'Red Lotus,' a dish made of chicken placed in a shell and decorated resembling a flower, made in the final round by Chen Yongming, Gold prize winner in the Shandong cuisine division. (Edward Dai/Epoch Times)
NEW YORK— Dish after dish, round after round, dozens of Chinese chefs tirelessly cooked up exotic Chinese delicacies, showing off their technical skills and superb creativity. But after the judging committee had made up its mind, only one chef stood out, winning the Gold prize in the Shandong cuisine division: Chen Yongming, a Chinese-American from Flushing, Queens, whose final round dish was the colorful “Red Lotus.” …… (more details from The Epochtimes)
Gold prize winner in the Shandong cuisine division Chen Yongming prepares his preliminary round dish 'Two Dragons Floating on Clouds.' (Bing Dai/Epoch Times)
Divinity: A word not often used to describe fashion. Yet when the clothing in question has the profound background of Han Couture, its the only word that will do.
The Han Chinese people have a saying that their culture is passed down from the heavens. China itself can be referred to as Shenzhou or the Divine Land. But can such deep spirituality really be seen in the very clothes that people wore during the Sui and Tang Dynasties and in these new creations theyve inspired?
[Lili Zhou, Competition Judge]:
We want to bring all these traditional things back. We just want to show the inner beauty and that is the very big message we want to send out.”
[Marie Copps, Fashion Designer]:
“I think we have to do that as a society as the whole world has to come back to more spirituality and deeper meaning than just money and material world”
[Maimouna Ngom, Recipient Honorable Mention]:
“That is what I like about this competition, because I read that the chinese culture was given by gods that is what they believe. So I said to myself when I design it has to be divine.”
The Tang Dynastys splendid painters and sculptors would lead devout lifestyles, meditate, and look to the heavens for inspiration in creating their artworks. It was often to these masterpieces that the clothing designers of those days would turn to find their models.
Whether casual or formal, the outfits themselves were created to reflect the mood and behavior of tranquil beings, in celestial realms.
At this weekends first annual Han Couture Global Design Competition, designers, models, and spectators shared what was for many a first-time experience: A fashion show where the physical beauty on display was matched equally, even exceeded, by spiritual beauty.
GOLD MEDAL WINNER: “Moments” by Zhaoqing Wang won the gold medal for the formal wear
NEW YORK—Silk painted with lotuses, long trailing sashes, and royal brocade were some of the fine details on display at the first Global Han Couture Design Competition held at Manhattan’s Prince George Ballroom on Sunday, Oct. 18.
The competition was part of a series of competitions held by New Tang Dynasty Television this year, including piano, violin, traditional Chinese dance, martial arts, and voice.
More even-paced than your average fashion show, several hours of eye-popping designs from over 50 contestants paraded down the catwalk. The designs ranged from familiar styles seen in traditional Chinese paintings—simple lines, broad panels and airy fabrics—to ones resembling those worn by characters in martial arts comic books.
The competition’s guidelines were to “borrow the patterns in clothing of the Tang, Song, and Ming dynasties…to create contemporary garments,” leaving the door wide open for a variety of styles and inspirations. But because the Western-Eastern combinations tended not to work, judges reverted to authenticity as their main judging criteria.
“Our selection process is designed this way because we want to use this to help guide the development of Han fashion down the line,” said judge Amy Li, who is an award-winning fashion designer trained in China. “We will be holding this competition in the future, we would like to see, in Chinese culture we have 5,000 years of fashion so we feel it’s already very rich and there’s a lot to draw upon already and we wanted to see a little bit more of that. There were some other pieces that were not as Asian and we felt that, having incorporated the western elements, even though it was nice in some cases, that it somehow doesn’t match, so it detracted from the overall effect.”
Each contestant was allowed to submit several pieces in two categories: casual wear and formal wear. In addition to a trophy and certificates of awards, $10,000 cash prizes were rewarded to gold winners, $5,000 to silver winners, and $2,000 USD to bronze winners.
Liqing Chen from Taiwan, whose pieces featured scooping sleeves and shapes that virtually leaped out from a painting, won silver in the casual division.
“Ancient Chinese fashion was very elegant, simple yet bold,” Chen said. “Mine was not very fancy but you don’t need a lot with Han couture to make it beautiful.”
Amy Li commented on the pieces that won gold in the formal wear division. Its theme was “Moments.” “The evening wear gold winner, the theme was ‘moment’ and we felt that it captured a moment in time of traditional Chinese couture,” Li said. “It was again very beautiful and at the same time very authentic.”
Some members of the fashion industry were in the audience. Sandi Grant, a New York fashion show producer, found the show impressive.
“The different colors, I loved the colors, the sequins, the embroidery, done stitch by stitch, they’re geniuses,” she said.
Lavera Wright, a former model and fashion consultant, now trains young models and holds fashion shows for upcoming New York designers. “It’s different from regular fashion shows,” Wright said. “The models took the time to pause, they really wore those gowns – they didn’t just run across the stage. They were elegant and graceful. That’s the way I am and how I teach my girls.” …… (more details)
The Organization Committee of NTDTV Chinese International Piano Competition-
Mission
The Chinese International Piano Competition is one of a series of world music events sponsored by
New Tang Dynasty Television (NTDTV). Its purpose is to provide Chinese from around the world
with a platform to exchange Chinese and Western cultures and art.
Organizer
The Chinese International Piano Competition is sponsored by New Tang Dynasty Television
(NTDTV) and will be televised around the world through the satellite, cable and internet.
Panel of Judges
The Panel of Judges for the Chinese International Piano Competition will be composed of
professional veteran pianists and they will be responsible for judging the contestants’ performances.
The decisions of the Panel for all rounds shall be final.
Procedures and Competition Repertoire
The Competition is divided into three rounds: Preliminaries, semi-finals, and finals.
1) Preliminary pieces: Contestants may choose to play the 1st movement of any of Mozart
Piano Sonatas (K331, K545 excluded). No repeat is needed.
2) Semi-final pieces: Contestants may choose to play the 1st movement of any of
Beethoven Piano Sonatas (Opus 49 No.2 excluded). No repeat is needed.
3) Final pieces: Contestants may choose one piece from each of the following two
composers. J.S. Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier Prelude & Fugue
NO.8 IN E-FLAT MINOR/D-SHARP MINOR BOOK I, BWV 853
NO.12 IN F-MINOR, BOOK I, BWV 857
NO.5 IN D-MAJOR BOOK II, BWV 874
F. Chopin
BALLADE NO.1 IN G MINOR, OP.23
BALLADE NO.2 IN F MAJOR, OP.38
BALLADE NO.3 IN A-FLAT MAJOR, OP. 47
BALLADE NO.4 IN F MINOR, OP. 52
SONATA NO.1 IN C MINOR, OP.4-I. ALLEGRO MAESTOSO
SONATA NO.2 IN B-FLAT MINOR, OP.35- I. GRAVE DOPPIO MOVIMENTO
SONATA NO.3 IN B MINOR, OP.58-I. ALLEGRO MAESTOSO
Contestants are required to play from memory.
The Panel has the right to suspend the playing.
Eligibilities
All students or teachers from professional performing arts academies and every pianist who has reached a professional level may sign up for the competition, provided they are 16 years of age or older.
Only Chinese or Chinese descendents are accepted in this competition.
Eligibility: The Panel of Judges will examine all application materials before mailing out the
Invitations to the Chinese International Piano Competition to all eligible contestants, who will in
turn obtain their visas and register with the Organization Committee.
Application package:
1) The applicant should fill out and submit the forms for the Chinese International Piano
Competition and a resume, both of which can be downloaded from the Competition’s
website. Signature of guardian is required if applicant is under 18 years old.
2) The applicant should provide two 1×1 inch color photos (digital photos preferred) and a
copy of their valid ID.
3) The above application materials should be sent to the Competition’s Organization
Committee by registered express mail. All application materials will not be returned.
A US$50 registration fee shall apply. We take cash, traveler’s check, or money order. Please
make your check payable to New Tang Dynasty Television…….
By Ram Srinivasan, Epoch Times Staff, Sep 29, 2008 -
NEW YORK— Martial Artists from all over the world competed in the first International Chinese Traditional Martial Arts Competition hosted by New Tang Dynasty Television (NTDTV) this past weekend at the Armory Track and Field Center in New York.
The event is part of NTDTV’s Nine Competition Series intended to reinvigorate the traditional Chinese art forms ranging from fine art, music, cooking, and dance. The two day contest began with preliminary rounds Saturday, followed by the semi-final and final rounds on Sunday, concluding with an awards banquet in the evening.
Both male and female competitions were held, featuring four different martial arts forms— Internal Style, Northern Style, Southern Style, and Weapons. The preliminary and semi-final round allowed contestants to compete in several forms, though they needed to commit to one category for the final round.
Joshua Peck of Pennsauken, NJ, 14, received Honorable Mention recognition for the Northern Form competition. Mr. Peck had previously competed in the International Zheng Jiang competitions in China, winning six gold medals for empty hand, broad sword, staff, and other forms. In regards to practicing Kung Fu, he said “it actually calms me down, and has helped me develop who I am now. It helped my technique. In Karate, my technique was lacking. I learned a lot of new stuff, like flips, and everything.”
Mr. Peck had practiced Karate before he started learning Kung Fu. “Before Kung Fu, I did Karate. But after a while, it was the same routines over and over again. I tried Karate for about 3 years. Kung Fu is like a whole new world.”
Asked about how he felt after competing in the finals, he said that “happiness, courage, bravery, all these feelings come to my body and mind right now.”
The martial arts competition required a minimum of three types of jumps or acrobatic flips for the long fist and weapon forms. The requirement for this competition was completely different from that used in contemporary martial arts contests, where the focus is purely on the appearance of the movement itself.
Marcus Leonard, 22, of Richmond, VA received Honorable Mention recognition in the Southern Form contest. Like many other contestants, he became involved in the martial arts from a young age.
“When I was a kid, martial arts struck my interest, around the time I was 8,” he said. He started training when he was 11. His style was Jow Ga, which Marcus described as “a form of Southern Fist (Nan Quan) which could also be classified as Northern Fist (Bei Quan).” Marcus’ teacher was an expert in Shaolin, Long Fist, and Wing Chun styles.
About the differences between contemporary and traditional martial arts, Mr. Leonard said they were very different. In traditional martial arts, “you respect the founder, respect the teachings, learn kindness, then learn justice, then learn Kung Fu. And then when you learn Kung Fu, you can protect yourself, but if you were a true Kung Fu man, you wouldn’t abuse your ability, your power. You meet a person, and if he is evil, you shouldn’t teach him for 10,000 pieces of gold. And if he has no honor, you shouldn’t teach him even if he was your brother. But if he has honor, you should teach him, even if he was a stranger.”
- The Epochtimes
By Wen Zhong and Sarah Matheson, Epoch Times Staff, Feb 09, 2008-
NEW YORK—Jerry Ames, an American choreographer and tap dancing master, was very impressed by the beauty of Chinese New Year Splendor on Friday night.
“The talent is very, very lovely, and the music and the setting is just gorgeous,” he said.
Mr. Ames has performed on Broadway, in nightclubs, on luxury liners, and on some of the major television channels in the United States.
(photo: Jerry Ames and his companion, Adorama at Splendor on Friday night/ by the Epochtimes)
His companion, Adorama, is a former dancer who is currently working with the Dance Notation Bureau.
She said she enjoyed watching the dancers’ footwork in “The Fruits of Goodness.” “Those two boys who got lost … I looked at their feet. Gorgeous. Beautiful feet—which shows obviously the training they’ve had,” she said.
Mr. Ames said the performances were all very unique. “And we particularly like the costumes, very lavish and beautiful,” he said. Adorama said the digital backdrops were also impressive. “On that scale, that’s very unusual to see, because the stage is so large, and then to have this projection,” she said.
Mr. Ames said Radio City Music Hall was the perfect venue for the show, “because it’s so large, it’s just beautiful.”
He really enjoyed the drums. “Oh that was very impressive…wonderful, wonderful,” he said.
Mr. Ames expected people would learn about the show through word of mouth. “I’m sure that everybody who saw it will tell their friends,” he said.
He said he also liked the sentiment behind the lyrics. “What impressed me were the lyrics speaking of freedom, and against tyranny … The music was great,” he said.
They both described the show as a “visual feast.”
“With the color schemes and the way the costumes blend with the setting is very impressive. It’s very elegant, very successful,” Mr. Ames continued. “We’re very impressed, it’s just beautiful … We’re very happy to be here.”
The Chinese New Year Splendor continues in New York through Saturday, Feb. 9. For other shows in the Divine Performing Arts world tour, please visit: http://www.DivinePerformingArts.org/
By Dalia Or, Epoch Times New York Staff, Feb 09, 2008-
NEW YORK—As the Chinese New Year Splendor nears the end of it 11-day run at Radio Music Hall, a family of three generations who attended Saturday’s matinee had high praise for the show.
“Culture is meant to promote peace and harmony with our neighbors. This harmony includes truth, compassion and tolerance,” said Daniel Lee, a real estate investor with Speed Investment Group in New York City.
“This world has plusses and minuses, but there is another world beyond this world, beyond this time-space. The Splendor shows us about history, culture, and how to promote peace and harmony in the world. I liked how it was presented in the show very much.”
Lee attended the Splendor with his wife, father, and son. “Three generations of us are here,” he said, pointing to his father and son. “My father is 90 years, I’m 45 years old, and my son is 15 years old.”
Lee said that his favorite piece was a Korean dance called “Changbai Mountains.”
“I like the Changbai Mountain dance very much. This mountain is the model of all the mountains on the earth. We Koreans call it the model mountain.”
Particularly taken in by the deeper meaning of the performances, Lee said, “The show was very good. Not only the music, but also beyond it. I’m referring to spiritual things.”
His wife, Hong Kim Elizabeth, a lawyer originally from Korea added that it was an “excellent show.”
After playing 15 shows in New York between January 30 and February 9, the Chinese New Year Splendor will continue its tour of over 65 cities worldwide with its next stop in Europe.
The Chinese New Year Splendor continues in New York through Saturday, Feb. 9. For other shows in the Divine Performing Arts world tour, please visit: http://www.DivinePerformingArts.org/ .
Having seen the first Winter Divine Performing Arts show at the Beacon it was with great pleasure to attend their equally spectacular show at Radio City on January 31.While I would have preferred the audience lights to be dimmed a bit more and the announcers’ microphones turned down a bit, I was mesmerized immediately with the incredibly felt performances from all the artists.
(photo: NEW YORK: Eric Shumsky, violist and son of Oscar Shumksy, outside Radio City Music Hall on December 31, 2008 /The Epoch Times)
Having been raised with a great father one of the consummate artists of violin the world has known (Oscar Shumsky 1917-2000, Shumskymusic.com) I was always told and understood that feeling above all is most important. Striving for cleanliness and exactness of performance is fine but the end result must be heartfelt and meaningful.
The spectacular array of talent from beautiful choreographed dance works, including Lady of the Moon inspired by a Chinese legend, to Forsythia In Spring , portraying the flower welcoming. Spring lightness and grace could not have been more aptly titled. Dancers danced suspended in thin air, as if on clouds!
Sets with changing and imaginative backgrounds superimposed dancing figures and beautiful scenery, colored by China’s profound past.
I loved especially the lead dance work of Michelle Ren, who is an artist the minute she walks on stage. Her grace is an understatement in elegance, simplicity and beauty, and her presence divine splendor.
I don’t have room here for all the great contributors. The music, a melange of east and west, quickly got to the underlying meaning behind each drama to be depicted. Junyi Tan, Xuan Tong, Yuan Gao, Yu Deng and Ningfang Chen must be given enormous credit for their original and special music.
And I would be leaving out a great part of the show. The elegant and artistic Erhu player: Xiaochun Qi.
I know most of the classical string players performing today and I dare say most of them could take lessons in the essence of expression. The little girl can express more feelings from her simple little instrument than years of conservatory and PR hype, and this includes most of the big name performers on today’s concert circuits. She really feels the music—the goose bumps on my arm proved it. I know Dad would have loved this kind of playing and feeling.
You may wondering how good is the biggest Chinese culture event– 2008 global tour show of Divine Performing Arts Chinese Spectacular, the following video is one of the references you must to have a look– it’s the feedback from audience after the show of Holiday Wonders in New York from Dec. 18~26, 2007, which was also performed by the Divine Performing Arts Company.
Chinese New Year Show returns back to Radio City Music Hall, New York !
7 shows will be performed from Feb 14-Feb 17, 2007. With a full orchestra and original choreography and music, it’s time for you and your loved one to rediscover the essence of true, traditional Chinese culture, and experience its pure goodness and beauty.
Chinese New Year Spectacular Schedule 2007 Radio City Music Hall
1260 6th Avenue, New York, NY 10020
Feb. 14 (Wed.)
8:00pm
Feb. 15 (Thu.)
11:00am
8:00pm
Feb. 16 (Fri.)
11:00am (Group Ticket only)
8:00pm
Feb. 17 (Sat.)
2:00pm
8:00pm
Youtube Video: 2007 Highlights of Chinese New Year Spectacular
