March 21, Dorcinda Knauth, Sundanese Dance, Uptown Gallery, South
Pacific Dinner
May 8, 12:15-12:45pm, Sekar Ligar, Uptown Fine Arts Music Series
Past (extra photos)
December 6, Bard Concert
The Sundanese ensemble Sekar Mawar teamed up with Balinese gamelan
ensembles Giri Mekar and Chandra Kanchana for their fall concert in
Olin Hall.
November 30, Sinterklaas celebration
Kicking off this year’s Sinterklaas celebration in Kingston, NY,
Catskill Mountain gamelan musicians perform a harvest dance the day
after Thanksgiving. This unique performance was followed up by Dutch
Christmas storytales by Bex Caldbeck and a German choir concert by the
Kingston Maennerchor and Damenchor. The group performed on
contemporary style aluminum instruments, built by gamelan builder
Christopher Andersen. After the concert, gamelan musicians joined
Sinterklaas for a parade through uptown Kingston.
October 12, 2013, O+ Festival O+ participants immersed themselves in
Sundanese culture, aligning their bodies and spirits to the sounds of
Sunda (West Java). Those who attended, learned beginning dance
positions while listening to the live slendro gamelan, made by
Christopher Andersen. In this class, students not only learned the
basics of Sundanese dance, but also how the choreographies coordinate
with the music.
May 5, 2013, Vassar College
Sekar Mawar and Sekar Ligar performed in one of Vassar’s
architecturally stunning spaces, upon invitation by Vassar student
Violet Cavicchi. Cavicchi had been studying Balinese gamelan for
several years, and had made the topic part of her senior thesis
project. They joined forces with Bill Ylitalo’s avant-garde gamelan
group Djam Gong, in a unique blend of traditional and contemporary
music inspired by the Indonesian isles.