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Iridescent and surprisingly complementary colors of green, pink, yellow, and orange made a spectacular splash on stage at the Arie Crown Theatre in Chicago last Saturday as the New Tang Dynasty 2006 Chinese New Year Global Gala proved to be both a colorful and poetic unraveling of ancient "Myths and Legends."
A multicultural event, the 19 plus performances kept the co-hosts busy, speaking in both Chinese and English, as they introduced the next number or clued in the audience to the meaning behind the dance performances. Often witty, (the American host even sang a song in a quasi-operatic Chinese)the pair became a necessary ingredient to the show.
"It's our first time here at the Gala, and we are delighted. It's great to have an American co-host to give us a Western flavor of things," explained Theodore Randall from Northbrook, Ill.
Starting with the pounding of Tang Dynasty drums, the 17-city gala tour welcomed its audience with the irrepressible white dragon. Prominent throughout the show were several dance troupes gracing the stage before beautiful projected images. Especially impressive was the use of gauzy fabric to depict an awe-inspiring flood scene in "When the Lion's Eyes Turn Red." But just as extraordinary was the "Plum Blossoms" dance with its simple use of dazzling costumes and bright pink fans which lovely maidens snapped open to great rhythmic effect, making the fragrant flower seem to come to life.
A nice contrast to the smooth and graceful Chinese dancers was Chicago's own Irish Trinity Dancers who displayed their fast, intricate dance steps, making the floors and walls reverberate. Performing the "Black Rose" the progressive dance troupe took traditional Irish dance to a new level of energy.
"I liked having the Irish Dancers as a multicultural thing," said Chicago resident Michael Pfaff.
For fans of instrumental music, The East Meets West Arts String Orchestra showcased several superb talents on alto saxophone, piano and on the erhu, the latter in the Chinese classic, "Moonlight Reflected in 'The Second Spring,'" with the strings enriching it with counterpoint and subtle harmony.
Another highlight from the West was the Glen Ellyn Children's Chorus, appearing in tunics of dark red and green, gold, pink, purple and turquoise. Their soaring voices and crisp diction accompanied a talented young ballerina to depict the lovely, poignant Hans Christian Andersen story, "The Nightingale."
"It was aesthetically pleasing, as the show focused on group dynamics and synergies that were emotionally and exquisitely presented in both Eastern and Western performances," said Art Tortolero of Chicago.
The three Chinese soloists' were exceptionally pleasing to the ear—and even if you don't know Chinese—the lyrics were translated and projected on stage making their performances more meaningful to the Americans in the audience.
On the whole, the evening gave a taste of age-old traditions, whether through western arts like Irish folk dancing or Eastern arts like Chinese fan dancing.
"It was different from concerts—in that rock bands have been around for about 50 years, but these traditional Chinese performances has been around centuries—it's a whole history piece," said Yoon-Hee Howg , a student at Northwestern University.
Next stop: San Diego where the over 400 gala performers will again open their hearts and culture to the many Americans who are just waiting to bring in The Year of the Dog.
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