Sun-Sentinel (Florida): Finding the Lost Arts of China

(Clearwisdom.net) Mary Damiano, a special correspondent to the Sun-Sentinel in Florida published a report on December 27 about NTDTV's Holiday Wonders, to be staged in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The article says that the sponsor of the show is dedicated to promoting the lost arts of China in "Holiday Wonders."

The article says: "Imagine being forbidden to learn about your own country's history and having to move halfway around the world to experience your native land's artistic traditions and folklore.

"That's what happened to Jian Hu, Kenny Qiu and Nancy Xia, who all grew up in China. "When the Communist party took over mainland China in 1949, they destroyed the traditions of Chinese culture," says Qiu.

"Arriving in the United States as college students, Hu, Qiu and Xia began to learn about China's rich legacy of music and dance, which had been kept alive and passed down by older Chinese who moved here decades ago. Now they're a part of the New Times Culture & Education Center, an organization dedicated to promoting the lost arts of ancient China. Their current task is to spread awareness about Holiday Wonders, a theatrical variety show in which dancers from all over the world illustrate the legends and performance traditions of ancient China, backed by a full orchestra.

"You experience 5,000 years of another culture in two hours," says Qiu.

"Holiday Wonders is sponsored by New Tang Dynasty TV, a New York-based satellite network. It's named for the Tang Dynasty, which ruled China from the seventh to ninth centuries, a fertile period for artistic achievement. The show is produced by Divine Performing Arts, which trains its dancers in ballet and classical Chinese dance, incorporating distinctive movements, tumbling and acrobatics. Each dance, Hu says, has a deeper meaning rooted in Chinese history. 'Our purpose here is to revive the beauty of ancient Chinese traditional culture,' says Qiu."

"Holiday Wonders began four years ago with shows in a handful of cities. Currently, two companies are touring the world, performing more than 200 shows in 65 cities."

"Xia sees Holiday Wonders as a new option for audiences seeking family entertainment during the holiday season. She stresses that unlike other annual shows, like The Nutcracker or the Rockettes Christmas Show, Holiday Wonders is different each year."

Holiday Wonders will be on stage at 8:00 p.m. on December 27-28, Thursday and Friday, at the Au Rene Theater of Broward Center at 201 SW Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale.

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2007/12/28/169205.html

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