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Kung fu boys reveal their souls
By Xu Wenwen |
September 4, 2009, Friday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
PEACE and joy and the protection of the spirit are the themes explored in spirited performances by these masters of the art of kung fu, writes Xu Wenwen.
No catastrophe is greater than the spiritual, for wealth, for love,?for the struggle. Each type of spiritual catastrophe originates within the self - greed, fury, obsession and resentment.
These are lines from "Kung Fu Revelations - 9 Scrolls" which just finished the first performance of its second-round national tour on August 31 at Hangzhou Theater. It will be presented at Shanghai American School on September 25.
The extravaganza is distinctive because of its originators - a group of kung fu practitioners labelling themselves as le ding zu, a group publicizing "environmental protection for the spirit" - and the concept of le ding, meaning being happy and calm, which suggests people give ear to the voice from spirit and have actions follow the spirit.
"We hope modern people can slow down the pace to enjoy the inner peace, that is the nature of 'environmental protection for the spirit,' which is a way to le ding, and it helps people examine themselves, all of which lead to the practice's top state - joyful practice - enjoy daily routine," says Hou Ke, brand and marketing department manager of the Poly Artist Management Co, organizer of the show.
The show's theme is the quest to purifying the soul through the pursuit of harmony, love, peace and freedom.
The performers use poetic and dramatic form of kung fu to interpret and portray the soul of Chinese culture, art and philosophy.
The spectacular show is made up of nine scrolls of poetry that unravel one by one: Purity, Sutra, Diligence, Spirit, Listening, Shape, Serenity, Devotion and Paradise - every part revealing a meditative mind by an abstract story.
Directed by China's leading choreographer Liu Zhen, "Kung Fu Revelations" is a dazzling combination of martial arts, dance, ballet, montage, Broadway and yoga elements, artists playing as monks, depicting daily life such as eating, sleeping and even taking a bath on the stage, yet through kicks, punches and wielding their weapons with unnerving speed and power.
"It will turn your understanding of kung fu completely upside down," says Hou. "Kung fu doesn't mean fighting, the top state of kung fu is its hidden serenity."
For instance, the Diligence scroll uses imagery of monks sweeping the floor in the bamboo grove to remind people to be industrious; the Serenity scroll displays a black group and a white group representing two parties who fight with each other but finally shake hands; in the Devotion scroll, an umbrella is compared to be walls between man and man with every actor holding an umbrella except the little monk.
All the others scramble to cover him an umbrella, but he refuses all before finally everyone drops their umbrella at the end after an ideological struggle.
Since its premiere last June, "Kung Fu Revelations" has become a worldwide success, and already there's a waiting list of future performances at home and abroad which will keep the troupe busy until the beginning of next year.
The concept of le ding has been popularized in many forms of media, and le ding fans organized an activity in Beijing where 30 le ding zu groups gathered on a busy zebra crossing and stayed still for 30 seconds.
"We still have a long way to go, both in performance and promoting the concept," says Hou. "We appreciate the audience can think about the concept after seeing the show, and some of them discover deeper things in the performance that even we weren't aware of."
"Kung Fu Revelations" official English Website: www.9scrolls.com/english.asp Are you qualified to be a le ding zu?
You are if you fit no less than three items.
1. Enjoy peace and calmness and pursue a simple and sincere lifestyle.
2. Be low-profile but sometimes believe in "Just do it."
3. Enjoy sharing and being needed so as to maximize your self-confidence.
4. Although being hurt sometimes, you persist in modifying the imperfect world in your own style.
5. Like being in a trance, both in eye contact and mind.
6. Everyone is divided into two sides, but your sense of justice can always defeat interior evil.
7. Remember initial dreams and make them run true to form, watching them growing up.
8. Be good at discovering beauty, with strong sympathy and able to find vivid color even in the dullest thing.
To join le ding zu, go to
www.360quan.com/huodong/second25.html or
gongyi.ifeng.com/zhuanti/200907/d1267171/or event.mosh.cn/view/60642.
No catastrophe is greater than the spiritual, for wealth, for love,?for the struggle. Each type of spiritual catastrophe originates within the self - greed, fury, obsession and resentment.
These are lines from "Kung Fu Revelations - 9 Scrolls" which just finished the first performance of its second-round national tour on August 31 at Hangzhou Theater. It will be presented at Shanghai American School on September 25.
The extravaganza is distinctive because of its originators - a group of kung fu practitioners labelling themselves as le ding zu, a group publicizing "environmental protection for the spirit" - and the concept of le ding, meaning being happy and calm, which suggests people give ear to the voice from spirit and have actions follow the spirit.
"We hope modern people can slow down the pace to enjoy the inner peace, that is the nature of 'environmental protection for the spirit,' which is a way to le ding, and it helps people examine themselves, all of which lead to the practice's top state - joyful practice - enjoy daily routine," says Hou Ke, brand and marketing department manager of the Poly Artist Management Co, organizer of the show.
The show's theme is the quest to purifying the soul through the pursuit of harmony, love, peace and freedom.
The performers use poetic and dramatic form of kung fu to interpret and portray the soul of Chinese culture, art and philosophy.
The spectacular show is made up of nine scrolls of poetry that unravel one by one: Purity, Sutra, Diligence, Spirit, Listening, Shape, Serenity, Devotion and Paradise - every part revealing a meditative mind by an abstract story.
Directed by China's leading choreographer Liu Zhen, "Kung Fu Revelations" is a dazzling combination of martial arts, dance, ballet, montage, Broadway and yoga elements, artists playing as monks, depicting daily life such as eating, sleeping and even taking a bath on the stage, yet through kicks, punches and wielding their weapons with unnerving speed and power.
"It will turn your understanding of kung fu completely upside down," says Hou. "Kung fu doesn't mean fighting, the top state of kung fu is its hidden serenity."
For instance, the Diligence scroll uses imagery of monks sweeping the floor in the bamboo grove to remind people to be industrious; the Serenity scroll displays a black group and a white group representing two parties who fight with each other but finally shake hands; in the Devotion scroll, an umbrella is compared to be walls between man and man with every actor holding an umbrella except the little monk.
All the others scramble to cover him an umbrella, but he refuses all before finally everyone drops their umbrella at the end after an ideological struggle.
Since its premiere last June, "Kung Fu Revelations" has become a worldwide success, and already there's a waiting list of future performances at home and abroad which will keep the troupe busy until the beginning of next year.
The concept of le ding has been popularized in many forms of media, and le ding fans organized an activity in Beijing where 30 le ding zu groups gathered on a busy zebra crossing and stayed still for 30 seconds.
"We still have a long way to go, both in performance and promoting the concept," says Hou. "We appreciate the audience can think about the concept after seeing the show, and some of them discover deeper things in the performance that even we weren't aware of."
"Kung Fu Revelations" official English Website: www.9scrolls.com/english.asp Are you qualified to be a le ding zu?
You are if you fit no less than three items.
1. Enjoy peace and calmness and pursue a simple and sincere lifestyle.
2. Be low-profile but sometimes believe in "Just do it."
3. Enjoy sharing and being needed so as to maximize your self-confidence.
4. Although being hurt sometimes, you persist in modifying the imperfect world in your own style.
5. Like being in a trance, both in eye contact and mind.
6. Everyone is divided into two sides, but your sense of justice can always defeat interior evil.
7. Remember initial dreams and make them run true to form, watching them growing up.
8. Be good at discovering beauty, with strong sympathy and able to find vivid color even in the dullest thing.
To join le ding zu, go to
www.360quan.com/huodong/second25.html or
gongyi.ifeng.com/zhuanti/200907/d1267171/or event.mosh.cn/view/60642.
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