About Us
Pas d’ASL
Dance Of
All Sign Languages
A Dancing Celebration of the World’s Sign Languages. Pas d’ASL would love to collaborate with you – to educate, to present an inspiring performance, or to create a new work of art!
Most don’t know that sign language is not universal – Language is related to culture; change the culture, change the language. This is most fortunate as the numerous different sign languages around the world provide a rich linguistic landscape for creativity! In ballet they use the French word Pas to mean step or dance. They will say “pas de deux” for a “dance of two or duet”. Therefore, I created the name “Pas d’ASL Sign/Dance Company” – Dance of ASL or Dance of ALL Sign Languages.
Just as ASL Cabaret brought together Hearing and DHH artists to perform together, we will do the same with Pas d’ASL Sign/Dance Company only focusing on DANCE!
Sign language is a dancing language!
Mona Jean Cedar, first encountering ASL (American Sign Language)
The seed for Pas d’ASL was planted in 1991 with the creation of “Birth3” for Ms. Cedar’s AA final which had American, Japanese and Russian Sign Languages. For her BS degree final project in 2001, it blossomed in “Birth6” adding German, Italian, and Dutch.
2003 Burning Man saw the morphing of “Birth” into “Burning Bird”. In this version, husband, Jeff Boynton, used a deconstructed DAT recording of a mockingbird’s song for accompaniment to Mona Jean’s dancing with ASL, Japanese and Russian sign languges in the ashes of the man with a Phoenix theme.
Although Ms. Cedar continued to perform and create, her actual company was dormant until 2019.
During the pandemic they went virtual but as soon as things opened up they started winning awards. The Dance Resources Center of Los Angeles awarded free rehearsal space at The Music Center; Ballet Beyond Borders was so impressed with their original piece, “My Story” with Ethiopian Sign Language they bestowed the “Outstanding School” Award on them and to dancer Ms Tewabe, the Cultural Diplomacy Award.
In three short years, 2022, Pas d’ASL was invited and performed at the DeafNation World Expo in Las Vegas, Nv. and The Bay Area International Deaf Dance Festival in San Francisco, Ca.
Pas d’ASL Sign/Dance Company is excited for the future to create in every sign language in the world!
Welcome
All are welcomed – One does not need to hear to dance – Every Body can dance! Let’s Dance!
Ballet Beyond Borders – Outstanding School
Pas d’ASL offers an array of services that both delight and educate! Our genuinely unique performances with dances in the world’s sign languages absolutely fascinate audiences.
Coupled with our lecture/demonstrations in the linguistics of sign languages (we can go as deep as your audience wishes) we educate on a little known, misunderstood and intriguing subject. By adding a collaboration aspect, participants will acquire a “hands on”(!) experience aligned with your program.
We can determine a subject, choose which sign languages we want to create in, set choreography from those unique gestures of our chosen languages and set it all to music or even silence!
An added value is Ms. Cedar’s husband, Jeff Boynton, an internationally renowned composer, who will compose an original piece of music tailored to our new work. Mona Jean’s decades long involvement in the Poetry community is a great resource if spoken word is desired. Creating with sign languages, in dance and spoken word is exponentially communicative and theatrically mesmerizing, Let’s collaborate!
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American, Mexican, French, Israeli, Russian, Hindi “Celebration” – Cedar/Boynton
American, Mexican, French, Israeli, Russian, Hindi.
MEXICAN SIGN LANGUAGE
SPANISH SIGN LANGUAGE
HINDI SIGN LANGUAGE
FRENCH SIGN LANGUAGE
Ethiopian Sign Language & ASL
HEBREW & AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE
MEXICAN SIGN LANGUAGE
AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE
AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE
AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE
American & Hebrew Sign Languages
“Kindred Spirits” – Cedar; Feingold
Dancers – Cedar Damti, Feingold
Music – Brahms Cello – Jeff Boynton
Pas d’ASL Sign/Dance Company Repertoire
Dances with International Sign Languages
“Signature dance Celebration” – original music/lyrics: Boynton /Cedar
Sign Languages (SL): ASL, Russian, French, Hindi, Israeli,
Spanish, Mexican, Japanese, Chinese “La Bamba” – Richie Valens
· SL – Lyrical “J’ai Duex Amours – Josefine Baker
· India SL – Bollywood – “Jai Jai Shivshankar” – War
· Spanish SL–Flamenco-“Arrinconamela–Gritos de Guerra
· Russian SL– Ballet/Pointe “Kitri Variation” Don Quixote
· Korean SL – K-Pop – “Gangmun Style” -PSY
· Ethiopian SL–African–“Hanna’s Story” original Cedar/Tewabe
Dances with ASL
· “Hope” – original music & lyrics – Cedar/Boynton
· “Everyday” – original music & lyrics – Cedar/Boynton
· “Global Hassel Hustle” original – Cedar/Boynton
· “Silent Night” – Hymn
· “Ghostbusters” – Ra Parker Jr.
· “Dancing in the Streets” – Martha & the Vandellas
· “Black & White” – Michael Jackson – Black SL
· “Billy Jean” – Michael Jackson
· “ABC, 123” – Michael Jackson
· “Mein Herr” – Cabaret
· “2 Ladies” – Cabaret
· “Cabaret” – Cabaret
· “Vogue” – Madonna
· “Get Lucky” – Daft Punk
· “Shcuyler Sisters” – Hamilton
· “My Shot” – Hamilton
· “The Hustle” – Van McCoy
· “I’m so Excited” – Pointer Sisters
· “Dancing Queen” – Abba
· “You should be Dancing” – Bee Gees
· “Surfin’ USA” – Beach Boys
· “Happy” – Pharrell Williams
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The resulting work should be theatrically enthralling, communicating conceptually
through ASL, verbally with the spoken word and kinetically by dance.
Of course, this being an artistic endeavor, creativity can lead to a multitude of expressions!
