“In the month leading up to the World Premiere of Khmer Arts Ensemble’s The Lives of Giants, Bryn Mawr College  will host a series of free events designed to expand the audience’s knowledge of Cambodian Dance and Cambodian culture. The events, beginning September 26, will also include a series of workshops in Cambodian Dance. A full listing of events is at www.brynmawr.edu/arts/pas/khmer.html. More information can also be found by calling the Office of Arts at 610-526-5210.

Khmer Arts Ensemble’s The Lives of Giants will run one night only on Friday, October 22 at 8 p.m. in the McPherson Auditorium, at Goodhart Hall as a centerpiece of Bryn Mawr College’s 2010-2011 Performing Arts Series. Ticket prices are $20, $18 for senior citizens, and free for Bryn Mawr, Haverford and Swarthmore students, faculty and staff, $10 for students of other schools, and $5 for children 12 and under. Priority seating is available for $90 subscription packages ($75 packages for senior citizens). For more information and tickets visit  Brown Paper Tickets, call the Office for the Arts at 610-526-5210, or visit www.brynmawr.edu/arts/series.html .

Among the events preceding The Lives of Giants performance are a workshop in the dance of the Monkey King, gorgeous Cambodian costumes and masks up close, a Cambodian Dance Festival followed by a discussion and Cambodian food, a film screening exploring how Cambodian classical dance arose after the destruction and genocide of the Pol Pot regime, and much more.

The events include:

Classical Cambodian Dances Directed and Performed by: Chamroeun Yin and company

Sunday, September 26, 7 p.m.
Location: Hepburn Teaching Theatre, Goodhart Hall
Chamroeun Yin first came to the United States as an artistic refugee in 1981. After he escaped to a refugee camp and met a group of dancers from the Royal Ballet Yin was able to study his craft in earnest. He continues to teach and perform classical dance in Philadelphia. In addition to his work in dance, his intricate embroidery, jewelry and costume work has been exhibited at the Fleisher Art Memorial and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Goodhart Reception follows featuring Cambodian foods.

Masks and Costumes of Classical Khmer Dance

Tuesday, September 28th, 6:30 PM
Goodhart Music Room
Artist and dancer, Chamroeun Yin, will display and discuss the splendid and elegant costumes and masks associated with Cambodian dance.  He will discuss how he constructs the costumes and masks and answer questions.  Some of the masks and costumes will remain on display in Canaday Library through the month of October. Light refreshments will be served.

Dancing through Death: The monkey, magic, and madness of Cambodia, Film showing and discussion with Thavro Phim

October 4th, 4:15 PM
Place/TBA.
Cosponsored by the Solomon Asch Center for the Study of Ethnopolitical Conflict
This hour long film documents the story of Thavro Phim, who came of age under the Pol Pot regime and lost many of his close family members to the genocide inflicted by the Khmer Rouge.  During this horrific period, nearly 90 percent of the dancers were executed or died of starvation or disease. His Buddhist faith and his dedication to the study, performance, and teaching of Cambodian classical dance, particularly his representation of Hanuman, the magical white monkey are key in surviving and finding his identity. The film includes footage of dance as it struggled to survive in the prisons, the refugee camps and as it emerged after the downfall of the Khmer Rouge. In the film, we also learn about Yale’s Cambodian Genocide Project and see Thavro return to Cambodia to find his remaining family and teachers.

Cambodian Monkey Dance: Trickster, Warrior and King ~ with Thavro Phim

October 18th
7:00 PM
Workshop, Pem Studio
Call the Office for the Arts at 610-526-5210 to reserve a space.
This is a workshop that will introduce participants to the story and movement of the Monkey–a king, a warrior, a trickster, and an adventurer. It is open to dancers, as well as to those with experience in other movement forms ranging from tai chi and capoeira to theatrical improvisation.

Thavro Phim is an expert linguist, artist, author, editor, and translator. A survivor of the genocide who was educated in classical dance at the University of Fine Arts in Phnom Penh he excels in the male style. Mr. Phim has taught, performed, and been honored for his work throughout the US. He continues to teach and work in Philadelphia and works within the Public School system as well. Mr. Phim was a research associate for the Yale Cambodian Genocide Program.

MASTER CLASSES IN CLASSICAL CAMBODIAN TECHNIQUE

Classes are free but you must call to reserve a space: 610-526-5210

–Wednesday, October 20, time/tba ~ Swarthmore College, dance studio

–Thursday, October 21, 4-5:30 ~ Bryn Mawr College, Pem Dance studio

–Saturday, October 23, 10:30-11:30 ~ Cambodian Assoc. North Dance Studio, (appropriate for younger students)

–Saturday, October 23, 1:00-2:00 ~ The Performance Garage, 1515 Brandywine, Philadelphia (appropriate for dancers with more extensive training in Cambodian or other techniques)- studio is one block north of Spring Garden and accessible by #2 bus or orange-broad street line

Learning to Listen Cambodian Music: Demonstration and Discussion with Teaching Artist Roes Souk

Saturday, October 23rd
7 PM
Goodhart Free Admission
Reservations are required; call the Office for the Arts at 610-526-5210 to reserve.

About the Bryn Mawr Performing Arts Series

Since 1984 the Bryn Mawr College Performing Arts Series has presented great artists and performances to audiences in the Philadelphia area, creating an environment in which the value of the arts is recognized and celebrated. Talks and workshops provided free to the public help develop arts awareness and literacy. The Series works to lower barriers to arts access through its partnership with Art-Reach, a non-profit dedicated to improving arts accessibility for people of all ages and circumstances, and through its low ticket prices.

The Bryn Mawr College Performing Arts Series is uniquely positioned as a regional dance presenter. The Series includes two dance performances each season as well as evenings of world music, classical music and theater. The Series’ roster has included performances by: Lucy Guerin Inc., Yin Mei, India Jazz Suites, Sean Curran Company, Garth Fagan Dance, Liz Leman’s Dance Exchange, Heidi Lastly Dance, Urban Bush Women, and the Trisha Brown Dance Company.”

-The Dance Journal (http://philadelphiadance.org/blog)

AAFE Community Development Training Fellowship

The Community Development Training Fellowship organized by Asian Americans for Equality (AAFE) is an opportunity for recent high school graduates and college students interested in urban planning, sustainable development, public policy, community organizing, and related fields to gain in-depth experience with comprehensive community development. The Fellowship focuses on community development issues in Asian American communities in New York City, such as affordable housing, small business development, transportation, civil rights, policy advocacy, and environmental sustainability.

Fellows learn about the field of community development in a collaborative environment that focuses on building their capacity, and deepening their knowledge through grassroots participation. The Fellowship will consist of three integral learning components:

1. Community Development Training Workshops

2. Internship Placement

3. Community Project

The Fellowship is unpaid; however AAFE can work with Fellows enrolled in college to arrange for course credit through their university.

1. Gain knowledge related to best practices in comprehensive community development;

2. Learn about the intersection of community development strategies in diverse Asian American communities;

3. Build skills for community engagement, organizing and effective communication;

4. Lead a project from planning and development through implementation.

• Community Engagement and Organizing

• Public Policy & Legislative Advocacy

• Zoning & Land Use

• Housing

• Community Equity & Wealth-building

• Transportation in NYC

• Local Economic Development

• Environmental Sustainability & Health

• Open Space & Parks

• Physical Planning & Urban Design

Fellows will be matched with a community development organization during the Spring Session to complete a 14 week internship. Internships are a commitment of 15 hours per week for the duration of Spring Session. Fellows will implement a Community Project in conjunction with their placement organization.

The Community Project component is an opportunity for Fellows to apply the community development knowledge they have gained from the Training Workshops and Internship

Placements through a project they will design, plan, and execute by the end of the Fellowship.

The Project also allows Fellows to investigate more deeply a community development issue that interests them in a neighborhood context. With support and guidance from AAFE and the organizations where they will intern, Fellows will develop the project throughout the Fall Session, and execute it during the Spring Session. The Project can involve a range of community development topics, and can apply a number of various strategies. However every project will include a community engagement component and should be action-oriented by design. Some examples of potential projects include:

• Assessment of housing needs in an emerging community

• Survey of small businesses along a commercial corridor

• Study of parking or traffic in a neighborhood

• Studying a policy issue and its impact on a local community

• Physical planning or design solutions to a neighborhood problem

The Community Development Fellowship will take place over 8 months (October 2010 – May 2011) during Fall and Spring Sessions.

The Fall Session will consist of 8 weekly 3-hour workshops on Friday mornings (10 AM – 1PM).

During the break between the December/January break Fellows will be assigned to produce a proposal for their Community Projects, which will be implemented in the Spring.

During the Spring Session Fellows will intern with local community development organizations for up to 15 hours per week for 14 weeks. The specific weekly schedule for internship placements will be determined by the partner organizations and the Fellow as arranged by AAFE. There will be monthly Group Sessions scheduled for Fellows to come together, continue learning, and collaborate during the Spring Session. Throughout the year there will also be opportunities to attend workshops and panels about a range of community development issues in New York City beyond the planned Fellowship workshops.

• October 15, 2010 Fellowship Orientation and Intro to Community Development

• October 22, 2010 Training Workshop I

• October 29, 2010 Training Workshop II

• November 5, 2010 Training Workshop III

• November 12, 2010 Training Workshop IV

• November 19, 2010 Training Workshop V

• December 3, 2010 Training Workshop VI

• December 10, 2010 Community Project Planning and Prep for Spring Session

• January 24, 2011 Internship Placements Begin

• February 4, 2011 Group Session

• March 4, 2011 Group Session

• April 1, 2011 Group Session

• April 29, 2011 Internship Placements Conclude

• May 6, 2011 Year-end Presentation of Community Projects (Tentative)

The Fellowship is open all recent high school graduates and college students in the New York metropolitan area who have an interest in and commitment to community development.

While prior experience working within an Asian American community and the ability to speak an Asian language are preferred, these are not required from applicants. The Fellowship requires a significant time commitment of up to 15 hours per week for the 8-month period. Interested applicants should seriously consider this time commitment before applying.

All interested applicants need to submit (1) the Application Form and (2) a Resumevia email to douglas_le@aafe.org no later than September 24, 2010, at 5 PM. Hard-copies of the application can also be mailed to: Asian Americans for Equality, 108 Norfolk Street, New York, NY 10002. Please see the 2010 Application Form for more detailed submission instructions.

If you have any questions regarding the Fellowship or application process, contact Douglas Nam Le at douglas_le@aafe.org or 212-979-8381 ext. 103. All applicants will be notified about their participation by October 8, 2010.

Founded in 1974 to advocate for equal opportunities for Asian Americans, immigrants and low income New Yorkers, AAFE (http://www.aafe.org) has evolved into a nationally recognized community development and social services organization that serves New York City’s nearly one million residents of Asian descent with programs that encompass the organization’s comprehensive approach to community development, including: affordable housing development, small business assistance, homeownership service to emerging communities, housing and social services, and legal services. Our client base is multi-ethnic and multicultural, representing all five boroughs of New York City.

AAFE’s mission is to advance the rights of Asian Americans and all those in need through advocacy and access in civil rights, immigrant assistance, social services, affordable housing, and economic development; to empower our communities through research and publishing that embody our issues and concerns; and to foster understanding and unity among diverse communities through building coalitions and forming collaborations.