Prelude: “Fragrant Jasmine Flower”

Presented by Suzhou Arts Ensemble of China 

With green leaves, white blossoms and fragrant aromas, the jasmine flower bears a symbolic meaning of love and friendship. As the most popular Chinese folk song, the classic melody “Jasmine Flower” has touched numerous audiences. The dance “Fragrant Jasmine Flower” blends elements of Kunqu Opera and Suzhou-style storytelling and ballad singing, showcasing China’s time-honored history and contemporary cultural accomplishments with magnificent stage design and grand choreography. 

“A Harvest Season”

Presented by the State Dance Company of Belarus

Flax is a traditional crop of Belarus used to produce linen products such as table cloth, towels and shirts, all of which are popular traditional souvenirs of Belarus. When the flax-harvesting season arrives, young Belarusian farmers harvest flax and sing and dance together with great joy. While boys compete to show their muscular power, girls sing and dance to demonstrate their feminine beauty. They are laboring and enjoying themselves in farming labor.

“Mambo Dance”

Presented by the Rakatan Ballet of Cuba

Mambo is a Latin dance of Cuban origin. This dance form mixes Latin dance and music traditions, featuring vigorous passion, free expression and strong dynamic. As a popular Latin dance, Mambo has always thrived with fresh innovations by assimilating the strength of music and dance traditions of different regions and nations. Dancers present improvised dances in order to express their feelings freely and showcase their individualities thoroughly.

“Happy Shepherds”

Presented by Wallanchian Folklore Ensemble VSACAN of Czech Republic

A Wallachian shepherd always has a long-handle axe with him when tending the sheep, as it can be used as both a laboring tool and a weapon to protect the sheep from beast attacks. When taking a rest, shepherds gather together to dance joyfully, accompanied by flute music.

“Corolla Dance”

Presented by Jun Eun Ja Dance Company of Korea

Corolla dance is a traditional guest-welcoming dance with distinctive Korean characteristics. Dancers, dressed in ceremonial attires and flower laureates, present flower boutiques to distinguished guests and pray for peace and happiness for them. The dance captures the audience’s attention with graceful long-sleeve movements, melodious music and elegant dance steps.

“Passers-by”

Presented by Choni Flamenca Ensemble of Spain

This dance is an episode from the dance drama “Compiling the Time”. The dancers try to express their sophisticated feelings about time and life with a whole-new vision and by mixing flamenco dance with modern dance. Flamenco, a national legacy of Spain, represents an indispensable part of musical and dance traditions of Andalusian Gypsies with Arabic origin, and is considered a highly expressive dance genre, especially in interpreting human attitudes toward life.

“Sweet Date Palm Furits”

Presented by Baniswif Folkloric Troupe of Egypt

Date palm trees are available almost everywhere in Egypt. Date palm trees are tall with robust trunks and beautiful shapes. Date palm fruits, with sweet flavor and red color, are a type of traditional delicacy of Egypt served in Ramadan, Muslim’s fasting month, or when welcoming visiting guests. This dance originated from ancient Upper Egypt, presenting scenes when men express their love for women. In men’s minds, their beloved women are beautiful and sweet dates. They fight against each other with date palm branches in order to demonstrate muscular strength and win the favor of their beloved girls.

“Up a Half Moon Goes”

Presented by Cultural Art Ensemble of South Africa

In past years, men in Scatamia, South Africa were forced to leave their hometowns and work in gold mines far away. They often expressed the longing for their families and homelands by singing. Their singing is lyrical and touching. The company’s interpretation of this popular Chinese song is appealing with special charm. 

“Haka Dance”

Presented by Akirata Darue Troupe of Cook Islands

Haka dance is the most typical performing arts form of Hawaii. Local people welcome guests from afar by performing this unique dance accompanied by indigenous music. With this dance, they also remember their history, transmit ancient legends, pray for good fortune and praise their chieftains. For Cook Islands residents, Haka dance is a wordless literary works, embodying their lives and inspirations and building a bridge through which the people from outside can learn about them.

“Flying Colorful Ribbons”

Presented by Group Folkloric from UFRN of Brazil

It is a dance performed during festive celebrations. Joyful young men and women dance in pairs under a tree with flying colorful ribbons. These ribbons symbolize their dreams and they enjoy themselves in festive celebrations.

“Brave Scotland”

Presented by Gordon School of Dancing of Scotland

The bagpipe constitutes part of Scottish cultural traditions. It was a special weapon used only by Scottish soldiers in ancient times. Bagpipe melodies, soul-stirring, plaintive and chilling, may easily bring the audience back to the heroic times of ancient Scotland when Scots demonstrated a brave and unbending spirit in the face of foreign invasions. For Scots, the bagpipe is far more than an instrument; it is enshrined as the nation’s spiritual totem.

“Eternal Tango”

Presented by Catullus Group Tango of Argentina

First burgeoning from Buenos Aires, Tango is deemed as a national legacy of Argentina. Tango originated from a folk dance popular in the middle and western parts of Africa. In the 19th century when a great number of European and African immigrants rushed into Argentina, they brought musical and dance traditions of their own which gradually integrated with local aboriginal arts forms. As a result, a Latin American-style dancing form with artistic vitality and mystery was created and called “Tango”. Tango features fast rhythms, graceful steps, inexhaustible passion and endless variation, inspiring the audience with enthusiasm and creativity.

“Passion and Might: the Black Sea”

Presented by TUTAV Show and Art Group of Turkey

This dance is native to the costal areas of the Black Sea in the northeastern part of Turkey. The passionate and dynamic dance demonstrates the might of the Black Sea and local dwellers’ optimistic and brave attitude toward life. This dance is accompanied by the three-string zither, an ethnic instrument typical of this region.

“Rubber Boot Dance”

Presented by Imcubeko ye Afrika of South Africa

The traditional rubber boot dance is well known in South Africa, along with its mine culture. The rubber boot dance originated from the second half of the 19th century when gold mine owners forbad mine workers to converse with one another. Workers forced to keep silent gradually found a way of communication by flapping their boots and bare chests, a secret language only understood by mine workers themselves. Today, dancers perform this inspiring and rhythmic dance in order to express their joy when celebrating holidays and triumphs.  

“Follow Your Heart”

Presented by INERTIA Dance Company of USA

Street dance, native to USA, evolved out of jazz dance in the 1990s. It is popular dance form among youth, as it is highly expressive with strong rhythms and free movements and improvisational and social in showing individual emotions and ideas of dancers. Young dancers from the INERTIA Dance Company showcase their dynamic and vitality by interpreting street dances of different historical periods and different styles.

Finale: “Harmony between Beauty and Love”, the theme song of The 8th China International Folk Arts Festival

Words by Li Chaorun, Music by Mengweidong, Sung by Cao Fujia and Ma Haisheng

The golden wind embraces the moon-lit night,

The stars of arts fill in the vast galaxy.

Artists from around the world gather in the stage of China,

Hugging with one another in greetings of beauty.

Magic flowers bloom in various colors,

The rainbow of life stretches across the sky.

Fragrance of local culture blends with aroma of exotic traditions,

Love and friendship are enhanced in good-will blessings.

China, world, world, China.

Voice our hopes, voice our prosperity.

China, world, world, China,

Voice our pure and eternal friendship.