ARTSEDGE: Themes: Asia

Video Series

This video series, from the archives of the Kennedy Center's Education Department, brings you a glimpse of the history and diversity of China's performing arts.

Video Series

Japan: Arts & Culture

Learn about some of the major art forms in Japan—art, theater, dance, music, manga, anime, robots, and visual art installations

Audio Series

Sounds of China

Chinese music dates back thousands of years and sounds different from Western music thanks to important differences in tone, musical scale, pitch, instrumentation and individual instruments. With instruments crafted from a wide variety of materials, including, bamboo, silk, gourd, clay and stone—-and played in a diverse range of styles, from single voices to richly melodic orchestral pieces--Chinese music is as varied as the people who create it.

Website

IPASS: Japan! Culture + Hyperculture

This interactive features a comprehensive study of the arts and culture of Japan

Website

Pakistan: The Gift of the Indus

Immerse yourself in the arts and culture of this South Asian country and its people through videos, audio clips, virtual galleries, and a teen blog.

Video

Beijing Traditional Music Ensemble

Virtuoso musicians demonstrate a range of distinctive styles in Chinese music

Video

Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra

Join the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra for a lecture and demonstration explaining each of the four sections of the Chinese orchestra as well as some of the individual instruments.

Website

Art of the Explosion: Fireworks

This multimedia exploration explores the science and art of pyrotechnics and chronicles the making of Cai’s Tornado: Explosion Project for the Kennedy Center.

Video

Terra Cotta Warriors

The Terra Cotta Warriors are a collection of 8,000 statues that were buried over 2,000 years ago in the tomb of China's first emperor Qin Shi Huang.

Lesson

Science Meets Artistry: the Work of Cai Guo-Qiang

Studying the work of artist Cai Guo-Qiang, students will understand the technological, logistical, and artistic factors for performance-oriented works.

Video

Yunnan Singers, Dancers & Musicians

Artists of the Yi and Wa ethnic groups from Yunnan Province-the most ethnically diverse in China-demonstrate their unique folk traditions in this excerpt from the Kennedy Center's free Millennium Stage show.

Video Series

Tornado, by Cai Guo-Qiang

This excerpt from Cai's Tornado: Explosion Project for the Kennedy Center includes both the dancing boats and the tornado itself.

Video

Shaanxi Folk Art Theater

This side by side video shows the story of the turtle and the crane as seen by the audience and behind the screen as the puppeteers bring the story to life.

Video

Koji Kakinuma: Otsukimi

A festive Otsukimi (Japanese moon-viewing) by shodo performing artist Koji Kakinuma

Website

Playing with Shadows: An Introduction to Shadow Puppets

Discover the secrets behind the art of shadow puppetry in this multimedia exploration, designed for grades 5-8, which explores this age-old art form through animations, videos, interactive activities, and more.

Video

Koji Kakinuma: Trancework

Calligraphy artist Koji Kakinuma presents one of his trademark innovations, Trancework

Video

Maywa Denki

Maywa Denki is a performance art troupe with a unique style

Video

Oki Dub

Oki is the world's most prominent performer of the tonkori the only stringed instrument in the Karafuto Ainu musical tradition

Video

Japanese Robots!

Japan's robots are at once amazing works of art and fantastic feats of engineering

Video

Shigeo Kawashima: Wa

Shigeo Kawashima's sculptures take bamboo as an artistic medium to a new level

Video

Shin Tanaka: Paper Toys

Shin Tanaka is a Japanese artist, graffiti writer, paper toy creator, and designer

Video

Tadao Ando: Four Cubes to Contemplate Our Environment

The world-renowned architect Tadao Ando presents this world-premiere glass installation, which explores sustainability and the environment

Video Series

Matt Alt: Jumbo Machinders

Matt Alt explains the art and history of Japanese jumbo machinder toys

Lesson

You Too Can Haiku

This lesson will introduce students to the Japanese poetic form called haiku

Lesson

Chinese Instruments

Explore the similarities and differences between traditional western instruments and Chinese instruments while creating a Chinese instrument.

Lesson

Gyotaku Japanese Fish Printing

Students can gain an understanding of how Gyotaku reflects a part of Japanese history

Lesson

The Chinese Lion Dance

Dance in the Chinese New Year with your K-2 students

Lesson

Japanese Woodblock Prints

This lesson explores the history and evolution of the Japanese woodblock print

Lesson

Noh Theater

Students learn about the history, theatrical elements, music, dance and costuming of Noh Plays

Video

Sreevidhya Chandramouli

A faculty member at the University of Oregon at Eugene, Sreevidhya Chandramouli plays the vina (plucked Indian lute) in the Karaikudi tradition, combining voice and vina in her performances.

KC Connection