Yang captures the vibe of Tibet's tribes

Three years ago, choreographer and dancer Yang Liping created the gala show Dynamic Yunnan, which impressed audience with its strong folk flavors of Southwest China's Yunnan Province. Now, she is back with The Miracle of Tibet.

"If Dynamic Yunnan portrays the spirits of the ethnic people in Yunnan, The Miracle of Tibet expresses the soul of the Tibetans," says the legendary dancer.

After the acclaimed premiere in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province, in August, the show has toured many cities and will give three performances at Poly Theater to kick off the Fifth Beijing International Dance Festival.

The show tells the story of an old Tibetan lady who takes her sheep on a pilgrimage to a sacred place. The audience follows her journey, which exposes her to the customs and practices of different tribes.

After the huge success of Dynamic Yunnan, many companies tried to commission Yang to create more ethnic shows. But most of them wanted to focus on the exotic elements simply to attract tourists, which is not Yang's aim. Tibetan singer Rongzhong Erjia is among those who were impressed by Dynamic Yunnan and hoped to work with Yang. So he called her to discuss his idea, and during their conversation they found that they shared many ideas and visions of original ethnic shows.

In August 2006, Yang went to Tibet to experience Tibetan life, draw inspiration and find performers.

"I was so curious about Tibetans' lives. In my eyes, much of their daily work, gestures and movements are dance. The old lady on the pilgrimage kneels down with a straight back, the girl milks a cow or makes the butter tea - all these could be turned into dance movements. So, I am not a choreographer of the show; I just edit and tailor them into a show," says Yang.

Most of the performers are peasants or herdsman from Tibet, who wear their own clothes on stage. A young man even brought his cow, which appears during a monologue. Audiences will also see some performances featuring traditional Tibetan instruments, such as the six-stringed fiddle and the lama's horn.

Yang herself performs two dances in the show. In one scene, she plays a Tibetan Goddess, and in the other, she dressed like a man to perform a powerful number, which is a far cry from her well-known role as the "Princess of Peacock".

Time: 7:30 pm, November 13-15

Place: Poly Theater, 14 Dongzhimen Nan Street

Tel: 6406-8888, 400-818-3333

(China Daily 11/10/2007 page6)