This document discusses international events at Evergreen Expressions, a performing arts program at Evergreen State College. It highlights three upcoming events featuring artists from Canada, India, and China. The director of Evergreen Expressions aims to bring diverse, cutting-edge performances and expand international outreach. Many events involve workshops with academic programs to provide an immersive residency experience. An Indian dance teacher discusses the strong Orissi dance program at the college, calling it a national resource for authentic cultural training in this tradition.

1. Teaching Locally, Learning Globally
The World Comes to Evergreen
by Elizabeth Shé, '99
I’m proudofthe fact that weconsistentlysupportat leasttwo international events.
— John Robbins, director of Evergreen Expressions
This is the second year the Lunar New Year Festival is officially part of the Evergreen
Expressions line-up. Out of the seven events planned for the upcoming season, three have an
international connection: Ann Marie Fleming, Canadian filmmaker born in Okinawa, Sujata
Mohapatra, Indian Orissi dancer, and the Lunar New Year Festival.
“We want the different, the unusual, the
cutting edge,” says John Robbins.
Last year he brought in Ghanaian pianist,
William Chapman Nyaho, a professor of
music turned pro who composes songs of
the African Diaspora.
The first time Robbins heard Nyaho play his
experimental arrangements, “he blew my
socks off.”
This year for the Lunar New Year Festival,
Jang is bringing Chinese opera and
orchestra performers from New York City. “It’s very rare to be able to see real Chinese opera on
the West Coast,” she explains. “It’s very different from other types of opera. We’re very lucky.”
Robbins looks forward to expanding the festival beyond community groups. “We’re reaching out
to the international community,” he says.
Evergreen Expressions events are always connected to curriculum and tied to academic
programs. “It’s more like a residency,” says Robbins. “The artists must do workshops with
academic programs, as well as perform.” Productions are always sponsored or suggested by
Expressive Arts faculty, though they can be co-sponsored by non-Expressive Arts faculty.
“Evergreen Expressions is a reflection of what’s happening on campus,” says Robbins. “We’re
in line with the times and interests.”

2. There’sno substituteforstudy abroad,butthere are
advantagesto studyingherefirst.
— Ratna Roy, faculty member and dancer
A world-renowned Indian dancer and scholar, Ratna Roy
teaches cultural studies, literature and dance here at
Evergreen. She is the foremost authority on the Mahari tradition of Orissi dance.
“We’re considered a magnet school for Orissi dance training and a national resource of Orissi
dance,” says Robbins. “We have a world reputation.”
“You get completely authentic training here at Evergreen,” says Roy. “It is home to the cultural
tradition. We even represent Orissi dance in Orissa (India). They love us there.”
Roy is fluent in Bengali, Hindi, Oriya (the language of Orissi dance), and can read and write
Sanskrit. Her professional dance company, Urvasi, performs the most traditional representation
of Mahari dance in the world. Another resource of Indian culture is the archive of dance films
owned by David J. Capers, Roy’s husband. “He must have 1500-2000 hours of dance footage,
from 1988 to the present,” she says.
Roy still performs with her company. On January 30, 2009, they will perform as part of
Evergreen’s symposium on Asian Cultures in Secular and Sacred Relations.