Listings: Beijing

STAGE

Dancing Queen, a grand song and dance show, will be staged by Ireland's Spirit of the Dance Productions. Created in 2006, the program has toured more than 10 countries including America, Spain and Portugal.

7:30 pm, May 9-11

Poly Theater, Dongsi Shitiao, Chaoyang District

6506-5345, 6506-5343

The 2008 First International Modern Dance Week will soon begin at the Tianqiao Theater. The festival will include performances from sevarl international dance companies, including Battery Dance from the USA and Dance Theatre Braunschweig from Germany.

7:30 pm, May 9-25

Tianqiao Theater, 30 Beiwei Lu, Xuanwu District

8315-6170, 8315-6300

Poly Theater will host the drama Red Rose and White Rose. Adapted from Eileen Chang's novel of the same title, the latest version is directed by Tian Qinxin and performed by a young cast. This drama depicts Zhenbao's love story. There are two women in his life: his prim wife and a saucy mistress. Zhenbao describes them, respectively, as a white rose and a red rose in his life.

7:30 pm, May 20-24

14 Dongzhimen Nandajie

65065343 65065345 65001188

The Chinese Acrobatics Group, established in 1950, has toured more than 80 countries, won numerous international awards and has helped foster friendships between China and other nations. Its performance includes traditional acrobatics, a circus show, magic, old Beijing folk plays and more. The show blends music, dance, local opera and martial arts.

7:30 pm, daily

Tiandi Theater, Dongsi Shitiao, 100 m north of Poly Theater, Chaoyang District

6416-9893

CONCERTS

A concert featuring classic European opera and a string quartet will feature Mozart's Women Are All the Same, Bizet's Carmen and Sibelius' Black Roses.

7:30 pm, May 11

Forbidden City Concert Hall in Zhongshan Park, Northwest of Tian'anmen Square

6559-8285

Norwegian jazz quartet, The Core, is one of the leading jazz groups of Northern Europe. In the latest concert of the Time Arts Jazz Series, Jorgen Mathisen blows saxophones, Erlend Slettevoll plays piano, Steinar Raknes plucks bass and Espen Aalberg beats drums. Their repertoire covers jazz, modern and classic music.

7 pm, May 11

Peking University Concert Hall, Peking University, Haidian District

6275-2279, 6275-9637

Finland's Kemi Symphony Orchestra will perform in Beijing. Led by conductor Yasuo Shinozaki, the concert includes Sibelus's Pelleas et Melisande, Prokofiev's Violin Concerto No 2 and Beethoven's Symphony No 7.

7:30 pm, May 15

Beijing Concert Hall, 1 Beixinhuajie, Xicheng District

6605-7006

Eleven young musicians from the Central Conservatory will hold a charity concert named Beyond Dreams. Pianist Dai Bo, violinist Wang Huang, violist Kang Wenting, cellist Zhang Ying and others will present classic works of chamber music.

7:30 pm, May 15

Forbidden City Concert Hall in Zhongshan Park, Northwest of Tian'anmen Square

6559-8285

Exhibitions

The exhibition commemorates the 50th anniversary of the inauguration of the Monument to the People's Heroes. It will have works of such historians and artists as Zheng Zhenduo, Wu Zuoren, Liang Sicheng and Liu Kaiqu. With Chairman Mao laying the foundation in 1949, the monument was completed on May 1, 1958. After the Beijing debut, the exhibition will tour Shanghai and other cities.

9 am-5 pm, until May 19

Museum of Beijing Fine Art Academy, 1 Liulitun Beili, Chaoyang District

6502-5171

This solo show gathers some 30 pieces of sculptures of Taiwan artist Li Zhen. Li has studied Buddhism and Taoism, and extends his comprehension of these philosophies into his creations. His works, made from stainless steel, convey a kind of integral whole with nature.

9 am-5 pm, until May 11

National Art Museum of China, 1 Wusi Dajie, Dongcheng District

6401-7076

This flower show displays the private collection of former military officer Wang Yanming, now in his 70s. Visitors can see many endangered plant species, including tiger-head orchid and ginkgo in potted landscape.

8:30 am-5:30 pm, until May 31

Yuquanying Flower Market, Northeastern Corner of the Yuquanying Overpass, Fengtai Distict

6358-8197

Eight artists have been invited for this joint show. Li Tianyuan's photographs focus on self-portraits, landscapes and ordinary scenes. Cang Xin uses multi-media to express his traditional perspective. Pang Yongjie bases his inspiration upon the sky, earth and life. Shi Jinsong imbues his creations with current fashions and trends. Deng Jian explores the daily lives of urban residents.

9 am-4 pm, until May 12

Today Art Museum, 32 Baiziwan Lu, Chaoyang District

5876-9690

The Lotus series of He Yongshun is executed in warm and cool tones. The scattered flowers and buds, presented in elaborate detail, highlight the tableau in white and pink. The leaves are portrayed with an impressionist touch, the outlines fusing into the background.

10 am-5 pm, until May 15

Zezhong Gallery, 50 Guanyintang Cultural Avenue, Wangsiying, Chaoyang District

6738-6265

Fang Art Gallery defines itself as a stage of art and architecture. Their latest show features the works of Japanese architect Keiichiro Sako. Chinese cities are attracting numerous architects from around the world. Aside from the landmark projects of a city, the civil architecture also needs consideration. Sako has made full use of the opportunities in China and has completed a series of successful projects.

11 am-6:30 pm, until May 25

Fang Art, 16 Post-modern Town, 16 Baiziwan Lu, Chaoyang District

8776-5159

In Lu Peng's oil series, World of Dream, images of different overlapping people is set against a surrealistic background. Their costumes, gestures and expressions show a kind of balance. Finished with traditional pigment and ink, Lu's works fall in between the ancient and modern.

10 am-5 pm, until May 10

Red Gate Gallery, Dongbianmen Watchtower, Chongwen District

6525-1005

Yang Yongsheng draws night scenes, people at leisure and landmark architectures. There is an emphasis on light effects. From his point of view, the city and skyscrapers are also elements of nature.

10 am-5 pm, until May 11

C5Art Gallery, Building F, BITIC, 5 Xiwu Jie, Sanlitun, Chaoyang District

6460-3950

The sculptures of Liu Ruowang are big sized. Liu inserts his passion and love for the nation into his creations. Liu Qipeng draws his inspiration from childhood games.

10 am-5 pm, until May 11

Loft 3 Gallery, 2 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang District

8459-9652

This contemporary engravings exhibition displays dozens of works by more than 10 artists, including Yue Minjun, Zhu Wei and Xu Hongming. Some of the participants have already established a names for themselves in the field of oil painting. They take advantage of their ability to control the color on different media.

9 am-4 pm, until May 14

A Space, Pingguo Community, Baiziwan Lu, Chaoyang District

5971-2048

Entitled Masterpieces of Aegean Culture, the exhibition features the Greek national treasures. The 30 pieces of exhibits have been selected from the trove at the Museum of Cycladic Art and National Archaeological Museum of Greece, and include marble figurines, marble and ceramic pots, bronze and stone tools dating back to the late 4th Century BC. The show is part of the Cultural Year of Greece in China.

10 am-5 pm, until May 15

Museum of Imperial City, Nanchizi Dajie, Dongcheng District

8511-5104

Lan Jinghua and Jenny Dong present nature as they see it. In one of the works, entitled Vestige, swathes of color are laid upon each other, creating a form of primal chaos. Among the abstract dots and lines, are hidden ideas of ancient philosophy.

8:30 am-6 pm, until May 16

Beijing Central Art Gallery, Ground Floor of Kempinski Hotel, 50 Liangmaqiao Lu,

Chaoyang District

6465-1396

Oil painter Chi Henfei gives much play to the presentation of light, color and reflections. Using dancing girls, he tries to produce an effect similar to that of Degas. The dynamic composition and changing light give his works a classic elegance. Born in Liaoning province in 1945, Chi studied oil painting at the Central Academy of Fine Arts.

10 am-5 pm, until May 16

Hongzilan Gallery, 70 Guangyintang, A2 Wangsiying, Chaoyang District

6720-0251

Luo Pingan, a 63-year-old ink artist from Xi'an, Shaanxi province, is holding his solo exhibition at the Shuimo Yonghe Gallery in downtown Beijing. The exhibition features more than 30 of Luo's imposing ink landscapes of the Loess Plateau in Northwest China. Luo is noted for his innovative composition, forceful brushworks and unconventional use of colors.

10 am -5 pm, until June 30

Room 2-302, Yard No 3, Dongbinhelu, Andingmenwai, Dongcheng District

8421-1619

Frederic Amat from Spain is holding his solo exhibition at the Instituto Cervantes Beijing. On show are some 40 selected works the artist has created over the past two decades. Born in Catalonia in Northeast Spain, the veteran artist is renowned for his range of genres and materials, including graphic works, paintings, installations, videos, and stage designs.

10 am -5 pm, until June 1

Instituto Cervantes Beijing, A1 Gongti Nanlu, Chaoyang District

5879-966

A small scale exhibition featuring art works by world-renowned Chinese musician Tan Dun is being held. Exhibits include video works, installations, drawings, and props and settings for Tan's critically acclaimed Water Concerto and Paper Concerto staged at the National Center for Performing Arts last month.

10 am - 6 pm, until May 11

Chambers Fine Art Gallery, No. 1-D, Red Buildings, Caochangdi, Chaoyang District

5127-3298

An elegant portrait of a southern Chinese village by the river by Chen Yifei, a gorgeous sketch of peach blossoms by Wang Keju and a reserved illustration of flowers blooming and falling by Fan Bo, will feature alongside LG's latest household electric appliances at a new exhibition in the Mercedes-Benz showroom in Wangfujing street. The display will run through this week and tour Shanghai and Guangzhou.

(China Daily 05/09/2008 page22)