On January 17, 2018, commissioned by the Ministry of Culture, the Youth Dance Company of Beijing Dance Academy went on a performance tour as part of the “Happy Chinese New Year” cultural program in 5 Central and Eastern European countries including Bosnia and Herzegovina(BiH), Croatia, Poland, Estonia and Albania.

　　

The company first arrived in Bosnia and Herzegovina and put on a gorgeous performance of Nuo Emotion, an intangible cultural heritage creation, for audience in the city of Mostar. This special performance, which was inspired byancient Chinese ceremonial rites praying for blessings in the worship of nature, spirits and ancestors, was a great success and was greeted with enthusiastic reviews.

Present among the audience were Rotating Chairman of the Presidency of BiH Dragan Covic, Chinese Ambassador to BiH Chen Bo, BiH Defense Minister Marina Pendes, Mayor of Mostar Ljubo Bešlić, Minister of Justice of BiHJosip Grubeša, Speaker of the House of Peoples of BiH Bariša Čolak, Deputy Foreign Minister of BiH Josip Brkic, and Deputy Minister of Transport & Communications Mr. Dalipagic, among other guests.

　　

 

Chairman Covic viewed fireworks display with the Youth Dance Company before the performance

“Nuo” is an agricultural sacrificial ceremony dating back to the Xia and Shang (c. 2070 BC-1046 BC) in China. After over 3000 years of evolvement, it has developed into a sophisticated phenomenon of civilization combining folk religions and folk art, and remains active in Han ethnic areas. Selected as a national intangible cultural heritage, “Nuo” is reputed as a living fossil of ancient dancing. Today, in the south of China, people still perform Nuo dance all night till down to celebrate the Spring Festival every year in what seems like an “oriental countryside carnival”. During Nuoji, the sacrificial ceremony, dancers perform with masks to drive away evil spirits and plague for fellow villagers, pray for blessings from the gods and worship ancestors. Nuoji was a grand social ceremony at the turn of the year to pray for favorable weather, good fortune and flourish population.

The performance of Nuo Emotion carries with it the ancient blessings of China. It comprises 9 sections including: Prelude, Separating Sky from Earth, Creation of Life, Pray for Favorable Weather, Life Cycles, Supernature, Faith and Earnestness, Harmony and Prosperity, and Epilogue. The performance is a vivid interpretation of the Chinese unique view of life and universe characterized by harmony between man and nature.

　　

　Secretary of Youth Dance Company Party Branch Liu Hong presents BDA souvenirs to Chairman Covic

“It’s a perfect performance! I really enjoyed it. It brings Chinese culture alive! Thank you for coming to our country!” Rotating Chairman of the Presidency of BiH Dragan Covic spoke highly of the dancers after the performance

　　

“It’s the first time for dancing performances like this to appear in Mostar, the superb skills of the dancers strongly impressed the audience. It was a great success! Everybody felt the charm of traditional Chinese culture,”Chinese Ambassador to BiH Chen Bo said with enthusiasm, “this kind of Belt&Road cultural exchange really connects minds across cultures.” “It’s such a rare opportunity to enjoy such an excellent performance. Thank you China! And thank you, the Chinese Embassy and the young dancers,” said Mayor of Mostar Ljubo Bešlić, “our people will never be able to have a close-up view of such brilliant dance if the artists of the Youth Dance Company don’t choose to come here. You have brought Chinese culture to our people, so that they have a chance to get to know China. Thank you very much. It’s Mostar’s wish that you could come again next year!”

“Happy Chinese New Year” is a grand cultural exchange program promoted overseas since the 2010 Spring Festival by the Ministry of Culture in partnership with relevant ministries and commissions and cultural organizations and institutions abroad, in a bid to celebrate the Spring Festival and share with the rest of the world the abundance of Chinese culture with our common aspiration for world harmony. The program embraces “happiness”, “harmony”, “sharing”, and “blessings” and gives full expression to its theme of “a happy Chinese new year and a harmonious world”. Following the performance tour of the Chinese Ethnic and Folk Dance troupeto Central and Eastern European countries last year, which was led by Deputy President Deng Youling, this is the second time for Beijing Dance Academy to undertake performances under the Ministry of Culture’s “Happy Chinese New Year” cultural program. At 7:00 pm on January 16, with the encouragement and kind reminders given by President Guo Lei, 34 members of the Youth Dance Company went on a performance tour of 23 days to 5 CEECs for the “Happy Chinese New Year” events. Led by Liu Hong, Cheng Yu and Ou Shaolin, the art troupe consists of prominent artists in the Youth Dance Company as well as some graduate students and undergraduates.

　　

It is a tour that spreads the joy of the Chinese New Year along the Belt and Road. As the Spring Festival approaches, young dancers from Beijing Dance Academy have conveyed the best wishes to the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina for the coming year with original Chinese culture brought to life through their exquisite skills and passions for art.

　　(Youth Dance Company Text/Qu Hongmei  Picture/Xinhua News Agency The European Times)