Local

Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Chinese culture on bright display

Troupe part of weekend festival

By: Katherine Dow

Posted: 09/2/2012 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

Dayna Cherney and her godmother, Tracy Simcoe, take in the entertainment. (JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS) Photo Store

Enlarge Image

Performers from the Manitoba Great Wall Performing Arts perform the Rolling Lamp at the Lyric Theatre in Assiniboine Park Saturday. (JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS) Photo Store

Spirits were literally flying high Saturday afternoon, as the Manitoba Great Wall Performing Arts group took to the Lyric Theatre stage for a gravity-defying acrobatic routine.

The performance, which featured a traditional lion dance and some mesmerizing acrobatic stunts, served as a celebration of the group's 10th anniversary.

Poid Wong brought her three sons, Rylan, 2, Nicholas, 4, and Connor, 6, out to the outdoor performance. Wong said she's using the weekend's events to help her kids connect with their Chinese heritage.

"We thought it would be interesting for the kids to see. My kids haven't been too overly exposed to their Chinese culture. They don't really understand what being Chinese means. When we tell them they're Chinese, they always say 'No I'm not. What is that?' I just think it's a great way for them to learn and understand," Wong said, while doling out sandwiches to her three boys while they watched a traditional Chinese fan dance.

Shirley Yu manned a Chinese fashion booth during the performance. Yu modelled a traditional dress herself and explained to passersby about the various traditional and contemporary clothing displayed at her booth.

"What we eat, how we dress, it's all important parts of our culture. We try and help people to learn more about it, and it helps me identify with a side of my heritage that I haven't learned a lot about," Yu said.

The incredible display of Chinese cultural dance, crafts and food is just one event in China Culture Days, a weekend of cultural celebrations being held in commemoration of the dance group's anniversary.

The festivities opened Friday night with a 10-course Chinese meal at Kum Koon Garden. Diners were also treated to Chinese dance, acrobatics and puppetry.

Event organizer David Tang said the entire restaurant was sold out, and the response he received was overwhelmingly positive.

"We had a Sichuan face-changer who can change masks instantaneously. People were pretty amazed. Not everyone knows about these facets of Chinese culture, and these celebrations really help promote it," Tang said.

Tang, who has been a board member with the Manitoba Great Wall Performing Arts group for two years, said the dinner was just a precursor to the live dancing that stunned Assiniboine Park audiences Saturday night.

Joining the Winnipeg-based performing arts group on stage was the Sichuan Acrobatic Troupe, who flew in from Tendu, China for the occasion.

"Most of these performers have trained since they were three or four. A lot of them leave their families at a really young age and devote their lives to their work. It's how they earn their living. Our troupe tries to bring in as many as we can throughout the year to show Canadian people their incredible work," Tang said.

The Chinese Culture Day celebrations will continue today with a full-day cultural workshop aimed to introduce kids ages 5 to 10 to Chinese dance, paper cutting, kung fu and acrobatics.

katherine.dow@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition September 2, 2012 A5

Fact Check

Have you found an error, or know of something we’ve missed in one of our stories? Please use the form below and let us know.

* Required

In which story did you find the error? *
Please post the headline of the story or the title of the video with the error.
What was the error? *
Please post exactly what was wrong with the story.
What should we have written?
Please indicate your source for the correct information.
Who else should we interview to improve this story?
Please include any contact information you may have.
Can we contact you in the future for advice on stories about this topic?
Yes

No
First Name: *
Last Name: *
E–mail Address: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Phone: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Colour:
Are you blue? If you can see this, leave it blank and get some CSS support.
Enter the words that you see: * This is to prevent our forms from being filled out automatically.
You have failed to correctly identify the words in the box above. Please try again.

More Local

Undock

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

Have Your Say

New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.