ArtBeijing 2009 The Grace and the Splendor Contemporary and Classic Chinese Art Performance November 25,7:00 9:00pm On November 25, ArtBeijing 2009, a Contemporary and Classic Chinese Art Performance, will be held ceremoniously at Page Auditorium of Duke University. ArtBeijing 2009 represents the new productivity powers of Chinese contemporary and classic Art, the visionary artistic viewpoints of Asia and the unique context of Chinese heritage. Attending this new performance will be the top performance companies, the Beijing Dance Drama Opera, and the China National Acrobatic Troupe. Join us to experience new arts, and future inspiration. Phone order: (919)359-5406; 609-9743; Price:$45 (area A), $35 (area B), $25 (area C) (See seating chart); Group tickets (10 tickets or more): $5 discount per ticket. Sponsorship tickets (see below): $100/ticket. Limited number of VIP tickets available for sponsors, sponsorship accepted while VIP ticket supplies last: Great Wall Class Sponsor: $2000+,10 VIP tickets plus 10 luncheon tickets to performer reception luncheon (or 20 VIP tickets without luncheon tickets). Company or individual name announced during the show and printed in the show program, up to 2 company representatives are invited to take group photo with the performer on stage after the show. Forbidden City Class Sponsor: $1000 - $1999,5 VIP tickets plus 5 luncheon tickets to performer reception luncheon (or 10 VIP tickets without luncheon tickets). Company or individual name announced during the show and printed in the show program, 1 company representative is invited to take group photo with the performer on stage after the show. Xiang Mountain Class Sponsor: $500-$999,3 VIP tickets plus 3 luncheon tickets to performer reception luncheon (or 5 VIP tickets without luncheon tickets). Company or individual name announced during the show and printed in the show program. Supporter: $100-$499, 1 VIP ticket per $100 sponsorship. Call: (919) 649-7407, or email: carolinachinacouncil@yahoo.com, to discuss
sponsorship and reserve your VIP tickets and luncheon seats.
About Beijing Dance Drama & Opera Troupe With over 57 years of resplendent history, The Beijing Dance Drama & Opera Troup is the only professional performing group of its kind in the city of Beijing. The group is primarily concerned with the performing and the artistic creation of opera, dance drama, and folk music and art forms. The group is responsible for the entire production from designing the concepts to leasing equipments. Additionally, the group institutes cultural exchange programs and provides other services such as artistic training and performance arts consulting. Since its founding many years ago, Beijing Dance Drama & Opera has showcased numerous modern productions along with other classical repertoires that have enjoyed universal praise. Among these productions are an original large-scale dance poem, epic opera titled Confucius, play titled Oath on South Dai Lake, imperial palace dance titled Ancient Rhythm of China, and folk dance dramas. The Beijing Dance Drama & Opera Troupe has not only seen the emergence of great talents but also served as a gathering place for many established masters of the arts. Wu Chun Yan, Zhu Han, Xue Ming Qian are among some of the many premier actresses, singers and dancers in the country to emerge from Beijing Dance Drama & Opera. Others include Liao Yong, a young lyricist and composer, and Zhong Yu Jie, China s premier male performer of traditional Peking rhythm opera. All of these artists have won numerous awards and recognition both domestic and internationally for their artistic achievements. Most recently, Beijing Dance Drama & Opera Troupe conducted performances in countries such as the United States, Russia, Canada, Holland, Finland, Australia, Japan, Korea, UAE, and Egypt among others and participated in major events to promote cultural exchanges. The group has also performed in the opening and closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics, the opening ceremony in the first ever Global Fortune Forum, the gala celebrating the 50 th anniversary of cooperation between China and Egypt, and events in celebration of Sino-Russian Culture Year. China National Acrobatic Troupe Founded in 1950, China National Acrobatic Troupe is the only national level acrobatic performing troupe established under the direct concerning of Primer Zhou Enlai after the founding of new China. China National Acrobatic Troupe Actively combines tradition with innovation. It not only preserves many traditional programs, but also integrates acrobatics, music, dance, drama, Chinese kungfu, etc., and makes many new programs such
as Chinese Soul, Legend in Wonderland, The Legend of Magic, Top Acrobatic Class, Spectacular Acrobatics, The Star Dream and Splendid. Till now, China National Acrobatic Troupe has won 47 gold medals including Golden Clown, President Award, Gold Magic Prize, etc. in a variety of international and domestic competitions. So far, it has visited more than 114 countries and regions in the world. Its spirits of absorbing, developing and innovating acrobatic art has won applause from all over the world. The Gold Magic Stick Award at the 16th International Star Magic Festival in Monte-Carlo, Monaco in 2001 achieved by Li Ning with his Mask and Illusion, also the only magic program ever won that prize in Asia. The French Republic President Award at the 24th Tomorrow Circus Festival in France in 2003 achieved by Zhang Fan with his Slack Wire. The Golden Clown Award at the 28th International Circus Festival of Monte-Carlo in Monaco in 2004 achieved by the troupe with the program Pagoda of Bowls. The French Republic President Award at the 26th Tomorrow Circus Festival in France in 2005 achieved by the troupe with the program Diabolo. China National Acrobatic Troupe has its acrobatic training center with about 200 performers and a circus as well as Li Ning Magic Workshop which is dedicated to the training of magicians. Meanwhile, Beijing International Art School, directed by China Acrobatic Troupe, has become a comprehensive art academy teaching acrobatics, dance, fine arts, film performing arts, and Chinese Kungfu. The School has students from China, Russia, France, Spain, Korea, Vietnam and many other countries. After successfully transformed into a culture enterprise, China National Acrobatic Troupe is now dedicated with unremitting efforts toward its aim An influential international acrobatic performing troupe. Introduction of selected Star performers Among the 40+ top performers from Beijing Dance Drama and Opera and China National Acrobatic Troupe, a number of China s most famous performers worth special introduction. China Central TV Star Host Ms. Tao Zhou
Every Chinese New Year Eve, audiences in China expect with great anticipation the New Year s greeting from the charming hostess of the New Year Party, Tao Zhou. Always wearing a bright, cheerful New Year dress, she delivers her joyous greeting to all. She is one of the most admired hostesses on CCTV and since 1995 she has hosted 14 traditional New Year s parties on CCTV. Tao Zhou is famous for her sweet and elegant style. Graceful in appearance with a crisp voice, she has hosted many TV programs and was a master of ceremonies for many important events in China, including the latest opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Tao Zhou graduated from the Beijing College of Broadcasting and started as a news anchor in Beijing TV Station from 1993. As a result of her outstanding performance there, she was transferred to CCTV in 1995 to host a very popular TV entertainment program Zhong Yi Da Guan. From then on, besides hosting the traditional New Year parties, she has been selected to be the Master of Ceremony (MC) for the events celebrating the Return of Hong Kong and Macao to China, as well the MC of the Fifty Years Anniversary Celebration of China. She was one of the organizers and broadcasters for the Opening Ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. People throughout the world who have watched the Opening Ceremony must remember this beautiful and classy lady wearing the dress of the symbolic colors of the Olympics. For over fifteen years, Tao Zhou has steadily progressed in her broadcasting career and has become one of the top female MCs of China, all the while maintaining her devoted attitude and unique style. She enjoys reading and yoga whenever she can find time in her busy schedule and considers herself as a culture ambassador. It is this valuable attitude and admiration of five-thousand-years Chinese culture that drives her to fulfill her work. Thanks to this dedication, not only people in China but also people from around the world, have a greater understanding of China and her people. Soon Tao Zhou will come to RTP to host a dance performance. Her sweet voice will be heard in person! Top Tenor Mr. Zhi Chen Mr. Zhi Cheng is one of the most famous tenors in China. He is a member of Chinese Musician Association and a top-class singer of China. He graduated from Central Conservatory of Music in 1983 after professional vocal training under the well-known vocal educator Professor Xiang Shen.
Mr. Cheng's singing has very good diction and generates very solid and bright sound. His high pitch is brilliant and magnificent. He performs Italian traditional bel canto smoothly. Also, he can skillfully control his volume and timber in several vocal ranges. He performed the leading role in Chinese opera "Grieve over the deceased" by Shi Guangnan. In spite of this, Mr. Cheng acted in many other full-length operas as the lead, which was highly praised by Chinese and international communities. Beverly Sills, one of the top ten sopranos in the world and the General Director for the New York Opera, praised Mr. Cheng as a "rare tenor". Renowned singer, Gino.Bechi said "so rare a tenor he is". Moreover, one article in New York Times wrote about Mr. Cheng that he has the most fresh and the cleanest voice heard in recent years. In recent years, Mr. Cheng has toured many countries and regions. His solo concerts were big success in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hong Kong. Famous Female Singer Ms. Chunyan Wu Ms. Chunyan Wu is one of the well-known young singers in China. Coached and trained by the famous Professor Tielin Jin, she was conferred a Master of Arts degree in vocal music performance from the China Conservatory. As the only national first-class performer, Ms. Chunyan Wu is currently the director of the opera division of the Beijing Dance Drama & Opera. Ms. Chunyan Wu has won many awards in various singing competitions. Among those are awards from her hometown HeiLongJiang Province, from Hong Kong, from CCTV, and from the Ministry of Culture. For the past seven years, Ms. Chunyan Wu has performed in every Spring Festival Gala hosted by the CCTV, which is the most significant national performance in China annually. She has also performed in other important shows and TV programs. Her performance tours include those in Philippine, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Britain, Austria, and Italy. Jiuyue Miracle and the Red Memory In early July 2009, the song of Red Memory performed by Jiuyue Miracle in the Golden Hall of Vienna, Austria, has won the hall-wide applause from the audience. Their pure, sonorous, delicate voices and their enthusiasm for new forms of performance, especially the shocking "keyboard legs forever," has won thunderous applauses and endless appraises. As part of the newly popular Red Wave from Chinese musical world, their famous song Red Memory, is
composed and written by the singer Xiaohai Wang. The unique combination of the keyboard dance and singing from the another singer of the group, Xiaowei Wang, delivered to the audience a brand new interpretation of modern Chinese music and passion. Jiuyue Miracle has won the 2008 CCTV-3 Avenue of Stars annual championship finals in January 2009 after won the weekly and monthly champion competition. Xiaowei Wang, one of the two singers, is called keyboard legs forever or keyboard dancer. She earned the first double row keys electronic organ Art Master Degree of Art in China. Early in 1997 she has won the Hong Kong First China International Piano competition works for two pianos. She has performed numerous solo double row keyboard concerts and has been invited to attend different types of domestic and international events, including the famous One world, One dream, Fun China event organized by CCTV. Her elegant appearance, her delicate voice and her magic flying keyboard legs, has conquered everyone. She is considered one of the most promising stars in China musical world. Xiaohai Wang, the other singer, has been honored as one of the most promising musical producers. He has composed the famous song Jiuyue Qiji, Red memory, The Days Without You and many other songs. The perfect synchronization of the two singers, combining piano, dance and keyboard, has shown their perfect understanding to the music. Besides attending numerous domestic events in China, Jiuyue miracle has been invited to perform in different countries, including Austria, Canada, Japan, Korea, and etc. Soon they will come to perform in RTP. successful performance. We truly hope they will have a