2011 Cultures of China – Festival of Spring
Host: Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council of the China China Overseas Exchanges Association
Support: Consulate-General of the P.R.China in Sydney Australian Council of Chinese Organisation Inc
Presenter: Australian Chinese Performing Artists Association.
Perfroming Group: China Opera and Dancing Drama Company China
Date: 5 February 2011 Venue: State Theatre
Photos by Mr.Cong Video Editor:ACPAA Photos Gallery by Mr.Li
The Deputy Director Xu YouSheng from the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council of the P.R.China brings the Chinese Oceanic Performing Arts Troupe to the Sydney State Theatre to present “Cultures of China – Festival of Spring” and the 2011 Chinese New Year Parade, both with great success!
On the 5th of February 2011 at 7:30pm, the “Cultures of China – Festival of Spring” Variety Performance was held in the Sydney State Theatre, the performers put their heart and soul into the performance, sending Chinese New Year well wishes to all Chinese living abroad from their home. The State Theatre was host to an audience of over two thousand that night, leaving no seats empty. The Consulate General of China in Sydney Mr. Hu Shan, The Deputy Consulate Mrs. Hu Xiaolan, Deputy Consulate Mr. Ji Ningfeng, Cultural envoy Ke Yasha and Bai Gang, Mr. Zhang Longzhong, Honorary Chairman Zhou Guangming and his wife, community leaders of many communities, Chairman of the ACPAA Yujun Wu, honorary chairman Qian Qiguo, Mr. Kai were all present to attend the celebrations that evening. The head of the Chinese Oceanic Performing Arts Troupe Mr. Xu Yousheng sends a warm thank you: “Within this traditional Chinese festival and of all the things Chinese New Year brings, I come to represent the office of the P.R.China, acknowledging the Chinese Oceanic Performing Arts Troupe on behalf of Chinese living abroad from their home, and to you I send my respect, support, concern and sincere greetings for your work overseas!” Consulate General Mr. Hu Shan welcomed the performance troupe for the “Cultures of China – Festival of Spring” warmly, with Mr. Zhou Guangming representing all of the Chinese living abroad from their home thanking the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office for hosting the “Cultures of China – Festival of Spring” Chinese New year variety performance, expressing deep gratitude, thanking their home country for coming to their lives abroad with well wishes and concern of Chinese New Year.
The pounding drums from the dance “New Spring’s Flower Drums” filled the theatre, unveiling the evening’s performances and setting an exciting atmosphere for the evening’s performance. From the Ju district military branch in Beijing, an exceptional song and dance ensemble’s singer Li Hui entered the stage with “We are one family” and “Me and my Homeland”. Following the thoughts of Chinese Compatriots away from their home, the CCTV’s song and dance ensemble’s lead singer Piao Hongzhe took to the stage to sing “Love for China” and “Where the Peach Blossoms Bloom” The People’s Liberation Army Military Band’s lead singer Liu Yan sang “Fortune has come” and “Qinzang Grasslands” Zhang Yingxi also took to the stage to sing “My Sun” and “I love you, China”. The singers put their heart and soul into every note they sang, receiving praise and applause from the audience after each item. From CCTV’s Song and Dance Ensemble, the performers brought with them a number of cultural style dances; the Weiwuerzu dance “Bowl Dance”, the Daizu “Shaoduoli” dance, an Inner Mongolian dance “Galloping Forwards”, the Hasakezu dance “A Beautiful Rose”, the Miaozu dance “Stepping Drums”, the Hasakezu dance “Why are the flowers this red” and the dance “Thousand armed Guanyin”, bringing the show to a climax. The audience was engaged all night in a visual feast of both warm, gentle dancing and rigid, strong dance items. Finally, the renowned Dong Wenhua performed “Today is your birthday, China”, “Fifteen Moons”, and “Spring Festival’s Story”, each song being very familiar to the audience, each song being followed by the sound of applause lingering throughout the theatre. Dong Wenhua continued on to sing her newest English song “Beautiful Sijiaborui”. The audience’s applause and enjoyment of the evening did not stop. The hosts finally gave a formal closing to the performance, however the audience was so entertained, they were not ready to return home yet.
A big thank you to the hard work and effort put in by the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council of the P.R.China for hosting the “Cultures of China – Festival of Spring”, for bringing an authentic Chinese New Year feeling to the Chinese living abroad in Australia, and thank you to the performers for their spectacular performances.
“The Cultures of China – Festival of Spring” Evening variety show brought by the Chinese Oceanic Performance Troupe was a night of great success! Translator: Luke Jones
