The dazzling costumes in NTDTV’s Chinese New Year Spectacular are as much a part of each dance as the dance movements themselves. They are, in many ways, the palette on which the dance is performed. Clothes, hair, colors—this is what transports us to the Divine Land of ancient China.
The Spectacular's wardrobe designers put great effort into creating just the right effect. A costume starts with a concept of the dance. The dance may have a powerful story or be found in a specific dynasty. Designers pore over paintings, frescoes and even statues to find the right look. Accessories then come into the design—hair, shoes, hats, belts. Next come sketches. Designers must consider not only how an outfit looks but also its flexibility for dance movements and whether it is durable enough to withstand over eighty performances.
Then the sketch goes to the sewing workshop. Here garment makers select just the right fabric, make the pattern and produce a sample. If it’s not just right, the whole process starts over. If the sample is approved, the task of making the clothes begins. Multiply this countless times. A single dance in this year’s Spectacular, the dance drama of General Yue Fei, required more than 100 costumes and accessories.
For Amy Lee, the principal designer in New York, this effort is well worth it. “When I came to the United States, I saw it was very difficult to find any expression of traditional Chinese culture. Through this show I see the hope of being able to preserve my culture for the benefit of my daughter and the next generation.”
Ms. Lee has worked in the fashion industry for more than twenty years. She was a professor of fashion design and fashion history in China. Although her costumes take inspiration from different dynasties and ethnic regions, her favorite dynasty is the Tang. She says the Tang Dynasty reflects the zenith of Chinese culture—artistically, economically and politically. During this time China was very open-minded. Prosperous and peaceful, the Tang Dynasty drew on influences from India, the Middle East and Europe.
According to Ms. Lee, all this is reflected in the clothes. “The clothes were rich and confident. They were uplifting,” she said. “Women wore large, open sleeves, sometimes up to two and a half feet wide. They wore see-through materials and gowns with high waists that were decorated with large, open flowers.”
Each dynasty had its own characteristics that were likewise reflected in the clothes. In general, Ms. Lee says everything can be found in the clothes—even the ancient people’s morals and values. “Clothing isn’t just a way to cover the body. It also reflects a person’s thoughts, culture and respect for the gods.”
Ms. Lee and her team use costume design to make ancient Chinese culture come alive today, to help the audience understand that traditional Chinese culture has much it can teach us today. Ms. Lee knows that through her efforts with NTDTV, these positive aspects of ancient China will not be forgotten.
Showing posts with label ntdtv. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ntdtv. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Chinese New Year Show Opens Window on Asian Subtlety
Asian-themed performances like NTDTV’s 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 following story may help 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!”
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.
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 following story may help 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!”
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.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Chinese Ancient Traditions Revived In Global New Year Shows
Two years ago some Chinese friends of mine took me to NTDTV’s (New Tang Dynasty TV) live Chinese New Year Spectacular. It was a thrilling and enchanting music and dance performance, with traditional Chinese instruments and costumes faithfully recreated from old manuscripts, paintings and pottery. The dragons, drums and dancers all evoked the grandeur of China’s great dynasties and legends of remote history.
Ancient Chinese traditions speak of harmony between heaven and earth. They say that humans were created by Gods. Culture as well as moral and spiritual guidance were also imparted to humans by divine beings during different times in history. When humans respect the Tao, the “Divine Law or Way” and follow Heaven’s order, society will be prosperous and peaceful.
Like most Westerners I knew next to nothing about the Chinese New Year. So I asked my friends to tell me more and share their favorite New Year’s memories. I learned that Chinese New Year is actually celebrated by almost a quarter of the world’s population in several Asian countries where it is the most important holiday of the year. It follows the Lunar calendar, and the date varies each year, depending on the moon’s cycle.
Several friends shared about fire works and favorite foods–dumplings were often mentioned–and various traditions. One is to write poems or lucky phrases on red paper to be pasted around every family’s door. After breakfast there would be a round of visits. The first stop would be at a local temple to burn incense and honor the gods. Next came visits to relatives and friends. In many towns musicians paraded through streets to announce the arrival of spring.
The Lantern Festival marks the end of the New Year season. It evolved from the ancient belief of celestial spirits flying about in the light of the first full moon. Lanterns of many colors and shapes were lit during the night.
Maquiong, who grew up in a town near the Yangzi River, said, “Some communities would organize a lantern market. Usually, my mom would take us to watch the activities. Later she’d cook another good dinner which included dumplings filled with syrup, which symbolizes harmony in the family and sweetness of life.”
She said that in recent years traditions like these have been changing in China. In big cities fireworks were forbidden, and people have New Year’s dinner at restaurants. Also, many people exchange new year greetings by phone and don’t visit each other so much anymore. “But in my memories,” Maquiong said, “Chinese New Year always means having a good time.”
"Traditional Chinese culture and spiritual traditions were destroyed and outlawed by the Chinese Communist Party,” said Jason, a medical doctor. He said that the CCP smashed almost all the temples and burned the ancient manuscripts. Since coming to power in the late 40s, they have changed history books and brainwashed generations of Chinese with party culture, class struggle and Marxist ideology.
“Young people know nothing about true Chinese history or the deeper values of our ancient traditions,” Jason said. “NTDTV and its annual global Chinese New Year Shows are instrumental in promoting a rebirth of traditional Chinese culture. The performances are magnificent and full of nobility.”
The 2007 NTDTV New Year Spectacular will be touring Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Washington, DC, plus major cities in Canada, Europe and Asia. http://shows.ntdtv.com/
Ancient Chinese traditions speak of harmony between heaven and earth. They say that humans were created by Gods. Culture as well as moral and spiritual guidance were also imparted to humans by divine beings during different times in history. When humans respect the Tao, the “Divine Law or Way” and follow Heaven’s order, society will be prosperous and peaceful.
Like most Westerners I knew next to nothing about the Chinese New Year. So I asked my friends to tell me more and share their favorite New Year’s memories. I learned that Chinese New Year is actually celebrated by almost a quarter of the world’s population in several Asian countries where it is the most important holiday of the year. It follows the Lunar calendar, and the date varies each year, depending on the moon’s cycle.
Several friends shared about fire works and favorite foods–dumplings were often mentioned–and various traditions. One is to write poems or lucky phrases on red paper to be pasted around every family’s door. After breakfast there would be a round of visits. The first stop would be at a local temple to burn incense and honor the gods. Next came visits to relatives and friends. In many towns musicians paraded through streets to announce the arrival of spring.
The Lantern Festival marks the end of the New Year season. It evolved from the ancient belief of celestial spirits flying about in the light of the first full moon. Lanterns of many colors and shapes were lit during the night.
Maquiong, who grew up in a town near the Yangzi River, said, “Some communities would organize a lantern market. Usually, my mom would take us to watch the activities. Later she’d cook another good dinner which included dumplings filled with syrup, which symbolizes harmony in the family and sweetness of life.”
She said that in recent years traditions like these have been changing in China. In big cities fireworks were forbidden, and people have New Year’s dinner at restaurants. Also, many people exchange new year greetings by phone and don’t visit each other so much anymore. “But in my memories,” Maquiong said, “Chinese New Year always means having a good time.”
"Traditional Chinese culture and spiritual traditions were destroyed and outlawed by the Chinese Communist Party,” said Jason, a medical doctor. He said that the CCP smashed almost all the temples and burned the ancient manuscripts. Since coming to power in the late 40s, they have changed history books and brainwashed generations of Chinese with party culture, class struggle and Marxist ideology.
“Young people know nothing about true Chinese history or the deeper values of our ancient traditions,” Jason said. “NTDTV and its annual global Chinese New Year Shows are instrumental in promoting a rebirth of traditional Chinese culture. The performances are magnificent and full of nobility.”
The 2007 NTDTV New Year Spectacular will be touring Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Washington, DC, plus major cities in Canada, Europe and Asia. http://shows.ntdtv.com/
Saturday, January 30, 2010
A New Music of the Orient: a Touch of the West and a Dash of the Divine
A new musical fusion has arisen in New York and it's not the kind you can catch for ten dollars at a club in the West Village. For the many thousands of Chinese immigrants trying to stay afloat in a new world and for those westerners who have always wanted to understand the Chinese but have shied away for lack of a way in--for anyone who has wondered where the two civilizations connect, the answer may lie not in words, but in music.
Lisa Li is a master of the pipa (Chinese lute) and a graduate of the Chinese Conservatory of China. She has composed and performed across Europe, Asia and the United States, and her playing was featured in the Academy Award-winning movie The Last Emperor. Now, as one of the lead composers for New Tang Dynasty Television's Chinese New Year Spectacular, a grand scale performance of traditional Chinese dance and song, Lisa has created what she believes to be a new kind of sound--based on ancient Chinese folk and religious music, but going beyond either of them.
“Music is alive, because in the view of the Chinese ancients, every single object in the world has life. In fact, in Chinese, when we refer to a musical note we call it a ‘live note,’” she explains. But according to Lisa, it must be composed and played from the heart—sometimes in ways that sound foreign to the western ear.
But the melodies are far from random. Lisa’s music, like all traditionally composed Chinese music, is based on a series of pentatonic (5-note) scales. This system has its roots in Taoism, which teaches that all matter is formed from the five basic elements of metal, earth, wood, fire, and water. It teaches that in order for a being to be healthy, it must have all of these elements in balance. So, from the Chinese perspective, a song or piece of music must also contain a uniquely crafted balance of these elements. There are also eight note scales that relate to the Taoist symbol called the bagua, which is most commonly known in the West as part of the practice of fengshui, or geomancy.
An example of this is the piece she wrote for the dance “A Dunhuang Dream.” The dance is set against a backdrop of thousands of caves carved into the sides of cliffs as they are in the Moago Grottoes in the Dunhuang region of China. Seated at the mouth of each cave is a Buddhist or Taoist deity. As the dancers emerge, one can hear from the orchestra pit the voices of the erhu (Chinese violin) and guzhen (zither), but these are soon joined by the more recognizable resonance of cello, bass, oboe, and brass. The result strikes the ear as achingly otherworldly and yet also solidly familiar.
In fact, the specific ya yue used in the score is the same as that found in the ancient pipa music written on scrolls that were discovered by archeologists in the actual Dunhuang caves years ago.
“I feel very deeply that music is a heavenly language, a divine language,” Lisa says. “It is able to uplift people’s hearts and minds. It is good for the soul.”
Lisa Li is a master of the pipa (Chinese lute) and a graduate of the Chinese Conservatory of China. She has composed and performed across Europe, Asia and the United States, and her playing was featured in the Academy Award-winning movie The Last Emperor. Now, as one of the lead composers for New Tang Dynasty Television's Chinese New Year Spectacular, a grand scale performance of traditional Chinese dance and song, Lisa has created what she believes to be a new kind of sound--based on ancient Chinese folk and religious music, but going beyond either of them.
“Music is alive, because in the view of the Chinese ancients, every single object in the world has life. In fact, in Chinese, when we refer to a musical note we call it a ‘live note,’” she explains. But according to Lisa, it must be composed and played from the heart—sometimes in ways that sound foreign to the western ear.
But the melodies are far from random. Lisa’s music, like all traditionally composed Chinese music, is based on a series of pentatonic (5-note) scales. This system has its roots in Taoism, which teaches that all matter is formed from the five basic elements of metal, earth, wood, fire, and water. It teaches that in order for a being to be healthy, it must have all of these elements in balance. So, from the Chinese perspective, a song or piece of music must also contain a uniquely crafted balance of these elements. There are also eight note scales that relate to the Taoist symbol called the bagua, which is most commonly known in the West as part of the practice of fengshui, or geomancy.
An example of this is the piece she wrote for the dance “A Dunhuang Dream.” The dance is set against a backdrop of thousands of caves carved into the sides of cliffs as they are in the Moago Grottoes in the Dunhuang region of China. Seated at the mouth of each cave is a Buddhist or Taoist deity. As the dancers emerge, one can hear from the orchestra pit the voices of the erhu (Chinese violin) and guzhen (zither), but these are soon joined by the more recognizable resonance of cello, bass, oboe, and brass. The result strikes the ear as achingly otherworldly and yet also solidly familiar.
In fact, the specific ya yue used in the score is the same as that found in the ancient pipa music written on scrolls that were discovered by archeologists in the actual Dunhuang caves years ago.
“I feel very deeply that music is a heavenly language, a divine language,” Lisa says. “It is able to uplift people’s hearts and minds. It is good for the soul.”
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
A Glorious Feast of Traditional Chinese Dance
New Tang Dynasty Television’s Chinese New Year Spectacular offers a truly tantalizing variety of dance this year, featuring all-new dance troupes and drawing upon 5,000 years of history spanning a vast range of different folk traditions from Mongolia to Tibet to the Yunnan region of China.
Acclaimed choreographer Yung Yung Tsuai has been working with the Spectacular since its inception in 2004. Ms. Tsuai came to the United States in 1970 to study contemporary dance on a Martha Graham Scholarship. She stayed on with the Graham Company and still teaches at the Martha Graham School of contemporary dance today.
Ms. Tsuai says the Spectacular is a particularly meaningful production for a lot of people because “over the last 100 years, much of China’s rich traditional culture has been destroyed. People have lost their roots,” Ms. Tsuai says. “Our performers want wholeheartedly to convey their culture and traditions to the audience to remind them, and themselves, of who the Chinese are.”
Hundreds of dancers from all over the United States and Canada rehearsed almost every day for over a year. Yung Yung Tsuai is but one of six dance teachers, all of whom graduated from China’s top dance schools, resulting in a combined total of more than a hundred years of training and experience. With so many expert teachers, Ms. Tsui says, “collaboration is a major part of the project.”
Although choreographers use traditional themes and styles, many dances actually combine the styles of both east and west, fusing ballet techniques with the expressiveness of classical Chinese dance. All the dancers train extensively in both. Ms. Tsuai says ballet helps the dancers develop the skill needed to execute the classical Chinese movements.
For Ms. Tsuai, what is unique about the Spectacular is not just the dances themselves or the dazzling costumes, it is how the dances affect the audience. For those few minutes that each piece is presented on the stage, she says viewers will feel they have entered a time and place governed by chivalry, loyalty, and honesty—a place where beauty and peace prevail. “We are not just showing people traditional Chinese culture; we are waking up the part of them that yearns for beauty and goodness,” said Ms. Tsuai.
This is what draws her back every year, sometimes as a choreographer, sometimes as a dance teacher. And, she says, this is what motivates the hundreds of dancers who give their lives over to the handful of days a year when the show comes to the stage.
“Art is the food of the soul,” said Ms. Tsuai. “If you see art that promotes peace and harmony, you will bring that home with you. That’s what’s important. In the past people lived as if they were in a divine realm. Daily life wasn’t necessarily religious but it was very spiritual. When art presents the beauty and positive side of human nature, it can positively influence people in how they relate to others in their daily lives.”
Ms. Tsuai is confident the audience will leave NTDTV’s Chinese New Year Spectacular feeling not only entertained but nourished and rejuvenated by this veritable feast for the soul.
Acclaimed choreographer Yung Yung Tsuai has been working with the Spectacular since its inception in 2004. Ms. Tsuai came to the United States in 1970 to study contemporary dance on a Martha Graham Scholarship. She stayed on with the Graham Company and still teaches at the Martha Graham School of contemporary dance today.
Ms. Tsuai says the Spectacular is a particularly meaningful production for a lot of people because “over the last 100 years, much of China’s rich traditional culture has been destroyed. People have lost their roots,” Ms. Tsuai says. “Our performers want wholeheartedly to convey their culture and traditions to the audience to remind them, and themselves, of who the Chinese are.”
Hundreds of dancers from all over the United States and Canada rehearsed almost every day for over a year. Yung Yung Tsuai is but one of six dance teachers, all of whom graduated from China’s top dance schools, resulting in a combined total of more than a hundred years of training and experience. With so many expert teachers, Ms. Tsui says, “collaboration is a major part of the project.”
Although choreographers use traditional themes and styles, many dances actually combine the styles of both east and west, fusing ballet techniques with the expressiveness of classical Chinese dance. All the dancers train extensively in both. Ms. Tsuai says ballet helps the dancers develop the skill needed to execute the classical Chinese movements.
For Ms. Tsuai, what is unique about the Spectacular is not just the dances themselves or the dazzling costumes, it is how the dances affect the audience. For those few minutes that each piece is presented on the stage, she says viewers will feel they have entered a time and place governed by chivalry, loyalty, and honesty—a place where beauty and peace prevail. “We are not just showing people traditional Chinese culture; we are waking up the part of them that yearns for beauty and goodness,” said Ms. Tsuai.
This is what draws her back every year, sometimes as a choreographer, sometimes as a dance teacher. And, she says, this is what motivates the hundreds of dancers who give their lives over to the handful of days a year when the show comes to the stage.
“Art is the food of the soul,” said Ms. Tsuai. “If you see art that promotes peace and harmony, you will bring that home with you. That’s what’s important. In the past people lived as if they were in a divine realm. Daily life wasn’t necessarily religious but it was very spiritual. When art presents the beauty and positive side of human nature, it can positively influence people in how they relate to others in their daily lives.”
Ms. Tsuai is confident the audience will leave NTDTV’s Chinese New Year Spectacular feeling not only entertained but nourished and rejuvenated by this veritable feast for the soul.
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