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2006
Acton, MA (October 2, 2006) --- More than 150 performers will be featured in a night of traditional Chinese music and dance on Saturday, October 21, 2006 from 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Acton-Boxborough Regional High School auditorium in Acton, Massachusetts.
This "Acton Traditional Chinese Music Night" is presented jointly by the Acton Chinese Language School (ACLS) and the Acton Memorial Library Foundation, and will feature the Adult and Youth Chinese Music Ensembles of the Greater Boston Chinese Cultural Association (GBCCA), the Acton Chinese Language School Adult Chorus, and several Chinese children and adult traditional and folk dance groups.
Dance groups include the Traditional Chinese Dance Troupe of the American Chinese Art Society, the Huazi Chinese Folk Dance Troupe, the Angel Dance Troupe, and the Biyun's Chinese Children Folk Dance Troupe - all presenting colorful renditions of traditional and Chinese folk dancing.
"Those of us in Acton's Chinese community, along with other Acton officials and educators, have been exploring ways to show our Chinese culture, heritage and traditions to the entire local community, and this traditional Chinese music night is our first effort", said Michelle Deng, Principal of the Acton Chinese Language School.
"Our history is rich in colorful music and dance, and we invite all the families here in Acton and surrounding towns to join us for this special night as we share with them the beautiful sights and sounds of China", Deng added.
Under the leadership of eminent Conductor Chi-Sun Chan, The GBCCA Adult and Youth Chinese Music Ensembles will present several classical and folk music instrumental and solo pieces, among them: "New Year Festivities" (joint ensemble playing a Northeast China folk song); "Shepherd Lover" (joint ensemble playing a Shanxi Province folk song); "General's Command" (dulcimer stringed instruments playing a song from Sichuan Province describing battle scenes); "New Song of the Herdsman" (flute solo showcasing a sample of new music popular in China today); "The Blossoming of Flowers" (plucked string instrument solo playing a folk song of the Shaanxi people); "Camel Bells Along the Silk Road" (lute solo of folk songs from Northwest China); "Blossoms Under a Full Moon" (joint ensemble depicting happy people playing under a full moon); and "Fisherman's Song of the Eastern Sea" (joint ensemble portraying fishermen at work on the ocean).
The GBCCA Adult and Youth Chinese Music Ensembles have performed frequently in the New England area in many cultural and educational settings, and their goal is to enhance the appreciation of Chinese classical and folk music by all audiences.
Also performing will be the Acton Chinese Language School Adult Chorus joined by vocalists from other Chinese choruses in Andover, Newton, and Sharon, Massachusetts, the Boston Area's Yellow River Art Society, and the Chinese Choral Arts Society of Connecticut --- together singing three songs under the leadership of distinguished Conductor and Music Director Mr. Wanjun Qiao of Medford, Massachusetts and featuring gifted pianist Ms. Guo Ling of Andover, Massachusetts.
Songs to be presented are: "Kanding Love Song" (a folk song from Kanding, China), "Lift up Your Veil" (an Uzbek folk song from Northwest China) and "Sing the World Together" (a stirring American choral piece).
Many members of these choruses have just returned from China after singing with the Boston Eastern Heritage Chorus in the 4th World Choir Games where they won two awards in competition with more than 400 other choruses from 80 nations.
The Traditional Chinese Dance Troupe, under the leadership of Artistic Director Jade Lin, will perform two dances --- "The Beautiful Dai Maidens" and "Play on the String." They will move rhythmically to the music and use a traditional stringed instrument to enhance their dancing.
While all the dancers are American-born Chinese in the Traditional Chinese Dance Troupe, they are devoted students of venerable Chinese dance. These talented dancers have performed at both Disney World in Florida and Disneyland in California, and in Hawaii, Pennsylvania, Taiwan and Shanghai - as well as many locations throughout New England.
Other dance segments will feature the Huazi Chinese Folk Dance Troupe and the Angel Dance Troupe, both under the artistic direction of Ms. Ke Ke who instructs several local area dance groups in Chinese classical, contemporary, ethnic, and folk dancing for students of all ages.
The Huazi Troupe will perform an ancient and joyful Tibetan folk dance called "The Auspicious Folksong" and the Angel Troupe will present a delightful dance from south China called "Inner Reaches of Bamboo Bushes."
For the past eight years, the Huazi Dance Troupe has performed throughout the New England region and their dancing combines the artistry and tradition of Chinese folk music with aerobics and Chinese body movements.
Formed in Chicago and now based in Boston, the Angel Dance Troupe consists of more than 30 young dancers who bring to American audiences the ancient and ethnic traditions of Chinese dance.
Also performing will be the Biyun’s Chinese Children Folk Dance Troupe of dancers under the age of 12. Led by their Artistic Director Linda Biyun Zhu, they will present a Tibetan children folk dance called "Washing Clothes in the Stream."
Following a professional dancing and movie career in China, Ms. Zhu became a dance instructor and formed her children’s folk dance group in Acton in 2002. Her dancers have won first and second place awards in 2004 and 2005 at the New England Chinese Dance Competition for age 12 and under groups.
To open the evening's performance, the GBCCA's Ensemble will present a brief on-stage demonstration of many of their instruments to acquaint the audience with Chinese musical instruments unfamiliar to most Americans.
These include bowed strings, plucked strings, bamboo winds and percussion, such as: Dizi (Chinese bamboo flute); Ruan (moon-shaped, short neck lute); Gaohu (high-pitched 2-string fiddle); Yangqin, Zheng, and Pipa (plucked string instruments); Suona and Sheng (wind instruments); Erhu, Zhonghu and Cello (bowed string instruments); Dulcimer (stringed instrument with padded hammers), and Conch (shelled horn or trumpet).
Admission is free, all area families are invited, and the performance is appropriate for adults and children five years old and above.
Tickets are available during regular hours at the Acton Memorial Library, and at the Acton Chinese Language School in the lobby of the R. J. Grey Junior High School in Acton on Sunday afternoons from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m.
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