Mason Dining

Mason Artist-in-Residence Ballet Hispánico Connects Campus and Community in Deep Hispanic Heritage Month Engagement

Laura Mertens — Wed, 06 Nov 2024 22:10:18 +0000

Mason Artist-in-Residence Ballet Hispánico Connects Campus and Community in Deep Hispanic Heritage Month Engagement Laura Mertens Wed, 11/06/2024 - 17:10

In This Story

Samantha Sinagra

Lawrence M. Jackson

Victor Adebusola

Learn more about Mason Artists-in-Residence

Mason Artist-in-Residence and “smashingly theatrical” dance company (Chicago Sun-Times) Ballet Hispánico led a whirlwind of inspiring engagement activities October 1–5, 2024 during Hispanic Heritage Month. With events held at the Center for the Arts, in Mason classrooms, and at other sites around the community, the residency exemplified the Center's commitment to joyous and transformative experiences in the arts for all ages.

"Ballet Hispánico’s visit to the Mason community far exceeded my expectations. It’s clear that community engagement is a top priority for this organization," said Victor Adebusola, programming and engagement manager at the Center for the Arts at George Mason, "Very rarely do you have an Executive Director participate in so many residency activities, further evidencing their commitment to community outreach. During every engagement, they brought warmth and fun while educating communities on the historical and cultural influences of various Hispanic diasporas. It was a joy to see so many smiling faces! Their performances at our Concert Hall were the cherry on top of a phenomenal weekend."

The Maryland Theatre Guide declared of the October 5 performance, "Saturday night’s program at the George Mason University Center for the Arts (the culmination of their time as a Mason Artist-in-Residence) was a well-curated, sophisticated, and poignant production with work spanning three decades. The dancers of Ballet Hispánico are all fabulous, technically talented, and charismatic performers."

Below is a recap of just some of the week's events:

Ballet Hispánico company members taught a master class on modern repertoire to students in George Mason University’s School of Dance on Wednesday, October 2 at 10:30 a.m.

Ballet Hispánico led a masterclass on modern repertoire with local high school students at Fairfax County Public School's Fairfax Academy, also participating in discussion with the students on Wednesday, October 2 at 1 p.m.

Ballet Hispánico members led a Latin Social Dance Workshop and Community Party the evening of Thursday, October 3, co-hosted by the Latin Student Association and Mason Dining outside Southside Dining Hall, for George Mason students, faculty, and staff. Chef Monica Bastidas Moreno curated snacks for the event including Colombian ceviche and churros, and Latin dance student group Azucar attended, along with many other Mason students of all experience levels.

The company performed exciting excerpts of works for hundreds of students in grades 6-12 in a free school time matinee performance on Friday, October 4, at 11 a.m. With brief interstitial presentations, charismatic Ballet Hispánico artistic director and CEO Eduardo Vilaro fully immersed the students and teachers in the program, getting them up on their feet and dancing along.

The free and interactive Artists in Conversation: Latin Social Dance Workshop with Ballet Hispánico, co-presented by the City of Fairfax and the Center for the Arts at George Mason University, offered community members free lessons in salsa, merengue, cha chá, and more on Friday, October 4, at 7 p.m. at the Stacy C. Sherwood Community Center.

Ballet Hispánico artistic director Eduardo Vilaro taught an interactive Baila Conmigo dance workshop to members of the public and the Mason Community Arts Academy following the free school time matinee performance on Friday, October 4, 2024.

George Mason School of Dance Professor Lawrence Jackson moderated a pre-performance discussion with Vilaro in Monson Grand Tier, on the third level of the Center for the Arts, prior to the October 5 culminating performance. The recorded discussion is available for viewing on the Mason Arts Amplified digital venue, which features curated arts experiences including livestreamed concerts, releases of previously recorded content, behind-the-scenes talks with artists, and more (free account setup and login required).

Vilaro joined additional George Mason classes for discussion, including the “Survey of Latin American History,” taught by Associate Professor Joan Bristol from George Mason’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences, on Tuesday, October 1, at 9 a.m. Vilaro discussed topics including the company's history and how the need for visibility for a community spurred rich innovation based on the intersection of Latin diasporas; colonization, the cross-Atlantic slave trade, and the legacy of movement throughout history; and the history of Latin dance in modern dance and culture in the United States. In the virtual class “Introduction to Arts Management,” taught by Professor Samantha Sinagra from George Mason’s Arts Management Program on Thursday, October 3 at 1:30 p.m., Vilaro discussed with class members how the company centers its mission when creating programs and initiatives.

The Mason Artist-in-Residence program is supported in part by the Wendy Frieman and David Johnson Fund.

Topics

CFA

Center for the Arts

Friends of the Center for the Arts

College of Visual and Performing Arts

College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA)

College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) Arts Management Program

College of Visual and Performing Arts School of Dance

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Mason Dining

Latino Student Association

Mason Artist-in-Residence Small Island Big Song Leads Events Across Campus and Community

Zoe Harr — Fri, 29 Mar 2024 20:41:10 +0000

Mason Artist-in-Residence Small Island Big Song Leads Events Across Campus and Community Zoe Harr Fri, 03/29/2024 - 16:41

In This Story

Buy Tickets

Learn About Mason's Artist-in-Residence Program

Mason Artist-in-Residence Small Island Big Song will perform at the Center on April 20. Photo taken by Gelée Lai, Tony Tsai, Samra Teague, and Kimmi Cranes.

Right before Earth Day, Small Island Big Song presents a "jaw-dropping" (Billboard) concert experience at the Center for the Arts on April 20, combining music, spoken word, and stunning projections to showcase unique oceanic grooves and soulful island ballads, while shining a light on the devastating effects of climate crisis on our world’s oceans. Indigenous artists from Pacific and Indian Ocean island nations mix their diverse styles to establish a contemporary musical dialogue between cultures as far afield as Madagascar, Taiwan, Mauritius, Papua New Guinea, Tahiti, and Indonesia.

Co-Founder BaoBao Chen joins Small Island Big Song at the Center on April 20.

“For us, the goal of Small Island Big Song is to bring the audiences to some places that we might not have the courage of going alone, to celebrate, to confront, to inspire, to mourn, to feel hopeful. Our performance goes to all these emotions and shares the stories of ‘Our Island’, but ultimately, ‘Our Island’ is the one we all share,” notes BaoBao Chen, co-founder of Small Island Big Song.

Want to learn more about Small Island Big Song? Read more on the official website.

As a Mason Artist-in-Residence, Small Island Big Song will also deeply engage with the community through a series of education and engagement programs, detailed below:

Open-to-the-Public Residency Events

Climate Change: Our Response as Artivists on April 18 will explore ways in which artists can use their voices to expand global conversation on political, economic, social, and cultural questions at the root of the climate crisis. This event is co-presented with the Inclusive Collaborative Arts at Mason (ICAM) project with panelists BaoBao Chen, Co-Founder and Producer of Small Island Big Song; Mark Cooley, Associate Professor and Director of New Media Arts, Mason School of Art; founder of Green Studio; Moderated by Edward Maibach, distinguished professor at George Mason University and director of Mason’s Center for Climate Change Communication; and is a part of the Artist-Activist Speaker Series, an initiative of the Inclusive Collaborative Arts at Mason (ICAM) project. This event is free, but registration is required.
Small Island Big Song artist Sammy from Madagascar hosts "Trash to Music" on April 20.
On April 19, Small Island Big Song invites local students to experience a schooltime performance that includes participatory dance and rhythmic activities, as well as an open Q&A with students. This performance is free, but registration is required.
Also on April 19 and in collaboration with Mason Dining, Small Island Big Song artists will introduce Mason community members to a traditional island dish, fish curry. Led by Emlyn from Mauritius, the Cooking a Traditional Meal with Local Twists workshop will include food samples and musical accompaniment. The event is free to Mason students, faculty, and staff, but registration is required.
Led by Small Island Big Song artist Sammy and hosted by UpCycle Creative Reuse Center, Trash to Music on April 20 is an inspiring hands-on workshop demonstrating how to make musical instruments from trash, commonly recycled, and/or reused materials. Participants will be making a Malagasy-style berimbau and shaker. Recommended for ages 10 and up, minors must be accompanied by an adult. Limit of 20 participants with waitlist to notify if spots become available.

Additional Residency Activities for Mason and Local Community

Co-presented by the City of Fairfax and Center for the Arts, Small Island Big Song hosted a Friends of the Center for the Arts Artists in Conversation event, Our Shared Seafaring Heritage, Alive in Rhythm and Song, on April 2 at the Stacey C. Sherwood Community Center in Fairfax, VA. This lecture-demonstration provided geographical and historical background about the great oceanic migrations that affected the featured island nations of Small Island Big Song, and included musical demonstrations and an interactive Q&A.
Small Island Big Song artists Sammy, Yuma, Mathieu, and Small Island Big Song Co-Founder Tim Cole will visit Mason’s Dewberry School of Music program’s “Music History in Society III” course taught by Professor Greg Robinson.
In this Dancing Mauritian Sega workshop, approximately 100 second grade students from Hunters Woods Elementary School are invited to learn the Sega dance from Mauritius, led by Mathieu Joseph (Mauritius) with support from Sam Roem (West Papua).
Small Island Big Song artists and co-founders BaoBao Chen and Tim Cole will lead a discussion on the topic of “Artivism in Action - Managing Cultural Initiatives” with students of Mason’s Arts Management and Folklore programs’ “Folklore and Festival Management” course.

In addition to these special residency events, a pre-performance discussion with Small Island Big Song Co-Founders BaoBao Chen and Tim Cole will take place in Monson Grand Tier prior to the performance on April 20. The discussion will be moderated by Center for the Arts Programming and Engagement Manager Vic Adebusola.

Buy tickets to Small Island Big Song on April 20 and be transported to the musical islands that are just around the corner.

This engagement of Small Island Big Song is made possible through the ArtsCONNECT program of Mid Atlantic Arts with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.

The Mason Artist-in-Residence program is supported in part by the Wendy Frieman and David Johnson Fund.

The Small Island Big Song residency is supported in part by Eloise Stinger.

Thank you to the City of Fairfax Parks and Recreation Everybody Plays Grant program for making free tickets possible for the schooltime matinee program. This grant was funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

Topics

CFA

College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA)

College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) Arts Management Program

folklore

Center for the Arts

Friends of the Center for the Arts

Mason Artists-in-Residence

Mason Dining

Campus News

Sustainability