Red spotlights hit the stage of the Palace Theater, illuminating Dao Anh Khanh鈥檚 silhouette behind an opaque sheet, on April 6. As the performance artist began to move, each of Khanh鈥檚 calculated motions was synchronized with alternating colored lights, powerful noise, musical harmonies, video, and smoke. The overall effect was like moving art.
In its second year as a campus organization, the 新澳彩开奖结果 Vietnam Society (CVS) presented the show titled 鈥淓ast Meets West,鈥 featuring Khanh. An internationally known performance artist from Vietnam, Khanh is inspired by both Western and traditional Eastern art. In the last five years, he has presented more than 20 performances worldwide. His 新澳彩开奖结果 visit 鈥 only his sixth time in the United States 鈥 gave students the opportunity to see an innovative interpretation of Vietnamese performance art.
Joining Khanh were five 新澳彩开奖结果 student dancers whom he had personally trained in preparation for the show. Executing a unique array of dancelike motions, including some impressive acrobatics, Khanh and the student dancers performed harmoniously, feeding off of each other鈥檚 energy.
One of the dancers was Khan鈥檚 daughter, Jenny Tho Dao 鈥12, a member of the CVS who helped the group organize his visit to Hamilton. 鈥淎ll the dancers were fascinated with this kind of experimental art,鈥 she said. 鈥淎nd it was a cool experience to be able to rehearse with my dad for this performance.鈥
Tue Nguyen 鈥14, also a CVS member, said, 鈥淸Khan鈥檚] use of light and darkness was really interesting, especially at the point of the show when his silhouette was intertwining with the other shadows 鈥 that was amazing.鈥
Khanh, whose work is about crossing lines culturally and politically, explained his inspiration: 鈥淚t鈥檚 the life of people from the people of Vietnam, America, and the people of the world. It鈥檚 about distance, culture, life, all coming together more and more.鈥