09-27-2007

Artists of Different Countries Showing Their Unique Arts

---the China International Folk Art Festival Opened the Curtains of Square Tour Performance

Yesterday was the first day of the square tour performance of the 7th China International Folk Art Festival. In the evening, 7 performances given by artists from different countries who formed in groups were staged in Pingjiang Xinyi Square, Canglang Guxumen Square, Shilu Yinhe Square of Jinchang district, the ancient stage of Tongli, Fengqiao Theater of the new district, the ancient stage of Qiandeng, Luzhi Town of Wuzhong district and the South Square of the Sports Center of Xiangcheng. The on-the-spot communication with the citizens and the performances constituted the scenery of people enjoying together.

Venue: Xinyi Square of Pingjiang District

Time: 19:30

Troupes: State Academic Siberian Russian Folk Choir, and etc.

Correspondent: Yang Fan

On Xinyi Square yesterday evening, although the stage was not wide enough and the light and stereo set was not first-class, the artists showed their full passion. The State Academic Siberian Russian Folk Choir’s programs were diversified; group singing, chorus and dance were harmoniously combined together. The most favorite program was Girls of Dabancheng sung by performers in Chinese. Although they did not speak Chinese fluently, their melodious song was quite familiar. In dance performances the dancers’ dynamic postures and the strong rhythm of the music stirred up the audience. What was interesting was that among Suzhou citizens there were also quite a few blue-eyed and golden-hair foreign spectators. In addition, the foreign style of the Kuliyapitiya Ves Dance Ensemble of Sri Lanka also won warm applauses and cheering. 

Venue: Guxumen Square of Canglang District

Time: 19:30

Troupes: “Va Chini Va Ngoma” Folk Dance Ensemble of South Africa, and etc.

Correspondent: Hu Shujing

Yesterday evening, the Guxumen Square of Canglang district was full of foreign features. The “Va Chini Va Ngoma” Folk Dance Ensemble of South Africa and the Lebanese Fahed Al Abdallah Dance Ensemble, which participated in this art festival, had a close contact with local citizens.

In the urgent drumbeats, South African artists danced the indigenous dance. The black dancers tied red, yellow, white and blue feathers on their arms and wore skirts that gave out the primitive smell. Their unrestrained and free actions brought people back to the African grassland. The Lebanese Fahed Al Abdallah Dance Ensemble, which had a rich Arabic feature, received continuous applauses as they showed on the stage. Yesterday evening the troupe gave a half-an-hour performance to the citizens. The passionate dancers on the stage, through their distinctive Lebanese traditional folk dance, displayed the charm of Arabic dance that was free, unrestrained and also full of foreign features.

Venue: Shilu Yinhe Square of Jinchang District

Time: 19:30

Troupes: Sisi Tambala Art Troupe of Tanzania, Suzhou Art Troupe, and etc.

Correspondent: Liu Xiaoping

Yesterday evening, at the Shilu Yinhe Square, Tanzanian dances, Hungarian dances, Suzhou Pingtan and Yue Opera were performed alternatively. Passionate dances and sweet traditional operas made the audience exclaim that they had a feast.

Tanzanian dance I Love Masai Girls was the first program. An old man whose surname was Ding came here at 19:00 and waited for the performance as he had never seen such dances before. The Honved Dance Company of Hungary which came from the hometown of Liszt attracted the audience with their passionate and rhythmic country music and dance as they showed on the stage. Huang Pei, an 18-year-old girl who came here originally for shopping, was deeply attracted by the performances. When Hungarian girls whirled their colorful national costumes, Huang Pei and her sisters applauded happily, “we are very lucky today, for we could see such wonderful performances here.”

Pingtan opera Enjoying the Mid-Autumn Day performed by Suzhou Art Troupe also brought surprise Suzhou citizens who were resting at the square. A lady whose surname was Zhang and who lived nearby was an amateur of Pingtan. When the music of Pingtan began she sang in a low voice with the music.  

Venue: Square of the Sports Center of Xiangcheng District

Time: 19:30

Troupes: La Villanelle Dance Group of Switzerland, Sri Warisan Som Said Performing Arts Ltd. (Singapore), etc.

Correspondent: Zhou Lanyuan

Yesterday evening, folk artists of Xiangcheng District and artists from the United States, Switzerland and Singapore jointly gave performances and offered thousands of people a folk art feast.

At 18:30, citizens in the neighborhood had come in succession. One hour later the La Villanelle Dance Group of Switzerland opened the curtain of the tour performance. Sri Warisan Som Said Performing Arts Ltd. (Singapore) and the "Culture Shock" Dance Ensemble of USA also displayed their local folk arts in succession. Zhu Wenhua and Cai Jindi from Yangchenghua Town, who were praised as “Couple of Wu Songs”, also sang Wu songs for the audience.

Venue: The Ancient Stage of Tongli

Time: 14:00

Troupes: Italian “I Bej di Erba” Ensemble, Mecklenburg-Pommeraner Folklore Ensemble of Germany, etc.

Correspondent: Wang Ying

Yesterday afternoon, on the ancient stage of the Tuisi Square of Tongli, folk dances and art performances from Italy and Germany and other countries attracted quite a few local citizens and foreign tourists. The excellent performances of foreign artists won warm applauses from the audience.

During the performance, the 17 beautiful girls and gentlemen of Italian “I Bej di Erba” Ensemble, dressed in colorful national costumes, received cheering as they showed on the stage. Afterwards, the Mecklenburg-Pommeraner Folklore Ensemble of Germany and the Tongareva Enua Culture Dance Ensemble of Cook Islands also brought marvelous folk dances to the Tongli citizens. 

Venue: The Ancient Stage of Qiandeng

Time: 14:00

Troupes: Puka Soncco Music Group of Peru, Japanese Ryukyu National Drum Dance Ensemble, etc.

Correspondent: Su Jing

Yesterday afternoon, the performances brought by the performing group of the China International Folk Art Festival were shown on the ancient stage of Qiandeng. The first performance was from Women Waist Drum Group of Qiandeng Town. Afterwards, the Puka Soncco Music Group of Peru sang songs for the audience, and their first song was Hearts of People All over the World Unite together. Their songs were passionate and rich in appeal. Soon some old women were emotionally influenced by the other audience and they applauded together with others’ rhythm of applauses. The last performance was from Japanese Ryukyu National Drum Dance Ensemble. Seeing the colorful costumes of Japanese artists, old women were surprised at how Japanese people match such familiar colors gracefully together and how their various drums could make such melodious sounds.