Epoch Times Staff Aug 24, 2008
(Dajiyuan/The Epoch Times)
NEW YORK--Thirty of the world's best Chinese Classical dancers will perform on Sunday in the final of the International Chinese Classical Dance Competition. The stage at Town Hall Foundation in Manhattan, New York will come alive with ancient tales of China's rich past.
The final announcement of the winners and award ceremony will be held at
Manhattan Center Studios' Hammerstein Ballroom after a show by the Divine
Performing Arts company.
The 41 semi-finalists of the International Chinese Classical Dance Competition
on Aug. 22 impressed the judges and audience at Town Hall Foundation.
The contestants showed exceptional efforts today in conveying the inner meaning
of their dances through technique, bearing, and form. Together, they are
reviving the rich Chinese culture, history and values through their exhilarating
movements and expressions.
"I think today the contestants showed better performances than yesterday.
There isn't the tight, competitive feeling present. The overall performing
condition and state of mind are pretty good," said judge Vina Lee.
The contestants reveal that this competition is a wonderful opportunity for them
to improve and learn from one another other in classical Chinese dance and
culture.
"Even though we all grew up overseas, we all have Chinese blood in us where
we share the same love for Chinese classical dance. To have an opportunity to
learn such pure dance overseas is something very valuable to all of us,"
said Meijing Dong from the Senior Women's Division.
Rooted from the dynamic 5,000 years of Chinese history, the majority of
performers this year have chosen to portray legendary heroes and tell stories
and tales through their aesthetic movements.
William Li from the Junior Male Division acted out young General Yue Fei from
the Song Dynasty in his courageous dance during the Individual routine.
"I try to show my inner strength through poses during my dance. The poses
are different if I was to portray a kid, but Yue Fei is a hero and a general, so
the poses, feeling, and movements are really open and extended."
Another finalist, Brian Nieh shared his experience in playing Suwu, a high
ranking official who was sent on a mission and got captured by enemies. The
enemies tried to bribe him to surrender, but Suwu was clear on his stand and
ended up being a shepherd for 19 years.
(Dajiyuan/The Epoch Times)
"Suwu is certainly much older than me, but regardless of what type of
character, when you try to act the part of the character, you need to study the
character from his or her perspective, and understand his or her way of thinking
and morality. So while portraying him, I looked into a lot of his stories to get
this feeling," said Nieh.
"The values of culture and loyalty in Suwu's story are crucial to people
nowadays and to me, but if you ask people today to read the book on Suwu, they
may not understand him, especially the reason why he was so persistent on his
stand of not surrendering to his enemy. Nevertheless, the book really taught me
a lot as I portrayed Suwu in my dance."
The judges today are amazed at the contestants for their genuine understanding
and manifestation of Chinese classical dance. They chose from a wide range of
topics such as heavenly maidens, little monks, and Yue Fei.
"Chinese classical dance is a tradition passed down by history through
dynasties. It is a gift inborn in every Chinese person that came down from
different dynasties and culture. The dance is passed along with a special
characteristic known as the unique Chinese style. This style is not only the
inheritance of movements, but it also includes the cultural value," said
Vina Lee.
"During early stages of inheritance, there was not much on bearings and
forms, but the movements are preserved and passed down. In the courts of every
dynasty, the inheritance on the Chinese style was never disconnected. The dance
was not organized systematically and just took the form of passing down through
ethnic dances in all parts of the country. Now, we are just bringing out the
dance in a systematic way, but that's just a small aspect of Chinese classical
dance, because most importantly, it is supposed to convey deep feelings from the
heart."
The rich culture behind the Chinese classical dance has impacted the contestants
greatly both in terms of their inner character and the expressiveness of their
dance.
"Chinese classical dance has a lot of technique in it, and there's a lot of
strength in it. If you want to work with someone who's very tough, you can use a
lot of those techniques to express the meaning of the character that you want to
dance. Chinese dance can express everything, because there's technique, there's
clothing, expression, and your eyes," said Selena Ren from the Senior
Women's Division who portrayed a heroine with strength and dignity.
Judge Yi Cao emphasized that Chinese classical dance includes three aspects of
bearing, form and technique, but it is distinct from ballet, Chinese opera,
martial arts and modern dance. Chinese classical dance is built on rich
historical aesthetic values, bearing ancient Chinese style.
Source http://epochtimes.com/gb/8/8/24/n2239304.htm
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