Towson University Asian Arts & Culture Center  Celebrates 35^th Anniversary with Many Moons Festival

Towson University’s Asian Arts & Culture Center celebrates its 35^th anniversary with the 3^rd Many Moons Festival in its new location at the renovated Center for the Arts on Saturday, September 30, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.  This full day festival, back by popular demand, utilizes three stages and several large public spaces featuring performances of traditional and innovative music, dance, arts & crafts, storytelling, martial arts, and food and teas from around the world.   The Many Moons Festival is supported in part by special grants from McCormick & Co., Inc., T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. Foundation, the Macht Philanthropic Fund, TU Office of Student Activities, TU Foundation, TU Office of International Programs, the Maryland State Arts Council, and the Baltimore County Commission on Arts & Sciences.

Traditional and contemporary performing artists, including Nendaiko: Japanese festival drumming, Sampa Thai Dance: classical Thai dancers, the Washington Korean Dance Company: traditional Korean dance and drums, the Nguyen Family Bamboo Ensemble: Vietnamese Music, the Natya Kala Mandir School of Classical Indian Dance, the Madison Chinese Dance Academy, and Dance Philippines: multicultural dances from the Philippines, will perform. Additionally, the Ikkyu Koto Ensemble presents Japanese koto music accompanied by the shakuhachi. 

In the large public spaces of the Center for the Arts building, demonstrations and workshops of Asian arts and crafts will be conducted. Children and adults can try their hands on Japanese doll making, origami, Chinese knotting, dough figurines, Korean paper lotus lanterns and much more. Internationally recognized Korean calligrapher, Myoung-Won Kwon will present a calligraphy demonstration using a huge brush dipped into a bucket of ink. Martial art schools will present various styles of Asian self defense including selected Chinese, Korean, Filipino and Japanese forms. Tea artist, In-May Liu, illustrates the art of tea with demonstrations and tasting. Bill Jenkins’ World of Music and Nendaiko presents hands-on music workshops where children can try Asian instruments.  

The colorful and aromatic Crossroads Marketplace on the second floor atrium features food vendors serving an array of culinary delights.   Booths selling items from various Asian countries including Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, India and China, handcrafted work, clothing, books, CDs, jewelry and incense. Other booths feature practitioners of the art of yoga, meditation and fengshui (wind and water), who explain holistic methods of natural healing.   Additionally, non-profit community organizations will display information about their services.

Many Moons Festival

SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES  (Programs subject to change)

Grand Hall

11 a.m. - 6 p.m.                    Arts & Crafts                                                     

Dolls making, origami (Akiko Doll Making School), dough figurines and weaving (Hui-Jen Hsu) , bead craft, silk rope knotting (Baltimore Taiwanese Women Association), paper making (Amanda , kite making, paper cutting  (Hou-Tien Cheng), Korean lotus lantern, and more.

12:45 p.m.                                            Demonstrations of Calligraphy-- Myoung-Won Kwon

  3 p.m.                                                  Japanese Taiko Workshop--Nendaiko

Atrium

11 a.m. - 6 p.m.                                    Crossroads Marketplace

Food and craft sale (Japanese, Chinese, Indian, Tibetan, Thai, Vietnamese, etc.) books and CD sales and special interests including alternative medicines, natural healing, yoga, Fengshui and more.

Marder Studio Theatre

12 p.m.                                                  Japanese Koto Music-- Ikkyu Koto Ensemble

1:30 p.m.                                               Vietnamese Bamboo Music-- the Nguyen Family Ensemble

 2:15 p.m.                                              Vietnamese Bamboo Music-- the Nguyen Family Ensemble

 3:00 p.m.                                              Japanese Koto Music Ensemble  

 4:00 p.m.                                Indian Dance--Natya Kala Mandir School of Classical Indian Dance

Harold J. Kaplan Concert Hall

 1 p.m.                                                   Welcome Ceremony                        

Japanese Taiko Drumming--Nendaiko

 2 p.m.                                                    Dance of Thailand-- Sampa Thai Dance Co.

 4 p.m.                                                    Korean Dance and Drums-- the Washington Korean Dance Co.            

Dance Studio Theater

12:30 p.m.                                            Indian Dance --Natya Kala Mandir School of Classical Indian Dance

1:30 pm                                                 Chinese Dance -- The Madison Chinese Dance Academy

 2:30 p.m.                                              Filipino Dance -- Dance Philippines, Boston

 3:30 p.m.                                              Chinese Dance -- The Madison Chinese Dance Academy

 4:30  p.m.                                             Filipino Dance -- Dance Philippines, Boston

Art Lounge

12-2 p.m.                                               World Music Demo/presentation 

 2:30-5 p.m.                                          Tea Tasting and Moon Cake Sampling

Classroom 3039

2:00-5:00 pm                                       Workshop: Meditation and Puja (Prayer for Peace) by Tibetan monks

Movement Studio

Noon - 5 p.m.                                       Martial Arts Showcases (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Filipino)

1^st Floor Lobby & Art Hall               11 a.m. -6 p.m.

Community Information Sharing: Select  non-profit community service organizations are invited to display and discuss their mission and services as a way to develop dialogue and connections with the community.

Presenting Artists

Dance Philippines, based in Boston under the direction of Marijo Castro-Fadrigalan, presents facets of Philippine culture through the medium of dance, music, songs and costumes. The Philippine culture is the unique blending of cultures brought from foreign lands as well as those that existed with the early Filipinos.

Somapa Thai Dance (formerly the D.C. Thai Dance Troupe) founded in 1999 by experienced classical dancers, aims to preserve and promote Thai culture and the arts in the U. S.  In addition to giving Thai classical dance performances, senior members train American and Thai-American youth as well as the interested public in this ancient art form.

The Washington Korean Dance Company was established in 1986 to preserve and promote traditional Korean dance in the United States. Dance has been an integral part of Korean culture since ancient times, and the company seeks to pass on this heritage to future generations while educating them about the significance of this beautiful art form.

Nendaiko: Japanese Taiko founded in 1994 by members of the Ekoji Buddhist Temple in Fairfax Station, Virginia, Nendaiko (Nen in the name for Amida Buddha, Daiko is Japanese for fat drum) has performed for festivals around the region. Taiko is a Japanese form of festival drumming and requires mental, physical and spiritual discipline.

Monica Chen founded the Madison Chinese Dance Academy in 1987. It is now one of the largest dance teaching institutions in the Metropolitan Washington D.C. area that emphasizes the art of Chinese dance and ballet. Her teaching develops her students' appreciation of Eastern and Western cultures through dance reviews and senior choreography projects.

Natya Kala Mandir School of Indian Classical Dance founder, Vatsala Srinivas, an accomplished Bharatha Natyam dancer and choreographer, received intensive training under the renowned Guru Mahalingam Pillai of Bombay, India.  As a non-profit organization, the school’s missions are to impart training in Indian classical dance, to bring awareness of the dance form to Western society;  to support philanthropic endeavors and to provide an opportunity for visiting scholars and performers of dance to demonstrate their talents.

Nguyen Family Bamboo Ensemble performs music on traditional Vietnamese bamboo instruments. This ensemble was founded by the late Nguyen Dinh Nghia, the celebrated flutist and composer. Today his children carry on his musical legacy, which is based on traditional Vietnamese music enlivened with contemporary elements.

Bill Jenkins: World of Music is a presentation of hands-on music workshops offering students the opportunity to learn about the musical traditions from around the globe. He presents instruments from the Indian subcontinent and the East Asian cultures of China and Japan.

Japanese Koto Ensemble: Three members of the Washington Toho Koto Society  perform contemporary pieces composed by koto masters from various parts of Japan. Themes such as the arrival of spring and the melting of snow are melodically illustrated by the ensemble.

Myoung-Won Kwon, Hangul Calligraphy,  is an internationally renowned calligrapher of the Korean written language, hangul.

Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for students, children, and AA&CC members, and free for Towson University students.  For ticket charges and additional information, please call 410-704-2787.  Tickets can be purchased on the Web at centerforthearts.towson.edu.  Tickets are available for events through the Center for the Arts Box Office located at the corner of Osler and Cross Campus Drive.  Box Office hours are noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and one hour prior to performances. Gift certificates are available through the Center for the Arts Box Office.