Lemi Ponifasio/MAU: Tempest: Without a Body April 7, 2011

Bay Area Premiere
Lemi Ponifasio/MAU: Tempest: Without a Body

Thu, Apr 7, 8:15 pm; Fri, Apr 8 & Sat, Apr 9, 8 pm

‘The arrival of Lemi Ponifasio on the contemporary dance scene has been nothing short of an earthquake.’ Vogue Italia, August 2010

One of the most distinctive choreographers in the world today, Lemi Ponifasio is a fearless creative force whose work provokes attention and debate wherever it is experienced. His work is an extraordinary visceral kaleidoscope of ideas and influences that touches on the tensions and politics of race, tradition, mythology, urban consumerism and environmental awareness. Part dance, part theater, part ceremony, Tempest is a powerful, visually ravishing and apocalyptic response to the sinister escalation of post-9/11 state powers and the erosion of individual freedoms. Tempest features an extraordinary appearance by prominent Māori activist Tame Iti. Tempest gives the enigmatic and impassioned Iti a ceremonial platform to present his case for social change and his vision for his own people, the Tūhoe iwi. Infused with the potent shadows of Paul Klee’s ‘Angelus Novus’, Tempest interweaves the story of Shakespeare's Tempest with the ideas of Italian political philosopher Giorgio Agamben. The resulting work questions how readily contemporary society accepts practices that have been previously considered inhuman and exceptional.

Post-show Q&A with the artists on Fri, Apr 8.

Public Program:
A Conversation with Peter Sellars and Lemi Ponifasio
Thu, Apr 7, 7:15-8 pm, YBCA Forum, FREE w/ RSVP to http://ybca.org/lemi-ponifasio-mau or 415-978-2787
In conjunction with YBCA's presentation of Tempest: Without a Body, visionary opera, theater and festival director Peter Sellars makes a rare appearance in San Francisco to discuss art and activism with choreographer Lemi Ponifasio. Noted for his groundbreaking staging of classical and contemporary operas, including the recent production of John Adams' Nixon in China for New York Metropolitan Opera, Sellars is a strong advocate for artists whose work illuminates contemporary social and political issues. A former MacArthur Fellow and member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, he is currently a professor in the Department of World Arts and Cultures at UCLA and Resident Curator of the Telluride Film Festival.

Where:
Tempest: Without a Body – 700 Howard Street, San Francisco, CA 94103 – YBCA Novellus Theater

A Conversation with Peter Sellars and Lemi Ponifasio – 701 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94103 – YBCA Forum

Public Info:
415-978-2787 or http://ybca.org/lemi-ponifasio-mau

Admission:
Tempest: Without a Body: $30 Reg/$25 YBCA Mem/Sen/Stu/Tea

A Conversation with Peter Sellars and Lemi Ponifasio: FREE w/ RSVP to http://ybca.org/lemi-ponifasio-mau or 415-978-2787

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