Dawn Xiana Moon

This is a Chinese name; the family name is Moon.

Dawn Xiana Moon (born August 27, 1983, Singapore) is a Chinese American singer-songwriter and bellydancer based in Chicago, Illinois. She is notable for being the first musician to blend traditional Chinese music with Americana, pop, and jazz.[1] Moon is also the producer/director of Raks Geek, the first bellydance and fire company of its kind.[2]

She is listed as a musician in the Encyclopedia of Asian American Folklore and Folklife [3] and Southern Connecticut State University's list of famous Chinese-Americans.[4]

Early life

Born in Singapore, Moon began studying classical piano at the age 5, the same year her family moved to the United States.[5] She grew up in Michigan, just outside of Detroit. [6] Throughout high school, she earned recognition at regional competitions for piano, flute and voice. But it wasn't until her freshman year at the University of Michigan that she left classical music and started playing the guitar. Two months later, she began writing songs.[7] She moved to Chicago and began collaborating on projects ranging from a commissioned piece for Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre to independent films.[8]

Music

Moon's musical style draws influences ranging from traditional Chinese music to modern American folk, from jazz to pop, from minimalism to Americana; she strives to bridge the musical traditions of the East and West.[9] Her work incorporates traditional Chinese instruments like the guzheng and erhu; she is also noted for singing in three languages: English, French, and Mandarin Chinese. Encyclopedia of Asian American Folklore and Folklife notes that for Moon and others like her, influences from Western classical music can be traced back to early Chinese court orchestras.[10]

The combination of Eastern and Western influences has garnered acclaim in Asia.,[11] which sees the music as bringing cultural traditions into the future.[12]

Dance

Moon's early dance training came from lindy hop and blues; she fell into tribal bellydance almost on accident.[13] Raks Geek was the first dance company to combine professional bellydancers and firespinners with geek themes, and they became notable after a video of a live performance (a Wookiee bellydancing to a Klingon band playing an original song in Shyriiwook went viral on YouTube.[14] Moon formed the company after a late-night internet search for "geek bellydance"; she was disappointed by the artistic and technical proficiency of examples she found. As she was already a professional dancer, she decided to do the topic justice by creating a show by geeks, for geeks (Moon has given talks at C2E2, the University of Chicago, and Chicago Comic Con on issues surrounding women in geek culture, and other members of the group are scientists and organize Chicago geek community gatherings).[15]

Trivia

Dawn has acting credits in three independent films: Weapon (2011), Detroit Unleaded (2012), and Motivational Growth (2013).[16]

Although Moon was born in Singapore, she is a naturalized US citizen.[17]

References

  1. ↑ Lee, Jonathan H.X. Encyclopedia of Asian American Folklore and Folklife, Volume 1.
  2. ↑ MSN.com "Never seen a sexy Wookiee belly dance? This can be remedied" Check |url= value (help). Retrieved 2014-10-15.
  3. ↑ Lee, Jonathan H.X. Encyclopedia of Asian American Folklore and Folklife, Volume 1.
  4. ↑ Southern Connecticut State University "Famous Chinese-Americans 1785-Present" Check |url= value (help). Retrieved 2014-11-01.
  5. ↑ The Herald Times "Premier Cafe Hosts Singer-Songwriters" Check |url= value (help) (PDF). Retrieved 2014-11-01.
  6. ↑ Barile, Paul (April 6, 2006). "Practical singer takes care of business" (PDF). Pioneer Press. Chicago, Ill.
  7. ↑ The Herald Times "Premier Cafe Hosts Singer-Songwriters" Check |url= value (help) (PDF). Retrieved 2014-11-01.
  8. ↑ DawnXianaMoon.com "Official Biography" Check |url= value (help). Retrieved 2014-11-01.
  9. ↑ DawnXianaMoon.com "Official Biography" Check |url= value (help). Retrieved 2014-11-01.
  10. ↑ Lee, Jonathan H.X. Encyclopedia of Asian American Folklore and Folklife, Volume 1.
  11. ↑ Lin, Alice (November 20, 2013). "Singaporean-American Finds Her Roots". Straits Times. Singapore.
  12. ↑ China Daily "美国作曲家发现的中国根" Check |url= value (help). Retrieved 2014-10-17.
  13. ↑ Another Castle "RAKS GEEK: An Interview With a Dancer Who Fuses Fandoms" Check |url= value (help). Retrieved 2014-11-01.
  14. ↑ dailymail.co.uk "When Star Wars Meets Star Trek: Female Wookiee Belly Danced to Klingon Band in Ultimate Geek Mash Up" Check |url= value (help). Retrieved 2014-10-31.
  15. ↑ Another Castle "RAKS GEEK: An Interview With a Dancer Who Fuses Fandoms" Check |url= value (help). Retrieved 2014-11-01.
  16. ↑ IMDB "Dawn Xiana Moon" Check |url= value (help). Retrieved 2015-09-21.
  17. ↑ IMDB "Dawn Xiana Moon" Check |url= value (help). Retrieved 2015-09-21.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/8/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.