Fantasy of Yunnan
By Vivian Zhang
Photos by Yao Fan



The dazzling folk dance drama, "Dynamic Yunnan", which has successfully toured around the country for the past year, again proved to be a smash hit in Xiamen. From Oct. 8th through 10th, it brought down the house at the Xiamen Art Theatre for three consecutive evenings, bringing the number of its total performances in China to 200.

The dance drama is composed of the prelude, the five scenes: the Sun, the Earth, the Home, the Fire, the Pilgrimage, and the ending: the Spirit of the Peacock. The show features genuine folk dance and songs of 20 ethnic groups in Yunnan Province such as the Yi, Dai, Bai, Jingpo, Va, and Hani. Over 75 percent of the performers are local farmers, plus the costumes and props are of daily wear and use, which assure the show to have a true-to-life style that is far from the artificial folk dance we are used to seeing on stage nowadays.



The dances and songs, created by people living on Yunnan's plateaus through out generations, are a vivid account of their awe and piety of nature and love and thirst for life. With the help of high-tech lights and settings, Xiamen audiences seemed to be carried away by a time machine, visiting exotic primitive clans, and watching closely a thrilling needfire(篝火)ritual. Yang Liping's (the leading dancer) appearance in the end was the peak of the show, leaving the audience in long lasting excitement and an unwillingness to leave.



Yang, also the choreographer of the show, is a household name in China and her peacock dance has been acclaimed as the peak of perfection during the past thirty years. In 2000, when Yang went to Yuannan, she was deeply moved by the colorful folk dances and was also reluctant to find that they were gradually disappearing. Later that year, she made a decision crucial to her life: retire from the Central Nationality Singing and Dancing Ensemble and devote herself to choreographing a large-scale folk dance drama. She left Beijing and spent years exploring remote villages in Yunnan to collect various kinds of folk dances and songs.



"Most of the performers haven't had any professional training, but it doesn't keep them from presenting first class folk dance because they were born and grew up with it. It is a part of their life." Yang said, "So as the choreographer, I didn't create dance movements, all I had to do was restructure them in order and the result is just overwhelming."

Next year, the troupe will begin its world tour.

About Yang Liping

Yang Liping, of the Bai Ethnic Minority in Yunnan, has sometimes been dubbed the "Sorceress of dance". Yang has never received any academic training. Her pure and mellow dance style is a result of her unique figure, intelligence and artistic inspirations from the aboriginal and natural cultural landscape.

Yang won the 1979 Best Performance Award of Yunnan Province in the leading role of the dance drama "Peacock Princess." Yang created and performed "The Soul of Birds" in 1986, which helped establish her reputation and acquire various awards. In May 1992, she became the first dancer from the mainland to tour Taiwan.

Early this year, the dance drama "Dynamic Yunnan" choreographed and directed by Yang Liping, won the national Golden Lotus Award for Dance in Shanghai.

A flirting rabbit
Photo by Yao Fan



The Icelandic artists Hulda Hákon and Jón óskar are holding an exhibition titled "A flirting rabbit" currently at the Chinese European Art Centre, Xiamen University, which is their first exhibition together in the 35 years of their marriage. This summer and autumn they have been artists in residence at the CEAC. Both of them are well known in Iceland and the Scandinavian countries. The exhibition will be on from Oct. 8th till 26th, Wednesday through Sunday.

你喜欢Bryan Adams吗?
By 高翔



今天和大家说说我蛮喜欢的一位摇滚歌手Bryan Adams.

Bryan Adams来自加拿大,今年45岁.可是看看他在舞台上挥洒率性的演出,你会觉得他好像20出头.摇滚乐就是有这样的特点,让人年轻.

第一次听到Bryan Adams的歌声是在1992年,是从某个电台上翻录下来的"Everything I do, I do it for you",当时就喜欢得不行,反复倒带,一遍一遍地听,但当时并不知道演唱者是谁,甚至还因为演唱者嗓音过于高亢沙哑而分不清到底是男歌手还是女歌手.后来念了大学,进一步确认了他的姓名.一位女生送了我一盘Bryan Adams 1991年的专辑 "Wake up the neighbours", 令我爱不释手.音乐的风格,那个时候还不太懂,反正是让人听了很开心,很高兴.这张唱片里的经典曲目有"House arrest", "Hey! Honey I am packing you in", "Vanishing"等等.

后来大学毕业,偶然得到了一张Bryan Adams 1997 MTV Unplugged 演唱会的唱片,让我听到了早在我认识他以前10年就已闻名世界的"Cuts like a knife (1983)", 而这张唱片中,不插电的配器与现场即兴的演奏和演唱的配合十分独特,茱丽亚音乐学院的弦乐伴奏更是精美绝伦,这张唱片是我所收藏的唱片中最喜欢的一张.后来我又获得了这场演唱会的DVD.

喜欢Bryan Adams的原因,我归纳了一下,他的音乐健康向上,歌声奔放淋漓尽致,嗓音是独特的沙哑.Bryan Adams的形象阳光朴素,也是我喜欢他的原因之一.Bryan Adams定于10月份推出他的最新专辑"Room service", Sunshine FM将第一时间为您奉献!

King Arthur (2004)亚瑟王



Plot outline: A demystified take on the tale of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
This blockbuster will start showing at the Jinying Cinema from October 19.
本月19日起金鹰影院原声放映!
Venue: Jinying Cinema on the western side of the 5th floor of the Shimao Commercial Building
Tel: 0592-5815000