Its almost a new year

Last few weeks have been a whirlwind for me. November came and went. I'm a year older. I got accepted to present an excerpt of Chameleon at the T.H.E. Contact 2012 festival. I cooked Thanksgiving dinner for my mother, sister, cousin, and aunt. My boyfriend came to visit me from Connecticut. We went to Bali for my birthday week. I had birthday drinks with a few friends when we returned. My boyfriend went back to Connecticut. :-( But my "sister" friend is in town and we are traveling to Malacca and Chiang Mai as well as taking her all over town. After that I jet off with my real sister and Aussie cousin to Hong Kong for a few days. Very excited to be traveling because I need to get out of town.

I just want to wish everyone Happy Holidays & Happy New Year!

Here's a video from me and my sister's Christmas greeting video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfb2-7rsuzU

Skål for 2013!

New Videos posted on Vimeo!

"Frozen Memories" (excerpt from Chameleon) at the Amalgamate Artist Series Showcase from Alaine Handa on Vimeo.

Choreography by Alaine Handa
Dancers: Ivilisse Esguerra, Alaine Handa, Sheila Klein, Lara Sofia Romero

Chameleon @ Meridian International Children's Festival from Alaine Handa on Vimeo.

Choreography by Alaine Handa and dancers
Dancers: Alaine Handa, Anna Louise Herzog, Ivilisse Esguerra, Emily Mercer
Prop Design by Natalia Krasnodebska

Music in video: soulofbass, Sheila Chandra, i hate this place
Text by Alex Graham James, Leilani Chan, Edith Södergran, Anna Louise Herzog, Ivilisse Esguerra

Special Thanks to Meridian International for hosting our performance during the International Children's Festival

Videography by Nicholas Fox

Video Interview after Chameleon performance in NYC

I don't think I've shared this video with you before. I was interviewed on video after the premiere performance of Chameleon in May at University Settlement. Hope you enjoy this!

Toi interviews Alaine Handa Dance Company from Kor Spirit Barlow on Vimeo.

Review in the Washington Post for Chameleon

Fringe's 'Chameleon' gets past the sociology jargon and into viewers' heads

By Rebecca J. Ritzel for The Washington Post
Monday, July 12, 2010

If an artist set out to create a Fringe show based on a pop-sociology book, you might assume the end result would be a cheeky joke. Consider such tantalizing possibilities as "Malcolm Gladwell in Middle School" or "The Birth Order Book (The Musical!)"

Choreographer Alaine Handa never got that memo. "Chameleon," her ruminative dance/film piece, is inspired by the book "Third Culture Kids," a sociology term for children who, for a variety of reasons -- military, missionary, the global economy -- have been raised overseas. When those kids return "home" and try to readjust, they end up, in Fringe parlance, a little screwed up.

Like the vast majority of multimedia dance performances, "Chameleon" would benefit from some editing. The show opens with a series of amateur documentary interviews, screened on a cratered wall behind the stage of the Apothecary, at 1013 Seventh St. NW. With the buzz of New York cafes in the background, young adults rattle off lists of countries where they spent their formative years.

Between clips, Handa, Jun Lee and Ivilisse Esguerra perform dances with vaguely Asian references. The actual choreography isn't terribly original, but the consistent body carriage is. All three have precise feet but relaxed, elastic upper bodies. In one memorable sequence, Lee kneels prostrate alone on the stage. Her legs hold a yoga pose while her arms churn, shoulders rotating and hands grasping. How do you get comfortable while your body is one place and your brain in another? That's great movement metaphor, and the mark of a work that encourages viewers to think more than the average multidisciplinary Fringe show does.

Performances resume July 23-25.

6:00 pm Friday, July 23
3:45 pm Saturday, July 24
2:15 pm Sunday, July 25

Click here for more info & ticketing info

A video of Anna's and Ivi's Solo

A video of Anna's solo and Ivi's solo from Chameleon @ University Settlement



Choreography by the dancers in collaboration with Alaine Handa

Each dancer was interviewed to share their cultural story. We worked with imagery, memories of smells, sounds, sights, touch, people, and events to create solos that were unique to each dancer.

Footage taken from Chameleon performance on 5/14/2010 at University Settlement in NYC

Chameleon is supported by the Singapore International Internationale grant from Singapore International Foundation (http://sif.org.sg)

Attention all TCKs! (and CCKs)

I have been interviewing NYC-based TCKs lately and want to extend my invite to the rest of you. The video is for the documentary film I am currently putting together.
Everyone will be credited in the film and programs of course! If you live in the NYC area, I would love to set up a time to interview you in person. In person interviews are much more efficient b/c I also ask other questions in addition to the following questions. I am very interested in YOUR story. If you want to share YOUR story with other TCKs/CCKs this is an outlet for you to do so.

Guidelines:
-Please make sure there is enough light.

-Talk clearly and enunciate every word loudly into an external microphone or the built-in microphone to your camera/computer.

-Fuzzy videos will not be included in the final film.

-Upload all videos to Vimeo.com - sign up for an account, its free. I can download the .mov or quicktime movie version directly from the site.

-Please title the video your name followed by AHDanceCo. example: Alaine Handa AHDanceCo

-Send me the link at ahdancecompany@gmail.com


Here are your list of questions:


1. What is your name?


2. Where were you born?


3. What is your heritage?


4. Where have you lived & how long at each place?


5. What is your definition of "home" and how is it different from those around you?


6. Where do you consider "home" and why?


7. Do you have interests in the following: foreign languages, international
relations, travelling, international politics, different cultures of the
world, etc... Yes/No
If so, do you think your background has helped you develop these interests?


8. What are your thoughts on globalization? Current political situation?


9. How are your thoughts on world affairs different from those around you?


10. Do you plan on incorporating a large amount of travel with your career?


11. Any last comments to future Third Culture Kids/Cross Culture Kids, any words of wisdom?