BALAM Dance Theatre: Spring Arrives! Recent Performances and Japan Tsunami Relief Message

Dear BALAM Friend,

Upcoming Performance
BALAM Dance Theatre: From Bali to the Bronx, a special FREE performance, on Thursday, April 28 from 12:30-1:45 at Lehman College’s Lovinger Theatre.

Make a Donation to BALAM

We need your help now to help cover the production costs of our upcoming program. Your donation, great or small, is vital to us and can be made at our Pay Pal link or mail your check to BALAM Dance Theatre, 1380 Riverside Drive, 9D, New York, NY 10033. Thank you.

Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami Relief

Our prayers and heartfelt sympathies are with the people of Japan. BALAM has made a donation to the relief effort at at https://american.redcross.org/site/Donation2?5052.donation=form1&df_id=5052&idb=0 . Please consider doing the same.
As always, we thank you for your interest and support and hope to see you at our next upcoming BALAM event. For further information, contact us at 646-361-9183 or send an e-mail to info@balamdance.com.

Best regards,

Islene Pinder Carlos Fittante Carlos Fittante

Founding Director Artistic Director Artistic Director

PS: Remember, when you shop online at http://www.goodshop.com/ ,the retailer provides BALAM with a donation on your behalf, and when you search the web using http://www.goodsearch.com/ , BALAM receives a very small donation. It’s simple and painless; just designate BALAM Dance Theatre as your charity of choice.

As always, we thank you for your interest and support and hope to see you at our next upcoming BALAM event. For further information, contact us at 646-361-9183 or send an e-mail to info@balamdance.com.

Best regards,

Islene Pinder Carlos Fittante Carlos Fittante

Founding Director Artistic Director Artistic Director

Some Recent Performances by BALAM’s Dancers
BALAM at the Laguna Beach Film Society

Carlos Fittante dances the fusion solo, "Amantes", one of three solos he will perform at the Laguna Beach Film Society's 2011 Documentary Series, featuring the screening of the film, "Speaking for Myself". Fittante will also perform the Baroque dance solo, "Passcaille de Armide", and the spectacular Balinese fan dance, "Teruna Jaya". To read more details about the event, go to BALAM's website and click the NEWS tab.

(Photo: Julie Lemberger)

2011Armide’s Revenge. Carlos Fittante’s new solo inspired audiences in its premiere in the COOL NEW YORK 2011 DANCE Festival on February 3 and 6. These are some of their comments:

“…very moving…and quietly shocking.” – Catherine Turocy, Artistic Director, New York Baroque Dance Company

“Beautiful and powerful - very moving…your dancing was gorgeous, so liquid and full of strength and emotion.”

– Rachel List, Director of the Dance Program, Hofstra University

“Your solo is incredible! It is powerful, honest and beautiful. Bravo.”–Ani Udovicki, Frank Sinatra School of the Arts

Photo by Yi-Chun Wu of Carlos Fittante in Armide’s Revenge

Funding the Arts featured Robin Gilbert and Carlos Fittante, as her dance partner, in Felice Lesser Dance Theatre’s comedic multi-disciplinary media work presented in the "Cool New York Dance Festival 2011" on February 5 and 6.

Photo by Yi-Chun Wu of Robin Gilbert in Funding for the Arts

Grace & Grandeur-An Introduction to Baroque Dance, a lecture/performance, was offered by Carlos Fittante and Rachel List at the Julliard School with Lionel Party and Jonathan Keren on February 16. Rachel List and Carlos Fittante teaching a minuet

The Art and Ecstasy of the Chaconne, created by Sinfonia New York. A program of virtuoso Baroque music song and dance with Carlos Fittante and Patricia Beaman in Fittante’s Gran Chacona. Performances on March 3 & 5 in Spokane, WA and in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, and again on March 19 at the Helene Zelazo Center Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Photo by Marilyn Nichols of Patricia Beaman & Carlos Fittante in Gran Chacona

2010

Sunrise in the Quantum Realm featured Robin Gilbert in her second season with Brian Carey Chung's Collective Body Dance Lab performance at the Baryshnikov Arts Center on November 12 & 13.

Photo by Yi-Chun Wu of Robin Gilbert in Duetic Sculptures

Daimajin (Great Devil). Toshinori Hamada performed as a guest Noh artist with the Kanazawa Orchestra, Kanazawa, Japan in December. Photo: Toshinori Hamada as Daimajin

About BALAM

BALAM has performed throughout the United States and internationally at renowned venues such as: Lincoln Center Out-of-Doors, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, American Museum of Natural History, and the Bali International Arts Festival. Its work has received acclaim from audiences, critics, scholars, and dignitaries alike, including critical praise mentioned in the New York Times, Village Voice, and endorsements from the Indonesian Consulate of New York, and the Governor of Bali.

The company's long standing interest in dance research, along with its extensive collection of Balinese masks, and cutural costumes and props, make it a resource for educators, artists, and scholars.

The Deeper Meaning of the "Ramayana"

By Shelley Lynne Cummins, www.jaisriyogis.com/

Shelley Lynne Cummins is a yoga and Oneness Blessing trainer, as well as a dancer.

The first two limbs in the eight fold path of yoga are the Yamas, Awareness of the obstacles in life, and Niyamas, cultivating practices to remove the obstacles. As these limbs are activated in harmony, a balance or zero point arrives allowing causality to permeate. The classic tale of the Ramayana is a perfect depiction of this inner balance Of polarities producing unity.

As a dancer and yogini, I have had the great opportunity to study and dance the Ramayana for many years. Every time I enter into this great epic, new realizations are found. It is likened to the dance of day, going to sleep and awaking again in the morning for a new play. Amidst the routines of life subtle realizations appear as the mystery of unity Dances around in the unseen worlds.

A yogini's reflection of this great great tale.

The Ramayana is the story of the divine marriage within. It is everyone's story with all the players aspects of their self. The story begins with a happy and harmonious marriage of Sita and Rama. Sita symbolizes the balanced female and Rama the balanced male within each individual.

One day Sita is enticed by a golden deer into the cave of the evil demon, Rawana.

The capture of Sita is a metaphor of the ego consciousness trying to gain control over the potential of all. The golden deer represents the possible deception and false allure of the illusion of this physical plane.

Upon hearing the news of Sita's capture, Rama gives his golden ring to Hanuman the Monkey King. He orders Hanuman to deliver the ring to Sita so she will know help is on the way.

Here Rama embodies his higher masculine qualities of protection of the unseen and the absolute creation which lives in his word.

The ring symbolizes the circle of light around the body, known as the merkabah or golden carriage of light.

Hanuman the Monkey King represents our monkey mind constantly chattering. As our mind unites with the purpose of reinstalling causality, it becomes a servant of the heart. In service Hanuman flies across the ocean to deliver the ring to Sita. He is able to tap into the One Heart Mind And use his merkabah to transport himself where needed.

Hanuman delivers the ring to Sita and upon his return tells Rama of her whereabouts. Rama goes to fight the evil demon, Rawana, for the release of Sita.

Rama is fighting the ultimate battle of light and dark in order to regain the feminine intuitive, All knowing, nurturing life force. The light always wins as it illuminates the dark corners and shadows. Rama reunites with Sita and together they live happily ever after in the diversity and play of unity.

And to think we know the whole story, the entire ring in the circle of life.We boldly go on experiencing each section of the ring.

As Joseph Campbell says: We are each a heroine or hero on a great journey.We begin enlightened creating a life of experiences in order to realize and reunite with our all encompassing light.