Good Works
Between Silence and Light
A dance event in three parts
Choreography by Yen Lu Wong
Many years ago when our grandparents foresaw what our future would be like, they spoke their prophecies among themselves and passed them on to the children before them.
Cities will progress and then decay to the ways of the lowest beings. Drinkers of dark liquids will come upon the land, speaking nonsense and filth. The end shall be nearer.
Population will increase until the land can hold no more. The tribes of men will mix. The dark liquids they drink will cause the people to fight among themselves. Families will break up: father against children against one another.
Maybe when the people have outdone themselves, then maybe, the stars will fall upon the land, or drops of hot water will rain upon the Earth. Or the land will turn under. Or our Father, the Sun, will not rise to to start the day. Then our posessions will turn into beasts and devour us whole.
If not, there will be an odour from gases, which will fill the air we breathe, and the end for us shall come.
But the people themselves will bring upon themselves what they receive. From what has resulted, time alone will tell what the future holds for us.
Zuni Tribe's Book The Zuni's: Self Portrayals.
We request that the audience refrain from using photo flashes at our Friday and Saturday performances.
IN THE BEGINNING..................
Friday Novemeber 16 6.30pm
Observatory Hill
A seeker comes wanting to know Australia. Landing on the shores of Sydney, groups of people come to greet her and tell her who they are. The groups are:
- The Keepers of the Earth
- The Destroyers of the Earth
- The Settlers
- Those who Seek to Enter
As they tell their stories they begin to re-enact their origins and evoke the Spirits of their Ancestors.
The Seeker Comes
Greeting
- Yen Lu Wong and Full Company
Emerging from the Footsteps of our Ancestors
- Yen Lu Wong and Full Company
The Keepers of the Earth
Prayer to the Spirit of the Wind
- Ronaldo - the Experienced One
- Rhys Martin, Ann Tregear, Julie Hunt, Caroline Lung, Gary Lester, Chris Newland
Libation Bearers
- Gillian Cairns, Jennie Wynne, Barbara Longley, Robert Thomson, Mudita Devi, Sita Hadley, Jill Scott, Jilba Wallace
Dance of Men
- Rhys Martin, Ronaldo, Garry Lester, Chris Newland, Robert Thomson
Dance of Women
- Ann Tregear, Julie Hunt, Caroline Lung, Gillian Cairns, Jennie Wynne, Barbara Longley, Mudita Devi, Sita Hadley, Jill Scott, Jilba Wallace
The Destroyers of the Earth
Garbologists
- Ronaldo, Ann Tregear, Rhys Martin
Garbage
- The Others
Settlers
The Girl from Forbes
- Barbara Longley
The Couples from Newcastle
- Ronaldo and Ann Tregear
- Rhys Martin and Caroline Lung
One Who Seeks to Enter
- Kai Tai Chan
Round Dance
- Everyone with Murunbatjiwuy Munyaryun, Michael Yawundjirr, Charles Yunupingu (Appearing by Courtesy of the Aboriginal Artists Agency)
Musicians:
Composition: Colin Offord
Performers: Colin Offord, Chris Wyatt, Greg Schiemer, Sue Russell, Carl Vine, Katrina Higgins, Caroline Thompson, Kai Yin Wong, Blair Greensberg, Khia
LIGHT
Saturday November 17 9:00pm
Sydney Opera House
Northern Broadwalk
A dance of lights by the harbour's edge, joining water and earth. Like such rituals as Christmas Lights, Hanukah, Diwali and Obon, this dance celebrates the spirit of hope.
Dancers:
- Yen Lu Wong, Jennie Wynne, Ann Tregear, Mudita Devi, Robert Thomson, Chris Newland, Rhys Martin, Kai Tai Chan, Gillian Cairns, Jilba Wallace, Jill Scott, Barbara Longley, Sita Hadley, Garry Lester, Julie Hunt, Caroline Lung
with
- Ronaldo, Alan Schacher, Rhonda May, Wendy Dudson, Oshia Greta Francis
Musicians:
Composition: Greg Schiemer
Performers: Greg Schiemer, Carl Vine, Colin Offord Chris Wyatt, Sue Russell, Katrina Higgins, Caroline Thompson, Kai Yin Wong, Blair Greensberg, Khia
This dance is dedicated to
- Hanayagi Chiyo, Martha Graham and Irmgard Bartenieff
RENEWAL: Phoenix and Crane
Sunday November 18 Noon
Argyle Place Park
Opposite the Garrison Church
Starting with a procession from the Sydney Opera House through Circular Quay and the Rocks, this final event will be a celebratory dance of renewal.
Dancers: Everyone
Musicians: Everyone
PRODUCTION
Properties, Design and Execution - Ronaldo
Costumes, Design and Execution - Sita Hadley
Poster Design - Kai Tai Chan
Publlicity - Rhonda Haslam
Photography - Hisao Nakamura
Production Assistant - John Baylis
YEN LU WONG, director of TNR, THE NEW REPERTORY, is recipient this year of a Rockefeller Fellowship and is on leave from the faculty of the University of California, San Diego. In Summer of 1980, she will be choreographer-in-residence at Yellow Springs Fellowship for the Arts. Besides choreography, Yen Lu is active in dance research including cross-cultural dance study, movement analysis, film and video as well as a laboratory in movement acquisition. TNR is a Member of the National Council of TACT (The Arts, Culture and Technology), a programme affiliated with UNESCO. Yen Lu Wong serves on the panels of the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities and the California Arts Council Dance Programme.
THE ONE EXTRA DANCE DANCE GROUP was formed in 1976 with Kai Tai Chan as Artistic Director. The group's principal objective is to explore the potential of dance as theatre. By incorporating elements from other performing arts and related disciplines, it aims to expand the parameters of dance.
Since its inception the group has constantly encouraged new choreographers and commissioned many composers to score original pieces. The group's work is very diverse: ranging from Dumb Waiters choreographed by Kai Tai Chan from the Harold Pinter play to children's programmes like the Emperor Chin and the Moon Goddess based on Chinese myth and dance. They have just performed a recent season at the Seymour Centre including works by Rex Crampthorne, Chrissie Koltai, Andris Toppe.
Coming Attractions: Sydney Festival - Cell Block Theatre
3 - 9 January, 1980
Adelaide Festival
March, 1980
A video documentation of this work will be deposited in the dance collection of the New York City Performing Arts Library, at Lincoln Center, New York.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This work is made possible by grants from the Theatre and Community Arts Boards of the Australia Council and the State Government of New South Wales through the Division of Cultural Activities of the Premier's Department.
The One Extra Dance Group wishes to thank the following for their help and co-operation:
The Elizabethan Theatre Trust
Sydney Dance Company
The Sydney City Council
The Sydney Opera House Trust
The Hurd Beeswax Candle Shop (Argyle Centre)
Trans - Asia Trading Co. Pty. Limited
Dalton Packaging Materials
The Fort Street Public School
Mr. King Fong
Ms. Wong gracefully acknowledges the individual assistance of Michael Goodwin, Ruby Rich, Marjorie and Malcolm Rich, Anita and Cor de Regt, Rhonda Haslam and all the Australian friends without whose generosity and warm hospitality this event would not have been possible.