2013-526 Arts - The Arts Center for 2013 Fall Art Agreement $1,500

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The ArtsCenter: 2013-2014 Li Liu Proposed Uses of Grant Funds When Li Liu performs Traditions of Chinese Acrobatics, Chinese culture comes to life on stage. Through her colorful costumes, vibrant music, and captivating dances and acrobatics, Liu shares the diverse traditions and customs of China with her audiences. Liu's acrobatic career started at the age of seven when she began extensive training at The Chinese National Circus School. In 1984, her artistic cycling act won a gold medal at the prestigious Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain in Paris, France. Since then, she has traveled extensively around the world with several prominent groups such as The Liaoning Acrobatic Arts Troupe, the Zirkus Knie in Switzerland, the Circus Krone in Germany and countless other touring shows in Italy, Holland, France, South Africa, Singapore,Japan and Indonesia. Liu came to the United States in 2000 with Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus and toured all over the US for two years. She has been living in the US and working as a freelance performer since 2003 performing for numerous schools and venues across the country. The ArtsCenter is thrilled to welcome Li Liu to Orange County in April 2013 for a four-day visit, as part of The ArtsCenter's School Show Series. During this time, Liu will reach more than 1,500 area youth, through eight shows in area schools and two shows at The ArtsCenter for school groups. Her visit to our community will not only provide a unique experience to area youth but will also generate respect among all students for people who may be different from themselves. The ArtsCenter requests $1,500 in funding from the Orange County Arts Commission to help support the artist's fee and expenses related to bringing Li Liu to our community. More specifically, support from the Orange County Arts Commission would help make the following possible: In-school Performances (January 14-16, 2014): Li Liu will conduct a total of eight in-school performances of Traditions of Chinese Acrobatics in Orange County, reaching approximately 1,150 PreK- 6`h grade students (see enclosed schedule). The shows, which will last approximately 45 minutes each, will include hand balancing, plate spinning, trick cycling, foot juggling, ribbon dancing and Chinese water bowl manipulation. Li also touches on various aspects of Chinese language, geography and culture while sharing her work and travel experiences with the students and staff. Additionally, interactive elements are key to performances for school groups, as they will enable the youth to get involved in a meaningful way, reaching various learning styles. For the Traditions of Chinese Acrobatics shows, students will participate by getting a hands-on opportunity at trying some of the easier and safer skills such as ribbon dancing and basic plate spinning. All in-school performances during this booking will be free to students and are made possible through a longstanding collaboration between The ArtsCenter's School Show Series and the Chapel Hill- Carrboro City Schools' (CHCCS) Cultural Enrichment Committee, which is made up of PTA volunteers from area CHCCS schools and a few private schools. Through this partnership, schools are able to bring in artists at a reduced rate, thereby making it possible for them to feature artists at their school that they would otherwise not be able to afford, as well as saving them time in the booking process. School Shows at The ArtsCenter (January 17, 10:00 a.m. & 11:30 a.m.): In addition to performing for students in area schools, Li Liu will also conduct two performances of Traditions of Chinese Acrobatics at The ArtsCenter for school groups, as part of the School Show Series (see enclosed 2013-2014School Show Series poster). The ArtsCenter's School Show Series consists of high-quality, arts-based educational performances by local, regional, and national artists. Each year, the School Show