Media Advisory: Amazing China! Amazing India!

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Indian dancing! A mezzo soprano Hong Zhang! Martial arts! The University at Buffalo Cricket Club! Dragon dance training, award-winning Zhongbei (Daisy) Wu on the Chinese plucked zither (the guzheng) and maybe a little sandbag throwing!

All will be part of a three-week long Chinese and Indian Institute for area teachers presented by the UB Asian Studies Program and UB Confucius Institute. The institute is funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).

The events described here will take place at the University at Buffalo July 5, 6 and 15 at various sites on the UB North Campus.  The institute participants are 30 K-12 teachers from Western New York school districts who, for six hours a day from July 1 to 19 are following an intensive curriculum devoted to the histories, cultures, traditions, arts, literatures, governments and philosophies of the Chinese and Indian civilizations.

Two summer institute events will be free and open to the public:

• Live Concert: An Evening of Chinese Music
  Friday, July 5, 7:30 p.m.
  Center for the Arts Screening Room, UB North Campus
  Featuring mezzo soprano Hong Zhang and guzheng player Zhongbei (Daisy)Wu
• Indian Music and Dance Performance
  Wednesday, July 17, 7:30-9:30 p.m.
  UB Center for the Arts Drama Theater, UB North Campus
  Presented by the Indian cultural organization Triveni

The following events are open to institute participants and the press only. They offer colorful and unusual photo and video opportunities:

• Chinese Game Night
  Wednesday, July 3, 8-10 p.m.
  120 Clemens Hall, UB North Campus
  Confucius Institute teachers from China will lead the NEH summer institute participants in a series of activities and table games
• Chinese Martial Arts
  Saturday, July 6, 9-12 a.m.
  Greiner Hall, UB North Campus
  History, Philosophy, and Forms of Martial Arts
  Interactive Tai Chi/Kung Fu Demonstration with Erin Markle, Gold Summit Martial Arts Institute
• Dragon Dance Training
  Saturday, July 6, 1-3 p.m.
  Greiner Hall, UB North Campus
  Erin Markle and students of the Gold Summit Martial Arts Institute
• Cricket Instruction
  Monday, July 15, 7 p.m. until dark
  Governors Parking Lot, UB North Campus
  UB Professor Patrick McDevitt and members of UB Cricket Club.

For further information, contact:

Emily Faracca 716-645-4650 emilyfar@buffalo.edu

Pat Donovan 716-645-4602 pdonovan@buffalo.edu

On-Site Contact: Bruce Acker 716-645-0763 backer@buffalo.edu