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New York – The Ballet of Zal and Rudabeh

admin — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 00:06:57 +0000

Sunday May 16th, 2010
Skirball Center for the Performing Arts

A timeless Persian tale of forbidden love and war from Shah-Nameh, an epic tale of Romance, War, Triumph and the transcendental power of love narrated in English and Persian. Choreographed by award-winning director Anna Djanbazian of the Los Angeles-based, Djanbazian Dance Company.

Skirball Center for the Performing Arts
New York University
566 La Guardia Place

Performance length: 2 acts with one 15 minute intermission, 7 PM- 9 PM

Tickets

Zal, son of a Feridun chief named Sam, was born with snow white hair. This curious condition aroused fear that he might be a daeva’s son, and Sam was forced to abandon the boy on a mountaintop. A simurgh, a bird with magic powers, snatched up the crying baby and raised him with its own nestlings.

Upon dreaming that his son still lived, Sam prayed to be reunited. The simurgh instructed Zal that he must return to his father, but gave him a feather that would ensure Zal’s safety if he were ever in danger. Sam welcomed his son and eventually put him in charge of Zabulistan where he performed his duties well.

Zal regretted his ignorance of world, however, and decided to visit other places including Kabul. The chief of Kabul was a descendant of Zohak, an enemy of Zal’s father Sam and the king of Persia. Zal knew that he should avoid contact with the chief, yet he yearned to meet the chief’s daughter Rudabeh who was described as “fair as the moon with ringlets of dark hair that reached her feet and whose presence made men think of heaven.” Rudabeh in turn had heard of Zal’s exceptional white hair and strange upbringing.

Her attendants sensed her interest in Zal and ventured to gather roses in a stream bed by his camp. When Zal shot a bird rising from the waters, he received a message that Rudabeh could be his if he were worthy. The maidens returned to Rudabeh with gems, robes, and rings from Zal. She invited Zal to her palace retreat. After calling to him from a balcony, she let down her tresses which Zal climbed. The two realized their great love for each other, but feared their families’ enmity.

The days that followed were grim because the king of Persia vowed to destroy all descendants of Zohak. When Zal confessed his love for Rudabeh to his father, Sam consulted astrologers, and learned that the offspring of the two lovers would become a great conqueror. He sent Zal with a letter fo the king of Persia beseeching permission for the marriage. When the king received the same sign from the astrologers, he consented, and Rudabeh and Zal were married on the palace balcony. The king of Persia also made peace with the ruler of Kabulistan.

When Rudabeh was ready to bare her child, she became gravely ill. Zal placed the simurgh feather on the fire. The simurgh appeared and instructed that Rudabeh be drugged with wine. Her side was opened, her child drawn out, and the incision rubbed with an herb and another feather from the simurgh’s wing. The child named Rustam revealed himself immediately to be a hero and the fulfillment of the simurgh’s prophecy.

Performers in the Character:
Enton Hoxha: as Zal
Maria Tikhomirova: Rudabeh
Shahla Sarokhani: Narrator (Naqqal)
Kenwa Li Newell: Narrator (Naqqal)
Mehrdad Naghibian: Musician (Drum & Daf)
Kourosh Moradi: Musician (Daf)

Company Dancers:
Alex Crawford, Alina Ananian, Athenia Barouni, Talin Davidian, Tina Mirzakhanian, Talita Ghazanian, Tania Mangasarian, Rubina Vartanian, Melanie Hartenian, Anoush Akopyan, Biayna Ayvazian, Christine Dashdemirians, Catherine Eskandar, Maryam Ghukasian.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Zal & Rudabeh Ballet

1001 colors: Contemporary art from Iran

admin — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:30:53 +0000

November 2 – 22, 2009 Canvas New York Art

New York is set to hold an exhibition of paintings by 23 internationally-renowned and emerging contemporary artists from Iran. 1001 Colors, Contemporary Art from Iran will present 50 artworks created in various styles including expressionism and abstract, addressing the interplay between the traditional and modern Iranian culture.

Organized and curated by independent art consultant and designer Nina Seirafi, 1001 Colors, Contemporary Art from Iran kicked off on Nov. 2 in a temporary exhibition space on the Bowery and will run until Nov. 22, 2009.

1001 colors documents and investigates some of the many forms of artistic expression now taking place in Iran. The 50 works of art reflect a variety of formal and social concerns in paintings that range stylistically from representational to expressionist and almost pure abstraction. Although the subjects of the representational works vary widely, they frequently address the interplay between traditional Iranian cultural heritage and contemporary expression. These tensions are seen in Freydoun Omidi’s minimalist reimagining of Persian calligraphy and the sinuous but carefully controlled line found in Mohammad Rahimi’s works, which are based on millennia-old cave paintings. Paintings by Rezvan Sadeghzadeh present women facing obstacles in a male-dominated society. Pouya Aryanpour’s “floating objects” – abstract and ominous – litter his canvases and suggest untethered, uncontrolled presences.

Several of the featured artists are exhibiting outside Iran for the first time. These artists include Sassan Gharedaghlou, Mohammad Rahimi, Arash Fesharaki, Saba Masoumian, who articulate the aspirations of artists in contemporary Iran and their relationship to their own culture and that of the broader world.

Sample work below may or may not be at the 1001 color exhibition.

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Sara Abbasian

Sara Abbasian - untitled

Payvand: Iranian Artists participate in China exhibition: “In The Mood For Paper”

basementdubai.com

assarartgallery.com

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Pouya Aryanpour

Pouya Aryanpour - cutting objects

Payvand: Iranian Artists participate in China exhibition: “In The Mood For Paper”

pooyaaryanpour.com

artnet.com

christies.com

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Vahid Chamani

mopcap.com

saatchi-gallery.co.uk

figurativepainters.com

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Morteza Darehbaghi

Payvand: Iran Unbowed in London: Three Generations of Contemporary Artists from Iran

mortezadarehbaghi.com

candlestar.co.uk

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Reza Derakhshani

Reza Derakhshani - The voice and silver series

Payvand: Iranian artist displays musical paintings in France and U.S.

rezaderakshani.com

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Arash Fesharaki

animafest.ir

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Sassan Gharehdaghlou

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Nargess Hashemi

Payvand: Contemporary Iranian Art Mixes Persian Symbols, Modern Approach

b21gallery.com

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Maryam Javaheri

Payvand: Masques of Shahrazad in London: Evolution and Revolution of three generations of Iranian women artists

maryamjavaheri.com

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REZA LAVASANI

Reza Lavasani

Payvand: Support the Omid-e-Mehr Foundation by purchasing exceptional works of art donated by prominent Iranian artists
mrlavasani.com

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Parviz Kalantari

Payvand: Tehran Art Scene: Parviz Kalantari
Payvand: The Color of Love: An Exhibition for a great cause in Tehran
festiveart.com
qoqnoos.com

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Hossein Khosrojerdi

Hossein Khosrojerdi - Sleep of Five

Payvand: Exhibition in London by two of the foremost contemporary Iranian artists: Hossein Khosrojerdi and Mehdi Saeedi
iranheritage.org

universes-in-universe.de
artnet.com

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Ramtin Zad

theniligallery.com

onefineart.com
Payvand: The Color of Love: An Exhibition for a great cause in Tehran

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Saba Masoumian

Saba Masoumian - Happysad

iranian.com

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Dana Nehdaran

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Mehdi Mirbagheri

Mehdi Mirbagheri - Reza Shah

artnet.com

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Bahman Mohammadi

Bahman Mohammadi - Last Collection

Payvand: Winners of 7th Iran Contemporary Painting Biennial announced
bahmanmohammadi.com

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Freydoun Omidi

Freydoun Omidi - untitled

artnet.com
Payvand: Support the Omid-e-Mehr Foundation by purchasing exceptional works of art donated by prominent Iranian artists

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Shahpour Pouyan

Shahpour Pouyan - Femme Temple

shahpourpouyan.com

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Mohammad Rahimi

Mohammad Rahimi - Women Series

Payvand: Five Men Artists at Tehran’s Mah Gallery
candlestar.co.uk

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Rezvan Sadeghzadeh

Rezvan Sadeghzageh - untitled 2

Payvand: The Color of Love: An Exhibition for a great cause in Tehran
promotion4art.ch

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Sadegh Tirafkan

Sadegh Tirafkan - loss of our identity series

Payvand: New York Premiere of Sadegh Tirafkan’s Temptation
Payvand: The Color of Love: An Exhibition for a great cause in Tehran

tirafkan.com
candlestar.co.uk

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Leila Zafar

Leila Zafar - Ladan

artstudio54.com

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http://www.canvasnyart.com/
Photos: Opening Reception for 1001 Colors: Contemporary Art from Iran

Iranian Enlightenment Week – New York City

admin — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:07:29 +0000

Nov. 06 – Asia Society: Women of Iran Film Series: Border Cafe
Nov. 07 – Leila Taghinia-Milani Heller Gallery: Roya Akhavan: Nexus
Nov. 08 – Open Center: Lecture, An Evening of Persian Mystical Poetry
Nov. 10 – New York University: Hafez Nazeri, Meet the Artist
Nov. 11 – Asia Society: A Conversation/Demo, Shahram and Hafez Nazeri
Nov. 14 – Carnegie Hall: Rumi Symphony Project: Cycle 1 performance
Nov. 20 – Metropolitan Museum of Art: Artistic Lineages in Persian Painting, Lecture by Dr. Layla S. Diba

Nov. 06 – Asia Society: Women of Iran Film Series: Border Cafe

Click here to view the embedded video.

Kambozia Partovi’s Border Cafe: Reyhan is the mother of two young children, living in a small town in northern Iran near the Turkish border. When her husband dies, his brother Nasser is eager to take over the family by marrying Reyhan and raising her children in accordance with tradition. Right after her husband’s funeral, the elder women in the family urge Reyhan to shed her black mourning robes so that she can marry Nasser and welcome him into her bed. But Reyhan respectfully rebuffs their urgings, saying she is not ready. Link TV Trailer

Nov 6, 2009 7:00pm
725 Park Avenue, New York, NY
Asia Society
Tickets

Nov. 07 – Leila Taghinia-Milani Heller Gallery: Roya Akhavan: Nexus

Roya Akhavan’s canvases of bold color and infinite patterns are populated by miniature figures playfully intertwined with curved ribs of arabesque shapes.

Leila Taghinia-Milani Heller
39 East 78th Street at Madison Avenue Third Floor
New York NY
Roya Akhavan: Nexus

Nov. 08 – Open Center: Lecture, An Evening of Persian Mystical Poetry and Wisdom

Franklin Lewis, one of the most distinguished Rumi scholars in America, will speak on the cultural, historical and spiritual world of Medieval Persia from which the great Sufi poets emerged. He will discuss the principal ideas, the lodges and brotherhoods formed around mystical teachings, and will read the poetry of Rumi’s father and teachers, and the work of Sana’i, Attar and others. Then, Sufi musical virtuoso (tanbour, oud, nay flute) and Farsi reciter Amir Vahab, and harpist/nay flautist Arsalaan, will join Peter Rogen, well-known Rumi interpreter, to weave the mystical verses of Rumi with Sufi music as three dervishes whirl in prayer. The evening concludes with an exploration by Professor Lewis of some of the major teachings of Rumi’s poetry including the religion of love, human nature and the Sufi path, and the world of spirit. Translator and Rumi lover Fereydoun Nazem will also share his work.

Open Center
22 E. 30th St., NYC
Rumi, the Sufi Poets and whirling Dervishes
Tickets

Click here to view the embedded video.

Nov. 10th – New York University: Hafez Nazeri, Meet the Artist

The NYU Persian Cultural Society cordially invites you to a private evening with Hafez Nazeri in an exploration of the musical traditions of Iran. This special event is a unique opportunity to enjoy the musicianship of the country’s most influential young composer, while enjoying the gorgeous view of the New York skyline from our luxurious banquet hall.

His music blends Eastern and Western motifs to create a new and undefined genre of Classical music. Hafez Nazeri will give an informative speech on the nature of his work and screen a brief performance, followed by a Q&A session.

The event is cosponsored by the Rutgers Iranian-American Civic Associtaion and PAAIA NexGen. Admission is COMPLIMENTARY, and light refreshments will be served.

Rosenthal Pavilion 10th Floor
60 Washington Square South
New York, NY
Hafez Nazeri – Meet the Artist Special Event

Nov. 11 – Asia Society:A Conversation/Demonstration, Shahram and Hafez Nazeri

Join legendary Iranian musicians, father and son Shahram (vocals) and Hafez Nazeri (setar), in an exploration of the musical traditions of Iran as they give an informative presentation on the music of their native country. This is a unique opportunity to enjoy the musicianship of the Nazeri family in an intimate setting prior to their concert Iranian Sounds of Peace at Carnegie Hall on November 14.

$10 Asia Society members and students w/ID; $12 nonmembers

Nov 11, 2009 7:00pm to 8:30pm
725 Park Avenue, New York, NY
Asia Society

Nov. 14 – Carnegie Hall: Rumi Symphony Project: Cycle 1 performance

Iranian Sounds of Peace
The Rumi Symphony Project is an ongoing part in Hafez Nazeri’s search to integrate classical Iranian and Western musical traditions into a new genre. These new compositions include the poetry of Ferdowsi’s epic Shahnameh as well as spiritual words from Rumi. The Nazeris will be joined by acclaimed musicians Paul Neubauer, viola; Ida Kavafian, viola; Fred Sherry, cello; Matt Haimovitz, cello; Tim Cobb, double bass; Hussein Zahawy, percussion and Shane Shanahan, percussion.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Shahram Nazeri, Voice
Hafez Nazeri, Artistic Director and Setar

Artists from the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center:
Paul Neubauer, Viola
Ida Kavafian, Viola
Fred Sherry, Cello
Special Guests:
Matt Haimovitz, Cello
Tim Cobb, Double Bass
Hussein Zahawy, Percussion

Carnegie Hall
57th St. & 7th Ave., NYC
Tickets

Nov 20 – Dr. Layla S. Diba – Lecture at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

6:00 p.m., Bonnie J. Sacerdote Lecture Hall, Uris Center for Education

Artistic Lineages in Persian Painting
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
1000 Fifth Avenue. New York, New York
Free with Museum admission

Please check http://www.persianartsfestival.org/ for more info