NEW YORK—There are many literary definitions for the word culture. In Latin, the word is derived from “cultura,” which means “to cultivate.” A glance at Webster’s dictionary informs that the verb “cultivate” is “to foster the growth of.”
The many cultures of the world are the setting from which all of life’s meaning transpires. Culture provides the medium for people to understand themselves, one another, existence, and the divine.
Civilization is the giant axis that drives culture into being. As a civilization progresses, so grows the depth in societal qualities, people, and the forms in which they express themselves. This great mass of integration yields ideals, values, art forms, social systems, organization, beliefs, and structures that become the substance that enrich human life.
Dating back more than 5,000 years, one of humankind’s oldest and deepest civilizations is the great land of China. This ancient empire has also been called the Middle Kingdom, which refers to the old dynastic belief that China is the “center of civilization.”
Much of China’s sheer cultural complexity and dynamism is owed to its rooted, moral beliefs and Chinese philosophy. The influence of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism has imbued the culture with an unmistakable tone of “inner meaning,” which permeates the mysterious nation. China’s history and relics are enchanted with a magical lore, and many believe their culture to be inspired by gods.
Aiming to remove the veil from the Asian enigma and bridge the gap between Eastern and Western culture is New Tang Dynasty Televisions’ (NTDTV) International Competition Series. Featuring grandmasters of skill and world-class artists from around the globe, the International Competition Series will feature nine of China’s most refined disciplines in an entertaining exhibition of skill, art, and beauty throughout the summer.
The many cultures of the world are the setting from which all of life’s meaning transpires. Culture provides the medium for people to understand themselves, one another, existence, and the divine.
Civilization is the giant axis that drives culture into being. As a civilization progresses, so grows the depth in societal qualities, people, and the forms in which they express themselves. This great mass of integration yields ideals, values, art forms, social systems, organization, beliefs, and structures that become the substance that enrich human life.
Dating back more than 5,000 years, one of humankind’s oldest and deepest civilizations is the great land of China. This ancient empire has also been called the Middle Kingdom, which refers to the old dynastic belief that China is the “center of civilization.”
Much of China’s sheer cultural complexity and dynamism is owed to its rooted, moral beliefs and Chinese philosophy. The influence of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism has imbued the culture with an unmistakable tone of “inner meaning,” which permeates the mysterious nation. China’s history and relics are enchanted with a magical lore, and many believe their culture to be inspired by gods.
Aiming to remove the veil from the Asian enigma and bridge the gap between Eastern and Western culture is New Tang Dynasty Televisions’ (NTDTV) International Competition Series. Featuring grandmasters of skill and world-class artists from around the globe, the International Competition Series will feature nine of China’s most refined disciplines in an entertaining exhibition of skill, art, and beauty throughout the summer.
The nine showcased disciplines include Chinese classical dance, Han couture fashion design, martial arts, culinary arts, violin, vocal, piano, oil painting, and photography. The contestants will be competing for a purse of up to $10,000 dollars per event. The elite competitors will take the stage to showcase skill sets that many have trained a lifetime to master.
NTDTV’s mission in rallying performers and artisans from near and far is to revive the ancient traditions that have been suppressed since the Chinese communist regime rose to power, destroying the ancient treasures with violent campaigns such as the Cultural Revolution. NTDTV’s resuscitation breathes new life into artistic expressions that underline the sacred values that have been buried and nearly forgotten in China.
“The ancient Chinese civilization is a precious treasure to China and the world,” says Lijuan Ma, head of NTDTV’s Competition Organizing Committee.
“As today’s Chinese society gradually becomes hollow at its cultural core, its traditions are being subverted by perverse elements. It’s a worrisome and heart-wrenching trend. The competitions will inspire us to restore traditional culture and upright thinking, so we can truly blaze a path for traditional culture to shine again,” says Ms. Ma.
The first of the competitions to take place at this year’s International Competition Series is Classical Chinese Dance. The event is set to embark this Friday, June 19, at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center in New York.
Chinese dance is an art form that has been growing within China’s 5,000-year history. The people of ancient China originally used the form of dance to show reverence and honor to the Heavens, casting praise, respect, and appreciation to the gods above. It has been said that the dance should be “perfectly compassionate and perfectly beautiful.”
Chinese dance has two main components: bearing and form. Bearing conveys the inner meaning of the dance. Each dance has its unique feeling—two people dancing with the same dance movements may have different bearings.
Form refers to the dancer movements. Ballet does not emphasize bearing. There are standard forms in ballet, to which ballet dancers strive to conform.
There are hundreds of different movements and postures in Chinese dance, which together embody a complete language capable of expressing a range of emotions. Through dance, fables, and folk tales can be acted, and dancers communicate the intricacies of their own character. Dancers seize the many transits between movements with their own individuality and flow allowing them to convey their values, morality, and personal story.
NTDTV’s mission in rallying performers and artisans from near and far is to revive the ancient traditions that have been suppressed since the Chinese communist regime rose to power, destroying the ancient treasures with violent campaigns such as the Cultural Revolution. NTDTV’s resuscitation breathes new life into artistic expressions that underline the sacred values that have been buried and nearly forgotten in China.
“The ancient Chinese civilization is a precious treasure to China and the world,” says Lijuan Ma, head of NTDTV’s Competition Organizing Committee.
“As today’s Chinese society gradually becomes hollow at its cultural core, its traditions are being subverted by perverse elements. It’s a worrisome and heart-wrenching trend. The competitions will inspire us to restore traditional culture and upright thinking, so we can truly blaze a path for traditional culture to shine again,” says Ms. Ma.
International Classical Chinese Dance Competition
The first of the competitions to take place at this year’s International Competition Series is Classical Chinese Dance. The event is set to embark this Friday, June 19, at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center in New York.
Chinese dance is an art form that has been growing within China’s 5,000-year history. The people of ancient China originally used the form of dance to show reverence and honor to the Heavens, casting praise, respect, and appreciation to the gods above. It has been said that the dance should be “perfectly compassionate and perfectly beautiful.”
Chinese dance has two main components: bearing and form. Bearing conveys the inner meaning of the dance. Each dance has its unique feeling—two people dancing with the same dance movements may have different bearings.
Form refers to the dancer movements. Ballet does not emphasize bearing. There are standard forms in ballet, to which ballet dancers strive to conform.
There are hundreds of different movements and postures in Chinese dance, which together embody a complete language capable of expressing a range of emotions. Through dance, fables, and folk tales can be acted, and dancers communicate the intricacies of their own character. Dancers seize the many transits between movements with their own individuality and flow allowing them to convey their values, morality, and personal story.
Gold Medalist Tim Wu from last year’s competition was a perfect exposition of the attributed traits.
“The deepest, most profound thing about dancing for me, is having to think about the roles, putting myself into the roles I play, and learning to express those roles,” Wu said.
Because every nuance of a dancer’s persona is on display, a moral foundation and inward alignment must serve as foundation for the dancer’s performance. The values and virtue of the ancient people were imprinted into the ancient dance system.
The inner meaning of the dances can convey almost anything—from characters and themes, to a wide range of emotions and feelings. There are almost an infinite number of characters and stories that can be expressed, formed by thousands of years of folktales and ideals.
The movements in Chinese dance are circular and curved. Oftentimes if a dancer wishes to move left, he or she will first move right, if one wants to move up they will first go down.
With such a rich depth and ancient history, it is reasonable that the Chinese believe their art and culture are divinely guided and inspired.
“It’s something I believe in. The most important thing about traditional Chinese culture is that belief that everything given to us comes from divine beings,” Wu said.
NTDTV’s Chinese International Dance Competition takes place this Friday through Sunday at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center, 199 Chambers Street, in New York City. The finals ceremony will be presented following a performance of the traditional Chinese dance company, Shen Yun Performing Arts, which will be performing Sunday evening at the State Theatre in New Brunswick, N.J.
To learn more about the competition, please visit http://dance.ntdtv.com/en/, and to purchase tickets, visit http://competitions.ntdtv.com/ticket/.
To purchase tickets to Sunday’s performance of Shen Yun Performing arts, please visit http://www.shenyunperformingarts.org/newbrunswick
“The deepest, most profound thing about dancing for me, is having to think about the roles, putting myself into the roles I play, and learning to express those roles,” Wu said.
Because every nuance of a dancer’s persona is on display, a moral foundation and inward alignment must serve as foundation for the dancer’s performance. The values and virtue of the ancient people were imprinted into the ancient dance system.
The inner meaning of the dances can convey almost anything—from characters and themes, to a wide range of emotions and feelings. There are almost an infinite number of characters and stories that can be expressed, formed by thousands of years of folktales and ideals.
The movements in Chinese dance are circular and curved. Oftentimes if a dancer wishes to move left, he or she will first move right, if one wants to move up they will first go down.
With such a rich depth and ancient history, it is reasonable that the Chinese believe their art and culture are divinely guided and inspired.
“It’s something I believe in. The most important thing about traditional Chinese culture is that belief that everything given to us comes from divine beings,” Wu said.
NTDTV’s Chinese International Dance Competition takes place this Friday through Sunday at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center, 199 Chambers Street, in New York City. The finals ceremony will be presented following a performance of the traditional Chinese dance company, Shen Yun Performing Arts, which will be performing Sunday evening at the State Theatre in New Brunswick, N.J.
To learn more about the competition, please visit http://dance.ntdtv.com/en/, and to purchase tickets, visit http://competitions.ntdtv.com/ticket/.
To purchase tickets to Sunday’s performance of Shen Yun Performing arts, please visit http://www.shenyunperformingarts.org/newbrunswick
