Press & Reviews

The shows introduced or organised by Ms-L has received many excellent media reviews, some of the original copies are luckily kept and posted on this website, and most of them are lost or the formats were not good enough to be presented here.

The positive comments suggest that Chinese martial arts have been widely accepted into British culture. There are Chinese martial arts and Tai Chi schools at the every corner of this country. MsL has run a lot of events to collect and build a network of Chinses cultural fans.

These shows please audiences of all ages, with many people returning to watch some shows twice. More than 200 people booked to join a trip to visit the acrobatic company in China following Za Ji Acrobatic Spectacular, which just said how attractive the show was.  Whereas Western theatre was introduced from ancient Greece back in 330BC, the success of Shakespeare productions has promoted British theatre greatly during last 300 years,  Sir Andrew Lloyds Webb ‘s musicals boosted West End production to a new height.

Such grand theatrical production is relatively new to Chinese people. There were 8 stage productions produced during Culture revolution, eg.: Red Lantern Story, White Hair Girl, Red Lady Army, but for most of the time, there have been mainly variety shows on stage, such as Chinese New Year gala has enjoyed Chinese public immensely with the scale that no country could possibly beat.

Chinese literature are rich in content and performing arts are rich in forms, following the nation’s economic success, There will be more money invested in the entertainment industry, and there will be more people afford theatre tickets.

SCROLL DOWN TO SEE OUR MEDIA REVIEWS ARRANGED BY SHOW…..

Shakesphere in China

Audience reviews:  Zhou Yu, Wuxi Cultural Museum

Heartbreak Productions was founded in 1991 it is renowned for bringing modern theatrical techniques,  humour and sensibility to English classics. This performance in particular reflects the distinctive characteristics of the theater company. The props are simple but practical, the backdrop mainly sketches the scenes through simple lines, which are nevertheless lively and full of English humour.  

The stripped back performance keeps essential roles and simplifies the story,though this may reduce the depth of character portrayals the essential elements are magnified and made even more memorable.  The production cleverly employs illustrative actions to replace some of the longer conversations, this works especially well for overseas audiences, who may have a limited understanding of the English language.

It is worth mentioning that the show is very witty and filled with humorous moments, in addition the stage fighting is truly awesome and the acting top-notch, each character is played fantastically to the details. For example, Juliet’s innocence and cuteness, and  Mercutio’s  playboy style, Tybalt’s belligerence … etc all really come across well.  In the fighting scenes,  the actors use metal  swords and the fighting is intense, fierce and gripping.

The implementation of a narrator also really helps the audience to follow the story easily. The only defect I would like to mention is that the synchronisation between the action and the subtitles in Chinese was not always well timed. 

In all, this show was very enjoyable and catered to all families, it offers a rare chance to have a taste of Shakespeare’s works in China. 

Deng Yanbin- Principal, Wuxi Little Dove Childrens Performing Arts School

“Today we watched the play Romeo and Juliet performed by the British Heartbreak Productions at  Wuxi Performing Arts Theater.

More than 400 years have passed since Shakespeare’s play “Romeo and Juliet” was written,

speech and living habits have changed dramatically since then and this can sometimes make it hard for modern audiences to connect with a shakespeare performance.

However, because it is a classic play,  people are still interested in seeing it, therefore, it is great to see a version that remains faithful to the original’s spirit while being adapted to contemporary taste and understanding.

Heartbreak Productions has kept the main themes intact but streamlined the appearance of fringe characters including Rosalan, Earl Paris, Lady Capulet, Father Lawrence and other minor characters. They have also deleted most 14 lines sonnets and many other non-rhyme poems in the original play.Instead they Let the characters express this material through plain English. 

 

Such adaptation of course means less authenticity but helps to give the non experienced Shakespear audience a fuller comprehension of these characters motives and actions,as it helps audience members, who have no background knowledge of English literature immerse themselves in the classic storytelling and enjoy the charms of a dramatic performance without the extra barrier of the archaic language.

 The simplified lines and plot provide the actors with a relatively easier performing burden and they appear very relaxed and confident on stage, while delivering a very focused and committed performance.It can be seen that the production is very well rehearsed and this has provided the actors with plenty of confidence and flexibility to show off their acting skills freely.   

 When the show started, I didn’t pay much attention to the actors’ acting skills focusing instead on the story and novel delivery. It wasn’t until the scene of the dance party where Romeo and Juliet first met that I suddenly noticed the brilliance and subtlety of the performance; for example in Juliet’s act: When she was dancing with someone else, she kept turning around spying on Romeo, demonstrating the kind of ingenuity and innocence of a young girl at the first awakening of love. It was very well judged and reminded me of Natalie Portman performance. 

The fight scenes are also very real and intense. The scene of the market fight, spoke of numerous hours of hard rehearsal.  At the point of fighting climax,  my daughter closed her eyes in fear, and I was very worried about the safety of the actors, because the swords in their hands are real metal. Although they don’t have sharp edges, it would still hurt immensely if an accidental hit were to occur.

In the scene of chasing Romeo, Capulet’s soldiers were searching and chasing him on and off the stage, and the synchronisation between actors was immaculate, showing that they had done their homework well prior to the show, in what must have been an unfamiliar venu. 

In addition to the actors’ acting skills, the stage design is also quite striking. 

At first glance, the props seem very simple: a few gray boxes scattered here and there,  a simple balcony model hidden in the corner… Then as the show progresses, we learn that these boxes can be put together in all kinds of ingenious combinations to simulate a multitude of things; such as a tables, beds, or a stone platform, etc…. I was impressed, it was a very imaginative and practical, ideal for a traveling troupe. The backdrop was projected with sketches like a market, a building with balcony, Juliet’s bedroom  interior, balcony scene…etc…it was stylishly done and was fresh and interesting to our eyes. 

The adaptation of this play presents a more humorous take than the typical Romeo and Juliet, while still retaining the essence of the great tragedy. For example, in the market, when Juliet’s nurse came to meet Romeo, Mercutio put a rope between his legs in a suggestive manner; or the scene in Juliet’s bedroom, where the nanny raised her skirt, these  bawdy actions produced a laugh  from the adults present without  overdoing it, or moving into pantomime.  

This show has given the children of our performing arts school a very enjoyable and rare opportunity to taste a Shakespear play in English and I am sure this has planted a seed in their young hearts.  In time I’m sure this seed will grow into a huge tree, expressing their love and appreciation for the best in theatre and drama.

Kong Zhangqun: Wuxi TV Broadcaster

“As one of the branch venues for the Shanghai International Arts Festival 2018, the Wuxi State Theatre was proud to introduce the Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet, produced by the British theatre company Heartbreak Productions. 

 It was staged at the Wuxi Performing Arts Theatre.

 Heartbreak Theatre  was established in 1991, it is famous for adopting and adapting British classic works into contemporary style via humorous dialogue, exquisite plotting  and clever scene setting.

In this performance of Romeo and Juliet,   the stilted old English was replaced by modern English, apart from a few of the more famous lines and poems which are retained. Also a Chinese narrator is in place to highlight each scene and to help Chinese audience follow the story.  

 When we asked the troupe leaders  why  they choose Romeo and Juliet?  They replied that the first reason is that it is about Love, which is still a strong theme in current Chinese culture; the 2nd reason is that the story is very famous even in Chinese culture, so it is relatively easier for a chinese audience to understand the play than it would be in some of Shakespeare’s other works.

Different from traditional British dramas and tragedies, this version of Romeo and Juliet ( produced by Heartbreak Production), is fresh and lively and there is a lot of interaction with the audience. The acting area was broadened into the auditorium,  in many ways bringing the audience into the performance and catching their attention with every minute of the actors movements.”

 

Audience A commented: ‘’ It is really worth watching these classic plays by the west. They do not have luxurious stage settings and props, but these actors are very dedicated to the show and their performances touch the heart of the audience.”

Audience B commented: ‘’ I am so touched by their acting which is so involved and accurate. The whole show is very exciting”

Za-Ji Circus Spectacular

Anhui acrobatics has won a host of medals for such acts as ladies and their chairs, the jumping stunts and rolling cups.For half a century Anhui acrobatics has performed in over forty countries including France, Germany, Italy, USA, Canada, Japan, Norway, Sweden and Australia.

This is the first time that Anhui acrobatics visited Britain.  Through its performances,  

The show has received many media reviews:

South Wales Evening Post Review: 

The Amazing Chinese Acrobats

Quite a change of pace for the Grand in the wake of the premiere of Under Milk Wood, this extraordinary show from one of China’s foremost acrobatic troupes proved to be a hugely compelling and entertaining offering.

The Anhui Acrobatic Troupe, currently engaged in an extensive tour of the UK, specialises in routines which defy the laws of gravity and physics: the end result is a spectacular mixture of aerial acrobatics and supreme athleticism which is rarely seen these days, either on stage or screen.

Small wonder that this production attracted such a large and appreciative audience – to see adults and children alike so enthralled by the skills of these performers was heartening, and the overall mood of the show was both energising and positive.

These performers, whether balanced atop a precarious stack of wooden chairs or perched halfway up a vertical pole, proved that they were capable of almost anything: strength and agility were the hallmarks of this tremendously enjoyable show in which
the multi-talented members of the company stretched their bodies to the limit and emerged triumphantly. This was far more than the usual display of circus skills served up by European athletic troupes: the agenda here was clearly more
constructive and positive, aiming to build bridges between East and West – and no-one could have failed to be impressed by the skill and dedication of those involved.

The Times Theatre Review: 

Spectacular Za-ji by 
Donald Huter

Despite the presence of chairs in several routines, the last thing that the 30-plus members of China’s Anhui Acrobatics are allowed to do is sit down. In Za-Ji, an alarmingly fit and ever-smiling young cast tries just about everything else within the realm of physical possibility.

Directed by Jianping Zhu, the show is a sometimes outrageously entertaining blend of kitsch production values and gob-smacking stunts.
Opening night began unprepossessingly with a theatrically flat, cumbersome two-person aerial ballet based on the tragic myth of a Chinese Romeo and Juliet reincarnated as butterflies. But subsequently the string of acts grew in term of thrills and weird skills.

A clutch of strong, wiry women struck what the programme billed as ‘artistic poses’ – cantilevered balances and pretzel-like conglomerations of skin and bone. In a spine and mind-bending display of contortion, a soloist twisted like taffy while balancing pretty little tiers of plastic cups via feet, forehead and mouth.

Raised up on a revolving platform, she could have been a human fountain only minus the water.

Perched atop a stack of six chairs, a compact woman executed single hand-stands with imperturbable confidence and zen-like concentration. Her rock-solid moves were punctuated with sexy little twitches of the midriff. A more obviously fetching girl worked an audience ranging from kids to pensioners into a collective frenzy, simply by inserting herself inside a battery of silver hula hoops.

The centrepiece of the daintiest-seeming act lay on her back, gracefully tumbling large parasols with slippered feet. She then switched to simultaneously spinning fabric with all four limbs and, thanks to a short stick held between the teeth, head.

By contrast the boys of Anhui were boundingly athletic, whether vaulting and somersaulting through stationary rings or shooting up, down and between tall, vertical poles. One made his ascent using only his muscular arms, while the lot of them stretched out parallel to the floor straight as ram-rods in gravity-defying group tableaux.

Originally found in 1956, the current Anhui ensemble is plainly stunningly well-trained. Inevitably, however, there is the risk of failure. Witness a plate-spinning section attended by a caterwauling, tiara-wearing vocalist who smacked og Las Vegas.

Here the girls simpered nicely, at least until one attempted a single handstand on another’s hand. As the grimaces of the girl on bottom made painfully clear, the trick wasn’t working. Her few moments of ill-concealed shame afterward were a poignant example of what a dedicated, emotionally transparent company this is.

West End Theatre Critic Stewart Sweeney: 

A Feast of Feats

This is a delightful show and the primary reason is the brilliance of the artists as they balance and spin in a series of remarkable acts. Overall the women impress more than the men, showing that precision and elegance score more highly than sheer power and maybe that is why London’s dance critics were out in force for the press night.

This is a delightful show and the primary reason is the brilliance of the artists as they balance and spin in a series of remarkable acts. Overall the women impress more than the men, showing that precision and elegance score more highly than sheer power and maybe that is why London’s dance critics were out in force for the press night.

The other enjoyable aspect of the evening is a certain naivety in the presentation: a spectacular balancing act is called ‘Ladies and their chairs’ and another, ‘Artistic Poses’; there is more irrelevant smoke and dry ice than has ever been seen on the London stage; the costumes are a fright, especially some short lumpy tutus paired with off-the-shoulder fake leopard skin tops; the choreography is ‘limited’ and includes a wonderful moment for the men when they must stretch out one arm with the other on the back of their heads.

But amidst all this kitsch lie the gems of the various acts. Those ‘Ladies and their chairs’ are amazing – 7 ladies and 10 chairs, arching up and off centre. The most difficult, but underplayed moments of this balancing act occur when a new girl is added to the construction and the others all have to make simultaneous adjustments to maintain the centre of gravity over the central chair. And then at the end, they each do a hand-stand from this precarious position. The audience erupted with applause.

Another act features a solo woman lying on her back and doing clever balances with parasols. And then to make life more difficult she performs similar tricks with sheets of cloth, which have to be spun at a terrific rate to make them behave like solid surfaces.

At one stage an organiser comes out and explains that there is always a 1% chance that a trick will go wrong. Then in one, not apparently overly difficult act, a performer fails two times to make it work. An accident or a marker that even these adepts are fallible?

For a finale, four men stand one on top of another and a powerful small woman is propelled from a see-saw with a back-flip to land on the shoulders of the fourth man, some 20′ high.

One disappointment is that the programme provided neither the names of the talented performers, nor those who have trained them. I suspect that it is the culture of the ensemble, rather than individualism that lies behind this.

WuShu Show Tour

One of the top Wushu teams — Tianjin Wushu team to demonstrate their skills in 14 cities in Wales and England: Birmingham, Portsmouth, Southampton, Preston, Nottingham, Blackpool, Bristol, Leeds, Brighton, Newport, Brecon, Rhyl, and Aberystwyth.

The team was entirely made up of national youth champions while their senior instructor Wu Bin also coached the martial arts film star Jet Li. These youngsters showed off more the 40 types of fights, with and without weapons.

WuShu Show review, By Penny Fray Reports 22/02/2002

Chinese Fighting Talk to Bridge the Culture Gap 

A Chinese martial arts team is heading for Wales to show-off their elaborate fighting skills.
Dressed in red robes and armed with metre-long sticks, a dozen Chinese fighters fly through the air and land on a sea of blue mats with cat like agility. Battle commences and audiences look on in wonder as the young men and women carry out breathtaking leaps twists and air-kicks.

This is not your usual theatre fare. But production teams have finally realised the fascination eastern traditions hold. Their elaborate dress, exotic music and age old skills, have finally put Chinese arts in demand.

Last year, the Shaolin Monks’ wheel of life tour was a sell out . While the global impact of films like Crouching tiger hidden dragon and Red lantern have been great. No wonder the Tianjin University’s Wushu team are so eager to show the West more than 40 little known forms of martial arts widely practiced in their homeland.

These techniques include Fanzi Boxing,TaiJi and Eagles Claw. The team is entirely made up of national youth champtions while their senior instructor, Wu Bin also coaches Hollywood’s latest martial arts film star Jet Li.

Bought over to Wales by local impresario Liu Li Wood, they are about to embark on a 14 date tour, visiting Rhyl’s pavilion Theatre on February 25 and Aberystwyth’s Art center on the 27th. After years of studying and living in Britain, the arts promoter feels that aspects of Chinese culture remain a mystery.

She is confident that such shows as Wushu will appeal to the public because of the performers unique skills.

 

“Not many people in Wales know about the Chinese and their culture” says Liu Li, “This will be an opportunity to see that there is more to Eastern martial arts than what you see in Kung Fu films. These youngsters will be showing off more than 40 types of fighting styles both with and without weapons. But it’s not all about attacking. Their movements are graceful and full of artistry”. This is their first time in Britain and members of the group are rapidly learning about their new surroundings. Some speak English and all are interested in the rich landscape of their host country.

 

 

 

Wushu, or the art of fighting, is a time honoured sport in China which stretches back several thousand years. In its earliest form it served as a means to build up health, cure diseases, prolong life and train military skills. Wushu has since developed into a unique combination of self-discipline and skill forms such as kicking , chopping and throwing. According to Liu li, it involves practice with weapons as well as standard bare hand fighting. Weaponry includes nine kinds of long arms and nine short, such as knives, spears, swords and clubs, which constitute the 18 types of martial arts. In marked contrast, the university team also demonstrate the Taiji Quan exercises which are used for healing illnesses and strengthening the constitution. Over the past three centuries, the popularity of the Taiji Quan (commonly know in the West as Tai-Chi) has increased and spread far beyond China’s borders to South East Asia, Japan, Europe and America. Despite the seemingly effortless fluidity of movement, the practice can be quite physically demanding. They have also incorporated traditional stories into the show, to keep audiences interest as the martial demonstrations are staged.

Liu Li, who moved from China to Mid Wales seven years ago, used to be a martial arts practitioner herself. But realising that she could not make the professional grade, she decided to focus her attention on the arts instead. “When i was growing up in Kunming,south China, Wushu was a popular activity,” she explains. “Almost every child I knew would practice in the local parks after school due to the Emperors decree.” Since the founding of the Peoples republic of China Wushu has become part of the socialist culture and individuals physical education and sports has developed spectacularly. Statistics show there are more than 100 schools of Chinese Boxing alone. And with competition in the field so great , only the creme de la creme go on to win awards and appear on the international stage. “ Although I was better than average I wasn’t good enough to make the grade So i went on to study Business information systems in Manchester instead” adds Liu Li who is eager to utilise her bilingual skills to do something to bridge the gap between western and eastern cultures. “ This is such an ideal job for me” she says “ I feel at home in the theatrical arena, having spent most of my spare time acting and directing in the past. “I believe that art has no borders. The exchange of art and culture is the best way to bridge the gaps and promote appreciation and love between nations”

Western Mail WuShu review, Culture & Arts 26/01/2002

Martial Arts and the Love of Nations  

A BLACK-BELT martial arts team from China is to tour the UK next month, thanks to the hard work of a Chinese entrepreneur living in Mid Wales.

Liu Li Wood, who has formed her own Llandrindod Wells-based performing arts promotion company, is bringing the TianJin university of technology  Wushu team to Wales and England for a14 – date tour starting at Newport Centre on February 22.

The team found in 1994, has won many national gold medals and is said to be one of the best in China. Ms Wood used to be a martial arts practitioner herself when she was growing up in China, but realising that she would not make the professional grade, she decided to focus her attention on her academic studies and her business future.

After obtaining a degree from shanghai university she lectured for four years before coming to the UK to study seven years ago.

Following a postgraduate degree in business information systems from Salford University, she came to Wales and took up a business studies course at Coleg Powys in Llandrindod Wells.
Spotting an opportunity to use yer bilingual skills to organise cultural exchanges with her homeland, she set up her own promotions company – MsL – last June, with support from training and education organisation Elwa.

As a returned to the labour market she qualified for a £2000 training grant under ELWA’s self-employed Compact scheme and attended business studies start-up course at business Connect Heart of Wales, also in Llandrindod. Elwa is also supporting one -to -one tuition to improve her English business language, which she says has been vital for conducting the business professionally.

With the Tianjin university martial arts team ready to tour the UK, Ms Wood is now working hard to introduce many more Chinese performers to UK audiences.  She stressed that the help she received from Elwa was invaluable in helping her get started.

“Gaining degrees and lecturing in a university for four years has given me a lot of confidence and I am excited about running my own company and determined to succeed,” she said.

Peter Melanefy, Elwa’s business support executive said he believes that in helping Ms Wood the organisation achieved its three main aims of supporting individuals, business and communities.
“We have supported her with advice and funding for personal development, we have helped to set her up in a business, which will hopefully create future jobs and we are supporting a cultural exchange between international communities,” he said.

Liu Li said “ I believe that a real art has no borders. The exchange of art and culture is the best way to bridge the gaps and promote appreciation and friendship between nations” 刘莉相信：‘真正的艺术是没有国界的。 文化艺术交流是最好的形式促进国家之间的欣赏和友谊。’

Chinese New Year Concert

The Music of China is truly one of a kind.  Those who have not experienced it before often develop a special feeling for the music. There is something about Chinese melodies that touch heart and soul. Such is the intricacy and lyric range it is hard to believe that these pieces are played on a five-tone scale rather than the eight-tone scale of Western music. Once, just after finishing a show in Nottingham Albert Hall, a 60-year-old western gentleman was still sitting in his chair, not leaving.  Venue staff approached him to ask if he was ok, he looked up with tears on his face and cried out: ‘Absolutely beautiful, I have never heard such beautiful music before….; —-Concert Director Liu Li

By British BBC reporter Zhao Meng

A Poignant and Evocative Musical Experience.  

Imagine the crowded bank of the Thames river with the grand Parliament building and London’s Big Ben as a backdrop. Add to this a spicy taste of a traditional Chinese Spring Festival and a splash of Oriental colour.

To me it was like being swept back to my childhood, in my traditional Chinese home village, immersed in the crowded festival atmosphere with coloured lanterns flashing in front of my eyes and the sound of music played by these beautiful instruments filling my ears, the excitement stayed with me for days.

It’s the third day of the Tiger year celebration, my colleague and I were lucky to be there to have a celebratory ‘taste of home’. A real pleasure, as due to working in London it’s not easy to get back for a traditional new year.

As I sit down I look around the audience and see a large crowd made up of a typical cross section of the London population, all ages and races.

An English senior couple sit beside me and smile. They whispered to me: We are coming to join the celebration of the tiger year”.  Just like the London Mayor Boris Johnson who referred to the words “Lucky Tiger Year”，” auspicious” and “prosperous” in his speech to Chinese media; westerners are increasingly interested in Chinese culture and the Tiger and Dragon symbols.

I had a chance to meet the renowned flute musician Dong qiu-ming and Guzheng master Zhu Xiao-meng, they both came from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. They told me that westerners have a good ear for music and that they are always moved by the beauty of Chinese melodies.

The concert started with one of my favourite pieces the magnificent composition, Butterfly Lovers. The whole audience were totally immersed in the astonishing and masterful play of the five musicians on stage. Their coordination and combination of the different traditional instruments were just perfect.

Musician Dong Qiu-ming is rated as one of the top three flute players in Shanghai. His repertoire including “The Air of Qin River” exhibited the passionate character and earthy joy of the West-Northern China ethnic group and was a fine example of virtuoso playing. Musician Chen Da-cai, a professor of the Erhu instrument in the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, demonstrated “Reflection of the Moon in the Pond”, which was composed by the musical genius Ar Bin, one of the most acclaimed pieces in the world music library. Chen Da-chen’s rendition was beautiful.

• The Southern Guzeng tune “The Song of Fishing Boats at Sunset”, always provokes a scene of a lake, water gently spreading, waves shining with the golden sunset, carrying fishing boats home.
• The Tang dynasty famous tune “Yang Guan Farewell”, elegantly expressed the sentimentality that words are lost when seeing off a soul mate who is leaving the home village for good.
• The music of “Spring River Blossom Moon Night” brought to mind the scene of a Chinese spring painting: The spring water caressed by weeping willows, A tall pagoda surrounded by blossoms, shadowed in the moonlight, the sending bell ringing far away…
• The tune of “Jasmine” was resonant of the everlasting fragrance…
• The song of “Birds Shading in the Trees” filled the hall with cheerful birds singing and dancing in the green cloud forest…

In total seventeen fantastic Chinese pieces were performed ending with the haunting melody “Coloured Clouds Run After the Moon”, The applause was repeated and repeated, the audience stood up. Their cheerful sound and faces leaving no doubt of a popular and successful concert. Watching these expressive faces filled with appreciation and gratitude, made me glad to be a part of it. It was such an exciting and moving moment for everyone.

St. John’s Smith Square, the music concert hall attracted a large group of British music experts and critics, The Brazilian composer Nicolaiewsky from Porto Alegre, was very excited after seeing the concert. He said that it was his first time experiencing Chinese music live. He was so impressed he decided he will be choosing some Chinese music for his new film. I recommended that he select the piece “Spring River Blossom Moon Night” which has been my favourite since I was a child when I spent many hours practising it on my own Pipa instrument.

There were Chinese faces in attendance, some of them looked as though they had been away from home for a long time including a number of students. It’s my guess they would have had similar feelings to me. It was a very special feeling to have such an eminently Chinese cultural event so well received in a western country especially for this Chinese festival season. It was a rare joy to see such a high standard Chinese Classical Music Concert in the West End.
Once the concert was over I had a chance to talk to the musician Dong Qiu-ming and Zhu Xiao-meng among the excited crowds, they said their performances in western countries have always been very well received, and they were normally overwhelmed by the response, which made them think they need to do more work in the west to meet the demand.

The organiser and the concert director Ms Liu Li expressed the opinion that China possesses some of the richest forms of performing arts in the world and many world class performers, and suggested that Chinese cultural exchange with the rest of the world will be fruitful for many years to come. She also says the exchange is two-way, Chinese people currently go to western concerts more than Chinese ones, Chinese people are eager learners.

I remember there was an article about Chinese folk music a short while ago. It discussed a young generation of Chinese musicians more enthusiastic about learning western instruments than traditional Chinese instruments. It raised the declining interest in classical forms as more people favour pop music and expressed doubts about where the future of Chinese folk classical music lies?

From what I saw in tonight’s concert, I believe the greatest era for the appreciation of Chinese Music is yet to come. In the West and in fact all around the world, there is an increasing desire to know China for her oriental nature as well as her ancient heritage. Concerts like this one make my case, the cheers, applause and whistling all around me convince me I’m right.

Kyra Somerfield from Swansea Grand Theatre  

Chinese Classical Music at its very best.  

 Many Western Europeans will never have experienced the live performance of Chinese Classical Music at its very best.  Others who have visited the country or watched from afar the Beijing Olympic Games will have already fallen in love with its beauty and character.

The vivid quality of tone together with a  portrayal of every human emotion, the colours of the natural world and mimicry of birds and animals.  All are displayed through the skills of these five expert musicians. Their abilities, charm and faultless interpretation of the music shine throughout the performance – played for you on instruments most will only have seen featured before in the patterns of silks and porcelain!

Give yourself the delight of a “Visit to The Orient”, in the magical company of these virtuoso performers as they conduct you through an enchanting programme which features musical compositions – historic and modern.

This is an opportunity too good to be missed.

 

Acrobatic Swan Lake

By Judith mackrell, The Guardian Culture Thursday 7 August 2008

Chinese acrobats’ Swan Lake is the logical next step.  

There was always a whiff of the circus about 19th-century ballet, with its exotic dancers, spectacular transformation scenes and novelty dance steps, so it is arguable that the Chinese acrobats’ Swan Lake is the logical next step. Back in 1895, Petipa gave his Odette/Odile 32 fouettées to dance because audiences clamoured to see this ballerina feet at every show. Why shouldn’t Sun Jiayin show off her own extreme equivalent – dancing on point on Siegfried’s head?

 

 

Only the stingiest of purists could fail to be enthralled by what these acrobat-dancers do. The Tchaikovsky score might be crudely recorded and the action might bear scant relationship to the original libretto, but there is magic on stage. As Siegfried sets out in pursuit of Odette (a world tour rather than a simple trip to the lake), he encounters hat-juggling South Americans, sailors who fly from one quivering ship’s mast to the next, carnival stilt-walkers, and a quartet of frogs who dance on their hands. Trapped by the wicked Eagle King, he is bedazzled by contortionists who undulate like caterpillars and lovers who dance on unicycles.

At their most awesome, these tricks are integrated completely into the stage action – juggling in exact time to Tchaikovsky proves to be a marvel. Some acts do, however, feel shoehorned into the concept. Roller-skating swans are infinitely less impressive than their ballet equivalent, and the clowning cygnets should be dropped. It is also a shame that the production engages so little with the story, with the Prince a solid cypher of a hero and Odette, in all her marvellous, bendy boldness, no tragic heroine. But, finally, who cares? These performers reset human limits. As Odette perches high on Siegfried’s head, her body arched in a back-bending arabesque, every demurral is drowned by the collective intake of breath.

By Zoë Anderson of the Independant,  Monday, 11 August 2008  

Watch Performers doing the Impossible.  

The Guangdong Acrobatic Troupe’s Swan Lake is phenomenal and cheesy, sometimes both in the same breath. On the one hand, you get blurry storytelling, tacky effects and a corps de ballet on roller skates. On the other, you get performers doing the impossible – most spectacularly, that scene where the heroine dances, on pointe, on top of Wei Baohua’s head. Once balanced, Wu Zhengdan kicks her other foot into a high extension. And then she does a backbend, her head level with her supporting ankle. The audience reacts with awed disbelief.

Based in Shanghai, the troupe has won awards around the globe. Unsurprisingly, Swan Lake is the company’s most celebrated production. The whole show was built around that duet, created in 2004 as Oriental Swan-Ballet on Top of Head.

Yet this production is at its weakest when it tries to be balletic. Contortionist bodies have no trouble getting into ballet poses, but as dancing it lacks authority and expression. Tchaikovsky’s music has saved countless versions of the ballet, but this taped version rarely fits the acrobatic action.

Though choreographer Zhao Ming builds conjuring, flying effects and transformations into the story, his staging is clunky. The tricks are there, but with little wonder in them. Zhang Jiwen’s elaborate designs can obscure acrobatic detail. The first half flags, weighed down by clown acts and bad pacing.

Occasionally the sheer flashiness becomes charming. In search of his beloved, the Prince sails through Egypt on a stuffed camel, passing a stageful of tinsel-clad belly-dancers.

Though characterisations are generally thin, Wei Baohua takes it all very seriously. He goes on registering devotion, no matter how many unicyclists and jugglers they throw at him.

 

 

The acrobatics are astonishing, even if you have to sit through the story to get to them. As a Snake, Tan Wanxia wound herself into positions I could hardly bear to look at. One juggler whirls seven or eight sparkly clubs, kicking them up from the floor while keeping the others spinning. In the evening’s best use of music, the cygnets are replaced by four frogs, who hop about on their hands, kicking their legs neatly to the beat.