Japan: Experts in the Use of Color Comment on the Chinese Spectacular: Bright, Balanced and Dazzling (Photo)

By Minghui correspondent Li Xinmei reports from Osaka

(Clearwisdom.net) Renowned color experts Fumiyo Hanaoka and Akemi Maeda shared their thoughts on the Chinese Spectacular by the Divine Performing Arts after the afternoon performance on February 20.

Fumiyo Hanaoka (left) and Akemi Maeda at NHK Osaka Hall

Fumiyo Hanaoka is the manager of Rapisu, a color and image-consulting firm based in Osaka, and she also runs a professional color school. Akemi Maeda and Hanaoka are business partners. Maeda is a color designer and a color convalescence consultant; she also teaches color-related subjects at the International Buddhist University.

As experts on the use of color, both had plenty to say. According to Hanaoka, most of the programs employed contrasting colors. For example, when two performers danced together, they wore costumes with a variety of contrasting colors that complemented each other to beautiful effect. Moreover, the backdrop and the costumes used colors from the same spectrum, and the coordination of colors was the same as in ancient China [as seen in paintings and statues]--glorious, magnificent, gorgeous, and dazzling.

Further elaborating on her comment, Hanaoka said, "The use of brilliant colors is different from the use of color in Japan. Today's performance utilized only a few very typical colors, including colors derived from the five basic colors originating from the Theory of the Five Elements: yellow--equivalent to the gold--is befitting only for the person of noblest status, which is then matched with a derived contrasting color, violet. Yellow and violet are at the top of the hierarchy. Green is derived from yellow and yellow-green is derived from violet. This combination process repeats itself and it's very interesting."

Hanaoka used to attend Japanese performances given by the Takarazuka Revue Company, a Japanese all-female musical theater in the city of Takarazuka, Japan. Compared with Chinese dances, she said the Spectacular was an extraordinary feast of colors, staging, costumes, and skill.

The Spectacular mainly features classical Chinese dances, which, according to Maeda, were "a perfect blend of power and gentility. You could sense the inner strength even during the sinuous movements, and that goes for both the male and female dancers."

Regarding the difference between the Spectacular dances and Japanese dances, Maeda said, "Japanese dance is also very gentle. One similarity is that the waist serves as the center of support. However, Japanese dance does not have the expressive hand gestures, jumps, leaps, and turns, which I assume is unique to Chinese dance."

"I think, overall, today's performance can be summed up in the word 'contrast,'" Hanaoka said. "Chinese dance has sinuous movements and an intense, elastic, and vivacious spirit that is absent in Japanese dance, and that includes both women and men's dances. For me, this is characteristic of Chinese dance."

She also praised the overall organization of the Spectacular, "I never tired of the smooth changes. The velvety music and the beautiful dances--there was such masterful balance between the visual and the sound effects. The elegant dances were followed by the magnificent Tang drums, and the juxtaposition of the strong-weak was extremely delicate! The two-and a half hour show ended in what felt like an instant. I could watch this a hundred times! I truly enjoyed this."

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2008/2/23/173003.html

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