Chinese dancer Wen Hui (left) and Japanese dancer Asako Takami are among the artists from around the world who will perform in renowned choreographer Ralph Lemon's "Geography II," which opens April 20 at the Yale Rep.

Rep offering explores culture through music, dance, stories

Renowned dancer and choreographer Ralph Lemon will continue his "mission of cultural anthropology," this time with a focus on Asia, in "Tree: Part 2 of the Geography Trilogy," the final offering of the Yale Repertory Theatre's 1999-2000 season. Lemon has assembled an international cast of artists for the show, which will use both traditional and cutting-edge forms of international dance, music and storytelling to probe the meeting points of spirituality and sexuality. "Tree" will be presented April 20-May 13 at the University Theatre, 222 York St. The "Geography" trilogy is Lemon's examination of cultural conflict and self-identity. Part 1 of the trilogy, subtitled "Africa/Race," was commissioned by the Yale Rep and had its world debut at the University in October of 1997 before touring nationally. After the success of "Geography, Part 1," Lemon sought to extend his exploration to Asia. He traveled through India, China and Japan, collaborating with local performers and musicians in an attempt to uncover common art forms and traditions. "This project is and has been a mission of cultural anthropology and education as I continue my journey," says Lemon. "Audiences can expect an international cast of artists from China, Taiwan, Japan, India, the West Coast of Africa and the United States in a performance that does not attempt to generalize Asia, but instead creates a cultural dialogue of diverse traditions." Joining Lemon in performance will be 11 dancers, percussionists and musicians. The artists include Bijaya Barik, a percussionist, and Manoranjan Pradhan, an Odissi dancer, both from Orissa, India; Wang Liliang and Li Wen Yi, traditional Chinese musicians, from Yunnan Province, China; Asako Takami, an Odissi dancer, from Japan; Wen Hui, a modern and traditional Chinese dancer, from Beijing; Djédjé Gervais, a West African dancer, from Côte d'Ivoire (the Ivory Coast), Africa. There are also four dancers from the United States in the company: Yeko Ladzekpo-Cole, an African, Indonesian, Latin, jazz, ballet and modern dancer, originally from Ghana; Cheng-Chieh Yu, a modern and traditional Chinese dancer, originally from Taiwan; Carlos Funn, a West African and modern dancer and drummer; and David Thomson, a modern dancer. Award-winning installation artist Nari Ward will create the physical environment for "Tree," which will feature music by composer James Lo. The production team also includes lighting designer Stephen Strawbridge, costume designer Anita Yavich, sound designer David Budries, and dramaturgs Katherine Profeta and Izumi Ashizawa. Lemon choreographed for and performed with his own troupe, the Ralph Lemon Company, from 1985 until 1995. The ensemble, which was based in New York, toured extensively both nationally and internationally, and was commissioned to create new works by leading dance institutions. In 1995 Lemon disbanded his company to create experimental works using dance and other art forms to explore social or political issues. Lemon has been an associate artist at the Yale Repertory Theatre since 1997. The entire "Geography" project "attests to the importance and efficacy of Yale Rep's associate artist program," says Stan Wojewodski Jr., artistic director of Yale Repertory Theatre. "I began the program because making the institution the patron of the individual artist has always been central to my notion of what it means to be an artistic director. The energy these extraordinary artists bring to their work resonates throughout the theater. And the opportunity for our resident artists and staff to experience the work from its inception to its presentation has been a tremendous gift to the institution. 'Tree,' the latest fruit of a collaboration we began more than three years ago, is an exemplar of this process." Tickets for "Tree: Part 2 of The Geography Trilogy" range from $10 to $34. Group discounts are also available. To purchase tickets, call the Yale Rep box office at (203) 432-1234, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday. In addition to the Yale Rep commission, "Tree: Part 2 of the Geography Trilogy" has been made possible, in part, by grants from National Endowment for the Arts; The Rockefeller Foundation; the National Theatre Artists Residency Program, administered by Theatre Communications Group, the national organization for the American Theater, and funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts; and the Doris Duke Fund for Dance of the National Dance Project, a program administered by the New England Foundation for the Arts with lead funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, with additional touring support provided by the Philip Morris Companies Inc. Additional commissioning support has been provided by the University of Texas, Austin, and a partnership between San Francisco Performance and Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. Support has also been provided by Africa Exchange program of 651 Arts, Arts International's Inroads Program, and Asian Cultural Council. 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