Sunday, August 31, 2014

Time for BBQ Party in NY, Okinawan Festival in Hawaii

Our BBQ went very good!


Actually, the weather has been cool lately and pool was empty yesterday.


We have guests visiting hour home today for 
birthday party. 
I have to clean the home now.

Please enjoy your holiday weekend!
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 Okinawan Festival will be held in Hawaii Today.
Here is their Eisa dance at the festival.
http://youtu.be/0eDlWbU1g44

Okinawan Festival
I wish I could be in Hawaii today.



Friday, August 29, 2014

Queens County Farm Museum

We visited the Queens County Farm Museum (three minutes away from my home, Queens,  by car) after the lunch today.
Larry and I finally are spending 4-day weekend at home!
The farm has vegetables & flutes, cow, pig, chicken and goat.

Queens County Farm Museum's history dates back to 1697; it occupies New York City's largest remaining tract of undisturbed farmland. The farm encompasses a 47-acre parcel that is the longest continuously farmed site in New York State. 


Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Today's Dance Lesson No. 1:Aki No Odori

Today, I would like to show some kata of the dance called 
"Aki No Odori"  - Dance for Autumn

本日は、秋の踊りを紹介します。

秋の踊りの詩は、
琉球語(琉歌)ではなく
日本語の和歌調で唄われています。
曲名は
道輪口説といいます。

一番の歌詞は次の通りです。
「空も長月、初め頃かや 四方の紅葉を」

The song of Aki No Odori(title of the song: Michiwa Kuduchi)
"Sora  Mo Nagazuki, Hajime Korokaya, Yomono Momijio"

「空も」"Sora Mo"


「長月」"Naga Tsuki"

「初め」"Hajime"


「頃かや」"Korokaya"

「四方の紅葉を」"Yomo No Momijio"
後ろ向きに回りながら
間奏に合わせて、右足トン、左足トン

「トウトウンテンテン、トウトウントウ、テンテン、トウンテンテン」

前立姿勢にもどります。


秋の踊りの特徴は
和歌らしく日舞風に
視覚的表現の形が随所に取り入れられたところです。

三線曲(道輪口説)は
YOUTUBE
でも聴けます。

さて、
芸術の秋に向けて
踊りのレッスンにご興味のあるかたは
どうぞ
お気軽にご連絡ください。
Junkofisher@varizon.net

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Today's Dinner

Today's dinner:
Curry: beef, eggplant and potato
 Miso soup: egg, shitake mushroom and seaweed


元気メニューの一品
作ってみました。
生姜とニンニク入り
ビーフ&茄子&ポテトカレー。
ポテトは少なめに入れるのがコツ。

Sunday, August 24, 2014

Review of The Harlem Dance Caravan by Walter Rutledge



Summerstage Harlem Dance Caravan: Erasing The Boundaries



By Walter Rutledge
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Harlem Dance Caravan: Erasing The Boundaries performances were held on August 15th and 16th at the Richard Rodgers Amphitheater in Marcus Garvey Park. This is the second year SummerStage and the Faison Firehouse has collaborated on the outdoor, free to the public performing arts presentation; and it has already become one the most anticipated and well attended events offered in the summer series. This year the eclectic roster of performers included Baoku & The Image Afro-Beat Band, Cecilia Marta Dance Company, George Faison Universal Dance Experience, Jamel Gaines’ Creative Outlet, and Lotus Music & Dance Multicultural Artists. The well curated production lived up to its title offering a diverse and well-paced program with an international flavor.
Choreographer and co-producer George Faison opened the program with Erasing The Boundaries featuring performers from the George Faison Universal Dance Experience and Lotus Music & Dance Multicultural Artists. The work opened with the eight performers from the Lotus Music & Dance Multicultural Artists each introducing the audience to a different indigenous style of dance. At one point the dancers moved in a large circle taking turns performing downstage center. This created a visual symbolism of a revolving universal world culture. 
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With an explosion of lights, sound and energy the Faison Dance Experience took command the stage. The music shifted from the transcendental The Energy Within by Guru Shri Durga Charan Ranbir to the urban driving pulse of Janet Jackson’s 1989 hit Rhythm Nation. Here Faison displayed his signature blend of modern, jazz, ballet and vernacular/street dance. Worthy of a primetime slot on MTV the work moved with a dazing burst of excitement somewhere between “break neck” and cyclonic. 
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The last section combined both companies and all styles of movement.  At the apex the indigenous dancers returned to their circular world movement patterns gliding through the linear ensemble of more presentational/westernized dancers. The visual effect reminisced the morph sequence in Michael Jackson’s Black and White video. The consummate craftsman, and storyteller (even in abstraction), Faison ingeniously created a message of universality through movement.
In Rituals choreographer Cecilia Marta transported us to a lush rainforest inhabited by regal and exotic loincloth clad, feather adorned beings. They strutted, danced and poised with dowel sticks that functioned as canes, batons and weaponry. Marta did not mimic any particular culture; instead we were in a distinct land, which she created. This was clearly reflected in her uniquely stylized vocabulary and compositional structure.
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The stellar eleven-member cast performed primarily as a well-rehearsed and precise ensemble, but there were a few standouts. Special guest artist Abdiel Jacobsen (Martha Graham Dance Company) had a commanding presence that at times seemed to exceed the parameters of the stage, Cara May Marcus’ flexibility and controll both awed and delighted the audience, and Nijawwon Matthews performed with the authority of a tribal ringmaster.
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Jamel Gaines’ Journey To Freedom closed the first half of the program. The ensemble work opened with a compilation from speeches by Maya Angelou. The dancers, dressed in white, moved with a sustained ethereal quality, and were an endearing movement homage to Angelou’s message.
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Other opening movement highlights included a brief, but inspired men’s dance set to another speech by Nelson Mandela, and a concise cameo performed by Shirley Black Brown. Veteran Brown’s clarity and focus was an example how a professional can always make less more. The second half of the work was an up-tempo crowd pleaser set to a remix by Kevin Hunte.
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This performance was in many ways a homecoming for Creative Outlet. The cast consisted of many former students/company members trained by Gaines including Jeroboam Bozeman and Vicki Lambert (Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater), Taller Cyrus (After Midnight), Kevin Hunte and Danny Soto (Fela! The Musical), and Raven McRae (Motown The Musical). It was a wonderful display of respect and love for their teacher and mentor.
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Baoku & The Image Afro-Beat Band performed for the second half of the program. Nigerian native, founder and composer Baoku Moses performed his original composition Afrobeat No Go Die. The work was set in the Afro-beat style, which gained international acclaimed in the 1970’s and 80’s by fellow Nigerian musician Fela Kuti. The politically charged lyrics, many spoken in Yoruba, along with a strong horn section and bass line are Afro-beat trademarks. The music also expresses the amalgam of African-American R&B and funk with West African rhythms. 
Harlem Dance Caravan: Erasing The Boundaries was a rich evening of internationally inspired performing arts. In many ways this series had the enthusiasm and electricity of the Delacorte Theater dance performances of yesteryear. The amphitheater is an excellent venue for the performances; and we hope that City Parks Foundation continues and possibly expands this partnership next year. It is clear that there is both an artistic need and a public interest.
Alan Roche photographer  


Saturday, August 23, 2014

Planting Fields Arboretum Stage Historic Park

We visited the Planting Fields Arboretum Stage Historic Park this afternoon.

The 40-acre Park has Orchid House, Palm House, Garriage House, Tea House and Italian Garden, Houseplant House, Botanical plants house, Manor House, Carriage House Camellia House,  Coe Hall,  and nature trails.

Planting Fields is Glorious Gold Coast Era estate on the North Sore of Long Island (Oyster Bay), first built by the prominent New Yorker Japmes Byrne in 1904. Today, the field is open to the public. 


Green House

Palm House

Roses

Italian Garden


Children's play house




今日は、ロングアイランドのオイスターベイにある

プランティング・フィールドガーデン&公園に行ってきました。
ガーデンでお散歩を楽しんだ後は、
車でオイスターベイ沿いをドライブ、
楽しいひと時でした。

Friday, August 22, 2014

Lunch with Larry

Larry is taking a vacation day today and we went to Torigo for lunch. 



Salmon fly bento

Tori numban

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Back to Usual Training

Summer Stage is over,
 and I am back to the usual training. 

この夏はよいお天気つずき
あまり熱くなく外でのトレーニングも
爽やかに行えています。

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夕食はいつも自炊、
昨晩のおかずは
牛肉を油で揚げ
ピーマン&セロリのソテー
こちらのメニュー結構いけます。

さて、
今晩のおかずは
ごーやーちゃんぷるー、
一週間に一度はゴーヤーたべています。
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My cooking for dinner is done! 
Goya- Champuru, Sunomono and Chikin BBQ
夕飯出来上がり!

Sunday, August 17, 2014

Gallaries of the Erasing the Boundaries

This photo was taken on the Faison Firehouse Theater 
during our last rehearsal with no make up.
Photo by Faison Firehouse


My stage make up was done at home on Saturday.

Photo by Makalina Gallagher 
Saturday, Aug. 16, 2014
With Mr. George Faison
Kim Holmes, Junko Fisher, Makalina Gallagher, Ricardo Santiago,
Marie Ponce, Jerriah West,
Jarvis McKinley, Minila Shah