teaching. AADT showed both traditional Asian folk and classical dances. They also created new dances that used Asian styles and feelings.
AADT was a leader in developing Asian American dance. It also created programs to teach people about different Asian dance forms and cultures. The group even had a community school. This school offered lessons in many dance styles and art.
Eleanor S. Yung started AADT in 1974. Later, in 1987, AADT changed its name to the Asian American Arts Centre (AAAC).
The Story of AADT
In the early 1970s, it was hard to find Asian American dance shows in New York City. Not many dancers were performing traditional Asian dances either. People often misunderstood or saw traditional Asian dance as something strange. Also, there were not many chances for choreographers who created modern Asian American dances.
In 1974, Eleanor S. Yung started AADT. It was a place for performances and for creating new Asian-American dance works. AADT grew out of the Asian American Dance Workshop. This workshop was part of the Basement Workshop.
Starting in 1974, AADT began holding dance seasons in New York. These shows featured dances by Yung and other guest choreographers. AADT performed at many places. These included the Riverside Dance Festival and the Marymount Manhattan Theater. They also performed at the Pace University Schimmel Center. Other venues were the Dance Theater Workshop, Open Eye, Clark Center, and Synod House.
Newspapers and magazines wrote about AADT's performances. These included the New York Times, Village Voice, Dance Magazines, and NY Post. Dance critics like Jennifer Dunning and Jack Anderson praised their work. Yung's famous dance, “Passage,” was highly praised by Jennifer Dunning. For her piece “Silk Road,” Yung worked with Zhang Hong-Tu.
Many dancers performed with AADT. Some names include Marie Alonzo, Annie Bien, Tomie Hahn, and Muna Tseng.
During the 1980s, AADT's Traditional Repertoire group went on tour. They visited states like Texas, Ohio, North Carolina, and New Mexico. They performed for many people, both indoors and outdoors. AADT also performed at Sister Fire in Washington D.C. and the Michigan Womyn's Music Festival. They even did a nine-campus tour for Penn State University. Dancers on these tours included Deena Burton and Sachiyo Ito.
In 1987, AADT became the Asian American Arts Centre (AAAC). The dance season in New York ended in 1990. The community school closed in 1997.
Learning Through Arts
AADT started a special program for the New York Public School System. This program involved lecture demonstrations of traditional Asian dance. These events took place at community centers and public libraries. New professional dancers from Asia joined the traditional performance group. The dancers wore full costumes. They taught students about the art form, the people, and the culture.
AADT also started an 8-week workshop program. Students could learn Indian Dance and Chinese Dance. Study guides helped with these programs.
In 1985, AADT began the Pointed Brush program. This was a visual arts workshop for public school students. Nora Shih led these workshops. The program ran until the late 1980s.
In 1986, AADT created D'Asia Vu. This was a showcase of Asian and Asian-inspired performances. It included puppetry, theater, and mask dances. There was even a dancer on skates performing to the Guzheng.
The first D’Asia Vu show was at the Balinese American Dance Theater in New York. Later, it moved back to AADT's own space. Performances included Kuang Yu Fong's "A Day at the Office." Tomie Hahn first performed "Leaf." Bell Yung played the Guqin, and the Leela Puppets performed. There was also a group called East-West Fusion.
Community School
In 1974, AADT began offering ballet classes for children. These classes were held at the Chatham Square Public Library. In 1976, AADT moved to its own space. They then added creative dance and children's art classes.
The school also offered classes for adults. These included Chinese painting and calligraphy. Other classes were Chinese dance, Jazz, Alexander technique, Jazzercise, tai chi, and ballroom dancing.
Children's classes usually took place on weekends. Adult classes were often in the evenings. The AADT space had a dance studio and an art classroom. AADT held yearly dance recitals for the children. These were at public school PS 124.
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