Africaisrichinlocalartandoriginaltribalculture,whicharevaluableartisticresources.EverytimeIgotoAfrica,Ihopetoworkwithmylocalpartnerstobetterusetheseresources.
LinHai,aChinesedancedirector
LinperformswithhisEritreancolleagueCOURTESYPHOTOSItisnosecretthatdancingbringspeoplecloser,nomattertheiroriginsorbackgrounds.LinHai,aChinesedancer-turned-director,knowsthatbetterthanmost.AfterhavingdirecteddanceperformancesinEritreaandCentralAfricanRepublic,hesaidhehasdevelopedastrongbondwithAfrica.
“ThroughmyexperienceinAfrica,Ibecamedeeplyfascinatedwiththispieceofland,andIhaveplanstodirectmoreAfricandanceperformancesinthefuture,”LintoldChinAfrica.
LinrecalledhistriptoEritreain2011wherehewastodirectanimportantperformance.AshewasabouttogetofftheairplaneandsteponEritreansoilaftera20-hourflightinFebruarythatyear,hefeltstrangelynervous.Hesaidthatthefeelingwassomehowsimilartohowheusedtofeelminutesbeforesteppingonstageforadanceperformance,hetoldChinAfrica.
LinhadbeenentrustedbytheEritreanGovernmenttodirectalarge-scaledanceperformanceforthecountry’smostimportantculturalevent-the2011EritreanFestivalExpo,tobeheldinthecapitalAsmarainAugust.
Linwasconfidentinbeinguptothetask.Afterall,astheChairmanofMianyangDancersAssociation,insouthwestChina’sSichuanProvince,hehadmanyyearsofexperienceunderhisbelt.Moreover,hewasnotaloneinthis,ashisfellowEritreandancedirectorswereexpectinghisarrival,eagertoworkwithhimonsuchanimportantproject.
“Africaisrichinlocalartandoriginaltribalculture,whicharevaluableartisticresources.EverytimeIgotoAfrica,Ihopetoworkwithmylocalpartnerstobetterusetheseresources,”Linsaid.
Firststeps
ItwasnotLin’sfirstmoveonthecontinent.In2006,hehadpreviouslyworkedasadirectingconsultantintheCentralAfricanRepublicforanimportantevent.
“Iwasinvitedtodirectalargegroupofgymnastsforthe46thIndependenceDaycelebrationsofthecountry,”LintoldChinAfrica.Workinghandsinhandswithlocalartistictroupes,Linaddedvariouselementstothecelebrations,ultimatelycreatingashowthatfullyreflectedthethemeoftheimportantevent.
Afterthreemonths’rehearsal,theshowwaspresentedwitharesoundingsuccess,andreceivedhighpraisesfromhishosts.
Thissuccessestablishedhisreputationasafirst-classdirectorthroughoutthecontinent.Twoyearslater,in2008,LinwasinvitedbytheEritreanGovernmenttocontributehisexpertiseandideastoalarge-scaletheatricalperformanceincelebrationofthecountry’sIndependenceDay.Again,heliveduptohisreputationwithabreathtakingshow.
“EverytimeIgotoanewplacetodesignordirectashow,Ihavetounderstandtheculturalbackgroundoftheeventandunderstandthehistoryofthecountry,”saidLinonthereasonsbehindhissuccess.“IcollectlocalfolkelementsinadvancesothatIcandesignmorepracticableandattractiveperformances.”
ThisishowheendeduptakingpartinEritreanFestivalExpoin2011,thebiggestcelebrationofthecountry.Asusual,hedidnotdisappointthepublic:Thelarge-scaledanceperformancewasahighpointoftheopeningceremony.Withlarger-scalechoreographiesinvolvingsome3,000to4,000dancers,theperformanceturnedouttobeavisualfeast.
“TheperformancewasentitledDreamforPeace.IusedlocalEritreantraditionalsymbolstoexpressourwishforpeace,”Linsaid.Olivebranches-apartofEritrea’snationalemblem-wereusedasprops,andactorsimitatedthemovementsofadove,headded.
“Danceisanartisticlanguagethatcanexpressnotonlypoliticalthemes,butalsothefeelingsofamodernpeople,”Linsaid.Accordingtothefeedbackinformationaftertheperformance,localpeoplesaidthedancewasinnovativeandthattheycouldfullyunderstandthetraditionalsymbolsused.
Twototango
Morethanjustdirecting,LinputsaspecialemphasisonexchangingwithhisfellowdirectorsinAfrica,hesaid.Butindoingso,thelanguagebarrierremainsanimportanthurdle.
Eritreahasnineethnicgroups,eachoneofthemhasitsowncultureandart;butLinhadonlyoneinterpretertoassisthim.Thedifficultywasmadeworsebythefactthathehadtodealwitheverythingfromthemeselectiontodancearrangementsandevenlighting.
Fortunately,LintrainedanumberofEritreanjuniordirectorswithwhomheworkedin2008whenhepreparedfortheIndependenceDay’scelebrationsthatyear.“So,whenIcamebackin2011,Iwashappytoreuniteandworksidebysidewiththem,”Linsaid.Hispreviousstudentshadnowbecomehispartners,andplayedakeyroleinthepreparationsforthefestival.
DésiréKolingba,FormerMinisterofYouth,Sports,ArtsandCultureoftheCentralAfricanRepublic,praisedLin’swork.“AstheChinesesay,itisbettertoteachapersonhowtofishratherthanjustgivehimsomefish.Linhasdonejustthatintrainingartisticdirectorsforourcountry,whichwillpromotethedevelopmentofperformingartsnationwide.”
Aworthyspirit
Africanpeople’sstrongconnectionwiththeirethniccultureiswhatmadethestrongestimpressiononhim,Linsaid.DuringtheperformanceofEritreanFestivalExpoin2011,eachoneofthecountry’sethnicgroupshaditsboothtointroducesomeaspectsofitsculture.Linwasimpressedbytheirsenseofcommunityandtheoverallrespectfordiversity.
Overthepastyears,ChineseauthoritieshavemadesignificanteffortstopromoteandpreserveChina’sintangibleculturalheritage,saidLin.Buthebelievesthatthereisstillworktobedonetoreachthiskindofcommitmenttoculturaldiversityamongcommoncitizens.
“Itisgoodtodevelopculturaltourismproducts,andweshouldcombineculturalheritageprotectionwitheconomicdevelopment.Butinthisprocess,weneedtomakesurethatweprotectourculturalheritage,andnotundermineourculturalecology,”Linsaid,addingthatAfrica’sspiritofethniccultureprotectionisanexampleChinacanlearnfrom.
AccordingtoLin,thereisstillalottodointhisfield,asAfrica’srichoriginalartandculturearenotfullydiscovered.HisonlywishisthatsuchperformancescanhelpspreadAfricancultureandbringfinancialreturnstoimprovethelivelihoodofAfricanartists.
Commentsto
Lindanceswithhisstudents