The Courage of the Plum Blossom

The plum blossom is a flower that shines in the winter and snow, with an elegant fragrance. In the Chinese tradition, many poems and artworks have been inspired by its courage, strength, and beauty. The Chinese saying "the Plum Blossom's fragrance comes from the bitterness and coldness it experiences" has often been used to encourage people in adversity.

The Lotus Flower Art Troupe's dance "Plum Blossom" brings the spirit of this flower to the stage, and invites the audience to experience what this soft little flower goes through. It has 3 parts.

The dancers dress in white and pink, and each has a pink fan representing the petals of the flower. On a good day in the cold winter, a few pink flowers gracefully and peacefully blossom in the snow.

Suddenly, a thunderstorm comes, and the flowers can hardly bear it. Yet as the pink fans close and open rhythmically over and over again, the gentle plum blossom manages to stay.

When the sunshine finally comes out and the storm stops, heavenly music flies though the winter coldness. The plum blossom peacefully shares its beauty, and with even more elegance, heralds the arrival of the spring.

The heart of the dance is in the second part, in which every movement of the dancers shows the strength and perseverance of the gentle flower. By trying to blossom in the unbearable storm, the flower demonstrates its true love of life.

In the third part of the dance, when the worst ordeal has past, there is no overly joyful celebration, but suddenly, each smiling petal seems more beautiful than ever. The beauty comes not just from the color and the fact that it is the only one blossoming in the winter, but because each gentle petal has grown through the cruelty of the winter storm and represents the ultimate respect for life.

Next time when you see a plum blossom on a winter day, perhaps you will feel the courage and sincerity this flower carries.

As in the other programs in NTDTV's Chinese New Year Global Gala, the use of projection on the background greatly helps the storytelling of the dance, and blends into the performance seamlessly.

You can see the dance "The Plum Blossom" this Sunday at 7 p.m. at the Flint Center in Cupertino, CA. Please visit: www.gala.ntdtv.com