After overseeing performances in five shows since last Wednesday, in Vancouver and San Francisco, Tia Zhang was still as energetic as ever when she arrived at her hotel in Los Angeles on Monday night.
Ms. Zhang, in her mid-60s, is the artistic director of the Lotus Performing Arts Troupe of Toronto. She is also co-director of the tour group performing in New Tang Dynasty Television's (NTDTV's) Chinese New Year Spectacular.
In its fourth year, the show is travelling to 28 cities this year, visiting North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. After performing in Los Angeles, the Spectacular will play in Ottawa to a sell-out audience at the National Arts Centre's Southam Hall this Friday evening.
Zhang is also an award-winning dancer, choreographer, and ballet instructor who has participated in numerous performances and taught many dancers in China. After immigrating to Canada, she taught for more than 25 years at the National Ballet School of Toronto.
What is special and unique about the show this year? Zhang emphasized the use of colour, the historical themes, and the choreography, with dances from different Chinese ethnic and dynastic traditions, such as the Mongolian, Tibetan, and Manchurian dances.
She also praised the cooperative effort by the many professional performing artists who make up the show. Their areas of expertise include singing, conducting, choreography, music composition, classical Chinese dance, ballet, and solo and orchestral performance on both Western and Oriental instruments, including the erhu, a two-stringed bowed instrument sometimes called the "Chinese violin."
"Different professions and people mix together," Zhang said. "We think about how to make it beautiful," and "all work together very well." She observed that viewers find the show "very exciting," and when they hear some of the music, "some even get tears in their eyes."
Patrick Dong agrees. Dong is the managing director of NTDTV in Vancouver. He told The Epoch Times by email that he feels very much different this year about both the promotion and the show itself.
NTDTV is gradually becoming more recognized in the community and the mainstream, he said, and the Spectacular plays an important role in helping the non-profit network foster understanding between Chinese and Western societies. He added that "The dancing, background, and storyline etc. really captured the audience's eyes and touched their hearts."
The costumes are hand-made and designed based on research, to be true to the clothing from various dynasties in Chinese history, Dong noted. Moreover, the music is specially composed for the Spectacular.
Dong said he was touched by the dedication of the many volunteers who helped make the show successful. "They worked so hard to promote the show for a few months, in particular in December."
Darkness to Light
Throughout China's 5,000 years of history, moral and spiritual teachings from Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism have been highly valued and tightly woven into Chinese arts and culture. What the NTDTV Spectacular portrays is this "authentic Chinese traditional culture," Zhang says, in contrast with the communist culture in which "they show darkness" and "treat people badly."
This "breakthrough" back to the "genuine beauty" of ancient Chinese culture is what attracted her to the show, said one Ottawa NTDTV staff member who grew up in Mainland China.
Since 1949, the communist regime has dominated and "brainwashed" the Chinese society with communist ideology, she said, including "mixing" into all art forms the concepts of "political struggle" and "glorification of the Communist Party."
She relayed some lyrics from songs that she used to sing and hear since her childhood, from the 1960s onward. Translated into English, one popular song declares, "Father is dear, mother is dear, but not as dear as the [Chinese Communist] Party." Another song tells the people that "The sun is the most red, Chairman Mao is the most dear." The lyrics of a song entitled "International Song" read, "There has never been a lord of salvation, and also do not rely on gods or emperors."
It is well known the tragedies that occurred during the Cultural Revolution under Mao, when those who informed on each other included teachers and students and even children and their parents.
She likened the Spectacular to removing the communist "wrapping paper" around the essence of traditional Chinese values and beauty.
"On the stage, it is so clean, so clear, and so powerful and righteous," Zhang said. "We use our hearts to do those things and to make really nice things for the society."
The Epoch Times is proud to join with New Tang Dynasty Television and Sound of Hope Radio in co-sponsoring NTDTV's Chinese New Year Spectacular. This article is one of a series meant to introduce this unique and important event.
Feeds