The best of traditional Chinese culture in a colourful gala event of dance and music
Tickets £15 - £40 - online booking
Following the success of
four sell-out shows at London's
Royal Festival Hall in February 2008, New York based Divine Performing Arts return to the UK in March
and April 2009 with an all-new programme and an extended run, including
performances in London and Edinburgh.
This showcase of authentic Chinese performing arts is part of a wider global
tour and is presented in a spectacular multi-media gala event. Featuring
up to 100 performers, including a live orchestra, the company evokes
spirit, virtue and freedom of belief through an uplifting mix of dance, music
and animated projection.
Inspired by ancient Chinese
culture, performances by Divine Performing
Arts have the spiritual heritage of China at their
heart. Featuring
story-based dances - one of the company's trademarks -
which draw on ancient legends and current topics, the shows are divided into a number of individual acts, each telling a story, or presenting a vision of China's rich dance heritage. Two presenters lead
through the gala, explaining and introducing each section in Chinese and
English.
Strictly authentic classical Chinese dance - one of the richest dance heritages in the
world - forms an integral part of the Divine
Performing Arts show, and is complemented through folk and ethnic dance
styles. The gala's graceful routines range from large-scale dances, with dozens of performers moving in synchronized
patterns, to delicate solo performances, all linked through masterful choreography.
The accompanying 40-strong
orchestra fuses Western and Chinese classical traditions and
instrumentation. The music performed is original and especially composed for Divine
Performing Arts. It is distinguished by its harmonic balance of Western
classical composition, which is marked by precision and order, with the free
form, melody-driven music of Chinese culture, which uses a series of ancient
five-, seven-, and eight-note scales.
Instrumental and vocal solo
interludes form another integral part of the Divine Performing Arts experience, and feature, amongst other
instruments, the stirring, otherworldly tones of the erhu (Chinese violin) as well as singers with piano accompaniment presenting
impassioned arias that evoke a tremendous sense of spirituality and bring to
life traditional Chinese thought and belief.
The shows combine ancient
technique and artistry with the latest technology in the form of striking digital background
scenery,
projecting images, often animated, of rustic Buddhist temples, majestic Chinese
palaces and sprawling Mongolian grassland. Each backdrop is
custom-designed to match perfectly the choreography of the dance, as well as
its costumes, story line, lighting, and music.
The intricately
handmade costumes burst with colour and range from radiant orange
and golden hued Tang dynasty gowns, to dragon-emblazoned imperial robes and
delicate phoenix headpieces. Tremendous attention and care goes into every
detail, and extensive historical research informs the whole design, extending
to a months-long gathering of just the right materials.
Xiu Guo, Company Manager, said: "By presenting an experience
that's truly authentic, pure and
beautiful, we aim to capture the substance and spirit of pre-modern
China's classical culture. We would like to think the show will provide
you
with not only an artistic feast, but also a deeper appreciation for the
beauty
of China's divinely-inspired culture."
Divine Performing Arts came into being in 2006 and consists of three dance companies, two
orchestras and a host of choreographers, composers, costume designers, backdrop
artists and artistic staff. Divine
Performing Arts has already graced many of the world's greatest stages and
now tours over 70 cities worldwide.
Divine
Performing Arts is presented by the Falun Gong Association UK and
Tang Arts Ltd.
Divine Performing Arts shows are recommended for ages 5+
Divine
Performing Arts (DPA) is the leading company in
Chinese performing arts today and its rich repertoire centres upon the artistic
heritage of classical China.
Each season DPA premieres a full repertoire of all
new dances, songs, and musical scores and tours to as many as 20 countries,
performing in over 70 cities worldwide.
A non-profit organisation
that is consciously independent of China's communist regime, under
which the
traditional arts have suffered for decades, the company's works seek to
not only entertain, but also more broadly to educate, enrich,
inspire and to promote the heritage of traditional Chinese culture
through the
artistic forms of Chinese dance and music, along with the ideals
shaping this
culture.