Opening Ceremony:  

Magnificent in Vision, Classic and Excellent in Arts 

The slogan “Charming Continents Meet in Yichang” conveys the organizers’ vision that the song of friendship starts in China and the melody of peace will spread the world. On the evening of September 16, the opening ceremony of the 9th CIFAF was launched in great passion at Yichang Stadium. More than 300 folk artists from 14 countries of the five continents presented excellent folk art programs in their respective ways and commonly constituted an unforgettable union of arts and friendship. The Polish Mazowsze National Song and Dance Company staged Lublin Dance based upon the well-known elegant pace of Mazurek, and its exquisite costume design, music with joyous rhythm, vigorous sentiments and distinct expression of East European character bring about magnificent vision. The dancers’ cheerful movement in pace along with the shining and beautiful costumes reflection, like a running light-hearted stream, took the audience to a pure happiness. West American Folk Dance was bold in personality and original in dynamics, while their resemblance of Chinese contemporary street dance and vaudeville in Peking Opera made Chinese audiences feel similar and strange and therefore gain echoes out of strange art experience. The song and dance Oh I Wake up Early of strong Russian expressions brought the audience into a paradise of arts in heavenly sound, where people would feel about youth, happiness and purity in this outlandish fairy tales. Leva Dance dedicated by National Performing Group of Pakistan, depicted a lively wedding in Baluchistan Tribe with leisurely rhythm, touching melody and distinct religious elements and ideas. At the same time, their passionate singing and exciting dancing showed their own expression and indicated the connection of God and Human, both of which added a splendid color to the stage of CIFAF. The indigenous dance My Home Country in courageous character of Ethiopian people, against the background of China Red, took the audiences into a rare art dimension with their enthusiastic gestures. 

In the opening ceremony, every program blessed with artistry and entertainment brought about one climax after another. Above all, the local artists of Yichang, on behalf of China, gave a full play of Chinese expressions with their fervor. Particularly, the large-scale combination of dance, music and painting Festival, under the conductorship of a musician Zhang Chunlin, completely showcased cultural feature and expression of Yichang at the qualified dialogue level with their counterpart in the world. During the whole tour performances, folk artists both at home and abroad attentively presented every program with adequate passion, interaction and sense of responsibility from beginning to end. In this way, the theme of this festival—Exchange, Friendship and Peace—was fully demonstrated. 

Foreign Envoys: Close and Wonderful Interaction 

The distinguishing feature of the 9th CIFAF, different from previous sessions, was to divide the 14 foreign art troupes into three tour teams, and all those folk artists then became “envoys” of foreign folk arts. The three teams were dispatched respectively to Qingjiang Gallery, Chexi Scenic Spot, Three Gorges Waterfall, Tribe of Three Gorges, Qu Yuan Square, Three Gorges Dam Zone and Zigui Jiandong Village, 7 basic places or units in the four counties such as Changyang, Dianjun, Yiling and Zigui. Wherever the teams went, those foreign envoys presented their performances to the local people with distinct programs and made interactions with local audiences or tourists closely, which invariably received warm welcome. 

Qingjiang Ancient Town in Changyang in ancient formality is a typical carrier of Tujia ethnic group that are capable of song and dance. On the tour performance day, local people welcomed honorable guests from five foreign art troupes with their traditional percussion music All House Red. The Australian Fly by Wire Band dedicated their shocking rock &roll in simple performing style, metal type of singing and Pop interpretation, to the folk music amateurs in the countryside of China. Even they presented their own version of The Most Dazzling National Fashion popular at every Chinese household, which aroused strong echoes. Echoes of the Soul performed by The Ballet Julia Grecos of Spain seemed to be quite relevant to the time-honored cultural tradition. With the guidance of the director, the company adopted Greek music, dance and African elements in culture to convey such a tacit but subtle emotions hidden in the depth of life “in another way”. Not only the whole company of dancers but also the artistic charm of this creation gave off a strong power to our souls against the erosion of time. 

In the scenic spot of Three Gorges Waterfall, before the galloping waterfall, the National Folk Song and Dance Ensemble of Mongolia aroused a Grassland Passion in bold, enthusiastic and merry manner. Lively rhythm and spiritual motion reflected in the dances such as Gallop on Horseback and Sart Falcon gave a thorough manifest of inner appeal and irresistible delight to all the audiences. At Bonfire Square at Chexi Folklore Scenic Spot, Song of Savoring Wine launched the tour performance. Ethiopian Dance by the Dance Ensemble of Ethiopian National Theatre ignited the audiences’ enthusiasm with their rough, bold, passionate and heroic styles. The artists from Trinidad and Tobago Steel Symphony Orchestra brought their steel drum made from petrol buckets to China and brought Chinese audience a brand new visual experience in strong rhythm, passionate atmosphere, free-style dance and shining colors. 

At Zigui County—Qu Yuan’s hometown, American artists took their debut as a splendid dance with the music of the film Harry Porter, which aroused the passion of thousands of audiences. The folk artists from Senegal not only danced the Huagu Dance with the local villager but also performed their lively percussion—Yesterday and Today of Sabar Ballet. Pleasant drum sound, high emotion, dynamic rhythm and passionate dance and interesting interaction led to one climax after another. Different colors or linguistic barrier failed to hinder communication because all the people share music, common feelings and cultural resonance.  

Gala: Competition for Each but Dialogue as a Whole 

If we compare the opening ceremony to a common brick, then the gala of Chinese and foreign artists will be compared to a pure jade. On the afternoon of September 19, on the occasion of Full Moon celebration in Chinese tradition, folk artists from 14 countries of the world jointly dedicated a special artistic feast to almost ten thousand people at Yiling Square. As a whole it was a live art dialogue, for each it was a wonderful competition in cultural exchange and carnival. H.E Lincoln Douglas, minister of Ministry of Culture of Trinidad and Tobago, Dong Zhanshun and Xue Ling, deputy directors general of International Liaison Department of CFLAC, Wu Xun, minister counselor of Ministry of Culture of China, Yi Xijun, vice president of Hubei Federation of Literary and Art Circles, Liao Dafeng, Zou Zhengjin and Wang Yinghua, leaders of Yichang City attended the gala. As the most important part of the 9th CIFAF, the gala became the most significant point of Yichang Section. 

The Dragon and Lion Dance by local artists of Yichang raised the curtain of the gala and then all the foreign art troupes took their positions with complete repertoire. The Russian chorus Lovely Catty gave a surprise in that enchanting gestures, childlike singing and synchronized movement represented the Russian expressions. In comparison with Russian counterpart, Folk Dance Group “Salajka” of Czech staged Myjava Folk Dance where Slovakia New Soldier Dance and lots of Czech folk dance elements were ingeniously combined. Also in youthful teenagers manner, their group dance rotation and child choir in fluent composition vividly reflect the prime time of a person. While the dance Shepherd Song, Dance and Folk Games by Polish Mazowsze National Song and Dance Company sounded leisurely and lively without limitation, Longing for Love by Mexican A Cappella Choir, under the theme of a vanguard’s poetry of love, provided sufficient demonstration of excitement and ecstasy. Besides, they invited some Chinese ladies who were in Huagu Dance for interaction, which was regarded as a folk art dialogue of East and West. The Dance Hippy by Utah restored American lifestyle in the Hippies and brought the audience to appreciate the unique humor and fun in the American dance. The Turnabout Dance by Egypt was a combination of arts, technique and Kungfu as colorful round skirt was turned to the extreme. Like Face Changing in China, the magic in round skirt aroused waves upon waves of applauses. Besides, Chinese people will naturally think of Twin Spin (a song-and-dance duet popular in Northeast China) and Handkerchief Turning and find the possibility of communication and integration between arts. 

As the host of this gala, local artists in Yichang performed lively programs such as Zigui Huagu Dance and Sayerhe, which reflected the joyous atmosphere of Yichang people welcoming guests from all over the world and served them with a special art feast of distinct locality and national expressions. In the end, the gala concluded with Gala of All Nationalities, which was after the Gallop on Horsebacks by Mongolian artists, where all the participant artists went onto the stage to dance the simple Bashan pace hand in hand. With passionate atmosphere, constant laughter, cheers and applauses, this most beautiful and harmonious dance became a perfect end to the 9th CIFAF in Yichang City.  

 (The author is president of Yichang Film and TV Artists Association.)