HOPE & PEACE in 2022!

We invite you to a Virtual Oshogatsu Celebration, a special program with Claudine Naganuma to share her work with Dance with PD and their trip to Kyoto on Friday, January 28th, 1 pm

With more challenges to endure, we call on the Year of the Tiger to bring strength and determination to carry us through.

A special chirashi bento is available by pre-order for pick-up.  Suggested donation: $12  

To RSVP for ZOOM link, email jill@j-sei.org with “Hope & Peace” in subject line.

Peace About Life: Dancing with Parkinson’s

featuring Claudine Naganuma, artistic director of dNaga Dance Company

Friday, January  28, 2022 1 to 2pm PST

Celebrating 20 years with dNaga, artistic director Claudine Naganuma will share about the artistic process, art as a tool for healing, Dance for Parkinson’s and their performance at the World Parkinson’s Congress in Kyoto. Claudine will be joined by Cathy Wake Quides who will share reflections on Dance for PD and performing with dNaga in Japan.

For more information about Dance for PD® or dNaga visit dNaga.org

Photo by Solitaire Miguel, dancer Claudine Naganuma

Book Cover Photo by Matt Haber

Peace About Life, Support the Work

Peace About Life: Dancing with Parkinson’s, a book in both English and Japanese, offers first-hand accounts of struggling, thriving, re-defining identity, and finding peace while living with Parkinson’s disease. Claudine Naganuma, artistic director of dNaga Dance Company and certified Dance for PD® instructor, spent years interviewing dancers living with Parkinson’s disease, as well as some of their neurologists. The interviews were then taken into the studio to inspire and serve as audio for dance pieces.

The book is available for $20 with all proceeds to support Dance for PD free workshops.  Order the book below or make a donation to support dNaga Dance Co.

Next meeting on Zoom – Sep 24 at 4pm
RSVP here (put “J-Sei K-Drama” in the subject line)

We will discuss:

• Miss Night and Day, a Korean series currently on Netflix;
• Recommendations for K-dramas or movies;
• Continue our study of Korean history;
• Pachinko season 2 has started on Apple+, which we will discuss in future (you might also want to rewatch season 1).

Also:

• We are starting a subgroup devoted just to BTS! If interested in joining, please let Jane know (use RSVP link above).
• Don’t forget: you can borrow a DVD. The list (see below) keeps growing!
  

New pilot program to share DVDs and discuss

J-Sei Movie Night members have been asking for a way to share their favorite films and learn about movies and TV shows that are available. During this long pandemic, it seems more important than ever to share our resources and make sure everyone is connecting and flourishing.

In that spirit, we’re initiating a program so that DVDs can circulate to interested folks. At the same time, we’re providing a forum for discussion and feedback, to discuss films, TV shows, and any other media of interest. We’ve also expanded our project to include other Asian and American films and TV dramas in addition to Japanese films and programs.

J-Sei is hosting a series of Zoom meetings to talk about topics of interest. First up is K-dramas: what folks have enjoyed and are currently watching and what makes K-dramas so compelling. The first discussion was held in January 2022. The K-drama genre has proven to be so popular that it is continuing as an ongoing group meeting for fans, both beginners and aficionados!

Take a look at the spreadsheet below. It shows a list of Korean TV dramas available for borrowing; there’s a separate sheet listing Japanese and Japanese American DVDs as well (if you’re interested, please let us know). The sheet shows series title/alternative title, year, synopsis, user ratings, and more. (Titles that are currently loaned out are highlighted in blue.) This resource list has been growing over time to include hundreds of DVDs of all kinds.

If you would like to borrow one or more items on the spreadsheet, please contact Jane Tanamachi (janetanama@yahoo.com). Please be sure to put “J-Sei DVD” in the subject line of your email.

All are welcome to participate — by borrowing or lending a DVD or by adding your feedback and ideas to our ongoing community chat.

Happy Viewing!

For Pre-Registered Participants: 

To pay in advance electronically, use the payment box below. If you prefer to pay by check or cash, please pay on the day of the workshop.

A Script Reading of “Kintsukuroi” by Kerwin Berk
Friday, January 14th, 6:30 pm

Ikeibi Films will be partnering with J-Sei for a table read of select scenes from the new film Kintsukuroi, which will go into production in early 2022. The program will include live readings on Zoom by the actual cast, who will also be available for a Q&A afterward.

Kintsukuroi is a sweeping story about the lives of two Japanese American families as they struggle to deal with the devastating events of World War II. The new feature-length film is the latest project from Ikeibi Films and expands the stories of many of the characters who were first introduced in the short narrative film, “KIKAN – The Homecoming.”

Wendy Ito has to grow up quickly after she and her family are imprisoned in Topaz and lose everything. Shigeo Fujiwara’s life is irreparably changed when he answers the loyalty questionnaire. And Jimmy Ibata struggles to find his way after returning from the battlefields of Europe.

RSVP to jill@j-sei.org and indicate Movie Night 1/14 in the subject line.