Source: CCTV.com

11-15-2007 09:11

Tibet is a land, a religion, a culture, and ultimately, a mystery. Sometimes, it is even more for people who have been there. Yang Liping is one. The dancer has been in and out of Tibet frequently over the past few years. She says even now, she continues to discover new and fascinating elements to the land. She remains in a state of awe, just as the true Tibetan does on a journey of pilgrimage.

The story of Tibet is essentially the story of a pilgrimage. Tuesday night at Beijing's Poly Theatre, people were taken into the mystery of Tibet by an elderly lady and her little lamb, as they journeyed on their pilgrimage.

The opening performance of the Fifth Beijing International Dance Season, "Mystery of Tibet" is the latest production by dancer-choreographer Yang Liping. Yang was catapulted to a career peak by her previous work, "Dynamic Yunnan". The show won her international acclaim.

In "Tibet", Yang, once the preening peacock who stared complacently into a Yunnan lake, now transforms herself into a goddess, rising from the heart of a lotus.

The softness and fluidity of her movement, the way she marshals every limb to incredible effect, and the sharp contours cast in the lights, recall the brilliant artist audiences came to know in "Dynamic Yunnan".

But this is not warm and sylvan Yunnan. This is Tibet, a land higher, harsher, and mightier. The dancers are not waifs. They are hearty, full-bodied girls with radiant smiles. Their love making is unabashed.

Yang herself appears in another chapter of the performance, wearing mannish hats and floor-tapping with her fellow male dancers.

Yang said, "The dance I did in "Dynamic Yunnan", I had been doing for twenty years, and for numerous times on stage. The two dances I performed in "Tibet", I spent a little bit more than a month creating them. So I guess the latter is more spontaneous maybe. The tap-tap rhythm got into my head when I was riding a horse. You know, a horse quickens its step, but it's still not running, just this light, happy gait. I took everything from the life of the Tibetans."

"Everything Tibetan" includes yaks and colorful native costumes. Yaks, of course, are not noted for their singing voices. So the audience was a bit taken aback when the on stage yaks warbled a few pop tunes. The producer says it's satirical jibe, poking fund at the ignorance among Tibetan youth toward their indigenous culture.

The crowd-pleasing performance draws to a close as the old lady reaches the end of her pilgrimage and the Lotus Goddess appears to lead her away to Eternity.

The audience catches its final glimpse of her, no longer old. With her lamb at her side, she is transformed into a young girl.

In Tibetan culture there's no end to life's cycle. And no path to unravel the mystery of Tibet.

 

Editor:Liu Fang