three thousand: YIN MEI
Performance and Reception: 7:30 p.m., Friday, October 19
Of all of the water in all of the rivers in the world, one cup of water is all you need. Of all of the water in all of the rivers in the world, you choose this one cup.
The title of this exhibition is a direct relation and is inspired by Yin Mei’s family lineage – the Yin dynasty. In combining the ancient art of calligraphy with modern dance, she uses energy, the essential element of both art forms, and creates a new method of expression. Yin Mei dips herself in ink and using her body as the calligraphy brush she dances her message on the scroll of paper and highlights it with a surprise ending using green tea powder as an exclamation.
The number three thousand (3000) in China signifies the superlative, the ultimate. It is all-inclusive and all-encompassing of the universe and all things in it. China is also said to have 3000 years of history. The “Yin” family name is part of Yin Mei’s lineage and can be traced back 3000 years to the earliest periods of Chinese history.
Yin Mei is a dancer/director/choreographer/performance artist known for category-defying dance theater works that fearlessly bridge geographic, technological, artistic and cultural divides to create a unique brand of theatrical magic. A Guggenheim Award winner and a choreography fellow from the New York Foundation for the Arts, Yin Mei was twice nominated for an Alpert Award in choreography. Yin Mei was born in China and is a professor of dance and currently the director of the dance program at Queens College, City University of New York. She received her B.A., M.F.A. and coursework toward a Ph.D. from New York University.
