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Chinese New Year Event

by ExploreDance staff
February 4, 2003
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 2, 2002

Contact: Amy Chin or Peggy Yuen
(212) 334-3764
NYCCC390@aol.com

Ring in the Year of the Ram
at the
18th ANNUAL LUNAR NEW YEAR FESTIVAL
of CHINESE DANCE, MUSIC AND PEKING OPERA
February 8 at 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm
February 9 at 2:00 pm
at Tribeca Performing Arts Center, 199 Chambers Street, NYC

New York, NY - The New York Chinese Cultural Center (NYCCC) presents its 18th Annual Lunar New Year Celebration at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center (199 Chambers Street in New York City). The festival features premiere works by the Chinese Folk Dance Company and their special musical guest, Ba Ban Bamboo and Silk Ensemble. There will be three performances: Saturday, February 8, at 2 pm and 7:30 pm and Sunday, February 9 at 2 pm. General admission tickets are $20 or $15 for students and seniors. The event will also include lobby exhibits by Museum of Chinese in the Americas (MOCA) and local artists and vendors. For more information call NYCCC at (212) 334-3764 or visit our website at www.chinesedance.org.

Welcoming the year of the Ram, the Festival opens with a raucous lion dance with three lions to bring luck to the new year. The Chinese Folk Dance Company presents four Company premiers: 'Contemplations', 'Carrying the Bride', 'Spring - When a Young Man's Fancy Turns To . . . ', and 'Yang Ge Generations'. Fusing the styles of Chinese folk dance and Tai Chi, a meditative style of self defense, 'Contemplations' ponders the delicate relationship between man and nature. The graceful hand gestures and gentle steps are fluid as a rippling stream reflecting the mind at peace. 'Carrying the Bride' is a tale of forbidden love in a time of old Yi matrimonial customs of arranged marriage. As the future of a young bride is determined, a secret love blossoms. 'Spring - When a Young Man's Fancy Turns to . . .' is a playful dance by young adolescents expressing giddy feelings, dreams and desires. The lively high powered performance and colorfully costumed dancers reflect the Yi's traditional culture and sense of style. 'Yang Ge Generations' centers on the 'yang ge' or rice seedling dances of China's agricultural tradition which are performed at the Lunar New Year to ensure a plentiful harvest. Rounding out the festival fare are new interpretations of audience favorites, 'Dance of the Red Silk'- soaring red silk ribbons that create a visual collage of waves ; 'Peking Opera Colors: Sheng, Dan, Jing, Chou'- excerpts of the Peking Opera in full face make-up and regalia; and 'Prairie Festival' - dance from Mongolia where women boldly dance while balancing ceramic rice bowls on their heads. Among the musical selections, Ba Ban Bamboo and Silk Ensemble presents Dance of the Silk Road, a choir and dance performance inspired by the Uygur Nationality of northwest China whose culture strongly reflects the region's shared border with the nations of Central Asia and the Caucasus.

The Ba Ban Chinese Music Society is dedicated to the preservation, creation and presentation of classical and contemporary Chinese music. Named after an ancient piece of folk music, "Ba Ban" literally means "Eight Beats," and stands for "The Origin of Music." The group performs on Silk and Bamboo instruments- a classical ensemble from the Ching Dynasty, including various bamboo flutes, pipa (lute), zheng (zither), erhu (2-string fiddle) and yangchin (hammered dulcimer). The Chinese Folk Dance Company is widely acclaimed resident company of the New York Chinese Cultural Center. CFDC artists include award-winning dancers and musicians from China. Xiaoling Yang, artistic director of CFDC is a distinguished teacher, choreographer and dancer that has earned top recognition and honors for her performances of classical and folk dances including first prize in every category at the All-China National Dance Competition. The CFDC tours the country and performs a vast repertoire of Chinese classical, folk, and ethnic daces. CFDC has appeared at numerous concerts, festivals and celebrations, including featured performances at Lincoln Center and the Kennedy Center.


******

Founded in 1973, the New York Chinese Cultural Center is a community based arts organization that nurtures, teaches, and preserves the traditional Chinese performing arts for present and future generations of Chinese-Americans, while introducing Chinese dance, music, and visual arts to diverse audiences nationally. Through performances, workshops, lecture-demonstrations, classes, and recordings, NYCCC creates a focus for community pride and inspiration, builds bridges to other communities, and promotes knowledge and appreciation of Chinese arts and culture. Our core programs support artists of the highest caliber and provide vital links between communities and across generations.


Dance: "Yi Melody"
Dancer: Hangdong Xu
Photo by Ellen Crane, 2002



Dance: "Collecting Mulberry Leaves/Cultivating the Land"
Dancers: Ouyun Jiang, Min Zhou, Jie Yang
Photo by Ellen Crane, 2002



Dance: "Strength in Brotherhood"
Dancers: Chunnuan Liu, Ping Wang, Lei Zhu, Dong Huang
Photo by Ellen Crane, 2002



Warrior Spirit
Dancers: Chunnuan Liu, Ping Wang, Lei Zhu, Dong Huang
Photo by Ellen Crane, 2002



Dance: "Market Road"
Dancers: Min Zhou, Dong Huang, Lei Zhou, Ping Wang
Photo by Ellen Crane, 2002



Dance: "Peking Opera"
Dancers: Xiao Dan Li, Ge Bai
Photo by Ellen Crane, 1998

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