Arts Midwest World Fest: Road Stories

Yamma Ensemble in Detroit Lakes

Autumn — Thu, 10 May 2012 19:57:02 +0000

Eric Young Smith

After closing a great week in Wausau, Wisconsin, the members of Yamma Ensemble and I made a long, northwest drive to the community of Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. Though our week in Wausau seemed to end too soon and we would gladly have stayed longer, I was looking forward to our visit to Detroit Lakes. I imagined beautiful, small inland lakes and colorful sunsets.

The geography surrounding Detroit Lakes didn’t disappoint! We arrived later in the day and settled in to our hotel, which was a short walk from the lakes after which our host community was named. A walk through this small town was relaxing and easy, and the bakery in the center of town made wonderful cherry turnovers.

After a full morning and afternoon to recover from our drive, we attended a reception with the folks at Detroit Lakes Community and Cultural Center. Volunteers were very proud to show us around, since the DLCCC was impressively restored from its former persona as a high school into a community center that houses, among other things, the beautifully restored Historic Holmes Theatre, where Yamma performed in concert later in the week.

Next morning, Yamma was focused on their workshops. We went from school to school meeting teachers and children, and Yamma left them eager to learn more about the diversity and color of Israeli culture. Everyone wanted to hear more of the ensemble’s beautiful music.

We were hosted by the Public Library Club where—though we were in a library—we were encouraged to be open and let the instruments sing loudly. Yamma also spoke and played at the White Earth Reservation where, during a workshop, Yamma was treated to a traditional drum and singing demonstration by students of Circle of Life Academy.

By the time Saturday arrived, it seemed like every student who attended a workshop was inspired to return for Yamma’s concert—and bring their parents along! Yamma gave a wonderful concert that night. By the way that Yamma performed in the Holmes Theatre, I could tell they fell in love with the community in Detroit Lakes.

You can see great images from Detroit Lakes and other stops on the tour in this Arts Midwest World Fest set on Flickr.

Yamma in Wausau, Wisconsin

Autumn — Fri, 04 May 2012 21:37:22 +0000

Eric Young Smith, Arts Midwest World Fest tour manager

After a drive from Minneapolis with a few stops along the way, Yamma arrived in Wausau and settled in for a well-deserved night and morning of rest since traveling halfway around the globe.

Carrying rich memories of people and places past while fulfilling the mission of Arts Midwest World Fest brought anticipation of good things to come. Excitement built while Yamma met up with Barbara Klofstad and other staff members of the Performing Arts Foundation at a reception hosted by Mount Sinai Congregation and Rabbi Dan Danson.

Tuesday evening found Yamma in the studios of WLBL, Wisconsin Public Radio in Wausau, to record an interview and live performance with Glen Moberg, host of Route 51. Route 51 is a program syndicated statewide on Wisconsin Public Radio. The interview aired just prior to the Thursday, April 19 concert at the Grand Theater in Wausau.

Yamma loved the performance stage at the Grand Theater and it was fun to see them explore the acoustics of the theater and make adjustments for the characteristics of the space. The show may have even been an attendance record for Yamma’s Arts Midwest World Fest tour!

Yamma Ensemble returns to the Midwest

Autumn — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 14:49:56 +0000

Arts Midwest

We’re excited to welcome back Yamma Ensemble for their second tour as part of the 2011–2013 Arts Midwest World Fest!

The group arrives this week to begin a tour through the western states in our region:

Wausau, WI – April 15-21, 2012
Detroit Lakes, MN – April 22-28, 2012
Devils Lake, ND – April 29-May 5, 2012
Hill City, SD – May 6-12, 2012

Full event details

During their previous tour in fall 2011, Yamma Ensemble hosted inspiring hands-on workshops and demonstrations, sharing their unique musical blend with students who were excited to meet people from another country and learn about the culture of Israel.

Their concerts highlighted the extraordinary musicianship of these performers and drew audiences from across each community. As Kara Sherman, executive director of The Wilson Performing Arts Center in Red Oak, IA, noted:

“The impact on our community was huge! The students, teachers, parents, and community members that had the opportunity to experience one of the workshops or the final concert of the Yamma Ensemble are still talking about this event nearly a month later and want to know when I will be bringing them back again!”

Join us in welcoming these musical ambassadors back to the Midwest. Browse our website to learn more about their music and culture or watch videos of workshops and performances.

A sendoff from Elyria, Ohio

Autumn — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 21:37:34 +0000

Shigeyo Henriquez

The weather was incredibly warm the last few weeks of the tour. When they arrived in Chicago on February 16, it was still winter. We were wrapped in winter coats, scarves, and boots. By the end of the tour in Elyria, Ohio, we needed short sleeves and lightweight clothes.

Shopping and shopping was the story of the ensemble. They came back with bags and bags of new clothes, new electronics, and gifts to bring back to China. After shopping, the women put on brightly colored dresses and new shoes, and the men wore new shirts. They looked sharp in their new outfits!

This was the fifth week of the tour, and yes, we were all getting a bit tired—but no one showed it at workshops. The first workshop in Elyria was at the Murray Ridge Center for students with disabilities. As always everyone loved Tarim’s music and beautiful dance. You could see it on their smiling faces. Some of the students in wheelchairs joined the dance at the end of workshop.

On the evening of Tuesday, March 20, we gathered at the Beth K. Stocker Art Gallery with ethnomusicologists and local musicians. David Badagnani, director of the Cleveland Chinese Music Ensemble, organized the gathering. He was so thrilled to be able to see and touch the Uygur instruments. On top of that, jamming with Uygur musicians was like his dream come true! It was an unforgettable experience for the local musicians as well as Tarim.

We all felt something special at the last concert at the Stocker Arts Center, maybe because it was the final one. During five weeks of touring the Midwest, we must have met thousands of people and children. And then it all came to an end.

I truly enjoy traveling with musicians from all parts of world and visiting small communities in the Midwest. How else would I ever know Uygur people or the hospitality and warmth of small communities?

After five weeks on the road, I got to know the individual members very well. They are fun, goofy, appreciative, love to shop, have good sense of humor, and show their emotions from time to time just like everyone else. So often I wished that I could speak their language to understand the details. I used Google Translate on my iPhone, which helped tremendously—I spoke in English, and it translated and spoke in Chinese. For some of the members who were not comfortable with Mandarin, we used gestures and pen and paper to draw. Somehow we got the point across to each other.

Tarim’s music is unique, and I found it very different from traditional Chinese music. The instruments are quite different—Ghijek, Tambur, Rawap, Dap. I had never heard these names before the tour. They are quite small, yet the sounds that come out of these instruments are surprisingly full.

The most amazing performance is their dance. Two beautiful girls in bright, red silk dresses dance to the music, using their fingers and eyes to delicately express the emotion of the music. During one of the performances, they have six porcelain cups balanced on their heads. Then they twirl and spin, their dresses float, and the cups keep spinning. Toward the end they remove each cup one at a time while still spinning, move to the center of the stage, and then pour water from the last cup to the others. The audience takes a deep breath and releases a sigh of “Wow!” Who knew there was water in the cup while the dancers were twirling and spinning?

I watched the dance hundreds of times during the tour, but every time I couldn’t help myself saying, “Wow!” It was truly amazing and magnificent. And the dancers never broke a cup.

Now Tarim has gone back to China to their families and friends, and I miss them.

Springtime in Wabash, Indiana

Autumn — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 20:22:50 +0000

Shigeyo Henriquez

We left Saugatuck, MI, on Sunday morning and made a stop at a Halal meat market in Fort Wayne, IN. It was a small store, and the store manager was overwhelmed when all 20 of us walked in. I bet it was the biggest day since he opened the store! We bought beef, mutton, chicken, and some sweets, and we planned to have a big feast when we got to Wabash, IN.

Colorful crocuses and daffodils in full bloom accented the beautifully renovated Charley Creek Inn, our home in Wabash. As we walked inside the lobby, gorgeous chandeliers that hung from the high ceiling caught our eyes, and we heard a piano serenade to welcome us.

Later, Andrea Zwiebel from the Honeywell Center met us in the lobby to escort us to Honeywell House, where a welcome reception was held. Honeywell House was originally built in 1880. In 1959, Mrs. Honeywell bought the home and renovated it to a magnificent state. The house is decorated with old paintings and ornamentations and is furnished with elegant antique furniture. Tarim sat in old Victorian chairs and sofas and must have taken a thousand photographs of themselves. Then beautifully prepared food was spread on a table covered in white linen. The evening began with friendly greetings from Wabash community members and delicious food and drinks.

On Monday morning, Teresa Galley from the Honeywell Center met us at the hotel, and we headed for Hartford City, IN, where we spent the whole day, beginning with a morning workshop at Southside Elementary School and an afternoon workshop at North Side Elementary.

The students welcomed us with a banner with the U.S. and China flags and the words, “Welcome Tarim.” Tarim received the banner to take back to China, where the ensemble plans to proudly present it to the Ministry of Culture in China. I’m always thrilled to see the faces of children amazed by Tarim’s music and mesmerized by their beautiful dance.

Hartford City also hosted another reception for us. Joyce from 3M, a major sponsor of Arts Midwest World Fest, welcomed us again. Carefully prepared and delicious food was served. The ensemble piled the food on their plates and enjoyed it thoroughly.

On Tuesday, we were off to Manchester, IN (about half an hour away from Wabash), and Wednesday was in Montpelier (about an hour from Wabash). In three days of workshops, we must have met over 3,000 students, who were well-prepared and welcomed us with great expectations.

Thursday featured student concerts in Wabash—one in the morning for elementary school students, and one in the afternoon for more than 2,500 middle and high school students. The middle school students have been studying world history and have extensively researched the Silk Road. They made a movie presentation of the Silk Road’s history, surrounding countries, and Uygur people. It was well done!

Friday was the public concert at the Honeywell Center, which is an impressive, large, and well-organized venue. Experienced staff and ushers made the concert enjoyable for both the audience and the performers. Tarim made some friends with store owners and community members during our stay in Wabash, and we were very pleased to see their faces at the concert.

Thank you to all the people of Wabash!

Saugatuck, Michigan

Autumn — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 17:01:03 +0000

Shigeyo Henriquez

We left Charleston, IL, in the early morning of Sunday, March 4, and stopped in Chicago on our way to Saugatuck.

We had lunch at a restaurant on Chicago’s North Side that served food from Uzbekistan, and then our bus driver, Bob, drove us downtown for some quick sightseeing. Near the planetarium, everyone got out of the bus and took thousands of pictures with the Chicago skyline in the background.

Our first workshop in the Saugatuck area was at Glenn Public School. It’s a one-room school with a total of 50 students from K-6. I couldn’t believe a school that small existed in southern Michigan!

That evening we were invited to a welcome reception. The Mayors of Saugatuck and Douglas presented the ensemble with proclamations from their towns. The ensemble then played some music, and the dancers asked some of the guests to join the dance, as a traditional way of showing friendship. Miranda Krajniak, education manager at Saugatuck Center for the Arts, stepped forward, picked up Uygur dance quickly, and showed her skill at dancing.

The next workshop at Zeeland Christian School went very well. Students were curious and interested and learned to dance Uygur dance. Girls and boys lifted up their arms, stepped forward and back, twirled and kneeled, and learned the right movements. Mayniur, Tarim’s translator, also demonstrated how to write Uygur language. A more modern alphabet is used to write from left to right—like the Latin alphabet we know in the U.S.—while traditional Uygur writing is right to left, like Arabic.

Tuesday, March 6, was a beautiful day. The temperature reached the upper 60s. After a workshop, Robin and Sharon, our escort for the day, took us to a beach near Saugatuck on Lake Michigan. Robin was asked to snap pictures with a dozen cameras.

Arts Midwest’s Ken Carlson came to Saugatuck and rode the bus with us to Freedom Village, a retirement community, for a mini-concert for the senior residents. Tarim’s tradition is to end the concert with a song and dance where everyone is invited to participate. Ken is an expert dancer now.

At the final concert, we saw many faces of children whom we met at the workshop during our residency in Saugatuck. With Dildaer, Tarim’s dancer, in front, they all enjoyed the final dance.

Audience reactions to Tarim's workshops and performances

Autumn — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 21:33:46 +0000

Arts Midwest

Tarim: Uygur Song and Dance continues to make their way across the Midwest, conducting educational workshops, sharing their music, and offering our communities a taste of their beautiful culture.

We hope you enjoy some of these stories and reactions we are hearing from local audiences and students:

“I just want to take a moment to once again thank you for allowing Casey-Westfield Jr. High to be a part of EIU World Fest. The musicians and dancers were very entertaining. For many of us this will be the closest we ever come to experience the culture of such a distant land.”

“The students continue to comment on how much fun it was to see the “cup dancers” especially when they poured out the water at the end of the dance. [One of my students] told one of his teachers it was the best day of his life! One he will never forget.”

“Again, thank you for allowing us to be part of such a wonderful experience. We look forward to what next year brings.” – Carol Wetherell, Principal, Casey-Westfield Jr. High, Charleston, Illinois

“What a great week we had with Tarim! The final concert was fabulous and our audience really enjoyed it!” – Karen Sherman, Red Oak, Iowa

“I just wanted to tell you how much my family and I LOVED Tarim’s performance tonight. The musicians performed magnificently and the dancers were so graceful and talented – they brought tears to my eyes! Jeanna, our five year old, was…trying to move her head like one of the dancers. The concentration on her face and her valiant attempts to imitate the lovely dancer made us smile. I am so very thankful to have been witness to such an amazing performance.” – Jessica Mertz, resident, Charleston, Illinois

“Thank you so very much for connecting us with the Tarim group. Their performance was outstanding and a great opportunity for our students to learn more about another culture half a world away…Thank you!!!” – Nancy Pyle, Zeeland Christian School, Charleston, Illinois

Tarim will perform this Friday at The Honeywell Center in Wabash, Indiana, and then it is off to Elyria, Ohio for their last week of residencies.

Warm welcome for Tarim in Charleston, Illinois

Autumn — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 22:07:09 +0000

Shigeyo Henriquez

We left Red Oak early in the morning on Sunday, February 26th. Larry Brandstetter in Red Oak found a Halal meat market in Des Moines, Iowa, so we made a stop. Tarim members were very pleased to get some halal meat, which is very hard to find sometimes in the Midwest. Some members bought prayer rugs, also, and then we were on the bus for another 350 miles to Charleston, Illinois.

On Monday, Dan Crews, Director of Patron Services of Doudna Fine Arts Center, met us at the hotel and we followed him to Eastern Illinois University. The ensemble was very pleased to hold their first workshop in the beautiful Dvorak Concert Hall. A large space gave the dancers the freedom to twirl and spin. After the workshop we were invited to a welcome reception in the Doudna Center concourse where we met the staff and several Chinese students. The Chinese students were very helpful and could freely communicate with the ensemble. Tarim members are Uygur and they speak Uygur, but they also speak Chinese, the official language of the People’s Republic of China.

Wednesday we visited Life Span Senior Center. There were close to 100 attendees, far more than we expected. Everyone was so delighted and wanted to express their appreciation to Tarim for coming. Oh, how I wish I could speak their language so that I could deliver the messages!

Thursday morning’s workshop was at Oakland High School. A staff member at Oakland prepared a home cooked special lunch of chicken, rice, fresh salad, and frozen fruits desert. It was so tasty and we all enjoyed every bit of it. Thank you! After the lunch we headed out to Casey-Westfield High. I don’t need to describe how well each workshop at each school was received. The pictures of students faces speak the language of enjoyment.

The final concert, our last day in Charleston, in the morning Dwight, Dennis, and other Doudna staff met us and together we did the run through. They carefully positioned the lights and adjusted the sound to complement the Tarim performance. Beautifully lit, the stage enhanced the elegance of the dancers and balanced sound supported the unique sounds from Uygur instruments. At 7:30, the house was practically full. I recognized some faces of people we met during our stay in Charleston. They all came to see the performance of their new friends. It was, again, a fabulous concert.

Thank you Dan, Dwight, Dennis and all the people of Charleston for giving us this unforgettable experience!

Tarim's first U.S. tour begins in Red Oak, Iowa

Autumn — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 18:50:59 +0000

Shigeyo Henriquez

Tarim ensemble (pronounced tah-rim) is from Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang Provence in the far western region of China. The distance from Urumqi to Chicago is 6,514 miles, and the ensemble members took two connecting flights and traveled over 20 hours to reach Chicago. This is their first visit to the U.S. and everyone was very excited to finally arrive.

The group was scheduled to land in Chicago on February 16th, but they missed their connecting flight in Los Angeles and didn’t arrive until noon on Friday, Feb 17th. It must have been very tiring to travel for such a long distance on the plane all day long.

We spent a night in a hotel near O’Hare, and the next morning we headed out to Red Oak, Iowa, the first community of our residency.

At the welcome reception at the Wilson Performing Arts Center some musicians wore their traditional costumes and the dancers dressed in beautiful, colorful dresses. During the reception Tarim were asked to play a little music, so they did. Then the dancers invited everyone to join the dance. The reception turned into a very festive occasion.

Monday was our first day of workshops. Our first audience was a group of senior citizens in the community. Tarim have never done a workshop in this country. They are brilliant stage performers, so they gave a mini concert. I could see everyone enjoyed watching and listening to the unfamiliar melodies, unusual instruments, and were mesmerized by the beautiful dancers and their flawless movements.

Workshops at the elementary, junior high, and high school went well. Small children are eager to participate. We invited several students on the stage. Some students played percussion instruments and some learned to dance. Tarim dancers not only move their feet, body, and arms, but each finger and the head must also move in sequence. Students tried hard to mimic their moves, but it would take years of training to dance like them!

At Red Oak High School, the jazz band and choir performed for us. One student (pictured below) was an incredibly talented drummer. Paerhatri (our drummer and dancer) had a drumming session with the student. They did not speak the same language, but they certainly communicated through music. We were blown away watching them drum together.

Thursday was our day off, and Larry and his wife invited us to their home and let Tarim members to use their kitchen and cook. They were so thrilled to be able to cook their food in the beautiful kitchen. Beef, some vegetable, and rice dishes were all prepared for us to try.

The public concert went very well. Tarim ensemble is very comfortable performing on the stage without much rehearsal and it was a beautiful performance.

Early Sunday morning we drove toward east leaving Red Oak behind. Thank you everyone of Red Oak! We had a grand time in Iowa.

Last tour stop in Red Oak, Iowa

Autumn — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 19:53:40 +0000

Eric Young Smith, tour manager

After another inspiring week in Charleston, Illinois, we faced our longest drive thus far on our tour. The GPS informed me that our drive from Charleston, Illinois to Red Oak, Iowa was a daunting 470 miles, or eight and a half hours on the road.

While I have traversed this distance in one day many times, I couldn’t help but think this would be a cross-country trek a few times over back home for my Israeli friends. They had already repeatedly expressed their awareness of a difference in scale: big house, big car, big food, big sky, big country.

Despite reiterated plans to gather for a relaxing meal after our arrival in Red Oak, once we found ourselves checked in to the hotel, most ensemble members were more interested in getting acquainted with their pillows. I also resigned to having a snack and getting a good night’s sleep.

After the long travel day, we all received a well-deserved day of rest. Some band members slept in and then spent the day rehearsing, while Yamma’s percussionist, Aviad, and I met with our Red Oak host, the Executive Director of the Wilson Performing Arts Center (WPAC), Kara Sherman.

Kara gave us a brief tour of Red Oak, and it wasn’t long before we felt like we had known her for years. On the tour, she explained that WPAC is a brand new facility designed especially for the per¬forming arts. The center’s mission is to bring inspiration and education to southwest Iowa through the performing arts.

Over the course of the Arts Midwest World Fest week, the WPAC brought students by bus to hear Yamma Ensemble play their wondrous music and tell their enlightening stories. This was great! What kid doesn’t get excited about a field trip? While we did visit a few schools for specialty workshops with music stu¬dents, the tangibility of the experiences at WPAC seemed especially gratifying for Yamma.

For their fifth and final public concert for this part of the tour, Yamma Ensemble gave an inspired and spiritual performance. Nearly every seat was filled, and as the audience members left the theater, every one resonated with the complexity of rhythms in Israeli music and culture.

Thank you Kara, and everyone at WPAC for your hospitality and friendship. We all had a wonderful time in Red Oak, and I will always find inspiration in your dedication to offer art and culture to Red Oak and the entirety of southwest Iowa.