Diverse|City

From the powerful Cuban-born Karel Cruz, to the fiery Japanese ballerina, Kaori Nakamura, standouts of Pacific Northwest Ballet have been known to bring international diversity to the stage, hailing from across Latin America, Asia and Europe.

When PNB took on Brazilian ballerina Carla Körbes in 2005, the company would gain yet another star from overseas; plus, a much-admired role model of young dancers.

“She’s what made me want to go on pointe,” 11-year-old Lauren Zimmermann told me for the November issue of The Bellevue Scene.

Zimmermann was not alone. Many of her friends in the PNB School’s level four class expressed their love of the ballerina with gold hair, flawless technique, and a versatility on stage that allows her to portray characters as different as the wicked black swan, to a blushing, girlish Swanilda.

Diverse|City sat down with the international star to discuss her rise to ballet stardom in the United States – a journey that started in her hometown of Porto Alegre, Brazil. Although it’s been 15 years since she left the country, Körbes always carries her blue, green and yellow Brazil sweatshirt in her dance bag. It reminds her of home.

Körbes discussed what it was like to grow up dancing in Brazil and the importance of role models in the often cut-throat world of professional dance.

Diverse|City: Many PNB students say you’re what makes them want to dance en pointe. Do you remember getting your first pair of pointe shoes in Brazil?

Körbes: Unlike PNB, which gets its pointe shoes made in London, my first pair of shoes were made in Brazil. I was 10 years-old. They were really good, but really hard, meaning the shank felt like an iron board. I think they lasted me at least six months. It’s a real contrast to now, where if I’m doing a ballet like “Don Quixote” I will go through one pair a day.

Diverse|City: How did the shoes make you feel?

Körbes: I was so excited. I couldn’t wait to dance in them. I got them with my sister and she was like, ‘Uh-uh.’ She was the smart one who said, ‘No this really hurts.’

Diverse|City:  It’s a luxury to be able to get your own custom-made pointe shoes as a PNB dancer. Tell me more about that.

Körbes: They make the box of the shoe (the part that covers the metatarsal) a little wider, narrower, rounder or pointier. We all need something a little different; you can ask them to fit your shoe exactly to your foot. On the bottom of the shoe, each maker engraves the sole with their symbol, like a bell, key or letter of the alphabet. Your last name is spelled on the bottom which is awesome; you always know you have your own shoes.

Diverse|City: How long have you been wearing Freed pointe shoes?

Körbes: My shoe situation has been complicated. I used to wear Freeds when I arrived at PNB, but then I changed to Innovations and have been wearing them for the past eight years. But now, the company’s going out of business so it will be a quest to find a new shoe.

Diverse|City: Who were your ballet idols growing up?

Körbes: When I was a student, I loved Ana Botafogo (prima ballerina of the Teatro Municipal of Rio de Janeiro). I wrote her a letter and she sent me a signed copy of her book back. A year later, when she came to dance in my town, she totally remembered who I was. I think it’s important for us as dancers to have someone we can look up to and see who we want to be one day. I don’t think I always realize I’m at the point in my life where I’m the role model.

Diverse|City: Why are role models so important?

Körbes: It motivates [students] and gives them something to look toward. I feel like that even though I didn’t have access to meeting many professional dancers until I was 16. When I moved from Brazil to New York, I finally got to meet more professional dancers, which was so intimidating and exciting, taking class with people like Barishnikov – oh my God. It’s what keeps ballet alive; it’s that dream that starts when you’re 5.

Diverse|City: How have you spent your break between PNB’s “All Wheeldon” program which wrapped up earlier this month and “Love Stories” which will premier Nov. 4?

Körbes: I’ve been working on the variation from “Don Quixote” (premiers Feb. 3-12) because it keeps me in shape.

Diverse|City: What message do you have for all the young dancers who look up to you?

Körbes: Remember to enjoy ballet. There are days when it can be really hard. Just always remember why we do what we do. It can be so easy to get down on yourself, on your body. One of the most important things is to not compare yourself to anyone else. I forget that sometimes, too. But whenever I get injured and have to take some time away from dance, and then come back, I’m like, ‘Oh yeah. This is it.’

Beyond Talking Points, an ongoing discussion program by Humanities Washington, examining headline issues from various perspectives and promoting shared understanding. The following event is a part of a series titled “Perspectives on (Im)Migration” and features the following topic and presenters:

- Immigrants as Job Creators: A conversation on immigration and entrepreneurship with Sailesh Chutani, Mobisante CEO and co-founder; Beto Yarce, owner of CINTLI; and Murthy Kalkura, president and CEO of 4AM Corp.; moderated by KCTS 9’s Enrique Cerna. 7 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 25 at Bellevue City Hall. 

RSVP: Kevin Henry at khenry@bellevuewa.gov

As he tells it, the first time Bellevue resident Hugh Burleson II became passionate about Japan was when he landed on the country’s shores as a young G.I. during World War II. Little did he know then that he’d spend the rest of his life involved in U.S.-Japan relations. Burleson would go on to obtain a degree in Asian Studies from U.C. Berkeley, go into the foreign service, and later became an active organizer in Bellevue’s Japanese/Japanese American community. Before becoming a volunteer for the Aki Matsuri festival, he helped spearhead Bellevue’s former Japan Week. His autobiography, published in 2007 by AuthorHouse, is “The Making of a Pacific Citizen.”

Burleson heads Bellevue’s Sister Cities organization, which will hold a dinner reception, Oct. 21 at Bellevue City Hall Concourse and then a conference, Oct. 22 at Crossroads Community Center. For more information, go to http://www.bellevuesistercities.org/.

Diverse|City sat down with Burleson to discuss the culture that’s had a profound influence on his life: from his wife, and family, to his passion and activities.

Diverse|City: In the five years you were stationed in Japan, 1945-1950, you met and married your late wife, Kimie. What was she like?
HB: She was from Yokohama and grew up in the international atmosphere. She was not typical, in that she wasn’t reserved in the way many Japanese ladies are. She was outgoing and would socialize with Caucasian as well as Asian ladies. She had a great sense of humor. She loved anything from popular music to classical music. We shared interests and respect. She was just fascinating. It was a simple Christian wedding – we couldn’t afford a big, fancy Japanese wedding. Our 55-year marriage was like a 55-year seminar in Japanese culture and psychology.

Diverse|City: What struck you about the culture when you arrived in Japan in 1945?
HB: First of all, it wasn’t the culture, it was the Japanese people. During the war, we’d been so inundated with propaganda of what the Japanese were like, I almost immediately saw a sharp difference between what we had “learned” about the the Japanese during the war. We’d been told they were harsh and intense. But my very first morning in Japan, we went out to the compound where the young Japanese men were working and it was all “ohayo gozaimasu ” (good morning) and big smiles. Not the sullenness and hostility we’d expected.

Diverse|City: Now that you’ve had decades of experience with Japanese language, culture and people, what would you say you’re most passionate about?

HB: I find Japanese society and culture endlessly fascinating. The country, first of all, is very photogenic. I’ve visited there frequently and am never bored. The food is never dull. There’s a whole gamut of culture there from the visual and performing arts to the antiquity of the culture. In the past five or six years, I’ve been studying ancient Japan because I wanted to learn more about the origins of Japanese culture and how they lived thousands of years ago.

Diverse|City: Did your wife experience racial discrimination coming back to live in the U.S. in a time when anti-Japanese sentiment was widespread in parts of the country?
HB: No, because we were living in Berkeley, where I was going to school. Many college communities have far less racism then elsewhere. The only incident that came close to discrimination that my wife experienced was when our next-door neighbor, who was from Louisiana, said to her, “Kimie, do you realize you’re the only non-white person in this neighborhood?” to which Kimie came right back and said, “Oh yeah? Would you like to take me out?” and our neighbor said, “Oh no, no – we know you and we like you.”

Diverse|City: You have a Sister Cities conference coming up. What can attendees expect to see and do there?
HB: We normally have 30-35 Sister Cities organizations that attend, and speakers talking about the best way to fundraise, minimize the cost of the organizations and best practices.

Diverse|City: How would you describe Bellevue’s relationship with its sister city in Yao in Osaka?
HB: The most frequent activity is a high school student exchange. Each summer, we send a high school student to Yao for four weeks to live with a host family. In turn, they send a high school student to stay here. We have frequent communication between us and Yao, coordinating plans and activities and periodically, an exchange of citizen delegations between the cities, usually with the city mayor or city council member.

Diverse|City: How would you describe the Japanese/Japanese American community in Bellevue?
HB: It’s very diverse. There are a lot of Japanese here, and many adult Japanese Americans who are not as interested in going back to Japanese culture. Most of the interest I’ve observed in working with Eastside high schools is among the younger people, Japanese, hapa (mixed-race) as well as hakujin (white).

Diverse|City: What tips for you have for people wanting to travel to Japan for the first time?
HB: If you can afford it, allow yourself a lot of time to see the country. Four or five days is way too short. And of course, if you go, you usually go first to Tokyo which is a huge city with a street scene, to museums to everything. But then people will say, you must go see the old streets of Kyoto, and then you get there and realize you need a whole week just to see Kyoto. Also, if you have friends or relatives there, they will make the trip far more meaningful.

Celebration of Cultures and Music

This event is 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., Sept. 24 at Marketplace at Factoria Mall, 4055 Factoria Blvd SE, Bellevue, 425-641-8282.

Performances will include:

11:30 am, Bentzen School of Highland Dance

Noon, Salsa in Seattle

12:30 p.m., Traditional Japanese Dance by Naomi

1 p.m., The Aury Moore Band

1:30 p.m., Aloha Island Treasures

2 p.m., Ethiopian Community Center Youth Cultural Dance Group.

Celebrate Our Community Diversity

6 – 8:30 p.m., Sept. 30 at Jubilee Reach Center, 14200 Southeast 13th Place, Bellevue.

Enjoy music and dance, and browse the community resource information that will be available. Musical guests will include Bailadores de Bronce, traditional Mexican dance and the Hawaiian Hula Show, music and dance from Islands.

The International Gathering: Cultural Conversations

1 -3 p.m., Oct. 1, Crossroads Community Center, 16000 NE 10th St., Bellevue. Meet and hear people from several countries talk about their experiences in their homeland and in the United States. Enjoy a special musical performance by Master Teacher Mindy Li on the Gu Zheng, a traditional Chinese instrument.

Immigration Issues Forums: “Beyond Talking Points”

7 -9 p.m., Oct. 11 and 25, Bellevue City Hall, 450 110th Avenue NE, Bellevue WA.

These forums feature guest speakers, panel discussions, and group discussions about immigration system and how it affects business owners and immigrants to the United States.

For more information on all events, contact Kevin Henry, khenry@bellevuewa.gov or 425-452-7686.

Cute kids, good food, kimonos, a big crowd and gorgeous weather. That pretty much sums up the Aki Matsuri festival last weekend, Sept. 10-11, at Bellevue College.  Festival organizer Tom Brooke tells me he estimates more than 20,500 attendees flooded in for the two-day celebration of Japanese culture and arts. Below, you’ll find pictures of the yukata (summer kimono) fashion show held on the second day. I went with my parents, and aside from my dad not being able to leave with a new koi fish (he fell in love during the 20th annual Koi show at the matsuri) and my mom not being able to find the Hello Kitty mascot (she and I were both hoping to get our picture taken with) – the three of us had a blast.

Jaymi Matsudaira, of Sammamish, was dressed in the bridal kimono. Jaymi and her sisters play in Kaze Daiko, a youth taiko troupe based out of Seattle. Jaymi was a key source and the cover girl for the August edition of Bellevue Scene magazine.

Andrea Nakano from King 5 TV emceed the event. Here is she presenting the bride and groom kimonos.

Mika Carnes from the eN Salon, owned by Mrs. Ichiro, helped out with hair for the fashion show.

I recognized this young woman from Issian restaraunt – one of my favorite Seattle spots for sushi and and Japanese food hot off the grill.

Mixing sneakers with more traditional wear.

Kimono Coordinator, Ugawa Yu (far left), came from Kobe, Japan for the event. Each year, Aki Matsuri organizers Tom and Katsuko Brooke go to Japan to recruit Japanese artists and crafts people such as Yu to be a part of the Aki Matsuri festval, and help bring a bit of Japan to Bellevue.

Jaymi’s sisters, Kellie and Kimberly Matsudaira, playing taiko while their sister goes through a costume change and takes off the bright-red outer kimono (this is what a bride wears when she walks in to the ceremony, they said) and reveals the white under-kimono worn during the ceremony.

The decorative obi (the sash tied around the middle) were very fancy for the yukata show.

By Gabrielle Nomura | Photo by Jay Koh

Don Quixote was black. Jesus Christ and Belle were both Asian.

While most roles are performed by white actors at Village Theatre, throughout the years, performers of color have created some memorable roles here, too.

Take Jennifer Paz for example. One may remember her vivid yellow princess dress and spirited portrayal of Belle in “Beauty and the Beast,” her angelic vocals as Mary Magdalene in “Jesus Christ Superstar” or the dramatic portrayal and blonde hair as Eva Perón in “Evita.”

While her Filipina heritage gives Paz an edge for ethnic roles, it hasn’t limited her to Miss Saigon, either.

With a history of both authentic and non-traditional casting at Village Theatre, executive producer Robb Hunt says he looks for opportunities to bring in multicultural casts.

As Hunt says, it’s not about affirmative action for the stage. It’s about opening doors to the best talent – whatever skin color he or she may have.

Hunt points to the theater’s recent production of “Jesus Christ Superstar” as an example, where two actors alternated the roles of Jesus/Judas.

He said it didn’t make a difference that one actor was white and the other was Asian, they were each brilliant because of how they performed and the unique portrayal they brought to the roles, not because of physical appearance or features.

Sometimes though, race can’t be ignored when casting a production.

“In a show like ‘The King and I’ we try to create opportunities for Asian actors,” Hunt said.

Similarly, race and ethnicity play an important role in Village Theatre’s next show: an original musical developed in the Village Originals program called “Take Me America,” Sept. 14 – Nov. 20. Audiences will see a gritty, rock n’ roll tale of seven desperate refugees seeking political asylum in the United States – all of whom, are played by actors of color.

The characters in the musical are people from China, Sudan, Algeria, Haiti and El Salvador.

“One thing I’m really pleased about is writing a piece that, in diversity terms, covers the rainbow. Because that’s what you see when you look at the cast,” said Bill Nabel, a former Broadway performer and the writer and lyricist behind “Take Me America.”

Inspired by true stories and based on the documentary “Well Founded Fear,” the musical depicts the hardships the refugees go through and decisions made by the U.S. officials who determine their fate.

The distinction between asylum and regular immigration is that people seeking asylum must prove they have a well-founded fear of persecution

“It’s not a political story,” said Nabel of this, the first musical he wrote to be developed into a full-scale production. “It’s about the heart of the people coming here. How do you live with the decisions you make? What do you leave behind in your home country? It shows a great deal of humanity and makes you re-define what it means to be American.”

Ben Gonio, who plays Chinese refugee, Wu Xiao, gave Nabel some feedback on being cast in a production with diversity.

“He told me how happy he was to be in a show where he finally doesn’t have to play against his ethnicity,” Nabel said.

For tickets and more information, go to http://villagetheatre.org/ or call (425) 392-2202. Village Theatre is located at 303 Front St. N., Issaquah.

Most dancers only need to practice their sequence of steps and movements. But if you’re a classical Indian dancer, it’s not just about how movement looks, but how it feels.

It takes many hours of practice to perfect the “abhinaya,” or expressions, and to understand and feel the dance form from within. This ability to truly feel the movement shows. And it can mean the difference of stealing the spotlight, or disappearing  becoming in an ensemble.

“The competition is tough and it is becoming increasingly important to be able differentiate yourself from everyone else,” said Supriya Unnikrishnan, a performer with Abhinay Fine Arts, a nonprofit on the Eastside that presents classical Indian dance.

Diverse|City checked in with Unnikrishnan, who will be performing at 3:30 p.m., Sept. 25 at the Theatre at Meydenbauer.

Go to abhinayfinearts.org for more information.

Hapa girl: What does classical Indian dance look like?

SU: There are different forms of classical Indian dance, based on region. The music, costume, jewelry, and movements vary. Our production focuses on the three main dance forms from the south of India: Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi and Mohiniattam.

Classical dance is differentiated from folk dance by the fact that it is more structured and it gets its basics from ancient scriptures, like the Natya Shastra (natya = dance, shastra = book). A classical repertoire will usually include items with pure nritta (dance steps), and abinaya (expression). The dancers perform various items that showcase their dance form and depth of expression. A lot of the stories that are explained are based on Hindu mythology.

Hapa girl: How are classical dancers regarded in India?

SU: Professional classical dancers are held in high esteem, and are recognized for their contribution to the art. Many dancers opt to start schools and continue the tradition of dance.

Hapa girl: What kind of commitment does it take to become a classical Indian dancer?

SU: The desire to dance sometimes starts early or sometimes later in life, but once it hits it takes a whole lot of commitment for the performer to take her dancing to the next level. A lot of children start young, and may complete what is called an “arangetram” or initiation to the stage. This is the first step on the path  to becoming a professional dancer. 

Hapa girl: Anything else?

SU: Our production is unique for this area in that, we have combined different dance forms to weave a story together. We have been fortunate enough to work with some very accomplished musicians in India. Our music director created a lot of the music specifically for this production and re-tuned some existing songs for our purpose. This is also the first time that local dancers, some not associated with dance schools, have come together and worked towards creating a single production under a single banner.

Three months until the wedding, and Samantha’s Taiwanese parents still disapprove of her hopelessly white fiancé. Meanwhile, Sam’s food-obsessed sister, Daisy, goes on the hunt for a mysterious take-out truck whose teriyaki is to die for (literally). While Sam tries to bring her family together and Daisy incurs the wrath of a fearsome Nordic wedding planner, events take an even stranger turn and the sisters must unite to save more than just a wedding day.

This is the plot of a novel, “Terroryaki” written by Jennifer K. Chung, a Bellevue software engineer I interviewed in February after she won the 33rd Annual International 3-Day Novel Contest.

Chung’s book launch and party is coming up: 2 – 4 p.m. Aug. 28 at The The Elliott Bay Book Company, 1521 10th. Ave., Seattle (free tasty chicken teriyaki while quantities last!).

Good writers often write about what they know. And Chung, (whose roommate at the time of our interview was her sis), wrote a novel complete with inspiration from her own life: sisters, the Asian American experience, inter-racial love, as well as teriyaki – which pervades the food landscape in her home, the Pacific Northwest.

This isn’t the first time we Northwesterners have been called out for our teriyaki lovin.’ From the teriyaki chicken we eat at Mariner’s games to Tom Douglas’ triple garlic teriyaki sauce sold at specialty food retailers – we are hopelessly in love. I’m not even sure we’re aware that the rest of the country may not have also adopted this hot, tasty, Americanized Japanese-ish food as a staple.

“In Seattle, teriyaki is omnipresent, the closest this city comes to a Chicago dog,” wrote John T. Edge in a 2010 New York Times article, adding that “teriyaki” is a short-hand for everything from a type of burger to platters of chicken with pineapple, and that we expect it be offered everywhere: alongside sushi on a menu, or even at a Thai, pho or Hawaiian restaurant.

Eighty-three Seattle restaurants have “teriyaki” in their name, including I Love Teriyaki and I Luv Teriyaki, according to The Washington State Restaurant Association (A concurrent search yielded about 40 restaurants named Burger King, McDonald’s or Wendy’s, according to Edge’s research.)

Whenever I’ve tried tried to discuss this phenomenon, a food addiction that characterizes our region, with one of my friends, his or her reaction is usually a puzzled look. To them, living in one of the nation’s teriyaki hotspots is just the norm. They, like me, like many Pacific Northwest folks, can’t imagine life without scores of restaurants dedicated to our go-to comfort food.

Celebrate Community Diversity, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. Sept. 30, Jubilee Center, Bellevue
Music, dance, community resource information available

Multicultural Networking, 1 – 3 p.m., Oct. 1, Crossroads Community Center.
Meet and hear from people from several countries talk about their experiences in their homeland and in the United States

Immigration Issues Forums, 7- 9 p.m. Oct. 11, Oct. 25, Bellevue City Hall
Guest speakers, panel discussion, group discussions about immigration system and how it affects business owners and immigrants to the U.S.

Anti-Hate/Community Unity Forum, Oct. 12, 6 pm – 8:30 pm, Bellevue City Hall
Discussion and presentations on how community members can fight hate messaging in their community, understand discrimination and build community unity.