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Dunhuang Dance is a form of Chinese dance that draws sources from body movements depicted in artifacts found in Dunhuang Mogao Caves. Located in Gansu Province of China, along the Silk Route, at the crossroads of trade as well as religious, cultural and intellectual influences, the seven hundred and thirty five caves are famous for their statues and fresco paintings, spanning 1,000 year of Buddhist art. Thousand Hand Guan Yin, a representative of Dunhuang Dance featured in this program is a contemporary creation conceived by the renowned Chinese choreographer, ZHANG Jigang, and produced by the China Disabled Performing Art Troupe. In this dance, a group of hearing-impaired dancers effectively utilize their body language to communicate the magic of "thousand hands" and hints at the deep meaning of Buddhism, its luminescence and boundless love.
This program provides an overview of the historical development of Long Sleeve Dance, a dance form dating back to the 7th century B.C.E, a time that is known as the Spring-and-Autumn period in Chinese history. It introduces a handful of codified language of Long Sleeve Dance. Highlighted are the long Sleeve dance performances titled The Colors of Water choreographed by WANG Yukun and MIAO Xiaolong and Zhao Jun Departs the Frontier choreographed by JIANG Huaxuan. In Zhao Jun Departs the Frontier, LIU Min, a nationally acclaimed dance master, employes exquisite language of Long Sleeve to convey the conflicted emotions of ZHAO Jun (one of "The Four Beauties" known in Chinese History) as she Leaves her homeland and lavish lifestyle for the grasslands of the remote north as part of peace treaty. The dance tells an ancient story of loyalty, heroism and self-sacrifice for the common good.
Neighboring with the Dai group, Aini group lives primarily in and around mountains and canyons at an altitude of twenty-five to eighty hundred feet. They are famous for their production of Pu Er Tea. Dancing and singing are second nature to the Aini people. In this program, while listening to the folk song titled Magical Village by famous Aini singer MI Xian, the audience will enjoy Ainis cultural traditions of tea brewing and folk dancing by girls clapping to the rhythm and wearing spectacular ceremonial costumes.
Located in the southwest region of China, Dai people enjoy mild weather and beautiful landscapes of mountains and lakes. While the water splashing and dragon boating events held in their annual spring festival showcase the close ties between their culture and the land, the water running in the rivers and lakes has often been the inspiration for their dance creations. The dance presentation titled Playing with Water allows the audience to experience vicariously the heat of the sunlight and the crystal clear water streaming though the river. This dance captures the unique body movements of Dai Dance that reflects the cordial and gentle nature of this ethnic group.
Han is the largest ethnic group in China, whose people inhabit the middle and eastern regions of the country. Hans folk dance tradition started on the streets in the 5th century as ritual events. Nowadays, this tradition named Yangko flourishes everywhere, on the streets, in classrooms and on stages. This program showcases a myriad of Yangko forms, both on and off stage, including Northeastern Yanko, Shandong Yanko and Shanbei Yanko, each has its distinctive features. The stage presentations of the Northeastern Yanko titled Happy Snow choreographed by WANG Xiaoyan and performed by MING Li of Shanghai Theatre Academy and the Shandong Yanko named Blossoms of Mountain Flowers choreographed by CHI Hong and MIAO Xiaolong and performed/produced by the Dance Department of Shanghai Normal University are stunning examples of this dance form.
In this program, the ethereal voice of Buren Bayaer (a legendary Inner Mongolian Singer), along with the images of yurts and running horses, brings the audience to an otherworldly setting of Inner Mongolia. Inner Mongolians, in general, are known to excel at horse riding. The span of the great plain has cultivated the openness and strength in this ethnic group and nurtured their vigorous, bold and energetic dances. Distinguished Inner Mongolian dancers, Dun E Er and Si Qin Hua, demonstrate traditional Mongolian Horse Dance, Chopstick Dance and Bowl Dance. It features Leaping Horses choreographed by MA Yue of China Central University for Nationalities, a contemporary stage dance presentation inspired by Mongolian horse dance tradition. An interview with MA Yue provides an insight into the conceptual and artistic choices made in the creation of this dance piece.
Living on the Plateau, at an average elevation of over 12 thousand feet above sea level, the Tibetan people are known to be compassionate, bold, candid and devout. Most Tibetans practice Tibetan Buddhism. Just as the distinctive geographical and weather conditions in the region have influenced their dance movements, Tibetans sacred religious beliefs and political climate have also had an impact. This program combines both Tibetan folk dance and stage dance performances of The Song of the Emancipated Serfs choreographed by XU Xiaoping of China Central University for Nationalities and Tibetan Mystery choreographed by YANG Liping (also lead dancer). In addition, Madam Yang provides insight into her artistic and casting choices for Tibetan Mystery.
Andrew Graham-Dixon pieces together the spectacular recent discoveries of ancient art that are re-defining China's understanding of its origins. He comes face to face with an extraordinary collection of sophisticated alien-like bronze masks created nearly four millennia ago and travels to the Yellow River to explore the tomb of a warrior empress where he discovers the origins of calligraphy.
Always seeking to understand art in its historical context, Andrew visits the tomb of the first emperor and comes face to face with the Terracotta Army. He ends his journey in western China, looking at the impact of the arrival of Buddhism from India on the wondrous paintings and sculptures of the Dunhuang caves.
Andrew Graham-Dixon travels to the Yellow mountains in southern China to understand the power of Chinese landscape painting. The period from the 10th to the 15th century - from the Song to the Ming dynasties - was the golden age of art in China. Andrew discovers an emperor so in love with art and beauty that he neglected to rule his country and scholar artists who fled the Mongol invasion to immerse themselves in nature, combining wondrous landscape painting and calligraphy. While Europe was still in the Dark Ages, Chinese art was being reborn.
Andrew Graham-Dixon charts the journey from imperial to modern - the glorious rise and calamitous fall of China's last dynasty. Rulers were so entranced by the spell of western art that they failed to notice the rise of western dominance, with disastrous consequences. The subsequent profound identity crisis saw China's artists struggle with outside influence. It was an age of crisis, which ultimately led to bloody revolution and rebirth. After tyrant Mao's Cultural Revolution and Tiananmen Square, does its new art reveal a different side to the modern China we think we know?
Chinese calligraphy, "Shu Fa" in Chinese, and also called brush calligraphy, has been a technique for writing Chinese characters for thousands or years. Treasured in Japan, Korea, Vietnam and Singapore as well, it is considered to be a uniquely East Asian art. Today, the love of calligraphy has spread worldwide. This classic documentary features (Katherine) Xiao Kejia, respected as one of China's master calligraphers - a distinction among Chinese women, who introduces viewers to the presentation, style, emotions, spirituality and esthetics of calligraphy. Like a great painter, Kejia's brush literally dances as she demonstrates a technique, which took years of discipline to achieve. We learn how this artistic training was passed down through generations of her family - her grandfather, Xiao Lao, was well known as a calligrapher and poet; however, although she has achieved worldwide acclaim, this program's focus is primarily on the appreciation of her beloved ancient art. We learn of the four essential tools required to practice calligraphy, the ink brush, ink, paper, and inkstone; then, following the handling of her brush, we witness the power and beauty she is able to convey as she paints and identifies the characters. Produced by J. Howmark Productions.
China's greatest living filmmaker Jia Zhangke (Platform, The World) travels with acclaimed painter Liu Xiaodong from China to Thailand as they meet everyday workers in the throes of social turmoil.
Liu Xiaodong is well-known for his monumental canvases, particularly those inspired by Chinas Three Gorges Dam project. In DONG, Jia Zhangke visits Liu on the banks of Fengjie, a city about to be swallowed up by the Yangtze River. The area is in the process of being de-constructed by armies of shirtless male workers who form the subject of Liu's paintings. Liu and Jia next travel to Bangkok, where Liu paints Thai sex workers languishing in brothels. The two sets of paintings are united in their subjects' shared sense of malaise in the face of the dehumanizing labor afforded them.
Jia takes Liu's work as a point of inspiration for his own cinematic innovation. Produced as a companion piece to Still Life (Golden Lion, Venice Film Festival), DONG stands on its own as an aesthetically provocative exploration of the documentary form. Blessed with the director's signature compositional beauty and humanism, Jia's vision of China is concrete and explosive (Jean-Pierre Rehm, Cahiers du Cinema).
Jehan Chan uses the distinctive red color of Malaccan historical buildings in his modern paintings; also two Trishaw drivers struggle to keep their traditional taxi service operating in the busy streets of Malaka.
Armed with video cameras, twelve artists present a highly stylized portrait of SAN YUAN LI, a traditional village besieged by China's urban sprawl.
China's rapid modernization literally traps the village of San Yuan Li within the surrounding skyscrapers of Guangzhou, a city of 12 million people. The villagers move to a different rhythm, thriving on subsistence farming and traditional crafts. They resourcefully reinvent their traditional lifestyle by tending rice paddies on empty city lots and raising chickens on makeshift rooftop coops.
Directed by acclaimed visual artists Ou Ning and Cao Fei and commissioned by the Venice Biennale, SAN YUAN LI explores the modern paradox of China's economic growth and social marginalization.
Architecture is usually a function of the raw materials available, geology and social standards. Architcture and design have undergone many changes in China, but have always been categorized into four classes: palaces, temples, residential houses and pavilions. This program covers the 7000 year evolution and variances of Chinese archetecture throughout time, place and function.
A comprehensive survey of creative life in contemporary Beijing, SWING IN BEIJING captures a remarkable impression of the current state of fine and performing arts in this rapidly changing city. Academy Award nominee Shui-Bo Wang has incorporated interviews with artists, filmmakers, and musicians, along with clips of films, plays and music videos, paintings and other artwork in galleries and studios, and revealing footage of a city in transition.
Although government censorship has been a threat to artists in China for years, many of the artists cite the lack of venues and financial support as the new censorship. Gao Xing, aged 26, is the lead singer of the punk group Underbaby. Gao and his friends say it isn't the government but music producers and MTV-China that demand less controversial lyrics. For painter Wei Dong censorship is a danger that lies within. During the Cultural Revolution his parents were persecuted, and Wei knows his memories must influence him in some way, though he tries to resist the impulse to tone down his work.
The painful transformation of Beijing is a subject many of the artists confront. In response to the destruction of the old quarter, Wei Dong explores artistic methods that embrace modernization but preserve Chinese culture. Filmmaker Jia Khang Ke explores the loss of traditional values and culture as well. Using his small, hometown Penang as the setting, his most recent film is a meditation on the dissolution of the traditional family in China. Zhan Wang is also troubled by the demolition of the old District. In his state-owned studio he creates work that asks, "Where do we come from?" Freed from financial constraints by his work as a commercial artist, Zhan creates conceptual art by photographing the demolished old district, then photographing the same area after his 'renovations.' His work is completed as the new structures go up over the old.
All of these artists, and many others interviewed in SWING IN BEJING, debate the value of Western recognition. While selection for a Western show like the Venice Bi-annual guarantees international fame, the selected pieces are often shown out of context, diluting their power. Western curators, says Wu Mei Chun, tend to pick pieces that shock the Western sensibility, not the best piece. A graduate of the China Institute of Fine Arts she decided to stop practicing art in order to curate. Now 31, she puts on controversial group shows in non-official settings.
Finally, SWING IN BEIJING takes us to the Central Experimental Playhouse for a production of Dario Fo's Death of an Anarchist. Director Men Jeng Hui was a student activist during the Tiananmen uprising, and says the events of 1989 are his formative experiences. Citing Stanislavsky's student Meyerhold as his inspiration, he insists that theater always needs revolution. By raising funds from friends and private corporations (the government has cut funding to the theater), Men Jeng was able to put on a production that is openly challenging to authority. It exemplifies the current state of censorship in Beijing: the government won't stop you from making something, but it won't provide the crucial venue and funding that is necessary to reach the public.
Shui-Bo Wang, whose critically acclaimed film SUNRISE OVER TIANANMEN SQUARE was nominated for an Academy Award, has returned to the cradle of his artistic development, creating an informative and surprising film about the challenges and rewards of the life of an artist in present-day Beijing.
"Chinese Opera" opens in the make-up room of the People's Theatre in Canton, where the cast is preparing for a 300-year-old Cantonese opera called Nliu Yi Chuan Su, a romance, and then moves on to an acrobatic training school for future opera stars. The DVD concludes with a performance by the Northern Opera Group in Beijing. The viewer is given an in-depth, first-hand experience of this fascinating ancient art form.
DVD (With English narration) / 1983 / () / 28 minutes
Demonstration of China Painting, preparation, various stages of painting
Jo has trained in art at the Methodist Ladies' College and Technical College, Launceston and China painting studies with Moira Treacher and at seminars with artists from Australia and Overseas. With oven ten years experience, using porcelain as her canvas, Jo displays her artistic talent.
Demonstration: China Painting - Flower design, materials, various painting stages and detailing
Art and the Bronzes - After trying to establish what art is we look at the wonderful bronze work of early times in China.
Ceramics - Fine ceramics from many different ages have come down to us; in particular the Tang Sung and Ming dynasty ware.
The Chinese Character Script - The Chinese character script is difficult to learn but beautiful to see and writing it is regarded as an art form.
Poetry - Poets have always been held in high regard in China. Even in translation their particular beauties shine through.
Literature - Literature in the form of plays and novels developed in later centuries just as they did in other parts of the world.
Epilogue - After their early brilliance, under a deeply conservative leadership, the talents of the Chinese in all fields began to be stifled and consequently to decay.
A Spectacular Visual Encyclopedia of the Arts and Architecture of China, including over 400 exquisite full-color photos with extensive tutorials. This is a must-have collection for art-lovers, students, educators, family libraries and all those interested in the culture, history and artisans of China.
This series of exquisite color photographs represents the very best of Chinese Art from the last 10,000 years. Never before has such a fine collection been assembled in one place. These photos represent art as old as the Neolithic age (10,000 years ago) and as fresh as today's dynamically changing China!
This multimedia CD-ROM covers a wide range of art:
Ancient Sculpture ~ Neolithic animal shaped pots
~ bronze and pottery heads and figurines
~ lacquered wooden figurines
~ terracotta clay figures of weaponed soldiers,
~ horses, and chariots
~ granite and stone animals
~ painted clay sculptures
~ limestone statues, and more.
Arts & Crafts ~ Folk art
~ New Year paintings
~ Paper cuts
~ Painted clay figures and sculptures
~ Stone lions
~ Mian Hua (dough flower crafts)
~ Embroidered sweetgrass bags
~ Leather-silhouette show
~ Colorful kites and more
Ancient Painting ~ Tomb and cave frescoes
~ silk paintings
~ brick and stone carvings
~ Han Xizai's Night Feast by Gu Hongzhong of the Five Dynasties Period, and more
Ancient Fine Art ~ Neolithic painted pottery
~ glazed pottery
~ KESI silk crafted fabrics
~ embroidery and brocade
~ bronze gold and silver wares and more
Modern Fine Art ~ Figure paintings
~ flower and bird paintings
~ water-ink on paper paintings
~ oil paintings
~ caricatures, and more
Ancient Architecture ~ The Great Wall
~ Anji single-arched bridge
~ Beijing Palace Museum
~ Tian An Men gate
~ gates of the Forbidden City
~ architectural drawings
~ Temple of Heaven
~ suspending temples
~ Summer Palace
~ numerous pagodas
~ typical residences and more
~ The lavishly explained text with each photo provides fascinating historical and descriptive detail superbly written by Professor Xi Chuanji, the Director of Art History Research at the Nanjing Institute of Fine Arts. Full-text search capability allows fast, easy access to any word or phrase.
English text descriptions with rich history and detail provide an in-depth understanding of the visuals. Maps show the locations of the photography and museums.
The photos can be power zoomed to inspect the intricate detail of each piece. As a pleasant addition, enchanting music created especially for this series can be played at your leisure.
It is generally forbidden in China for anyone - tourist or citizen - to approach the site of these treasures with a camera; let alone take a picture. These photos were graciously supplied by the government of the People's Republic of China.