BALAM Dance Theatre: BALAM Dance Theatre Returns to Hunter, New York to Present Dancing Shadows

BALAM Dance Theatre launches its third residency in Hunter, New York from July 6 to 10 to present Dancing Shadows, an Indonesian shadow puppet and musical drama. In collaboration with Gamelan Son of Lion, a new music repertory ensemble specializing in contemporary pieces written

Carlos Fittante and Robin Gilbert perform with shadow puppets.

for the instruments of the Javanese gamelan, BALAM Dance Theatre will provide a new arts and educational enrichment workshop for children from the communities of Hunter and Tannersville, New York.

The culmination of the residency will be the dynamic ensemble performance of Dancing Shadows on July 10. Last year, BALAM Dance Theatre implemented the workshop, Discover the Splendors of Spain, inspired by the diverse dance traditions of that country on the Iberian Peninsula.

"With this residency, BALAM Dance Theatre feels a part of the Hunter community. The inspiration for this program is derived from the local folklore of Washington Irving's tale, Rip Van Winkle, set in the Catskill Mountains," said Carlos Fittante, Artistic Director.

The children in Hunter, New York will present the new piece with BALAM Dance Theatre's performers and the Gamelan Son of Lion's musicians on Friday, July 10 from 12:00-1:00 p.m. at Hunter-Tannersville Elementary School Gymnasium, located at 7794 Main Street in Hunter, New York 12442. The performance will be free and open to the public. For further information contact, (518) 263-4256.

The children will experience the music and magic of an Indonesian shadow puppet play. During the workshop sessions, they will play percussion instruments, gongs and metallophones.
Under the guidance of BALAM Dance Theatre and Gamelan Son of Lion, they will act, dance, and become puppeteers. The students' work will explore fundamental concepts of dance making and performance, as articulated through the New York State Board of Education’s arts guidelines.

Barbara Romero, BALAM Dance Theatre's Spanish Escuela Bolera dance expert, and Toshinori Hamada, BALAM Dance Theatre's principal dancer and martial artist, will appear as Mr. and Mrs. Van Winkle in period costumes and guide the children in creating their choreographic segments for the story. Gamelan Son of Lion's company members will perform live on gamelan instruments in the program.

This arts intensive residency is presented through the Catskill Mountain Foundation Performing Arts Program at the Hunter-Tannersville Summer School Program with funding received in part through the New York State Council for the Arts and Friends of BALAM Dance Theatre.

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.