FOLK DANCE AND RELATED CULTURAL RELICS OF GUIZHOU

Miao ethnic group, most dwelling in the southwest province of Guizhou, is versed in singing and dancing. Folk dances of Miao people vary in accordance with props, movements, themes and performance venues. In terms of props, there are wooden drum dance, copper druln dance, reed pipe dance, bamboo stick dance, big knife dance, spear point dance and flower stick dance. From the perspcctive of movements, there are chicken fight dance, chicken dance, flower drum dance, rolling dragon dance and rolling pearl dance. Migration dance and stepping-bridge dance are so named because of their themes. And dances named after their different performance venues include stick-passing dance, round dance, Nan-hall dance and hidden-drum dance. Even for the same type of dances, there are minor differences in light of performance venues, gender and agc of dancers as well as instruments. The four most famous and popular types of folk dance in Guizhou include wooden drum dance, copper drum dance, flower drum dance and reed pipe dance. As these four dances are all accompanied by drums or reed pipes, Miao culture is thus called ＂culture of drum and reed pipe＂.     

Shanghai Arts Festival Brings Together Chinese and International Stars

Shanxi folk dance ＂A Handdful of Wild Juiubes＂ opened the 8th China Shanghai International Arts Festiwd on October 17, Zhang Jigang＇s new Shanxi ballet romance is permeated with local flavor, and was honored as ＂poetic perfection of love in the land of Shanxi＂. This is the first time that the festival has broken with tradition and hrought in repertoire from another province as the opening performance.     

Folk Festivity Parade Brings Fun to Beijingers

Folk festivity parade （literally meaning ＂folk flower fair＂ in Chinese） dates back to hundreds of years in China. This miscellaneous form of folk performance is evolved from ＂bai-xi＂ （variety folk show] in the Han Dynasty and ＂she-huo＂ [festivity performance] in the Song-and-Yuan period when it featured walking on stilts, yangke dance, lion dance and land-boat dance. Since the Qing Dynasty, diverse forms of performance have been added and folk festivity parade has developed into a major folk arts form performed during temple fairs and other traditional festivals that integrates such diversified art expressions as dance, singing, drama, martial arts, acrobatics, ballad-singing and music.     

Sun Yingdi： ＂Liszt in Primary Colours＂

On the eve of 16 October, the seats of the City Hall opera house in Wellington, New Zealand were fully occupied. Sun Yingdi, Chinese young pianist dubbed as ＂Liszt in primary colours＂, concert kicked off his nearly was giving his solo concert. The one-month-long musical tour in New Zealand, which was part of the ＂Oriental Express＂ program initiated by Chinese Cultural Ministry. The concert was a big successs. With his extraordinary skills and perfect performance, Sun touched the strict New Zealand audience so deeply that they gave him stormy applauses for quite a long time.     

＂Shanghai Dreams＂ Reveals Cruelty of Youth

Wang Xiaoshuai＇s Cannes prizewinning film Shanghai Dreams （Qing Hong） is rooted in first handed memories. In the late 60s, when China feared attack by the USSR, armament factories and other ＂front line＂ industries were relocated from cities on the eastern seaboard to remote inland areas, and idealistic young adults were persuaded to resettle in dirt-towns like Guiyang to staff them. Less than 15 years later, many were desperate to move back to the urban sophistication of such cities as Shanghai, disillusioned by life in the sticks and eager to taste the newFreedoms of the 80s. The Wu family is a case in point.     

Gai Yikun： Dance in the Cloud

With the blue sky as the stage, You dance in the cloud. Under the spotlight of the moon, You dance in the beautiful movement. Isn 't Mermaid in the sea? Princess Wencheng was only on Tibetan Plateau. Han Dynasty concubines passed with history. But you reincarnate them on the dancing stage. With dance, you fulfilled a Chinese dream in Confucius's hometown. With dance, you intoxicated French audience in Champs-Elysees. With the blue sky as the stage, You dance in the cloud. Dance is endl…     

Yi People＇s Tiger Dance

The tiger dance is a primitive type of dance popular in Shuangbai County, Chuxiong Prefecture, southwest Yunnan Province. This indigenous dance contains elements of religion, literature, society and folklore and is practiced to ward off evils and disasters and anticipate auspicious signs and good fortune. Dating back to the Neolithic Age, the tiger dance has been handed down from generation to generation and is now enshrined as the valuable heritage of Yi ethnic group.     

＂Thunderstorm＂ Touches Japanese Hearts

During 2006 China Culture Festival in Japan, the dassic drama production ＂Thunderstorm （third edition）＂ was presented by Beijing People＇s Art Theatre （BPAT） at Autumn Theatre of the renowned Shiki Theatre Company in Tokyo. This classic program, directed by Gu Wei and starred by such respected drama actors and actresses as Yang Lixin, Gong Lijun, Wang Ban and Bai Hui, attracted the audience with realistic stage design and original story plots. Despite the language barrier, it deeply touched the Japanese audience which almost filled the nearly- 1000-seat theatre.[第一段]     

A Mysterious Blue Box：＂Water Cube＂ for Beijing Olympics

The National Aquatics Center, or more popularly known as ＂Water Cube＂, stands on the opposite of ＂Bird＇s Nest＂ in the Olympic Green. This miraculous building features a mysterious transparent blue appearance and an innovative structure, perfectly mixing architectural concepts and cutting-edge technologies. Based on the traditions of Chinese culture and architectural design, Water Cube stands out in a simplistic and streamlined form, creating a harmonious co-existence with Bird＇s Nest while distinguishing itself from the grandeur of the latter. The building＇s design is inspired by the traditional concept of Chinese philosophy, ＂integral unity and harmony between the round heaven and the square earth＂, which are respectively represented by Bird＇s Nest and Water Cube. While meeting functional needs for international competitions, this square blue box is considered an outstanding example integrating traditional culture with modern functional facilities.     

Zheng Danyi Emerges as Talented Chinese Zither Player

On the evening of January 6, 2006, Zheng Danyi, a young talented student of the guzheng （Chinese zither）, held her solo concert in the concert hall of the Central Conservatory of Music （CCOM） in Beijing. Her extraordinary interpretation of classical pieces as well as contemporary compositions won her huge ovations. Zheng successfully concluded the concert with ＂West China Capriccio＂ co-composed by Huang Zhenyu and Zhou Wang.     

Primitive Nuo Dance Once Vanquished Evil,Now Entertains

China's Nuo dance, which originated in the primeval age as a means of exorcising demons and worshiping gods, is the oldest known dance form in the country. The Nuo dance was performed in most parts of China, by Han people as well as some ethnic minority groups in the southeast.     

Guizhou： a Natural Museum on Ethnic Traditions

Dong people, an ethnic minority group dwelling in southeast China, are talented for singing and dancing.The area they dwell in is thus hailed as the ＂sea of songs＂ and ＂natural museum on ethnic culture＂. Dong people often sing songs in drum towers in their villages as a way of recreation. The songs they sing, called ＂Grand Songs of Dong People＂ are multi-part folk songs without accompaniment.     

HIDDEN ＂VALLEY OF FEMALE BEAUTY＂REDISCOVERED

Donnu Guo （＂Eastern State of Women＂） was an ancient kingdom governed by queens and existing during the Sui and Tang dynasties （approx. 6th-9th centuries AD）. Few historical records have been ever found about this mysterious matriarchic society until it was rediscovered one thousand years later in Danba, a county in western Sichuan Province adjacent to Tibet. Ancient watchtowers, unique terrains in the shape of plum blossoms and in particular beautiful women that have been insulated within the depth of mountains for hundreds of years,all have gained it a reputation as the ＂valley of female beauty＂.     

Shanghai World Expo in the Eyes of the Beninese Female Photographer

Just before the National Day of China on October 1,＂See China at Shanqhai World Expo＂ an Exhibition of the Beninese Female Photographer＂ was opened at China Culture Center in Benin. On the occasion of the Day of Benin at the Shanghai World Expo, the exhibition is part of the＂Beautiful Nations＂ exhibition series. Chinese Ambassador Mr. Geng Wenbin, Beninese Minister of Culture, Illiteracy Eradication and National Language Promotion, Director of the Benin Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo as well as more than 200 distinguished guests attended the opening ceremony.     

＂My Dream Comes True ＂

＂I have two more dreams fulfilled than others,＂ said Madam Sun Danwei, president of Wuyutai Tea Co., Ltd., ＂One is Wuyutai managed to offer tea service in the Olympic Village and the other is t myself, as a representative of Wuyutai, was selected as an Olympic torch bearer!＂     

Paris Echoes with Chinese Tunes：＂Melody of Spring＂ concert series held in China Culture Center

＂Melody of Spring＂ concert series, an annual music event launched by China Culture Center in Paris （CCC） four years ago, took place from April 12 to 14 in CCC＇s auditorium. More than two hundred French audiences attended the three-day concerts, including students in CCC＇s training programs as well as distinguished guests like Eurostat Director General, Bourbon Prince, Mayor of Boulogne and their wives.     

Dance Drama Confucius Conveys Traditional Ethics

The large-scale original dance drama Confucius is the new production of China Opera and Dance Drama Theatre, with Kong Dexin, Confucius＇s 77th-generation descendant, as its playwright and director. The six-act dance drama interprets Confucius＇s life through solo dance, pas de deux and group dance, reflecting this great thinker＇s disappointment about the chaotic society with the collapsed ritual and music system, aspiration for the society of great unity, pursuit of humanism and truth, and respect for traditional culture of ancient China.     

Meet in Beijing with French Arts

The ＂Meet in Beijing＂Arts Festival 2014 opened with a concert celebrating the 50th anniversary of China-France diplomatic ties.At the concert,French master conductor Philippe Entremont presented romantic French music in collaboration with the symphony orchestra of the Dentral Opera of China.     

China Cultural Center Inaugurated in Madrid

China Cultural Center in Madrid is located in the downtown of Madrid, enjoying very convenient transportation. In the center there are exhibition halls, multi-purpose halls, library, martial arts dance classroom, culinary classroom and language classroom. Since its trial operation in October 2012, over 60 exhibitions, pelformances, film screenings and other activities have been presented, attracting tens of thousands of local people. The Chinese language and martial arts courses were greatly welcomed by the locals as well.     

＂Presences China＂ ： Foreign Musicians to Compose Chinese Music

Eight French composers were invited to a competition called ＂Presences China＂ to compose distinctive Chinese music during Shanghai Music Festival taking place in May 2006. They were requested to use Chinese instruments and familiar Chinese melodies, which was hailed as a creative endeavor in the history of music.