Amal Choucri Catta samples the delights of the Far East "My Dream", China Disabled People's Performing Arts Troupe, performances at the Cairo and Alexandria Opera Houses, followed by Chinese Shenzhen Culture Week in Cairo, Alexandria and Luxor, 4-12 October China had a full house on the opening night of My Dream, a sensational show presented at Cairo Opera's main hall by the China Disabled People's Performing Art Troupe in collaboration with the embassy of the People's Republic and the Chinese Cultural Centre. The two-hour programme opened with a prologue presented by a beautiful young lady, Jang Xintian, the most elegant master of ceremonies the opera's stage has ever seen. She introduced My Dream in sign language, while a male voice translated signs into Arabic words. Then came the first dance: a bewitching performance of the "Thousand-handed Bodhisattva" by Tai Lihua and the hearing-impaired dance troupe. The movements were of breathtaking precision. The marvelous choreography, lavish costumes and perfect lighting were a thrilling experience. The audience never stopped wondering at the extraordinary accuracy of the 12 dancers' "thousand hands" gesticulating as if they belonged to one body, and the brilliant show was followed by an excellent piano solo, featuring the visually impaired Jin Yuanhui who gave his audience a colourful version of "Fantasy Rondo" and a charming Chinese composition requiring as much virtuosity. Yang Haitao, with his strong baritone and his lively timbre came on stage to sing "Paradise", together with a local song, while adding a colourful note to the American evergreen "Are You Lonesome Tonight", his voice filled with glowing passion as it expressed an ardent anxiety for the loved one's loneliness. Tai Lihua, prima ballerina of the thousand hands dance, returned in a charming "Peacock Dance", gracefully pirouetting, twisting and turning to music played on traditional Chinese instruments. The instrumental ensemble returned to play "Jasmine", "The Sound of Music" and an Egyptian melody. The five soloists gave the audience a remarkable specimen of their immense talent and their prodigious musicality. The dancers, with Lin Ling at their head, returned with "Dance of the Red Fans", another powerful performance, impetuous and lively -- and masterfully executed. Lin Ling reappeared with the "corps de ballet" for "Spring Outing", a delightfully vivacious dance evoking the fun and joy of springtime. Audiences were then given an enchanting whistle-and-dance sequence entitled "Fairy Butterfly", with Lin Janguo whistling a lovely solo tune, while Tai Lihua seemed once again to be flying around the stage, her agile steps gleefully dancing to the delicious melody. Li Haiying followed, singing "A True Story", "Love Changes Everything" and an Egyptian tune originally sung by Latifa. Virtuoso Wang Xuefeng returned with two tunes on his Erhu, "The Moon Mirrored in the Second Spring" and "Horse Racing", all brilliantly interpreted. The fabulous show came to an end with "Yellow Earth", featuring Zhao Liyang and the dance company perfectly executing the last of their amazing dances, followed by the Epilogue with everyone clapping and Bravos echoing throughout the densely filled hall. The most moving of spectacles, it gave all food for thought while conveying the eloquent message that "every life has its dignity". Founded in 1987, the China Disabled People's Performing Art Troupe has been researching a special art form with the support of famous artists. The company has travelled throughout China and to over 40 countries in Asia, Europe, America and Oceania. The performers fly their own unique banner in a world of colour and fantasy, while being referred to as "ambassadors of the 600 million disabled people around the world". Their performances in Cairo and Alexandria were a unique experience, inspiring audiences with their courage, their will power and sincere emotions. With My Dream they were sharing their dreams with the audience, turning their performances into unforgettable moments of elation. But China's presence on Egypt's stages did not end with My Dream this month. The Shenzhen Culture Week taking place in Cairo, Alexandria and Luxor offered not only performances by the Shenzhen Art Troupe, a team of talented young artists presenting Chinese folk music, dances and acrobatics, but piano concerts by the winners of international competitions. The week was reminiscent of another one that Cairo Opera House and a number of Egyptian theatres witnessed in October- November 2002, with unforgettable concerts by the China National Orchestra and performances by the celebrated China Traditional Opera, the China Acrobatics Troupe, as well as an impressive exhibition of Chinese plastic arts. This year, the exhibition was limited to 40 superb photographs introducing viewers to Shenzhen City, neighbour to Hong-Kong, and an important centre for economy and culture. The young winners of international piano competitions performed music by Mozart, Chopin, Liszt and Prokofiev, as well as by Chinese composers. Aged 13-16, the soloists proved remarkably talented and their performances were greeted with rapturous applause. The programme of dance and acrobatics consisted of four main dances, among them "Love of the River Nile", with young Shenzhen dancers discarding their veils and going on an Oriental spree of extravagant belly dancing. The colourful "Fragrance of Butter" took audiences to the Tibet Plateau, where the loveliest of girls concentrated on making butter, while "Celebration Dance" marked a happy day of great events, with dancers waving their scarves to the sound of pounding drums. Audiences were given two further dances: "The Grand Prairie", a vibrant dance from Mongolia, filled with passion and buoyancy, and "Rosy Clouds Near Tian Mountain", in the course of which graceful girls delightfully whirled round their male partners. Chinese instrumental music filled the interludes magnificently while the acrobatics comprised a pagoda of bowls on a single wheel, using one foot for control, while the other held four ceramic bowls, kicking each onto her head. "Rolling with Candles" was another acrobatic sequence, this time performed by Xu Lihua, who created a remarkable bouquet of lighted candles, holding different candlesticks with her feet, hands and mouth, while twisting and turning outrageously. The applause was great, young and old enjoyed the colourful spectacle, making Shenzhen Week a resounding success.
