"Shaolin in the Wind" to showcase martial arts and classical dance
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    "Shaolin in the Wind", a grand dance drama by Zhengzhou Song and Dance Theatre, will be staged in January 2007 in Hong Kong. The dance drama features Kung Fu by 30 Shaolin-trained martial artists and over 50 dancers.

     The show has been staged in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Taipei, and will tour to the US for 800 performances. It won Gold Awards in Dance Drama, Direction, Performance and Costume Design in the 5th Lotus Award Competition, and was nominated as a National Fine Stage Arts Project 2005-06.

     "Shaolin in the Wind" is about a scholar who is rescued by the abbot of the Shaolin Temple from the hands of Japanese pirates. He takes up martial arts and later takes the robes as a martial arts monk at the Shaolin Temple. In the dance drama, there is a marvellous display of a variety of Shaolin martial arts like qinggong (the art of physical speed) and tietougong (the art of the iron head) by members of the Shaolin Monks of Martial Arts, integrating martial arts with the poetry and lyricism of classical dance. Using the special Xuanwu rock of Songshan as the centrepiece in the stage design and special effects like the two-storey high Buddha statue, the solemn atmosphere of Shaolin Temple is wholesomely presented on stage.

     Zhengzhou Song and Dance Theatre with its cast of close to 100 performers for the 2005 production of "Shaolin in the Wind" will showcase elements of martial arts, exquisite classical dance, and breathtaking special stage effects. It promises to be an unforgettable and spectacular experience for audiences.

     "Shaolin in the Wind" will be staged at 8pm, January 20 and 21, 2007 (Saturday and Sunday), at the Auditorium, Sha Tin Town Hall. Tickets priced at $260, $180 and $100 are now available at all URBTIX outlets. Half-price tickets are available for senior citizens, people with disabilities, full-time students and Comprehensive Social Security Assistant (CSSA) recipients (limited tickets for students and CSSA recipients are available on a first-come, first-served basis). Please see the group booking discount scheme in the programme leaflet.

     For programme enquiries, please call 2268 7323 or visit the following websites: www.lcsd.gov.hk/cp. For reservations, please call 2734-9009. For credit card bookings, please call 2111 5999. To book online, please visit, www.urbtix.hk.

     The programme, one of the attractions of the "National Fine Stage Arts Project" Hong Kong Series, is co-presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and National Fine Stage Arts Project Office. Other attractions include Liyuan Opera Experimental Troupe of Fujian Province (December 26 to 28) and Henan Yu Opera Troupe No. 2 (January 30 to February 1, 2007). Package booking discounts are available for any single purchase of more than one programme of the series. Please check details in the programme leaflets.

Ends/Monday, November 20, 2006
Issued at HKT 17:34

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