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Film: Days and Nights
New Asia Cinema: Arab Cinema Panorama
Wednesday, October 8
School of Management Room 137   7:00 pm
Free and open to the public

This classic musical romance, directed by Henri Barakat, stars the legendary Adel Halim Hafez, one of Egypt and the Arab world’s most enduringly popular singers who also appeared in sixteen feature films.

Film: Hometown Baghdad Presentation
New Asia Cinema: Arab Cinema Presentation
Wednesday, October 1
School of Managament Room 137   7:00 pm
Free and open to the public

Focusing on the lives of three young Iraqis struggling to survive during wartime, Hometown Baghdad is part of an Iraqi online web series about the lives of young people in Baghdad. Their lives are shown through videos, news, blogs, and various informational forums with the goal of promoting a global youth dialogue.

Film: Improvisation
New Asia Cinema: Arab Cinema Panorama
Wednesday, September 24
School of Management Room 137   7:00 pm
Free and open to the public

CANCELLED
See substitution for September 24

Film: Young Arab Filmmakers
Arab Cinema Panorama
Wednesday, September 24
School of Managament Room 137   7:00 pm
Free and open to the public

A special program of films by young Arab filmmakers including the award-winning short Under the Sun by Ali Mostafa.

Film: Door to the Sky
New Asia Cinema: Arab Cinema Panorama
Wednesday, September 17
School of Management Room 137   7:00 pm
Free and open to the public

In Door to the Sky, director Farida Ben Lyzaid, sensitively explores the rediscovery of identity of a young woman who returns to Fez, Morocco from France and turns her father's palatial home into a Muslim women's shelter.

Film: Bab'Aziz, The Prince Who Contemplated His Soul
New Asia Cinema: Arab Cinema Panorama
Wednesday, September 10
School of Management Room 137   7:00 pm
Free and open to the public

In his latest film, Tunisian director Nacer Kemir paints a mesmerizingly dreamlike cinematic landscape of the desert wanderers and Sufism.

Salaam: A Musical Journey through the Middle East
CANCELLED
Friday, May 2 2008
Bowker Auditorium   from 10:00 am to 11:00 am
Adults $8; Students $6

This event has been cancelled.

Japanese Festival
Sakura Matsuri
Wednesday 4/16 to Saturday 4/19 2008
Various locations   
See individual events for ticket prices

Multiple Collaborative Events culminating in the April 18th performance of "Furoshiki: Interpretations of Treasured Ceremonies" by the Kitanodai Gagaku Ensemble & Koto player Masayo Ishigure

Japan Festival of the Arts
Circle Events for Schools
Friday, April 18 2008
Bowker Auditorium   from 10:00 am to 11:15 am
Adults $8; Students $6.

An exciting show that introduces the Japanese traditions of art and aesthetics as well as contemporary culture through dance, music and film for the young and youth in our schools.

Cherry Blossoms in the Valley
A Festival of Japanese Arts
Friday, April 18 2008
Bowker Auditorium   8:00 pm
Tickets $20, $15; Youth 17 & under $12; Five College Students $10, $7

The Kitanodai Gagku Ensemble from Chiba Prefecture in Japan will introduce viewers to the artistic and visual beauty of age-old Japanese rituals and artistic traditions. Koto master Masayo Ishigure is a highly ranked musician whose repertoire is wide ranging.
This is an Angel Ticket event
Bonsai Workshop  w/TLA Honors Students  Monday, April 14  4:00 pm  

Chanoyu  Tea Ceremony  Wednesday, April 16 2008  3:30 pm to 4:30 pm  $25
Please visit the wistariahurst website for more information.

From the Heart of a Tradition
Aniruddha in Performance
Sunday, March 2 2008
Bowker Auditorium   4:00 pm
$15 General; Five College Students and Youth 17 and under $7

Aniruddha Knight presents a fresh and individual perception of a 200-year old South Indian practice of Bharata Natyam dance. Knight is steeped in tradition but is also representative of the face of young America: biracial, bicultural and, as an artist, completely contemporary.

Sleeping with Strangers: Asian American Theatre
Circle Events for Schools
Friday, February 8 2008
Bowker Auditorium   from 10:00 am to 11:00 am
Adults $8; Students $6

An ironically funny and unflinchingly honest dive into the consciousness (and unconsciousness) ot the US and China, as embodied in the personas of an American performance artist and a Beijing Opera actor.

Sleeping with Strangers
American Performance Art meets Beijing Opera
Friday, February 8 2008
Bowker Auditorium   8:00 pm
Tickets $20, $15; Youth 17 & under $12; Five College Students $10, $7

Sleeping with Strangers is an ironically funny and unflinchingly honest dive into the consciousness (and unconsciousness) of two countries, as embodied in the personas of Kwong (Chinese-American) and Peng (Chinese).
This is an Angel Ticket event
Sleeping w/Strangers: 20th Anniversary  Springfield Chinese Language Program  Wednesday, February 6 2008  6:00 pm to 8:00 pm  
Springfield's 20th Anniversary Celebration of their Chinese Language and Culture Program. Dan and Peng to give a short teaser of their performance.

Sleeping with Strangers: Guest Lecture  Theater 130  Wednesday, February 6 2008  3:30 pm to 4:20 pm  
Dan & Peng to visit Theater 130 to discuss their background, training, creative process and the content of their performance, Sleeping with Strangers.

Film: Offside
New Asia Cinema: Special Feature Event
Wednesday, December 12 2007
School of Management Room 137   7:00 pm
Free and open to the public

Film: Little Red Flowers
New Asia Cinema: Young dreamers
Wednesday, December 5 2007
School of Management Room 137   7:00 pm
Free and open to the public

Film: Ta Ra Rum Pum
New Asia Cinema: Young Dreamers
Wednesday, November 28 2007
School of Management Room 137   7:00 pm
Free and open to the public

Shaolin Temple Warriors
Legendary Masters of Kung Fu
Tuesday, November 27 2007
Concert Hall   7:30 pm
$35, $25, $15; Five College Students $15, $10, $7; Youth 17 & Under $12

On their 2007 tour of the US, these Kung Fu masters will showcase their versatile kicks, stunning flying swords, compact moves, and powerful martial arts prowess at the Fine Arts Center for the first time.

Dakshina Ensemble featuring Kadri Gopalnath & Rudresh Mahanthappa
Kinsmen/Svajanam
Sunday, November 18 2007
Bowker Auditorium   
$15 General; Five College Students and Youth 17 and under $7

With two masters of the alto saxophone at the helm- Kadri Gopalnath, a living legend of South Indian Carnatic music and Rudresh Mahanthappa, a fiercely innovative Indian American jazz musician-the Darkshina Ensemble makes a contribution to modern music that bears no precedent.

Cultures of Peace
Student Film showcase
Saturday, November 17 2007
Amherst Cinema   from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm

The Peace Art Film Collective c/o UMass Communication classes 493B/693B and the Asian Arts and Culture Program is soliciting submissions for a curated showcase of short film/video by local youth promoting peace. All approaches to representing peace through the medium of film/video (narrative, experimental, documentary, etc.) are welcome.

Film: The Independent Film and Television College, Baghdad
Special Event
Wednesday, November 14 2007
School of Management Room 137   7:00 pm
Free and open to the public

Mudra
The Gesture Speaks... Indian Dance Theatre
Thursday, November 8 2007
Bowker Auditorium   8:00 pm
$20,$15; Youth 17 & Under $12; Five College Students $10, $7

Nataraj Dance Company, under the leadership of its founder and artistic director Ranjanaa Devi, premiers its newest dance theater production that uses ancient ritual, dialogue, poetry and images expressed through gestures, movement and spoken word.
This is an Angel Ticket event

Film: Buffalo Boy
New Asia Cinema: Young Dreamers
Wednesday, November 7 2007
School of Management Room 137   7:00 pm
Free and open to the public

Film: Turtles Can Fly
New Asia Cinema: Young Dreamers
Wednesday, October 31 2007
School of Management Room 137   7:00 pm
Free and open to the public

Twenty Strings of Music
Sitar & Tabla Concert with Purbayan Chatterjee
Saturday, October 27 2007
Bowker Auditorium   8:00 pm
$15 General; Five College Students and Youth 17 and under $7

One of the front-ranking performers of the younger generation Purbayan Chatterjee follows in the footsteps of the inimitable sitar maestro Nikhil Banerjee. He has garnered many awards and is a frequent performer on the international music festival circuit.

Film: Matir Moina/The Clay Bird
New Asia Cinema: Young Dreamers
Wednesday, October 24 2007
School of Management Room 137   7:00 pm
Free and open to the public

Film: Linda! Linda! Linda!
New Asia Cinema: Young Dreamers
Wednesday, October 17 2007
School of Management Room 137   7:00 pm
Free and open to the public

Film: 15
New Asia Cinema: Young Dreamers
Wednesday, October 10 2007
School of Management Room 137   7:00 pm
Free and open to the public

The Birth of Monkey King
Chinese Theater Works
Tuesday, October 9 2007
Bowker Auditorium   7:30 pm
$15 General; Five College Students and Youth 17 and under $7

This delightful retelling of the timeless adventures of the Monkey King, a combination of comic prankster, shape-shifting magician and Buddhist sage features colorful acetate puppets adapted from antique leather originals.
This is an Angel Ticket event

The Birth of Monkey King: Chinese Shadow Puppets
Circle Events for Schools
Tuesday, October 9 - Wednesday, October 10 2007
Bowker Auditorium   from 10:00 am to 11:00 am
Adults $8; Students $6

"The Birth of Monkey King" is Chinese Theatre Works’ adaptation of the Chinese classic "Journey to the West," presented using shadow puppetry and live performers.

Laughter and Tears from Old Japan
Shinnai Singing and Kuruma Ningyo Puppetry
Friday, October 5 2007
Bowker Auditorium   8:00 pm
$15 General; Five College Students and Youth 17 and under $7

Shinnai is a narrative performing art that embodies a beautiful combination of expressive recitation and rich melody. Tsuruga Wakasanojo a leading masters of this art is joined by Nishikawa Koryu, a principal master of kuruma ningyo puppetry.

Film: Take Care of My Cat
New Asia Cinema: Young Dreamers
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
School of Management Room 137   7:00 pm
Free and open to the public

Magdalen Hsu-Li
Asian American Pop Vocalist
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Bowker Auditorium   8:00 pm
$20, $15; Youth 17 & Under $12; Five College Students $10, $7

Acclaimed internationally, this passionate and unique multimedia artist offers rebellion in sexy, soaring vocals and digs deep through the armor within her to connect, uplift, and insipire through her music and art.
Magdalen Hsu-Li: True Diversity Workshop  Exploring Race, Gender, Sexual Orientation and Programming  Saturday, September 29, 2007  4:00 pm to 5:30 pm  Free and open to the public

Film: A New Day in Old Sana'a
New Asia Cinema: Young Dreamers
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
School of Management Room 137   7:00 pm
Free and open to the public

Film: Janji Joni/Joni's Promise
New Asia: Young Dreamers
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
School of Management Room 137   7:00 pm
Free and open to the public

Film: The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros
New Asia Cinema: Young Dreamers
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
School of Management Room 137   7:00 pm
Free and open to the public

Film: The Cave of the Yellow Dog
New Asia Cinema: Young Dreamers
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
School of Management Room 137   7:00 pm
Free and open to the public

Egyptian Puppets A Special Family Event
Our Shadows
Sunday, May 6, 2007
Bowker Auditorium   from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Adults $10; Children 12 and under $5

Our Shadows is a unique collaboration between the WamDah Egyptian Puppet artists and Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble. Featuring traditional Egyptian puppetry techniques, the bilingual work includes storytelling theatre and dance. The set is designed to evoke a traditional village moulid (festival) with a colorful Bedouin tent decorated with faynouz (lanterns).

Tales from the Beijing Opera
Circle Events for Schools
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Bowker Auditorium   
$6 Children; $8 Adults

A selection of comic and dramatic scenes from some of China’s most popular opera performed in Chinese and English by Chinese and American artists to promote cultural exchange and artistic exploration. With a mixture of song, music, dance, mime, stage fighting and acrobatics, this colorful show is fun and educational for children.
both performances SOLD OUT

Tales from the Beijing Opera Noon
Circle Events for Schools
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Bowker Auditorium   
$6 Children; $8 Adults

A selection of comic and dramatic scenes from some of China’s most popular opera performed in Chinese and English by Chinese and American artists to promote cultural exchange and artistic exploration. With a mixture of song, music, dance, mime, stage fighting and acrobatics, this colorful show is fun and educational for children.
both performances SOLD OUT

Music and Dance from Indonesia-Gamelan Sekar Jaya Ensemble
Circle Events for Children
Friday, March 30, 2007
Bowker Auditorium   from 10:00 am to 11:00 am
$6 Children; $8 Adults

A special program of Indonesian music and dance for K-12 students. Students will have the opportunity to participate in an interactive rhythm session and chanting of Kecak, (monkey sounds).

Kali Yuga
by Gamelan Sekar Jaya
Friday, March 30, 2007
Bowker Auditorium   8:00 pm
$25, $15; Youth 17 and under; Five College Students $10, $7

Kali Yuga is a dance drama commissioned and performed by Gamelan Sekar Jaya, an ensemble specializing in the music and dance of Bali, Indonesia.
This is an Angel Ticket event

Taikoza - Japanese Taiko Drums and Dance
Circle Events for Children
Friday, February 16, 2007
Concert Hall   from 10:00 am to 11:00 am
$6 Children; $8 Adults

Six foot drums weighing up to three hundred pounds provide a thundering musical backdrop to traditional Japanese folk dances, the sound of bamboo flutes and the 13 string Koto in an electrifying performance.

Taikoza
Japanese Taiko Drums & Dance
Friday, February 16 2007
FAC Concert Hall   7:30 pm
$25, $20, $15; Youth 17 and under; Five College Students $15, $10, $7

Traditional Japanese folk dances, the sound of bamboo flutes and the 13 string Koto combine with the Taiko drummers in an electrifying performance.

Alankara: Arts in India Tour
The Arts and Culture of India Tour for Students and Community
Wednesday, January 3 - Wednesday, January 17, 2007
   

This is a fully escorted tour of India with Ranjanaa Devi, Director of the University of Massachusetts Asian Arts and Culture Program, for students and community members.

Film: Being Osama
New Asia Cinema: Arab Cinema Panorama
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Room 137, Isenberg School of Management   7:30 pm
Free and open to the public

Being Osama provides an intimate look at six men with highly diverse backgrounds, interests and personalities, united by their first names and the experience of living as an Arab in the post 9/11 world.

Film: The English Sheik and the Yemeni Gentlemen
New Asia Cinema: Arab Cinema Panorama
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Room 137, Isenberg School of Management   7:30 pm
Free and open to the public

(Double Feature with "Being Osama") A British-born Yemeni living in London after his parents’ exile from the Yemen. Bader returns to the Yemen to re-discover his country, its people and traditions.

Film: Reel Bad Arabs
Arab Cinema Panorama
Wednesday, December 6, 2006
Room 137 Isenberg School of Management   from 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm
Free and open to the public

Reel Bad Arabs is the new documentary produced by the Media Education Foundation of Arab American Jack Shaheen's book by the same name. Professor Sut Jhally will be on hand to introduce the film and answer questions.

Film: The Silences of the Palace
New Asia Cinema: Arab Cinema Panorama
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Room 137, Isenberg School of Management   7:30 pm
Free and open to the public

The Silences of the Palace is a drama of memory and motherhood, political and sexual power.

Film: 100% Arabica
New Asia Cinema: Arab Cinema Panorama
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Room 137, Isenberg School of Management   7:30 pm
Free and open to the public

100% Arabica is a blend of Algerian räi music, culture clash issues and satirical commentary about aspects of the Muslim religion taking place in a poverty-stricken, rent-controlled neighborhood on the outskirts of Paris.

Goo Say Ten
To the Sky, to the White
Thursday, November 9, 2006
Bowker Auditorium   8:00 pm
$20, $15; Youth 17 and under; Five College Students $10, $7

Founder, Morita Itto, also professor of psychology at Sapporo Gakuin University, has developed a dance method for psychosomatic exploration and integration.
Goo Say Ten Lecture Demonstration    Thursday, November 9, 2006  3:30 pm to 4:30 pm  
Lecture/demonstration presented with Professor Morita from 3:30-4:30 PM at the Main Dance Studio, Hampshire College. Registration for Lecture/demonstration required. Please call for information 413-577-2486

Film: Omar Gatlato
New Asia Cinema: Arab Cinema Panorama
Wednesday, November 8, 2006
Room 137, Isenberg School of Management   7:30 pm
Free and open to the public

A reflection on Algerian male culture, this film examines with shrewd humor the gang values of urban youth and their passion for popular culture.

Niyaz
Indo-Persian Music
Friday, November 3, 2006
Bowker Auditorium   8:00 pm
$25, $15; Youth 17 and under: $12, Five College Students: $10, $7

Niyaz brings excitement and mystery to the stage with performances that integrate traditional sounds from Iran and India with 21st century technology.
This is an Angel Ticket event

Film: Cairo Station
New Asia Cinema: Arab Cinema Panorama
Wednesday, November 1, 2006
Room 137, Isenberg School of Management   7:30 pm
Free and open to the public

In this beautiful classic film, Cairo's main railroad station is used to represent all of Egyptian society.

Film: Rings for Sale
New Asia Cinema: Arab Cinema Panorama
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Room 137, Isenberg School of Management   7:30 pm
Free and open to the public

In this lively musical starring Lebanese singer Fairuz, the mayor of a small village and his accomplice carry out a number of crimes and blame a fictional character called "Rajeh".

Film: Fatma
New Asia Cinema: Arab Cinema Panorama
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Room 137, Isenberg School of Management   7:30 pm
Free and open to the public

This film classic is about a poor nurse who falls in love with the son of one of her wealthy patients.

Film: Chronicle of a Disappearance
New Asia Cinema: Arab Cinema Panorama
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Room 137, Isenberg School of Management   7:30 pm
Free and open to the public.

This film is a personal meditation upon the effects of political instability on the Palestinian people.

Musafir
Gypsy Music & Dance from India
Friday, October 6, 2006
Bowker Auditorium   8:00 pm
$25, $15; Youth under 17 and Five College students $10, $7

Gathering together some of the richest and most diverse artistic traditions of India, Musafir weaves together intricate rhythms, devotional Gypsy dances, dazzling fakir and fire-eater’s feats.
This is an Angel Ticket event

Musafir - Gypsy Music and Dance from India
Circle Events for Children
Friday, October 6, 2006
Bowker Auditorium   
$6 Children; $8 Adults

Hailing from the northwest India desert land in Rajasthan, Musafir is a troupe of gypsies, troubadours, fire-eaters and fakirs. The tabla, double flutes, the dholak and sarangi are just some of their featured instruments.

Film: One Evening in July & Rana's Wedding
New Asia Cinema: Arab Cinema Panorama
Wednesday, October 4, 2006
Room 137, Isenberg School of Management   7:30 pm
Free and open to the public.

Double Feature : One Evening in July-Taking place in Tunis, this film tells the story of Saida, an elderly woman whose occupation is to dress of young brides. Rana’s Wedding -This film shows us the Palestinian-Israeli conflict through the eyes of a young woman.

Number 3 to Go: A Moon Festival Celebration
Bus Tour to NYC Chinatown and Three Asian Museums
Saturday, September 30, 2006
New York City Bus Tour   from 7:45 am to 8:30 pm
$75.00

Take this fabulous opportunity to tour Chinatown and visit three unique Asian Museums located in the heart of New York City.

Film: The Dupes
New Asia Cinema: Arab Cinema Panorama
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Room 137, Isenberg School of Management   7:30 pm
Free and open to the public

The Dupes, a stark and powerful black-and-white film, follows the path of three Palestinian refugees brought together by dispossession, despair and hope for a better future.

Film: The Nights of the Jackal
New Asia Cinema: Arab Cinema Panorama
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Room 137, Isenberg Shool of Management   7:30 pm
Free and open to public

Set in a small Syrian village, this film chronicles the effects of Westernization and war on family life.

Film: In the Battlefields
New Asia Cinema: Arab Cinema Panorama
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Room 137, Isenberg School of Management   7:30 pm
Free and open to the public

Burdened with a gambler father and a pregnant mother, 12-year old Lina faces adulthood in 1983’s war-torn Beirut.

Film: In the Shadows of the City
New Asia Cinema: Arab Cinema Panorama
Wednesday, September 6, 2006
Room 137 Isenberg School of Management   7:30 pm
Free and open to the public

A Lebanese family moves from the countryside to Beirut to escape civil war between religious factions, but are caught in an equally dangerous situation.

Images of China: Chinese Rod Puppetry by Dragon Art Studios
Circle: Shows for Children
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Bowker Auditorium 10 AM and 12 noon   
Tickets: $5 Children; $7 Adults

Images of China blends puppetry and music with elegance, humor and special effects to create a beautiful theatrical event. An art form revered throughout China, this puppet show will enthrall and delight the audience while providing an insight into Chinese folklore and culture.

Ethos & Indian Music Masters
Performance/Music
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Bowker Auditorium   8:00 pm
$15; Students: $7

Marimba, Chinese Gongs, Riq Djembe, Tibetan Prayer bowls-all tools of the trade for the fascinating for the Ethos Percussion Group, an extraordinary quartet of musicians who have thrilled audiences with their instruments from around the globe.
This is an Angel Ticket event

BING! BANG! BOOM! World Beat
Circle: Shows for Childern
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Bowker Auditorium   
Tickets : $5 Children; $7 Adults

Bing! Bang! Boom! originated in 1992 and was designed as an educational program to introduce elementary school children to percussion instruments in a fun and entertaining style.

New Shanghai Circus
Circle: Shows for Children
Thursday, March 16, 2006
Concert Hall 9:30 and 11:30 AM   
Tickets: $5 children; $7 adults

Presenting spectacular aerial and acrobatic feats in a "Circus with a Difference" the performers from China's Chengdu province will delight the audience with their unbelievable skills in performing age-old popular acts - spinning plates, hoop diving, bicycle tricks, balance ladders, tricks, stunts and so much more.

New Shanghai Circus
Thursday, March 16, 2006
Concert Hall   7:30 pm
$25, $15, $10; Students: $13 $7, $5

Presenting spectacular aerial and acrobatic feats in a "Circus with a Difference" the performers from China's Chengdu province will delight the audience with their unbelievable skills in performing age-old popular acts - spinning plates, hoop diving, bicycle tricks, balance ladders, tricks, stunts and so much more.
This is an Angel Ticket event

Nomad: The River by Yin Mei Dance
Co-presented with New WORLD Theater
Friday, February 24, 2006
Bowker Auditorium   8:00 pm
$20, $15; Students: $10, $7

This contemporary dance theater work revolves around the symbol of the river -the Yellow River in China and the Ganges in India. The duality represented by these two rivers drives the choreography and visual environment in this collaborative production between lighting designer Ling Xiao and visual and sound designer Chris Salter.
This is an Angel Ticket event

Becoming X
New Asia Cinema
Tuesday, December 6, 2005
SOM 137   7:00 pm
Free and open to public

We are proud to present this program of Asian American shorts about the female gender, which is part of the 2004-2005 National Film Festival Tour of Asian Cinevision / Asian American International Film Festival

Asian Art Tour
Rubin Museum of Art
Saturday, November 19, 2005
Robsham Visitors Center   from 8:00 am to 8:30 pm
Tickets: $70; UMass Students $35 cost includes bus, museum entrance,guided tour and snacks

The new Rubin Museum of Art in New York is home to a comprehensive collection of art from the Himalayas and surrounding regions. Join us for this exciting day trip to see magnificent sacred art and get a deeper understanding of the Tibetan sacred images and motifs you will witness during the week-long creation of the Tibetan Sand Mandala (painting) by the Drepung Loseling Monks.

The Bodhisattva Tara: Compassion in Action
Friday, November 18, 2005
Memorial Hall   from 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm
Suggested Donation: $10; Students: $5

This public talk by Za Choeje Rinpoche will highlight the special role that Tara plays in the Buddhist practice and her place in the history and culture of the Tibetan people. Co-sponsored by the Manjushri Institute of Buddhist Studies.

Yungchen Lhamo
in concert
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Bowker Auditorium   8:00 pm
$15; Students: $7

Tibet’s internationally acclaimed diva and award winning singer and songwriter at the age of 25, walked over the Himalayas from Tibet to India, on a perilous journey to meet and receive blessings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The power and purity of Yungchen’s voice gives heart to her spiritual devotion and performance. Join us to shower blessings to the people around the world.

Wheel of Time
A film written and directed by Werner Herzog.
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
SOM 137   7:00 pm
Free and open to public

Written and Directed by Werner Herzog. Buddha found enlightenment sitting under a tree in Bodh Gaya, India and today Buddhist monks are ordained in this holy place. Werner Herzog takes their lengthy pilgrimage and the monks' creation of the intricate sand mandala as jumping-off points for a thoughtful, highly personal look at what Buddhism means to its most fervent adherents as well as to the rest of us. Co-presented with German and Scandinavian Studies, DEFA Library and the Goethe Institute, Boston

Arya Tara: Sand Mandala
Drepung Loseling Monks presented by the Mystical Arts of Tibet
Monday, November 14 - Thursday, November 17, 2005
University Gallery at the Fine Arts Center   
Free and open to public

Highlighting Tibetan arts and culture through a series of special events. All over the world, record numbers of people have watched in awe as the monks lay down millions of grains of sand to create healing Mandala paintings.
Sand Mandala Activities for School Children    Tuesday, November 15, 2005    by reservation

Sand Mandala Activities for School Children    Wednesday, November 16, 2005    by reservation

Sand Mandala Closing Ceremony    Thursday, November 17, 2005  4:30 pm  Free and open to public
In a colorful ceremony with gongs, trumpets and chanted prayers the sands are swept up and placed in an urn to carry to a body of water where they are poured into the waters to fulfill the act of healing. The waters then carry the sand blessings all over the world, for planetary healing.

Sand Mandala Activities for School Children    Thursday, November 17, 2005    by reservation

Women Directors: Iran
New Asia Cinema
Tuesday, November 8, 2005
SOM 137   7:00 pm
Free and open to public

GOD, CONSTRUCTION, AND DESTRUCTION (Samira Makhmalbaf, 2002, 11 minutes, 9 seconds), followed by…BLACKBOARDS (Samira Makhmalbaf, 2000, 85 minutes)

home land security
presented by The Center for Cultural Exchange
Friday, November 4, 2005
Bowker Auditorium   8:00 pm
$15; Students: $7

A multimedia theatrical performance about the impact of September 11 and the War on Terror in the lives of New England minority communities created by artist Marty Pottenger in partnership with Portland's Center for Cultural Exchange.
This is an Angel Ticket event

Women Directors: Philippines
New Asia Cinema
Tuesday, November 1, 2005
SOM 137   7:00 pm
Free and open to public

Rory B Quintos is one of the few women directors in the film industry in the Philippines, and her feature ANAK ( A Child) is a powerful drama about an overseas Filipino contact worker who returns home from Hong Kong to her family after years abroad.

The Young Indonesians
New Asia Cinema
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
SOM 137   7:00 pm
Free and open to public

A fiction film, ADA APA DENGAN CINTA? (What's Up with Love?), about young Indonesians making discoveries at home and abroad.

Japanese Gender Benders
New Asia Cinema
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
SOM 137   7:00 pm
Free and open to public

A double-bill featuring Shinjuki Boys and Revolutionary Girl Utena: movies about women (and girls) who have decided to live as men (and boys): Introductory Speaker will be Professor Doris Bargen, Dept of Asian Languages & Literature

Sidi Goma:
Black Sufis from Gujarat
Wednesday, October 5, 2005
Bowker Auditorium   8:00 pm
$20 general, $10 students

Sufism, the peaceful, universal and mystic tradition of Islam has for centuries intrigued the world's musical and spiritual communities. Sidi Goma group sing and dance for their Sufi saints, using chants (in a mixture of Swahili, Hindi, and Gujerati languages), shakers, conches and drums decorated with peacock feathers. Tracing their ancestral lineage to East Africa (Tanzania and Kenya) and to their special saint Sidi Mubarak Nobia, they live in western India in a closed community.
This is an Angel Ticket event

Black Sufis of India and Africa
A talk by Professor Amy Catlin Jairazbhoy
Tuesday, October 4, 2005
Bezanson Music Recital Hall   7:00 pm

Amy Catlin Jairazbhoy's research, writing, teaching, curatorial activities, and multi-media publications often have an applied focus, aimed at community development of minority traditions, especially in diasporic settings. She served as a curator for Sidi Goma and presented the group's first concert and lecture tour outside India.

Voices of the Sidis
Two Documentaries by filmmaker Beheroze Shroff
Monday, October 3, 2005
Campus Center 904-908   7:00 pm
Free and open to the public

WE'RE INDIAN AND AFRICAN: VOICES OF THE SIDIS gives voice to the conflicts and dilemmas of an Afro-Indian Sidi community in Gujarat and in VOICES OF THE SIDIS: ANCESTRAL LINKS an urban Sidi family in Bombay is portrayed. Screening and a talk with filmmaker Beheroze Shroff

Re-Orient Festival
Staged readings with Torange Yeghiazarian
Friday, September 30, 2005
Curtain Theater   8:00 pm
$5 general, $2 students

Torange Yeghiazarian is Artistic Director of Golden Thread Productions, a San Francisco Bay Area company dedicated to exploring Middle Eastern culture and identity as represented throughout the globe.

Tazieh: Iranian Theater Traditions
A talk by Torange Yeghiazarian
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
Thompson 104   7:00 pm

Tazieh is an ancient and uniquely Iranian passion play that reenacts the martyrdom of Hussain, grandson of the prophet Muhammad, in the desert of Karbala. Yeghiazarian will discuss the form and talk about how images of battles fought 13 centuries ago strongly resonate today in the Middle East.

Chinese violinist Suzanne Shu
in Concert on the ER-HU
Saturday, September 17, 2005
Bowker Auditorium   7:30 pm
Free and open to public

A graduate from the China Conservatory of Music, Suzanne has performed both violin and Er-Hu throughout the world. Since 1991 she has been captivated by gospel music and now plays gospel music and hymns on the Er-Hu. Her CD Praise from Two Strings has been well received in the Christian community.

Yin Yu Tang House at the Peabody Essex Museum
Saturday, May 7, 2005
The Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Ma   
$50 per person; Umass students $35 per person

Join the tour to visit a fascinating 200 year-old house built originally by a Chinese merchant in the hamlet of Huang Cun in China. Ticket price includes transportation, admission to museum, and special curator talk. Call 413-577-2486 for reservations. Space is limited.

Sankyoku:Traditional Japanese Ensemble Music
Co-presented with the department of Music at Smith College
Saturday, March 12, 2005
12 Sage Hall, Smith College   4:00 pm
$10 General; Five College Students Free

Outstanding senior performers of Japanese traditional music present a delightful and colorful panorama of art music from ancient and modern Japan. Their enchanting and colorful ensemble reflects more than thirty years of performance they each have with their instruments.

FUBUKI DAIKO: Japanese Drumming & Dance
Circle: Events for Schools!
Thursday, March 10, 2005
Bowker Auditorium   10:00 am
Students $5, Adults $7

Merge the art of traditional Japanese Taiko drumming with influences from Arlo Guthrie and Led Zeppelin; add rigorous choreography and a flair for performance all their own and you have Fubuki Daiko, Canada’s hottest emissaries of one of Japan’s most renowned performing art form.
Fubuki Daiko-Van Sickle Outreach Activity    Wednesday, March 9, 2005  2:00 pm  

FUBUKI DAIKO: Japanese Drumming & Dance
Performance Series
Thursday, March 10, 2005
Bowker Auditorium   8:00 pm
Adults: $20, $15 Students: $10, $7

Merge the art of traditional Japanese Taiko drumming with influences from Arlo Guthrie and Led Zeppelin; add rigorous choreography and a flair for performance all their own and you have Fubuki Daiko, Canada’s hottest emissaries of one of Japan’s most renowned performing art form.
This is an Angel Ticket event
FUBUKI DAIKO: Sci Tech Outreach Activity  Sci Tech HS in Springfield  Wednesday, March 9, 2005    
Call 577-2486 for more information. Please note that these events are NOT open to the public.

The Dances of China: A Journey of 5,000 Years
Circle: Events for Schools!
Friday, February 18, 2005
Call 577-2486   from 10:00 am to 11:00 am
Students $5, Adults $7

Produced by the Chinese Performing Artists of America in San Francisco, this touring company traces the history of Chinese culture through its music, court dances, acrobatics, martial arts and folk dances from several of China's ethnic groups.
Dances of China: Outreach Activity  Sci Tech HS, Springfield: Demos Chinese Language Prog.  Friday, February 18, 2005    
Call 577-2486 for more information. Please note that these events are NOT open to the public.

The Dances of China: A Journey of 5,000 Years
Performance Series
Friday, February 18 at 7:30PM, 2005
Concert Hall 7:30 PM   7:30 pm
Adults: $20, $15; Age 17 and under & Five College Students: $10, $7

Produced by the Chinese Performing Artists of America in San Francisco, this touring company traces the history of Chinese culture through its music, court dances, acrobatics, martial arts and folk dances from several of China's ethnic groups.
This is an Angel Ticket event

KAHURANGI: People of the Pacific
Circle: Events for Schools!
Thursday, December 9, 2004
Bowker Auditorium   from 10:00 am to 11:00 am
Students $5, Adults $7, Call 413-577-2486

The Maori Dance Theater of New Zealand. People of the Pacific takes the audience on a colorful and exciting journey through the islands of Polynesia, including visits to Tahiti, Hawaii, Samoa, the Cook Islands and ending in Aotearoa, New Zealand.

New Asia Cinema - Women Talk: Women Directors
She Wants to Talk to You & Afghanistan Univeiled
Thursday, December 2, 2004
Bartlet 65   7:00 pm
FREE Films for your enjoyment!

Two Films: She Wants to Talk to You: Directed by Anita Chang, 2001 In this short documentary, Chinese American filmmaker Anita Chan uses film to collaborate with Nepali girls in Kathmandu and Nepali-American women in the U.S. who share their own stories. Afhanistan Unveiled Directed by Brigitte Brault & AINA Women Filming Group, 2003 (52 Minutes) This acclaimed film was made by the first team of women video journalists trained in Afghanistan, who traveled to rural provinces to interview women about their lives and experiences under the Taliban--and their hopes for the future. Leaving Kabul for the first time, the female journalists capture devastating and poignant images of their country, seen through the eyes of women.

New Asia Cinema
Chicken Rice War
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
Bartlett 65   7:00 pm
Free to the public

(directed by Chee Kong Cheah, Singapore, 2002) Chicken Rice War presents a raucously hilarious Romeo and Juliet story, set amongst the famous family-run food stalls of Singapore that hawk the dish of Hainanese chicken rice, each with their own secret ingredients. Audrey Chan and Fenson Wong, children of rival chicken rice dynasties, are cast in their college’s rock ‘n’ roll version of the Shakespeare play and fall into their own inevitable star-crossed romance. A clever testimony to the cultural hybridity of Singapore, the film also pits Cantonese opera against tunes by Singaporean popster Tanya Chua at the craziest Hungry Ghost Festival ever.

Return of the Rain Seed
Circle: Events for Schools!
Wednesday, November 10, 2004
Bowker Autitorium   from 10:00 am to 11:00 am
Students $5, Adults $7 Call 413-577-2486 for tickets

" Return of the Rainseed has a real tale to tell and a real tail to tell it with." Linda Shapiro, Minneapolis Star Tribune Inspired by a modern folktale from India, this show combines theater with Indian dance, music from South India, an English narration and colorful costumes.

New Asia Cinema
Spinning Gasing
Tuesday, November 9, 2004
Bartlett 65   7:00 pm
Free to the public

(directed by Teck Tan, Malaysia, 2000) Spinning Gasing displays the extraordinary diversity of Malaysia through the dramatic and sometimes comic portrayal of a struggling rock band comprised of young Malay, Chinese, Eurasian, and Indian musicians, on a road trip from the capital city of Kuala Lumpur to the eastern coast. The soundtrack underscores the interplay of tradition and modernity, combining urban dance music with traditional folk songs—including an exquisite scene of ulik mayang dance performance. The first Malaysian feature film made entirely in English, Spinning Gasing (the title takes its name from a traditional wooden top wound with string) is also a landmark for its depiction of romance between characters of different religions, ethnicities, and sexes.

The Way of Tea
Taking Tea: From Commodity to Cultural Icon
Thursday, October 28, 2004
Fine Arts Center Atrium Lobby   from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Free to the Public

Talk by Professor Rashna Batliwala Singh, Colorado College. This talk will touch on the history and geography of tea, but most of all it will look at tea as a whimsical cultural icon that has come to be closely associated with conversation and civilized behavior.

The Way of Tea
A Perfect Spot for Tea
Thursday, October 28, 2004
Fine Arts Center Atrium Lobby   from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Free to the public

Talk by Professor Annalies