8 THE MONGOL MESSENGER

arts & culture

Friday, May 31, 2013

ARTS COUNCIL OF MONGOLIA

Two evening performances scheduled in mid-June
On June 13, and 14, the Arts Council of Mongolia will proudly present the Stars of American Ballet Tour featuring principals and soloist of the New York City Ballet at the Opera and Ballet Theater. As part of the tour, two night performances and a master class for professional ballet dancers will be held at the Opera and Ballet Theater. The performances repertoire features the signature choreographies by NYCBs founder George Balanchine including Apollo and Stars and Stripes and music by Igor Stravinsky, and George Gershwin. The Orchestra of Opera and Ballet Theater and Arga Bileg Ethno Jazz Band will enrich the performance with music virtuoso. In addition, the White and Black Swan Pas de Deux that featured in the Black Swan film by Darren Aronofsky will open the performance. Through the films success and five Academy Award nominations, the company and its Swan Lake Ballet have become world renowned. Stars of American BalletTour is funded by Monre Insurance LLC, XACBANK, Mr. Ragchaa S., U.S Embassy in Ulaanbaatar, Tuguldur Foundation, Sound of Mongolia, Tavan Bogd Group, MONGOLEMIMPEX Concern, and supported by the Opera and Ballet Theater. To reserve seats, contact the Arts Council of Mongolia at 319015, 319017 or the ticket office at the Opera and Ballet Theatre.

Stars of American Ballet on stage in Mongolia

Special presentation for Childrens Day: Museum in a Box Heavenly Bird Urna For three years, the Arts Council of Chahar Tugchi performs Mongolia has collaborated with Choijin Lama Temple Museum, the Natural in Mongolia History Museum, and the Zanabazar Museum of Fine Arts on the Museum in
a Box educational project, which aims to transmit cultural heritage to children and to enrich the museums educational outreach programming for increased sustainable development of museum institutions. This project provides children and youth with knowledge about tangible and intangible cultural heritage and gives them pride in their history and culture through participatory exercises in traditional handicrafts and fine arts, as well as an improved aesthetic appreciation of art. To celebrate Childrens Day on June 1, the Arts Council of Mongolia and the Choijin Lama Temple Museum will hold a special Museum in a Box class for children at the Choijin Lama Temple Museum.

Inner Mongolian Urna Chahar Tugchi

On May 29 at 8 pm, world-renowned Inner Mongolian singer, Urna Chahar Tugchi gave a special performance at the State Opera and Ballet Theatre. Rising from the grasslands of Ordos, she travelled from China to France, Germany, Hungary, Poland, India, and Iran in her singing career since 1994 and in 2003, won the prestigious German Ruth award for best international artist. The soul of Urnas Mongolian folk songs are composed of melodies that openly express her thoughts and merge the cultures and music traditions of the world, producing a distinctive style of music that express to audiences a sense of limitless freedom, extraordinary tranquility, and spiritual solace. In this globalized age, she has become a representative out of a wave of world music because her songs have not been separated from the roots of Mongolian culture, but are a completely new expression to the world of Mongolian music, promoting Mongolian culture while including and introducing it to a wider audience. In the influx of world music, her work speaks to the relationships between cultures. When listening to her, there is no language or cultural barrier, the music asserts a global language. On May 28, her third performance in Mongolia was preceded by an ArtSee talk organized by the Arts Council of Mongolia at the Red Ger Art Gallery where Urna Chahar Tugchi discussed her life and music career with Mongolian artists and audiences. Both her talk and her performance were well-received, and Tseren Tours is proud to have acted as her sponsor.

The projects aim is to transmit Mongolias cultural heritage to children

Underground Film Competition: Developing Avant-Garde Film in Mongolia

the first Underground Film Competition. Open to anyone and everyone with a camera and a voice. Online submissions are currently being accepted. Short experimental or avant-garde films should be 5 to 15 minutes long and can cover any topic. Films will be considered for prizes and may be accepted into the upcoming Ulaanbaatar International Film Festival. Most importantly, all submitted films will help grow Mongolian cinema and its future possibilities. The Underground Film Competition is organized by Altan Halis Association, sponsored by Arts Council of Mongolia, Gurumedia Production and Nepko Publishing, supported by KHAN Bank. Media sponsors are Bolovsrol TV, NTV, Olloo TV, Niislel Guide, Goodali Magazine, Top99 website and E-magazine online magazine. Online submissions are open until June 15th. For more details and discovery, visit www.artfilm.mn and https://www. facebook.com/underground.mongolia

Despite the growing landscape of Mongolian cinema today, one key element is still missing, and that is avant-gardism. Originally in the French language, avantgarde is a military term used to refer to the front lines. The word has since been adopted into the lexicon of modern art and has come to mean the artists who shed convention and lead the way into new ideas.

In cinema, avant-garde filmmakers are the ones who are unafraid to break traditional forms and explore new ways of cinematic expression. This is done through experimental films, the finest of which have revitalized the world of cinema with new styles and forms in the past. To rectify the lack of avant-garde and experimental films in Mongolian cinema today, the Altan Halis Association organized

Arts Council of Mongolia, Delta Foundation Center, IV floor, Tourists Street-38, Chingeltei District Tel/Fax: 976-11-319015 E-mail: education@artscouncil.mn Web: www.artscouncil.mn
The Mongol Messenger is operated by the government news agency MONTSAME and is printed by the MONTSAME. Home Page: www.mongolmessenger.mn;E-mail: monmessenger@magicnet.mn (ISSN 1684-1883)