(Video) “Chinese Violin”- Erhu Performance: Yuan (Predestined Relationship), by Qi Xiaochun

From NTDTV video on Youtube, of Shen Yun Performance, October 2006, by Qi XiaoChun-

Sometimes known in the West as the “Chinese violin” or “Chinese two-string fiddle,” Erhu is a two-stringed bowed musical instrument, used as a solo instrument as well as in small ensembles and large orchestras.

The Erhu consists of a long vertical stick-like neck, at the top of which are two large tuning pegs, and at the bottom is a small resonator body (sound box) which is covered with python skin on the front (playing) end. Two strings are attached from the pegs to the base, and a small loop of string (qian jin) placed around the neck and strings acting as a nut pulls the strings towards the skin, holding a small wooden bridge in place. (wikipedia)

New York: ‘Holiday Wonders’ Comes to a Marvelous Close

Audience responded in loud applause as curtains fell upon the last of nine performances of “Holiday Wonders” presented by New Tang Dynasty Television (NTDTV) at the Beacon Theatre on Broadway. Nearly 30,000 diverse spectators witnessed and experienced endless amazement, inspiration, wonder, and fantasy.

A Rare and Grand Occasion

During the last performance, Neil Feltz, assistant general manager of the Beacon Theatre, praised NTDTV’s “Holiday Wonders” as a great success and a rare grand occasion at the Beacon Theatre. People of different ethnic groups and ages all enjoyed and praised the performances. Feltz said, “Everyone walked out of the theater wearing a smile on their face.”

Audience’s hearts rode along with the waves of unexpected climaxes of performances as they experienced a Christmas wonder characterized by eastern and western elements. Among Chinese spectators, some felt that “Holiday Wonders” conveyed the traditions and profundity of Chinese culture and gave the audience a sense of harmony and ease.

NTDTV President Lee Zhong was pleased with the success of “Holiday Wonders”. Lee said, “This is the first time such performances have been presented during the Christmas holiday. This is also the first time such performances have been offered exclusively for students. I am touched by the generally positive feedback from the audience, by sincere smiles on people’s faces as they exited the theater, and particularly by the roars of ‘Encore!’ among the children and the elderly.” Lee specifically expressed thanks to everyone and concluded that support from the community was the key to the show’s success.

A New Culture Emerging from Traditions

Ambassador Andrew Hsia, head of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York, acclaimed, “From each performance, we can see the efforts made by NTDTV. We also see a new culture emerging from traditions. This is something very amazing. We hope that NTDTV can keep up their great work so their gala may become a tradition.”

Mr. Chang Chingnan, director of the Cultural Center of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York, commended that the performances were marvelous and appropriately presented the spirit of oriental and western culture. Chang believes “Holiday Wonders” highlighted the essence of ancient Chinese culture such as China’s deeply rooted spiritual beliefs and ethics.

Unlike other performing groups from China, NTDTV’s performances are not affiliated with the communist party. Instead, it bases its performances on the spirit of ancient Chinese culture. Mr. Chang considers this a point of great importance.

Professor Luis Barrios, from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice at the University of New York, and his wife are very interested in Chinese culture. He not only used “excellent” to extol performance, he also said, “Most of what Americans get from Hollywood movies about China is negative. They have the wrong impression. When I sat there watching how positively Chinese culture can be displayed, I realized that I didn’t know much about the true nature of Chinese culture either.”

Chinese with Different Backgrounds Gathered Together

Many Chinese from mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and from different social backgrounds gathered at the show. New York writer Linda Smith described the show as “an unbelievable artistic display of human values.” Ms. Smith said what moved her most was seeing, for the first time, so many Chinese from different social backgrounds gathered together.

New York Red Apple Art Center Chairman Mr. Song said, “Having lived in China for many decades, I never saw the true culture of the divine land. ‘Holiday Wonders’ really moved me. I must come up with a way to let my relatives and friends in mainland China watch this show.”

Seven Performances of Chinese New Year Spectacular in New York

Lee Zhong stated that the unprecedented success of “Holiday Wonders” has made him more confident about the upcoming Chinese New Year Spectacular that will show in New York in February.

All nine performances of “Holiday Wonders” came close to selling out, especially the performances for students and senior citizens, and the weekend showing. After watching one performance, some could not get enough and purchased another ticket to watch it again. Audiences expressed the desire to see the Chinese New Year Spectacular and promote it to their friends and family.

Looking forward to the Chinese New Year Spectacular shows, Lee Zhong said, “All seven performances at Radio City Music Hall will have completely different programs than ‘Holiday Wonders’. The show times will be during the month of the Chinese New Year, and there will be tours to 28 major cities around the world. We hope friends can pass around the good news. Book tickets early to get good seats and enjoy the show! ” (article from ntdtv website, photo from Chinese News The Epoch Times  website)

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.

The Mystery of Chinese Culture & Art

The following story can help to shed some light on the mystery:

Once there was an art dealer who had a painting that depicted a young farm boy leading a horse across a bridge. The boy was facing the horse, his body leaning back, and he looked like he was exerting great effort.

One day a buyer came in and had to have this painting. However, he didn’t have enough money on him to buy this rather expensive artwork right away. So he asked the dealer to hold the painting for him while he went home to get the funds.

As the seller took the painting down, he noticed it was missing the rope the boy should have been using to lead the horse. Without much thought, he picked up an ink brush and added a rope to fix this apparent flaw in the painting.

When the buyer came back and saw the new rope, he was terribly upset. He told the dealer: “I was only willing to spend so much on this painting because of the rope that wasn’t seen but could still be felt!” 

Asian-themed performances like NTDTV’s Holiday Wonders or the Chinese New Year Spectacular offer an entirely new experience for many Westerners, partly because they are so different from the more typical, narrative-driven, performing art forms. They ask something different from the audience – a slight shift in expectations, a shift in sensibility.

The appreciation for what is implied rather than what is in plain sight sets Asian art apart from Western art. Traditional Chinese dance, for example, is less precise and strict in form than its Western counterpart, ballet. It is because it attempts to evoke a different sort of feeling. Like a glass of claret with its subtle undertones, this kind of dance leaves room for the imagination while leaving a lasting impression.

The more something is described in a concrete way, the smaller the range it covers. For example, the phrase “hot water” describes not only water but its temperature, so although “hot water” is more specific than “water,” it precludes “warm water,” “cold water,” and other kinds of water and is therefore more limited. Perhaps this is why so much of Chinese art seems to speak in generalities. Ink landscape paintings with their broad brush strokes and wide swaths intentionally left blank are particularly hard for the Western eye to grasp. These paintings can often seem vague and unclear, but to the discerning viewer, each brush stroke speaks volumes.

The same holds for the Chinese language — known for being extraordinarily concise and yet also rich and descriptive precisely because it is so succinct. Indeed, many Chinese words and proverbs contain concepts that could take paragraphs to explain in another language.

The NTDTV holiday shows seem to have struck a balance between the more refined traditional dance forms and the simple pleasures of rousing music, impressive large scale dances with dozens of dancers moving in synch, and, of course, gorgeous costumes and backdrops.

The shows offer enough new flavors to be intriguing without being overly foreign. The more subtle elements may be lost on many in the audience, but their presence nonetheless enriches the entire performance for everyone.

Ultimately, stories of grace and virtue told through song and dance will speak to us all forever. ( Original from NTDTV website )

Photo(1): Beautiful Chinese Dance, from Holiday Wonder Show

Following photos are of 2006 Holiday Wonder Show in The Beacon Theater, New York City, which was happened during Christmase time from Dec. 19 to 24, 2006, hosted by NTDTV.

After the Holiday Wonder Show, the 3-month-long 2007 Chinese New Year Spectacular global tour show, which is also hosted by NTDTV, will begin to perform first in Vancouver, Canada, in Queen Elizabeth Theatre, on Jan. 3, 2007, and then go to other 29 cities around the world.

(All above photos are from Chinese news website epochtimes’ webpage here)