Year: 2012
DESH
WINNER OF THE OLIVIER AWARDS IN THE CATEGORY BEST NEW DANCE PRODUCTION 2012
Available for limited touring in North America
November/December 2014 and February 2015
“Desh is a masterpiece, the best thing that he has ever done” – The Observer
“the most urgent, beautiful and confident work of his career” – The Guardian *****
“DESH is as transporting a piece of dance as I have ever seen. The first full-length solo contemporary work by Akram Khan - it is also his best show yet: poignant, thrilling, magical, moving and, throughout its perfectly judged 80 minutes, utterly transfixing.” – The Telegraph
DESH, meaning homeland in Bengali, is a very personal work and to date it’s the most challenging and demanding of Khan’s project. Created after a year of intense research both in the UK and Bangladesh, and performed during the year Bangladesh celebrates 40 years of independence, DESH explores the idea of transformation of body, land, identity and memory, while examining the contradictions of Khan’s British-Asian identity. The artistic ambition for DESH is to produce a poetic and visual work that reflects the fragility, chaos and hope of the Bangladeshi society through Khan’s own body and voice. For this solo performance, he has teamed up with Oscar-winning Chinese visual artist Tim Yip (production designer for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), fellow Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist and lighting designer Michael Hulls, Indian writer and poet Karthika Nair and Olivier Award-winning composer Jocelyn Pook.
‘Those transparent Dacca gauzes known as woven air, running water, evening dew.’ (Agha Shahid Ali)
Akram Khan Company is supported by COLAS. Co-produced by MC2: Grenoble, Curve Leicester, Sadler’s Wells London, Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg, Concertgebouw Brugge.
For more information: www.akramkhancompany.net
Media
DESH TRAILER from 2Luck Concepts on Vimeo.March 6, 2011
British-born choreographer Akram Khan is celebrated internationally for the vitality he brings to cross-cultural, cross-disciplinary expression. His dance language is rooted in his classical Kathak and modern dance training, which continually evolves to communicate ideas that are intelligent, courageous and new. Khan performs his own solos and collaborative works with other artists, and presents ensemble works through Akram Khan Company.
cB: I was excited to find out that you are working on a piece scheduled for the 40th anniversary of Bangladesh’s Independence. Growing up in the UK, how do you relate to Bangladesh’s Liberation Movement – what were some of the stories of the movement that you grew up listening to? How has your Bangladeshi identity evolved over the years and how have you woven this identity into your new piece, if at all?
AK: The ‘Bangladesh’s Liberation Movement’ happened during a period when I was still very young, so I was not aware of the struggle and the sense of patriotism that was deeply rooted in our house, in London. However, my mother did organize performances within the Bangladeshi community events, in which I performed regularly. Actually, I spent most of my childhood dancing short choreographies that portrayed the Harvest dance, the fisherman’s lives, I even danced pieces that reflected patriotic songs, that focused on memories of the language movement that had taken place on 21st February, 1952.
At the time, I did not understand much about the reason, I just enjoyed being on stage, and moving to music. It is only until recently, that I have started to focus on the events and historical moments, that took place during the transition of the independence of Bangladesh, and thereafter.
In terms of my identity, well, it is constantly shifting still today. However, I do not feel a deep sense of responsibility to help preserve Bangladeshi culture, or any other culture for that matter, because I wouldn’t know what defined a particular ‘culture’ anymore. I mean, most cultures have been contaminated in some way or another, and I am a ‘byproduct’ of that contaminated culture. So, I would not dare to preserve something that I was never directly part of, even if it is where my roots lie. Don’t get me wrong, my roots are an important part of my history, but my history is not what defines me, it is the present that defines my journey! My history only reminds me of what came before me, even if it is a large part of me. And only now, with the creation of the new piece called ‘DESH’, I am slowly learning about my parents’ culture. But I am only taking a few characters and events that are related to Bangladesh, because in all honesty, there is so much history in such a short time, and such incredible stories, that I will not be able to refer to all.
And so for the time being, I am focusing, to a small degree, on the Nur Hossain story, and then on one particular fisherman’s story (well, it is a fictional story), and several other characters that are from Bangladesh but now live in the U.K.
[image: Gnosis; photo credit: Laurent Ziegler]
cB: Your parents are very supportive of your work and it was your mother who enrolled you in dance classes as a child. We all know that the Bangladeshi community is not particularly fond of unconventional career choices. More often than not it is a constant uphill battle for the artist or, any creative person, to try to make our community understand and accept our work. On the flipside, these are the struggles that make us grow as a person and as an artist. Have you experienced these frustrations and, if so, to what extent have they affected and shaped your perspective as an artist? Do you feel that in some ways they may have even made you a better dancer/choreographer?
AK: I would agree that, by the community not accepting my dance and music as a serious career choice, it pushed me to then fight for what I believed in. Sometimes, when somebody fights for something, there evolves an inner belief in what they are fighting for, that then propels them to be better than what they might have been without that conviction. So, it worked out to my advantage, but I am also at a point now that the only person I have to prove something to, is myself.
But reflecting back, I must say that there are some people that are ‘dreamers’, and then there are others that are ‘believers’. And I feel that without the believers believing in the dreams of the dreamers, there would be no dream that would come into fruition. So here, I have to thank my parents for being absolute believers, not only in me but also in the arts, particularly my mother. She believed that art transcends and also erodes all borders – borders within religion, within cultures, within education, and more importantly, within oneself.
However, if I did not have my parents’ blessings, I would not have made it this far. They were and are still crucial to my growth.
cB: What advice would you give to a young Bangladeshi who wants to pursue an unconventional life?
AK: No comment!
I suppose my ‘no comment’, is a comment towards the way I feel about the uncertainties of choosing the path towards the unconventional life. I am not sure what advice I can give, simply because we are all so different, hence, we respond to different challenges differently. It all depends on what those challenges are, and how that person reacts to those challenges. The question is.. ‘How badly do you want it?’ For me, I did not simply want to dance; I ‘had’ to dance! Without it, I would disappear into a statistical number.
If anything, dance became my identity.
[image: Sacred Monsters; photo credit: Tristram Kenton]
cB: You are known for exploring cross-cultural themes in your choreography – from being influenced by Japanese philosophy and aesthetics to working with the National Ballet of China. Have you considered incorporating Jatra or other traditional dance forms from Bangladesh? It is sad to see the demise of Jatra, which in its current form is so grossly corrupted. Any suggestions on how to start a Jatra performing troupe and take it on an international tour?
AK: I have no idea about how to take ‘Jatra’ further than where it is, since it is not something I embodied as a child, and unfortunately, I know so little about it. To be frank, I become interested in a particular art form, when I recognize something within it, that reflects some part of me, and so a relationship takes place between my body and the art form, and I then move forwards towards learning and researching it. However, I hope I have an opportunity in the future to find that relationship between Jatra and myself.
cB: I was reading about your collaboration with Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui on ‘Zero Degrees’. In one of Sidi’s interviews, he mentioned that you both drew from your experiences of being raised in Muslim families. Meanwhile your piece ‘Vertical Road’ addresses faith and life after death. What is your audience’s reaction when you bring a spiritual theme to your choreography? In your opinion, how do Muslim artists in the West deal with spirituality and Allah in their work? Is there a major tension or, do they draw positive inspiration from their beliefs?
AK: Most often, we are received well by Muslim audiences, but I would have been able to elaborate in more detail if you asked me after June 2011, since ‘Vertical Road’ will be touring to places like Lebanon, Cairo, and Ramallah in April/May this year.
I am very excited to learn about how they will respond, and to what they will respond to and why. I feel strongly about spirituality, and so in my humble opinion, what I admire about the notion of ‘spirituality’ is that it is a formless concept, that shifts its definition, depending on who is interpreting and experiencing it. So in ‘Vertical Road’, I wanted to stay true to that… hence, the narrative remains formless…
Also, I was not so keen with this project to turn it into something too readable for the audience, because in the end, I feel you cannot ‘see’ spirituality, I would like to think that you can only ‘feel’ it. So the same goes with this piece! Its what the audience feel from the images and movements that they witness, rather than the dots that they try to connect to, in order to make it more comprehensible for them to read. Dance is predominantly about feeling something, from what they see, and not reading something from what they see! And so spirituality seemed like an obvious subject.
[image: Vertical Road; photo credit: Richard Haughton]
cB: Are there any plans to bring the piece with the Bangla text to New York? I would love to see it and am also curious to know what text you are using.
AK: There are some plans that are being discussed that ‘DESH’ will be presented in New Jersey in 2012, which is so close to New York. But its still provisional, and depending on certain dates being available. However, I am extremely excited to embark on this project, even if I don’t know the end destination yet! I suppose the piece feels a little like returning to some place that I may dare to call ‘home’. But in saying that, what is home?
I always say ‘home’ is a place where you find yourself, even if you find yourself in a foreign land, but then again, sometimes I feel ‘home’ is a place where you have to escape in order to find yourself. So go figure! I don’t have a definite answer, except the fact that I don’t have a definite answer!
Thank you Akram for taking the time to talk to creativeBangladesh!
For more information on the Akram Khan Company, please visit their website here.
**
CREDITS:
1st photo of Akram Khan is by Laurent Ziegler. All other credits accompany individual images.
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Reviews
South China Morning Post 20 November 2011 by Natasha Rogai "powerful show which speaks to people of all ages and cultures" Review in pdf The Independent 10 October 2011 by Zoe Anderson "His dancing is mercurial, his characters superbly realised." (5*) The Independent 9 October 2011 by Jenny Gilbert "an enthralling journey to a young, imperilled land." The New York Times 7 October 2011 by Roslyn Sulcas "the best pieces that Mr. Khan has created." Daily Express 7 October 2011 by Neil Norman "vivid, humane and amazingly accessible exploration" Verdict: 4/5 Financial Times 6 October 2011 by Clement Crisp "dramatic honesty" (4*) Dance Magazine 6 October 2011 by Donald Hutera "Epic yet tellingly personal" The Arts Desk 6 October 2011 by Ismene Brown "Now when [Khan] dances, he doesn't just tell his own story - he tells all our stories." Evening Standard 5 October 2011 by Sarah Frater "technically ingenious, theatrically unsettling and emotionally unbearable" (4*) Daily Telegraph 5 October 2011 by Mark Monahan "best show yet... utterly transfixing." (5*) The Stage UK 05 October 2011 by Neil Norman "visually arresting and ultimately moving dance/drama that leaves you wanting more" The Times, UK 20 September 2011 by Debra Crane "mesmerising... the most extraordinary of collaborations" (****) The Observer, UK 17 September 2011 by Luke Jennings "A masterpiece, the choreographer's greatest show yet" Leicester Mercury 16 September 2011 by Louise Jenkins "thought provoking masterpiece" The Guardian, UK 16 September 2011 by Judith Mackrell "the most urgent, beautiful and confident work of his career" (*****) The Public Reviews (Website) 15 September 2011 by Farhana Shaikh "marvellous performance" Personal Review after watching DESH Preview 13 September 2011 by Anonymous Audience "I am not a bona fide critic, but...what Charlie Chaplin did for silent films in the 1920s, Akram Khan is doing for dance today. In an age of austerity, where our governments and corporations expect us to live in black and white, we get our fix of colour when we get to see wonderful creations like Desh. Best wishes..." BBC News, 8 September 2011 9 September 2011 by Jeff Russell "Akram is the king of contemporary dance, and if he played football, he would be Wayne Rooney."DESH Technical Rider
DESH Technical Rider Sept 21st (PDF)Vertical Road
“Hugely inspiring and profoundly disturbing, terrible and beautiful at the same time.” The Stage - 17 Sept 2010
Akram Khan Dance Company journeys across boundaries to create uncompromising artistic narratives. It produces thoughtful, provocative and ambitious dance productions for the international stage. Akram Khan takes human themes and works with others to take them to new and unexpected places – embracing and working with other cultures and disciplines. The dance language in each production is rooted in Akram Khan’s classical Kathak and modern dance training and continually evolves to communicate ideas that are intelligent, courageous and new, bringing with it international acclaim and recognition as well as artistic and commercial success. Previous collaborators include the National Ballet of China, actress Juliette Binoche, ballerina Sylvie Guillem, choreographer/dancer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, singer Kylie Minogue, visual artists Anish Kapoor and Antony Gormley, writer Hanif Kureshi and composers Steve Reich and Nitin Sawhney. WARNING: Strobe Light, Smoke, Loud Sound - Duration: approximately 70 minutes with no interval “An evening of rare intelligence and artistry” Financial Times | 9 October 2010Technical Requirements
Vertical Road Technical Rider (PDF) VERTICAL ROAD US TOUR October 2012 5 & 6 –Royce Hall, UCLA Live, Los Angeles, CA 10 – Irvine Barclay Theatre, Irvine, CA 12 – Mondavi Center, UC Davis, CA 14 – Granada Theatre, Santa Barbara, CA 17 – Arlene Schnitzer Theatre, Portland, OR 20 – Byham Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA 23 & 24 – The Rose Theatre, Lincoln Center, New York, NYAnDa Union
“Our music draws from all the Mongol tribes that Genghis Khan unified. We all have different ethnic backgrounds and we bring these influences into our music. There is a wealth of folk music for us to learn, so far our repertoire of songs is like a drop in the ocean”
AnDa means approximately “blood brothers” in Mongolian. AnDa Union was formed in 2003; its 14 members all hail from the Xilingol Grassland area of Inner Mongolia, a semi-autonomous region of China. At the Inner Mongolia Ethnic Opera and Dance Theater, the members of AnDa Union studied the folk music they now perform and traditional instruments they now play, such as the horse-head fiddle or tsuur, an ancient bowed instrument. The ensemble members also play the maodun chaoer, a three-holed flute, as well as Mongolian versions of the dulcimer, zither, lute, and mouth harp. The main singing style performed by AnDa Union is khoomii, commonly referred to as throat singing, a traditional type of Mongolian overtone singing, which replicates the sounds of nature. AnDa Union are part of a musical movement that is finding inspiration in old and forgotten songs, drawing on a repertoire of magical music that had all but disappeared during China's recent tumultuous past. AnDa Union hold on to the essence of Mongolian music whilst creating a form of music that is new. AnDa Union combine different traditions and styles of music from all over Inner and Outer Mongolia, developing an innovation previously unheard of. The very existence of a music group like AnDa Union is new to Inner Mongolia. Winners of the prestigious Eco-Youth Prize awarded by China Central Television (CCTV) and featured at the Kennedy Center Festival in China, AnDa Union has toured France, Spain, Finland, Sweden, Korea. Japan, Russia and the US.
Artist Website: AnDa Union
The Magnificent Mazowsze
Mazowsze's 2014 tour of France is organized by our friends at FGL Productions in Paris. www.fglmusic.com
"There is nothing greater than Mazowsze!" – New York Times
After the very successful fall 2010 tour of the East and Midwest, the world-renowned MAZOWSZE returns to the West coast of North America for the first time in 15 years, once again coordinated with major Public Television showings of the PBS special about MAZOWSZE: “The Music and Dance of Poland”. THE MAGNIFICENT MAZOWSZE is a thrilling display of dazzling movement, vibrant color and stunning beauty. The incomparable Mazowsze performance troupe whirls, leaps, stamps and glides in a glorious outpouring of sound and motion, rhythm and music that celebrates the cultural legacy of Poland. An ensemble of 90 dancers, musicians and singers are arrayed in a seemingly never-ending series of handmade traditional costumes – more than 1,000 in total, one more dramatic and colorful than the next. Some weigh as much as 30lbs, making their energetic gravity-defying leaps, twirls and lifts even more impressive! The choreography and musical arrangements represent 39 regions of Poland with traditional performance styles. A full 23-member orchestra performs music ranging from Chopin to simple folk melodies beloved by the Poles for centuries. Available for Western touring January, 2012Artist Website: MAZOWSZE
Promo Video
Make a Gift
Join us in bringing
MAZOWSZE to America!
Philadelphia PA; Utica, NY; Amherst, MA; Schenectady, NY; Buffalo, NY; Toronto, ON; Hamilton, ON; No. Bethesda, MD; Pittsburgh, PA; Chicago, IL; St. Paul, MN; Milwaukee, WI; Detroit, MI; Youngstown, OH; Cleveland, OH; Worcester, MA; Baltimore, MD; Waterbury, CT; Bronx, NY; New Brunswick, NJ
Transportation and housing for nearly 100 people from Poland touring around the United States for 5 weeks is very expensive!
The money we earn from each performance comes up short of the overall expenses. We are seeking gifts - large and small – to offset our loss. No amount is too small.
Each and every gift guarantees that you - the generous person or organization – will be credited in every program book in every city as the very special friends of Mazowsze who made this North American tour possible.
Every gift of at least $50 is recognized with a specially designed, commemorative T-Shirt. Larger gifts (in excess of $100) accumulate additional benefits, depending on the size of the gift. This ranges from a personally autographed photo of the MAZOWSZE company, to surprise gifts, to a free ticket in the tour city of your choice, all the way up to joining the company backstage for a private reception with the dancers, singers and musicians of MAZOWSZE and more!
If you are contemplating a large gift, please contact us through this website. We are very receptive to customizing benefits appropriate to the gift received. Just click “Contact” above.
See how you can help bring MAZOWSZE to America!
$1-$99 Friend (above $50 and you will receive the official “I brought MAZOWSZE to America” T-Shirt) $100-$249 Contributor (T-Shirt plus personally autographed photo of the MAZOWSZE company) $250-$499 Supporter (Gifts as above plus one preferred ticket in the tour city of your choice plus a special surprise gift) $500-$999 Patron (Twice the gifts of a Supporter, plus a backstage meeting with the MAZOWSZE company plus you and your guest join the company in your personally autographed photo) $1,000-$4,999 Benefactor (Gifts as above plus champagne reception with the MAZOWSZE company) $5,000 up Sponsor (Please contact us for details and a custom- designed benefit package)Please send your tax-deductible gift to AK Foundation for Dance, PO Box 70, New Baltimore, NY 12124. The amount of your gift will determine the tax deductibility. Be sure to include your name, address, email address and daytime telephone number so we can be in touch with you and send your gifts.
Or make your gift with a major credit card via PayPal:
Your gift makes the MAZOWSZE 2010 NORTH AMERICAN TOUR an event to remember!
Tour Dates
14-Nov Philadelphia, PA
Kimmel Center
215-893-1999
www.kimmelcenter.org
16-Nov Utica, NY
Munson Williams Proctor Arts Institute
(315) 797-0055, (800) 754-0797
http://www.mwpai.org/performing-arts//
17-Nov Amherst, MA
Fine Arts Center
545-2511 or 1- 800-999-UMAS
http://www.umass.edu/fac/index.html
18-Nov Schenectady, NY
Proctor's Theater
(518) 346-6204
www.proctors.org
19-Nov Buffalo
Shea's Performing Arts Center
1-800-745-3000
www.sheas.org
20-Nov Toronto, ON
Sony Centre
416.393.SHOW
www.sonycentre.ca
21-Nov Hamilton, ON
Hamilton Place
905-546-4040
http://www.hecfi.ca/hecfiEntertainment/index.php
23-Nov North Bethesda, MD
The Music Centre at Strathmore
(301) 581-5100
www.strathmore.org
26-Nov Pittsburgh, PA
Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall
4141 5th Avenue
Pro-Arts Tickets (412) 394-3353 www.proartstickets.org
www.soldiersandsailors.org
27 & 28-Nov Chicago, IL
Symphony Center
(312) 294-3000
www.cso.org
29-Nov St Paul, MN
The O’Shaughnessy at St Catherine University
2004 Randolph Avenue
http://oshaughnessy.stkate.edu
Twin Cities Polish Festival
1-Dec Milwaukee, WI
Marcus Center - Uihlein Hall
(414) 273-7206
www.marcuscenter.org
4-Dec Detroit, MI
Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts
(313) 887-8501
www.musichall.org
5-Dec, Youngstown, OH
Workshops and special holiday performance
Overture Restaurant
Polish Youngstown
(330) 646-4082
www.polishyoungstown.com
6-Dec Cleveland, OH
Palace Theatre
Playhouse Square Center
www.playhousesquare.org
8-Dec Worcester, MA
The Hanover Theatre
2 Southbridge Street
508-831-0800 or 1-877-571-SHOW (7469)
boxoffice@thehanovertheatre.org
9-Dec Baltimore, MD
Hippodrome 410-837-7400 or 1-800-551-SEAT
www.france-merrickpac.com/home.html
10-Dec Waterbury, CT
Palace Theatre
203.346.2000
www.palacetheaterct.org
11-Dec Bronx, NY
Lehman Center for the Performing Arts Inc
718 960 8833
www.lehmancenter.org
12-Dec New Brunswick, NJ
State Theatre
732 246 7469
www.statetheatrenj.org
Technical Requirements
POLISH STATE FOLK SONG AND DANCE ENSEMBLE
TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS
As of July 2007
For updated information, contact 2LUCK CONCEPTS – info@2luck.com or 518.756.1852 THIS IS NOT A YELLOW CARD ATTRACTION The following Technical Requirements for MAZOWSZE, hereafter referred to as "Company," are an integral part of the contract and as such should be read carefully, signed and returned with the 2LUCK CONCEPTS Contract in order to have a fully executed agreement. No item may be waived or changed, nor any additions or deletions made without the express written consent of 2LUCK CONCEPTS. LOCAL PRESENTER AGREES TO FURNISH AT OWN EXPENSE THE FOLLOWING: STAGE REQUIREMENTS: 1. Ideal performance area is forty-six (46) feet wide and forty (40) feet deep from front curtain to backcloth with additional twelve (12) feet of wing space on each side with three (3) feet of space between backcloth and back wall free of all obstructions for fast cross-overs. (Minimum performance area is thirty-two (32) feet wide by thirty (30) feet deep). 2. IT IS MANDATORY THERE BE A LADDER OR LIFT ON STAGE WHEN COMPANY ARRIVES AT THEATER. LADDER OR LIFT MUST BE THIRTY (30) FEET HIGH IN ORDER TO REACH ALL STAGE LIGHTS FOR PLACING OF GELS AND FOCUSING. 3. Stage floor must be of wood, preferable sprung to meet requirements defined by American Guild of Musical Artists. Under no circumstances will company dance on concrete flooring or on a wood floor laid directly over concrete. Surface must be smooth and even, without shellac, wax, or polish. In advance of company's arrival at theater, stage floor must be thoroughly washed with plain hot water without soap. All holes must be stopped up. Nails, splinters, etc. must be removed. Most dances are performed in soft, leather boots and floor must not be slippery. 4. Air temperature of stage area may not be less than 70 degrees Fahrenheit or more than 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Union regulations of dancers prohibit performances when air temperature is in variance with these limits. 5. Company travels with one full truckload of costumes, props, and equipment. Stage pipes, stage floor and loading area MUST BE FREE AND TOTALLY CLEAR OF ANY HOUSE EQUIPMENT except for black legs, borders and lighting (as indicated in company's light plot) in order to receive company's own equipment with most efficient use of time and manpower. 6. Presenter shall guarantee security of company's equipment in theater at all time from load-in until take-out. DRAPERY: 1. PRESENTER shall provide: --front theater curtain (desired and recommended but not necessary); --four (4) sets of black legs and borders which should be flat, and smooth without fullness or pleating; --white or light-blue cyclorama or sky cloth; --full stage black rear curtain hung in front of cyclorama PIANO REQUIREMENT: 1. No piano needed. If there is a piano onstage, it should be removed prior to load-in. SCENERY: 1. Company employs several small pieces of set decoration, such as compositions made of artificial flowers to be hung in front of the cyc or back curtain (weight approx. 60lbs) and four minor flower compositions (weight approx. 25lbs each) to be hung on the side wings. 2. Optional but desired: A white screen (ideally 33 feet by 33 feet) plus multimedia projector and PC with PowerPoint. LIGHTING: 1. Company makes no unreasonable demands with regard to lighting, but wishes PRESENTER to bear in mind most effective presentation depends on adequate theatrical-dance lighting. A great deal of light (predominately white light) is required – approximately 1.5-2KW per 1 square meter of stage. See attached light plot for reference. Final light plot will be forwarded at least six weeks before actual performance date. Note: Minimum power requirement for company is 400 amps, three-phase. 2. PRESENTER must supply full stage lighting including front-of-house lighting (overhead spots and borders, torms, cyc lighting, specials and backlighting: all board controlled and colored) according to company's light plot. Every effort should be made to hang plot with house equipment prior to arrival of company stage manager at theater who will then be able to concentrate on focusing and last-minute lighting details. 3. Two (2) "Super Trouper" or "Trouper" follow spots are required. "Touperettes" are usually inadequate with other stage lighting. Please be certain that all equipment is in working order prior to arrival of the Company so time is not lost in preparing for the performance.
SOUND REQUIREMENTS:
1. AMPLIFICATION EQUIPMENT must be agreed with the Company, however it must be not lower than 2 x 6 KW. The system should be prepared prior to the arrival of the Company’s technical staff and so configured that the sound coverage is adequate everywhere in the room including the place where the orchestra is to be situated (so that the acoustic coupling of the microphones with the systems could be reduced as much as possible). The system should be free from noises and hums, the loudspeakers should not be situated directly on the stage and the fluctuations of the voltage powering the stage should not exceed 5%.
a. The sound control board that is preferred during the production is YAMAHA M7CL-48 and the PRESENTER should provide such a sound panel; it is possible to exchange the equipment for other brands, subject to a prior agreement with the Company.
b. The Orchestra uses microphones for each instrument individually, that is why it is necessary to prepare at least two 16-channel multicores, one for the string section and the other for the wind instrument section and the drums. The length of these multicores should make it possible to place them near the orchestra.
c. Another (third) 16-channel multicore should be placed near the stage, which would make it possible to connect microphones of the stage where the Ensemble dances and sings. Of course a sufficient number of cables to connect the microphones is needed.
d. The Ensemble also needs three audio monitors. Two of them must be located on the right and on the left side of the stage, about six (6) feet high and must be placed at the mid depth of the stage. The third monitor is located backstage in the place specified by the Company and is used for hearing through purposes by the chorus that sings in an “off stage” mode.
The monitor line should be equipped with a 31-band graphic equalizer. These lines must be managed from the main console in the case when a YAMAHA M7CL-48 console is used; in other cases this should be agreed with the Company.
2. MICROPHONES:
a. The in-put list and the types of microphones used by the Company are given below and may be changed subject to prior agreement with the Company.
| Input | Instrument / input signal | Microphone | Notice |
| 1 | Violin | Audiotechnica ATM35 | |
| 2 | Violin | ATM35 | with preamp |
| 3 | Violin | ATM35 | with preamp |
| 4 | Violin | ATM35 | with preamp |
| 5 | Violin | ATM35 | with preamp |
| 6 | Violin | ATM35 | with preamp |
| 7 | Violin | ATM35 | with preamp |
| 8 | Violin | ATM35 | with preamp |
| 9 | Viola | ATM35 | with preamp |
| 10 | Viola | ATM35 | with preamp |
| 11 | Cello | ATM35 | with preamp |
| 12 | Cello | ATM35 | with preamp |
| 13 | Double-Bass | ATM35 | with preamp |
| 14 | Flute | AudiotechnicaAT892CW | with preamp |
| 15 | Oboe | ATM35 | with preamp |
| 16 | Clarinet | ATM 35 | with preamp |
| 17 | Clarinet | ATM 35 | with preamp |
| 18 | Trombone | ATM 35 | with preamp |
| 19 | Horn | ATM 35 | with preamp |
| 20 | Trumpet | ATM 35 | with preamp |
| 21 | Trumpet | ATM 35 | with preamp |
| 22 | Cymbale | ATM 35 | with preamp |
| 23 | Bass Drum | AKG D112 /ATM 25 | |
| 24 | Oh Drum | Audiotechnica AT 4041 | Mic stand |
| 25 | Timpani | Audiotechnica AE3000 | Mic stand |
| 26 | |||
| 27 | |||
| 28 | |||
| 29 | Choir L | Neumann KM 184 | Mic stand |
| 30 | Choir R | Neumann KM 184 | |
| 31 | Stage ambient L | Audiotechnica AT 8315B | Shot gun / mic stand |
| 32 | Stage ambient R | Audiotechnica AT 8315B | Shot gun / mic stand |
| 33 | Front mic L | AE 3000 | Mic stand |
| 34 | Front mic C | AE 3000 | Mic stand |
| 35 | Front mic R | AE 3000 | Mic stand |
| 36 | Floor mic L | Crown PCC 160 | |
| 37 | Floor mic LC | Crown PCC 160 | |
| 38 | Floor mic C | Crown PCC 160 | |
| 39 | Floor mic CR | Crown PCC 160 | |
| 40 | Floor mic R | Crown PCC 160 | |
| 41 | Wireless Violin | ATM35 | |
| 42 | Wireless Violin | ATM35 | |
| 43 | Wireles D-Bass | ATM35 | |
| 44 | Wireless Clarinet | ATM35 | |
| 45 | Wireless Cymbale | ATM35 | |
| 46 | |||
| 47 | Wireless Hand mic | Shure SM58 Audiotechnica AE500 | Mic stand |
| 48 | Wireless Hand mic | -„- | Mic stand |
| ST1 | MD/CD |
Mnozil Brass
MNOZIL BRASS
Not many brass ensembles can claim the Canadian Brass as rabid fans, but Mnozil can. Not many brass ensembles can claim to have performed on the soundtrack of the latest "Sherlock Holmes" film, but Mnozil can. And not many brass ensembles can claim to have a YouTube search produce more than 1,800 results, with the first four videos culminating in more than 5 million hits...But Mnozil can. These seven musicians from Austria have the exacting talent and exciting repertoire that makes brass music as accessible and entertaining as it is. Known and admired since 1992 by professional and student brass musicians around the world, as well as countless audience members and critics from Moscow to Tokyo and New York to Lawrence, KS. The secret weapon that endears everyone to Mnozil Brass is their intelligent humor and impeccable timing that is the hallmark of every performance. A Mnozil Brass performance can be a journey that you wish would never end. It can range from a haunting arrangement of the theme from "Psycho", to a stirring "William Tell Overture", to a sweet rendition (including a capella) of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody". Or how about Glenn Miller's "Moonlight Serenade"? Or by special request in a concert last season, the KU Fight Song when their team was in the Final Four. Using only music and non-verbal physical comedy to create the evening, comparisons of their humor and stage presence have been flatteringly made to the great silent comedians like Buster Keaton and Laurel and Hardy. More contemporary references have included Monty Python and Jonathan Winters. Mnozil Brass counts thousands of fans in the United States, and those who have presented them have become boosters of the group. Tech? They are a dream. The ideal stage size for a typical show is 25'x13'. Normally, general/concert lighting is all that is necessary. Depending on the size and acoustic quality of the house, they rarely use any sound amplification (and if it is necessary, it is only a few stand mics across the front of the stage). They like to get on stage for a few minutes about an hour before the doors open. And that's it. Oh, and they like to be fed... Better than any more words, following are a few video links that give a better idea of who and what Mnozil Brass is and why they attract the attention that they do. (And be sure to read the comments after each video!!) Bohemian Rhapsody -1,757,017 hits: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBLm747tyn0 William Tell Overture - 1,104,628 hits: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_srdB2JGBI Lonely Boy - 1,259,874 hits: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYRMbj6U2Ww Green Hornet (Kill Bill) - 968,861 hits: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhjO_H004v8 Finally, their website: http://www.mnozilbrass.at/en/
An ensemble with a difference! This ensemble entertains audiences with a superb blend of virtuoso musicianship, unusual concert items and off-beat humour. If you want to know what to expect, expect the unexpected.” British Bandsman
"These musicians are absolutely brilliant on their instruments which you almost don’t realize because you’re laughing so hard. This is supreme and high-quality entertainment.” Niederösterreichische Nachrichten
October 12-November 3, 2013 (East/South)
February 27-March 9, 2014 (West/Midwest)