Chinese Martial Arts Dance Series: Episode I

Artistic Director/Choreographer: Miranda Chin
Music Director/Composer: Chan Ming-chi
Premiere: 9-10 November 2001
Theatre, Hong Kong City Hall (HK)
No. of Performers: 12
Duration: 75mins

Martial Arts dance and Tai Chi; Intersection of Past and present; Reciprocity between Yin and Yang Chinese martial arts is a unique philosophy of body movements. In terms of space, time and form, it not only assumes the beauty of sculpture and dynamics, but is also a rich combination of solid movements. No wonder Tai Chi is reputed to be the most typical of all martial arts dances. Chin has studied the philosophy of Tai Chi at Wudang Shan, Shaolin Monastery, Chenjia Gou under the tutorship of Mr. Liu Guanglai and attended the International Tai Chi Chuan Exchange at Handan under the tutorship of Mr. Wang Zhiyuan. This performance shows the source of Tai Chi and combines with the Eight Diagrams, pushing-hands and self-defense. The modern creation included: Wuji, Tai Chi and Jing Qi Shen etc. And also the development of Chinese dance from past to present in a series of famous works entitled Farewell to my Concubine (a Peking opera), Dance of Madame Gongsun (of the Tang dynasty), A Show of Swords (a bow dance featuring an anti-Qing revolution), The Red Detachment of Women (a dance of the Cultural Revolution).