Review of 2014 Year of the Horse Chinese Cultural Show

We produced Year of the Horse Chinese Cultural Show to celebrate 2014 Chinese New Year on 1st February at Unity Theatre, who we have been working with in the past three years to put on a Chinese New Year show. 

We had a full house and the theatre was packed with people of different ages and backgrounds, which produced great festival atmosphere. The show had performances from local and regional artists featuring traditional Chinese Han Tang dance, Classical Chinese dance, Chinese folk & ethnic dance, Break dance in fusion with Chinese Kung Fu, Classical Chinese music and Chinese pop music performed on Chinese Harp (Guzheng) and Chinese flute (dizi). The show was very eclectic, authentic and innovative presenting different aspects of Chinese culture including history, literature, tradition, ethnicity, modernity and integration of Chinese culture in the British society. 

FEEDBACK

We received very positive feedback from the audience and the theatre. Here are a couple of the feedback: 

 

VIDEOS 

Here is the highlights of the show. Watch videos of the whole show please visit 

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLppDx5r47EP0Sw9Py_rhSIVXcY99Dm3CP 

PHOTOS

Here are some photos from the show. Check our album here: 

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151932971023339.1073741848.49603953338&type=3

 

 

PRESS

We had extensive media coverage for our show including locally Liverpool Echo, BBC Radio Merseyside, Liverpool Confidential, Click Liverpool, Bay TV, Art In Liverpool, Your Move magazine, regionally BBC Radio Manchester, nationally My Asian Planet, internationally Xinhua Net, China National TV, China Daily, Global Time, People Daily China, China Military Online

Liverpool Echo

Sponsors & Supporters

We would like to thank our sponsors Unity Theatre, Liverpool Mutual Homes and Liverpool Confucius Institute for their generous sponsorship and also organisations including Liverpool Confidential, MDI, Liverpool Echo, BBC Radio Manchester, Bay TV, Live TV, Kenyon Fraser, Art In Liverpool, Liverpool Live TV, Culture Liverpool and Rudston Primary School for their kind support. (Apologies if we miss your name out, please let me know)

2014 The Year of the Horse Chinese Cultural Show Was Great Success

Liverpool arts and culture group China Pearl has decided to turn its Chinese New Year music show into an annual event following the success of its Year of the Horse event.

The 'house full' signs went up at the Unity Theatre as director Fenfen Huang and her team of entertainers thrilled the packed theatre with a stunning show.

One of the highlights of the show was a dance choreographed by Fenfen, turning a traditional Chinese dance into a 'wild west' horse riding bonanza.

Riding high after the show Fenfen said: "The feedback from the audience was amazing. Dance and music shows in China go hand-in-hand with Chinese New Year, capturing television audiences of hundreds of millions. I like the idea of capturing an essence of that right here in Liverpool with our own show.

"The success in front of a capacity audience has convinced me this ought to be an annual feature of Liverpool's cultural calendar. I'm already working on ideas for next year's show when we will be celebrating the Year of the Sheep(Ram). Who knows we may even end up with a Chinese version of Little Bo Peep and her lost sheep. Once thing is certain - next year's show will be bigger and even better. 

"Meanwhile we will continue our work at China Pearl introducing Chinese culture to schools,colleges and community organisations."

Here is a lovely comment from Cecila, who came to the show, about our show last Saturday: "I wanted to express how good and how polished the show was and how much I enjoyed it and learned from it. I appreciated the projected pieces of cultural information. The hall was packed and I felt sorry for the people who couldn't get in. Next year, more showings?"

See photos and more comments please click here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151932971023339.1073741848.49603953338&type=3

Videos from the show as below (More up soon)

  

Successful St Michael's 2014 Chinese New Year event

Our St Michael's Chinese New Year event, a Community First initiative funded by Community Foundation Development,  on 18th January 2014 at Lark Lane Community Association was great success. We had about 300 people of different ages and backgrounds coming to the event and had over 100 stayed from the start till the end. We had performances in lion dance, Chinese dance, break dance, music and Martial Arts and also participatory workshops in Chinese dance, Wushu, Taichi, crafts and drawing. We also had food stalls on the day. Audience enjoyed themselves watching wonderful performances, trying some activities as well as having delicious Chinese food. The venue was nicely decorated with Chinese artefacts like paper lanterns made by pupils from Rudston Primary School and pictures. 

Gary Steel from City Council, who was the initial contact for our Community First Fund application, came to the event, was very pleased with how the event went. The  venue manager Rupa also enjoyed himself on the day. 

Our director Fenfen Huang commented after the event, 'The event went much better than I expected. At 12pm when we were supposed to start the event, we only had 10 people; then I started panicking and expected there would be very few people coming to the event. But after 15 minutes, people started coming and filled the hall very quickly. The venue was packed with people of all walks and ages, which was great and brought festival spirit early for the Year of the Horse.' 

She added, 'It was our first time doing Chinese New Year event in St Michaels. After the successful one this year, we are hoping to come back next year with demand from local people and organisations.' 

We would like to thank our funder Community Development Foundation, the venue Lark Lane Community Association, support from Lark Lane Guide, Liverpool Days Out and Rudston Primary, and all the artists, staff, volunteers and organisations involved to make this event successful. 

Check the photos and feedback from the event here:https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151904888558339.1073741847.49603953338&type=3&uploaded=3 

 

  

Press Release for 2014 Chinese New Year Show

 ANCIENT DANCE TO BE PREMIERIED IN UK TO CELEBRATE CHINESE NEW YEAR

 

A Chinese dancer living in the UK has revived a 2,000-year-old traditional dance as a centrepiece of a feast of entertainment to welcome the Year of the Horse.

Fenfen Huang from Linhai in Zhejiang Province wants a British audience to experience the colourful spectacles that dominate television screens across China.

Ms Huang, director of a Liverpool-based arts and culture company, China Pearl, has produced an evening of Chinese dance and music on February 1 to be performed at the Unity Theatre in her adopted city.

The centrepiece will be what Fenfen Huang believes is the first ever performance in the UK of a dance devised over 2,000 years ago in China.

Ms Huang explained: “The old dance is a traditional Chinese Han Tang dance called Xiang He Ge (Xiang He Ballad). It was choreographed by Professor Sun Yin from the Beijing Dance Academy who has been devoted to developing traditional Han Chinese dance for many years. I reworked the old dance with my dance group in Liverpool. 

 

“The piece is based on Your Collar, a famous ancient poem from Shi Jing, the early collection of Chinese poetry and one of the Five Classics of Confucianism. The girls chant the poem and dance on and off drums creating rhythms with their feet to express their affection for absent loved ones. 

 

“I want to present this piece to share with a British audience the traditional dance, music, literature and costumes over 2000 years ago in China, which reflects the diversity and depth of Chinese culture.”

 

The show also includes a range of Chinese dance and music.

 

Added Ms Huang: “In China one of the highlights of the Spring Festival and our New Year are the spectacular shows.  Seeing them is one of the things I most miss about China, they are so colourful and vibrant and a great way to start a new year.

 

“China Pearl decided we want to capture some of this magic right here in  England so a UK audience can share the same experience.

 

“We will bring the spirit of horse to the Unity Theatre with an exciting Chinese cultural show of exquisite and electrifying dance and music featuring traditional, contemporary and fusion styles.”

The show will include solo dances by Susie Lu, who has performed on China’s state television station CCTV. Yuxuan Su will play the memorising Chinese harp while Qiqi will perform both classical and pop music with a beautiful Chinese flute. Local break dance group Funkymentals will bring audience's favourite piece about a Kungfu story in a fusion style back to Unity. Fenfen will also perform a couple of Chinese dance solos. "

“The show will be very eclectic with traditional Chinese dance, Chinese national & folk dance, Chinese classical and pop music, , plus a fusion of street dance and Chinese martial arts. Our audience will learn about Chinese arts, history,tradition, literature, ethnicity and the integration of Chinese culture in British society,” said Fenfen Huang.

 

Hoof-note: Chinese New Year falls on Friday, January 31, entering the Year of the Horse. The Chinese Sign Horse is energetic, warm-hearted, intelligent and able, which reflects a famous Chinese phrase 'Long Ma Jing Shen / 龙马精神’ which literally means 'energetic as a dragon and a horse and full of vigor’. Chinese people hope the spirit of the horse will bring a lot of luck and prosperity in the new year. 

For tickets please visit http://www.unitytheatreliverpool.co.uk

Snippet of the rehearsal for a new traditional Chinese dance piece 

we will premier at the show

Press Release for Chinese New Year Celebration in St Michaels

 Lion to Lark about in the Lane

A dancing lion will be let loose in Lark Lane on Saturday 18^th January. But don’t worry, he’s family friendly and in a party mood! This creature will be celebrating the Chinese Year of the Horse as part of China Pearl’s programme at Lark Lane Community Centre (the Old Police Station).

That’s not all! From midday until 3pm, a colourful cultural programme of free performances and workshops in dance, martial arts, music, arts and crafts will be on offer for the young and the young at heart.

Director of China Pearl Fenfen Huang enthused, “We’re really excited to celebrate Chinese New Year here in St Michael’s.  Even though I often pop down here to shop, socialise and eat, as a company we’ve never worked in this neighbourhood before. I’m so happy and grateful that Community First Foundation are supporting this event, and hope that both residents and visitors will enjoy a taste of Chinese culture by Sefton Park.”

She added, “Celebrations will be happening in the city centre, too, but I feel this will help add a more intimate opportunity for people to get together as friends and family, to enjoy each other’s company whilst experiencing a bit of culture. People like to get involved in this great city, just like we do in China!”  

For more information please visit https://www.facebook.com/events/621565741224971/?ref=ts&fref=ts.

                                                                

The Year of the Horse and Our Activities

Starting on Saturday 31st Jan 2014, we will enter the Year of the Horse, a Wooden Horse or Green Horse. The Chinese Sign Horse is energetic, warm-hearted, intelligent and able, which reflects on a famous Chinese phrase 'Long Ma Jing Shen / 龙马精神’， which literally means 'Dragon Horse Spirit'. So we hope that the spirit of the horse will bring us a lot of luck and prosperity in the new year. 

We have a lot of activities to offer to our lovely audience during January and February 2014: 

• FREE Chinese New Year Celebration on Saturday 18th January at Lark Lane Community Centre (Old Police Station). Check here for details; 
• Chinese cultural show on 1st February at Unity Theatre Liverpool. Check here for details; 
• Lion dance, Martial arts and Pot Juggling performances on 7th February for Liverpool University Alumni event in London;
• Chinese dance performance and arts & crafts workshops 2-4pm on Saturday 8th February at Birkenhead Library; 
• Chinese dance performances on Sunday 9th February at Museum of Liverpool and Maritime Museum;
• Chinese dance and music performances at 1pm, 2pm and 3pm Tuesday 18th February --Thursday 20th February at Walker Art Gallery;
• Chinese cultural activities for LMH tenants funded by LMH. The details will be up soon;
• Chinese cultural workshops in over 10 schools across the Merseyside.

The Year of the Horse Chinese Cultural Show

To celebrate the Year of the Horse, China Pearl, in the association with unity theatre for the third year after sold-out shows in the past years, brings in a NEW eclectic Chinese cultural programme of authentic, innovative, exquisite and electrifying dance and music featuring traditional, contemporary and fusion styles. 

Our main performers this time will include:

• China Pearl Chinese dance group
• Chinese dancer Fenfen Huang
• Chinese dancer Susie Lu
• Funky Mentals Break dance group
• Chinese harpist Yuxuan Su
• Chinese singer Aaron Deng

You will learn different aspects of Chinese culture including history, ethnicity and integration of Chinese culture in the British society from this show. 

ONE night only. Cannot be missed. Grab tickets quickly to avoid disappointment as tickets sell fast.

Tickets: £12, £10 concessions

Box Office: Unity Theatre, 1 Hope Place, Liverpool, L1 9BG, 0844 873 2888 or 

                     (local) 0151 709 4988   http://www.unitytheatreliverpool.co.uk

This project is supported by LMH, Unity Theatre, Liverpool Confucius Institute and MDI. 

For our past shows please check http://www.china-pearl.co.uk/?q=content/theatre-shows

Find out more about us on www.china-pearl.co.uk. Follow us on facebook (chinapearl) and twitter (chinapearluk)