Friday, October 14, 2011

Celebrate China: Chengdu Performing Arts Showcase

www.phoenixsistercities.org

This was strange performance:  11 different artists mixing classical instruments, magic, dance, and twangy-Chinese song.  Overall, this was a fun sampling of Chinese musical culture and an interesting evening.

I enjoyed the dancers the most and was highly impressed by the different styles and stories the women were able to portray.  A youth group from Chandler stole the show with their “Impression of the Wa Mountain” – a lively dance with hair and hands and acrobatics.  The Sichuan Opera Face Changing was also impressive; two men were able to almost instantaneously change their masks with a magical and exaggerated aesthetic. 

The singing was my least favorite, a highpitched, twangy Chinese sound without much appeal to my Westernized ears.  The woman were highly regarded and very talented – but they each performed at least one song too long.

I enjoyed the variety of the show while disliking the lack of flow or transitions.  This was a group of individual artists thrown together into one show seemingly at random.  But I enjoyed the exposure to this unique city.

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