New Tang Dynasty Televisions first annual Chinese International Piano Competition came to its conclusion on Sunday, as after three days of competition the last 15 finalists came down to only a handful of winners for the top awards and the two top winners were both young musicians with brilliant futures ahead of them.
Nimble fingers fall upon the keys, tiny felt-covered hammers hit steel strings, and the sounds of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, and Chopin thunder forth from the stage.
After a long day of tough competition, there came a group performance where all 15 finalists united to celebrate their love of piano followed by the long-awaited awards ceremony.
The bronze award winners were Weiwen Ma and Wei Chen, each of whom received $1,000 dollars.
The silver award, and $3,000 dollars went to Na Lian, originally from Mainland China. She has participated in numerous competitions and attended music schools in China, Russia, and the United States.
Na Lian is currently a student at the New York based Feitian Academy of the Arts a school focused on the revival of classical Chinese art forms.
ZHANG:
Yesterday, contestants arrived in Manhattan to register and warm-up for NTD’s Chinese International Piano Competition. Today (Friday), these talented pianists will demonstrate their skills in the New York preliminary round.
STORY:
Excitement is in the air as NTD’s Chinese Piano Competition preliminaries begin later today.
Contestants come from as far away as Taiwan, to right here in New York City. They did their last minute preparations at Hunter College in Manhattan… and say feel ready to go! (more)
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
NEW YORK—On August 24th, judges for the Second Annual International Chinese Classical Dance Competition offered a new definition for classical Chinese dance, as exemplary performances from the competitors raised the bar for next year’s competition.
“This competition is leading the direction of the world’s dance trend,” said Judge Vina Lee. “People nowadays use arts as a way to pour out emotions, while people of the past used arts as a way to worship and honor the gods.”
The 30 finalist dances in the last round were all elite classic Chinese dancers from across the globe. Each one of them portrayed a wide range of historical figures from rich Chinese history.
“One big difference between this and last year’s competition is that the contestants improved dramatically overall,” said Judge Xiu Guo. “Their dance fundamentals have improved a lot, from which they can manifest the inner meanings of classic Chinese dance even better.”
Judges are satisfied with the effect of the competition in promoting authentic classic Chinese Dance to the world. The dancers of this year have a better understanding of classic Chinese dance, as they gradually realize that Chinese dance is used to convey inner feeling and meaning using techniques, instead of just presenting the techniques themselves.
“Classic Chinese dance is called ‘classic’ for a reason,” said Xiu Guo. “It is in fact inherited from ancient history. We have been constantly explicating our understanding [on classic Chinese dance], and as to whether it is the same as Chinese opera or martial arts. Everyone seems to have distinct concepts, so it is our mission to show the true and pure classic Chinese dance to the world.”
The criteria for judging are focused on the uses of authentic Chinese classical dance movements as the dancers were able to portray characters in their one minute individual routine. Characteristics of classic Chinese dance such as bearing and form were especially emphasized.
“We are happy to see that the contesters are trying to convey the inner feeling of the characters and not using the dance vocabulary randomly,” said Xiu Guo. “It allows the audiences to have a more vivid image of classic Chinese dance. It is different from modern dance and Ballet, for their concepts, forms, and inner connotations are all different.”
The mission of the “International Chinese Traditional Martial Arts Competition” is to bring forth the essence of traditional Chinese martial arts and provide contestants with an opportunity to advance their martial arts skills and improve their moral conduct based on martial arts principles. The competition also aims to promote Chinese culture and display true martial arts values to the world.
Date and Location
* Asia Pacific Preliminaries: August 2-3, 2008, Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei, Taiwan.
* North America Preliminary: September 27, 2008, New York City, USA
* Semi-Finals and Finals: September 28, 2008, New York City, USA.
* New York Event Site: The Armory Center, 216 Fort Washington Avenue, Manhattan.
Introduction to Chinese Martial Arts
Chinese Martial Arts originated from ancient traditional Chinese culture, it therefore has rich inner content and meaning. It was initially derived from Daoism, which is closely related to personal cultivation (self improvement). Its foundational components include cultivating virtue, artistic technique, nurturing health and longevity, improving physical condition, defending oneself and preventing violence. Hence, the first character in the word martial arts is “Wu” (武), which is formed by combining the characters for “stop” (止) and “war” (戈).
In the long history of Chinese civilization, the first martial art to appear was “Jiao-di” style wrestling during the Yellow Emperor’s battle against Chi-you (during 2852 BC to 2205 BC). Following that, many schools of sword techniques appeared during the Warring States Period…… (more)
Award Placement
1. Regional Preliminaries will have 40 categories. The top three winners of each category will be announced. The top winner of each preliminary category will receive US $200.
2. Distinguished performers will receive Honorable Mention Awards.
3. The Final Competition will include Male and Female divisions of External and Internal Style categories. Each category will have 1 Gold, 1 Silver, and 1 Bronze prize.
Gold award winners will receive US $5,000 and an exquisite hand-made Nine-Dragon sword (estimated market value at US $10,000) from a renowned Asian sword smith. Silver award winners will receive US $3,000. Bronze award winners will receive US $2,000.
For details, please check the official website for the Competition:
Winner of the Junior Male category Golden Li. (Bing Dai/The Epoch Times)
The final round for the second Annual International NTDTV Chinese Classical Dance competition concluded on August 24th. After a very intense round of preliminaries and semi-finals which took place on Friday and Saturday, a total of 30 elite dancers managed to make it to the final round.
The finals were held at The Town Hall Foundation in Manhattan, and the awards ceremony took place after a Divine Performing Arts show at the Hammerstein Ballroom on 34th St. later that evening.
At the end of the competition, Judge Xiu Guo said a few words on the goal and mission of the Chinese Classical Dance Competition.
Winner of the Junior Female category Chelsea Cai. (Bing Dai/The Epoch Times)
“People have been learning and teaching Chinese classical dance, but there hasn’t been a clear concept of it. So the goal of this competition is to help dancers and the general public to understand the purity and beauty of genuine Chinese classical dance. Through this competition, we have had very good results. It contributes to the understanding of Chinese classical dance through the movements and images themselves. Some people think Chinese classical dance has been established for a mere half-century, but in actuality, classical dance has a history which dates back as far as several thousand years ago, along with the Chinese culture. With this competition, we are able to present a genuine and clear understanding of classical dance; as it is distinctive from ballet, martial arts, and other modern dances.”
The winners for each division received $10,000, $3,000, and $1,000 for first, second, and third place respectively.
New Tang Dynasty Television (NTDTV) will hold the first-ever Chinese International Violin Competition in July 2008. Through this competition, violinists of Chinese descent from around the world will have a new platform to display their talents and inspire each other.
New York City, NY (PRWEB) , May 5, 2008 — New Tang Dynasty Television (NTDTV) will hold the first-ever Chinese International Violin Competition in July 2008. Through this competition, violinists of Chinese descent from around the world will have a new platform to display their talents and inspire each other.
The competition is a part of the NTDTV Global Competition Series, which aims to revive and promote traditional Chinese culture by presenting different aspects of time-honored Chinese cultural expression in their most authentic form. In addition to activities typically considered Chinese, such as Chinese martial arts and Chinese cuisine, the competition series also includes some Western forms of artistic expression that Chinese people have come to excel in, such as piano, violin, and oil painting.
Seasoned violinists and musicians will judge the competition, awarding the winner with a top prize of $10,000. It is to be held July 25-27 in New York City, and all ethnic Chinese violinists meeting the 16-year-old age requirement are welcome to register. The competition will be held in 3 rounds.
According to Chia-Chi Lin, a member of the judging panel and first violinist of the Pittsburg Symphony Orchestra, “In recent years, a new generation of outstanding Chinese violinists have emerged on the world stage. This competition is an opportunity for Chinese artists to showcase their talent and the fruits of their labor. As a result, we hope to inspire more Chinese people to explore classical music and incorporate some of the greatest forms of artistic expression from the West into this developing renaissance of Eastern culture that we see today.”
The competition will be broadcast via 4 satellites and cable TV networks to audiences around the world.
New Tang Dynasty TV (NTDTV) is an independent, nonprofit Chinese-language television network established by overseas Chinese. NTDTV began broadcasting via satellite in North America in February 2002 and extended its 24/7 programming to cover Asia, Europe, and Australia in July 2003. Headquartered in New York City, NTDTV currently has reporters and correspondents in over 50 cities worldwide. The network has gained an international reputation for its objective and timely reporting of political, economic, and cultural stories in the Chinese language, and for multi-faceted educational and entertainment programs that bring together the finest of both Eastern and Western cultures.
