Review: Enlightening and Resplendent, NTDTV’s Chinese New Year Spectacular

by Jennifer Wesnousky, Explore Dance, February 16, 2007-

China’s Tang Dynasty between 618 and 906 A.D., explains the program for the NEW TANG DYNASTY TELEVISION’S CHINESE NEW YEAR SPECTACULAR, “is often called the highest point in Chinese history. Morality and education were highly valued and society was in harmony with nature.” Formed and named for this period by Chinese people living in the United States, the goal of New Tang Dynasty Television is to utilize American free speech to educate other Chinese people about world affairs in an environment free of the historic Chinese government restrictions. Its CHINESE NEW YEAR SPECTACULAR, performed at Radio City Music Hall between February 14 and 17, 2006, paid additional tribute to the prosperous period, showcasing a mélange of traditional Chinese song and dance to the educational delight of folks from every ethnicity.

The SPECTACULAR was a spectacle from its very first moment. The curtains opened to a smoke-filled stage across which the scurrying dancers, dressed as angels, appeared to float. A screen in back of the swarm of performers projected what appeared to be genuine Chinese landscapes, which changed from scene to scene. Following the first piece and throughout the performance, a charming Chinese narrator and her male, American counterpart shed some bilingual light regarding many of the production’s depictions.

Representing different historical periods and traditions, the SPECTACULAR presented an array of diverse and delightful dances. The young performers in “Rainbows” burst in carrying mystery props that appeared like bouquets of flowers, releasing them to reveal beautiful, brightly colored garlands similar to those used in rhythmic gymnastics. With tiny steps and little body movement, the number’s focus was on musically moving the ribbons midair, sometimes creating creative shapes in the midst of spins or leaps. “Dai Ethnic Dance” featured tiny, beautiful young females whose slow motion, sensual movement and shimmying shoulders in front of a projection of a river and palm trees evoked a comparison with the Hawaiian hula. Another standout dance piece featured a barrage of male dancers in fur-lined headpieces, made to represent herders on the Mongolian plains. Their masculine dance was filled with flowing arms, jerky shoulder movements and Russian-esque toe-touches, cartwheels and airborne barrel turns.

Many of the SPECTACULAR’s dance numbers included eye-pleasing formations, flowing arms, small, scampering steps and serene, seemingly divinely inspired faces. The use of props additionally characterized several of the compositions. In addition to the “Rainbows” ribbons, the companies incorporated bright orange, parasol-shaped cloths twirling rapidly on their fingertips, flower-shaped candleholders held precariously like trays atop the dancers’ hands and, in “Victory Drums,” a plethora of drums and drumsticks meant, according to Chinese folklore to “ward off evil” as well as “bring in a happy and bright New Year.”

The show also incorporated a live orchestra as well as an assortment of vocal talent including piano-accompanied sopranos, a tenor and a contralto who displayed her incredible vocal range. While all of the performance’s vocal numbers were sung in their native dialects, their projected transcriptions and English subtitles across the performance backdrop revealed their themes, dealing often with historical movements and their devoted disciples.

Whether outfitting the singers or dancers, each and every SPECTACULAR costume was just that, incorporating a brightly colored, beautiful range of fabrics as well as intricate headpieces. Silks and chiffons abounded on outfits including dresses, skirts, pants and robes with sashes with extreme attention to detail on accessories from jeweled tiaras to flowers, bows and even butterflies.

For an hour and a half on February 16, 2007, various aspects of Chinese culture became accessible to such diverse audience members as Chinese and other Americans, including teachers and school children from a multitude of backgrounds who may otherwise never have been exposed. Through the meticulous portrayal of Chinese song, dance and instrumentation by a team of over two-hundred talented performers, the NEW TANG DYNASTY TELEVISION’s CHINESE NEW YEAR SPECTACULAR left its audience with the tranquil sensation of having witnessed something both enlightening and resplendent.

- original from Explore Dance

Plum Blossoms, First of Four Noblemen, in Chinese Arts

By Tony Dai, to NTDTV-

Plum blossom, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum were adored by the ancient Chinese literati and artisans, and referred to as the “Four Noblemen.” This was because they were used to portray noble characteristics, such as pureness, humbleness, and uprightness.

The first “nobleman” is plum blossom which begins blooming in the harshness of winter and continues into early spring.  It is seen as bringing vigor and vitality to the world.

The dance “Plum Blossom” in the 2006 Chinese New Year Global Gala truly brought the spirit of this flower to the stage.  The performance captured the essential nature of plum blossoms, “a fragrance coming from the bitterness and coldness they experience.”

The dance themes included: blossoming, braving snow, and heralding the arrival of the spring. Gracefully movements were used by the dancers to depict the peaceful blossoming of plum flowers in the cold winter. Suddenly, a thunderstorm appeared blowing fierce cold winds. The heart of the story is displayed as the dancers represented the inner strength and unyielding courage of plum blossoms. Then, the storm stopped and the sunshine finally burst forth.  After experiencing the ordeal, the plum blossoms became even more beautiful.

The beauty of plum blossoms are not just due to their color or that it is the only flower blossoming in the winter. It is also because each gentle petal has grown through the cruelty of the winter storm, and represents the essence of the process of growth.

In the traditional Chinese style of writing, the character for plum blossom was endowed with unique inner meanings and expressed the virtues of courage, strength, and taking fame and wealth lightly. It is said that an artist who creates a fine portrait of plum blossoms should have the noble characters of plum blossoms.  So, when painting this flower an artist strives to express their unyielding courage and noble character. Many painters in China love to draw plum blossoms, but not everyone of them does it well.

Shi Zhongren, a monk during the Song Dynasty, was well known for his plum blossoms paintings on thin silk using black ink. It is believed that the reason he painted plum blossom well was because he was a cultivator with a noble personality.

The master of painting this flower was Wang Mian, an artist in the Yuan Dynasty.  Wang stated that paintings were poems with no words, and poems were paintings with words. Different from Shi’s style with a few branches and plum flowers, Wang’s paintings contained many branches and plum flowers, expressing uprightness and enthusiasm.

Other artists in the Ming and Qing Dynasties were also famous for their paintings of plum blossoms. Their painting styles may vary considerably, but they shared one similarity  noble characters.

[- Author Tony Dai is an art collector, critic, and writer.]

Dramatic Backdrops Scenery of the Chinese New Year Spectacular

By Yi Xin, to NTDTV-

Watching the NTDTV Gala, I was surprised by a feeling I’d been missing for a long time. I was tired of watching New Years’ programs after seeing so many Chinese New Year shows that were a hodge-podge of assorted cheap performances loaded with communist ideology. I had lost all interest in seeing galas, but my friends spoke so highly of the NTDTV Chinese New Year Global Gala that I decided to watch it. The presentation was very refreshing, and I just loved it.

(Photo: Vivid backdrops add meaning to NTDTV Gala performances, Flute Dancer)

Beautiful scenery and other artwork projected onto a large backdrop added to the splendor and profound emotional depth of the performances.

It is very difficult to produce realistic scenes given the limited space of a stage, and increasing the number of performers increases the difficulty.

During the vocal solo “Midland” by Yang Jiangsheng, however, there were no other performers or props. The audience saw only the singer standing before views of the Great Wall of China winding through the mountains. The impressive scenery complimented and enhanced the beautiful music.

A gala should be an uplifting celebration. I loved the program “Divine Lanterns.” The performance was set before classical Chinese buildings accented with colorful lanterns. The set design highlighted traditional Chinese culture and perfectly communicated the celebratory atmosphere of the occasion. The colorful glow over the buildings infused the piece with an intense significance.

The backdrop for “Fairy Flute” was actually a lightly colored brush painting that perfectly represented the ancient culture of China, and transported the audience from the noise and stress of modern urban life to a quiet fairyland.

Complicated stage dramas are often difficult for an audience to follow. The dramatic performance “When the Eyes of the Stone Lion Turn Red” is set in an ancient village, and the background scenery is key in presenting the story to the audience. The profound meaning of the piece is apparent when a great Bodhisattva is seen ascending to the heavens in the background.

The solo “Waking Up” seeks to awaken the best human qualities of the audience. It also represents the uniqueness of the NTDTV Gala and set it apart from all others. The audience was able to enjoy the artistic performances and reflect on the meaning of life when they saw the stars of the great enlightened beings in the background.

These are but a few examples of the effects of the background scenery in the NTDTV Gala. Throughout the Gala, scenes changed with each performance. The stories set in ancient China sprang to life on the stage. The background set designs were absolute masterpieces. Just remembering them is enough to fill me with anticipation, and I can’t wait to attend the 2007 NTDTV Spectacular.

Review: Chinese New Year Global Gala 2006, DC

Reviewed by Bob Anthony , All Arts Review 4u, February 21, 2006-

The National Theater was the venue for a totally stunning evening of Chinese variety acts included in “Chinese New Year Global Gala”.

Yes, it is the year of the dog but this show brought on angels, flying cranes, a good and bad dragon and other assorted animals that were humanized in dance and song.

The show was a technicolor treat with sequined and gold lame’ costumes and a changing back scrim of Chinese scenes of mountains, quaint villages and the heavens.

Every sequence was totally awesome!

Most of the female dancing was of the Chinese mincing style but they had wonderful circular movements along with brilliant hand work.

Two dancers (Dvorovenko & Saveliev) from the American Ballet thrilled with a scene from “Paquita”.

The audience favorites were the Peking Opera’s “The Monkey King Runs Amok in the Heavens” and “Oh, Susanna” played on Chinese instruments by the CBA Cultural & Arts Center Octet.

The show ended with dozens of different sized drums which loudly chased away “bad spirits” from the old year as well as the new year.

Certainly put this on your calendar for the next Chinese New Year. It certainly fulfills oriental needs without incurring travel expenses.(End)  (Reviewed by Bob Anthony)

- For more information, visit www.gala.ntdtv.com

- For the upcoming 2007 show in Vancouver,  please visit:
Chinese New Year Spectacular (Vancouver) official website