– Friday, March 25, 2011, starting at 6:30 PM
True to its mission of raising awareness of Asian arts, the departmental Museum of Asian Arts will participate in the March at the Museums event.
On this occasion, it will present a selection of about fifteen artists from diverse backgrounds.
An exceptional evening under the sign of harmony and balance, featuring traditional dances and music.
– First introductory part outdoors
Demonstration of nunchaku and sword by Binghua PU, an experienced martial artist.
The cigarette case dance by Jianglin GE, is an emblematic dance of the Bai ethnic group, predominantly found in southern China.
– Second dance part in the temporary exhibition room
The Odissi dance, presented tonight by the Mîlam association, originates from Orissa and is one of the oldest traditional Indian dances.
Inspired by ancient ritual practices, it is defined by body positions based notably on the tribhanga, the triple bend (neck, waist, knee).
The use of mudras and other mimetic and bodily expressions (steps, eyes, face…) closely resembles Bharata Natyam dance, which we will see a bit later.
Jianglin GE performs a Chinese folk dance to a piece by the Phoenix Legend group, popular among young people in China. The dancer delivers a hymn to cohesion and peace among peoples.
The fan dances, graceful and elegant, symbolize the balance between delicacy and energy by mixing a slow tempo with dynamic gestures. Hun Xue Yuan, with a dance similar to Shan Wu Dan Qing (a Chinese-inspired fan dance), presents the encounter between the fan and the practice of Tai Chi, the most widely practiced ancient martial art in the world.
Then, Jianglin and Bing Hua perform the Xin Gyu Lin Shui dance (of Yin and Yang), based on the concept of opposition and complementarity between dance and kung fu. The yang symbolizes light, masculinity, action while the yin embodies night, femininity and gentleness. Harmony emanates from the balance between Yin and Yang.
The Bharata Natyam dance is another type of traditional Indian dance, likely the oldest. Practiced throughout India, it was originally dedicated to Shiva and performed within the sacred precincts of temples. The Tanjore association speaks to us of spiritual love with this dance harmoniously combining music, pure dance movements (nritta), and mime-like expression (nritya).
– Third musical part in the temporary exhibition room
The “Fisherman’s Song” by Li FENG. Also called “Yu Zhou Chang Wan,” these melodies are inspired by the ancient chants of fishermen returning from their workday.
The demonstration of Gu Zheng by Xue Yuan HUN illustrates the water life cycle from the depths of the sea to the mountain tops. The Gu Zheng, or Chinese zither, is a royal instrument with more than 2,500 years of history. It has 21 strings. While the right hand plucks the strings with a plectrum, the left hand modulates the tone.
Chinese song by Yin Yuan YANG, accompanied by the Chinese instrument GuZheng,
Demonstration of Erhu and acoustic guitar by Jirui ZHANG and Peter NANOT will be an opportunity to combine modernity and tradition. The Erhu or Huqin is a traditional Chinese two-stringed instrument still widely used today in orchestras throughout Asia.
– 9:30 PM, tasting of Asian flavors to end the evening.
